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HOMEBREW Digest #0837
This file received at Mthvax.CS.Miami.EDU 92/03/05 03:12:31
HOMEBREW Digest #837 Thu 05 March 1992
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Bottling Cold Beer (John S. Link)
Shipping Hops from Australia (Peter Karp)
Dead hops and the cider digest (Daniel Roman)
arf asks about lagers and ales (Tony Babinec)
HBU and IBU confusion (Tony Babinec)
Problems with long ferment--WYeast 1056 (charlto)
Anchor Christmas Ales ("Aaron Frost")
BJCP Study Guide (Chuck Cox)
Re : use of hops (Conn Copas)
Re: Lager, Wyeast (korz)
Re: Brewing Variables (korz)
Effects of Light on Beer (mccamljv)
Priming Sugar (Chris Shenton)
IBU, AAU's, HBU (Chris Shenton)
Pure Dry Yeast? (Bob Jones)
Yet another Wyeast problem (GC Woods)
More on growing hops? (Rob Winters)
Priming help (Bob Hettmansperger)
Flavor Profiles of Lagers vs. Ales (C.R. Saikley)
Re: Lager, Kitchen Aid, Wyeast, Plastic, (Jeff Frane)
Send submissions to homebrew@hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
Send requests to homebrew-request@hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
[Please do not send me requests for back issues!]
Archives are available from netlib@mthvax.cs.miami.edu
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 6:54:50 EST
From: John S. Link <link@prcrs.prc.com>
Subject: Bottling Cold Beer
(Hope this isn't a duplicate post)
This weekend I bottled a batch of Pale Ale. I set the carboy outside
overnight in the cold to cause any additional "stuff" to settle out.
There was about 2 inches of ice on the top when I went to siphon off.
All this doesn't concern me, however, the beer was _very_ cold when I
bottled it. When the beer warms to room temperature will it cause
excessive pressure?
Also, have I stunned the yeast with the cold beer and should I worry
about carbonation? (I have a right to worry; I just drank my last
homebrew.)
John Link
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 09:31:46 EST
From: Peter Karp <karp@cs.columbia.edu>
Subject: Shipping Hops from Australia
Brett of Australia writes >>... I dont know whether they will ship overseas...
I was going to write that US Customs does not permit any plant or meat
products into the country but then remembered all the European hops imported
here. Does anyone know the regulations for importing hops.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 09:55:42 EST
From: tix!roman@uunet.UU.NET (Daniel Roman)
Subject: Dead hops and the cider digest
The outfit that I bought the hops from last year is sending me new plants
this year at no cost. Because of the limited timeframe in which one is
supposed to be able to buy and plant hops I was just looking for a way
to insure that I had viable plants this year and did not have to go another
season without starting some plants. I've been assured that this next shipment
will grow successfully. We will see.
For those that asked about the email address for the cider digest here it is:
Reply-To: uunet!expo.lcs.mit.edu!cider
Errors-To: uunet!expo.lcs.mit.edu!cider-request
Cider Digest
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Jay Hersh, Digest Coordinator
Send submissions to cider@expo.lcs.mit.edu
Send requests to cider-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu
_____________________________________________________________________
Dan Roman Internet: roman_d@timplex.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 9:42:16 CST
From: tony@spss.com (Tony Babinec)
Subject: arf asks about lagers and ales
Here are some generalizations about lagers and ales.
A lager is a beer fermented with lager yeast at lager fermentation
temperatures and then cold-lagered.
A lager yeast, other things equal, ferments some of the larger
molecular sugars. The end result is a slightly more attenuated beer
that is less sweet and has a "cleaner" taste.
Lager fermentation temperatures are, say, 45 to 55 degrees. Other
things equal, fermenting at these colder temperatures, provided the
yeast is capable of it, minimizes production of esters which, if
present, would produce "fruity" flavors in the beer. Fermenting at
these temperatures takes longer, at least for homebrewers. If an ale
can ferment in 3 to 7 days, lagers can routinely take 3 weeks or more,
provided you've pitched with an adequate amount of starter.
Inadequate pitching, or fermenting at a colder temperature, will prolong
this process.
Cold lagering means quietly storing the beer at cold temperatures, say
33 to 40 degrees. This helps smooth and finish the beer, and helps
the yeast to drop out.
Another aspect of the "clean" lager flavor is historical. Before
yeasts and fermentation were fully understood, brewers would scoop the
foam from one batch of beer, throw it into another batch, and keep
fermentation going. As lager yeasts tended to be bottom fermenters,
they were less likely to combine with or be displaced by airborn yeasts
or other strange microorganisms.
An ale is a beer made with ale yeast at ale temperatures
which may or may not be cold-conditioned.
Ale yeasts tend not to process some of the higher-weight molecular
sugars, resulting in a relatively less attenuated and slightly sweeter
beer.
