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HOMEBREW Digest #0476
This file received at Mthvax.CS.Miami.EDU 90/08/16 03:16:35
HOMEBREW Digest #476 Thu 16 August 1990
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Re: Homebrew Digest #473 (August 13, 1990) (SILL D E)
Nitty questions... ("Gary F. Mason - Image Systems - MKO2-2/K03 - 603884[DTN264]-1503 15-Aug-1990 0816")
Re: Jalapeno peppers (Barry Cunningham)
Re: hot peppers (617)253-0885" <CASEY@ALCVAX.PFC.MIT.EDU>
I and I(nfection) (Russ Gelinas)
straining wort, dead air (HOLTSFOR)
Carboy Filling (Martin A. Lodahl)
Re: Hop Harvest (Glenn Colon-Bonet)
RE: Exploding Bottles (Mike Fertsch)
Racking off the trub. (Mike Charlton)
Gushers and Glass (Tom Hotchkiss)
Re: Homebrew Digest #475 (August 15, 1990) (bryan)
need framboise recipe (Todd Koumrian)
RE: Air in Secondary (KXR11)
Greensboro Brewpub (Steve Mosier)
hop picking (Pete Soper)
heating unit for boiling (Gerald Andrew Winters)
Yeast starter... ("Gary F. Mason - Image Systems - MKO2-2/K03 - 603884[DTN264]-1503 15-Aug-1990 1730")
Exploding Wyeast (Martin A. Lodahl)
Hot Wort & Oxidation (Martin A. Lodahl)
Straining to Make Better Beer (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
brewing technique (Richard Hager)
Re: Counter-pressure bottle filler (Chuck Cox)
Re: beer tastings in Boston (Chuck Cox)
Wort Straining; Jalapeno peppers (Andrius Tamulis)
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: Wed, 15 Aug 90 07:13:35 EDT
From: SILL D E <de5@stc06.CTD.ORNL.GOV>
Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #473 (August 13, 1990)
Pete Soper writes:
> With all due respect to Mr. Papazian, his book is getting old fast. Could I
>suggest that we look on it as the Old Testament of American homebrewing?
Okay, so what's the New Testament?
-Dave Sill (de5@ornl.gov)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 05:19:02 PDT
From: "Gary F. Mason - Image Systems - MKO2-2/K03 - 603884[DTN264]-1503 15-Aug-1990 0816" <mason@habs11.enet.dec.com>
Subject: Nitty questions...
As one actually tries things, the nits start to appear. So...
1. What is the easiest way to test for leaks in a keg system? I had to replace
a stopcock in the regulator for one to fit smaller tubing, and I want to be
certain of the seal (and the others, just in case). I will be replacing the new
cock after the first batch, because I need a 1/4" male to fit a 5 keg manifold
(it won't be here in time for batch 1). Do you use the old soapy water trick as
on inner tubes and tires? Is thread sealer used (contamination worry)?
2. Regarding artificial carbonation...
a. Does anyone know what issue of Zymurgy has the Burch article on how
to carbonate artificially? It supposedly has time/pressure tables in it.
Even better - can someone share time/pressure for 5 gallons of PA?
b. Except for the missing priming ingredients in the brew, is there any
other difference between natural and artificial carbonation? I would
suspect not, since the result is merely dissolved gas of the same type.
c. Assuming that priming/conditioning is for carbonation purposes, and if
one carbonates artificially, is there any conditioning time required in
the keg? What happens to the remaining yeastie-beasties in terms of
effects on the brew?
3. My single burner LP gas stove was intended for attachment to a BBQ. The
hose end is a female. So is the end of the regulator hose. I have a male/male
flare coupler for it. Are gaskets, sealers, etc. required there? There were
none with any of the pieces, so I assume the flare does the seal OK, but I
don't want to mess with even a small stray LP gas leak for an hour.
4. When brewing a batch to a 5 gallon recipe (that's 5 in the keg, I presume -
never have seen that stipulated, though it seems obvious), and doing a full
wort boil of 60 minutes, roughly what is the starting volume required?
5. Has anyone seen a cap (with the tube holes, etc.) for a 6 1/2 gallon carboy?
Every one I find is for a 5 gallon, and the larger one has a smaller OD neck.
In fact, have you seen a handle for the larger volume? Which reminds me that I
have wondered about carrying a full carboy by the neck with one of those - any
chance of snapping it off?
Sorry for the long-windedness. If I sound like a kid, it's 'cause I feel like
one. No matter how much I read (I am the careful type), and how many
testimonials I hear, I ain't gonna' believe it until I see...er...taste it 8').
