Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
HOMEBREW Digest #1099
This file received at Sierra.Stanford.EDU 93/03/17 00:31:34
HOMEBREW Digest #1099 Wed 17 March 1993
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Re: Stuck fermentation? (Colin R Kelly-1)
Cara-pils haze ("O! Gerek, I'm Mike Rego")
Help: Teflon a problem? (Steve Agard)
Malt Mill (thutt)
BrewPubs in Europe (Marc de Jonge)
Favorite Brew (ANDREW GRANT)
Fraternity House Ale (STROUD)
Succanat (tm) (STROUD)
a beer drinking UK visitor gives thanks (BadAssAstronomer)
too much time (Russ Gelinas)
Caustic Remarks (Jeff Frane)
Copper lautering manifold, Part 1 (Jeff Benjamin)
Copper lautering manifold, Part 2 (Jeff Benjamin)
SNPA culture beginner questions (Birkeland Joel RYYF20)
Re: pumps (Sherman Gregory)
Lye, Vierka yeast (The Ice-9-man Cometh)
Re: Where did my Saaz nose go? (korz)
San Francisco brew pubs ("Steve Kurka")
Lauter Tun (Jack Schmidling)
weisse bier and decoction (CHUCKM)
Baseball/Beer Request (Bill Ridgely FTS 402-1521)
Sugar and Out of work Cold Warriors.... (7226 Lacroix)
Brewers in Portland, Oregon? (Jack St.Clair at fmccm6)
yeast culturing (Leo Woessner)
Moderate drinking & minimal cold catching (Jacob Galley)
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1993 16:16:35 -0600 (CST)
From: Colin R Kelly-1 <kell0170@student.tc.umn.edu>
Subject: Re: Stuck fermentation?
Hi, all,
I have a question about a batch I'm brewing at the moment. I think
the fermentation is stuck, but I'd like some input from the rest of you
out there.
I'm making an American Pale Ale using Wyeast #1056. I broke the inner
seal of the yeast package, last Tuesday night, intending to brew on
Thursday. By mid-Wednesday, the package was ready for use. Thursday
afternoon, after the boil, the wort took quite a while to cool. Since I
don't have a chiller at this time, I put the bucket outside, surrounded by
snow (Minnesota). It still didn't cool very fast, and I was running low on
time, so I pitched the yeast at about 83 degrees and placed the vessel in
our basement which is about 64 degrees. 24 hours later there was no sign
of fermentation, so I brought it upstairs, hoping that a change of temp
would get it kick started. After a few hours in a 75 degree room, it
started bubbling. It reached a peak of about 2 bubbles per second Saturday
afternoon, then fell off to almost nothing. The other batches I've brewed,
had a much longer and healthier fermentation than that.
Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Please send replies
to my email address. Thanks.
I think I'm going to go get some more yeast, and see if that works.
Later,
Colin
***************************************************************************
Colin Kelly * Cottleston,Cottleston,Cottleston Pie
kell0170@student.tc.umn.edu * A fly can't bird, but a bird can fly
__o * Ask me a riddle and I reply,
_`\<,_ * "Cottleston,Cottleston,Cottleston Pie."
(*)/ (*) * -- Master Pooh
***************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1993 18:15 EST
From: "O! Gerek, I'm Mike Rego" <MREGO1@vax.clarku.edu>
Subject: Cara-pils haze
I've been reading the digest for a few weeks now, and it seems to
be very helpful in answering novice questions. So, here is my first
posting:
My first attempt at a lager was a modified version of Papazian's
Crabalocker German Pils, and I brewed it on 2/21/93. The ingredients
were 3 kg (6.6 lb) Ireks Munich light unhopped extract, .5 lb Cara-pils
malt, 1.5 oz Hallertauer (boiling), .5 oz Saaz (boiling), .5 oz Hallertauer
(flavor), .5 oz Saaz (flavor), 1 oz Hallertauer (aroma), and 14 gm
European lager yeast (G.W. Kent).