Ale yeast perform best in the range of 60 to 70 degrees, although some
can work well at slightly lower temperatures. Especially at the
higher end of the range, esters are produced. This also varies by
strain of yeast, with some yeasts (Wyeast "American" ale) fermenting
"cleaner" and others (Wyeast "British" ale) fermenting fruitier.
Homebrewers will sometimes make an ale and ferment with "American" ale
yeast in the mid-50s. On the other hand, many homebrewers have no
control over temperature, and the kitchen cupboard in the summer can
get into the high-70s or more.
Ales can be "lagered," that is, cold-conditioned. This can help drop
the yeast out. An example of a "yeasty" ale might be an unfiltered
English real ale, while an example of an "unyeasty" ale might be a
cold-conditioned and filtered German ale (Kolsch or Alt).
In addition to the above broad generalities, there are hybrid styles.
A "Steam," or California Common beer (as "Steam" is trademarked by
Anchor) is a hoppy, amber beer fermented with a lager yeast at ale
temperatures. Fred Eckhardt describes other hybrid styles, such as
Cream Ale.
Most American "industrial" beers are lagers. This in itself doesn't
make them bad. They do tend to generally lack flavor, whether the
flavor be from malt, hops, yeast, or anything else. One can make
intensely flavorful lagers. Without getting into the "Best American
Beer" debate, Sam Adams Doppelbock is a good commercial example.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 9:53:47 CST
From: tony@spss.com (Tony Babinec)
Subject: HBU and IBU confusion
HBU is a recipe dosage. You take into account the alpha acid content
of the hops when measuring them out for an intended beer style.
IBU is a chemical measurement of the bitterness of the finished beer.
Beer styles have accepted ranges of bitterness. In general, you won't
know the IBU of your homebrew or a commercial beer without getting a
chemical analysis of the bottle of beer.
What happens in between hop dosage and bitterness of the finished
beer are things like length of boil, vigor of boil, oxidation of the
beer, and so forth.
Taking the above into account, for a given beer, the IBU number is
anywhere from 3 to 4.5 times the HBU number.
You have to try a recipe or formulate one with hop additions, make
beer using as good a process as you can, and taste the finished product.
Then, adjust your hopping up or down.
The Hops Special Issue of Zymurgy has some good articles with formulas
detailing how to guesstimate the bitterness of your finished beer.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 08:47:39 CST
From: charlto@ccu.UManitoba.CA
Subject: Problems with long ferment--WYeast 1056
Hello. I don't know if this is relevant to the discussion, but I had
a small problem with 1056 last November (or perhaps December, I can't
remember). Anyway, my original gravity was 1.068, but it only fermented
down to around 1.028. This seemed somewhat strange to me, but since I
had not used 1056 for anything with a higher gravity than about 1.050,
I just thought the alcohol tolerance might be low. The beer tastes great,
though (myabe a little sweet...). I also made a few cultures of it.
The cultures seem to look a little bit different than the last time I
cultured 1056, but I can't be sure, because I haven't done it in about a
year. Anyway, the yeast seemed to be fast enough, just didn't ferment
out as far as I expected.
Mike
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 04 Mar 92 11:09:27 -0500
From: "Aaron Frost" <afrost@mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: Anchor Christmas Ales
To any to all:
Having recently gained access to this wealth of knowledge digest
I have decided to seek help on some questions that have been burning in
me for some time.
At the risk of stepping on the recipie creators (toes, feelings)
does anyone know an approximate recipie for either of Anchor's excellent
Christmas ales of 1990 or 1991. That 90 was oh so wonderful. Even if
you only have a guestimate of what the special ingredents were I would
appreciate your input.
Thanks ... Aaron
------------------------------
Date: Wed Mar 4 02:04:46 1992
From: synchro!chuck@uunet.UU.NET (Chuck Cox)
Subject: BJCP Study Guide
======================================================================
BEER JUDGE CERTIFICATION EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Edited by Chuck Cox (chuck@synchro.com)
In collaboration with the Beer Judge Mailing List
Copyright (c) 1992 by Chuck Cox.
Permission is given for non-commercial distribution, provided this
document is reproduced in full, including this copyright notice.
======================================================================
OUTLINE
Outline
Introduction
Ingredients
Grains
Hops
Water
Yeast & Bacteria
Miscellaneous
Procedures & Chemistry
Malting
Mashing
Brewing
Fermentation & Conditioning
Bottling / Kegging
Characteristics
Appearance
Aroma
Flavor
Drinkability & Overall Impression
Styles
Ales
Lagers
Hybrids
Miscellaneous
Beer Judge Certification Program
Ranks
Experience Points
Sanctioned Competitions
Miscellany
Example Questions
Bibliography & Suggested Reading
JudgeNet: the Beer Judge Mailing List
======================================================================
INTRODUCTION
This guide is intended to identify the specific areas of knowledge
that are required to pass the BJCP exam. It is not intended to teach
you what you need to know to pass the exam, but rather to help you
organize your thoughts and identify topics that deserve further study.
The bibliography can help you locate sources for further information,
however there is no substitute for experience.