This personality type (flaw?) makes it difficult to RDW... The excitement
grows...
Cheers...Gary
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 08:46:46 EDT
From: abvax!calvin.icd.ab.com!bwc@uunet.UU.NET (Barry Cunningham)
Subject: Re: Jalapeno peppers
I have had Cajun Beer. I liked it. As I recall it was a fairly conventional
Pilsner with a very mild pepper aftertaste. Another beer that I had that used
peppers and ginger was from a keg of Szechuan Suicide at the club night at the
1989 AHA Conference in Fort Mitchell. This was quite hot and spicy, but in a
relatively thin brew. I thought the Szechuan Suicide would have been much
better if it had been balanced by a lot more malt flavor. In all, my advice
would be to make sure that you balance the flavor; if you are heavy handed
with the peppers, be heavy handed with the malt (e.g. at least 2 lbs. of
crystal). If you have a light touch with the pepper, it can add a pleasant
afterzing to just about any recipe. IMHO, ginger can go well with peppers.
I also seem to recall seeing some stout recipes in this newsletter a while
back that had peppers in them. I haven't tried any, but it seems to me that
this could be nice also since the natural residual sweetness in dark malt
extract might balance the pepper nicely.
-- Barry Cunningham
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 09:47 EST
From: "JEFF CASEY / (617)253-0885" <CASEY@ALCVAX.PFC.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: hot peppers
Since the subject has come up again (for a new generation of subscribers?),
I dredged out this excerpt from an old submission of mine:
...I added some hot peppers (the little skinny ones for Sczechuan (sp?)
cooking) to a red bitter recipe. I was chicken, so I diverted only one
gallon of the ferment to a separate 1 gal jug, with about half dozen peppers
added with the finishing hops. Amazingly good. No "foretaste" from the
peppers, just a clean afterbite that blended well with the rest of the
taste. I used a lot of Tettnanger hops in the finish for a spicy taste,
so that may have helped the balance. Everybody thought I was crazy. Several
times friends turned down the offer of a "Pepper Bitter", but I snuck them
a glass anyhow. They didn't recognize the peppers, and commented on what
a great hearty beer it was. Fascinating.
Since the original submission, I did this again. This time, banking on past
success, I did a 5 gal full grain mash red bitter (Fuggles in the boil,
Tettnanger in the finish), and added about 12-15 little Sczechuan peppers
with the finishing hops. This year, my peppers were a lot fresher (but still
dried). The tang was quite a bit less subtle, but still quite tasty, even
to "normal" beer drinkers. I think I kind of pushed the limit, though, and
would back off on the quantity next time. I'll definitely repeat this again.
Jeff Casey casey@alcvax.pfc.mit.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 09:56 EST
From: <R_GELINA%UNHH.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu> (Russ Gelinas)
Subject: I and I(nfection)
Well it was bound to happen eventually. I've got a batch with ring-around-
the-collar. It's only been in the bottle for 1 week, but there's some white
globules growing 1-2" below the liquid line. The globs look like what happens
to hamburger grease when it hits cold water. My guess is some kind of mold;
I brew in my cellar, not especially moldy, but moldy enough. The brew
itself seems ok, in fact it's pretty good (so far). I *really* don't want
to throw it away, but I'm having a hard time imagining myself enjoying a
beer that I know is infected. SO, could someone please placate me with
stories about how your "best batch" got even better when mold started growing
in it, or how such-and-such famous beer often has mold, or at least that you've
drunk a whole batch of moldy beer and experienced no side effects.
Also, I'm not exactly sure how and where the infection got in; I had just
replaced all my tubing. The brew did sit in the secondary, looking very flat,
for a couple of weeks, at about 65 degrees. TCJoHB mentions that lagering at
a high temp. can cause mold. Maybe that's where it happened.
I want to hear some mold stories.
Russ
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 10:45 EST
From: <HOLTSFOR%MSUKBS.BITNET@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: straining wort, dead air
Greetings Homebrewers,
Ken Weiss, (cckweiss@castor.ucdavis.edu) wonders:
>How do you get five gallons of hops-filled wort strained and inside a glass
>carboy without making a HUGE mess?
If you have a double-bucket lauter tun I highly recommend using it to strain
your wort -- it hence becomes a "hop-back" too. The holes in mine, 1/8"
diameter I think (I followed the CJoHB directions), do a good job of
straining out fresh or pellet hops, grated ginger, etc. without getting
easily clogged. You can run a tube from the bottom of the hop-back directly
into your wort chiller and then into your carboy. Once you get this all
hooked up, run some sterilizing solution through it, then some really hot
water, then your wort. I put the hopback on a beer case on the kitchen
counter, the wort chiller in the sink, and the primary on the floor. Wort
flow is then driven by gravity and I get to pop a brewski. I transfer the
hot wort from the brew kettle to the hop back using a 1 gallon pot until the
volume in the brew kettle is low enough to safely pick up the kettle and pour.