The Cara-pils was put in a muslin bag in 1.5 gal water and removed when
water began to boil. Then the extract and boiling hops were added. The
flavor hops were added at 30 min, and the aroma hops were added for the
last 2 min of a 60 min boil.
It fermented for 5 days at room temp in plastic primary (it just
wouldn't start in the cold 50 degree closet). I guess this makes it
a steam beer, right? Anyway, then I moved it back to the cold closet
until 3/10/93 (10 days in primary). It was then racked to the glass
secondary. At that point it was very cloudy, and disappointingly
an amber color. It has been five days now, and the haze has mostly
settled.
My questions are: Did the Cara-pils cause the haze? (I used it to
give it a little more body, but have since learned that it is not
like other specialty grains.) I've heard of using gelatin for
trapping the haze, is this a good idea, and if so how to do it.
And lastly, if I do use gelatin should I be concerned that it would
trap all the yeast too? (I do need some yeast in my bottles for
carbonation.)
Thanks for the help.
Mike Rego
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 93 17:27:36 -0600
From: sagard@digi.lonestar.org (Steve Agard)
Subject: Help: Teflon a problem?
I've followed previous threads about stainless vs aluminum pots,
and read papazian's and miller's recommendations. I've used a
5 gal SS brewpot ($24.95) up til now.
The problem with this size pot is that I can only brew 4-1/4
gal wort. I'd prefer to brew a full batch (for reasons I've
read), and when I start doing all-grain batches, I'll need
a larger pot.
I've found a 6 gal aluminum pot with "Silver Metallic" interior
coating. I suppose this is Teflon with a name intended to suggest
of Silver Stone. The pot has insulated handles. The lid is
see-through, and has 1 small (sneaker shoe-lace eylet) vent in it.
It was only $60.
My question is this: If anyone has tried brewing in a Teflon or Silver
Stone coated brewpot, what were your results? If you haven't tried this,
your opinion is still welcome.
Thanks in advance,
steve
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 07:39:16 EST
From: thutt <thutt@MAIL.CASI.NASA.GOV>
Subject: Malt Mill
How does one go about getting a Malt Mill? Seems no one around
here has them. Is that because it is mail order only?
Could someone please provide the necessary information so that I
will be able to get a Malt Mill? (address, phone, cost, etc.,
etc.)
Thanks.
Taylor Hutt
Championing worldwide usage of Oberon-2!
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 12:44:10 +0100
From: dejonge@tekserv.geof.ruu.nl (Marc de Jonge)
Subject: BrewPubs in Europe
In HBD1089 Nir Navot writes:
>My brewing partner is going for a three-week tour to Europe. Does anyone here
>know of any interesting brewpubs or homebrewer's attractions along the
>following route: Amsterdam - Koln - Prague - Budapesht - Viena - Munich. ???
>In the event he would like to buy brewing supplies to bring home with him, do
>you know of a place where he could get them, in one of the towns he'll be
>visiting?
Amsterdam: Brouwerij 't IJ: (Haven't got the adress but the Tourist Office
might know)
microbrewery, I think they still give tours
Rob van Gelder : (Utrechtsestraat 3##?)
reasonable quality brewing supplies
British,Dutch,Belgian malts
German,British and Bohemian hops (mostly leaf)
(and an interesting collection of pot-stills,
chillers, and fractioning columns.....)
Countless bars and cafes that have over five special beers on tap,
mainly belgian mega-swill like Hoegaarden,de Koninck,Leffe etc.:)
There used to be a place called 'Gollem' which had over 200 beers, I
haven't been there in years.
Brewpubs are not very common: It's hard to beat the imported prices.
Marc de Jonge dejonge@geof.ruu.nl
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 9:28:15 -0400 (AST)
From: AGRANT@mta.ca (ANDREW GRANT)
Subject: Favorite Brew
I'd like to ask anyone of you out there, if you have a fovorite
brew ! I would hope you do, but does anyone have one that is very easy
to mix together. This isn't the first time i've brewed, but i've only
used the cans of malt and corn sugar, so i'm looking for something a
little different.
