It will cool down tonight and then the yeast will be pitched and it will ferment and then lager. It will take from 8-12 weeks to finish off the beer before it is ready for bottling. We had a beautiful day with temps in the low 50s so all the cleaning chores were a bit easier to perform than if it had been 14 degrees and snowing outside. The brew system is very well engineered with electric heating coils for all the hot water and the connections between the various tanks is with silicon tubing and pumps.
When the boil was finished after 60 minutes the finished wort flowed into the carboys via gravity. The carboys are now in a top loading refrigerator to cool down into the low 50s before the yeast is pitched, sometime tomorrow. It will ferment at 65-72 degrees and then lager at 52 degrees for at least 4 weeks. This full mash system used almost 50 pounds of grain, 8 ounces of hops, and produced almost 15 gallons of wort. Quite a big step up from my 5 gallon batches!
Lewisburg woman a ‘breeder of birds’
Leslie spent the day near Lewisburg at the PFHT Field Meet. Most of the regulars were there. I hung out with Dave (Marbles) as he had arranged with Mike DuPuy to go to a pheasant area with a few goshawks. After the floods 2 summers, ago a PGC game farm flooded and thousands of birds had to be released. Many found their way to a very hilly, brushy field in a subdivision. We saw 7 flush and a couple of chases but no kills. Jeff Finch lost his bird for a while in the thick stuff. It was hard walking on the hills and brush, so at the third flight some of us stayed on the access road and had a good view down into the valley. We didn’t see anything from there but that’s because nothing happened.
Jeff Finch has an albino redtail that is in some kind of breeding program. I had her on my fist for a while in the hotel room and also helped Dave medicate his redtail. Mike DuPuy had a public viewing of the birds in the weathering area. Quite a few curious local people came. When Marty Rogers found out that I’d never held a bird before, he insisted I take his passage female. What a thrill. And, because of the crowd, I had several people come up to me and ask questions. Most I could answer (her name, her age, why/how redtails are trapped and used). From then on both Marty and Dave were all about getting me a sponsor and taking the test over my insistence that as much fun as I have with them once/twice a year, that responsibility and life style just isn’t in my future. Besides, I have chickens. Anyway, it was great fun for all of us.
I sat with Karl Striedeick at dinner. Jeff Kimmel came up with him. Jeff’s opened a woodworking shop not too far from Karl’s place. I told him I’d bring Pop Lapp’s 2 end tables to him. Dinner was in “ballroom” of the Country Kitchen attached to the hotel. The restaurant has a regular buffet with ham, prime rib, fried everything, salad bar, dessert bar, vegetable bar and we served ourselves from that. It worked out very well.
I didn’t see any dachshunds there although Teddy came for the day and brought her husband instead of a bird and dogs (not a fair trade in my book). He’s retired and they’ve moved to Delaware. Neither Phyliss and Ted nor his apprentice Melissa were there.
I met a sister of Gambol’s from Cheri’s last litter with Valley. Looks a lot like Gambol. I’d talked to his owner on the phone as a reference for Cheri but had never met her before.
The speaker was Scott McNeff the Eastern region director from NAFA. (There must have been 6 or 7 NAFA big guys. Next year’s meet will be in Carlisle. Mike Kuriga is chair. ) He’s 35 but looks 16. He’s from Maine, runs an ice cream stand on the beach in the summer and takes off 7 months to hawk. I’m in the wrong business. He showed slides of a trip to the southwest last year. He just called cold called people in the NAFA directory and they invited him to stay and hunt with them, never having met them before. That’s just how falconers are. Good talk, not too long.
I just went up for the day so I left before the raffle got going. No dogs; no birds this time. Mike DuPuy gathered lots of falconry equipment from suppliers so there was lots of interest.
The walking was tough and the catches meager throughout, only 26 game pins this year. It was just too warm for the weight of the birds, apparently. And that’s the art of falconry.
---- — By Tricia Pursell
The Daily Item
LEWISBURG -- Professional falconers and their right-hand birds will meet in Lewisburg this week for the annual Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust Field Meet.
The first time to be held in the Valley, the event will bring together about 100 PFHT club members and other falconers from other states, to share stories and do what they love best -- hunting with their birds of prey.
Field Meet Chairman Mike Dupuy, of Middleburg, said it's not a competition. Rather, "We get together to go hunting and tell tales to each other," he said.
Dupuy is also looking for some local hunters to act as guides -- those who know local landowners so permission can be granted to the falconers to fly their birds there. Falconers are generally looking for small game, such as rabbits, squirrels, pheasants and ducks.
Those interested in volunteering are asked to meet at the front door of the Best Western in Lewisburg at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, at which time Dupuy will conduct a brief flight demonstration in a nearby field.
The public is invited to an open house to see a variety of birds, watch a presentation, and ask questions about them and the art of falconry, from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the atrium at The Country Cupboard in Lewisburg.
More information is available by contacting Dupuy at (301) 633-8355 or pfht2012@mikedupuyhawkfood.com.