>From: semantic!bob@uunet.UU.NET
>
>So my problem is this: When a rack over my beer I end up with
>about a gallon of new air inside the carboy with my beer. I
>believe this allow oxygen to difuse into my beer, oxidize it,
>and create a slightly sour taste.
I've never really worried about this but it makes sense that minimizing air
contact with fermented wort ought to improve flavor. If you have a CO2 tank
you could slowly sqirt a little in the neck of the secondary. Since CO2 is
heavier than air it'll push the air out the top of the carboy. Or, if you
happen to work in a lab, or do the special effects for a heavy metal band,
you could throw in a small, (c. 1/8 gram) chunk of dry ice to produce the CO2
for the purging. Such a small chunk of dry ice wouldn't chill the wort too
much but ought to produce enough CO2 to fill the space left in the carboy.
Happy Brewing, Tim Holtsford
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 7:48:48 PDT
From: Martin A. Lodahl <pbmoss!malodah@PacBell.COM>
Subject: Carboy Filling
In HOMEBREW Digest #474, my ol' bud Ken Weiss asks:
> A question for those of you using glass primary fermentors - How do
> you get five gallons of hops-filled wort strained and inside a glass
> carboy without making a HUGE mess?
After chilling the wort in the boiling kettle (to avoid a practical
demonstration of the relationship between "aeration" and "oxidation"),
I pour the cold wort into my (sanitized) lauter tun, fitted with a
straining bag. After a few minutes, the hops & assorted junk
settles to the bottom, and I open the tap to drain off the first
cloudy runnings. After about a gallon or so (collected in the
boiling kettle) the filter bed of spent hops establishes itself, and
the wort runs clear. I fit a (sanitized) tube to the tap, run the
clear wort into the carboy, and recycle the cloudy wort through the
filter. Just like sparging.
= Martin A. Lodahl Pac*Bell Minicomputer Operations Support Staff =
= malodah@pbmoss.Pacbell.COM Sacramento, CA 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, 15 Aug 90 09:07:01 mdt
From: Glenn Colon-Bonet <gcb@hpfigcb>
Subject: Re: Hop Harvest
Full-Name: Glenn Colon-Bonet
In Homebrew Digest #475, Norm Hardy asks about hop harvesting:
I've recently talked with a local microbrewer who told me his
method (yet another method) for determining when to harvest.
He said that when the cones are not yet fully developed, they
will feel spongy and when pinched, they will not spring back.
When the reach the point when they spring back, they are ready
to harvest. If they stay on the vine too long, they will become
dry and will break apart when pinched. This is, of course, all
second hand. Regarding drying, he said that he air dried them
out of the sun. I can't wait till my hops are ready! Anybody
know if you can use the hops directly off the vine (without
drying them)?
Cheers,
-Glenn
gcb%hpfigcb@hplabs.hp.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 10:37 EDT
From: Mike Fertsch <FERTSCH@adc1.adc.ray.com>
Subject: RE: Exploding Bottles
Patrick Stirling (pms@Corp.Sun.COM) wants to know:
> I'd like to take a poll: who's actualy experienced an exploding bottle?
> I've had some severe gushers (beer all over the walls), but no breaking
> bottles. Also, has anyone ever had a bottle break while they were
> opening it?
Yes, I have experienced exploding bottles. Two summers ago, we had an
incredible heat spell - my beer storage room got quite warm, probably 80-85
degres. A few of my bottles exploded - their bottoms blew out! I
discovered the explosion by a telltale malt aroma. The beer had already
dried, so I opened all my cases, but couldn't see any damage - all the
caps were intact. Further analysis revealed some bottles had no bottoms.
Probably 3 or four bottles blew before I carefully opened the rest of the
beer and disposed of it. These were 12 ounce 'non-returnable' crown
bottles - the kind Sam Adams uses.
Post-mortum analysis shows that the beer in these bottles were old, and
extrememy overcarbonated. At that time, that my bottles were typically
fine for a few months, then experienced a gradual increase in carbonation
level. In retrospect, I guess it was a contamination problem, which I
subsequently solved {knock on wood}. The combination of the overcarbonated
beer and the hot temperature caused the bottles to blow.
I have also had one experience with the neck breaking off when the beer was
opened. The cap remained attached, the glass broke just below the cap.
