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HOMEBREW Digest #0339
This file received at Mthvax.CS.Miami.EDU 90/01/17 03:17:18
HOMEBREW Digest #339 Wed 17 January 1990
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Homebrew Digest News (rdg)
Lion, Inc. (Mark Stevens) <stevens@stsci.edu>
The Lion Brewery (Ihor W. Slabicky)
Brewpots for Mead (Clay Phipps)
Homebrew Law ("2645 RUTH, GUY R.")
Comments on plastic kegs (Wayne Allen)
Wort Chillers in the Summer (Arun Welch)
pumps (Art Hebert)
london ale (Art Hebert)
Brewpub update ("2645 RUTH, GUY R.")
Bluebonnet Conference & Competition ("2645 RUTH, GUY R.")
Add me to the mailing list ("CAE65::GCMCBREARTY")
Some Kiwi Questions ("S. Travaglia, University of Waikato, New Zealand")
wort chiller with 80F water (Wayne Hamilton)
Send submissions to homebrew%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
Send requests to homebrew-request%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
Archives available from netlib@mthvax.cs.miami.edu
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 10:27:21 MST
From: rdg@hpfcmi
Subject: Homebrew Digest News
Full-Name: Rob Gardner
Woops, sorry about the issue number on yesterday's digest. It should
have been #338, not #1. I knew there was something I forgot. Hopefully,
today's digest should be #339.
Rob
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 89 09:17:36 EST
From: (Mark Stevens) <stevens@stsci.edu>
Subject: Lion, Inc.
In Homebrew Digest #333, Dave Suurballe writes:
> ...I drank a lager called Bunker Hill, brewed by the Lion, Inc., of
> Wilkes-Barre. Does anyone know about the beer or the brewery?
There was a very interesting article about the Lion brewery in the
October 1989 issue of "All About Beer" magazine. The article was
written by James Robertson, author of "The Connoisseur's Guide to
Beer." Some of the highlights of the article:
* The brewery was opened as the Luzerne Brewery in 1906, it competed
directly with Stegmaier and three other larger local breweries.
Although Stegmaier was *MUCH* larger than the Lion, it encountered
financial difficulties in the 1960's, was ravaged by a flood in
1972, and subsequently sold to the Lion.
* Lion's strongpoint is that it produces good beers and sells them
at lower prices than major industrial brewers. Some of the beers
sell for as little as $5/case in Pennsylvania.
* Lion has recently started diversifying products a bit, introducing
a malt cooler (like wine cooler) called Calvin Cooler.
* Lion has gone after contract-brewing business. Currently have
contracts to brew Hope Lager, Manhattan Gold, Jersey Lager, Stoudt's,
and Winterfest Ale--all excellent products.
* The Lion is family owned.
Robertson then provided flavor profiles of the Lion's major brands, among
them: Gibbons, Stegmaier, Steg Light, Bartels, Liebotschaner Cream Ale,
Lionshead Pilsner, Esslinger, Crystal, Stegmaier Porter, Trupert Pilsner,
(and some of the contract beers).
If you're interested in regional breweries, this is a very good article,
it is on page 14 of the October 1989 issue of "All About Beer" magazine.
Cheers,
- --Mark Stevens
stevens@ra.stsci.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 89 09:41:43 EST
From: iws@rayssdb.ssd.ray.com (Ihor W. Slabicky)
Subject: The Lion Brewery
I just got back from Christmas in New Jersey, where I drank a lager
called Bunker Hill, brewed by 'The Lion, Inc., Wilkes-Barre'. Does
anyone know about this beer or the brewery? I'd never heard of it, and
I thought the hoppiness was just right.
I haven't had the opportunity to try Bunker Hill ;-(, but The Lion
is a brewery in Wilkes Barre that does a lot of contract brewing.
One brew that they make is all the Hope Lager, Red Rooster Ale,
Christmas Ale, etc... for the Hope Brewery in Providence, RI.
They do a good job of contract brewing, as Hope has done well
in various judgings and is doing well locally.
The Lion also brews its own brands - like Bartel's - which are not
as good the contract brews. I tried a Bartel's recently and found
it to be rather weak in flavor - but I remember Bartel's from about
15 years ago as having a stronger yeast/malt taste.
Ihor
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 90 20:51:13 -0800
From: hplabs!garth!apd!phipps (Clay Phipps)
Subject: Brewpots for Mead
In an issue of the HomeBrew Digest during December 1989 or thereabouts,
someone insisted that mead not be brewed in a bare metal pot,
and recommended using an enamelware vessel instead.
