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HOMEBREW Digest #0189
HOMEBREW Digest #189 Thu 29 June 1989
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
food-grade bleach (Marty Albini)
Sterilizing Agents (pbmoss!mal)
Yet Another Siphon Start Method (Eric Durbin)
cyser/melomel (mhalley)
Starting the siphon (bryan)
Siphoning-thank you, and bleach sterilizing (florianb)
Help on email/surface mail (mhalley)
Hop aromatic data and request for Kirin II hops (JOHN L. ISENHOUR)
Questions on Ice, Plactic liners, proper airspace. ("Christian A. Ramsburg")
programmable thermostats, whirlpooling ("1107-CD&I/VIRUS DISEASES")
RE: Homebrew Digest #186 (June 26, 1989) ("Dr. Williams")
Send submissions to homebrew%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
Send requests to homebrew-request%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
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Date: Wed, 28 Jun 89 7:35:04 PDT
From: Marty Albini <hplabs!hpsdl39!martya>
Subject: food-grade bleach
The question of whether or not bleach is a good sterilizing agent
has come up, so I asked my wife, who uses it to sterilize her goat-milking
equipment. She says that the only food-grade bleach commonly available
is unscented Clorox. Other bleaches may be just as safe, but apparently
only Clorox has obtained FDA approval. Anything with fragrance, "super-
duper whiteners and brightners", etc should be avoided in any case.
_________________________________________________Marty Albini_______
phone : (619) 592-4177
UUCP : {hplabs|nosc|hpfcla|ucsd}!hp-sdd!martya
Internet : martya%hp-sdd@hp-sde.sde.hp.com (or @nosc.mil, @ucsd.edu)
CSNET : martya%hp-sdd@hplabs.csnet
US mail : Hewlett-Packard Co., 16399 W. Bernardo Drive, San Diego CA 92127-1899 USA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 89 08:01:02 -0700
From: pacbell!pbmoss!mal@hplabs.HP.COM
Subject: Sterilizing Agents
In HBD 188, Gordon Hester raised the subject of sterilizing agents. I, too
use the near-universal bleach solution, but a few days ago I saw what
may be a viable alternative. I was visiting a nearby microbrewery, where
nearly everything was cleaned and sterilized with low-pressure steam,
admittedly impracticable for the average homebrewer. BUT, for a
contact sterilizing agent, he was using a spray bottle filled with the
infamous Everclear! I may try this, after first smuggling a bottle in
from a neighboring state. As it's nearly pure ethanol, it should do the
job, without requiring rinse or leaving objectionable flavors. Comments?
= Martin A. Lodahl Pac*Bell Minicomputer Operations Support Staff =
= {att,bellcore,sun,ames}!pacbell!pbmoss!mal 916/972-4821 =
= If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the wuids, =
= Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me! 8-) =
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 89 11:02:38 EDT
From: Eric Durbin <ericd@ms.uky.edu>
Subject: Yet Another Siphon Start Method
I purchased the following contraption from a supply store in MN:
___
blow here-\ / -attach hose here: into target container
\ |
xxxx
base-xxxx-seals top of source carboy
||
|
|
|-rigid tube to carboy bottom
It consists of a base with two holes in it. Through one hole a rigid
tube is inserted to the bottom of the carboy, with a hose leading into
your target container attached to the other end. A small tube is inserted
just through the second hole of the base. The base is then pushed down to
seal the top of the carboy. You begin the siphon by blowing into the small
tube until the liquid is forced up the rigid tube and into the attached hose
into your target container.
--
[] Eric B. Durbin (606) 233-6043 [] ericd@ms.uky.edu []
[] MN554 Univ of Kentucky Med Center [] ericd@UKMA.BITNET []
[] Lexington, KY 40506 [] {rutgers, uunet}!ukma!ericd []
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 89 09:27:00 EDT
From: mhalley@leif.mun.ca
Subject: cyser/melomel
Regarding the recent message about cyser:
If you will check your back issues, you will discover that I sent
a recipe for "melomel" a while back. This title covers ANY mead
which gives the honey-yeast mixture a base other than water in
which to begin its married life. That in which cider forms this
base may be (and often is) called cyser. You want it? You got it.
Ask Rob about back issues, or mail direct to me.
Best ever,\
--Ye Olde Batte
------------------------------
Date: 28 Jun 89 08:27:56 PDT (Wed)
From: bryan%tekgen.bv.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET
Subject: Starting the siphon
Lot's of different methods for starting the siphon, here's one more.
I use a sterilized turkey baster. It is also handy to draw off samples for
hydrometer readings.
Bryan
------------------------------
Date: 28 Jun 89 08:46:25 PDT (Wed)
From: florianb%tekred.cna.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET
Subject: Siphoning-thank you, and bleach sterilizing
Many thanks to all who replied concerning siphoning. The comments about
filling the tube were appreciated, but may not apply since I use one of
the stiff racking tubes (and love it). [frank (origin?)] replied with
the answer I was looking for:
>I found a great item at the local fish and pet store for starting
>the siphon. It's a rubber bulb with a hole in each end big enough
>for my siphon hose. I put one end of my siphon hose in the carboy
this seems to be the most reasonable way to go. Again, thanks.
Then gordon hester asks:
>Since I've mentioned sterilizing with bleach solution, I'd like
>to ask how others view this - I seem to recall reading somewhere
>that some people think using bleach to sterilize is a bad idea.
>True? False? Why? How careful are people in rinsing out whatever
>sterilizing solution they use from fermenters and bottles? I've
I used to know a homebrewer who left a portion of the bleach solution
in his bottles prior to bottling!
