Fermenting Solutions 2025.08: NEAT Fighter II

Published: Fri, 08/29/25

The Internet of Things... We were promised pervasive computing, but it never really seemed to completely materialize. Sure, we've all got mobile phones and devices that we carry capable of reaching the internet from anywhere, but what I'm talking about is the seamless integration of all of the dumb devices that we rely on every day that make everything run smoother. Why can't we just plug these devices in and have them work in a way that complements the rest of our environment?

I blame it all (not really) on the fact that most of these 'smart' devices still rely on cheap networking modules that require 2.4GHz wifi in order to get them connected to everything else. I've been banging my head against a wall with this for the last few weeks regarding my sauna.

This latest annoyance started after my sauna manufacturer released a new version of their Android app. I used to be able to login and see my sauna in the app, click on it and control all of its functions from anywhere. After this app upgrade, the entry for my sauna was no longer present. I immediately freaked out, because I remembered how painful it was to originally make it show up there in the first place years ago.

~5 years ago, my home wireless network was already one that supported both 5GHz and 2.4GHz without providing any means to force it into a 2.4GHz only mode. This made it impossible to guarantee that both the setup device and sauna would both connect at 2.4GHz. Ultimately, I was able to get around this limitation by setting up a hotspot with an old Android device that could allow me to specify specifically to only use 2.4GHz. I did this with an SSID and password that matched my temporarily deactivated home network and eventually got the sauna connected and working.

Fast forward to now... I no longer have any device (Android or other) that I can force to only broadcast a 2.4GHz network. I thought I had this problem cracked, by tricking my setup device into using the 2.4GHz band by getting sufficiently far away from my wireless access point. The problem with this is that I can't seem to get this to happen without also getting out of Bluetooth range of the sauna. So frustrating! Do you experience these issues? How have you been able to work around them?

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When not fighting with invisible waves in the air, I've been getting ready for fall gardening season. I'm planting my fall crops outdoors. My indoor grow area is completely empty and cleaned up in preparation for my main indoor mushroom growing season.

In order to prep for this, I've made quite a few upgrades. With the start of foraging season this year, I made the determination to reduce a lot of the waste tied to the hobby by moving to using reusable, autoclavable supplies. This had the added benefit of reducing the chance for contamination when propagating things.

One other major upgrade that I made was to build an induction sterilizer for my tools. This is mostly a 'safety' upgrade since it allows me to avoid using a torch to sterilize my tools while doing lab work. This is much better since isopropyl alcohol is used for sanitizing many things in the process. I never really felt comfortable combining alcohol and an open flame, so now it's no longer required. This was a fun project and I'll probably document the whole process at some point in the future. Do you have any interest in an induction sterilizer? Shoot me a message, I'm considering making more if there's interest!

As I'm writing this, I have some local oyster mushrooms that are about ready to propagate further. I'm trying a new technique for doing this which I'll also discuss in more detail at a later date.

Doing all of this was good preparation for the future, as I was recently accepted into Field and Forest's Citizen Science Mycology program. I'm working on formulating my first experiment for them and if there is interest in more mycology content, I'll definitely discuss my experience with this program in the future. Want to hear more about this? Let me know!

Fun with Foraging

This month's foraged delicacy was chanterelles! I mentioned last month that it was a good summer for mushroom foraging. This is the first time I ever recall actually finding chanterelles in my yard. They're fairly easy to distinguish from things that you should not eat in this area of the country (just don't do what a friend of mine recently did and confuse them with jack o'lanterns 🤮). Chanterelles should be white and solid on the inside. They also don't have 'true' gills. Chanterelles are usually found in the ground, near hardwood trees. They typically do not grow on dead wood. If you find one, pick it up and it should smell like apricot!

Thoughts On Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis

Foraging for mushrooms is a great excuse to get outside and walk while carrying things. This is part of something I've been incorporating to supplement my workouts for years. Forcing yourself to exert more effort while having fun has a name (and an acronym 🤣). If you want to know more about Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), why I love it and how to incorporate it into your busy lifestyle, check out:

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis - Transmutable Explorations

What is non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)? Why is it important? How can you incorporate it…

Examine Study of the Month

I use Examine.com to inform many of the 'health' related experiments that I do. One of my favorites from the last month was A low-oxygen environment might improve body composition in older adults. This meta-analysis study provides evidence that a low-oxygen environment might modestly reduce weight and body fat, particularly in older adults. My mind is spinning with ways to potentially take advantage of this and I plan to read the referenced studies in more depth to better understand the protocols that were followed.

Examine the Study

Favorite Relevant Purchase

I've used a few different knives for foraging over the years. My current favorite is this Old Bear from Antonini Knives. I recommend the rainbow handled one because its added visibility has helped me find it on more than one occasion!

Favorite Purchase

J checked in on Untappd!

Once again, hoppy beers dominate. I attribute this to the fact that I visited both Tired Hands and Dewey Beer Company multiple times this month. I was pleasantly surprised with Dewey Beer Company's beers. This was my first time visiting them and my only experience with their beers has been drinking them elsewhere and all I can say is that every place I've ever had them has terribly misrepresented their beers. Every one was fantastic!

Despite the greatness of Dewey's beers, my favorite from the last month did not come from them. It was Dogfish Head Craft Brewery's Affogato World Wide Stout! For anyone not familiar, World Wide Stout is a high ABV, dark, rich and roasty Imperial Stout. This 15% ABV iteration, takes this beloved beer to the next level, with added notes of espresso and sweet vanilla for a liquid version of the well-known Italian treat. This ageable ale is made with a blend of 7 different grains and then infused with loads of locally roasted coffee and sweet vanilla.

Many of the beers I've had over the last month are available via Tavour. You can get $10 off your first order by using my link.

See Favorite Check-in

Fermented Solutions

My bloodwork results are back and have been interpreted. A lot of the same outliers as usual, though everything is mostly moving in the right direction. Cholesterol results weren't perfect, but I expected that due to following a lower carb diet and taking a higher dose of Trimethylglycine over the last few months. Have you seen the latest research stating that we're overinterpreting cholesterol numbers in a vacuum rather than looking at them in conjunction with other biomarkers? It's fascinating stuff and makes me wonder when this will become the standard way of interpreting these values.

I've got an interesting first time experience coming up this weekend. I'm sure I'll mention it next month, so I'm not going to ruin the surprise!

Happy Fermenting!

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Telford PA 18969
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