Thanks,
- --Andrew
------------------------------
Date: 16 Mar 1993 08:35:45 -0500 (EST)
From: STROUD%GAIA@leia.polaroid.com
Subject: Fraternity House Ale
Dan Hall sez:
>I think the heavy hops is exactly the problem. I considered brewing this beer
>last fall, but, beforehand, I went through the math to determine the bittering
>levels, using Jackie Rager's wonderful equation from the Zymurgy special issue
>on hops. I recall ending up with something like 110 I.B.U. for Ron Page's
>Fraternity House Ale. That's not beer - that's beer-flavored bitterness!
Ah, I didn't know that the recipe is Ron Page's, but that certainly explains
it. Ron is a great brewer from New England, but he has also admitted that he
likes to keep his recipes secret and rarely puts down the exact recipe
formulation on an entry form. This recipe is clearly one of those cases where
he fudged the numbers on the hop bill.
It also points out the need to analyze a recipe and see whether it is
reasonable before you brew it. The AHA definitely should have done that to all
of the recipes in the 'Winner's Circle' before they published it. Beginning
brewers don't need nasty surprises like Ron's FH Ale.
Steve
------------------------------
Date: 16 Mar 1993 08:57:47 -0500 (EST)
From: STROUD%GAIA@leia.polaroid.com
Subject: Succanat (tm)
Well, since Dan Hall let the cat out of the bag:
I've been using Succanat (tm) for the last few years. It's a great (even
better) substitute for demerara or turbinado sugar in brewing. It is organic,
unpurified, evaporated cane juice with no additives. It looks like a brown,
powdery/crystalline solid, similar to dark dry malt extract though less
homogeneous in appearance. According to the info on boxes of the stuff, it has
a nutritional make-up very close to malt extract with similar calorie, fat, and
protein counts. It is also chock full of trace minerals and vitamins, unlike
any processed sugar. Expensive perhaps??? Nahhh, at the Bread and Circus (in
Central Sq., Cambridge, MA) it is in the bulk bins for $1.49/lb. I've also
seen it on shelves of local health food stores.
I've successfully used it many times in British-style ales - bitters, pale ales,
scotch ales - and the yeasties love it. As Dan surmised, it does seem to have a
toffee-ish, caramel flavor. I'm not sure that I'd use it in a tripel (I'd go
for straight corn sugar to keep the color down) but a dubbel might do well from
its addition.
Give it a go.
Steve Stroud
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 8:17:20 -0600 (CST)
From: STOREY@fender.msfc.nasa.gov (BadAssAstronomer)
Subject: a beer drinking UK visitor gives thanks
Hi all
Just a short note to thank all those who sent me information on
pubs and places to see whilest in England and Wales. With any
luck, I'll have some stories to tell when I get back. See ya in a
coupla weeks.
scott
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 9:43:54 -0500 (EST)
From: R_GELINAS@UNHH.UNH.EDU (Russ Gelinas)
Subject: too much time
<Jack's description of drying/weighing spent grains etc.>
> I am not sure just what this proves other than the fact that the [????] ;-)
> process works as well as any other far more complicated methods of mashing
> and sparging.
What it proves is that you've got too much spare time! I can't even find the
time to keg a finished batch....
Russ G.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 08:41:04 -0800 (PST)
From: gummitch@techbook.com (Jeff Frane)
Subject: Caustic Remarks
arf@genesis.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
>
> > 4) How long to recirculate using a Zapat tun.
>
> Until it runs clear. When you get around to building an easymasher, it will
> take about one cup, sometimes two.
>
Well, without getting into an argument here, my experience with a
camp-cooler mash tun, using British malts, is that I get a clear runoff
in about the same volume. There is occasionally a little flour in the
first pint or so but from then on it's clear sailing.
> >From: korz@iepubj.att.com
> >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.
>
> Good advice. I was only making a point of reference. I use only lye. BTW,
> I got so excited about the stuff that I tried a number of things over the
> weekend.
