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HOMEBREW Digest #1097
This file received at Sierra.Stanford.EDU 93/03/15 00:34:14
HOMEBREW Digest #1097 Mon 15 March 1993
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Re: Cleaning Bucket/Cleaning Bottles (Steve Agard)
Pumps (Jack Schmidling)
Sanitizing (Justin Seiferth)
Keg sanitation / carbonation (Lee Menegoni)
sanitize keg, "German" porter (Russ Gelinas)
Doppelbock Names (Jeff Berton)
Re: slotted copperpipe manifold (Jeff Benjamin)
sparge manifolds (Brian Bliss)
hot break (Leo Woessner)
lautering (Leo Woessner)
Sanitizer, NA Secrets (Jack Schmidling)
Sanitization Survey (atl)
On Brewing Sugar (Jeff Frane)
**Texas BPub Legalization Update** (ifby546)
Texas Brewpubs, almost here.. (Dewey Coffman)
Boiling pots? (BLAST)
second mail-order hop source for Canada (eurquhar)
sanitizing Agents Revisited (Timothy J. Dalton)
Re: dry ice chilling/lye/bitter Frathouse Ale (korz)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 93 17:32:19 -0600
From: sagard@digi.lonestar.org (Steve Agard)
Subject: Re: Cleaning Bucket/Cleaning Bottles
In HBD #1094 Markham Elliot asks:
Q: [paraphrased] how do you clean the oil and soy sauce out of
a food grade bucket?
A: I would suggest using TSP. I am thankful that it had been
recommended by many of the homebrew experts on the net for
removing labels.
One night, I obtained 30 1-pint beer bottles (previously
Sapporo, Kirn, & Asahi) from a Japanese restaraunt. They
make homebrew look good, are smaller than wine bottles,
require less capping than U.S. domestic bottles, and are
the perfect size for Bitter, Stout (and my SNPA-like). ;)
Getting these bottles was not fun, but getting them clean
and label free was easy :()> The bottles all had lables
(both paper and foil), as well as, tobacco & food particles
(fish, ginger, wasabi, soy sauce, grease, etc.) on them.
I added 1 lb TSP (from hardware and paintstores), and
1 1/2 cups chlorine, to a trashcan with the beer bottles
(which had been filled with just enough warm water to cover
all the bottles).
I let this covered for 2 weeks, and then removed the bottles
(while wearing rubber gloves - chemical resistant ones from
a hardware store). Most of the lables had simply fallen off.
The 4 or 5 lables that were still on were removed by rubbing
the ridged fingers of the gloves across them once or twice.
None of the lables had any ink left on them. The food parts
had been broken down.
I rinsed out/off each bottle, and then placed in a bathtub
of warm water & let sit for 2 hours (probably overkill, but
someone at a homebrew shop warned not to get any in the
bottle or I'd never get a beer head). I then ran the bottles
through the dishwasher twice (I usually the dishwasher to
sanitize the bottles, but I don't like to ignore advice
from those of you with more experience...). I bottled with
these 3 1/2 weeks ago. Had one yesterday... tasted great,
with lots of carbination and great head retention.
Hope this info helps. Cheers!
Steve
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 93 21:25 CST
From: arf@genesis.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
Subject: Pumps
>From: gjfix@utamat.uta.edu (George J Fix)
> 2. Top flight pumps are also crucial. Most pumps will eventually give
a laminar flow. Some, however, will cause foaming at the start and at the end.
I am still waiting for an answer to my question, "Why RIMS?" but as a chronic
tinker, I can't resist following the discussion.
I now pump my beer from lauter tun to kettle, from kettle to primary and from
primary to secondary and have solved the foaming problem in a very simple
manner. I simply put the appropriate resistor in series with the motor and a
separate switch to provide a low voltage startup. Once the beer has driven
all the air out of the system, I switch to the normal voltage and foaming is
no longer a problem. Perhaps some such system could be used for the RIMS
system.
I am using the pump from the kitchen sink of my motor home so it is 12 VDC
and makes it pretty easy. However, I assume a standard light dimmer would
work on most small AC pumps and would be even more flexible.
>From: "Mark Rich-mpr8a@acadvm1.uottawa.ca"
>Subject: Easymash
>I remember reading a few posts about your Easymasher(tm) setup, and I'm
curious to know how much trouble it would be to sort of "borrow"
(brown-nose-mode on) your skill and experience. I was hoping you could see
your way clear to sharing the basics of your design with me.
A copy of my article on Kettle Mashing is winging its way to you at the speed
of light. Not knowing what your spigot looks like, I can't really make any
suggestions other than saying that there must be some way of attaching a tube
to the spigot on the inside of the kettle. The article includes a
description and parts list so you can buy the stuff (or equivalent) at a
hardware store.
>From: gummitch@techbook.com (Jeff Frane)
>Subject: American Black Malt
>Briess black malt, in other words, is the brewing equivalent of
decaffeinated coffee.
Sounds more like decaffeinated coffee with the coffee flavor removed, vis.
FDA Brown #3.