The PFHT club, which has met for a field meet annually for more than 35 years, has about 150 members.
The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA
January 2, 2012Falconers gather for field meet
Daily Item---- — By Tricia Pursell
The Daily Item
LEWISBURG -- Professional falconers and their right-hand birds will meet in Lewisburg this week for the annual Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust Field Meet.
The first time to be held in the Valley, the event will bring together about 100 PFHT club members and other falconers from other states, to share stories and do what they love best -- hunting with their birds of prey.
Field Meet Chairman Mike Dupuy, of Middleburg, said it's not a competition. Rather, "We get together to go hunting and tell tales to each other," he said.
Dupuy is also looking for some local hunters to act as guides -- those who know local landowners so permission can be granted to the falconers to fly their birds there. Falconers are generally looking for small game, such as rabbits, squirrels, pheasants and ducks.
Those interested in volunteering are asked to meet at the front door of the Best Western in Lewisburg at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, at which time Dupuy will conduct a brief flight demonstration in a nearby field.
The public is invited to an open house to see a variety of birds, watch a presentation, and ask questions about them and the art of falconry, from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the atrium at The Country Cupboard in Lewisburg.
More information is available by contacting Dupuy at (301) 633-8355 or pfht2012@mikedupuyhawkfood.com.
The PFHT club, which has met for a field meet annually for more than 35 years, has about 150 members.
News
Lewisburg woman a ‘breeder of birds’ 
 |
| Above, Cheri Heimbach, master falconer, holds Whistler, an eagle owl, one of the birds of prey which she raises. Left, this Harris hawk is one of the bird of prey species Heimbach raises. Photo by Tammy Burke/Standard Journal. |
by Tammy Burke
LEWISBURG — Hunting the way that ancients did is only one of the three separate things that Cheri Heimbach, of Lewisburg, master falconer of Baywing Falconry and the apprentice coordinator for the Pennsylvania Falcon and Hawk Trust, (PFHT) gets to do with her birds of prey.
“The basic point is falconry is the oldest hunting sport known to man,” Heimbach said, “It’s 4,000 years old and it’s how they put meat on the table before modern weapons were created.”
According to the PFHT, which is the state club, Japanese records show falcons given as presents to Chinese princes around 2200 B.C. and pictorial records and wall hangings of hunters with falcons on their wrists have been dated to 1700 B.C. in Persia. The sport had gained popularity in medieval Europe and by the middle of the 18th century began to decline in England and Europe.
But it appears the sport never went completely away, as a dedicated handful still revel in the husbandry and sport of falconry. For example, PFHT started in 1976 with a total of 55 falconers at the end of the its first year.
In addition to hunting, Heimbach is a propagator, or in other words, a breeder of birds and she travels to schools, groups and events to do educational talks. According to Heimbach, during the year, she spoke at 19 different places with groups ranging from five people to over 25,000. Most of the talks are scheduled in Pennsylvania but she has gone as far as New Jersey to an elementary school.
The children, she said, love seeing the birds.
According to Heimbach, the annual state field meet, featuring dozens of falconers from the PFHT, will be held Jan. 5-8 at Country Cupboard, Lewisburg.
“Hunters will be split into hunting groups and then we’ll meet up with everyone after and tell tall tales of what our birds did — how many rabbits they got,” she said.
The redtail isn’t the only bird that Heimbach hunts with — she currently has 13 birds of prey which represent the three main types: Hawks, falcons and owls.
Outside at the Baywing Falconry perches, one white Gyrfalcon, a 3-year-old named Starlight, and two Harris hawks, Cobra, a 4-year-old Harris hawk which had been injured during a hunting accident, and Shiva, a 9-year-old Harris hawk which is still hunting, perched like silent sentries during a light drizzle.
Heimbach said the injured Harris hawk will be introduced into the breeding program, where each bird stays in its own “mew,” or housing facility for birds of prey.
“The only birds to share a cage are a bonded pair.” Heimbach said. “Or they’d eat each other.”
According to Heimbach, the redtail hawk is one of the most common in North America while the Harris hawks generally come from Arizona, Texas and New Mexico.
In addition to two types of hawks, Heimbach also has two types of falcons: The Gyrfalcon and the African Barbary.
Currently she has a barbary falcon under a year old who is living in the house with her. The bird is smaller than those outside and it is full grown.
“(Barbarys) are fully grown at three months. But mentally it takes a while to grow-up,” Heimbach said, explaining she gets her birds initially while they are very young and keeps them in the house at first in order to get the birds accustomed to her.
In another area, a large mew holds a pair of Eagle owls. Heimbach said the species originates from Europe and are closely related to horned owls but are much larger. The two are destined to be a breeding pair, she said, as soon as the female, Penny, is old enough.
Currently, Penny is not quite 2 and she has to be 5 in order to lay eggs. Penny is about a third larger than Whistler, the 5-year-old male.
All female birds of prey are larger than the males, Heimbach said.