I thought that stainless steel was always acceptable for a brewpot.
Would someone in-the-know please explain why mead would be an exception ?
And at what honey content in a predominately malted-barley brew recipe
would this make a difference ? I could not detect any reason to regret using
stainless steel Revere-Ware for boiling a 30% honey, 70% malt extract recipe.
[The foregoing may or may not represent the position, if any, of my employer, ]
[ who is identified solely to allow the reader to account for personal biases.]
[Besides, the text above was mailed or posted way after normal business hours]
Clay Phipps {ingr,pyramid,sri-unix}!garth!phipps
Intergraph APD, 2400#4 Geng Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303 415/852-2327
------------------------------
Date: 15 Jan 90 06:55:00 MST
From: "2645 RUTH, GUY R." <grruth@sandia.gov>
Subject: Homebrew Law
Shoeless Joe writes:
For the legal-eagles amongst the homebrewing throngs--and because I've never
seen it published in the Digest--I've enclosed for general perusal the govern-
ing Federal law concerning homebrewing.
A note to the paranoid:
Each state--and in some cases, local government--may have slightly
different requirements or (GASP!) may ban homebrewing all together.
If you really want to be compulsive about these things, I'd suggest
you check your home state's annotated code...
...
From the US Code Annotated (which, for those of you who are interested, are the
laws of these United States organized by topic_), Title 26 (which, interesting-
ly enough is the INCOME TAX section!), section 5053 (EXEMPTIONS from income
tax), subsection (e):
...
Beer for Personal and Family Use.--Subject to regulation prescribed by the
Secretary, any adult may, without payment of tax, produce beer for personal or
family use and not for sale. The aggregate amount of beer exempt from tax
under this subsection with respect to any household shall not exceed--
(1) 200 gallons per calender year if there are 2 or more adults in
such household, or
(2) 100 gallons per calender year if there is only 1 adult in such
household.
For purposes of this subsection, the term "adult" means an individual who has
attained 18 years of age, or the minimum age (if any) established by law
applicable in the locality in which the household is situated at which beer may
be sold to individuals, whichever is greater.
...
The law came into effect on 14 October 1978--a day which should go down in
infamy! Let's take things into our own hands and proclaim October 14--from now
until forever--National Homebrewing Day! Whataya think?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 10:48:30 CST
From: wa%cadillac.cad.mcc.com@mcc.com (Wayne Allen)
Subject: Comments on plastic kegs
I, too, have had friends bad-mouth the plastic kegs because they always
seemed to have some problem staying sealed.
However, the Rotokeg I bought some years ago has been a trustworthy
friend. My first experience with it did not turn out too well, but a
friend (my brewing mentor) pointed out a technique which has
eliminated all subsequent problems. COAT THE SEALS AND O-RINGS WITH
VEGETABLE OIL BEFORE ASSEMBLING PRIOR TO EACH BATCH. That's all it
takes for the seals to seat correctly. I have had (undisturbed) keg
batches retain pressure for months without adding CO2.
wa
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 12:12:11 -0500
From: Arun Welch <welch@cis.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Wort Chillers in the Summer
>How about using a pump attachment for an electric drill? Since it's only
>water you'd be pumping, the pump can be as sleazy as you want. I think
>Black & Decker versions can be had for relatively few bucks...
Or, you could go to an aquarium store and get a water pump. It should
be plenty powerful for an wort chiller, and couplers for that size
should be easy to find.
...arun
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arun Welch
Lisp Systems Programmer, Lab for AI Research, Ohio State University
welch@cis.ohio-state.edu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 09:31:36 PST
From: arth@EBay.Sun.COM (Art Hebert)
Subject: pumps
Instead of using an electric drill you can buy a pump for about
$10 at most hardware stores. I have one on a hydroponic unit and
it works fine, its base rests in the ice water and just plugs
into the wall.
suds
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 09:39:33 PST
From: arth@EBay.Sun.COM (Art Hebert)
Subject: london ale
I've just bought a beer making kit and was wondering if anyone
has made ale similar to the Palo Alto Brewing Co.'s london ale?
I used to drink this about 4 years ago at the Togos on Lawrence
Exp. and miss it immensely.
suds
------------------------------
Date: 16 Jan 90 12:25:00 MST
From: "2645 RUTH, GUY R." <grruth@sandia.gov>
Subject: Brewpub update
Richard Tatz (former brewmaster at Santa Fe Brewing Co.) says that a
real estate developer will be opening up a brewpub close to the
University of New Mexico in Albuquerque this year. Construction is
slated for April with a tentative completion of June or July. The
brewpub will feature four ales: light, amber, dry hopped medium,
heavy. Throughout the year they may also feature a porter or stout.