The other beers in the batch were not overcarbonated, so I suspect that the
bottle was weakened from the repeated stress of a mis-adjusted bottle
capper and/or the over-zealous efforts of the bottling staff - me!
Mike Fertsch
------------------------------
Date: 15 Aug 90 10:22 -0500
From: Mike Charlton <umcharl3@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
Subject: Racking off the trub.
I did some research to find out at what points it is benificial
to rack the beer off the trub. As it turns out, as far as fusel alcohol
production is concerned, racking after fermentation begins makes very
little diference. The reason is that fusel alcohols are produced when
the yeast cells use the already present protein in order to build
cell wals rather than making what they need from the
oxygen present in the wort. The cell wall building phase is
apparently after the initial lag time of the yeast (which I guess is
the reproduction phase) and before the fermentation phase.
It is therefore not necessary to worry about the beer being on the
trub for extended periods of time after fermentation starts; the damage
has already been done (I suspect this is true for the productions
of fatty acids as well, but I have no data to back this up.)
Since with reasonably high pitching rates, fermentation usually begins
within 24 hours I would suggest that people rack the wort off the
trub before pitching the yeast if they are worried about the off
flavours that the trub will bring. Incidently, when my brewing partner
and I started doing this (about a month ago) our beers started turning out
fabulously. It's a really major improvement. In the past we have
tried racking the beer off the trub as little a 8 hours after pitching the
yeast with little or no improvement in the beer.
Mike
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 9:56:02 MDT
From: Tom Hotchkiss <trh@hpestrh.hp.com>
Subject: Gushers and Glass
Full-Name: Tom Hotchkiss
I have experienced exploding bottles several times, including a bottle of
stout that blew up inside the refrigerator (what a mess)! Fortunately,
I have never had one blow up while opening. I had one batch in cardboard
cases in my closet. One day, I opened the closet and smelled beer and
I discovered that several bottles in the case had exploded. So, I carefully
removed the case and tossed the whole thing out. I wrapped a towel around
the case to contain any flying glass if another explosion occurred while
carrying the case.
So, yes, bottles do explode. Judging from the mess in my refrigerator,
I believe the explosions are quite violent and no doubt dangerous if
not contained. I use 12 oz longneck bottles and Grolsh bottles, and
I've never seen a Grolsh bottle explode. However, only a few batches
have caused explosions, and the exploding batches were bottled entirely
in longnecks. I'll bet that Grolsh bottles are stronger and therefore
less likely to burst. But, I'll bet that they can burst, and the
explosion is likely to be very strong.
For safety's sake, if you currently have any gushers, I'd recommend
opening all of them ASAP! By "gusher," I mean that when you open a bottle
the beer gushes out violently (i.e. hits the ceiling). You can wrap the
bottles in a heavy towel when handling them to make the procedure safer.
Note that I have never had a bottle explode while wrapped in a towel,
so I can't comment on how well this works. Clearly, it seems safer than
just opening the bottles with no protection. It's probably a good idea
to wear eye protection as well. There may be a safer way to dispose of
your gushers; anyone have suggestions?
I know this sounds paranoid, but if you saw the inside of my refrigerator
after the stout explosion (glass shards everywhere), I think you'd be
afraid of explosions too!
------------------------------
Date: 15 Aug 90 09:03:49 PDT (Wed)
From: bryan@tekgen.bv.tek.com
Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #475 (August 15, 1990)
I just can't resist adding my thoughts to a couple of the dialogs going
on.
On the subject of airspace in the top of the carboy after racking. My
understanding is carbon dioxide is heavier than air so as soon as the
wort has fermented enough to provide, say, 1/8 inch of CO2, the wort
is protected from oxidizing, it doesn't matter how much air is left in
the carboy. So I don't worry about it. I feel that most of the potential
for oxidizing is if the wort is splashed during racking, or if mashing,
if it is allowed to splash when running out of the lauter tun.
On the subject of hops clogging the funnel. When I started mashing, I got
a counterflow wort chiller and realized that I was going to have a serious
problem keeping the hops from plugging up the wort chiller unless I first
strained the hot wort into another container or used hop bags to put the
hops into. I didn't want to strain the wort into another container because
of risk of infection and/or oxidizing the wort. So I've been using hop
bags. I have not had any problem with getting less than the desired level
of bitterness from the hops. As far as filtering out the trub from the
hot break, my standard procedure is to put the lid on the pot at the end
of the boil and let it set for 30 minutes, finishing hops go in during this
time. Anyway, a lot of the trub will settle out and when I'm siphoning through
the counterflow wort chiller I leave the last 2 to 4 cups, which is almost
all trub. The only down side I've discovered so far is I have 2 or more hop
bags to clean when finished. One note, I don't pack the hops in too tight,
for the size of hop bag I get at Stienbart's, no more than 1 1/2 oz.
