When it comes to home brewing there are a few absolute must-have items, one of those items is a brew kettle. Essentially, a brew kettle is a huge pot that allows the boiling of wort; it is most typically made out of stainless steel, aluminum, or an enameled steel material each with it’s own distinct characteristics. They range in price and quality substantially; from DIY brew kettle solutions such as modifying an old keg which can cost under $100, up to more specialized brew kettles which can run in the area of $620. Let’s examine a few of the common aspects of brew kettles a little more in-depth.

Pot Size

The size of a brew pot can vary considerably and will depend upon the needs of the individual who is doing their brew. If a person is planning on doing smaller batches such as in the area of 5 gallons and plans on doing most of their beer making from extracts they will be able to get by with brew kettles as small as 4 gallons. However, it would be well advised for them to keep an eye on their wort through-out the boiling process in an effort to avoid boil overs – it can be quite a headache indeed to clean this sort of mess up. For those that are interested in all-grain brewing, it is advised to look at a minimum brew kettle size of 7 gallons or else it will be necessary to divide the wort into multiple pots.

Brew Kettle Material

There are basically three materials you can find brew kettles made out-of, each has its own strengths and weaknesses but a stainless steel pot is generally considered to be the best option. For those on a budget, aluminum and enameled steel pots will be a good solution.

Stainless Steel Brew Kettles

There are many advantages of stainless steel and very few drawbacks; in fact the only real drawback of stainless steel is poor heat conductivity which can be a problem if you are relying on a home electric heat source. But stainless makes up for that with better pot strength, ease of care, aesthetics and generally is just a more durable material – your investment will be around for quite a while if you choose a stainless steel brew kettle.

Aluminum Brew Pots

Firstly, there are some unfounded rumors about aluminum brew pots producing metallic tasting brew – this is mostly due to a pot not being properly prepared before use. An aluminum pot must have water boiled in it for at least 20 minutes prior to its initial use. This is to help the aluminum form an oxidized layer between the metal and the contents which will stop any metallic flavour being imparted on the wort. The major drawback of aluminum is the material strength; even a 6mm thick aluminum pot will dent easier than a .8mm thick stainless steel pot.

Enameled Pots

Enameled pots come in a variety of colours, many people suggest that it’s best to avoid these types of pots altogether as if they happen to chip you will not be able to stop the metallic flavour from entering your wort. They are quite affordable though, comparable to aluminum pots.

There are many places to find a brew kettle, both online and offline. If you are interested in obtaining one for home brew purposes you’re advised to do your homework, luckily there are quite a few good forums out there to learn from. Always remember, if you can afford it, it’s better to make a solid investment today then spending more down the road – so I strongly suggest that you consider a stainless option if you are in the market for a brew pot.

When it comes to the removal, or abatement, of asbestos there are strict guidelines that must be followed. As it is very well established that asbestos is an extremely dangerous mineral these laws and regulations of asbestos removal are important for all parties involved; the property owners, the contractors, any tenants, and additionally any workers that may be near the area that poses an asbestos risk.

ALARA Principle

The As Low as Reasonably Allowable (ALARA) principle applies to all workers who will be dealing with asbestos removal – all exposure must be minimized as much as is possible. Even though there are regulations in effect that governs and expresses a limit of exposure, all employers must go beyond this regulation and strive to reduce exposure to an absolute minimum.

Avoiding Heat Stress

One aspect of asbestos removal includes wearing very closely fitting protective body garments. These garments do not allow for much in the way of ventilation, as they are primarily meant to protect the individual from exposure. However, this protective clothing can trap heat inside creating a potentially dangerous environment in already hot circumstances. When the body cannot shed heat faster than it is accumulating the conditions for heat stress are very high. It’s critical that employers must assess the risk associated with workers being exposed to conditions that might exceed heat action levels or the clothing correction values. Employers must implement an exposure control plan that takes into account the safety of their workers.

Testing Safety Equipment

Before exposure to hazardous conditions all safety equipment must be inspected and in working order. HEPA filters in all vacuum or negative air systems likewise must be tested and fully functional. In the case of air pressure systems the usage of chemicals such as DOP or PAO are common to determine the effectiveness of the seal and enclosure setup.