According to Heimbach, owls can live up to 50 years in captivity while in the wild it is about half that.
Heimbach admitted that with the Harry Potter series, the owl has become more popular but she warned all the birds of prey are not pets, they are wild animals. Hers are trained but never tame, she said.
And there is a process to become a falconer. “You must have permits from the PA game commission,” Heimbach said.
Additionally, she said someone interested is required to find a sponsor and do a two-year apprenticeship to learn how to properly care for the birds and to protect the community.
For example, her birds eat a whole animal diet as close as possible to what they would have in nature, Heimbach said. Such as mice, quail and chicken.
Potential falconers also go through a written examination along with showing that a proper facility is constructed and must have them inspected.
One of the duties Heimbach has as the state’s apprentice coordinator is guiding interested parties and introducing them to falconers so they have an opportunity to get to know potential sponsors.
For more information or to schedule an educational talk, call 966-9539 or e-mail baywings@dejazzd.com.
Staff writer Tammy Burke can be reached at 570-742-9671 or e-mail.
“The basic point is falconry is the oldest hunting sport known to man,” Heimbach said, “It’s 4,000 years old and it’s how they put meat on the table before modern weapons were created.”
According to the PFHT, which is the state club, Japanese records show falcons given as presents to Chinese princes around 2200 B.C. and pictorial records and wall hangings of hunters with falcons on their wrists have been dated to 1700 B.C. in Persia. The sport had gained popularity in medieval Europe and by the middle of the 18th century began to decline in England and Europe.
But it appears the sport never went completely away, as a dedicated handful still revel in the husbandry and sport of falconry. For example, PFHT started in 1976 with a total of 55 falconers at the end of the its first year.
In addition to hunting, Heimbach is a propagator, or in other words, a breeder of birds and she travels to schools, groups and events to do educational talks. According to Heimbach, during the year, she spoke at 19 different places with groups ranging from five people to over 25,000. Most of the talks are scheduled in Pennsylvania but she has gone as far as New Jersey to an elementary school.
The children, she said, love seeing the birds.
According to Heimbach, the annual state field meet, featuring dozens of falconers from the PFHT, will be held Jan. 5-8 at Country Cupboard, Lewisburg.
“Hunters will be split into hunting groups and then we’ll meet up with everyone after and tell tall tales of what our birds did — how many rabbits they got,” she said.
The redtail isn’t the only bird that Heimbach hunts with — she currently has 13 birds of prey which represent the three main types: Hawks, falcons and owls.
Outside at the Baywing Falconry perches, one white Gyrfalcon, a 3-year-old named Starlight, and two Harris hawks, Cobra, a 4-year-old Harris hawk which had been injured during a hunting accident, and Shiva, a 9-year-old Harris hawk which is still hunting, perched like silent sentries during a light drizzle.
Heimbach said the injured Harris hawk will be introduced into the breeding program, where each bird stays in its own “mew,” or housing facility for birds of prey.
“The only birds to share a cage are a bonded pair.” Heimbach said. “Or they’d eat each other.”
According to Heimbach, the redtail hawk is one of the most common in North America while the Harris hawks generally come from Arizona, Texas and New Mexico.
In addition to two types of hawks, Heimbach also has two types of falcons: The Gyrfalcon and the African Barbary.
Currently she has a barbary falcon under a year old who is living in the house with her. The bird is smaller than those outside and it is full grown.
“(Barbarys) are fully grown at three months. But mentally it takes a while to grow-up,” Heimbach said, explaining she gets her birds initially while they are very young and keeps them in the house at first in order to get the birds accustomed to her.
In another area, a large mew holds a pair of Eagle owls. Heimbach said the species originates from Europe and are closely related to horned owls but are much larger. The two are destined to be a breeding pair, she said, as soon as the female, Penny, is old enough.
Currently, Penny is not quite 2 and she has to be 5 in order to lay eggs. Penny is about a third larger than Whistler, the 5-year-old male.
All female birds of prey are larger than the males, Heimbach said.
According to Heimbach, owls can live up to 50 years in captivity while in the wild it is about half that.
Heimbach admitted that with the Harry Potter series, the owl has become more popular but she warned all the birds of prey are not pets, they are wild animals. Hers are trained but never tame, she said.
And there is a process to become a falconer. “You must have permits from the PA game commission,” Heimbach said.
Additionally, she said someone interested is required to find a sponsor and do a two-year apprenticeship to learn how to properly care for the birds and to protect the community.
For example, her birds eat a whole animal diet as close as possible to what they would have in nature, Heimbach said. Such as mice, quail and chicken.
Potential falconers also go through a written examination along with showing that a proper facility is constructed and must have them inspected.
One of the duties Heimbach has as the state’s apprentice coordinator is guiding interested parties and introducing them to falconers so they have an opportunity to get to know potential sponsors.
For more information or to schedule an educational talk, call 966-9539 or e-mail baywings@dejazzd.com.
Staff writer Tammy Burke can be reached at 570-742-9671 or e-mail.
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