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HOMEBREW Digest #1165
This file received at Sierra.Stanford.EDU 93/06/18 00:22:10
HOMEBREW Digest #1165 Fri 18 June 1993
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Miller Amber Ale (/O=vmspfhou/S=dblewis/DD.SITE=JSCPROFS/)
headaches, reprise; fridges & freezers; Chicago suppliers (Jonathan G Knight)
Re: Chili Beer (Jeff Frane)
building in brewing facilities (Chris Pencis)
chili beer (Chuck Coronella)
headaches (Mark Taratoot)
The Untouchables (Richard Stueven)
bill ridgely/ mail problems (eurquhar)
yesst & motorized maltmills ("JSDAWS1@PROFSSR")
Air filters, yeast filters ("Bob Jones")
Pasteurizing Fruit (Alan Edwards)
Cornelius fittings, Air filters (Eric Wade)
Wyeast Bavarian Wheat (Jeff Griffin)
Recipes....wanted (Kristof_Mueller)
Starting a Siphon (John F Myers)
Re: sanitizers part I (Kelly Jones)
Colorado Micro Brewers Festival (Michael Howe)
How much bleach for sanitation? (Derrick Pohl)
Heifeweizen (Jim Titus)
Jalapeno beer (Bill Vaughan)
Re: Philmill (bickham)
JALAPENO BEER (ron_hall)
CP fillers ("Westemeier*, Ed")
Brewing Capitol, etc. (Norm Pyle)
Re: Fud,cherries and kettle handles (Nick Zentena)
Thanks for fritted glass leads (Paul dArmond)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 09:20 PDT
From: /O=vmspfhou/S=dblewis/DD.SITE=JSCPROFS/@NASAmail.nasa.gov
Subject: Miller Amber Ale
***************************** PROFS Note *****************************
From: DBLEWIS --VMSPFHOU Date and time 06/16/93 11:22:59
To: POSTMAN --NASAMAIL
FROM: Dennis B. Lewis <dblewis@jscprofs.nasa.gov>
SUBJECT: Miller Amber Ale
I recently had the opportunity to try a Miller Amber Ale and I would like to
pass on a few thoughts: Get a freezing cold one and drink it as fast as you
can. The beer tasted great while cold with slight fruitiness and some hop and
malt flavor. I mistakenly thought the Amber Ale would taste better if a little
warmer. As the beer warmed, I was treated to a rather chemical-like fuzziness
on the palate that I could only describe as sucking on batteries. A homebrew
buddy said that's the hop oil they use. Damn shame.
At our last homebrew club meeting, we had a rep from Miller come and present
the Amber in full marketing glitz. Lots of FS and free beer. I got a small
pamphlet entitled "AMBER ALE: Guidebook to Ales." This has got to be one of
the most inane pieces of misinformation I have ever read. I'll pass on a few
examples:
"You've probably heard that ales should be served at warmer
temperature than other beers. Not true. The tradition of warm
beer is a cultural oddity of England than a taste issue. In fact,
if you've seen the Queen frown, it's because she just had some
warm ale....."
I think everyone has heard the joke "Why to Brits drink their beer warm?
Because Lucas makes their refrigerators." but this cultural oddity thing is
unbelievable!!! I can believe that the Amber Ale should be served ice cold
because it tastes awful at real ale temps, but that is no reason to skew the
facts. The pamphlet goes on to say that their masterbrewers recommend that the
ale be served between 44 and 48 deg F. Hmm, "masterbrewers" said that, eh?
"Authentic ales differ form lagers and other beers in several
ways. First, ale is made only from a special ale yeast. Ales are
also brewed at higher temperature than other beers and have a
greater hop content. These differences give ale its rich creamy
head and full-bodied flavor. Ales are also the original beer of
Europe."
I thought ale yeast was the common stuff and lager yeast was the special one.
At least that's the historical development. I think they meant to say
"fermented" at higher temps and not "brewed". And they really go out on a limb
with the original beers of Europe thing. I guess the Sumerians and Egyptians
don't count in our mass-produced, Westerners-only society.
I'd love to go on about this but I've already given it more thought than it
deserves. There's a nice little jab on the last page about beers with English
or Irish sounding names not being "authentic ales". I'm just waiting for the
response from the rest of the factory beers: something like Coor's Copper and
Bud Bold, igniting a whole new series of ridiculous sport-related ads.
*Insert Authentic Disclaimer here*
Dennis B. Lewis * (713) 244-7809 * NASA/JSC/DH6 Payload Ops
Homebrew, The Final Frontier.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 11:40:17 cdt
From: Jonathan G Knight <KNIGHTJ@GRIN.EDU>
Subject: headaches, reprise; fridges & freezers; Chicago suppliers
Greetings!
One of the things I find most enjoyable about HBD is the way a discussion of
some topic of common interest majestically spins itself out over several
days! It's a lot more informative than those TV miniseries, and considerably
less painful than sitting through Wagner's Ring cycle to boot.