Has anyone sampled "Rouge Red" from the Rouge River microbrewery in Ashland
Or? I had some recently, it has the most incredible finishing hops
aroma/taste, very strong. Does anyone know how they do it?
Bryan Olson
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 1990 11:34:50 PDT
From: todd@NISC.SRI.COM (Todd Koumrian)
Subject: need framboise recipe
I'm definately fixated right now on the idea of brewing a framboise,
but can't find a recipe. Would any readers out there who've had
success mind sharing your recipe? I recall hearing at a homebrew shop
one time, that this one person's experience was that the raspberry
taste tended to disappear after about 3 months. Did that happen to
your framboise?
Todd
todd@nisc.sri.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 15:24 EDT
From: KXR11@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
Subject: RE: Air in Secondary
>So my problem is this: When a rack over my beer I end up with
>about a gallon of new air inside the carboy with my beer. I
>believe this allow oxygen to difuse into my beer, oxidize it,
>and create a slightly sour taste.
Oxidation of the beer probably won't be a problem if you rack it to
the secondary fermenter shortly after the blowoff stops. At this
point the brew is still producing a significant quantity of CO2,
which, being heavier than air, will create a protective 'blanket'
in very little time. As the fermentation progresses, it will
continue to fill the empty space, and all the air will be replaced
by CO2.
Pepper beer... I shudder to think. But hey, you only live once.
Eric Roe
<kxr11@psuvm>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 15:39 EDT
From: Steve Mosier <MOSIER%UNCG.BITNET@ncsuvm.ncsu.edu>
Subject: Greensboro Brewpub
A couple of issues ago I mentioned the existence of a Greensboro (NC) brewpub.
Herewith, some particulars:
The Loggerhead Brewing Co. is big and glitzy, a restaurant with live music
(T,Th,F,&S), and a big beer and liquor menu. Unfortunately, all beers other
than their own are pretty mundane: the usual collection of Bud, Miller Lite,
Michelob, etc. Only two imported beers: Corona and I-forget-what-other-also-
ran. Their own beers are drawn off of the stainless holding tanks and (as you
might expect) are cheaper than all the others. My very amateurish tasting
notes: ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
Gate City Ale ($1.80) - a very light and pale ale - very fresh flavour,
hint of apples, not terribly robust, much better than the average American
brew, but not as good as the best lagers and ales. I rate it somewhere between
3 and 4 on a scale of 0 to 5.
Loggerhead Pilsner ($1.65) - didn't try it
General Greene Lager ($1.65) - a dark, slightly heavier beer, also a
fresh flavour, not as much caramel as you get with something like Beck's or
Heiniken dark. Very pleasant, also give it somewhere between a 3 and 4, maybe
slightly higher than the Gate City Ale.
Loggerhead Light ($1.65) - of course didn't try it.
Interesting experience - but Fisher's Grill, with their Bass Ale on tap ($2.25)
at the proper temperature, is still the best (pub) brew to be had in Greensboro.
steve
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 15:56:07 EDT
From: Pete Soper <soper@maxzilla.encore.com>
Subject: hop picking
hplabs!polstra!norm (Norm Hardy) writes:
>(1) What do YOU look for when deciding to pick the crop?
The transition from a damp feel to a dry springy feel when squeezed, along
with a slight spreading of the petals, development of yellow lupulin sacs
with a slight orange cast to their color and the "right" size range. The
"right" size for my Cascade hops seems to be 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter
by 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, but some cones are two thirds this size and
seem quite dry and ready to pick.
Also, rubbing the cones in your hands should cause lupulin to come out
and stain your hands, with a very powerful aroma.
>(2) What methods of drying do YOU employ?
Weigh the hops, put them in the attic at around 125 (peak daytime temp)
in a single layer, take them out after 24-30 hours, ideally when they are
down to 10-12% moisture. If they haven't been rained on I figure they
start out at about 80% moisture.
I pack the dried hops in canning jars and then squirt CO2 in from the
bottom before sealing and storing them in my freezer.
One important point is that the hops ripen over time and can be picked
periodically. Commercial pickers grab everything in a one shot deal but
we don't have to do it that way.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pete Soper (soper@encore.com) +1 919 481 3730
Encore Computer Corp, 901 Kildaire Farm Rd, bldg D, Cary, NC 27511 USA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 16:36:58 EDT
From: gerald@caen.engin.umich.edu (Gerald Andrew Winters)
Subject: heating unit for boiling
Readership, I need some suggestions on a heating unit to
conduct the boil in my basement. I need to be able to use it indoors.