>
Once again, without trying to start a fight, I would say that using lye
requires more than a little caution. It's not that the stuff doesn't
clean, just that it can also do a number on soft parts of the human body
- -- like eyes. If you observe careful brewers in micro- and
macro-breweries, I think you'll find them using highly caustic compounds
only in closed systems; when they're used for cleaning small parts,
etc., they are handled with a great deal of caution, using rubber gloves
(and hopefully safety glasses). Personally, I'm a little absent minded
(must be the aluminum), and I prefer to use cleaners that take a little
longer but aren't likely to melt my eyeballs.
>
> I have developed the habit of bottling a sixer of each batch I make just to
> check on shelf life. Although there has been no infection thus far, we have
> noted a significant drop in the flavor quality of the beer. We opened a four
> month old bottle last week and both agreed it "tastes like extract beer".
> That is not snobbery, just part of our lingo here, reminiscent of the bad old
> days. Most of them also seem to lack much ability to retain a head and
> seemed lacking in carbonation. This is all beer bottled since I started c/p
> bottling. Beer drunk within a few weeks of bottling is as good as draft but
> it seems to lose a lot over time.
>
> The good news is I have to dicipline myself to save it that long and the bad
> news is if you want it to keep forever, you will have to make BUD.
>
I think the reality is that beers that are bottle-conditioned last --
well, not forever -- but far longer than cp-filled bottles that haven't
been filtered and stabilized to death. Of course, those of us in the
Great NW are known to hop our beers to a point of petrification, so
that's probably a factor. Then again, it's definitely not Bud.
- --Jeff
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 10:12:42 MST
From: Jeff Benjamin <benji@hpfcbug.fc.hp.com>
Subject: Copper lautering manifold, Part 1
I've had enough requests for instructions for my sparge manifold that
I decided I'll go ahead and post them. The article will be split into
two parts so the digest daemons won't reject it due to length.
The manifold is made up of 1/2" copper tubing, along with tees, endcaps,
and elbow fittings. It looks sort of like a tree branch; a main stem
with arms coming off of it, alternating left and right. One end of the
stem is capped, the other end leads to an elbow that angles up 90
degrees to a standpipe. Here's an ASCII pic I hope will make it clear:
_ end cap
|
tee +---------] cap
|
[--------+
|
+---------]
|
[--------+
|
elbow \
90 deg up --------------->==========
standpipe siphon hose
(this would be coming out of the screen)
The length of the stem and the length and number of arms can be adjusted
to fit whatever kettle or cooler you use. The manifold should fit
exactly in the the bottom of the vessel when you're done.
The arms of the manifold each have a number of slots cut in them, spaced
a couple of centimeters apart, not quite halfway through the tube (I
used a hacksaw to make them). You can also use a hacksaw to cut all the
other pieces of tubing, but buying a $5 tubing cutter will make life a
lot easier. The tees, caps, and elbow fitting will already fit very
neatly, so you don't even have to solder anything together.
When assembled, the slots will face down to the bottom of the vessel.
This is to keep the grain from clogging them, and so you don't leave a
half inch of wort in the bottom. The standpipe should come up the side
of the vessel to just below the rim, so you can put the lid on.
You will need to come up with some way to connect your siphon hose the
the 1/2 inch standpipe. We found a 1/2" to 3/8" ID reducer fitting and
a short piece of 3/8" OD tubing will connect nicely to a standard vinyl
siphon hose:
-----===
| \__ 3/8" _______
1/2 inch copper |redu |------|siphon hose
| cer_|------|______
| /
-----===
Also, the reducer and 3/8" OD copper need to be soldered so they don't
suck in air, since they're the only fittings that sit above the liquid
level. [Note: soldering copper is easy; it requires a few cents worth
of plumbing-safe solder and flux and a $15 propane torch. Ask the
friendly folks at your local hardware store.]
(to be continued...)
