Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
HOMEBREW Digest #1073
This file received at Sierra.Stanford.EDU 93/02/09 00:32:40
HOMEBREW Digest #1073 Tue 09 February 1993
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Calculating IBU's with the Utilization Function (Alan Edwards)
Extract and Proud ("Knight,Jonathan G")
RE: soda kegs on tap (James Dipalma)
Hops Cultivation (Brian Spence)
Wet Dream, FAQ (Jack Schmidling)
Bud % alcohol / Ridding oil from plastics (Tom Colvin)
Re: chimay yeast/recipe idea (Drew Lawson)
Recirculating Infusion Mashing System (RIMS) (M. Umehara)
Re: All-grain Snobs (Drew Lawson)
Re: Killian's Irish Red (Drew Lawson)
Re: How Long Is Too Long ("John DeCarlo")
Re: wine making (kstiles)
Spiced Ale ("Knight,Jonathan G")
Leaf Hops? ("Spencer W. Thomas")
BAA (BadAssAstronomer)
Diacetyl ? (Lee Menegon)
Re: dry VS syrup extract (korz)
Re: skimming/blowoff/HSA (korz)
Digest Submission (Tom Clark)
culturing Paulaner yeast (ng570)
Crushed grain, etc. (Joseph Nathan Hall)
Toasted Flaked Barley (John Walaszek)
Corona flour stones (chris campanelli)
PROTECT FROM FROST ? (John Pedlow)
Send articles for __publication_only__ to homebrew@hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
(Articles are published in the order they are received.)
Send UNSUBSCRIBE and all other requests, ie, address change, etc.,
to homebrew-request@hpfcmi.fc.hp.com, BUT PLEASE NOTE that if
you subscribed via the BITNET listserver (BEER-L@UA1VM.UA.EDU),
then you MUST unsubscribe the same way!
If your account is being deleted, please be courteous and unsubscribe first.
Archives are available via anonymous ftp from sierra.stanford.edu.
(Those without ftp access may retrieve files via mail from
listserv@sierra.stanford.edu. Send HELP as the body of a
message to that address to receive listserver instructions.)
Please don't send me requests for back issues - you will be silently ignored.
For "Cat's Meow" information, send mail to lutzen@novell.physics.umr.edu
IMPORTANT NEWS -- PLEASE READ
-----------------------------
There will be nobody reading mail sent to homebrew-request during the
period Feb 8 through approx. Feb 28. This means that any requests for
changes or cancellations will not be handled until the end of the month.
Subscription requests will continue to be handled automatically, and the
digest will continue to be sent automatically, barring any computing
device catastrophes. So if you send a message here and get no immediate
reply, or if the digest stops suddenly, please do not panic. Just be
patient.
ps. and please try to behave yourselves while I'm gone ;-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 09:22:27 PST
From: rush@xanadu.llnl.gov (Alan Edwards)
Subject: Calculating IBU's with the Utilization Function
Here's an example of how to use the hop utilization function in my previous
article, using the calculations in Jackie Rager's Zymurgy article:
UTILIZATION = 18.109069 + 13.862039 * hyptan[(MINUTES - 31.322749) / 18.267743]
(Of course, you can drop a lot of those significant figures.)
If the gravity of the boil exceeds 1.050:
ADJUSTMENT = (BOIL_GRAVITY - 1.050) / 0.2
otherwise,
ADJUSTMENT = 0
IBU_PER_OZ = UTILIZATION * ALPHA * 74.62 / (VOLUME * (1 + ADJUSTMENT));
ALPHA is the percent alpha acids (eg. 5.2--don't devide by 100)
VOLUME is the final number of gallons in the batch (usually 5).
To calculate IBU's if you know the number of ounces of hops to be used:
IBU = OUNCES * IBU_PER_OZ
To predict the number of ounces needed to hit a targed IBU:
OUNCES = IBU / IBU_PER_OZ
I've packaged those formulae into a nifty calculator for those of you
who are on a Unix machine, or a PC that has Perl installed. (If there
is a demand, I can convert it to a C-shell script or a C program.)
It will calculate IBU's (International Bittering Units), given only:
- amount of hops
- alpha acid rating
- length of boil
- gravity of boil (if over 1.050)
It basically does what that mess of calculations in the Zymurgy article
does (but you don't have to think about it). It will also do the
inverse--return the amount of hops required to reach a target IBU level.
If I typed:
ibu 1.5 8 45
The output would be:
1.50 ounces of hops with 8.0% alpha acid, boiled for 45 minutes
will produce 48.2 IBU's.
In the "inverse" mode:
ibu -i 49 8 60
would produce this output:
1.33 ounces of hops with 8.0% alpha acid, boiled for 60 minutes
will be required to produce 49.0 IBU's.
Here's the Perl script (called "ibu"):
___________________________________________________________________________
#!/usr/bin/perl
require "getopts.pl";
# set option variable defaults
$boil_gravity = 1.050;
$volume = 5;
# read command line
if ((!&Getopts('iv:g:')) || ($#ARGV != 2))
{
printf STDERR qq/
Usage:
ibu [-v volume] [-g boil_gravity] ounces percent_alpha minutes
-v Final volume in gallons. The default is 5.
