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HOMEBREW Digest #0241
HOMEBREW Digest #241 Wed 30 August 1989
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
What you need for a kegging system (Steve Conklin)
Who is Elbro Nerkte, anyway? (Steve Anthony)
Re: Homebrew Digest #240 (August 29, 1989) (Steve "Mr. MBA" Lindahl)
Books and Yeast (Patrick Stirling [Sun Consulting Services Mtn View])
Re: Book recommendation wanted (Martin A. Lodahl)
Several Things ("Brian CapouchfEHFTmQ:8:8")
CAMRA membership (Pete Soper)
Send submissions to homebrew%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
Send requests to homebrew-request%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
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Date: Mon, 28 Aug 89 9:40:07 CDT
From: Steve Conklin <hpfcla!hplabs!amdahl!uunet!tesla!steve>
Subject: What you need for a kegging system
I did get the request for help, but my reply must not have made it. I'll
distribute it now, since it may be of general interest.
What I will do here is go through the items that you will need to put
together a kegging system. This will only be my best guess for part numbers
from Rapids, as I bought my supplies from a homebrew supply shop. I don't
promise that the items specified are the right ones, but I think they are.
I suggest that once you get your shopping list together, you call the people
at Rapids and talk with them about it. Heck, they might even put together
a "home kegging kit".
Basically, the equipment you need is (in order of flow):
|| CO2 tank
|| CO2 regulator (get a two-guage, so you can tell when you're low on gas)
I would just order the 5 lb cylinder with the double gauge regulator on
page 16. They sell it as part of a home refrigerator keg conversion kit.
Part number (PT-47-R)
If you want a ten lb cylinder, order the cylinder on page 23 (G-100),
and either the Grundy reuglator on page 24 (2-G-371) or the Cornelius
regulator on page 25 (3-C-148).
|| one-way valve to prevent back-flow
The Grundy regulator includes a back-flow valve. The text for the Cornelius
valve doesn't mention one, and I can't find a seperate valve in the catalog.
This is important. It's a cheap item, but prevents the regulator from being
damaged by beer.
|| fitting to go to tubing
Make sure that this is provided with the regulator. If not, buy it. Item
number 105-H on page 23 is probably the right one. (hose nipple - lower
right corner).
|| gas tubing (I just use regular siphon tube, it works fine at 10-15 PSI)
This is listed on page 32, part numbers 171-X, where X is the color you want.
|| adapter to go from tubing to quick disconnect fitting (required on some QD
|| fittings)
|| quick disconnect fitting for gas inlet on tank
|| tank (the keg)
|| quick disconnect for beer outlet on tank
|| another adapter (maybe)
I'll address all of these together. On page 20, rapids sells their "bulk tank".
This is your keg. The part number is RP-714 for the 5 gal tank. You'll need
QD fittings for the gas and beer, one each ( 3-C-342 and 3-C-353 ). These
fittings aren't pictured, so I don't know if they have a threaded fitting or
a tubing barb. You will need to check that out and buy the adapters if needed.
|| beer tubing (more siphon hose)
|| valve for beer (5-R-111 on page 34)
I would just order the valve with the hose attached on page 34 (5-R-133).
If you want to put in a real tap handle, you'll have to figure out what
you need.
|| you will need four little hose clamps (the kind with the screw, called
|| aircraft clamps) to attach the hoses.
These are on page 33, part number (2380)
Now let me repeat that this is only my best guess at the what the right parts
from Rapids are, and that I have not put together a system from them. Compared
to all of the homebrew supply shops I have seen, they have by far the best
prices. I suggest that you call and discuss your plans with them, and when
you get it all figured out, post your results. You might ask them if they
would consider putting all this together in a package, because I think that
at their prices there would be a market for it. There is a photo in the
catalog of the president of the company, "proudly standing in front of his
beer can collection". Maybe you should call him up and offer to send him
a six-pack of home-brew. It also says in the catalog "we pride ourselves
on providing real service. Don't hesitate to call".
I hope this helps! Once you keg, you'll never look back. I kegged a batch
Saturday, and it took 30 minutes, including sanitizing the keg, kegging the
beer, and cleaning the carboy. I discovered that a Scotch-Brite pad is just
the item to remove dried deposits from a stainless keg.
Steve Conklin uunet!ingr!tesla!steve
Intergraph Corp. tesla!steve@ingr.com
Huntsville, AL 35807 (205) 772-4013
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 89 09:58:01 EDT
From: Steve Anthony <steveo@Think.COM>
Subject: Who is Elbro Nerkte, anyway?
While perusing TCJoHB, I noted the recipie for Elbro Nerkte Brown Ale (pg
168). CP states "If you ever have the opportunity to ask me who Elbro
Nerkte is, I'll tell you." Has anyone ever asked him? And if so, who is it?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 89 8:05:46 MDT
From: slindahl@orion.cair.du.edu (Steve "Mr. MBA" Lindahl)
Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #240 (August 29, 1989)
Please take me off this mailing list....