Let me focus the discussion on headaches a bit, if I may, by returning to the
original intent of my question about headaches, which may not have been clear
..... first, I am interested in the comparison between homebrew and
Budmilloors (1) assuming relatively equal amounts and (2) in terms of
immediate effect rather than hangovers. The headache I got from Coors last
weekend hit me immediately after the second beer, and did not produce a
hangover to speak of the next day (I did my drinking in the afternoon). My
head hurts just from the memory of it! Anyway, it would be my assumption
that in this case neither the alcohol itself nor a dehydration affect would
be to blame, but I would rather suspect some kind of allergic or other
physical reaction to the beer's ingredients. I have never known 24 oz. of
homebrew to give me a blinding headache, and it seems to soon after drinking
to blame vitamin B depletion, dehydration, etc. Sound right to you?
Second, I have been interested in recent discussions of refer/freezer
equipment. I am planning on haunting garage sales in the near future to pick
something up for my basement so that I can begin brewing a lager here and
there. I gather that a chest freezer with a temp controller is ideal for
this since you can sit carboys right down in it. However, I might also like
a place to store fresh whole hops, and for this I would like a plain ole
freezer set at plain ole freezing temps. I don't see any way around the
necessity of getting two units, but do any of you techno-wizards out there
have another suggestion (for a not-very-techno-person?)
Finally, a friend of mine who lives in Skokie and does not have e-mail access
wants to start brewing. Would anyone in the Windy City care to e-mail me
vital stats of supply stores in the area (Alt. Garden Supply, Al's store, any
others I don't know about), and TIA.
Jonathan Knight
Grinnell, Iowa
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 09:53:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: gummitch@techbook.com (Jeff Frane)
Subject: Re: Chili Beer
One of the advantages of running the Oregon State Fair competition has
been access to winning recipes -- and the permission to reproduce them
at will. The following beer took 1st Place in the Specialty Beer
category, and is, I thought, a really tasty item. Ken Kane, of
Portland, seems to brew nothing but spiced and fruit beers, and has
gotten quite innovative and skillful at it. If memory serves, he's won
this category repeatedly (including a pumpernickel beer and a sage
beer).
"Green Chili Beeritio" -- 5 gallons
7# Alexander's Pale extract
1# Dextrin malt
1# Vienna (presumably Briess)
1/4 oz Kent Golding & 1/4 oz. Clusters after 5 min.
1/4 oz KG & 1/4 oz. Clusters after 20 & 40 min.
1/2 oz. Mt Hood after 58 min.
the grains are mashed at 122F for 30 min; 152F for 10 min; 158F for 20
min.
2 tsp. gypsum in 60 min. boil
2 whole, roasted Hatch Chiis & 2 oz. chopped New Mexico chilis
(presumably in boil)
fermented at 65F for 10 days with Whitbred Lager yeast
===I realize there's a little information missing, but it ought to
provide a good start -- and it was a really tasty beer, for those who
like chili beers.
- --Jeff Frane
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 11:58:41 CDT
From: chips@coleslaw.me.utexas.edu (Chris Pencis)
Subject: building in brewing facilities
We are looking at constructing a house in the near future (9-12 mos.)
and I have recently become an enthusiastic brewer (not yet fanatical
enough for full mash recipes ). But I acknowledge that I would like to
have facilities available so that, if I get the mash bug, I can do mash
recipes as easily as possible. Question is: Does anyone out there have
any designs/ideas/hints for building in homebrew equipment (small scale)
into a house? This equipment might include: range-top modifications,
tap lines for immersion chillers/heat exchangers, built in shelves for
storing etc. If anyone has made such modifications and has hints,
please let me know before the fact.....
(Thanks and all that)
Thanks in advance for any comments.
A big Texas howdy and thanks to Rob Gardner for providing the
opportunity, support etc. for this Digest.
Thanks to the Texas Legislature for finally issuing (sp?) a
decent law - HB 1445 legalizing brewpubs (come on September 1st!).
Chris Pencis
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 11:04 MTS
From: Chuck Coronella <CORONELLRJDS@CHE.UTAH.EDU>
Subject: chili beer
Vincent Heuring <heuring@riker.cs.colorado.edu> wants to brew a chili beer.
I'd always thought that I'd like to do the same, until I tasted one!! Just a
week ago, I tried Ed's chili beer, each bottle with a whole Jalapeno in it.
According to the label, Ed's is a microbrewery somewhere in Arizona (can't
remember where), but the beer was actually made by a contract brewer in
Indiana.(?) Anyway, I was excited to try this brew. I really like spicy
food, and I'm not above eating Jalapeno's with a meal. However, this beer was
so intensely hot that I couldn't get past the first sip!! What a surprise!!
Good luck with the pepper beer Vincent, but, as with any new spice, start off
slowly, and increase the peppers with successive batches until you get a beer
you like.