-g Gravity of boil if over 1.050.
or
ibu -i [-v volume] [-g boil_gravity] target_ibu percent_alpha minutes
-i Inverse. Return number of ounces required to hit target IBU's.
Example:
ibu -g 1.082 1.5 8.3 30
/;
exit 1;
}
$inverse = $opt_i;
$boil_gravity = $opt_g if ($opt_g);
$volume = $opt_v if ($opt_v);
$ounces = $ARGV[0];
$ibu = $ARGV[0];
$alpha = $ARGV[1];
$minutes = $ARGV[2];
if ($boil_gravity > 1.050)
{$adjustment = ($boil_gravity - 1.050) / 0.2;}
else
{$adjustment = 0;}
# calculate utilization from exponential equivalent of hyperbolic tangent
$exp = ($minutes - 31.322749) / 18.267743;
$utilization = 0.18109069 + 0.13862039
* (exp($exp) - exp(-$exp)) / (exp($exp) + exp(-$exp));
$ibu_per_oz = $utilization * $alpha * 74.62 / ($volume * (1 + $adjustment));
unless ($inverse)
{$ibu = $ounces * $ibu_per_oz;}
else
{$ounces = $ibu / $ibu_per_oz;}
printf("%.2f ounces of hops with %.1f%% alpha acid, boiled for %d minutes",
$ounces, $alpha, $minutes);
printf(" in %.3f wort", $boil_gravity) if ($opt_g);
printf("\nwill");
printf(" be required to") if ($inverse);
printf(" produce %.1f IBU's.\n", $ibu);
____________________________________________________________________________
Have Fun!
-Alan (Overkill) Edwards
.------------------------------------. A thousand years have come and gone
| Alan Edwards: rush@xanadu.llnl.gov | But Time has passed me by
| or: alan-edwards@llnl.gov | Stars stopped in the sky
`------------------------------------' Frozen in an everlasting view
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 11:40:09 cdt
From: "Knight,Jonathan G" <KNIGHTJ@AC.GRIN.EDU>
Subject: Extract and Proud
As one who has gotten a great deal of information out of HBD, and who finds
it a great way to forget about work for twenty minutes a day, I really hate
it when it degenerates into silly stuff like Pub-Info-Request-Wars and
Extract-vs.-Grain wars.
PLEASE LET'S NOT LET THIS GET OUT OF HAND, PEOPLE!
I have thought about doing the all-grain route, but frankly my present
financial condition prevents me from investing in the additional equipment,
and the fact that I have three children under the age of six lurking around
my house makes the extra time involved impractical for me. I also suspect
that if I didn't know all-grain methods were available to the homebrewer, I
would continue to drink my extract brews in complete bliss (o.k., and
ignorance too). Most of us extracters have very good reasons for staying
with our present methods.
My inquiries regarding extract brewing have always been received gracefully
and enthusiastically by readers of the HBD. I would say that if there really
ARE extract brewers who are intimidated by the level of discussion by all-
grainers, yeast-culturers, etc., they should do as I have done: ask anyway!
It's your right. If someone actually does respond "snobbishly," then flame
the idiot by private e-mail and go on asking your questions publicly.
Relax, don't worry -- have an extract brew.
Jonathan
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 12:43:47 EST
From: dipalma@banshee.sw.stratus.com (James Dipalma)
Subject: RE: soda kegs on tap
Hi All,
From HBD #1071:
>Anybody have advice on how (and how long) to keep soda kegs on tap? I have
>not tried it for more than about two weeks, and there was a noticable
>change in the beer at the end. I did not take stringent measures against
>leaks, so I presume the deterioration was due to air getting into the keg.
I'd say your presumption is probably correct. I've kept beers in soda
kegs for over two months with absolutely no ill effects, the last pint tastes
as good or better than the first. Sealed in a keg at a constant 45F,
protected from heat, light and air, beer should keep for quite some time,
certainly longer than two weeks.
The poster didn't mention whether or not the kegs were kept refridgerated,
but I'm not sure this is a critical point. Keeping them in a reasonably cool
place like a basement should be OK. I believe the problem is the kegs were
not well sealed, allowing air to get in.
Try keeping a maintainence pressure of 12-15 psi on the keg when not
dispensing. This will help provide a tighter seal along the large O-ring.
Also, disconnect the CO2 tank and the cobra tap when not in use. Leaving the
hose barbs installed keeps the check valves in the fitting open. The only
remaining seal is the small rubber gasket between the hose barb and the
fitting, which I would not trust to keep the keg airtight over an
extended period.
Cheers,
Jim
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 09:57:57-080
From: brian@bio.cor2.epa.gov (Brian Spence)
Subject: Hops Cultivation
Short time listener, first time caller. When my spouse and I purchased
our home, we had the good fortune of inheriting a rather prolific hops
plant. Now that I've begun brewing, the plant is no longer just and
attractive ornamental, but offers practical benefits as well.
The Problem: I have no idea as to what variety these hops might be. We
live in the infamous Willamette Valley, so I at least have the obvious
first guess. Does anyone out there know of a good reference book that
would allow me to key out this beast. Perhaps a "Peterson's Field
Guide to Hops and Grains."
Other Questions: Papazian suggests that the soil for growing hops should
be loamy and kept continually moist during the growing season. We have
excruciatingly high clay content in our soils and have never watered at all.