(obviously) and be able to boil 6 - 7 gallons at a hard boil for 1 1/2
to 2 hours. My kitchen stove definitly doesn't fit the bill as it
can just barely bring 5 - 6 gallons to a boil -- even sitting on
2 burners. Should I be using electricity or propane as a power
source? What kind of store should I look at, hardware? How
much power or BTU's do I need? I'm not much of a handyman so I hope
I can just purchase something that already fits the bill. I'm sorry
for the repitition because I remember this topic coming up a couple
weeks ago. e-mail me directly if somebody has the recent dialogue on
file.
thanks,
gerald@caen.engin.umich.edu (Gerald Andrew Winters)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 14:37:28 PDT
From: "Gary F. Mason - Image Systems - MKO2-2/K03 - 603884[DTN264]-1503 15-Aug-1990 1730" <mason@habs11.enet.dec.com>
Subject: Yeast starter...
Three weeks ago, I "canned" a few quarts of boiled wort (malt extract and
water) for use as yeast starters. I didn't strain it, so I have fluffy
sediment, which has been compacting with age (about 1/4" now). I just noticed
today that the wort has formed a cloudy layer about 1" thick at the top. It
has been since last weekend. There are no obvious growth signs - rings, mold
patches, etc. - anywheree. It almost acts like a lighter density layer, but
cloudy. Gentle movement of the jar yields mixing, but on a gross level (like a
lava lamp). The jar seals seem to be intact. Any ideas?
Thanks..Gary
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 13:12:27 PDT
From: Martin A. Lodahl <pbmoss!malodah@PacBell.COM>
Subject: Exploding Wyeast
In HOMEBREW Digest #474, Steve Slade wonders:
> A question for the readership: Was the exploding Wyeast problem ever
> resolved? Is there a consensus on how long one can safely wait with a
> fully puffed pouch before it will explode?
It's been several months since my local retailer had any of the
"pour-spout" type of packets on hand, and that's the only type that
seemed to be exploding. It appears to me that Wyeast recognized
their problem and fixed it.
It sort of annoys me, though, that it's so seldom that I see a
Wyeast packet with a legible date code on it. The little "rule of
thumb" for expansion time printed on the packet isn't terribly
useful (if it indeed ever was) without that code. My last packet
sat for several days without any sign of expansion, only starting to
swell as I was brewing. I usually reculture in a starter solution
before pitching, but did without it this time.
= Martin A. Lodahl Pac*Bell Minicomputer Operations Support Staff =
= malodah@pbmoss.Pacbell.COM Sacramento, CA 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, 15 Aug 90 13:31:30 PDT
From: Martin A. Lodahl <pbmoss!malodah@PacBell.COM>
Subject: Hot Wort & Oxidation
In HOMEBREW Digest #475, Jeff Benson sez:
> The only significant drawback, in my opinion, is the need to have a
> helper to hold the funnel and strainer while you pour. But trying to hold
> a 5 gal. pot in one hand and a two clumsy implements in the other while
> trying to pour ~200 deg. F liquid between them is *NOT* my idea of a
> good time. (Significantly, I have found this step to be the only one in
> the brewing process that cannot (safely) be done alone.)
Ah, but Jeff, the beer! I used to do the exact same thing, until I
concluded that it was the cause of the oxidation problems I was
having. I stopped having them when I started chilling in the kettle
(first with ice, then later with an immersion chiller) before
pouring to the fermentor. To my simple little mind, it appears that
a certain amount of energy is required for oxidation to take place,
and if less (heat) energy is present in the wort, oxygen will go
harmlessly into solution rather than cause an actual chemical
change. A surprising (to me) side effect was that my pale ale
became notably paler when I stopped pouring hot wort. Anyone else
had this happen?
= Martin A. Lodahl Pac*Bell Minicomputer Operations Support Staff =
= malodah@pbmoss.Pacbell.COM Sacramento, CA 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-) =
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Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 17:30:04 mdt
From: hplabs!hp-lsd.cos.hp.com!ihlpl!korz (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
Subject: Straining to Make Better Beer
Ken Weiss Asks:
> A question for those of you using glass primary fermentors - How do
> you get five gallons of hops-filled wort strained and inside a glass
> carboy without making a HUGE mess? I thought of a big funnel, but it
> seems like once the hops started collecting in the strainer section
> the flow rate would be too slow. Please to enlighten me!