>From: fjdobner@ihlpb.att.com
>Subject: Non-Alcohol Brews
>To be a purist, non-alcoholic beer is a contradiction. For if it does not
have alcohol it cannot be _legally_ called beer.
I think you got that a little mixed up. It can not be called NA if it has
more than .5% alcohol in it. I suspect Big Brother would be delighted if
milk produces called milk, beer. Think of all the tax he could collect.
There is no alcohol tax on NA so the law is to prevent brewers from slipping
out from under the tax.
>From: Kirk_Anderson@wheatonma.edu (Kirk Anderson)
>Subject: help! nonstop fermentation
>Now here's the problem: *that was exactly four weeks ago and fermentation
has not stopped.* Bubbles still rising, a cute layer of foam still on the
surface.
First of all, what does it smell like? Until a few weeks ago, I would have
predicted you used Red Star because I had a batch do that but it smelled like
mold, tasted terrible and you said you used EDME.
I had a recent batch do that with pure cultured, Pilsener Urquel yeast. It
bubbled furiously for weeks at 60F but turned out to be a pretty good beer.
I think the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
js
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 7:56:02 MST
From: seiferth@cobra.cs.unm.edu (Justin Seiferth)
Subject: Sanitizing
With all the continuing talk of sanitizing agents, I'm suprised there
hasn't been more talk of my favorite agent- boiling water. It doesn't
require rinsing, is environmentally safe and must be effective as it's
all I use - even for mead batches which sit in the secondary for months
and I've never had an infected batch. I just boil the water in my wort
container for 10 minutes or so and then use it to sanitize the primary.
I sanitize my secondary by pouring hot tap water into the carboy- letting
it warm up and then adding about 2 gallons of boiling water. It seems
to work great.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 9:41:36 EST
From: Lee Menegoni <necis!lmenegon@transfer.stratus.com>
Subject: Keg sanitation / carbonation
Some of the text of my recent post on keg sanitaion was missing:
After filling the keg and letting some out of the 2 connetors
I top it off with water and shake to ensure good mixing of the
Beed Brite. (this is the missing part) I let this sit over nite.
I then drain the sanitizer into a carboy or another keg and
proceed with the boiling liquid rinses.
Since I forced hot water out with CO2 the keg is filled with it,
its heavier than air. I rack into the keg the CO2 blanket helping
reduce the potential for airation. To force carbonate I set the
keg in my refridgerator , ideally it would be about 32F and
preasureize to 30lbs. I DO NOT SHAKE THE KEG. This could cause
your clear beer to get cloudy due to particles racked in. I then
adjust the preasure 2 more times in 12 hour intervals. I raise the
fridge temp to serving temp. and pour off about a quart or two of
foam this lowers the preasure and removes solids from the keg.
As the foam settles I drink the beer.
- --
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1993 10:27:41 -0500 (EST)
From: R_GELINAS@UNHH.UNH.EDU (Russ Gelinas)
Subject: sanitize keg, "German" porter
I've been sanitizing kegs by filling them with a couple of gallons of
boiling water, seal, pump in some CO2, open the tap to let some hot
water out, and then let sit for 30 minutes or so. The heat will
kill off any nasties, and there's no rinsing involved. The keg should
already be clean, btw.
Rob asked about "German" hops (Hallertauer/Mt.Hood) being used in a
porter. Just so happens in my younger/dumber days (before I became an
all-grain snob ;-), that I went even further, making an extract porter
with Hallertauer hops *and* Wyeast German ale yeast, #1007 I think it is.
Certainly not a "classic" porter, but perhaps the best extract brew I
ever made: clean, creamy, malty, and a wonderful hop nose. Isn't it
perhaps likely that in the early days of porter, continental hops were
used? Perhaps even German yeast? What does Foster's Porter book say?
Russ G.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 10:40:42 EST
From: jeff344@voodoo.lerc.nasa.gov (Jeff Berton)
Subject: Doppelbock Names
It's well known that, traditionally, doppelbocks are named using the
"-ator" suffix, as in the familiar "Celebrator" or "Salvator" doppelbocks.
Just for fun, I decided to generate a nearly comprehensive list of English
words that end this way. On my Unix box, I simply used "grep" for the
string "ate" on the dictionary file (usually in /usr/share/dict on most
Unix machines), and changed "ate" to "ator" globally in an editor.
There were, of course, a few words I rejected. Some obvious misspellings
occurred, such as "watermelon" becoming "watorrmelon"; and also a few
occurrences of senseless words, such as "roommator" and "prostator."
I made a single pass through the list and deleted these obvious mistakes.
Here are a few potential doppelbock names my search turned up.
Apologies if they have been used before....
-Names Schwarzenegger or Eastwood would be proud of:
Annihilator, Assassinator, Dominator, Eliminator, Eradicator, Exterminator,
Devastator, Detonator, Liquidator, Gladiator, and, of course, Terminator.
-Names for scientists and engineers:
Accelerator, Collimator, Correlator, Numerator, Denominator, Differentiator,
Lubricator, Exponentiator, Evaluator, Radiator...