Nevertheless the plant has done quite well. Will the quality of the
hops be affected by my lack of care? Or should I follow the adage "If
it ain't broke, don't fix it?" Also, how much will AAU vary with time
of harvest, amount of watering, etc. And lastly, is there any moderately
low-tech way of determining AAU of homegrown hops?
A good reference book on this subject would satisfy my needs, should you
not wish to clutter the e-waves.
Thanks in advance. Spence.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 08:56 CST
From: arf@ddsw1.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
Subject: Wet Dream, FAQ
>From: Paul Matulonis <paulm@sci.ccny.cuny.edu>
>Subject: WL media (extracted from the Difco Manual)
>Bacto WL Differential Medium has the same formula as Bacto WL
Nutrient Medium, with the addition of 0.004 g of Actidione per
liter. This inhibits the development of yeasts without
interfering with the development of bacteria generally
encountered in beers.
A most enlightening article. However, if this is in response to the
discussion about a medium that rejects or encourages "wild yeast", it seems
to confirm my opinion that such a medium is a wet dream.
The two described here simply control yeast and/or bacteria.
>From: Chris McDermott <mcdermott@draper.com>
>Subject: FAQ/RFC on Recirculation.
>Since many topics come up in cyclical manner it would be nice if they could
be answered in a FAQ format. And since some topics have more than one
accepted answer the FAQs should try to show all sides of an issue.
A couple of points here. Many of us barely literate computer users have no
idea of how to access a FAQ, if indeed it is something we can get at will.
Compuserve stores just about everything of any value in library files that
are easily accessible but cost an arm and a leg to retrieve or even find out
what's there. I have not read the header lately, but if such a things exists
for HBD readers, instructions on accessing it should be part of the HBD
header and in terms even I can understand.
.....
>Recirculation is a practice employed in the lautering of mashed grains where
the turbid sweet wort is collected, as it is runoff, and recirculated through
the grain bed until the runoff becomes clear.
>Please consider this FAQ as a kind of HbD Request For Comment (RFC). Please
feel free to make any additions or corrections.
My comment is that there exists a commercially available product for mashing
(name and availibity upon request) that runs clear in something less than one
cup and the whole discussion becomes academic.
.........
Having said that, the RFC aspect for a FAQ library is important and seems to
be lacking in the current system. For example, I have badgered the person
who maintains the FAQ to include videos in his list of sources and the
request has been ignored for several years.
>From: Chuck Coronella <CORONELLRJDS@CHE.UTAH.EDU>
>Subject: A survey of the readership
>I wonder how many questions have not even been asked because the author is
afraid of being labelled "not a REAL brewer" by more advanced brewers.
(Remember that discussion a while back about _real_ brewers?)
How could I forget? I suppose my more objective posting yesterday will also
be interpreted by some as intimidation but that was not my intent.
I simply think it's time to call a spade, a spade and get on with brewing.
How one reacts to someone else's opinions, views and statements is his own
responsibility. If one chooses to run away because some windbag uses big
words, I guess that's life.
I would like to point out that before stumbling upon the HBD, I had spent
over twenty years (off and on) making barely drinkable (and mostly not)
rubbish. And now look at me... the World's Greatest Brewer! If I can glean
what is needed out of this forum, so can anyone else and I have little
sympathy for people who claim to be intimidated.
>I suspect that the readership consists of more beginners than are
represented by the questions posed in the HBD. And I think that, if
beginners realized that they make up a substantial part of the HBD community,
they would be more likely to pose "lower level" questions, and therefore,
improve their comprehension and brewing.
That is a good point but I think it is already happening at a reasonable
level. Compuserve deals with this problem by dividing the forum into Basic
and Tehnical message groups but that can't be done on the Digest so one just
has to wade through the stuff they are not interested in but fortunately it's
"free" here. Someone could start up a beginners' digest but I think it would
be counter-productive.
I don't doubt that some people may be intimidated but there are enough that
are not, to get out the questions and keep the discussions going.
Back to spades.... "real brewers" was a poor choice of words and perhaps
trying to come up with a more appropriate one will still offend some but
pushing it under the rug doesn't help either.
I still contend that mashing whole grains is another step up the ladder to
becoming the "complete brewer". If many/most opt out, so be it. We opt out
of many steps in the process but there is no reason to get paranoid about any
particular one of them. Nor is there any reason to criticize those who
crusade for or against, any or all of them.
>From: Richard Cox <rcox@hsc.usc.edu>
>Subject: Dry Malt Extract vs. Syrup Malt Extract
>One of my homebrew suppliers strongly maintains that dry malt
extract provides better flavor and less extract "tang" than the
syrup variety. He has encouraged me to use all DME in my recipes
whenever possible.
I can't offer anything other than intuitive reasoning. Wort is converted to
extract by evaporating the water. In the case of dry extract almost all and
in the case of liquid much less. Is seems that whatever they do to the wort
to get rid of the water has nothing to do with what we do to wort to make
beer and therefore, less is better.
js
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 11:26:18 -0700
From: colvin@hayduke.cs.utah.edu (Tom Colvin)
Subject: Bud % alcohol / Ridding oil from plastics
After reading the posts of Ulick Stafford and Bill Szymczak, I realized
that Bud % alcohol must vary greatly from region to region even in the US.