I have been doing exclusively extract brews with additional specialty
grains, such as Crystal Malt, Dextrine Malt, etc. I use a mesh grain
bag for the grains steeped in the cold liquor BEFORE it boils (i.e.
remove the grain bag as the wort comes to a boil. Then adding the
malt extracts and hops (maybe I should try adding the hops during the
steep for better hop utilization - come to think of it...but that's
another story) when the boil begins. The hops (pelletized) that I
use, I put in a small grain bag. Some get through but most stay in
the bag. I used to throw all the grain bags (grain and hop) into the
top of a huge (1 gallon) funnel that has a small brass strainer
in the bottom. But as Ken suggested, it does slow the filling process
to a trickle. I think I will just toss the (grain) grain bag into
the funnel from now on. By the way, I'm doing partial boils and
pouring 3.5 gallons of pre-boiled, chilled water into the carboy
after I pour the hot wort through the grain bags via the funnel.
This not rinses some extra sugars out of the grains, but also
cools the wort to pitching temperature (but this procedure will
soon change as I plan to switch to a wort chiller to get a better
cold break).
Al.
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Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 17:02:57 PDT
From: rhager%math@sdsu.edu (Richard Hager)
Subject: brewing technique
The making of beer is about 20% recipe and ingredients and about 80% technique.
While following basic principles generally produces acceptable beer(i.e. the
process is quite robust) the end product is greatly influenced by small changes
in the technique. When you make beer from kits most of the technique falls
into the hands of the syrup maker and is rarely satisfactory for producing
super quality beer. This leads to "doctoring" the product - add some crystal,
add some hops etc. This is much like buying a prepared food product. It's too
bland so add some spices etc. I call this BETTY CROCKER BEER. Because most
of the technique is "in the can" it is easier to reproduce somebody else's
recipe. In general, however, since technique is so important it is usually
quite difficult to reproduce other recipes especially for the full grain
brewer. Thus when one sees a recipe in which 80% of the space is the list of
ingredients and 20% is the brewing particulars one is, I believe, doomed to
failure in reproducing the beer. The importance of technique is the main
reason why one frequently finds the same names appearing as winners of
homebrew contests. You have a much better chance of creating something
interesting and wonderful(and your own) by starting with malted barley.
After all, not every one wants to start with Betty Crocker.
A few suggestions for brewery designers -
I built my own brewery several years ago in a 4' by 5' area in my garage.
Technique is important. Quality control is important. Control of technique
is important. Ad hoc procedures lead to inconsistency. Use this as your
design philosophy. Using large funnels with strainers and hoping that there
is no clogging is most certainly an ad hoc procedure.
The top of a keg can be cut with power tools. A stainless connector should be
welded to the side near the bottom(after drilling a hole). It should be easy
to find a stainless connector at a good pipe supply(I used 3/4"). Make sure you
examine your keg at the hole to see if it is double walled. Some kegs are
single walled and some double. If double, the welding must be done so as to
seal the keg. If you use leaf hops you should be able to insert a piece of
pipe inside your keg into the connector. The reason for this is to be able to
put a filter in your keg to prevent the leaf hops from clogging your exit line.
The filter I use is a capped piece of copper pipe with many very small holes
drilled in it. The exterior of the keg can be fit with a valve and reducer
to accept a piece of tubing. I suggest using a Sankey keg(i.e. a single
opening at the top for CO2 and beer). The opening you cut in the top should be
such that a cover can be placed over it(a cheap stainless steel bowl e.g.).
I use a gas burner from a water heater. I do not know the BTU level of the
heater but it is somewhat marginal for heating( i.e. it takes 45 minutes to
heat 5 gal of water from 70 to 190 F.). If you have a gas source available
it should be easy to hook up the burner.
I use a 48 quart Coleman cooler for the mashtun and a 48 quart Coleman cooler
for spargetun. Colemnan coolers have the virtue that the drain holes are
exactly 1/2" diameter. This allows 1/2" o.d. tubing to seal perfectly when
placed in the hole. Sparge rate is controlled by valves.
I have built my brewery to work off of gravity. The boiler is high. Water
can be taken from it to the spargetun and from there to the mashtun. It can
be drained from the mashtun to a pot which is lifted to the boiler.
The question of yeast has been kicked around alot lately. The quality and
properties of the yeast play a very substantial role in the beer you produce.