-Names relating to the alcoholic nature of beer:
Decimator, Exhilarator, Hallucinator, Incapacitator, Intoxicator, Sedator,
Perspirator...
And many others. Some examples I don't think anyone would want to use.
For example: Nauseator, Regurgitator, Urinator, Flatuator, and a few other
more offensive names I will avoid mentioning. :-)
The complete list is 594 records long, and hence, too lengthy to post here.
I would be happy to e-mail the file to anyone who is interested.
- -------- Jeff Berton; jeff344@voodoo.lerc.nasa.gov; (216) 977-7031 --------
- --------- Aeropropulsion Analysis Office, NASA Lewis Research Center --------
- ------------- "If headquarters is interested, we're interested!" ------------
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 9:43:40 MST
From: Jeff Benjamin <benji@hpfcbug.fc.hp.com>
Subject: Re: slotted copperpipe manifold
> I have a 4.50 gallon Gott Picnic Cooler that I'd like to use as
> a mash / lauter-tun for partial mashes. My question concerns the
> different false bottoms one uses in the bottom of the cooler.
> How do you build a Phil's Phalse bottom, a screen type false bottom and
> a slotted copperpipe manifold? How do you use each type?
I don't know anything about Phil's, but a screen type false bottom
requires installing a controllable spigot in the cooler. IMHO, a
copper manifold is easier to build, more effective for sparging, and
doesn't require modifications to your cooler.
I have fairly detailed plans for my manifold system. They're long,
so I won't post here unless there is a great demand. Email me if
you'd like them. BTW, this system is a scaled down version of the
lautering system used at New Belgium Brewing here in Fort Collins CO.
At the risk of sounding snobbish :-), if you're going to outfit your
cooler this way, you'll already have most of the equipment you'll need
to go all-grain. A large kettle for boiling is the only other thing
you'll need, and
> Can I use two 4 gallon stock pots for boiling the extract instead
> of one 8 gallon stock pot?
yes, you can use two pots in a pinch (I've done it myself). A risk is
that you won't get consistent hop extraction between batches, since the
volume of wort being boiled is a factor in the extraction rate. A
larger kettle will make life much easier, though.
- --
Jeff Benjamin benji@hpfcla.fc.hp.com
Hewlett Packard Co. Fort Collins, Colorado
"Midnight shakes the memory as a madman shakes a dead geranium."
- T.S. Eliot
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 11:02:53 CST
From: bliss@csrd.uiuc.edu (Brian Bliss)
Subject: sparge manifolds
Russ Wigglesworth writes:
>According to Mr. Bliss on slotted copper manifolds:
>>If you try to slow it down, you're only draining wort through the
>>slots nearest the outlet.
>My manifold has about 10' of 1/2" pipe overall with slots every 1/4",
>everywhere. It exits the tun and connects to a 5/8" hose which has a tubing
>clamp across it which controls the flow. I sparge by running the water onto the
>top of the grain bed allowing an inch or more of standing water to cover the
>bed. I then drain at a rate which gets me about 10 gallons of wort in an hour,
>keeping the inch of water on the grain bed until I'm within a gallon or so of
>my desired total. Then I shut off the sparge water and drain the bed dry. I
>typically get a yield of 31 or 32. On my last batch, 14 gallons of mild, I got
>35!
I sparge in a 1' & 2.5' square cooler, with a grain bed depth anywhere
from 7"-14". The pipe is only 5/16" id and 7" long, with slots every
inch. The last time I tried keeping the H2O above the top of
the grain was with ~20 lbs of grain => 10"-12" deep. I verified by
tatse testing that different areas of the bed were better rinsed than
others. I only got 20 pts/lb (this is based on the wort that actually
makes it into the primary - If you count spillage & the gallon of trub
that I leave behind you get significantly higher figures).
What are the dimensions of your cooler? How deep is the grain bed?
Is the pipe 1/2" inside diameter or outside? (that's a big pipe).
>Nor do I see why restricting
>the flow out of the manifold would have the effect described by Brian.
Its kind of hard to explain, especially w/o graphics. The problem is
anologous to that encountered with your auto's exhaust manifold.
Compare with a set of racing headers. Visions of "sparge headers"
fill my mind...
I still need more experimentation with my new setup.
bb
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 10:45:52 EST
From: woessner@psych.purdue.edu (Leo Woessner)
Subject: hot break
(Adendum to privous posting)
A lot of Hot Break seemed to collect when I boiled the wort. This being
my first all grain experience I did not try to filter it out and it is now in my
carboy. What is a easy and efficient method of leaving the hot break and/or
cold break in the pot. I do not have a wort chiller so I put both of my 14 qt.
pots in the sink filled with ice and cold water. The break is floating violently .......
-ly arround in my Carboy. Is this a problem. How can I eliminate it next time??..?
THanks in advance
Leo Woessner
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 10:29:46 EST
From: woessner@psych.purdue.edu (Leo Woessner)
Subject: lautering
I finnally tried my first all grain batch. Everything went fine. My extractin........
extraction was a little low I got 23 pts/lb. I used the step mashing procedure
given by Papazian. Mashing was easy, complete conversion occured within 40 mins...