When you take the exam, be sure to take a couple of mechanical pencils
with extra leads (or whatever you like to write with), a big eraser,
and plenty of lined paper (I prefer graph paper).
A note on spelling: There are no umlauts in the ASCII character set.
I tried using the correct German alternative spelling by putting an
'e' after the vowel. It seems that it is customary in English to
simply drop the umlaut, i.e. Kolsch instead of Koelsch, so that's
what I did in this document.
======================================================================
INGREDIENTS
You are expected to understand the purpose and effect of the common
beer ingredients. You should know which ingredients are appropriate
for the various beer styles. You should be familiar with geographic
variations in ingredients.
Grains
Hordeum distichon - 2-row barley
Hordeum vulgare - 6-row barley
Triticum aestivum - wheat
Anatomy - acrospire, embryo, endosperm, husk
Carbohydrates - starches & sugars
Tannins
Proteins & Amino Acids
Diastatic Power - strength of enzymes - degrees Lintner
Color - degrees Lovibond
type / degrees Lovibond / degrees Lintner / appropriate styles
Low Kilned Malts (approx 175 F)
6-row Lager 1-2 / 100-200 American lagers, pilsner
2-row Lager 1-2 / 63-70 lagers
Pale Ale 2-3 / 36 ales
Malted Wheat 3 / 49 wheat beers
High Kilned Malts (approx 220 F)
Mild Ale 3-5 / 33 mild, brown ale
Vienna 4 / 30 dortmunder, helles bock, vienna
Munich 6-20 / 30 munich
Specialty Malts
Carapils 1-7 / 0 light ales, light lagers
Crystal/Caramel 10-120 / 0 ales, lagers
Chocolate 300-450 / 0 dark lagers, dark ales
Black (patent) 500-1100 / 0 dark lagers, dark ales
Adjuncts
Roasted Barley 500-1100 / 0 stout, dunkel
Flaked Barley
Wheat ales, lagers
Corn light ales, light lagers
Rice light lagers
Oats stout
Hops
Humulus lupulus - cultivated hop
Anatomy - strobile, strig, bracteole, seed, lupulin gland
Alpha & Beta Acids
Essential Oils
Rhyzome - root cutting
origin - styles type alpha / aroma
English - British ales
Brewers Gold 5-9 / poor
Bullion 6-9 / poor
Fuggle 4-6 / good
Goldings 4-6 / good
Northern Brewer 6-10 / fair
American - all styles
Aquila 5-8 / fair
Banner 8-12 / fair
Cascade 4-7 / good
Chinook 11-14 / fair
Cluster 4-8 / fair
Eroica 10-14 / fair
Galena 12-15 / poor
Nugget 12-14 / good
Willamette 5-7 / good
German / Czechoslovakian - continental lagers
Hallertauer 3-6 / good
Hersbrucker 3-6 / good
Perle 6-11 / good
Saaz 3-6 / good
Tettnanger 3-6 / good
Water
Gypsum - calcium sulphate - CaSO4
Table Salt - sodium chloride - NaCl
Epsom Salt - MgSO4
Hardness - temporary & permanent
pH
Minerals
Ions
Calcium
Magnesium
Sodium
Bicarbonate
Sulfate
Chloride
Yeast & Bacteria
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - ale yeast - 50-75 F
Saccharomyces uvarum - lager yeast - 32-55 F - formerly carlsbergensis
Enterobacteriaceae - enteric bacteria - lambic
Kloeckera apiculata - lambic yeast
Brettanomyces bruxellensis & lambicus - lambic yeasts
Pediococcus damnosus - lactic acid bacteria - lambic
Lactobacillus delbrueckii - lactic acid bacteria - berliner weisse
Isolating & Culturing
Miscellaneous
Fermentables
Malt Extract
Sugar - corn sugar, honey, molasses, brown sugar
Fruit
Clarifying Agents
Gelatin
Isinglass
Irish Moss
Polyclar
Herbs & Spices & Flavorings
Coriander Seed
Orange Peel
Ginger
Cinnamon
Licorice
Spruce
Chocolate
Coffee
Smoke
Malto-Dextrine - adds body
Caramel - adds color
Vegetables
======================================================================
PROCEDURES & CHEMISTRY
You should be able to describe each procedure, explain its purpose,
and describe how it works. You should be able to discuss how a
procedure is varied for different beer styles.