In this "wonderful" state of Utah it is law that beer exceeding 3.2%
alcohol by volume must be sold in liquor stores. However, Bud is available
in any grocery store around here.
Our brewing club recently brewed a beer with chocolate in it. Does anyone
have any idea on cleaning the oil out of the plastic tubing and buckets
easily? We were trying to avoid using dish washing detergent since they
normally leave behind stuff for anti-spotting and who knows what else. We
also were trying to avoid using a lot of water since we going through a
major drought in the area.
thanks for any advice in advance,
Tom Colvin
colvin@cs.utah.edu
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 10:49:46 PST
From: lawson@acuson.com (Drew Lawson)
Subject: Re: chimay yeast/recipe idea
> From tony@spss.com (Tony Babinec)
>
> At this point, you have a choice. You can either brew
> a beer and pitch your starter culture, or you can plate out the
> yeast, isolate a single cell, build it up, and then brew the beer.
I've been absent for a while, so I don't know what the last time was
that this was discussed.
The yeast in Chimay is not a single strain. It is either 3 or 5. I
forget which, but I think it is 3. If you plate it and isolate a
single cell for building a culture, you will only get one of the
three.
Of course, you also avoid any other nasties that snuck into the bottle
in small numbers.
Drew Lawson If you're not part of the solution,
lawson@acuson.com you're part of the precipitate
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 14:28:39 EST
From: umehara@NADC.NADC.NAVY.MIL (M. Umehara)
Subject: Recirculating Infusion Mashing System (RIMS)
Thanks for your response to my RIMS questions on the HBD. I have
decided to build one and have several more questions for you.
- What is your method for sparging?
- What are your approximate flow rates during the different stages?
- How quickly does your heater cycle on and off?
- Which is higher, the liquid level or the grain level and should it
matter?
- Where does the diffuser go? Does it float on top of the grain/wort?
I really appreciate any help I can get. I'm a gadget freak, but
unfortunately a klutz.
Mike
umehara@NADC.NAVY.MIL
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 11:05:15 PST
From: lawson@acuson.com (Drew Lawson)
Subject: Re: All-grain Snobs
> Keeping in mind that lots of people stick with extract because they are lazy,
> paranoid or il-informed
[etc., deleted]
> Having said that, I suggest it is the extract brewers' insecurity,
> sensitivity and paranoia that creates the image that all-grain brewers are
> snobs.
Gee, Jack. It's nice to know that I use extract because I am lazy
(partially true) and that I read your posting as arrogant and snobbish
because I am insecure. I would otherwise have thought it was because
you post like the proverbial bull in a china shop.
I'd also like to thank you for not charging me $100/hour for this
analysis.
Drew Lawson If you're not part of the solution,
lawson@acuson.com you're part of the precipitate
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 11:23:10 PST
From: lawson@acuson.com (Drew Lawson)
Subject: Re: Killian's Irish Red
> Just a clarification on which category Killian's falls into - the last time
> I had one(last night) I read the label and it says that it is a "LAGER".
>
> I, too, was suprised as I thought that it was an ale also.
>
> Craig Vandeventer
It _was_ an ale. When Coors started making it (1978?) it was an ale.
Somewhere along the way, they started making the lager.
When I first was drinking it ~1986, it was an ale and I liked it. I
stopped buying it for a while (shifting to Bass), and when I bought it
again, I didn't like it much. I later noticed that it was (in tiny
print) "lager" now.
Drew Lawson If you're not part of the solution,
lawson@acuson.com you're part of the precipitate
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 15:06:32 EST
From: "John DeCarlo" <jad@pegasus.mitre.org>
Subject: Re: How Long Is Too Long
>From: pointon@m2c.org (Joel Pointon@staff)
>Greetings fellow brewers. Being a fairly new convert to HB, I
>have a question that I realize most of you WON'T be able to relate to.
>Although I enjoy my HB, I'm not a big drinker, so subsequently I
>have a stockpile building up of my brewing efforts. The beer cellar
>presently contains the following extract brewed product: Porter,
>(3 months), Pilsner (2 months) and English Bitter (1 month old).
>The cellar is approximately 55 degrees F at this time of year and
>will increase to about 65 by the beginning of summer. How long
>can one expect to keep each of these before the flavor falls off?
Well, there are at least some of us out there who don't drink much beer. I
probably drink about 2 or 3 beers a week. There are at least 12 cases of
homebrew in my basement.
Like yours, my basement doesn't get below 50F during the winter nor much
above 60F or so in the summer. Also, I store all my beer in cardboard
boxes with covers, so there is no exposure to light.
I brought a three-year-old holiday ale to a December homebrewer meeting.
It had been seriously overhopped originally and now tasted like an OK ale--
none of the spice character was left, and only a normal amount of hop
bitterness could be detected. It wasn't oxidized, either.
I recently uncovered a two-year-old raspberry ale six pack. Figured it
would have none of the overpowering raspberry aroma and flavor of the
original brew. Boy, was I wrong! Still smelled and tasted great! I
*would* say that it was past it's prime, though.
For that matter, I still have some 1990 Anchor holiday ale down there and
it is starting to get a little worse but is still just fine.