The 'bottle in one week' philosophy seems absurd. Even when I was using dry
yeast I would wait 10-14 days. I now use Wyeast. The Chico(Sierra Nevada)
yeast does not ferment in less than 17-18 days. In my own experience, if the
beer does not become clear the fault is most likely with the yeast. Most dry
yeast is very heavily contaminated. It is produced under very primitive
conditions. Beer that does not clear(which I call dirty beer) usually has
a high bacteria count. Gushers almost always come from the use of contaminated
dry yeast. I use a single stage fermentation and always have crystal clear
beer. By the way, if you are worried about the high cost of Wyeast I suggest
using the Yeast Bank available from places like Great Fermentations. This
brings the cost down to that of dry yeast or less if you wish.
Richard Hager
Department of Mathematical Sciences
San Diego State University
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Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 15:37:09 EDT
From: harley!chuck@uunet.UU.NET (Chuck Cox)
Subject: Re: Counter-pressure bottle filler
Ken Schriner asks...
> Chuck Cox recently announced that he had a stainless steel counter pressure
> bottle filler for filling bottles. Could you please provide more details?
> Where did you get it? How does it operate? Does it work well? Thanks.
I bought the filler from the good-ole boys at DeFalco's in Houston
(they are on Morningside Dr. next to the Gingerman, say howdy
to Scott, Brad, and/or Chris).
I believe it is hand-made by some guy from Louisiana.
It is all stainless, and quite sturdy.
It operates identically to the counter-pressure filler described in
a recent zymurgy.
I got a good deal on the filler because of my Beer God (tm) discount,
but I suspect the price for mortals is around $60 or so,
and well worth it because it should last a lot longer than the standard
flimsy copper ones.
I haven't had a chance to try it out because I have been getting ready
for the Quest for the Wholly Ale (tm) (england, scotland, belgium,
germany, & netherlands), which is also why you won't be hearing from
me until september.
- Chuck Cox (uunet!bose!synchro!chuck) - Hopped/Up Racing Team -
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Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 16:00:54 EDT
From: harley!chuck@uunet.UU.NET (Chuck Cox)
Subject: Re: beer tastings in Boston
Alan Duenster mentions the WBUR beer tasting in Boston...
Yes, the WBUR tasting has been resurrected despite the best efforts
of the Mass. alcohol control pinheads (I mean bureaucrats).
I suspect the format will have changed to satisfy said anal retentative
geeks. (sorry, just a little spleen venting there).
Other Boston beer events worth note:
On the same day, (8/16) the Sunset Grill & Tap in Allston is having a
St. Leonard tasting.
On 8/25 the Boston Beer Society is sponsoring a pub crawl starting
at 11:30 at the Cambridge Brewing Co, and ending at the Sunset.
(I won't be attending due to the Quest for the Wholly Ale).
On 9/8 I will be giving a beer judge exam somewhere in Maine.
On 9/22 is the Maine Moonshiner's Muster, a homebrew competition
at the Common Ground Country Fair.
On 10/23 I will be hosting an American beer tasting at the Sunset Grill.
If you have any questions contact me via email.
You should ignore whatever the mailer says is my address and use:
uunet!bose!synchro!chuck
Note the extra hop through synchro, I am finishing the Bose contract
and will be reading mail at my real office (SynchroSystems in Cambridge).
I will be out of touch until September, as I will be swilling (er, tasting)
beer/bier all over western europe until then.
Current vocabulary: Ein Bier bitte!
Wo ist das Baad?
I've fallen down and I can't get up!
- Chuck Cox (uunet!bose!synchro!chuck) - Hopped/Up Racing Team -
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Date: Thu, 16 Aug 90 01:20:14 CDT
From: tamulis@dehn.math.nwu.edu (Andrius Tamulis)
Subject: Wort Straining; Jalapeno peppers
I also had a big problem with straining my wort into my glass fermenter;
same cause - small strainer and small funnel. I have to date brewed only
with extract and some specialty grains, but I hope to someday do all-grain
brews (this gets back to the subject quick, just hold on). Having decided
this, I needed a mash-tun, so I set about fashioning one for myself. It is
not done, but currently I have a 5+ gallon plastic bucket with a spigot at
the bottom. I place a wide grain bag around the open top of the bucket and
voila - mega-strainer. I'm not sure if it actually sped things up or not,
but at least now I can dump almost all my wort into this straining bucket
and go and watch TV while it drips through. Much less worry than the old
way.
Also, my thoughts on Jalapeno beer: I hope it works, sounds yummy, but
I think a major concern should be the fact that hot peppers get their
hot from acid - adding them could mess up the pH of the wort. I'm afraid
I don't have any answers, but I think this should be a greater worry
(well, not a worry, really, I mean, don't worry, but, well, you know
what I mean...) then when they should be added to the boil.
Andrius
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End of HOMEBREW Digest #476, 08/16/90
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