This subject came up a while back, and I commented on it. I use one
tsp bleach in 1 gal water. Formerly, I emptied out the bottles and
didn't rinse them, but they seemed to "hold a stink", so I have
adopted the practice of rinsing them with hot water after the bleach
solution. One of the books (Papazain or Miller's ) cautions against
traces of bleach in the bottles--it could lead to chlorophenols apparently.
As to how long to soak, I don't at all. A quick rinse seems to do it.
For the larger containers such as the carboy and the primary fermenter,
I rinse with bleach solution and shake it out, but don't rinse. I have
relied on the principle of infinite dilution. However, I think I will
now take the next step and rinse these with hot water as well. I consider
the chlorophenol probability larger than the contamination probability.
Incidentally, I never use sodium metabisulphite. After this horrendous
stuff ruined a batch of cider, I will never again consider it appropriate
for homebrewing.
[Florian Bell, Boonesborough, Oregon]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 89 13:39:00 EDT
From: mhalley@leif.mun.ca
Subject: Help on email/surface mail
To florianb:
I sent my metheglyn recipe to you at "florianb%tekred.cna.tek.com" and it
came back undeliverable through bitnet. Whaddya want I should do now?
You can send me a different email address, accessible by bitnet or send
me a surface mail address, but do it soonish, as I'm preparing to leave
in August and have most of my time scheduled until then. *OR* you could
contact either Chuck Ferguson or Dave Scroggins, who apparently did
receive their copies (I didn't get "returned undeliverable" messages on
either of them). Sorry about screw-up, but I did warn ya.
Warmth,
--Ye Olde Batte
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 89 16:17 EDT
From: <LLUG_JI%DENISON.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> (JOHN L. ISENHOUR)
Subject: Hop aromatic data and request for Kirin II hops
I was reading an article from THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BREWING CHEMISTS
"Changes in Hop Oil Content and Hoppiness Potential During Hop Aging"
Foster and Nickerson 1985, when I ran into the following...
Four catagoies of hop types became apparent...
1. High hoppiness potential when fresh and retains it after aging
Kirin II, Wye Challenger, Wye Target
2. High potential when fresh, lost after aging
Cascade, Galena, Brewers Gold
3. These show an increase of hoppiness with aging
Hersbrucker, Tettnang, Record, Fuggle, Blisk, Eroica, Hallertau, M.F.,
Willamette, and Styrian.
4. Low hoppiness when fresh, low when aged
(these were discribed as 'good keepers' but not good aromatic hops)
Negget, Cluster, Perle, Columbia, and Olympic
The Kirin II hop had and an aged 'aromatic' compound level of 9.68 micro-L
per gram, with a 'citrus' value of 24.56. Most of the other hops had values
in the 3.0 to 5.0 range! Does anybody on the net know where I can get some
of this variety of hop? It looks like a really good aromatic.
Thanks in advance...
John Isenhour LLUG_JI@DENISON.BITNET (P.O. Box 714 Gambier OH 43022)
------------------------------
Date: Wed Jun 28 17:10:50 1989
From: "Christian A. Ramsburg" <car7r@euclid.acc.virginia.edu>
Subject: Questions on Ice, Plactic liners, proper airspace.
I have access to a great quantity of distilled water and "clean" ice, and
was wondering if anyone has any recomendations against using ice to chill
the sterile wort. I have found that 8 pounds of ice will nicely chill two
gallons of hot water. In the two references I have it doesn't mention the
use of ice.
I am also wondering whether anyone has a recomendation on plastic liners for
brewbins. My brewbin has had a queer smell since I tried a batch of Cooper's
Ale which bleach has not been able to remove. I didn't know whether anyone
had tried liners.... And lastly, on UseNet someone was recomending leaving
a very small airspace in each bottle so that there would be less propelent
gas when the bottles explode. Any comments??
This is my first submission, so if this is in the archives, just a reference
will do. I am one my seventh batch of extract M-F malts. I tend to brew
in the lighter hues, and have enjoyed all except the Cooper's.
Christian Ramsburg Gaucho@virginia.edu
------------------------------
Date: 28 Jun 89 18:48:00 EST
From: "1107-CD&I/VIRUS DISEASES" <henchal@wrair-emh1.army.mil>
Subject: programmable thermostats, whirlpooling
For those that have wondered how they can get better temperature
control in the refrigerators they have converted to incubation
chambers for their fermentors, I have the solution. I recently
bought a HUNTER "Energy Monitor AC, programable thermostat" for
room air conditioners. Hunter are the ceiling fan people. This
handy unit plugs in between the line cord of your refrigerator
and the electrical wall outlet. It accepts the standard 3-wire,
grounded plug. It also has a remote temperature sensing element
(wired) that you can put inside your refrigerator. It works by
interupting the power to the refrigerator once the programmed
temperature is reached. The unit has a small memory that allows
for programmed temperature control within 1 degree. I have
tested the unit and have found that I now can control my
refrigerator temperature in the range 30 to 85 degrees Farenheit
(the top of the temperature range depends upon the ambient
temperature).
Hunter Energy monitor AC model 42205 $49.00
I am not an agent for Hunter, just a satisfied customer. If
anyone is interested in obtaining the unit and can't find it in
their area send me a message.
To Darryl Richman:
You recent mentioned that you use the whirlpool method to
prevent excess trub from being transferred to your fermentors.
While I have heard that commercial breweries use this same
method, I am not sure how the homebrewer can use this method. I
don't think that this method will work for those of us who decant
our wort to the fermentor....you must drain your boiling kettle
from the bottom with a spigot. Am I correct?
ERIK A. HENCHAL
<HENCHAL@wrair.arpa>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 89 21:29 PDT
From: "Dr. Williams" <TIMS%wwu.edu@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: RE: Homebrew Digest #186 (June 26, 1989)
Please delete me from your mailing list
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #189, 06/29/89
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