-=-=-=-=-=-
On another note, I recently took a trip to Phoenix. While there, I made a
special point of obtaining various microbrews not available in Utah. (Except
for Wasatch ales, the list of microbrews not available in Utah is identical to
the list of microbrews. Utah is the real wasteland of beer!;-) There's a
shop called Sportsman's, and browsing through there I felt like a kid in a
candy store. The beer I liked most is Celis White. Wow!! What a cornucopia
of flavors. I've been reading reviews of this beer on the HBD, and it was
great to be able to confirm them personally.
Cheers,
Chuck
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 11:10:47 -0600 (MDT)
From: Mark Taratoot <SLNDW@CC.USU.EDU>
Subject: headaches
Greetings.
There has been some discussion lately about headaches from
commercial beer. Here is yet another data point. I
don't buy beer very often anymore, but my housemate does. (I
have gotten him into homebrewing, but he does not show as
much enthusiasm as I). Well, he no longer buys beer in cans.
He says he gets heacaches from canned beer. At first I
thought that he just meant cheap beer. But it turns out that
Busch in the bottle does not give him a headache but Busch in
the can does. He thinks it has something to do with aluminum.
Go figure.
-toot
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 10:11:02 -0700
From: Richard Stueven <gak@wrs.com>
Subject: The Untouchables
Tuesday night on KTVU-20's presentation of The Untouchables (the _real_
ones, with Robert Stack and Walter Winchell)..."The Cooker In The Sky",
an episode from 1962.
See, these BadGuys got the idea to build a brewery on the sixth floor
of this warehouse in Chicago, because _nobody_ would ever look for a
brewery on the sixth floor of a warehouse. They picked up three
disassembled tanks at an auction for $2500, after the previous bidder
bid $300. (These guys were serious!)
They got their "rice, malt, and grain" from a local grain mill, and
they got an "in man" at the Water Commission.
Eliot Ness (Our Hero (feh!)) got wind of this operation, and watched
some of the construction through the building's windows. He guessed
the brewery's capacity would be "two thousand gallons a day", and that
it would cost "two, maybe three hundred thousand dollars before he's
finished". It would be the largest illegal brewery ever constructed.
The brewery was short on pipe, so Ness got them some through legal
channels in order to help catch Mr. Big. Washington heard about this
(by means of Ness sending in an expense voucher for the pipe...Your Tax
Dollars At Work) and was not at all pleased.
The brewery was built in exactly thirty days, and the proud owner gave
his cohorts a tour. When will the beer be ready? "Tomorrow, maybe two
days." Apparently their products would be keg-conditioned.
To my delight, the tour was fairly detailed. Rice and malt flour were
kept in two bins in the rafters. The grains were delivered pre-ground
to minimize dust, and were mixed with water on their way to a
steam-heated vat, where the beer was "cooked". After cooking, the beer
was pumped to another vat, and hops were added while the beer cooled to
room temperature. It then was pumped through a "chiller" into the
fermenters, where the yeast was added. After fermentation, barrels
were three-quarters filled with beer, and "the yeast foams to fill the
rest", ensuring minimal spillage. (So I was right about the
keg-conditioning!)
They had brewed a test batch in preparation for this tour, and they got
ready to draw a pint just as Ness raided! (Holy cow, this is
exciting!) Ness took the mug of pale beer, held it up to the light.
"Good color," he said, and took a sip. "Green but good!" Then he
opened the tap, and all the beer ran onto the floor. "Expensive
beer...a quarter-million for one glass."
The punch line (read this in your best Walter Winchell voice): Five
days later, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in as the President of
the United States. The seventeenth plank of his platform: the repeal
of Prohibition.
have fun
gak
Richard Stueven, Castro Valley CA
gak & gerry's garage, brewpub and hockey haven
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 10:33:57 PDT
From: eurquhar@sfu.ca
Subject: bill ridgely/ mail problems
Hi Bill,
got your note but couldn't send you a return message as it was always
returned as wrong address. Please send me your new address e-mail or
snail-mail.
Thanks for the space Eric Urquhart (eurquhar@sfu.ca)
------------------------------
Date: 16 Jun 1993 10:48:10 PST
From: "JSDAWS1@PROFSSR" <JSDAWS1@PB1.PacBell.COM>
Subject: yesst & motorized maltmills
A while back, I posted about an idea I had for holding yeast in a cornelius
keg until brew-day and pitching the sludge in the bottom into the wort. I
bottled it (an amber wheat ale) last Sunday and noticed a mild but very
definite cloviness. Once before, I had done this, the only difference
being that I forced the sludge under preasure thru my tapper (which had
been sitting in the fridge for weeks) That beer was VERY clovy and because
I had a gaping hole in my sanitation, i.e. the tapper, I wrote it off to that
My question is; are those cornelius cans as sterile as i thought? I
noticed the bottom is very rough and the lids have lots of crevices. Until
recently, I just sloshed clorine water thru them and rinsed with tap water
with no problems ... now I pour boiling water in them and seal em' up but
didn't for this cornelius-can starter.