What general rules or conlusions do I have?
1) Most beers will keep fine for at least a year under such conditions.
Many will keep for two or three just fine.
2) Invite friends over to help you drink it if you like to brew as much as
I do. Everyone is happy this way.
Fidonet: 1:109/131 Internet: jdecarlo@mitre.org
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 15:16:33 EST
From: kstiles@aluxpo.att.com
Subject: Re: wine making
in HOMEBREW Digest #1071 connell@vax.cord.edu asks:
> I have noted with curiosity that ... there is almost no discussion
> of homemade wines ... Is wine making discussed here so seldom
> because the process is uninterestingly straightforward or because
> the results are so inferior to commercial wines or both?
The charters of the Digest and rec.crafts.brewing exclude wine
making for some reason. As both brewer and wine maker, I will risk
flamage to comment here on wine making. As far as wine kits go, I
can't comment; I tend to avoid anything that looks like a recipe. I
don't see why you can't make a decent wine from kits, though. I make
fruit wines, which can't really be compared to commercial (grape)
wines. For example, I tend to like dry wines ("Hey, Stiles, you
call this good wine? I call it gagging in the Sahara."), but fruit
wines generally exhibit their fruit character better if they have
some residual sweetness.
Wine making skills/equipment overlap considerably with those
of brewing, but there are differences. Also, the time scale is a lot
different (I don't have TIME for instant gratification, dammit!).
Get a good book on wine making. A browse through the library is a
good start.
ObBrewing: No takers on my question about flavor/aroma properties
of Chinook hops, huh? Do any commercial brews use them?
Kevin Stiles
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 14:52:46 cdt
From: "Knight,Jonathan G" <KNIGHTJ@AC.GRIN.EDU>
Subject: Spiced Ale
Now, here's a question that could be answered by extract brewers and all
grain brewers alike.
There was a *thin* thread (not quite overwhelmed by all the philosophizing
and speculation about snobbishnes) recently about spiced ales.
Part of the discussion prompts me to wonder: has anyone tried BOTH the
technique of adding whole spices at some point to the boil AND adding
powdered spices at the end of the boil? (Obviously, in different batches.)
I made my first spiced ale this year and boiled orange zest, ginger root,
cinnamon sticks and whole cloves for about the last thirty minutes. It has a
bit more bite than I intended, although the beer does taste quite good. I am
wondering whether I boiled the stuff too long and whether powdered spices
at the end of the boil would produce a "kinder, gentler" brew.
If anyone has a response of general interest, please post. I would also be
happy to summarize and post e-mail responses.
Not Worrying, and Having a Spiced Extract Ale With a Little Too Much Bite,
Jonathan
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 16:27:42 EST
From: "Spencer W. Thomas" <Spencer.W.Thomas@med.umich.edu>
Subject: Leaf Hops?
I have to agree about the freshness and general wonderfullness of hops
plugs. I bought some recently (imported by Crosby & Baker, according
to the package) at Brew 'N' Grow (same as Alternative Garden Supply,
but in Detroit instead of Chicago). I made a Bock with Hallertau & a
little Saaz. What an aroma! This was the first time I really
understood what is meant by the "spicy" aroma of Saaz. Wow!
And the hops looked beautiful after I drained the wort. Full cones
that half-filled my brewpot.
The beer is still lagering, so I can't report on the taste, yet.
=Spencer W. Thomas | Info Tech and Networking, B1911 CFOB, 0704
"Genome Informatician" | Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Spencer.W.Thomas@med.umich.edu | 313-764-8065, FAX 313-764-4133
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1993 15:44:38 -0600 (CST)
From: STOREY@fender.msfc.nasa.gov (BadAssAstronomer)
Subject: BAA
Hi yall
Well well well! There are quite a few of you out there with
opinions on Beer Across America. I tried to reply to each of you
to thank you for your time in replying to my query. But jeez, I
got better response than I ever anticipated. So, I'll waste
everyone's bandwidth and just do a global THANKS. :)
I just gotta be careful what I ask for, I just might get it ;)
I think I'm gonna join this thing, at least for a little while.
Spencer had a good suggestion about "sharing" the cost. I may do
that with a friend or 2 to help defray some of the expense. But
we-uns here in the southland don't got much other choice. Maybe
some day.
Oh yeah, Michael G., thanks for the fax, I guess that means you're
my sponsor. Only one more for a free 6er :):) Think maybe you
could send ME a bottle? :)
scott
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 17:38:06 EST
From: Lee Menegon <necis!lmenegon@transfer.stratus.com>
Subject: Diacetyl ?
I have recently begun brewing all grain batches, 5 or 6. A constant
comment about my beers is that they contain noticable levels of
diacetyl. I have done some research in the Zymurgy trouble shooting
issue and in Miller's CHOB and found:
1) Diacetyl is a by product of the early stage of fermentation when
oxygen is available to the yeast.
2) Its level of production is directly related to wort temperature,
i.e. warmer = more diacetyl.
3)Yeast will eventually reduce the diacetyl in the later stages of
fermentation.