But lautering was a little more tricky. I am using a Zapat (bucket in a bucket)
lauter tun. While filling the tun it over flew a little. Another problem I
had was getting the proper crush for the grain. I am using a Corona mill. The
How long should I recirculate the wort?? I recirculated about 4 gallons. The
wort never seemed to clear more than after the first gallon or so.
Questions:
1) What does a good crush look like?
2) How to achive a good crush using a Corona?
3) How clear is clear when lautering?
4) How long to recirculate using a Zapat tun.
Recipe:
8# Britsh 2-row pale ale malt
1/2# crystal malt
1/2 teaspoon gypsum in mash
1 teaspoon gypsum in sparge water
4 oz Heshaberker Halertau(sp??) (60min.)
1oz Heshaberker Hallertau (steep 10 min)
1 teaspoon Irish moss (boil 15 min)
Whitbread ale yeast (started early in the morning)
og 1039
HBU's = 11.6
I used two 14 quart ss stock pots to mash and boil in. THe recipe was taken f .....
from the Cats_Meow. It is Frane's House Ale. Thanks Frane
Thanks in advance for all comments/suggestions..
Leo Woessner
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 11:54 CST
From: arf@genesis.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
Subject: Sanitizer, NA Secrets
>From: "John DeCarlo" <jad@pegasus.mitre.org>
>Subject: Sanitizer Utilization
>I didn't see any definitive comment on this while I tried to find some
quotes from microbiologist acquaintances. But, I didn't want to leave it
alone.
Me either/too.
>My information is that sloshing "a small amount around for a minute", no
matter how high the concentration, is generally ineffective for
sanitization.
Well, I would certainly like to see the details of that information.
Frankly, I have my doubts. Pure bleach, sloshed around a keg or bucket would
leave a thin film on the surface that would be far higher in concentration
than a full keg of weak solution. That film would remain on the surface,
long enough before evaporating, to provide an effective bacteriocide. I also
suggest that in a closed container, either a keg for a few minutes only, or a
plastic carboy with a lid, indefinitely, the gas evaporated inside would
provide ample security.
I switched from dry to liquid yeast so I can be convinced but someone is
going to have to try harder on this one.
>From: korz@iepubj.att.com
>Remind me not to trust the Copley News Service. You see, there is a
third method, which is used by at least one mega-brewer, in which a
semi-permiable membrane is used to extract the alcohol by osmosis and
a fourth method in which a special yeast is used that does not
produce much alcohol.
And a fourth which nobody wants to talk about. Once the alcohol is reduced
to the lowest practical level by what ever method, they simply dilute it with
water to get at least a 50% reduction.
Perhaps you were being polite when you tasted mine but it does certainly seem
to be one of their dirty little secrets.
js
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 10:12:13 -0800
From: atl@kpc.com
Subject: Sanitization Survey
I have been following the threads on sanitization with great
interest. I have been brewing for about 10 years off and on, and am
now all-graining and yeast culturing (please no snob thread!). I have
yet to get an infected batch, even though my sanitization procedures
are *very* lax compared to most of what I read here. I use a solution
of a couple of tablespoons of household bleach to a couple of gallons
of warm water, wet the walls of my scratched plastic fermenters let it
sit a couple of minutes (usually, sometimes shorter) and rinse it out
with unfiltered, unboiled tap water.
The only tyhing I can think of that would explain my complete lack
of problems is that I have always lived in areas with chlorinated city
water. I would like to run a survey, asking folks to send me email
with the following info:
1) How many batches have you brewed?
a) > 10
b) 10-50
c) > 50
2) How many infected batches have you had?
3) What source of water do you use?
a) city
b) bottled
c) well
4) Do you filter any tap water you add to your wort?
5) Do you boil any tap water you add to your wort?
6) What sanitizer do you use?
a) Chlorine bleach
b) iodophor
c) b-brite
d) other (please describe)
7) Do you rinse with tap water?
8) Please describe (concise please) you sanizitation method (exposure
length, rinse method, etc.)
9) if you think I have missed any critical info, please tell me.
I'll post a summary as time allows!
Thanks,
Drew
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1993 11:05:04 -0800 (PST)
From: gummitch@techbook.com (Jeff Frane)
Subject: On Brewing Sugar
As penance for quoting an author while relying on memory alone,
I have typed the following material on brewing sugars from
H Lloyd Hind's "Brewing Science and Practice", which was written
in the 1930s and stands as the best source of information on
traditional British brewing practice. There is a great deal of
very technical information about the production of various sugars
and their chemical/physical structure, some of which may not
even be accurate given advances in the physical sciences, and in
any case is well beyond our needs. There is also information about
specific sugar blends produced for the British brewing trade, but
without brand names; in any case, the information is more than
50 years old so I left it out.