Recently, a freind & neighboor bought a JS Maltmill <tm>. It's a WONDERFUL
device and I definitely intend purchasing one.... but ONLY after I figure out
how to motorize it. Any ideas? I'm the kinda guy who grabs the correct end
of a screwdriver about 50% of the time so it's got to be an easy, off-the-shelf
kind of solution.
Thanx in advance.
| If it's good for ancient druids runnin naked thru the woods |
| drinkin strange fermented fluids then it's good enough for me. |
| JACK DAWSON - JSDAWS1 - 415 545-0299 - CUSTOMER BILLING (BG) |
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 11:36:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Bob Jones" <bjones@novax.llnl.gov>
Subject: Air filters, yeast filters
On the subject of air filtration when using an air pump, plan old cotton
will filter out all airborn critters. Just make the path length through the
cotton long. People that use these aeriation stone, how do you clean them?
Someone posted several moths ago a source to a SS stone, a much better
choice.
Jack S. experiments with filters is very interesting. Micah claims he has
seen no problems with head retention using the supposed .5um filter and I
have seen poor clarity with it as well when pushing some beers through it.
I have attributed the poor clearing primarily to the quality of the
malt I was using. Fix has recommended against this small (.5um) a
filtration. Well maybe the .5um is really 5um and just what we want. To pull
those hazes out (if protien) one should chill for about a week at about 35
deg f. Now those hazes that pass through the filter, they are from poor
malt. I'd say switch malt manufacturers.
Jack, I would worry about cleaning and reuse of the cotton filter. The
poly filters seems much better in this regard.
Bob Jones
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 11:41:28 PDT
From: rush@xanadu.llnl.gov (Alan Edwards)
Subject: Pasteurizing Fruit
Hello brewmates,
What temperature is required for pasteurization and for how long?
I'm making a few fruit beers this summer and I want to pasteurize the
fruit and add it to the secondary.
I was told that holding the fruit at 160F for 15 minutes will work; but
I have also heard 140F for 10 minutes. Does anyone have the "real"
numbers. I know there has been much research on pasteurization, but I
haven't seen many references in brewing texts. (But then again, I don't
have many brewing texts.)
Any chemists or food industry people out there who can help me out?
Thanks for any help,
-Alan
.------------------------------------.
| Alan Edwards: rush@xanadu.llnl.gov | Member: The Hoppy Cappers
| or: Alan-Edwards@llnl.gov | homebrew club, Modesto, CA
`------------------------------------'
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 12:11:54 -0700 (PDT)
From: Eric Wade <ericwade@CLASS.ORG>
Subject: Cornelius fittings, Air filters
PIN-LOCK VS. BALL-LOCK CORNELIUS KEGS
At the risk of starting a ball v. pin fight (sounds like bowling), I offer
the following summary of the (sometimes contradictory) information I
received to my request on cornelius kegs.
Ball-lock kegs are sometimes referred to as Pepsi type and pin-lock as
coke. The price for the kegs is about the same for both. Fittings are
interchangeable but the pin-lock fittings are more expensive.
Some respondents said that the ball-lock fitting required a special tool
for removal while others said the pin-lock required the special tool. I
invite clarifications by e-mail.
Some found advantage in the shorter pin-lock kegs (more head-space in the
fridge), some liked the taller thinner ball-lock kegs.
Ball-lock fittings might be forced onto the wrong in/outlets on the keg,
not so with the pin-locks. While both fittings might get gummed-up, the
pin-locks are less likely to break if forced. Pin-lock fittings are also
more secure when attached.
Ball-lock kegs are more easily vented, easier to dismantle, and might be
more readily available than pin-locks.
To keep S/N level low I'll accept any further information, clarifications
and arguments with the above by e-mail and will summarize for the Digest.
To all who responded to my initial request, many thanks. If I didn't
include all of the information you sent me, don't think I didn't find it
extremely valuable. I just wanted to summarize the pin/ball info.
AIR FILTERS
In HBD 1163 Philip Seitz inquired about aeration/oxygenation systems and
filters. While I intuitively think the filter is a good idea (and the
set-up illustrated in _BT_ mentions filtering out pump stink), why would
one be any more concerned with organisms from pumped air than from
sloshing headspace air? Is it simply the larger quantities of outside air
passing through the wort from the pump? Does the filtered and pumped air
offer a cleaner source of oxygen than sloshing headspace air?
As far as sources of filters, Heartland Hydroponics' (800-354-4769) ad in
the current _Zymurgy_ offers "point 22 u.m." filters that fit aquarium
tubing (stand. disclaim.). Does anyone know anything about these? Is
this ".22 u.m." and is this a reasonable air filtration size?