- --
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: Tue, 16 Mar 93 10:14:25 MST
From: Jeff Benjamin <benji@hpfcbug.fc.hp.com>
Subject: Copper lautering manifold, Part 2
(...continued)
As you might have guessed by now, you don't need a drain hole in your
vessel at all; just have the standpipe up the side of the kettle and
siphon from there. You could somehow attach the manifold to a drain,
but I don't think it's worth the trouble.
The manifold rests right on the bottom of the vessel, and my "spigot" is
simply a hose clamp at the end of the siphon hose. Buy one of the
plastic hose clamps that has variable click-stops.
Clean the manifold with hot water. Since it isn't soldered, you can
just disassemble it when your done. You can clean it with a small
bottle brush if you like, and if you're worried, you can soak the pieces
in a metal-safe sanitizer like ChemPro. Whatever you do, *don't* try to
clean it with bleach. Bleach and copper don't get along very well. And
clean the manifold thoroughly with soap and hot water before using it
for the first time to remove oils and such used while manufacturing the
tubing.
Here's how the thing works: assemble the manifold and place it in the
vessel, slots down. Add your mash water and grain on top of it. When
the mash is done, attach the siphon hose to the standpipe and start the
siphon going into another vessel. As the level of the mash water drops,
add your sparge water so the water level stays an inch or two above the
grain bed. When you run out of sparge water, or decide to stop adding
water, let the siphon run until all the water has been siphoned out.
You'll be amazed, this system gets almost every single drop!
This manifold system has a number of advantages:
1. No need to modify your pot/cooler, so it can still be used for
other things.
2. You don't have to transfer the mash to another container
3. No transfer means your grain bed won't get compacted, so your sparge
won't stick.
4. No transfer means your grain bed won't drop in temperature.
5. You're using the suction of a siphon, not just gravity, to draw off
the liquid. This also lessens the chance of a stuck sparge.
6. The wort runs off clear after only a quart or so.
Of course, this isn't the only lautering system that has these
advantages, but it has worked well for me.
- --
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: Tue, 16 Mar 93 10:00:04 PST
From: Birkeland Joel RYYF20 <ryyf20@tempeccpb.sps.mot.com>
Subject: SNPA culture beginner questions
I have a couple of beginner questions on culturing yeast from
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
I have tried culturing SNPA yeast using the following procedure:
1) Prepare an SG 1.040 highly hopped wort, strain out
hops, and reurn to boil for another 15 minutes in
covered pan.
2) Carefully sterilize a pyrex measuring cup by boiling
for 30 minutes. Cover with Al foil which has been
flamed. Cool wort by placing covered pan in ice cubes.
3) Open SNPA, pour out almost all beer, sterilize bottle
top using alcohol and flame. Pour cool wort into SNPA
bottle, add airlock, wait.
4) After 1 day, contents of SNPA bottle at high krausen.
Step culture into Erlenmeyer using similar paranoid
sterilization procedures.
5) After 1 more day, culture in Erlenmeyer at high
krausen, looks good.
At this point everything seems OK, but when I went to pitch, I
smelled the starter, and it smelled vaguely of bubblegum, which
I have been told is a sign of possible contamination. Lacking
an alternative, I pitched it anyway.
I would apreciate any comments on the above procedure, especially
if accompanied by alternatives which are known to work. I have
used liquid cultures before, with success, by the way.
Also, provided I can get the procedure to work, I would like to
know if anyone uses cultures from SN Porter or Stout. I haven't
seen this mentioned anywhere.
Thanks a lot for all your help.
Joel Birkeland
birkelan@adtaz.sps.mot.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 09:33:05 -0800
From: sherman@qualcomm.com (Sherman Gregory)
Subject: Re: pumps
> 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.
A light dimmer is not the right thing, they modulate the duty cycle rather
than control tha voltage. There are motor speed controls that are made for
bathroom fans and such that are much like the dimmers, but should work
better.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 11:45:30 -0600 (CST)
From: SMITH@EPVAX.MSFC.NASA.GOV (The Ice-9-man Cometh)
Subject: Lye, Vierka yeast
greetings.