Record Keeping Procedures

Like all jobs there is paperwork involved in the removal of asbestos, employers need to keep records of the asbestos inventory, risk assessments, and air-monitoring results for a period of 10 years. Additionally, employers must keep track of Notices of Project (NOPs), corrective actions, and training and instruction of all workers for a minimum of three years. It is advised however that employers keep records for as long as the company exists.

Everything Must Be Labeled and Easily Identifiable

It’s important for employers to ensure that all locations of asbestos materials are clearly identified, this means bagged asbestos as well. It’s also important that all employees, even low-risk workers, have a clear understanding and have been giving appropriate instruction as to workplace procedures and restrictions so that they can minimize their risk of exposure.

There are quite a few laws and regulations pertaining to asbestos abatement, please consult your local municipality for further information and to find information that is relevant to your locality. Always remember that asbestos is very dangerous and should only be handled by experienced, qualified professionals.

The benefits of communications training are many; being able to communicate effectively is an essential task in virtually every profession, and depending on the type of communications training course you embark on, the benefits are likely to be felt in everyday life. Communication skills are especially important to those individuals with senior roles such as team leaders, managers, and supervisory roles as it enables them to effectively coney their message whether it is on a personal or organizational level. Let’s take a look into some of the most beneficial and often recommended communication training courses.

Listening Skills Training

One of the most important aspects of communication is listening. To those without much training in this area, it may seem odd that a passive skill is beneficial. Listening allows an individual the opportunity to gain insight into a speaker’s message, intentions, outlooks, personality and thereby discovering their concerns, their message, and an overall sense what is important to them. This information is invaluable when it comes time to address their concerns and deliver a message that is both received well and understood.

Listening skills training can help to train people to understand others better and address issues before they become major problems. These skills essentially promote a clearer line of communication between individuals thereby increasing efficiency in uncountable situations.

Negotiation Training

Learning how to effectively negotiate is an incredibly valuable skill, the effects of which can be felt in many walks of life. Many people consider negotiation as a thing that happens between senior executives; behind closed doors, in smoke filled, mahogany conference rooms. Nothing could be further from the truth. Negotiations happen all the time, whenever you speak with someone and you would like them to do something for you, or they would like you do to something for them, a negotiation is taking place.

Developing negotiation skills can have a huge benefit in all aspects of your life, not only in your professional career. These skills can help you to negotiate better contracts and get the job you want. Because good negotiation is developing a win-win situation, this training can also ensure an ideal agreement is met between all involved parties.

Public Speaking Training

The majority of people cringe when they think about public speaking. For some, the thought of presenting to even 5 people can be daunting. This can severely limit an individual’s potential for career growth as there are many situations where, as a professional, they must deliver reports of various forms to gatherings of people. Public speaking training can help address how to both speak in front of others, as well as effective presentation skills. This training can provide the confidence to help people not only address their fears, but completely eliminate them. For many they find public speaking to be a thrill once they’ve overcome their initial fears.

Communications training covers many aspects of training. Additional courses involve influence, customer service, assertiveness, facilitation, report writing, and more. For more information you can do a quick internet search and turn up quite a few results.

The process of executive mentoring involves the growth of individual volume in executives and potential executives through the method of teaching or coaching of a hired mentor. Various individuals profit from the process of executive mentoring such as junior executives within an organization who would like to improve their leadership and decision making skills or students who take executive mentoring as part of their prerequisites for attaining a degree.

A good example of a place that would require executive mentoring is in a business where employee’s were selected for promotion and are assigned to a mentor. Basically the mentor would serve the purpose of a coach or a teacher to the individual that would provide details about the requirements of a good executive. The mentoring involves typical demonstrations where the junior executive would be involved in certain activities that would help them develop skills for the position. Activities can include anything from the junior executive observing and learning from high level meetings that involve the top directors of a company, and also teaching the soon to be executive the important principles of negotiation and the process of oral persuasion.

When the individual is a student the mentor is assigned to the individual during the beginning of the course. The mentor is advised to engage the individual in various tasks of executive mentoring over the length of the class. For example: The mentor might invite the student on a field trip where they would be able to observe contract negotiations and other things such as the interaction between the mentor and other business owners. Not only is this extremely important for the student, but it allows them to develop certain skills of a mentor and they will also be able to network and create contacts that might benefit them when they graduate from college or university.