Malting
step duration / temperature (F) / comments
Steeping 40 hours / 60 / 40-45% moisture content
Germination 5 days / 60 / modification
breakdown starches & proteins
Stewing/mashing 45-60 minutes / 210 / crystal malt
Kilning 30-35 hours / 120-220
Roasting variable / 390 / dark malts
Mashing
step duration (minutes) / temperature (F) / comments
Milling
Mash-in adjust pH 5.0-5.8
calcium sulphate (gypsum) - pH-
calcium chloride - pH-
calcium carbonate - pH+
Acid Rest - / 95 / pale lager malts
phytase: phytin -> phytic acid
Protein Rest 30-45 / 122-131 / dark lager malts
proteins -> amino acids
Saccharification 20-60 / 150-158
Gelatinization - / 149 / minimum temperature
Beta Amylase - / 150 / slower - less body
Alpha Amylase - / 158 / faster - more body
Dextrinase
Beta Glucanase
Mash-out 5 / 168
Sparging - / 170-180
Brewing
Protein Coagulation - hot break
Isomerization - hop bitterness extraction
Caramelization
Hop Aromatics
Cooling - cold break
Degrees of Extract = wort gravity X gallons / pounds of grain
Fermentation & Conditioning
Pitching - 70-80F
Respiration - lag phase - aerobic - absorb oxygen & reduce pH
Fermentation - growth phase - anaerobic - increase population & alcohol
Sedimentation - stationary phase - flocculation
Ales - 55-65F
Lagers - 45-55F
Nutrients - oxygen, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins
Products - alcohol, water, CO2
Attenuation - reduction of gravity
Autolysis
Gravity & alcohol measurements
Starches & dextrines
Sugars - glucose, maltose, maltotriose, sucrose
Unusual Systems - burton union, yorkshire stone square, lambic
Bottling / Kegging
Priming - corn sugar, malt extract
Krausening
Artificial Carbonation
======================================================================
CHARACTERISTICS
You should be able to discuss the various characteristics of beer.
You should be able to describe what causes each characteristic, and
how to control it with variations in ingredients or procedures.
Appearance
Bottle - residue & sediment
Head - texture & retention
Color
Clarity
Alcohol Legs
Brussels Lace
Aroma
Hoppiness
Maltiness
Alcohol
Light Struck - skunked
Flavor
Hoppiness - bitterness
Maltiness
Body
Carbonation
Alcohol
Astringent
Phenolic - medicinal, bandaid, bubble gum
Chlorophenol - plastic
Diacetyl - butter, butterscotch
DMS - dimethyl sulfide - cooked corn
Estery - fruity
Grainy - husky
Metallic
Nutty
Oxidized - stale, papery, cardboardy
Solvent
Sour - acidic
Salty
Sweet
Sulphury - yeasty - burton ales
Acetaldehyde - cidery
Cooked Vegetable
Grassy
Moldy - earthy
Drinkability and Overall Impression
======================================================================
STYLES
You should be familiar with the overall relationship of the various
beer styles. You should be able to describe the ingredients,
procedures and characteristics of each style. You should be able to
give commercial examples of each style.
Ales - top fermenting
German Ales
Alt - Dusseldorf - DAB Dark, Widmer, Zum Uerige, Zum Schlussel
Kolsch - Koln (Cologne) - Kuppers, Fruh, Sion
German Malted Wheat Ales
Weizen - Weissbier - South Germany - Paulaner, Hofbrauhaus
Hefe-weizen - sediment - Spaten Franziskaner, Wurtzburger
Dunkel-weizen - EKU
Weizenbock - Schneider Aventinius
Berliner Weisse - lactic fermentation - Kindl, Schultheiss
Belgian Unmalted Wheat Ales
Wit - Hoegaarden, Steendonk, Dentergems
Lambic - spontaneous fermentation - Senne - Cantillon, Belle-Vue
Straight
Fox - young
Lambic Doux - sweetened
Vieux Lambic - aged
Blended - Lindemans, Morte Subite, Timmermans
Faro - young - sweetened
Gueuze - St Louis
Fruit
Kriek - cherries
Framboise - raspberries
Cassis - black currant
Peche - peaches
Muscat - muscat grapes
Belgian Ales
Pale - De Konnick, Palm
Saison - Wallonia - Silly, Dupont
Trappist - monastic - Rochefort, Westvlerten, Westmalle, Chimay
House - single
Dubbel - double
Trippel - triple
Abbey - commercial trappist-style - Corsendonk, Maredsous
Red - sour - Rodenbach
Flanders Brown Ale - Liefmans Goudenband
Strong Golden Ales - Duvel, Brigand, Lucifer
Strong Brown Ales - Gouden Carolus, Pauwel kwak
Biere de Garde - Northern France - 3 Monts, St Leonard
British / American Ales
Pale Ales
Bitter - Youngs, Fullers
Ordinary - Brakspear
Special
Extra Special
Scottish Ale - MacAndrews, McEwens/Younger, Belhaven
Light
Heavy
Export
Classic Pale Ale
Burton Ale - Marstons, Bass, Worthington White Shield
American Pale Ale - Gearys, Sierra Nevada, Red Hook
Stock Ale - Samuel Adams, New England
India Pale Ale - Anchor Liberty Ale, Ballantine IPA
Brown Ale
Mild - Grants Celtic, Brains, Adnams
Pale
Dark
Northern Brown - Newcastle, Sam Smiths Nut Brown
Southern Brown
American Brown - Brooklyn Brown
Porter
Robust Porter - Sierra Nevada, Anchor
Brown Porter - Yeungling, Molson
Stout
Sweet - lactose - Mackeson, Dragon
Dry - Guinness, Murphys, Sierra Nevada
Foreign - Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