=================================================================
BREWING SUGARS
230--Sugars as Malt Adjuncts
Various sugars and starch conversion products can be added in the
copper to supplement the fermentable extract formed in the mash tun
by conversion of the starch of malt, but similar restrictions in
respect of the quantity used apply as with cereal adjuncts, on
account of the lack of nitrogenous yeast nutrients. They provide a
means for varying the composition of worth, within limits set by
the requisite balance between sugars and non-sugars, supply
extract which may be either entirely or only partly fermentable,
give characteristics of fulness and flavour that are appreciated
in some cases, increase the stability of beer by replacement of
nitrogenous extract and yield beer that will become more readily and
rapidly brilliant than when brewed with malt alone. Primings are
strong solutions which must not, in this country, exceed 1150
specific gravity but should not be much less. They are sometimes
added in the fermenting vessel at the close of primary fermentation
but, more frequently, in storage tank or cask to promote rapid
condition and, in some cases, on account of their flavour. The
sweet and luscious flavour of some sugars does not entirely
disappear when the sugar has been fermented but gives additional
fulness to the beer. In some cases, sugars which are not entirely
fermentable are selected.
The sugars used in brewing comprise
(1) Cane sugar, derived from the sugar cane and, much less frequently,
from sugar beet.
(2) Invert sugar, made by inversion of cane sugar.
(3) Starch sugars, including corn syrups and glucose, manufactured
by the conversion of the starch of cereals, usually maize [that's
_corn_, Norte Americanos].
(4) Mixtures of these, their utility in copper or cask depending on
their flavour and fermentability.
(5) Caramels, made from cane sugar or glucose.
(6) Lactose or milk sugar, which is only used in very small quantity
in some milk stouts.
(7) Honey, even less used.
Maltose, which might appear to be the most suitable sugar to replace
that formed from malt in the mash tun, is not used in the pure state,
but exists as a constituent of corn syrups with dextrin and glucose.
Lactose differs from cane sugar, invert sugar, maltose and glucose
in that is is unfermentable by ordinary brewery yeasts, while certain
of the higher starch conversion products are appreciated because
they are only partly or slowly fermentable.
(231) Cane Sugar
The sugars obtained from the sugar cane, sugar beet, sugar maple,
certain palsm or the stem of sorghum are, when purified, of identical
chemical composition. All of them are sucrose. The natural juices
from which they are derived, however, differ very considerably in
flavour owing to the many other substances which they contain. For
example, the root of the beet contains a larger proportion of mineral
salts than the sugar cane and decomposition products are formed with
the larger quantities of lime necessarily used in the course of
clarification, which give an objectionable flavour to the juices and
raw sugar. These render the latter unfit for consumption until
refined. The raw sugars from the cane are, on the other hand, very
luscious but they do not all taste the same, varying considerably
according to the place in which the cane was grown or the treatment
they received during extraction and preparation, characteristic
differences being found in sugars from Cuba, Java, Barbadoes, Trinidad,
St. Domingo, Mauritius, etc. Since the value of cane sugars in
brewing depends so largely on the flavours they communicate, even
after all the sugar itself has been fermented, the principal source
must be the sugar cane, which yields juices possessing these
properties in their most attractive form. The final product of the
refineries, from whatever source it originally came, is among the
purest substances commercially obtainable, but it lacks the
distinctive characteristics of flavour demanded in brewing. As a
source of carbohydrate extract it is unexcelled and can be used
without hesitation under circumstances in which those flavours are not
required, but the raw or partially refined sugars from the cane are
more attractive in most cases.
[... some technical information on the refining process deleted ...]
Usually the lusciousness of the sugars increases with greater
proportions of other substances derived from the cane, some of which
are in a colloidal state, and many such sugars, among them West
Indian and Brazil sugars of comparatively low polarisation, are used
in brewing on account of the fulness and sweetness they give. Other
low polarising sugars, such as that from Mauritius, have a somewhat
acrid after-flavour. On account of these different flavours, great
care must be exercised in selecting brewing sugars, fermentation
tests being desirable as the original flavour is not always a good
guide to that left after the sugar is removed.
[...]
Cane sugar is used both in the copper and as a priming. Raw sugars
of good class are generally employed for the former purpose and
when of good class are generally employed for the former purpose
and when of suitable purity should not contain excess of undesira-
ble substances or micro-organisms. Sugars of this type and pure
crystals can also be used for priming but candy sugar is preferred
by many. Cane sugar is rapidly inverted when added to cask, the
change being generally complete in about 24 hours. This process is
believed to be an essential preliminary to fermentation. It is
carried out by the enzyme inertiase or sucrase secreted by the yeast
and does not appear to affect the fermentative activity of the
yeast or influence the rate of fermentation. Baker and Hulton
found that cane sugar and invert primings were fermented at sub-
stantially the same rate in beer under ordinary cellar conditions
and that about one-third of either sugar still remained
unfermented after 7 days in cask when added at normal priming rates.