I discussed my brewing process with an experienced all grain brewer
who too was having this problem with his beers. We decide that since
the yeast strains we were using 1056 and 1098 are not noted for high
levels of diacetyl in their flavor profile that the following could
be flaws in our brewing process:
1) Pitching into wort that was much warmer than the target fermentation
temperature. We did this to reduce lag time.
2) Adding finings immediatley after racking to the secondary. We did
this to induce CO2 generation to purge the head space. This would cause
the yeast to prematurely fall out of suspension thus reducing the
quantity and the time in which the yeast was reducing diacetyl.
3) Since we artifically carbonate our beer in soda kegs we would not
bolster the yeast population which could reduce diacetyl in the
conditioning phase.
What besides pitching to wort at fermentation temperatue and finning after
the yeast has settled or not at all what can we do to reduce the production
of diacetyl and increase its reduction later? I still plan to artificially
carbonate it seems to make for clearer beer and I can drink it sooner, 3
days after kegging.
What can I do to produce high levels of diacetyl and minimize its reduction
if I want to brew something with a Samuel Smith profile? Is a warm
ferment with a yeast strain noted for diacetyl production and fining
immediatley after primary fermentation the way to go ?
- --
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 15:48 CST
From: korz@iepubj.att.com
Subject: Re: dry VS syrup extract
Richard writes:
>One of my homebrew suppliers strongly maintains that dry malt
>extract provides better flavor and less extract "tang" than the
>syrup variety. He has encouraged me to use all DME in my recipes
>whenever possible.
I know that the two most popular dry malt extracts, Munton & Fison
and Laaglander, are both made from 100% malt (note that the Laaglander
is a bit less fermentable, so use that to your advantage). Many
syrups contain all kinds of other sugars, like corn and even sucrose.
I certainly would not want to simply dismiss all syrups -- there are
a great many that appear to be of very high quality. I've narrowed
my use of extracts to a few that I feel are good (Northwestern, Munton
& Fison, John Bull, Alexander's, Coopers, Ireks and a few others)
and my extract batches have been par with my (and other's) all-grain
batches.
>I'm too new to homebrewing to have an objective opinion on this,
>although my last batch -- using all DME -- does taste *much*
>better than my first, which was made with syrup extract. There
>may have been other factors at work in that case, though. I have
>wondered whether or not the syrup cans impart any detectable
>metal taste to the extract.
I have not noticed this.
>Does anyone have any advice?
Yes, to everyone, not just Richard:
Taste your homebrew supplier's homebrewed beers -- if they are worse
than yours, don't take their advice.
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 16:05 CST
From: korz@iepubj.att.com
Subject: Re: skimming/blowoff/HSA
Jack writes:
> Another example of his misinformation is on page 53, also underscored and
> burnt into my early data base on brewing.
>
> "If you look into the fermenter, you will see a rich foamy head bubbling on
> top. This head is composed mainly of resins from the hops, which are forced
> up ty the carbon dioxide bubbles. Some books advocate skimming off the head
> but this should never be done because it contains all the oils and resins
> that will give the beer its body, aroma and characteristic beer taste."
>
> Certainly, there is a legitimate debate on the importance of skimming the
> foam but no one but Beagle argues the merits of leaving it there.
I've done empirical analysis of two batches of beer split into blowoff and
non-blowoff (non-skimming, also) sub-batches. Beagle is partly right about
the hop resins, but is dead wrong in saying that:
1. *all* of them are in the foam, and
2. the oils and resins give the beer its body.
> >From: Jim Busch <busch@daacdev1.stx.com>
> >Subject: re: reusing yeast & open fermenters
>
> >I am most likely in the minority of homebrewers in that I am currently
> utilizing open fermentation techniques.
>
> You're in good company. The only thing you need to do to complete your joy
> is to add a spigot on the bottom so you can take QC samples on a regular
> basis to determine how it is progressing before sending it to the secondary.
>
> I find that for some strange reason, the primary fermentation seems to take
> much longer this way and I always seem to come up about a half a gallon
> short:)
>
> I am sure you have also figured out how simple it is to sterilize with a bit
> of water boiling in the bottom.
>
> I also suspect that you, like the rest of the enlightened ones, simply yawn
> at all the discussions about "blow-off" tubes and related mess.
Part of the result of my blowoff/non-blowoff experiments was to determine that
I may lose some hop bitterness and a bit of hop flavor by using blowoff, but
I don't really want a lot most of what gets blown-off in my beer. The
blowoff sub-batch was smoother, cleaner, less astringent and a bit less
bitter (note that I'm not a lupulophobe -- my last IPA had 80 IBU and I
thought it was a bit underhopped). I urge you to try the blowoff method
for a beer or two and compare.
> >From: korz@iepubj.att.com
> >Subject: Spraying the grist
>
> >Both Jim and Donald mentioned the spraying of water on the grist
> as it enters the mash tun. I suspect that this has the addional
> benefit of reducing grain dust which is explosive.
>
> I suspect that it might have a negative effect if Fix's hypothesis on HSA is
> correct. What say George?
Oops. I think there's some miscommunication here, Jack -- the mash isn't
hot at this time so Hot-side Aeration (HSA) is not an issue.