The cuisine will be barbeque. Richard will serve as brewmaster.
------------------------------
Date: 16 Jan 90 12:52:00 MST
From: "2645 RUTH, GUY R." <grruth@sandia.gov>
Subject: Bluebonnet Conference & Competition
I just received a flyer from NTHBA in Dallas about the Bluebonnet Conference
and Competition to be held March 28-31 in Plano, TX. Does anyone in netland
know what kind of competition this will be (i.e. whether it is an AHA
sanctioned competition and what kind of beer styles they are accepting)?
<< Guy >>
------------------------------
Date: 16 Jan 90 16:31:00 EDT
From: "CAE65::GCMCBREARTY" <sdrc!gcmcbrearty%cae65.decnet%cae19@uunet.UU.NET>
Subject: Add me to the mailing list
Plz add me to your mailing list for homebrew news.
andy mcbrearty
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 11:02 +1300
From: "S. Travaglia, University of Waikato, New Zealand"
Subject: Some Kiwi Questions
1. Tell me, what is root beer?
We don't get that over here; is it something like gingerbeer?
2. Can you get beer "kits" over there. (This essentially gets rid
of all the hops work etc; you just add sugar, water and yeast
{and whatever else you want, caramel, lactose etc} and
let it ferment, then bottle it. That is extremely big
over here. {I don't know anyone who works with hops})
3. What's the viability of re-using yeast. Someone suggested I should
save the crap out of the bottom of a brew and re-use it in the
next brew. (I have nightmares about that sort of thing)
4. What else could I use to sweeten a brew up?
And to finish, a excerpt from Ben Elton (co/writer of Black Adder, Young Ones
and various other british comedies) on Real Ale:
"I was up the Priests Hole the other day (That's a pub, not an
archaic criminal offence) and I got a lager and the guy behind
the bar said "Don't drink that mate, it's not real", I said
"Try telling that to the Taxi driver when you're throwing it
up all over the front seat - It's not real mate, it's not real"
..So I had a real ale. I kid you not, the stuff was so strong,
the bar prices were in Braille. Amazing feeling, take a sip,
>WALLOP<, what the f*ck was that?!"
- ----------------------+-------------------------------------------------------
-Simon P Travaglia- | spt@truth.waikato.ac.nz, (NZ-PSI) 71000004::CCC_SPT +
University of Waikato | internet# 130.217.64.3 {truth}, 130.217.64.32 {grace}+
Hamilton, New Zealand | Request: Send me your games, I need them to survive +
- ----------------------+-------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 22:13:59 -0600
From: Wayne Hamilton <hamilton@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu>
Subject: wort chiller with 80F water
Chris Shenton asks:
>OK, so I think I'm convinced to build a Wort Chiller -- immersion cuz I'm
>paranoid about cleanliness. But how well can it work during the summer when
>my tap water is a good 80 degrees F?
my immersion chiller seems to bring the wort down to within 5-10F of the
water temp itself, so i'd expect 80F water to get you at least down to 90F,
which seems to be a reasonable pitching temp.
other replies to chris's question suggest ice baths and pumps. i'm
skeptical of dual heat exchangers (ie, run warm tap water thru a coil
immersed in ice water). seems to me that approach expends a lot of work to
HEAT the ice water. better to cool several gallons of water to just above
freezing and then run that water thru a simple immersion chiller. can
someone familiar with the heat capacities of wort vs water calculate the
volume of (say) 40F water necessary to bring wort from (say) 190F to 90F? i
could picture cooling water in a freezer chest using these 5gal cubitainers
i got for free, if i only needed 10-20 gallons. if the required volume is
unreasonable, i'd suggest using your tap water for all it's worth (say, get
the wort down to 110F) before switching to the icewater. as for a pump, i'm
not sure you'd want to recirculate the water anyway. with my chiller, the
"first run" thru is scalding hot. better to replace that water with 80F tap
water instead.
wayne hamilton U of Il and US Army Corps of Engineers CERL UUCP:
{att,iuvax,uunet}!uiucuxc!osiris!hamilton I'net:
hamilton@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu Lowtek: Box 476, Urbana, IL 61801;
(217)384-4310(voice), -4311(BBS)
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #339, 01/17/90
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