Imperial - Sam Smith, Grants, Conners, Courage
Oatmeal - Sam Smith, Youngs
Strong Ale
English Old Ale - Theakstons Old Peculiar, Marstons Owd Rodger
Strong Scotch Ale - Traquair House Ale
Barleywine - Youngs Old Nick, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
Lagers - bottom fermenting
American Lager - Anheuser Busch, Miller, Coors
Diet Light
Standard
Premium
Dry
Dark
American Bock - Shiner, Lone Star, Augsburger
Malt Liquor - Molson Brador
Continental Lagers
Light - Augustiner
Pilsner
German - Warsteiner, Becks
Czechoslovakian / Bohemian / Classic - Urquell, Pavichevich
Dortmunder / Export - DAB, Dortmunder Union, Kronen
Strong - Carlsberg Elephant
Vienna / oktoberfest / marzen
Vienna - Dos Equis
Marzen / oktoberfest - Spaten, Paulaner, Wurtzburger
Munich / Bavarian - Spaten, Paulaner
Helles
Dunkel
Schwarzbier - Kulmbacher
Rauchbier - Kaiserdom
Bock
Helles - maibock - Wurtzburger, Ayinger, Capital
Dunkel - Aass, Upper Canada
Doppel - Ayinger Celebrator, Paulaner Salvator
Eis - Kulmbacher
Hybrids
Cream Ale - Hudepohl Little King's, Genesee
Steam - California common beer - Anchor, New England
Miscellaneous
American Wheat - Anchor
Fruit Beers - Sam Adams Cranberry
Spiced Beers - Anchor Our Special Ale
Specialty Beers - Vermont Pub & Brewery Smoked Porter
======================================================================
BEER JUDGE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
You should know how the BJCP is organized and what the requirements
are for the various ranks.
American Homebrewers Association - AHA
Home Wine and Beer Trade Association - HWBTA
Beer Judge Certification Program - BJCP
Ranks exam score / experience points
Recognized 60 / 0
Certified 70 / 5
National 80 / 20
Master 90 / 40
Honorary Master (temporary)
Experience Points small / large / national (1st, 2nd, 3rd day)
Organizer ?
Asst Organizer ?
Best of Show 1 / 2 / 5
Judge .5 / 1 / 2
Steward 0 / 0 / 1
Sanctioned Competitions
Small Regional
Large Regional
National - annual AHA & HWBTA competitions
Judging Form & Scoring
======================================================================
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
The format of the exam is 10 questions worth 10 points each.
Discuss the causes of <a characteristic> in beer.
Describe, relate, and differentiate between <two similar ingredients>.
What characteristics does the brewmaster expect from <an ingredient>,
what are the sources of these characteristics and what are the
principle means of extraction.
Describe, relate, and differentiate between <three related beer
styles>.
Explain the benefits of <a procedure>.
Name two <a style> beers, describe the style.
Describe what happens during <a procedure>.
What is <a style> beer?
Describe the flavor and aroma of <a characteristic>, explain its
source and indicate a style of beer where it might be appropriate.
======================================================================
BIBLIOGRAPHY & SUGGESTED READING
American Homebrewers Assoc. Beer and Brewing: conference transcripts.
Boulder, CO: AHA, 1985-1991.
American Homebrewers Assoc. National Competition Rules & Regulations
Boulder, CO: AHA, 1992
American Homebrewers Assoc. Zymurgy, special issues.
Boulder, CO: AHA, 1985-1991.
Eckhardt, Fred. The Essentials of Beer Style.
Portland, OR: All Brewers Publication Service, 1989.
Fix, George. Principles of Brewing Science.
Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 1989.
Forget, Carl, ed. Dictionary of Beer and Brewing.
Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 1988.
Foster, Terry. Pale Ale.
Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 1990.
Guinard, Jean-Xavier. Lambic.
Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 1990.
Jackson, Michael. The New World Guide to Beer.
Philadelphia, PA: Running Press, 1988.
Jackson, Michael. The Simon & Schuster Pocket Guide to Beer.
New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1991.
Miller, Dave. The Complete Handbook of Homebrewing.
Pownal, VT: Garden Way, 1988.
Neve, R.A. Hops.
London, UK: Chapman and Hall, 1991.
Noonan, Gregory. Brewing Lager Beer.
Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 1986.
Papazian, Charlie. The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing.
New York, NY: Avon Books, 1991.
======================================================================
JudgeNet: THE BEER JUDGE MAILING LIST
This study guide was proofed, critiqued, and improved by members of
the Beer Judge Mailing List. This is an Internet electronic mailing
list dedicated to the discussion of issues of interest to beer judges
and homebrew competition organizers.
Beer judges with access to the Internet are encouraged to join the
list. Send subscription requests, including your email address, name
and judging rank, to judge-request@synchro.com. There are no
questions about JudgeNet on the exam.
