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HOMEBREW Digest #0888
This file received at Sierra.Stanford.EDU 92/05/25 00:21:01
HOMEBREW Digest #888 Mon 25 May 1992
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Pinlock soda kegs (Jim Larsen)
racking tubes (John Freeman)
Marga Mulino Grain Mill (Darren Evans-Young)
Hot vinyl hose kinking (Darren Evans-Young)
conceptual hangup, anyone? ("Brett Lindenbach")
who where? (C05705DA)
First Lager ("Peter W. Karlson")
more on beechwood (florianb)
first real use of a blow-off (ZLPAJGN)
Hops (fjdobner)
Keg fitting removal from Micah Millspaw (Bob Jones)
Toronto pubs (grant)
quick question: re: blow-off hoses (ZLPAJGN)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 May 92 14:26:22 PDT
From: jal@techbook.com (Jim Larsen)
Subject: Pinlock soda kegs
Dan Watson inquires about his Firestone keg. As I understand it:
Firestone = Pinlock = Coca Cola
Cornelius = Ball lock = Pepsi
Since Coke and >Pepsi never talk to each other, the Cornelius and Firestone
kegs are even threaded differently, so you cannot interchange fittings
without created specialed hybrid hoses.
jal
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 92 10:21:20 CDT
From: jlf@palm.cray.com (John Freeman)
Subject: racking tubes
> Date: Thu, 21 May 92 12:57 CDT
> From: fjdobner@ihlpb.att.com
> Subject: Wort Transport
>
> 2. To keep the hose from kinking at the top of the brewpot (due to such a
> severe temperature of the wort) I plan on using a racking tube. Does anyone
> know if these racking tubes (you know the ones of clear hard plastics with
> bend at one end) will be affected negatively by the heat (like melting for
> instance)?
>
I used a white plastic racking tube on hot wort once and the heat
softened the plastic. It had a permanent curve in it after that.
My carboy was sitting on the cold basement floor and broke ever
so cleanly around the base.
If you're going to siphon lots of liquid, make a racking tube out of
1/2" copper pipe, a 90 Ell and a 45 Ell. Large diameter plastic hose
fits over the copper pipe. I notice a big difference even in racking
five gallons.
pipe
------------------------------+ 90 Ell
| pipe
# 45 Ell
/ pipe
/ hose
------------------------------
Date: FRI, 22 May 92 12:26:26 EDT
From: "Deborah Poirier" <POIRIER@INRS-ENER.UQuebec.CA>
from: poirier@inrs-ener.uquebec.ca
subject: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone
Hello fellow fizzicists!
I recently returned from a trip to California, where I fell in love with
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which is absolutely unfindable here in Montreal.
Does anyone have a good all-grain imitation recipe? I heard that Wyeast
American Ale is the right type, and that Cascade hops are used. Is that
true? If so what about the rest? Summer's coming and I'd love to brew some
of that lovely stuff. email me directly and I'll post a summary of your
copious (I hope) replies.
Thanks in advance,
Deborah Poirier
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 92 10:42:02 CDT
From: Darren Evans-Young <DARREN@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject: Marga Mulino Grain Mill
>From: CITJLF@ARIZVM1.ccit.arizona.edu
>I FINALLY RECEIVED THE MARGA MULINO GRAIN MILL AS A WEDDING PRESENT
>AND USED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME A FEW WEEKS AGO. I AM QUITE IMPRESSED
>BY THE QUALITY OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MILL AND WITH THE WAY THE
>THE GRAIN WAS CRUSHED WITHOUT CREATING ANY FLOUR. MY ONLY PROBLEM
>WITH THE UNIT WAS THAT I HAD TO KEEP A FINGER IN THE HOPPER CONSTANTLY
>SWIRLING THE GRAINS OR ELSE THE GRAINS WOULD EVENTUALLY SETTLE IN
>OVER THE HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOPPER AND NOT FEED THROUGH. MAYBE
>I NEED TO ENLARGE THE HOLE. ALSO THE HOPPER AND CATCH BASIN ARE VERY
>SMALL. IF ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE HAS ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS MILL,
>EMAIL ME WITH YOUR SOLUTIONS.
I also own one of these mills and have experienced the same problem
with the grains not being pulled in by the rollers. However, since
I drive my mill with a 1/2 hp variable speed drill, I like the small
opening! I've tried, there is no way I can get my fingers down into
the rollers. I'm not sure enlarging the hole will have any effect
anyway. The problem is the spacing of the 1st two rollers not being
wide enough. So, DONT ENLARGE THE HOLE!!! Get a good drill with
a screwdriver bit, and grind away. I'm still working on a solution
to the small catch basin problem.