About lye: I discovered last weekend that lye is the principal
ingredient in the rubber-gloves species of oven cleaners, so Jack's
experience with shining up everything in sight doesn't surprise me.
Personally I am of the opinion that violent chemicals have no place
in food prep, so I don't use 'em, but to each their own....
About Vierka yeast: Has anyone used this stuff before? I used one
of their wine varieties for a mead last weekend, and it still ain't
bubblin'. The weird part was, instead of the little yellow globs I'm
used to in dry yeast packets, there were what looked like dried herbs
in the package. I assumed they were the equivalent of Budweiser's
beechwood chips, i.e. flocculation assisters coated with yeast, but
then they could have been dried leaves sold as yeast, too.... Is this
normal, and does it require special treatment?
thanx
| James W. Smith, NASA MSFC EP-53 | SMITH@epvax.msfc.nasa.gov |
| "Unstable condition: a symptom of life" --Neil Peart of RUSH |
| Neither NASA nor (!James) is responsible for what I say. Mea culpa. |
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 11:45 CST
From: korz@iepubj.att.com
Subject: Re: Where did my Saaz nose go?
Tim writes:
>When I bottled this batch of Alt Bier last week, it had a wonderful
>Saaz nose to it, from dryhopping in the secondary. Now, a week later,
>it's carbonated, ready to drink, and has no Saaz aroma at all...
A year or so ago, I heard of the results of a test that was done by several
brewers from Chicago Beer Society, in which they bottled part of a batch
with Zapata Smartcaps (now called PureSeal) and part with regular caps.
A blind tasting by experienced BJCP judges resulted in the following
determination: the hop nose of the PureSeal bottles was much fresher and
prominent. For those unfamiliar with PureSeal (aka Smartcaps), they are
made with an oxygen-scavenging plastic which also is an oxygen barrier
for up to (I believe) 6 months. It appears as if the first thing that
oxygen reacts with and ruins is the hop nose. Tim: Could the loss of the
Saaz nose be due to air in the headspace?
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 12:51:29 GMT
From: POIRIER@IREQ-CCFM.HYDRO.QC.CA
Subject: Plastic boiler info
Hi all,
Well I was inundated with requests for more information on my plastic
boiler setup, so I'll just post the basics here:
I took an old plastic primary, 6.5 Imperial gallons, originally from my
local homebrew supply shop, now well past retirement age. I drilled a hole
for the spigot (a used plastic drum tap) about 1 inch from the bottom, and
for the two heating elements, I drilled holes 90 degrees CW and CCW from the
spigot, about 2 and 3 inches up.
The elements are "1 kW, 115 VAC. Chrome plated copper heating element.
Features automatic shutoff when not immersed in water. Complete with mounting
nut and gaskets. Designed for through wall installation in a 1-9/16" dia.
hole (3/16" thick approx.). Electrical connection via recessed 3-wire socket;
supplied with mating 3-wire stub cord, 12" long; opposite end stripped. Size
4-3/4" long x 3-1/2" wide. New. Wt, 1 lb. Order No. TM89HVC5702...$4.50 US."
H & R Company, 18 Canal Street, P.O. Box 122, Bristol, PA 19007-0122.
Sales 1-800-848-8001 Fax 215-788-9577 Business Office 215-788-5583.
Things to keep in mind:
- The gaskets suck. I made my own with the stuff you buy in sheets at the
hardware store. And the gasket that came with my drum tap turned to mush.
- You'll have to put your own plug on. The nice thing about the electrical
connector through thw bucket wall is that you just unplug the element when
you're manipulating the bucket, so there are no cords in your way.
- It takes the 2 elements to get a good boil going, but only one to keep
things humming nicely. I plug one in the outlet on my stove, and one in a
countertop outlet.
- So far no leaks or problems. My local homebrew shop is now trying them,
with good success, and in fact plans to sell them to customers (gee, maybe
I could ask for a commission....Maybe some 2-row....). It's true
that the plastic is not rated for these temperatures, but I've been told
that neither is the electrim bin.