======================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 92 16:17:22 GMT
From: Conn Copas <C.V.Copas@loughborough.ac.uk>
Subject: Re : use of hops
> Therefore, any hops you boil
> for longer than about 15 minutes are effectively only for bittering.
> It has been recently noted in this forum, that maybe the variety of
> the hops you use for bittering can make a difference in the flavor.
> The jury is still out on this issue.
At the risk of sounding contradictory, the jury has delivered judgement where
I am concerned. Agreed, I would have difficulty discriminating two closely
related varieties, such as Hallertau and Saaz, but no amount of boiling will
disguise a generous dose of Northern Brewer in a pilsener. Goldings I find to
give a very noticeable blackcurrant flavour in light beers. Last year's wild
hops smelt wonderful in a dried state, but were overwhelmingly coarse/sickly
in terms of flavour.
- --
Loughborough University of Technology tel : (0509)263171 ext 4164
Computer-Human Interaction Research Centre fax : (0509)610815
Leicestershire LE11 3TU e-mail - (Janet):C.V.Copas@uk.ac.lut
G Britain (Internet):C.V.Copas%lut.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 11:43 CST
From: korz@ihlpl.att.com
Subject: Re: Lager, Wyeast
Jack writes:
> I would like to hear from anyone who can describe the difference between a
> lager and an ale, in terms of the taste.
Ales are inherently fruity and lagers are not fruity. The lower fermentation
temperatures cause the yeast to produce less of the esters which give beer a
fruity aroma and flavor. Another flavor component that is acceptable in small
amounts in ale and not in lager is diacetyl -- a butterscotch flavor (try
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale or Newcastle Brown Ale for a taste of
high-diacetyl ales). (You can try Orval or St. Louis Gueuze as an example of
very fruity ales.)
> I am thinking in terms of everything else being equal, just what are the
> effects of cold, long-term lagering on the taste of a beer.
According to David Miller in his book Continental Pilsener, there are three
major reasons for lagering: "clarification, carbonation and flavor maturation,"
but adds that the last of these "can be largely eliminated by modern
fermentation techniques," which he describes. He is not very specific,
however, regarding this "flavor maturation." One aspect that is clearly
part of what he calls "flavor maturation" is the reduction of diacetyl.
Part of the "modern fermentation techniques" he describes involve methods
to reduce the diacetyl that is normally produced by the yeast earlier in
the ferment and then reduced by the yeast during lagering. A reduction in
the creation of diacetyl lessens the time needed to reduce it.
Why not filter in stead of lagering to clarify? Well, Miller addresses this
also. Filtering will not only remove the yeast, but also proteins which are
essential to the head retention, body and flavor of the finished beer.
As you well know, American industrial beers don't have any head retention
and little or no body, so filtering is simply part of the process of making
beer of the American industrial style.
> If one made a batch of beer and lagered half in cold and used ale yeast at
> ale temperatures on the other half, what would one expect to taste that makes
> it all worth while?
In my own personal brewing, I don't think it's worth while, but I *like* the
fruity flavors of ales. I will be brewing lagers this summer in my fridge
just to see if can brew a lager, but not because they are one of my favorite
styles.
> Breweries spend zillions to lager so I presume there must be a reason but as
> most of what they make, isn't worthy of the name beer, I can't help but
> wonder why they bother.
As noted by Miller, modern fermentation techniques can reduce the need to
lager as long, and filtering also reduces the need to lager, so modern
breweries don't need to expend gobs of money to make lager.
> As I keep looking for ways of improving my beer, I don't want to overlook
> anything but this just seems like lunacy, (sort of like using liquid yeast).
If you've tried liquid yeast and it hasn't improved your beer from dry yeast,
then you've got sanitation problems. Switching to Wyeast improved my beer
a quantum leap -- no longer was it unmistakably "home brewed"... in a
double-blind test against commercial English Ales it held it's own.
> >Every day I give the relief valve a pull and get about a 3 second blast of
> CO2. The gravity, however does not seem to be changing. The beer tastes OK.
> Why is it not fermenting out?
>
> I suspect you have unwitingly exploded the myth of "Wyeast purity". Sounds
> like they cheated on the old family recipe and slipped you a bit of Red Star.
I think you are directing the blame in the wrong place -- I've never had a
problem with bacterial infection when I've used Wyeast and a recent batch
made with M&F dry yeast did. If there's a bacterial infection, I blame
environment (dusty basement, etc.) or technique (sanitizing the racking tube
and then putting it on top of the drier, etc.). This brings up a point I
haven't noticed in HBD: I transfer from kettle to primary and primary to
secondary in my laundry room -- I make it a point to NOT USE THE DRIER
FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS BEFORE DOING BEER TRANSFER. The dust that gets
kicked up is sure to find it's way into the beer.
> Champaign bottles are ideal for beer for two.
> You can use plastic champaign corks or crown caps on most of them.