I have read about the use of hospital oxygen filters for use in these type
of aeration systems (_Zymurgy_ gadget issue?) but that they are usually
sold only in bulk. Any sources (homebrew mailorder, etc.) for smaller
quantities of quality filters would be appreciated (Philip, please forward
any useful leads!).
Finally, given a relatively dust-free environment, how often would these
filters need to be changed?
Eric
<ericwade@class.org>
Oakland, CA
------------------------------
Date: 16 Jun 93 12:55:39
From: Jeff Griffin <jgriffin@ag.uidaho.edu>
Subject: Wyeast Bavarian Wheat
I just received a packet of a new Wyeast, #3068, which is described
as a single-strain Bavarian Wheat yeast(this is distinct from the
#3056, which has two strains). Does anyone have more information on
this strain?
I also have the #3056; is there a way to reliably separate and
maintain the two strains, or is this just one that I should buy
whenever I decide to brew with it?
Jeff Griffin jgriffin@ag.uidaho.edu
Department of Plant, Soil, and Entomological Sciences
University of Idaho 208-885-7549
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 16:01:19 EST
From: Kristof_Mueller@voyager.umeres.maine.edu
Subject: Recipes....wanted
Hello........I have very recently become interested in homebrewing, in fact
I have yet to brew my first batch. However I have read Papazian's book,
and am eagerly awaiting my first beer. If anyone has a special recipe that
they love, or one they haven't tried, but look interesting or exotic, I
would really appreciate if they would sent it to me. Thank you all very
much.....
Kris
Kristof_Mueller@voyager.umeres.maine.edu
BEER-BEER: Starts with a B, ends with an R....and has two E's.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 13:21:00 PST
From: John F Myers <John_F_Myers@ccm.hf.intel.com>
Subject: Starting a Siphon
I've been reading the HBD for a few years. Over that time I've read
and experimented with a number of ways to start a siphon without the
worry of infecting my beer.
Mouthwash
Wiskey
Blood pressure bulbs
CO2
Water in siphon hose
Just do it
etc...
Then a year ago, by accident I broke my bottling wand and ... A
mouthpiece was born! Just sanitize and mark one end you plan to suck
on (for multiple transfers, it's easy to forget which end you used
when you set it down), start the siphon and bend the siphon hose 180
degrees when fluid reaches near the end of the siphon hose. At this
point simply pull off the mouthpiece, add bottling wand or what ever.
IT'S SIMPLE, CLEAN AND WORKS GREAT!
One question I would like someone to answer.
Why does geletin lose it's clearing properties once it is boiled???
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 15:25:34 -0600
From: Kelly Jones <k-jones@ee.utah.edu>
Subject: Re: sanitizers part I
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1993 11:14:07 -0500
>From:
Once again, many of the statements made by donald oconnor
<oconnor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> just didn't sound right to me. As I'm
no expert on the matter (and by now it's obvious that neither is
don) I referred to an excellent text on the matter, "Disinfection,
Sterilization, and Preservation", by SS Block. (Many thanks to
whomever first recommended this book here.) With this in hand, I
would like to correct some of the errors which were posted here.
1. Sanitizing strength
>Both chlorine and iodine sanitizers kill bacteria as a result of their
>oxidizing power. A strong oxidizer is a good sanitizer. Chlorine in all
>its oxidation states (dichlorine, chlorite, hypochlorite, etc) is a
>stronger oxidant than the corresponding iodines. In chemical
>terms, it is said that the redox potential of chlorine is greater
>than iodine. Being a stronger oxidant, chlorine sanitizers are
>expected to be more effective at killing bacteria. However
>iodine is also a sufficiently strong oxidant to work very
>effectively in killing stuff and thus, in a practical sense,
>the two cannot be distinguished in this regard.
Sanitizing can occur by many mechanisms, only one of which is
oxidizing. The sanitizing mechanism for Iodine and Chlorine are
somewhat different, thus we simply cannot compare their relative
sanitizing power by just comparing redox potentials. The only way to
do it is empirically. Empirical comparisons show that Iodine has 3-6
times the sanitizing power of chlorine. However, the sanitizing
power of chlorine (and to a lesser extent iodine) is dependant upon
pH (being greater at lower pH), so even this must be taken with a
grain of salt. Also, iodine is not deactivated by organic matter to
the extent that chlorine is. Thus, when sanitizing 'dirty' equipment,
chlorine may be quickly rendered useless, while the iodine will have
much more "staying power".
>The recommended dose for iodophor, which contains molecular iodine, is
>12.5 mg/l (ppm). Since each iodine atom weighs 4 times as much as
>chlorine and it's the number of atoms that is important, then a chlorine
>concentration of 3.5 mg/l will give the same sanitizing effect. Household
>bleach is about 5% sodium hypochlorite by weight. So how much bleach
>do we need in each gallon to get the same sanitizing effect as
>iodophor. Incredibly only 0.02 ounce! That's 50 times lower than
>1 oz/gallon, 25 times lower than 1 tablespoon/gallon. For those more
>familiar with teaspoons, you need only add about 1/2 teaspoon of
>bleach in the entire 5 gallon keg to achieve the same level of sanitation
>that iodophor provides! Furthermore this concentration is about 70
>times below the known safe level for reactivity with 304 stainless.