Darren
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 92 10:49:37 CDT
From: Darren Evans-Young <DARREN@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject: Hot vinyl hose kinking
>From: fjdobner@ihlpb.att.com
>Subject: Wort Transport
>
>2. To keep the hose from kinking at the top of the brewpot (due to such a
>severe temperature of the wort) I plan on using a racking tube. Does anyone
>know if these racking tubes (you know the ones of clear hard plastics with
>bend at one end) will be affected negatively by the heat (like melting for
>instance)?
I image, from what I've heard from others, that the racking tube will
deform (melt). Your solution is to get a small section of copper
tubing and a hose clamp. Bend the copper tubing over the edge of the
pot and use it as your siphon pickup. Attach the vinyl tubing to the
copper tubing with a hose clamp. Voila!
Darren
------------------------------
Date: 22 May 1992 13:15:26 -0600
From: "Brett Lindenbach" <Brett_Lindenbach@qms1.life.uiuc.edu>
Subject: conceptual hangup, anyone?
Subject: Time:1:06
PM
OFFICE MEMO conceptual hangup, anyone?
Date:5/22/92
I realize this could belabor the point. But, "sterile" means that you
are sure everything is dead. Period. No "degree of sterility," it is an
absolute.
Because we don't know exactly what organisms are in our wort, we cannot
say it is sterile unless we know that we have killed *everything* that
could be in there. Canners and commercial brewers do not claim to
maintain sterility, but only a high degree of sanitation, usually
through pasteurization. The TDT drops sharply with increased
temperature (autoclave 10 min, 121C). -bdl
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 92 12:54:15 CST
From: C05705DA@WUVMD.Wustl.Edu
Subject: who where?
Does anybody know or refer me to American Mead Association in Ostrander,
Ohio? Do they have an email address? Any info would be apreciated.
thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 1992 14:40:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Peter W. Karlson" <pk@columbus.dfci.harvard.edu>
Subject: First Lager
I have a few questions for the seasoned lager gurus....
This is my first attempt at a lager, the primary fermenter is a 5 gal.
glass carboy with a tube/bucket blow-by for 4-6 days @ 45-50 degrees. The
secondary fermentation will be in another glass carboy with a
fermentation lock at 38 degrees.
Question 1: Does it even have to be moved from the primary to the
secondary or should I just leave it in the same carboy and lager it at 38
degrees (a closed system).
Question 2: After lagering at 38 degrees, what do I do at bottling time, do I
need to keep the bottled beer refrigerated?
Question 3: About dry-hopping, the recipe was originally for a pilsner but
it seemed too hoppy, so I didn't dry-hop. What is the advantage/result of
dry hopping (bitterness, flavor, aroma). How do you dry hop? When do you
add the hops to the fermenter (primary/secondary), I'm using pellet hops,
should I throw them in loose or in a cheese cloth bag. If you do move the
beer to a secondary fermenter, how do you/do you filter out the hops.
Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
-pk
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 92 12:12:01 PDT
From: florianb@chip.cna.tek.com
Subject: more on beechwood
Yesterday, matth replied to my smart-ass remarks:
>i Yes, the yeast are in suspension. However, the beechwood aging is done in
>the secondary when the intent is to get the yeast *out* of suspension. I
>believe (not %100 certain) that the big advantage here is indeed the surface
>area of the beechwood that acts as a fining agent. The yeasties collect more
>on the beechwood than they would just settling to the bottom of the
I'm still not quite up with you yet. Why bother with beechwood chips when
a simple filtration would do the trick? Is it because the filtration would
thin the brew even more than it already is? When I visited the Full Sail
Brewery a couple of years ago, I noticed a filter. Their brews aren't thin,
so I wonder under what conditions the filtering is acceptable? Then there
is Coors and Miller who advertise filtering. Back on the subject of
beechwood, could it be simply traditional that AB uses this process?
Florian
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 92 15:27 CDT
From: ZLPAJGN%LUCCPUA.bitnet@UICVM.UIC.EDU
Subject: first real use of a blow-off
Dear Brewers,
I've brewed a few batches before - some successful, and others that turn
out tasting like...well, I called one "Chicago Tunnel Water" - but I've
never really used a blow-off tube before. Now I should qualify that
a bit: I've installed the apparatus before, but the brew never really
needed it - I've either used a 5 gal. carboy for a 2 gal. batch, or
as was the case with the Propensity Lager I brewed earlier this year,
the kreausen never rose high enough to need a blow-off (I understand
that that was because I used honey, as called for by the recipe.?).