Specifically, american beer (and soda) crown caps work on american
"champagne" (sparkling wine, actually) bottles. This brings up another
point I'd like to ask everyone about -- do you know where I can get a
capper and caps to fit Lindeman's bottles (they are a bit bigger than
the american crown cap)?
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 11:57 CST
From: korz@ihlpl.att.com
Subject: Re: Brewing Variables
Carlo writes:
> Here are some of the topics I'd like to understand:
>
>1) Affect of thin vs. thick mash
> - different enzymes are activated (like pH changes??)
>2) Affect of single step (~153F) vs. Step vs. Decoction
> - Acid Rest->Protein Rest->Starch Conv. (depends on type of malt
> and style, but what are the processes?)
One could write 10 Mbytes on your questions, and I'm afraid
that if I start, I will. These are pretty complex issues.
I suggest you pick up the All-grain special issue of Zymurgy
(call the AHA at 303-447-0816). There's a great article on
Step Infusion vs. Decoction by David Miller in it. Please note
that he fails to mention the down-side of the decoctions:
boiling the grains will extract tannins from the husks which
will increase the astringency of your beer and will cause
chill-haze problems.
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 13:42:58 -0500
From: mccamljv@ldpfi.dnet.dupont.com
Subject: Effects of Light on Beer
What exactly is the effect of light on fermenting beer?? I am
aware that a 'skunky' smell/taste can be produced if light is allowed
to react with a batch of homebrew, but, at what magnitudes?? The
reason I am posing this question, is that I successfully brewed my
first two batches without any protection from light (ignorance is bliss)
and both turned out fine. The batches were allowed to ferment in a
glass carboy behind a shower curtain in an unused bathroom with a big
window and fluorescent lights. True not a lot of direct light, but
plenty of indirect. The brews were a brown ale and a stout, would the
dark colors have afforded some degree of natural protection?? I have
since fermented with covered carboy's with no taste difference detected.
Any response will be greatly appreciated. If enough interest is
generated, I will post a summary.
Thanks in advance,
-Joel McCamley "Constantly Relaxing, not Worrying and having a Homebrew"
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 11:31:26 PST
From: css@haze.ccsf.caltech.edu (Chris Shenton)
Subject: Priming Sugar
Bob Hettmansperger <Bob_Hettmansperger@klondike.bellcore.com> writes:
>
> I've discovered that I forgot to order priming sugar ... I was
> wondering if corn sugar was available in any other type of store
> that might be closer by
If you have any dry malt, that's ideal. I think you need about 30%
more than corn sugar. Extract syrup also works, but I'm not sure of
the proportions there. Just boil some up in enough water to make it
pourable, then use like normal.
I regularly prime with (unfermented) saved wort -- works well.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 11:43:09 PST
From: css@haze.ccsf.caltech.edu (Chris Shenton)
Subject: IBU, AAU's, HBU
On Mar 3, Walter H. Gude <whg@tellabf.tellabs.com > writes:
> Ay, the confusion. As I understand it:
>
> HBUs are # of oz. of hops times alpha acid.
> AAUs are (#oz. * AA) per gallon of wort. (or is it per 5 gal.)
> And IBU are probalby a linear multiplication of AAUs. (i.e. AAUs*Constant).
Yeah, it's a pain. AAUs and HBUs are the same thing, as far as I've
ever been able to tell: ounces X alpha. The problem with it is
that it ignores the quantity of beer (eg: 10 AAUs in 5 gallons will
taste different than 10 AAUs in 10 gallons). That's my biggest
complaint -- it doesn't describe bitterness in a batch-size
independent way. (In it's defense, it *is* like saying 10# grain -- in
5 gallons, or 10 gallons?)
I've switched to IBUs because I can compare with known beers
bitterness like those listed in Fred Eckerds wonderfully useful
(hype!) book, The Essentials of Beer Styles.
I still use AAUs or -- gasp -- ounces when I'm using the hops after
the boil, when their bitterness will *not* be extracted. IBUs are
meaningless there, because IBUs also depend on the hop utilization
based on boiling time.
Hope this helps more than it confuses.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1992 12:05 PDT
From: Bob Jones <BJONES@NOVA.llnl.gov>
Subject: Pure Dry Yeast?
Would any of you buy liquid cultures if pure dry yeast cultures were
available? I know I wouldn't. Why don't someone take the next step and
make dry yeast cultures? I would have never guessed brewers would pay
$3.50 for yeast. I suspect we all would pay even a little more for pure
dry yeast. Think of the advantages, more stable, higher pitch rates and no
breaking pouches. I would venture a guess that Wyeast would be out of
business almost overnight. Could it be that complex to take the next step
and vacuum dehydrate the pure liquid culture? Sounds like a good side
business for someone.
Bob Jones
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1992 12:26:19 -0800
From: roth@avsan1.irvine.dg.com (John Roth)
I've been receiving HBD for only a few weeks. With regard to home grown hops,
and hop storage in general, has anyone tried the vacuum sealers for food
leftovers? Seems to me like an ideal way to minimize oxidation of home grown
hops.
