Category: SSP YouTube Channel

Deer B Gone

SSP YouTube Channel

The deer and rabbits are playing havoc with my perennials and fruit trees.  They’ve chewed the branch tips off of my apple tree, decimated my azaleas, and are generally ticking me off.  And since I’m limited by both geography and the calendar on the, um, methods I can employ to combat these fuzzy marauders, I have to resort to less-than-lethal deterrents. So off to the big-box hardware store I go, only to discover that commercial repellents cost about $27 per gallon!  Wow, there must be some potent ingredients to justify that price.  I must learn more.  What are the active ingredients; let’s see. Hmmm, the first one is putrescent egg solids.  Wait, I’m paying $27/gallon for rotten eggs?!?  Maybe there’s

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Inoculating Shitake Mushroom Logs

SSP YouTube Channel

Today we’ll walk through the process of inoculating oak logs with Shitake mushroom logs.  Using this method you can grow mushrooms for your own use, for sharing with friends and family, or for selling to CSA, farmers’ markets, or to restaurant customers.  With just $30 of commercial spawn and a few inexpensive tools, you can be harvesting your own mushrooms in just a few short months.

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SSP YouTube Channel

Several months ago a friend purchased three Pioneer Tool Racks from Old Grouch’s Military Surplus.  The boxes had gotten wet, and as a result he got a really good deal on them.  Jack Spirko mentioned them on his show, and once he took a look at them, he was sold.  So he picked up one for himself, one for me, and one for a mutual friend.  I loved the idea of being able to carry an axe, a shovel, and a mattock in one convenient package.  Only one problem; my truck has a cap on it, making it hard to mount the rack inside the bed, and still be able to access it easily.  What to do, what to do?  Finally, I came

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Ugly Drum Smoker – Part III

SSP YouTube Channel

We’ll build the charcoal basket, make and install the grate supports, and do the final assembly. It is really a pretty simple build. The materials are easy to find and inexpensive. And the results . . . Well, the results speak for themselves. Having already used this smoker three times in the last two weeks, I can tell you it works like a charm. I’ve done smoker sausage once, and pulled pork twice. I’m thinking maybe ribs this weekend. If you’re interested, I’ll be posting a parts list with prices, and some constructions notes/sketches sometime in the next couple of weeks to help you with your own build. Thanks for checking it out, and please subscribe to see more of

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Ugly Drum Smoker – Part II

SSP YouTube Channel

This week we’ll walk through part two of our Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS) build.  We’ll go through the burn out, the grind out, and the assembly of the smoker body.  That leaves us only the charcoal basket and the grills before we’re ready to smoke some tasty brisket! Hope you enjoy.  And, as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a comment or shoot me an email. Thanks!

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Home Wine Making (Part III)

SSP YouTube Channel

In part 3 of 3 in our home wine making series we look at second clearing, bottling, and corking.  If you haven’t seen the first two videos yet, go back and watch from the beginning on the YouTube playlist. If you like this, check out the other videos on our YouTube channel.  Better yet, subscribe to the channel so you can be alerted when new videos post. Please leave any questions/comments in the space below.  And let me know what topics you’d like to see in the future pertaining to DIY, homesteading, and the self-sufficient lifestyle. Thanks!

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