Danke
--
][][][[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][
slindahl@orion.cair.du.edu slindahl@ducair.BITNET slindahl@duorion.UUCP
The Devil finds works for idle circuits to do!
][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 89 09:04:30 PDT
From: pms@Sun.COM (Patrick Stirling [Sun Consulting Services Mtn View])
Subject: Books and Yeast
I have Charlie Papazian's 'The Complete Joy of Homebrewing'. It's the
best I've seen yet. It's written in a very friendly style and explains
all I've needed to know very well. It also has many recipes. I strongly
recommend it!
On to yeasts. I've been brewing for a year or so, and I've used both Edme
and Doric yeast. I haven't done any controlled tests so I can't quantify
the difference between them, but they both worked fine for me. Both are
ale yeasts. What's 'attenuative'? Sounds like it's the speed with which
a yeast does its job and goes dormant. If so, both Edme and Doric do
their stuff in a week or so (but I always leave it for at least 2 weeks).
On another tack, what do you think of using ice to cool wort? I've tried it
a couple of times with no (apparent) ill effects. Previously I used just
cold water to make up the volume, which cooled the wort to 90-100F, and
pitched the yeast at about 85-90F. It seemed to work OK. Now I dump the
entire contents of our fridge's (automatic) ice maker's tray into the
bucket and pour on the wort - gets it to about 75F, much better! The ice
is just tap water so I don't see any problems. Using a chiller strikes
me as being just as unsanitary as ice anyway.
I'm currently brewing my first attempt at a barleywine - although it seems
to be turning out to be more af a winter warmer. 10lb syrup and 2lb grains
in 5gal got me 1.070 OG - I was expecting closer to 1.090; and after 10days
of fermenting with a wine yeast it's now at 1.030 - I was hoping for 1.020-25.
It tastes good though so I guess I shouldn't complain! As Papazian keeps
saying, "Don't worry, relax - have a homebrew!". Final question: Does anyone
have a good recipe for a Trappist Ale?
patrick
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 89 10:04:10 PDT
From: Martin A. Lodahl <pbmoss!mal@hplabs.HP.COM>
Subject: Re: Book recommendation wanted
In HBD #240, Bruce Buck asked:
>What is the best all-around book on homebrewing? ....
> ... what does everyone recommend?
My vote goes to "The Complete Handbook of Homebrewing", by Dave
Miller. My homebrewing library is not large, consisting of less
than a dozen volumes, and doesn't include such classics as "Malting
and Brewing Science", but it does include both of Miller's books and
Greg Noonan's classic "Brewing Lager Beer". TCHoH sees more use
than the rest of them put together. Not a week goes by without my
consulting it, and it's never failed me yet. It can be used as an
introductory text, but I think its best role is just what you intend
to use it for, Bruce.
= 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: Tue, 29 Aug 89 13:30:02 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Brian CapouchfEHFTmQ:8:8" <brianc@zeta.saintjoe.EDU>
Subject: Several Things
In response to the question about the hot and cold breaks, Martin Lodahl writes:
>The hot break occurs during boil, and results in the sediments left behind
>with the hops when racking from the boiler (assuming you cool the wort
>elsewhere).
Some people are fanatical that "oxidation of hot wort is a major cause of early
staling and cloudy worts." (I forget who I'm quoting.) Since I have run into
that piece of advice several times, I now move my wort directly from the boil
over to be chilled, hops, sediments and all. After it's down into the decently
cool range (75 or so) I carefully rack the wort off the trub, and pitch my
yeast. I had been removing the chiller first and letting it settle for a
while, but I've discovered that that step is unnecessary, and results in the
wort sitting around without any chilling going on. THIS ONLY WORKS FOR ME WITH
PELLETED HOPS. I had a horrendous time once trying to get my wort into the
fermenter when I'd used leaf hops right as the boil finished; they clogged my
siphon hose a hundred times.
I have a topic of my own: extraction rates on mashed beers. I can't seem to
ever hit the gravity reading that the writers of books recommend. I'm always
lower, and I know it's probably because I'm not doing a good job on my mash
out. Do others also find this common? Do they then augment their worts with
extracts to get to recommended gravity levels, or just smile and not worry?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 89 15:36:03 EDT
From: yethiraj@che.ncsu.edu
Hi,
I found out about this from the guys at Cornell.
Could you add me to the list?
Thank you,
Arun
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 89 14:08:50 EDT
From: Pete Soper <soper@maxzilla.encore.com>
Subject: CAMRA membership
In HBD 240 Michael Eldredge provided an interesting collection of supplier
and publication data. One note about the "What's Brewing" entry. The 9
pound annual CAMRA membership and subscription fee is for folks living in
the UK. It is 12 pounds per year for overseas membership.
--Pete Soper
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End of HOMEBREW Digest #241, 08/30/89
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