[Hind goes on to offer technical information about the cane sugars
used in brewing: refined crystals, candy sugar, brown sugar and
yellow crystals. "The yellow crystals represent the high grade
products turned out at many cane factories, and of which Demerara
sugar is well known."]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 13:43:20 -0600
From: ifby546@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Subject: **Texas BPub Legalization Update**
Texas Brewpub Legalization Guide - March 12, 1993
Action Item: Call & Write The House Committee by Monday, March 15!
Brewpub n. A brewery that sells its own beer on premise. Or a Restaurant
that brews its own beer. Legal in 42 states. Something Texas needs to
legalize to join the rest of the civilized nation.
*** The House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee is bringing
up the bill Monday, March 15. Call and write to the 11 members of that
committee ***NOW (March 12, 13, 14,15)***, before the bill leaves the
committee. Then hammer the Senate Committee. The Bills are House Bill #1445
& Senate Bill #622. Any other "brewpub" bills are superfluous and shouldn't
be refered to at this time.***
What to tell the legislators:
Key consideration: BE BRIEF! These folks are busy. If as many folks call in
as we hope, we could possibly end up alienating some V.I.P.'s if we drone
on. Please limit your calls to the following three statements.
1."I support brewpub legalization in the TABC Sunset Bill"
The bill considered is referred to as the T.A.B.C. Sunset Bill.
There are identical bills introduced in the Senate and the House. (House
Bill #1445, Senate Bill #622). The Brewpub portion of the bill is section
#74.
2. "I want brewpubs to have the right to sell for on and off-premise
consumption."
3. "I want brewpubs to have the right to limited self-distribution."
Who to contact
This is a priority issue! The House Bill will be going to committee the
week of March 15!
Write to and call the following important people: (and communicate the 3
phrases listed above)
****House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee (House Bill
1445)***Priority****
Ron Wilson, Chair...512/463-0744, Delwin Jones...463-0542, Dan Kubiak,
ViceChair...463-0600, David Cain...463-0476, Tony Goolsby...463-0454,
Ben Campbell...463-0478, Bill G. Carter...463-0482, Mario
Gallegos...463-0614, Paul Hilbert...463-0572,...Garfield
Thompson...463-0716, Ken Yarbrough...463-0648
Your local Senator and House Representative
Write to them at the following addresses:
The Honorable {Representative} The Honorable {Senator}
The House of Representatives The Senate of Texas
P.O. Box 2910 P.O. 12068
Austin, TX 78768-2910 Austin, TX 78711-2068
If you aren't sure who your legislator is, call 1-800-253-9693. They may
be able to tell you your Senator & Representatives' names.
Attend the Public Hearings:
I'll post when the Public hearing is. Stay tuned.
Remember, the bills in question are referred to as the "TABC Sunset
Bill". HB335 is NOT "the" Brewpub bill. At this point in time neither is
HB1425. Remember, please BE BRIEF.
Other Questions can be referred to: Joe Barfield, Southwest Brewing News at
ifby546@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu 512/467-2225 Address mail to 406 W. 35th,
Austin, TX 78705. -FAX (512) 282-4936
Watch for future updates to the SWBN BREWPUB LEGALIZATION GUIDE
Sample Letter:
VOTE YES FOR BREWPUBS
The Honorable
The House of Representatives (or The Texas Senate)
P.O. Box 2910 (or P.O. Box 12068)
Austin, TX 78768-2910 (or 78711-2068)
Dear Representative (or senator)
As an avid beer connoisseur, I would like to endorse economically viable
brewpub legislation.
Brewpubs provide jobs, increase the tax base, increase tourism, increase
capital investments, and stimulate interest in locally-produced products
served straight from the brewery. They do not threaten the existing system.
Please consider revising the TABC Code to allow small breweries: 1) the
right to sell for both on and off-premise consumption, and 2) the right of
limited self-distribution. The great State of Texas will benefit from a
burgeoning niche industry currently enjoyed in 42 other states.
Please vote YES for the Sunset Bill's expanded brewpub legislation.
Sincerely, JoeTax-payer&voter&beer-drinker
-------------------------------
Joe Barfield, Publisher, Southwest Brewing News, ifby546@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Brewnews from Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma & Texas.
406 W. 35th, Austin, TX, 78705. 512/467-2225. (FAX)512/282-4936.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 8:11:24 CST
From: dewey@sooner.ctci.com (Dewey Coffman)
Subject: Texas Brewpubs, almost here..
You say you want brewpubs in Texas? You say you haven't had time
to call and voice your opinion? NOW IS THE TIME.
On Monday, 3/15/93, the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures
Committee will vote on the changes in the TABC Sunset Bill regarding
Brewpubs, this is were it died last time(2 or 4 years ago). They
need to know that you support this, you don't want the bill watered
down so that no one can afford to do it(this is talk of $12,000 license
fees or no offsite sales).
Call them and say:
"I support ECONOMICLY VIABLE brewpub legalization in the TABC Sunset Bill"
The bill considered is referred to as the T.A.B Sunset Bill. There are
identical bills introduced in the Senate and the House.
If you have time, call each and every one of them. If not, just
call Ron Wilson and Dan Kubiak. Print out this list and call over
the weekend, fill up their answering machines. Give the list to friends
either electronically or hardcopy. Let's not blow it this time.