Different studies will show different doses for "effective"
sanitizing. For iodophor, I have seen the 12.5 ppm number, but 25 ppm
is also used often. However, to get a sanitizing power from chlorine
equivalent to 12.5 ppm of iodophor, 50 ppm of chlorine is generally
recommended. (NOT 3.5 ppm.) 50 ppm would be about equal to 20 ml of
Chlorox bleach per 20 liters of water. (4 tsp. per 5 gal).
We often talk about the S/N ratio here, but we owe it to ourselves to
keep the "Fact/Fallacy" ratio as high as possible as well.
Keep on Brewin',
Kelly <k-jones@ee.utah.edu>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 15:02:26 -0600
From: Michael Howe <howe@gwl.com>
Subject: Colorado Micro Brewers Festival
To all Coloradans,
The Colorado Micro Brewers Festival is coming up on June 26,27 in Fort
Collins. This is the first year that it has been extended out to two days.
I went last year and had quite a good time. The beers and crowds are plentiful.
There are also a few good brewpubs nearby at which you may take in a meal
while quaffing. I don't have many details handy (other than to show up in
Ft Collins on those days with your drinking hat on). If there is enough(any)
interest, I can dig around in my morass (sp?) of brewing info and produce
some helpful information. If memory serves, there are about 15-20 brewpubs
and micros represented (if not more), each of which has at least two of their
brews in tow. Simple math will tell you that there will be quite a lot of
variety represented.
Perhaps someone out there would like to sink a few with a few fellow
HBD'er. Let me know. I'll be the one with rosy cheeks, glossy eyes, and
a big grin:-).
P.S. - I am not connected in any way with the Festival or it's organizers. I
am, however, one hell of a satisfied patron:-).
Michael Howe e-mail : howe@gwl.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 18:12:06 -0800
From: pohl@unixg.ubc.ca (Derrick Pohl)
Subject: How much bleach for sanitation?
Re the recent HBD exchange on how much bleach you need for sanitation:
Papazian in _The Complete Joy of Home-Brewing_ says you can actually get by
with as little as 1/3 of a tsp. in 5 gallons cold water (minimum contact
time 30 minutes). I use a teaspoon or a little less of bleach per 5 gallon
carboy and a similar concentration for bottles, bungs, hoses, etc., and
have never had a sanitation problem in over two years of brewing (over 15
batches, all with closed primary & secondary fermentation and liquid
yeasts). Now all this assumes the equipment is spotless to begin with:
organic matter (i.e. dirt and stains) uses up the free chlorine. To get
things clean I use a solution of 2 heaping tbsp. baking soda per 5 gallons
hot water for the fermentation residue in carboys, bungs and blowoff tubes,
using a brush for any persistent mung (which there rarely is). The other
equipment I just rinse with hot water after use, occasionally giving them
the baking soda treatment. For truly stubborn stains and mold (which most
often appear in the bottom of improperly rinsed bottles), I use that
pinkish-purple chlorinated detergent that goes by various names:
Choriclean, Diversol (I think).... It's the same stuff I used to use in
the dishwasher when I worked at a restaurant during high school. It truly
kicks butt, cleaning and sanitizing in one go, but is much nastier and more
expensive than bleach and baking soda.
Just one set of beer-addled observations for your consideration....
- -----
Derrick Pohl (pohl@unixg.ubc.ca)
Vancouver, B.C.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 21:27:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: jimt@techbook.com (Jim Titus)
Subject: Heifeweizen
Does anyone out there have a good recipe (to include any special techniques)
for heifeweizen? i enjoy the local micro version (from Widmere in Portland,
OR) but want to try making a batch.
The stuff looks like greywater from an RV holding tank but it tastes
wondeful!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 21:30:38 PDT
From: bill@oilsystems.com (Bill Vaughan)
Subject: Jalapeno beer
Two years ago, Mary and I were visiting Phoenix and stopped at the Cave Creek
brewery, where one of the specialties is chili beer. (It was jalapenos then,
but I'm told they've gone to Serranos since.) We tried the jalapeno beer and
found it quite mild, and absolutely wonderful with hamburgers.
Four days later, before returning to the Bay area, we went back and found
the beer was substantially more spicy. On inquiring, I was told that the
amount of spice was related to how long the beer had been in the bottles,
because they use their ordinary golden lager and add a jalapeno in the bottle.
So how long had it been? The batch had been bottled on Tuesday, which made
Friday's (which we liked a lot) 3 days old. They also said the heat continued
to increase until the beer had been in the bottle about 60 days.
I brought some home. Sure enough, after a couple of months it was real
killer beer. So bad you had to have another beer! (Without chile.)