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 19:36:50 -0800
From: Tom Clark <tclark@apple.com>
Subject: Digest Submission
This is being submitted for its author: Gary Henry, ghenry@apple.com
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb. 3, 1993
John Harvard Brew House
33 Dunster Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-868-3585
Timothy Morse Mark Palmer Ray Kall
Master Brewer Manager and tour guide Bartender, Waiter, Homebrewer
The first impression of this place might be oops I've stumbled into Cheers. It's
down stairs under the THE GARAGE building at 33 Dunster Street, Just a half
block from Harvard Square and one block East of J.F. Kennedy Dr. It used to be a
restaurant called 33 Dunster Street.
The first thing you notice is the long bar with the stainless steal serving
tanks enclosed in glass behind it. The bar has three sets of four towers, each
having two taps. One hand pulled pump for either the casked Stout or the J.H.
Pale Ale. They seemed to alternate between the two brews. Lots of back lit
stained glass against the back wall which was left in place from when it was 33 Dunster Street.
At the same end of the building and enclose behind the glass is a big copper
mash-tun and fermentor from The Pub Brewing Company.
They get their pre-crushed malt from England and Hops from California,
mashing with 700 pound of malt at 165 degrees. Gypsum is added to
Cambridge's soft water. Extract is generally 430 gallons. The wort is counterflo
chilled and then fermented for three to five days. The secondary is then racked
to stainless steal cellar tanks for 10 to 21 days at 50 degrees. Some of their
ales are dry hopped with whole hops. When aging is done they drop the temp to
36 degrees and run it through a DE filter and then to the serving tanks behind
the bar. They use Krausing for carbonation and no CO2. They brew 14 barrels
every three days.
The dining area is large and comfortable. I first arrived there Sat. night at
11pm and the place was so packed I had to squeeze into the hostess stand to get
a Nut Brown Ale. The next morning I came back for Sunday brunch. It was great! I
had an Omelet that was stuffed with made-on-the-premise pork sausage in a BBQ
sauce and a little jack cheese. Served with home fries that were quartered new
potatoes sauted in a garlic & onion sauce. Also served was a basket of baked
goods from a local bakery, hot and wrapped in linen with a generous scoop of
raspberry jam.
This brew house started nine months ago and has only been open about six
months. Timothy Morse, Master Brewer who started out at Anchor Brewing,
then went to Hope, WI and on to Commonwealth Brewing before starting at John
Harvard's Brew House, has yet to pour his own brew here. It's been done under
contract at Massachusetts Bay Brewing (Harpoon) due to hassles with the city of
Cambridge over the zoning. Apparently Cambridge viewed brewing as a fire
hazard. Tim finally got to do his first brew Sat. Jan. 30,1993.
O-K now for the good stuff. Ray Kall the bartender, who is also a home brewer
was very helpful, informative and friendly. In fact the entire staff here is
well trained and friendly. He said that once Tim gets going with his own brew
there should be some improvements. He hopes to brew traditional British
(Burton on Trent) style.
I had a five brew sampler.
1. Was a nut brown ale: Color was very good. I didn't get much aroma. It was
drinkable but not exceptional. Not a Samuel Smith by any means.
2. Was a Highland Ale-a scotch: My first taste of Scotch Ale so I can't comment
other that the FG (final gravity) seemed high but maybe normal for the style?
3. Was NEW TOWN LIGHT ALE: Light golden color. Well carbonated. Good
Fuggles hopping. My wife would love this one.
4. Was JOHN HARVARD'S PALE ALE: Nice copper color and hoppy. Served
either 'cold draught style' or 'cask conditioned and hand pulled' in the British
manner and the Brew House's biggest seller. Had a nice sweet aftertaste.
5. Was an IRISH EXPORT STOUT: This also was poured in two ways. Draft and
cask. The cask was hand pulled and served warmer and less carbonated. Both
were dark, malty, with a rich roasted flavor. True to style. A full bodied, but
less bitter version of the famous Dublin Ale. This was my favorite.
The bill of fare for this very memorable Sunday brunch and the five brew
sampler was $12.50. I went back one more time for dinner and the food was
again excellent. I highly recommend the John Harvard Brew House.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------
Thanks,
Tom Clark
tclark@apple.com
- ------
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 22:49:24 PST
From: ng570@andechs.pnl.gov
Subject: culturing Paulaner yeast
In #1070 Greg Wolodkin writes about perhaps having problems culturing
yeast from the dregs of a bottle of Paulaner Hefe-Weizen. According
to Eric Warner's wheat beer book, the Paulaner Weizen that is shipped
overseas is first pasteurized! I doubt that this is very good for
the bottling yeast. Maybe Spaten is a better bet, but I haven't seen
it around my area.
good luck!
Kirk Peterson
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 22:00:19 EDT
From: joseph@joebloe.maple-shade.nj.us (Joseph Nathan Hall)
Subject: Crushed grain, etc.
Danny says:
> Wasn't it Rob B. who had some remarks about all-grain snobs? Well said,
> Rob! I recently made the switch to all-grain -- I will admit that I was
> always a bit apologetic about being an extract brewer.
The insight into the brewing process and the complete flexibility
in recipe formulation are what do it for me. You can bake fine cake
from mixes and buy top-notch frozen puff pastry, but until you make
your own from scratch you are not fully educated. Similarly, a complete
education in homebrewing must include lots of all-grain beer ....