-John
------------------------------
Date: 4 Mar 92 15:22:30 EST (Wed)
From: GC Woods <gcw@garage.att.com>
Subject: Yet another Wyeast problem
>From: Ray Mrohs
>I must say, my first encounter with Wyeast was very 'enlightening'.
>Knowing what I did about Wyeast (mostly thru HBD), I was very delicate
>in trying to break the inner packet while, of course, holding down the
>whole envelope above the bottom seam. All the packet did was squish
>around the inside of the envelope until I gave it a good whack and then
>*SPLAT*, the contents shot out the middle of the *SIDE* seam, across the
After using Wyeast for around 7 - 10 batches I finally had my first
problem and it is just like the problem Ray had in HBD #836 - the inner
packet would not break. The problem I feel is that there was too much oxygen
in the outer packet, so not enough pressure could be placed on the inner
packet. At one point I had my entire weight (140lb) on the packet and
nothing happened (I was impressed that the outside packet held), so then
I tried to isolate the inner packet at one end and squeeze, but the
outside packet broke. Unlike Ray I used the inner packet in a starter -
hope there is enough nutrient to get it going!
The Wyeast package I used was dated Jan 1 92 - is it possible the
yeast nutrient picked up some sort of infection which made the packet
swell a little more than normal or could there have been just a little
to much oxygen placed in the packet during manufacturing?
Geoff Woods
gcw@garage.att.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1992 16:18:27 -0500 (EST)
From: RWINTERS@nhqvax.hq.nasa.gov (Rob Winters)
Subject: More on growing hops?
I'd be very interested in trying out growing my own hops.
Could anyone post a primer? Sources? Sage advice?
Thanks!
Rob Winters
- ---
Miller Lite: "It's **it and that's that."
Budweiser: "Nothing beats like a Bud."
Olympia: "It's water."
------------------------------
Date: 4 Mar 92 17:02:44
From: Bob Hettmansperger <Bob_Hettmansperger@klondike.bellcore.com>
Subject: Priming help
Priming help
Wow. Thanks to everone who responded so fast on corn sugar substitutes for
priming. The suggestions came fast a furious for awhile there. Here's a
summary in order of suggestion:
1) Honey: By far the popular suggestion; sworn by some as preferable in
general
2) Cane sugar: Some said it would taste a little worse, but not much
3) DME: See past "discussions" in HBD about the merits of this
4) Brown sugar: Some said this was more appropriate for a Pale Ale anyway
5) Molasses: ditto
6) Corn Syrup: worth a shot
7) Coca Cola: just kidding
As it turns out, the net has come through and someone in my brewing club
("Hey now-") can "lend" me some priming suger (hmm, how's he going to ask for
it to be paid back I wonder...). Nice to know the HBD can still show a
friendly face.
-Bob
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 14:09:58 PST
From: grumpy!cr@uunet.UU.NET (C.R. Saikley)
Subject: Flavor Profiles of Lagers vs. Ales
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 11:40 PST
From: gummitch@techbook.com (Jeff Frane)
Subject: Re: Lager, Kitchen Aid, Wyeast, Plastic,
Jack Schmidling writes:
>
> I would like to hear from anyone who can describe the difference between a
> lager and an ale, in terms of the taste.
>
> I am thinking in terms of everything else being equal, just what are the
> effects of cold, long-term lagering on the taste of a beer.
>
> If one made a batch of beer and lagered half in cold and used ale yeast at
> ale temperatures on the other half, what would one expect to taste that makes
> it all worth while?
>
> Breweries spend zillions to lager so I presume there must be a reason but as
> most of what they make, isn't worthy of the name beer, I can't help but
> wonder why they bother.
>
Probably you ought to try drinking some good lagers; it's as difficult
explaining the difference between ale and lager to someone who clearly
doesn't understand it as explaining color to a blind man.
> As I keep looking for ways of improving my beer, I don't want to overlook
> anything but this just seems like lunacy, (sort of like using liquid yeast).
>
If you're ignoring liquid yeast, you can't be looking too hard.
> >Every day I give the relief valve a pull and get about a 3 second blast of
> CO2. The gravity, however does not seem to be changing. The beer tastes OK.
> Why is it not fermenting out?
>
> Standby! I had a similar problem with a batch that fermented like new beer
> for several months. A vile taste eventually caught up with the bubbles.
>
> I suspect you have unwitingly exploded the myth of "Wyeast purity". Sounds
> like they cheated on the old family recipe and slipped you a bit of Red Star.
>
Yes, it's pretty obvious from all the evidence, that WYeast was
responsible for your contaminated beer. Although you don't believe in
using liquid yeast, so clearly this wasn't the problem with *your* beer.
Hmmmm.
It really gets your goat that somewhere someone is doing something right
and making a living at it, doesn't it?
- --Jeff Frane
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #837, 03/05/92
*************************************
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