I resolved to make some, but NO WAY was I going to put a pepper in the
bottle, no matter how nice it looked. So I took a wild stab, guessing that
the effect might be linear (!): let's see, 1 jalapeno, 12 ounces, 3 days =
16 jalapenos, 5 gallons, 3 weeks. And that's what I did. Used my plain-jane
ale recipe, didn't hop it as much as usual, and threw 16 jalapenos into the
secondary for 3 weeks. (Blanched the peppers with boiling water to sterilize,
but did not cook them or cut them open. I would cut them open next time
because they insisted on floating for the whole 3 weeks.)
After 3 weeks, I bottled the beer, and as a bonus had a dish of jalapenos
pickled in beer. I would have saved them in the fridge but they didn't last
that long.
The beer turned out very good. Mild heat, jalapeno flavor just right.
The only problem is that the bottles tend to gush. Not infected, (the
commercial bottles gush too), just some weird effect of the oils or proteins
from the peppers. But gushing isn't a problem if you chill the bottles first,
and this is not a beer to be drunk at cellar temp anyway.
So to answer Vincent Heuring's question, just use any light ale or lager
recipe, and put 16 jalapenos per 5 gallons into the secondary for 3 weeks.
Or 32 jalapenos for a week and a half, if it's <really> linear, a hypothesis
I did not test.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1993 08:56:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: bickham@msc.cornell.edu
Subject: Re: Philmill
Jack writes:
> I have no problem with healthy competition and it's nice to know that our
> hobby can support this kind of growth but telling fibs about someone else's
> products is not a good idea.
I have to agree with Jack - while I object to some of his political
and philosophical stands, he does make a fine roller mill at a reasonable
price. I was skeptical at first, but the yields speak for themselves.
With a grain bill of 95% Munton and Fison Pale Ale malt and the rest
crystal malt, I get an efficiency of 32, which is very close to the
theoretical maximum of 34. For a typical weizen grain bill, my efficiency
was 34, which again compares well with the maximum of 36 for malted wheat.
My only objection is that due to the high yields, I've been having
problems overshooting my desired original gravities, but I think I
can find a way to live with the extra maltiness ;-)
Scott
- --
========================================================================
Scott Bickham |
LASSP and Materials Science Center | bickham@msc.cornell.edu
=========================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 93 16:43:00 +0000
From: ron_hall%80@hp6400.desk.hp.com
Subject: JALAPENO BEER
Item Subject: Jalapeno Beer
In HBD 1163, Vincent Heuring (heuring@riker.cs.colorado.edu) asks:
"Does anyone have a partial mash or extract recipe for jalapeno
pepper beer?"
Well, following the advice of the HBD community, I have made
two batches in the last year in which I put slices of jalapeno in
a dozen or so bottles at bottling time. The first batch was
a partial mash-based pale ale, in which I tried both 1/4" thick
slices and 1/8" thick slices. The 1/4" slices were WAY too hot,
and I happen to like spicy food (and drink) alot. The 1/8" slices
were just right. I tried the 1/8" slices in a mash-based Steam beer
recently and the spicing was about right. Use fat peppers so that the
slices stick in the neck of the bottle when pouring, and try to
leave out the seeds.
One problem I have had with this method is that I have had several
"gushers". I am not sure if this is due to contamination on the
peppers, or some reaction from the peppers themselves. I did not
sterilize the peppers the first time, just rinsed them in hot water.
On the second batch, I gave them a quick dunk in a bleach water,
but did not want to get a bleach flavor in them so I kept it short.
I would probably try a little longer soak in a very weak bleach
or bisulfite solution. Any ideas out there?
The gushers do not have any off-flavors, just seem over-carbonated.
By the way, Crazy Ed's in Cave Creek, AZ makes a very good chili
beer using a whole pepper in each bottle. They are not jalapenos,
something a little weaker.
Good luck.
Ron Hall, Corvallis, Oregon
(ron_hall@hp6400.desk.hp.com)
------------------------------
Date: 17 Jun 1993 09:43:28 U
From: "Westemeier*, Ed" <westemeier@pharos-tech.com>
Subject: CP fillers
Jay marshall <marshall@pat.mdc.com> writes:
> I'm looking for a counter-pressure filler and was wondering if anybody
> has used the one made by Benjamine Machine Products (Modesto CA) that
> is advertised in Zymurgy occasionally. Also, I have heard that the
> CPF made by Foxx doesn't work as well as it should. Can anybody comment?
Definitely!
I started with the Foxx CP filler, and after cutting my fingers to shreds,
deforming the valve handles, finding the need for 4 or 5 hands at once, and
generally becoming exasperated, I gave it up.
I still wanted to do CP bottle filling, so I bought one from a very reputable
homebrew supply store. Similar to the Foxx model, with similar results.
Finally, I bought the BMP model and have been absolutely delighted with it.