> The best situation is for extract brewers to be able to dabble in all grain
> without purchasing the equipment (which may or may not cost a fortune).
Really, it's not too expensive. The beer is much cheaper (1/2 or less),
too. I have spent much more on books and things like autoclaves and
culture tubes than I have on the equipment just needed to make all-grain
brews. All you must have is a big pot (even the 20 qt Revereware
is ok, though a little small) and a lautering system. <$100.
> I personally believe working with an experienced person is the best way
> to manage all aspects of brewing though.
Don't be shy. There is no need to brew from extract before working
with all grain. When you get down to it, the process *is* forgiving.
The only thing it isn't is, er, quick.
..
> >The cellar is approximately 55 degrees F at this time of year and
> >will increase to about 65 by the beginning of summer. How long
> >can one expect to keep each of these before the flavor falls off?
At that temperature, well-made pale or amber beer will keep at least
a year. Two or three, or more, wouldn't surprise me. I don't recall
the last time I had a staled pale or amber brew, and I tend to keep
a few of almost every batch for 6-18 months. Dark beers will eventually
start to stale quite suddenly.
Room temperature storage is OK for most homebrew, too. Again, I've
kept bottles for over a year at room temperature with no problems.
...
Jack says:
> Keeping in mind that lots of people stick with extract because they are lazy,
> paranoid or il-informed [...], it is worth
> noting that some extract beers are excellent beers, so I am told.
There weren't many extract-based first place winners in the Nationals
this year, but they keep on coming ....
> Having said that, I suggest it is the extract brewers' insecurity,
> sensitivity and paranoia that creates the image that all-grain brewers are
> snobs.
Jack, Jack, Jack! It's the fact that some of us all-grain brewers
ARE elitist snobs with a superiority complex. Furthermore, we know
we are, and we love it. We demonstrate our affluent, care-free lifestyle
by spending 4-8 hours tending a process that saves us all of $10 per
2 cases of heer. We buy grain by the 50lb/25kg sack and smile while
grunting past the open-mouthed folks carrying 1lb bags of crystal malt.
The process is longer and harder and more rewarding TO US. I really
don't believe, though, that it is much more likely to produce a prize-
winning beer than extract brewing is in the hands of someone sufficiently
skilled ... or lucky.
I personally wouldn't have it any other way. :-) :-)
...
connell says:
> I have never read about
> or experimented with homemade wines, but I have the idea that people
> just dump concentrate and water in a carboy and add yeast.
Oh, my. <asbestos clothing at ready>
....
And finally, Jim Bayer says:
> I'm just beginning to mash and I have a question about the practical shelf
> life of CRUSHED grain.
> [...] If for some reason all of my ingrediants arrive for brewin'
> on Saturday but something happens and I can't get to it, how long can I store
> the grain and still have fresh grain and how should I store it?
A very long time. So long as nothing is moving around inside it,
it is still OK. I've heard people say it goes stale after a while,
but I've not noticed this in some fairly old precrushed grain I've
gotten from a friend.
It WILL pick up moisture from the environment if the humidity is high
enough. I think that this is responsible for the apparent loss of
yield seen by brewers who have let crushed grain sit for a day or
two. The effect is on the order of 10%.
(Now, I once made a fine stout from a grain bill that accidentally
included a pound of flaked barley infested with weevils. So even
a few bugs won't hurt you.)
> So far someone told me to freeze it, but that sounds wrong to me.
Works fine.
> BTW, I'm thinking of weeks for storage, not days. I know it's best if I don't
> have to store the grain, but I like to have my bases covered.
Use a reasonably airtight enclosure (tub or tightly folded bag is
fine) and everything will work out swell.
================O Fortuna, velut Luna, statu variabilis================
uunet!joebloe!joseph (609) 273-8200 day joseph%joebloe@uunet.uu.net
2102 Ryan's Run East Rt 38 & 41 Maple Shade NJ 08052
Copyright 1993 by Joseph N. Hall. Permission granted to copy and
redistribute freely over USENET and by email. Commercial use prohibited.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 93 11:02 CST
From: akcs.wally@vpnet.chi.il.us (John Walaszek)
Subject: Toasted Flaked Barley
I have recently purchased some toasted flaked barley and intend to use
about 4-6 ounces in a pale ale infusion mash. Has anybody used this
grain. I am concerned that it might affect clarity. I also wonder
if it should be run through the grain mill. It really doesn't look
like flaked barley it looks more like flattened barley that's been
toasted. Any input would be helpful. Thanks.
Wally
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 93 09:53 CST
From: akcs.chrisc@vpnet.chi.il.us (chris campanelli)
Subject: Corona flour stones
I'm looking for the stone plate attachments for the Corona mill. I wish
to grind some flour. Any sources? Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 93 14:50:06 EST
From: John Pedlow <TKSJOHN@UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU>
Subject: PROTECT FROM FROST ?
I'm a newcomer to this group; an apology if this has been covered.
As I was about to enjoy a Guinness Stout last evening I noticed
verbage accross the top of the case: PROTECT FROM FROST. Why does
it say such a thing? What does it mean? Does it alter the brew
in some fashion if the temperature gets too low? Thanks to whoever
is kind enough to enlighten me.
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1073, 02/09/93
*************************************
-------