House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee
Ron Wilson, Chair (512) 463-0744
Dan Kubiak, ViceChair (512) 463-0600
David Cain (512) 463-0476
Ben Campbell (512) 463-0478
Bill G. Carter (512) 463-0482
Mario Gallegos (512) 463-0614
Tony Goolsby (512) 463-0454
Paul Hilbert (512) 463-0572
Delwin Jones (512) 463-0542
Garfield Thompson (512) 463-0716
Ken Yarbrough (512) 463-0648
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Questions can be referred to Joe Barfield, Publisher, Southwest Brewing
News at ifby546@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Address mail to 406 W. 35th, Austin, TX 78705. (512) 467-2225.
SUPPORT FRESH BEER IN TEXAS!
- --
Joe Barfield, Publisher, Southwest Brewing News, ifby546@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Brewnews from Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, OKLA & Texas.
406 W. 35th, Austin, TX, 78705. 512/467-2225. (FAX)512/282-4936. Subscrips
- $12/yr.
------------------------------
Date: 12 Mar 1993 13:49:31 -0600 (CST)
From: BLAST@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu
Subject: Boiling pots?
After several boilovers using a small enamel canner on my stovetop, I am
ready to get a larger pot. I have read (Papazian, Miller) that Aluminum
is to be avoided.
If not Aluminum, then the only choices seem to be enamel or stainless.
Where can one obtain a reasonably priced 32 qt. boiling pot?
I checked the local (Baton Rouge, LA) restaurant suppliers, they only
carry Aluminum. Since restaurants apparently use predominantly Aluminum
for boiling, what's the difference between wort and restaurant food that
makes Aluminum unsuitable for wort? Is it the acidity of wort and/or its
contact time w/the Aluminum? Or what?
Thanks, ! What's the difference between a used car salesman
Bruce Ray ! and a software salesman?
Deep C Software ! One knows when he's lying, the other sells software.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 12:02:57 -0800
From: eurquhar@sfu.ca
Subject: second mail-order hop source for Canada
There was some talk a while back about where hop rhizomes could be
found in Canada. Well, just received my March/April copy of Harrowsmith
magazine and noticed an ad for a mail-order brew store in Ottawa called the
"Hop Stop" advertising hop rhizomes for sale. Therefore, I decided to pass
on the two sources I know of for hop rhizomes in Canada.
mail: Hop Stop, 1661 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1J 9B7
FAX: 613-748-3052
Tel: 613-748-1374
Don't know anything about this business but they offer a free catalouge.
The other source of hop plants I know of is Richter's in Goodwood,
Ontario. They list the beer hop varieties: Cascade, Hallertauer, Mount
Hood, Nugget and Willamette for sale as plants at $7.00 a plant in their
1993 catalogue. There stock is really expanding so it quite possible that
more varieties will be available in the future. I have ordered from them
before and the plants while often pricey were very healthy and arrived in
perfect condition. Get them to throw in their catalogue. It's probably the
most informative and interesting herb catalogue produced by anybody.
mail: Richters, Goodwood, Ontario, L0C 1A0 Canada
FAX: 1-416-640-6641
Phone: 1-416-640-6677
They accept Visa and Mastercard for payment and ship to the States as well.
As always I don't have any involved with either company. Hope this is of
help.
Eric Urquhart eurquhar@sfu.ca
Dept. of Biological Sciences,
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC CANADA
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1993 15:35:20 GMT
From: POIRIER@IREQ-CCFM.HYDRO.QC.CA
Subject: Indoor boiling
Hi all,
There's been some discussion lately of boiling indoors on electric stoves.
One poor fellow was boiling in 4 pots on his stove, another was burning out
his elements. Well I did 2-pot boils for about 25 batches. And then I saw
the light. As a new convert, I feel that I must share my happiness with all
of you:
I converted an old scratched 7 gallon plastic primary bucket into a
boiler. I used 2 1kW heating elements from a scientific surplus company
@4.50 USD each, so this is definitely a cheap approach.
The great thing about it is how effortless the boil becomes - no boilovers,
easy cleanup. I cannibalized my counterflow chiller, which was tough to
sanitize and constantly clogging with hops anyway, and now just sanitize an
immersion chiller during the boil. The trub and hops drop to just below the
level of the spigot, and from there I splash it out into the primary. MUCH
easier! I have been brewing my brains out since I switched.
If anyone would like more info on the supplier, just drop me a line:
<poirier@inrs-ener.uquebec.ca>. And thank you to all who responded to my
coriander question.
While I'm at it, I'll be in San Francisco, San Diego, and all points
between in April. (I've already booked a tour with Anchor!) Any beer type
suggestions (sent privately, of course) would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Deb
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 15:54:45 -0500
From: Timothy J. Dalton <dalton@mtl.mit.edu>
Subject: sanitizing Agents Revisited
korz@iepubj.att.com write:
Re: Sanitizing Chemicals
> I've found this too, but my intention was to minimize the amount of
> un-natural chemicals I was dumping down the drain.