It's far easier and more convenient to use, does a superb job (OK, you have
to get the knack of using it, but that only takes 2 or 3 bottles), and is well
worth the price. It's also easier to clean. Incidentally, it was designed by
Micah Millspaw, formerly a regular here.
After demonstrating the BMP filler to two of my friends, they were both
sufficiently impressed to buy one themselves.
FWIW, I have heard that the CP filler sold by DeFalco is also excellent, but
I have never seen it and can't vouch for it. All others I have seen are not
worth much, IMHO.
++ Ed Westemeier ++ Cincinnati, Ohio ++
++ westemeier@delphi.com ++
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 93 07:56:43 MDT
From: pyle@intellistor.com (Norm Pyle)
Subject: Brewing Capitol, etc.
Steve Stroud's done it now:
It is very easy in the current renaissance-in-brewing atmosphere in the US to
get wrapped up in our own little corner of the world and think that we sit on
top of the best beer. But the truth is that we're not even close. There is
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
high quality brew in this country, but there is also a *lot* more mediocre beer
being made, whether you're talking the East Coast, the West Coast, or
somewhere in between.
Beer Heaven (and the Brewing Capitol of the World) in undoubtedly located in
Europe. I'd nominate Belgium for Heaven, Bavaria for the Capitol, with the
British Isles and the rest of Germany as close also-rans.
The USA is hardly in the race.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Steve, I've always referred to Belgium as "Beer Heaven", but only from what
I've read. Sadly, I haven't been able to afford a visit. I have to take
exception to your harsh comments, though. Your favorite styles of beer may be
Belgian, Bavarian, or British. My favorites might include American Pale
Ales, along with your list. My point is that American breweries, the small
to medium sized ones, are producing beer that can stand up to any beers in
the world. They are different, not better, not worse. The variety of beer
available to the consumer in the US, I'm told, is much greater than in the UK
or Germany, although I doubt that is true for Belgium. I wouldn't call it a
race, but the US certainly in the mix, and we are, at least, "close". Also,
I do believe Michael Jackson would support this position, from what I've read.
I guess it all depends on how you define "Beer Capitol" or "Heaven", etc. MHO.
Cheers,
Norm
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1993 09:54:12 -0400
From: Nick Zentena <zen%hophead@canrem.com>
Subject: Re: Fud,cherries and kettle handles
>Date: Tue, 15 Jun 93 09:51 CDT
>From: arf@genesis.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
>Subject: Phillmill
> I have never seen a PM but, having only one roller working against a fixed
If you've never seen it then your post sure sounds
like FUD! Why don't you ask someone who has seen
both mills to compare? Na that would have cut down
on your chance to advertise.-(
- ------------------------------
>Date: Tue, 15 Jun 93 21:49 CDT
>From: fjdobner@ihlpb.att.com
>Subject: How Long On Fruit
>Brewers of Fruit,
>I am interested in the experience of those having brewed with cherries.
>I brewed a Cherry Weiss with limited success last summer and am
>attempting at doing it better this year. I am using very tart cherries
>of which I pitted and froze about 30 lbs. last year.
IMHO you should not have pitted the cherries. The
pits themselves add an interesting not to the beer.
>In my current creation, I am using about 11 lbs. for a 5 gallon batch.
>The question that I have is how long a period time is it recommended
>to let the fruit sit on the beer?
Well if you are going to follow what the lambic
brewers do then you are looking at around 6months.
The pKriek I made last fall spent almost 6months on
the fruit the flavour,aroma and colour were
perfect[Well at least the cherry part-)] Give it
time.
>Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1993 10:56:20 -0400
>From: an982@yfn.ysu.edu (Steven Zabarnick)
>Subject: Full wort boil
>As I boiled out on the porch and set up to chill in the
>kitchen, I had to carry the full, hot kettle with copper
>tubing protruding. This was much more challenging then
>expected. Do most people avoid carrying the hot wort by
>chilling in place (using a garden hose)? During chilling
>the kettle cover does not completely seal due to the
>copper tubing; should I have used plastic wrap to keep out
>the nasties?
Do not move a full kettle. I lost the handle on mine
and endup with some interesting burns-(. Chill first
and then shipon. The weight isn't that bad but the
handles aren't up to doing it too many times.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I drink Beer I don't collect cute bottles!
zen%hophead@canrem.com
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1993 07:33:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul dArmond <paulf@henson.cc.wwu.edu>
Subject: Thanks for fritted glass leads
Thanks to everyone who sent me information on sources for fritted glass.
I'm impressed (as always) by the kind and helpful nature of this forum.
If you're coming to Portland, stop by and see me at my booth at the
Jambeeree. I'll be in #3, way in the back.
Paul.
=================
Special to Greg Kelly: I'm getting bounces from fourcroy.chem:
>User unknown: Socket operation on non-socket
Must be one of those metric/SAE things...
Thanks again.
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1165, 06/18/93
*************************************
-------