Not only do these businesses profit from the investment in executive mentoring, but it is also a good investment for human capital. The investment will also profit dividends because the improvement in the skills of the businesses workers and their ability to perform executive duties correctly along with providing leadership to the workers that oversee them. Junior executives also benefit from mentoring because they will be able to learn how to set personal and professional; short term and long term goals within their jobs or careers.

If you or a loved one has been an unfortunate victim and suffered through a personal injury because of a negligent act of another individual, you are entitled to seek compensation for all of the damages so you should contact personal injury lawyers Hamilton immediately. It may seem simple to believe that those who were responsible for committing the negligent acts will pay for the damages, but unfortunately that is not always the case. In the majority of past personal injury cases, those responsible will be represented by their insurance company. Lawyers who typically work with the insurance company usually have one thought in mind and that is to limit as much as the financial responsibility to the lowest amount possible.

Although most insurance companies are here to help and protect people when these unexpected accidents occur, these insurance companies are also working for a profit. Multiple insurance companies can be overwhelmed with illegal claims from people attempting to defraud the insurance provider and as they fight for these claims, and increase their profits, they will fight every claim with an equal amount of diligence. Although this type of diligence is wanted to discourage any fraudulent claims, in most cases it will actually prevent valid and legitimate claims from receiving the compensation they deserve. As you would probably know, this would be especially devastating for any individual who has suffered from personal injuries that leave them financially destitute or with long term pain and suffering.

What to Look For

In order to ensure the best outcome of your claim to receive compensation for your injuries you need to find an experienced personal injury lawyer that has a track record of successful personal injury case claims that they can prove. The knowledge the personal injury lawyer gained from experience and proven track record of success is the only thing you will be able to trust when searching for a lawyer to represent you.

Experience

Not only do you need to hire a personal injury lawyer to represent your claim, but you also need a lawyer that has a large amount of experience in dealing with these cases as well as trial experience. Having experience as a personal injury lawyer can only be achieved through the years of being in a courtroom and working with a wide variety of different cases and claims as well as achieving large verdicts and settlements for past clients.

Below is one important question to ask your personal injury lawyer:

1. How many years have they been achieving personal injury claims?

In some cases an attorney will advertise that they offer representation for personal injury cases, but have never been involved in a personal injury claim so they have little to no experience in handing an actual case. Different lawyers might have the experience in practicing law, but they only dealt with divorce or criminal cases. Although the lawyer will not openly admit this to you, some lawyers who say they have practiced personal injury law may not have handled one for a long time and are out of the practice with current laws and precedents. In other cases a lawyer may have never stepped foot in a courtroom to try a case which are called paper pushers that would not be able to fight for you.

Yup! It is that time of the year again, Christmas time! Those annoying Christmas commercials are playing on your way to work and the temperature has dropped dramatically – Everyone seems to be a little more cheerful and considerate that the holidays are close. Christmas is after all the time to reconnect with all your clients, customers and prospects, but as any person would know, the holidays can also be disastrous. Instead of paying a web marketing services company to tell you what not to do for your next campaign, actually pay attention to what others are doing!

Below you will find four Christmas marketing mistakes your business should avoid so you can be far from a Christmas marketing disaster!

1. Running The Same Campaign Each Christmas:

Having a picture of your employees and you at your last year Christmas party all wearing the same ugly sweater was pretty funny the first year considering everyone had way too much to drink. In fact, it had the same impact with laughter the second, but after that you should really consider something newer and more original each year. Christmas campaigns are perfect for your business to have a chance at grabbing all the people’s attention that put the idea of your product or service on the back burner. But, why? It is because these campaigns will remind them that you are a wicked company doing different things that deserve their attention. So do you not think it would be a good idea to get creative with Christmas campaigns each year and not be so afraid of thinking outside the box? When you kick off a campaign that has many components it is a perfect way to keep your content new and fresh.

2. Forgetting To Reach Out To Your Network

Are you not sick and tired of trying to come up with a lame excuse to give a lead a call that you have not spoken to within a few months? Or even you just want to reconnect with all of your customers? Perhaps you want to increase your employees engagement and get the whole gang into a holiday spirit – Regardless, it does not matter who you want to connect with; Christmas campaigns are a perfect way of doing it! It will remind people that your company is out there and will give them a sneak peek into a wicked campaign that is if it is actually interesting! So do not miss out on this valuable marketing opportunity your company can have this Christmas!