I don't think that the amount of bleach we use in sanitizing is
significant compared to other uses. One bottle of bleach from the
store will last me for quite a while. Bleach used to wash white
clothes seems to go much faster.
(Note: We can't use bleach at home in the wash due to the iron in the
water...it makes some really nice rust colored clothes)
> Acetic acid and H2O2 seemed much more "green" than
> Chlorine Bleach or Iodine.
I would agree with that assessment. Both CH3COOH and H202 will decompose
in somewhat more friendly products. Using *DILUTE* versions of this
may be allright. By dilute, I mean vinegar and hydrogen peroxide that
you can buy in the pharmacy or grocery store. I'm not sure on the
specifics of using these two in a mixture at low concentrations. Then again,
as I was informed in e-mail, using vinegar and steam is an old and accepted
method in Germany and it seems safer to me. Steam cleaning/sterilizing may
be a good way to do it. But not everyone has a steam line in their house.
kurka@bmcw.com write:
Re: A few observations regarding cleaners and sterilizing agents.
> Experiences I have had with chlorine as a sterilizing agent is that
> it has the possibility of giving an "off" flavor to the brew. Whether or not
> this was a case of not rinsing the equipment well enough after the chlorine
> soak is not known.
Something else that was just being discussed in e-mail. One possible
drawback to using bleach as a sanitizing agent is the formation
of byproducts that you can taste. You probably formed some chlorophenols;
they are readily tasteable at the ppb level. Rinsing the chlorine out
better should solve the problem.
Tim
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 14:54 CST
From: korz@iepubj.att.com
Subject: Re: dry ice chilling/lye/bitter Frathouse Ale
Scott writes:
BREWERS,
>We hit apon an idea that is simple, straightforward, amd seemingly
>foolproof; why not cool a hot wort with dry ice? Think about it:
There's no guarantee that the dry ice doesn't have wild yeast spores
or bacteria in it.
********************
Jack writes:
> For us unwashed masses.... it is also known as Draino.
> A teaspoon in a cup of water will do the trick.
I've heard that Draino has other stuff in it besides Sodium Hydroxide or
Potassium Hydroxide. I've heard that Red Devil brand Lye is all NaOH or
KOH (I don't recall which). Check the label and use the pure stuff.
Further, Jack writes:
> Far be it for me to question the wisdom of the ages but I have (had) used the
> same plastic primary since the early 70s and have not had an infected beer
> since a few months after I started to read the Digest. I attribute the
> record to one or both of two procedure changes.
>
> Number one on the hit list was Red Star Yeast, contamination is built in at
> no extra cost. You also need to find out who actually produced the yeast you
> use to make sure it is not one of the many brands of re-packaged Red Star.
>
> Number two was to ignore the usual instructions for making a sanitizing
> solution from bleach, i.e. 1 oz bleach to the gal or even 5 gallons of water.
>
> After cleaning the fermenter with a sponge and Ivory, I rinse it and put in
> about a cup of bleach. I then put on the lid with a stopper in the hole for
> the air lock and slosh it around thoroughy and set it aside till the next
> use. Next time I need it, I slosh it around again, dump out the bleach and
> rinse it carefully. I guarantee, there is no scratch deep enough to evade
> this treatment.
I've read the opposite, but would note that the ususal way that a mild
bacterial/wild yeast infection becomes apparent to us homebrewers is
gushers. Now I don't mean to imply that Jack has infected beer (I've
tasted recent batches and indeed it does not taste/smell infected), but
I know that Jack kegs rather than bottles. A minor infection in a kegged
beer would not be apparent, whereas the same level of infection in a bottled
beer would cause gushing. It also depends on how long you keep the beer.
Certainly Stainless Steel is a much better choice for a fermenter than
plastic.
*******************************
Richard writes:
>1. My friends and I have twice attempted the Fraternity House Ale (a 5
>gallon version) from the AHA Winner's Circle recipe book. Both times
>the beer has come out alright except for a kick-you-in-the-zipper
>bitter after taste which, as you can imagine, is very unpleasant.
>
>While this recipe is kind of heavy on the hops I have a hard time
>thinking that this is the problem. I have boiled lots of hops for more
>than an hour before and had it turn out fine. Also, for the second
>batch instead of adding the finishing hops to the boil we just strained
>the wort through them at the end. I did read something recently (can't
>recall where) that said boiling crystal malt can result in bitterness.
>It is possible that we let the one step mash heat up too high. There
>were several times when we had to reduce the heat. Any other ideas or
>suggestions, or has anyone else seen this with crystal malt before?
Boiling crystal or any other barley malt will give you astringent flavors
which are, sort of bitter, but sort of not. Peel a dark grape and just
chew the skin -- that's tannins -- is that the flavor you reported?
If so, then it's the boiling of the grains. Also note that bitterness
(especially in the finish) can be intensified considerably by hard
water -- sulfates especially. Are you adding a lot of Epsom Salts,
Gypsum or other sulfates?
Al.
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1097, 03/15/93
*************************************
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