Now, however, I'm experiencing a bit of anxiety (I know, it's a home-
brewer's cardinal sin...) as I watch my latest ale (porter) vigorously
blow kreausen through the tube I normally use for siphoning at a rate
strong enough to sustain a deep sea diver (nitrogen narcosis be damned!)
So, dear illuminati, should I worry? Specifically, I'm concerned that
the tube I'm using might be too small in diameter to 1) handel the
pressure, and 2) get clogged from a) leaf hops (even though I strained
and sparged, I'm sure some got through.) and/or b) grain hulls which
were too small to strain. Thus far, it seems to be going well enough
but, considering that I only pitched the yeast this morning (Whitbread
dry - 2 pkgs) and the vigorous activity I'm getting this afternoon, I
worry (there's that word again...) about clogs and resultant "top-
popping" (?). Oh, and another thing: due to the fact that 1) it's
now summer, and 2) the temp. is presently hovering around 82F, and 3)
I have little to no way to control the temp. on my porch other than w/
a fan, I'm concerned (a better word, I think!) about the effects that
will have on the yeast activity (the little buggers/buggetts are
presently swimming through the wort with more determination and speed
that I had when I was swimming competitively in S. Fla.!!) certainly
with greater activity than I've ever seen with any of my previous
brews. Is this OK? Should I attend to my brew any differently?
Finally, thanks again to all - especially to Mike Tighe - for your
responses about my mead questions. My batch seems to be off to a
healthy start. More on that later..
Thanx in advance for your reassurances and guidance..
John
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 92 15:40 CDT
From: fjdobner@ihlpb.att.com
Subject: Hops
Hop Growers
I live in Aurora "Waynes World" Illinois and have just planted Hallertauer
(hersbrucker), Saaz and Cascade cuttings just this week. I am being very
very careful in making sure that the sun does no scorch these delicate
plants and watering dutifully. I would like to know if anyone has a
recommendation of fertilizer or plant food that has proven itself to be
the key to successfully growing useable hops.
I have recently picked up a copy of the book by Beecher (or Beacher)
for homegrown hops and all of his recommendations are really local to
his Pacific Northwest location. Such as (not quoting directly) "plant
the cuttings or rhizomes in February or March at the latest." Well,
if I planted anything that early in the frost belt, it would be a brown
spindly-looking twig flapping in the breeze. My question is, what kind
of yield may I expect this year and will plants be able to survive the
harsh winters we get here during its first calendar year in northern
Illinois soil?
Your comments would be of great interest to me. Thank you.
Frank Dobner
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 May 1992 14:30 PDT
From: Bob Jones <BJONES@NOVA.llnl.gov>
Subject: Keg fitting removal from Micah Millspaw
For those with pin lock kegs, I have a solution to the problem
of removing the pin fitting from the kegs. It is a specialy modified
socket that will fit on both the gas and liquid side. I will bring one
to the conference in Milwaukee. If some one is interested in buying such
a tool it can be ordered from Benjamin Machine Products 1121 Doker Unit 7
Modesto, CA. 95351 phone or fax 209-523-8874. The cost is $15 plus shipping,
and tax if in CA. By the way it fits on 3\8 drive rachets.
Micah MIllspaw 5/22/92
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 24 May 92 12:56:56 EDT
From: grant <KW6@CORNELLA.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: Toronto pubs
I am going to Toronto for a wedding on the weekend of June 12 and
would like to know of a great place to get a real beer. Please reply
either to the HBD or directly to me at KW6@cornella.cit.cornell.edu.
-Lost in the Suds, Grant Ehrlich
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 24 May 92 19:27 CDT
From: ZLPAJGN%LUCCPUA.bitnet@UICVM.UIC.EDU
Subject: quick question: re: blow-off hoses
Dear Brewers,
I just have a quick question: I used the hose that I normally use for
siphoning for a blow-off hose, and now it seems to be stained with a
mustard-like discoloration. I think I got most of the scum and resinous
"blow-off" out of the tube, most if not all. I soaked it over night in
a chlorinated water solution and then rinsed it maticulously with HOT
water numerous times. Still, it's got a noticible stain to it. So the
question is, is it time to get a new tube for siphoning (as this one
runs a risk of contamination)? If so, should I keep this old tube for
future use as a blow-off tube, or get another tube for that specific
use as well (or further still, should I get an all together different
type of tubing - perhapse with greater I/O diameters?)
Thanx in advanse for the responses,
John
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #888, 05/25/92
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