- No scorching so far. The elements get coated in hot break material that
needs to be cleaned off, but that's it.
I only picked plastic because it was easy. I'll stick with it as long as
it works. When I get around to it, though, I have a 12 gallon SS Labatt's
keg that I got at a scrapyard for 25 bucks (about 1.50 US...), which I'll
fit with the elements.
If anyone has any questions or suggestions, please let me know.
Deb
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 10:47:25 MST
From: "Steve Kurka" <kurka@bmcw.com>
Subject: San Francisco brew pubs
Does anyone have suggestions regarding brewpubs in San Francicso?
I'll be there this coming weekend (3/20/93). Please email to (kurka@bmcw.com)
Thanks Steve
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 12:33 CST
From: arf@genesis.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
Subject: Lauter Tun
>From: Carlo Fusco <G1400023@NICKEL.LAURENTIAN.CA>
>Subject: My Lauter Tun
Congratulations of proving that you have a world class mind, capable of
re-inventing the easymasher.
Just a few suggestions that you may find useful. If you use soft copper
tubing instead of pipe, you can put a double bend in in so that the screen
sits right on the bottom.
|
spigot ----|-----\
----|----\ \
| \ \
| \ \ ----------- screen
| \-------------
------------------------------bottom_
Upon reading it again, that is the only suggestion I can offer. You will get
mountains of mail wailing about your use of window screen but I used it for
months and it works just fine.
Aside from the simplicity, the advantages of this system are as follows:
The wort will run clear almost immediately and re-circulating gallons of
turbid runoff becomes other people's problems. This leads to the other
advantage...
You can thoroughly stir the mash several times during the sparge without
disturbing the "filter bed" because it re-establishes itself so easily. You
thereby know for certain that you are getting maximum rinsing of the grain by
the sparge water. Contrary to popular opinion, the potential for extract
efficiency with this system is greater than in any other, as of result of
this feature.
>I hope this ascii drawing shows what I was trying to explain.
Thanks for the stimulus. I have been too lazy to make one but as they say, a
picture is worth a thousand words. So here is what I came up with...
BRASS
SPIGOT FEMALE
| CONNECTOR
| |
________ | |
\_____ \ | |
| | | ____
________|_|___****____|_____ COPPER TUBING
/ _______X____ ____ ____ \ /
/ / ****____| \ \ / SS SCREEN
/_/ | \ \ |
| \ \----##################
| \-----##################
-----BOTTOM------------------------------
>From: atl@kpc.com
>Subject: Reduction of Wort volume during boiling
> After sparging, I usually end up with 6-8 gallons of sweet wort. I
usually boil for 90 minutes total... end up with about 4 gallons of bitter
wort...
First of all, there is a big difference between 6 and 8. If it is 6, ending
up with 4 after 90 min is just about right. Frankly, I do not think there is
such a thing as too vigorous a boil. If you lose too much wort, just start
with more. I would figure on about a gallon per hour of boil.
Under no circumstances, do you want to cover the kettle. Part of the reason
for boiling is to concentrate the wort.
js
------------------------------
Date: 16 Mar 93 13:49:13 EST
From: CHUCKM@PBN73.Prime.COM
Subject: weisse bier and decoction
Hello all,
Thanks to those who responded to my questions regarding
Weisse Bier. Anyway, This weekend I brewed a 1/2 batch (2.5 gal)
using a single decoction process (my first time). My recipe for this
was
3 lb german wheat
1.5 american 6 row
1/2 oz hallertau pellets
wyeast bavarian weisse (3056 I believe)
I saved about 1.25 quarts of wort for kreusen.
I mashed in with 1 quart/pound of water. My first question
is: when I pull my decoction for separate heating and boiling
it is not very liquid, and indeed, during boiling it gets
pastey(starts sticking to bottom). Should I have added more
water during this phase so it is not so dry?
Also, re: lautering and extraction effeciency.... is there
a relationship between duration of lauter and extraction rate.
My lauter for this exercise was fairly quick (10 min) and I
ended with a 1.038 wort.