3. Forgetting Not Everyone Celebrates Christmas

When the countdown begins it may almost feel like everyone is celebrating Christmas and Christmas only, but you as a business, you need to know that you will also be marketing to various people with different religious beliefs and backgrounds. Remember even though the majority of people celebrate Christmas, there are other holidays being celebrated too such as Chanukkah and Kwanzaa so be sure to be sensitive about other holidays when working on your Christmas marketing campaign.

4. Neglecting To Make Your Campaign Strategic

It truly is easy to create a Christmas marketing campaign. However, developing a strategic marketing campaign to reach your target market, engage with them, and achieve your goals is a lot more difficult. Planning three months in advance, yes in the summer time, is the best way to kick off an amazing, results-driven Christmas campaign. But, first you need to figure out what your objectives are, how you are going to measure your success and who you want to reach out to. Then you will need to develop deadlines to make sure you campaign achieves everything you wanted it to.

Now that you have just read what to avoid when developing your Christmas marketing campaign, what are some campaigns you have seen in the past which you think are the best?

Do you smell that? Smells like Lenzr has yet another contest where you can win a breadmaker courtesy of ShaSha Natural Artisan Bakery’s organic ingredients e-store. Bread has been apart of family household’s for decades beyond decades that is why Lenzr wishes for you shutterbugs to capture your daily bread by entering Our Daily Bread photo contest. Winner will be announced on December 1st, 2011.

Can you hear that? Sounds like Lenzr is throwing a photo contest for the best Homemade Halloween Costumes for your chance to win $250.00 in candy orrr cash! Courtesy of Jib.ca who specialize in social media contests, Lenzr hopes to fill this contest with crazy, unique and eye grabbing costumes – Trust me you do not want to miss out on this one! Contest ends December 1st, 2011.

Do you see that? Seems as though Lenzr launched a photo contest to the public for a chance to win $250 in photo licensing courtesy of production planning and inventory management software company, Solarsoft. Capture your favourite Warehouse Stockpiles just about to be shipped, stacked or shelved and you could be the winner announced December 1st.

Can you feel that? It feels like you need a House for Renovation this cold Winter. Did you just complete renovations or you are starting to fix up your place this Winter? Enter your pictures for your chance to win an Apple iPad 2 courtesy of Toronto mortgage broker, The Calum Ross Team. Winner announced the first day of 2012.

Do you want to be the winner of a breadmaker, $250 in candy or cash, $250 photo licensing or an Apple iPad 2? Do not miss out with this opportunity, start capturing your winning photographs today!

You would probably be surprised to hear that becoming Toronto marriage officiants is an extremely popular trend than ever before and offers you the chance to start your very own marriage business either full or part time. Often enough, a bride and groom choose an officiant for their ceremony because neither of them belongs to any organized religion, but they do want more than a ceremony performed by a Justice of the Peace. Although multiple officiants today are members of an organized religious group with some sort of established congregation, some receive an online ordination to qualify as an officiant under the state of law.

Below you will find out how to become a marriage officiant and what you will need to become one:

Research the laws regarding officiants in your hometown. Sometimes you might be required to register as a ministration office, be ordained by a church, have a degree in religion or complete a variety of studies. Because laws vary between countries, it is critical to know what is exactly required in your province or state for a marriage ceremony to be official. Take for example, if you lived in California as a Native American who studied medicine, you can perform as a wedding officiant.

Become a minister in an organized church. Almost in every case, an ordained minister of an organized religious group can become an officiant.

Complete an application at an o-line site such as Universal Life Church to become an ordained minister. Be sure you confirm with your province or state because some require ministers to be associated with a physical congregation while others do not have to be recognized by the legitimacy of an online ordination. For example, in Maryland, any adult by law can sign as clergy as long as the couple is getting married agrees that he is a clergy – Basically which means the officiant does not have to be a resident of the state or province.

Check your state’s/provinces official website regarding marriages to see if they offer a 24 hour officiant license. In some cases, people can permit a family member or a close friend to perform at their wedding ceremony because the bride and groom might want the ceremony performed by someone close to them.

Check to see if boat captains qualify. Again, in certain countries a ship captain can be authorized to perform wedding ceremonies, but sometimes this is not always true. Some countries will allow a ship captain to be an officiant, but only if they meet the same requirements as any other officiant.

Becoming a wedding officiant seems like an easy task, but actually requires a lot of skills and determination.

Know What You Can Afford:

Before you go shopping for a mortgage whether it be for second mortgages Canada or your first mortgage, be sure to review your monthly spending plan to estimate what you can afford to pay for a home, including the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and any monthly maintenance and utility bills – Also do not forget to also save for possible emergencies. Plan ahead so that you will be able to afford your monthly expenses for several years. You may also want to check your credit report to make sure everything on file is accurate – Having a higher credit score may help you receive a lower interest rate on your mortgage.

Shop Around – Compare Loans from Lenders and Brokers:

As most of us know, shopping around for a mortgage can take up a lot of time, but if you do not, it can end up costing you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. You can either shop for a mortgage with a mortgage lender or a mortgage broker. Brokers usually arrange the mortgage loans with a lender rather than lending money directly – Which means the broker will sell you a loan from a lender. Neither lenders or brokers have to find the best loan for you – you need to find the best loan for you.

Understand Loan Prices/Fees:

In most cases, an individual will accept the very first loan they have been offered and do not realize they could possibly get a better loan. This could happen on any given day where lenders or brokers offer the same interest rates and fees to certain consumers for the exact same loan, even when the consumers have the exact same loan qualifications. Also make sure you keep in mind that lenders and brokers consider the profit they will receive if you agree to the terms of a loan with higher fees, higher points and higher interest rates. If you wish for an inexpensive loan, you should shop around for the best loans.

Know The Risks And Benefits:

Mortgages have multiple features – some can have fixed interest rates where others have adjustable rates, payment adjustments, some charge penalties where others have large payment dues. Be sure you ask your lender to calculate how much your monthly payments could be from now up to 5 to 10 years from now.

Get Advice From Trusted Sources:

A mortgage loan will be one of the most complex, most expensive financial commitments you will ever have to make and it is okay to ask for help when needed. You could always ask a trusted housing counselor or a real estate lawyer to review your documentation before signing for a loan.

Are you sick and tired of being put on the back burner at work and want to be next in line for that promotion? In order to stand out from the rest of your coworkers in a good way, the below 10 tips should help you do just that:

Have A Positive Attitude:

Multiple people go to work with a horrible attitude, instead of being just like the rest and to easily stand out from your job, stick with a positive attitude! Consider your time at work to be a way of contributing to the society and actually enjoy it.

Work Well Within A Team:

A great way to stand out at work is to be a good team player. Even if it is the worst job possible like taking your boss’s daughter to a Yorkville salon, instead of dreading it like everyone else – be the first to put your hand up for the task. Or if you keep your team of people on task and do an excellent job at maintaining the team, you will be noticed as a valuable asset to your company.

Have Proper Communication Skills:

When you work within a team, you need to have proper communication. When you work on a project with other employees you need to stay on top of communication to let everyone know what you are doing, ask for help if you need too and help them so you can turn out a final product or service that represents all of your best work. For example; if your best friend’s, friend kept quiet about his or hers air freight and you suggested to go sky diving, how would you know that they do not want to participate? In order to have proper communication you need to speak up, explain yourself and ask any questions you may have.

Be On Time Or Early:

If you are on time every day or even early, most likely your boss will realize and notice you a lot more and will probably never be left wondering where you are.

Complete Tasks Quickly:

If you are usually finishing up what you need to do and asking your boss and coworkers what needs to be done or even taking on more clients – will actually make you stand out as a valuable employee.

Never Address Personal Matters At Work:

Instead of complaining to your coworkers and boss about your broken furnace and how your awesome boyfriend took you to a Toronto bed and breakfast, try and stay on task and consider your time at work to actually be work time, not your time.

Be Diligent:

In addition to multiple people taking time at work to address their personal matters, employees take time to sit and daydream or talk with other coworkers. If you are diligent and stay on task, you are more than likely to get a lot of work completed quickly which will help you stand out from the rest.

Bring Treats:

Everyone loves those homemade brownies once in a while especially bosses – As sad as it is, sugar does make friends.

Care For Others:

When someone at work is going through a crisis and you are the one who is usually there to lend a hand or offer encouragement, you might be surprised you will stand out in the office as a necessary asset.

Do Quality Work:

This may sound a bit silly, but the best way to stand out in your job is to do quality work. If your work is well done, on time and above the standards of the company, you will stand out as an excellent employee.