It is currently fermenting nicely and doing fine.
Chuckm
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 13:10:00 EST
From: Bill Ridgely FTS 402-1521 <RIDGELY@A1.CBER.FDA.GOV>
Subject: Baseball/Beer Request
I'll keep this short so as not to take up too much bandwidth on a
not-specifically-homebrew-related subject.
The editors of BarleyCorn, the Mid-Atlantic Region Brewspaper, are
writing a special report on the beer scene at minor league
ballparks, and they have asked me to kindly poll the readership on
the subject.
If anyone out there has stories or anecdotes about beer-
enlightened minor league club owners or stadium operators,
ballplayers with an affinity for good beer (or homebrew), whatever
- please submit by private e-mail. Even names of individuals who
might provide further info would be helpful.
This report will be nationwide in scope, so please don't limit
responses to the east coast.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Bill Ridgely
E-mail: ridgely@cber.cber.fda.gov
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 07:53:13 MST
From: stevel@chs.com (7226 Lacroix)
Subject: Sugar and Out of work Cold Warriors....
Following the thread on sugars recently, I have been a little surprised
to see no mention of Yellow D sugar...Purchased in my local upscale (read over-
priced) market the label claims differences between it and Turbinado, etc.
I'll bring the label to work to leave more info for you folks who might be
interested.
As for the gentleman using the Navy's computer to access the HBD and then post out of context quotes from YOUR commander in chief...you've obviously
shown us yet another abuse of tax dollars.....thanks...and the down side of
the end of the Cold War.....is worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Steve Lacroix
Primitive Brewing
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 14:16:09 PST
From: Jack St.Clair at fmccm6 <Jack_St.Clair_at_fmccm6@ccm.hf.intel.com>
Subject: Brewers in Portland, Oregon?
Hi fellow brewers,
There is a possibility that I will be transferred to the Portland area
sometime this summer. Can anyone out there tell me about the Homebrew
situation in the area? Brewpubs? Supply shops? Homebrew Clubs? I will
probably be living in the Hillsboro area and would really like to meet
some new brewers.
To help keep the bandwidth narrow, please respond via private mail.
Especially, if you are a homebrewer at Intel. Any information will be
greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jack
Folsom, California
jack_st.clair_at_fmccm5@ccm.hf.intel.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 93 17:30:14 EST
From: woessner@psych.purdue.edu (Leo Woessner)
Subject: yeast culturing
I am trying culture the yeast from several bottles of SNPA. I boiled up three
cups of water with six tablespoons of DME and cooled the mixture. I then poored
the wort into a steril half-gallon jug. I then poored all but the last inch of
the SNPA out of five bottles. I shook the remaning inch of SNPA in order to get
the yeast in solution and poored the dregs into the half-gallon jug. Nothing
happened for 2 1/2 days, the brew never fermented very fast. At the peek it
fermented at maybe 1 bouble per 30s. Is this slow fermentation normal??
By THe Way (BTW) I did vigorously shake the wort to ariate the wort before adding
adding the SNPA yeast. How do you culture yeast from a bottle? Should I assume
it is OK?? How can I tell if it is infected?? Is the yeast OK?
Thanks in advance
Leo Woessner
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 93 0:04:10 CST
From: Jacob Galley <gal2@midway.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Moderate drinking & minimal cold catching
While we're on the topic of alcohol and health again, I saw an
interesting but superficial tidbit on CNN Streamline News a couple
nights ago. According to CNN, "a group of British researchers" has
released a study showing that moderate drinkers have "a much lower
chance" of catching a cold than folks who drink rarely or never.
This is all the info that was given. I'd like some more details, but
haven't seen anything in the _NY Times_ or the _Wall St. Journal_
since then. Does anyone know more?
Cheers,
Jake.
"What's so interdisciplinary about studying lower levels of thought process?"
<-- Jacob Galley / gal2@midway.uchicago.edu (more obnoxious quotes in my .plan)
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1099, 03/17/93
*************************************
-------
