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HOMEBREW Digest #1206
This file received at Sierra.Stanford.EDU 93/08/18 00:34:15
HOMEBREW Digest #1206 Wed 18 August 1993
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
WORT AERATION (Jack Schmidling)
Lager yeast at warm Temp. (geotex)
To: Bart Thielges (korz)
Re: Recipe formulation (npyle)
Sham(?) Glassware (Tom Leith MIR/ERL 362-6965)
Yeast FAQ corrections (korz)
Re: rapid chilldowns after boiling (korz)
Sanitation 'crit' - mea culpa (Jim Sims)
YACFWCD (Yet another counter flow wort chiller design) (Drew Lynch)
Welding Stainless (Brian M. Vandewettering)
Re: Water and Mineral Hardness (Kinney Baughman)
re-priming results (Bart Thielges)
hydrogen peroxide (Human Genome Center, LBL) <stevko@genome.lbl.gov>
SS 55 Gallon Drum (WHEATON_JOHN/HPBOI1_03)
Strike temperature ("Andy Phillips, Long Ashton, Bristol, UK")
Fruit Beer/calories (Marcia Ingrid Hageman)
ICE-BREWED BEER (neal.ridgeway)
Reusing Yeast Slurry (gorman)
water, beer in BC, homebrew data (ghultin)
FWD: It was foamy with a mature flavor ... (carlson)
RE:Grolsch Bottles and Carbonation ("John R. Calen - Contacting Systems - E.F., N.Y")
reLYeast culture kits & shipping (Jim Busch)
Shipping live yeast (Jim Griggers)
withholding grains until after conversion (Mike Zulauf)
Visiting Los Angeles ("Phillip Seitz")
top fermenting infection? (Stephen Brent Peters)
Remove me from your mail list (sheaffer donald a)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 08:51 CDT
From: arf@genesis.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
Subject: WORT AERATION
WORT AERATION PRIOR TO PITCHING
Jack Schmidling
Aug 14, 1993
There has been a great deal of enthusiastic reporting on the
use of aquarium air pumps to aerate wort prior to pitching
yeast and many rather preposterous claims of shortened time
to the onset of fermentation resulting from the use of same.
As the author's experience on one batch did not support any
such claims, a controlled experiment was designed to
determine the validity of said claims.
The experiment described herein compares the air pump
aerator with several other less exotic methods along with an
un-aerated control batch.
The wort used was withheld from a batch of Pilsner style
beer with a gravity of 1.050. It was re-boiled several days
after the original batch was pitched so that it could be
pitched with controlled amounts of kraeusen from the new
batch. The re-boiling was to re-established an anaerobic
environment along with re-sterilizing the wort.
Prior to pitching, the wort was divided into (4) 500 ml
samples in sterile, one quart mason jars and aerated in
various ways as follows:
#1 Control... No aeration. Just gently poured from kettle
into jar.
#2 Siphon Simulation... Poured into jar from a height of
12 inches in a narrow stream to simulate what one would
get simply by siphoning and letting the stream fall
into a fermenter.
#3 Pumped from kettle through nozzle to "squirt" into jar.
This is the system normally used by the author to
transfer from kettle to fermenter.
#4 Aerated with aquarium pump and fine mist airstone.
Pump was run until foam volume equaled wort volume then
shut off till the foam collapsed. This was repeated 5
times for a total on-time of (2) minutes. The time was
based on a very conservative scale down from Miller's
suggested time of 15 minutes for a 5 gallon batch. It
represents about 5 times the amount of air per unit
wort volume recommended by Miller. (*1)
The wort was cooled to a temperature of 70F before being
aerated. All four samples were pitched with 50 ml of
working kraeusen. This active wort was taken as a single
sample and thoroughly mixed prior to dividing into 4
individual portions to assure a homogeneous and identical
yeast in each test.
The yeast used was Pilsener Urquel recultured from a slant
obtained from Paul Farnsworth. (*2)
After pitching, the four test batches were placed in a
refrigerator at 40F and checked every four hours for signs
of incipient fermentation.
RESULTS............
No sign of fermentation was detected until the 72 hr check.
At this time, a small island of bubbles was just visible in
the center of all four samples.
To accelerate the conclusion of the experiment, the samples
were removed from the refrigerator and allowed to rise to
room temperature (75 F). They were monitored until the
entire surface of the fermenters were covered with foam.
This occurred about 9 hours later on all four samples.
...............
ALE YEAST
To take the experiment one step further, a similar but
abbreviated experiment was conducted with ale yeast.
Two 500 ml samples of a similar wort were treated as
follows:
#5 Control... No aeration
#6 Shook jar vigorously until foam volume equaled wort
volume. This was allowed to settle and repeated
(5) times.
Both samples were pitched with 0.4 grams of granulated EDME
ale yeast, poured directly on top of the wort.
They were maintained at a temperature 75 F and monitored
regularly until the onset of fermentation. This occurred at
4.5 hrs in both samples. The tops of both fermenters were
covered with foam at 10 hrs total elapsed time.
CONCLUSION...
The experiment seems to confirm the author's previous
experience and points to the conclusion that the method of
aeration used has no correlation with or effect on the time
to onset of fermentation. Contrary to frequently stated
anecdotal experience, the un-aerated control samples started
fermenting as soon and with the same vigor as the variously
aerated samples. This was true both in the case of cold
temperature lager yeast and room temperature ale yeast.
This experiment was not intended to test any other aspects
of the brewing process that may be affected by wort
aeration. Much has been written on the subject and the
present author's intent was only to study the effects of
aeration on the onset of fermentation.
..............
*1 Dave Miller on Hung Fermentations, Brewing Techniques,
May/June 1993
*2 Dr Paul Farnsworth, Scientific Service, San Antonio, TX
js
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 10:40:20 -0400
From: <geotex@engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Lager yeast at warm Temp.
I am preparing to brew up a pilsner from Charlie P's book. I have
purchased Wyeast American Lager yeast.
I realize that that I will not obtain a true pilsener without a lagering
operation, but at this time, I don't have the means to keep the fermentation
cool. (I hadhoped I would by now).
So the big question is: Should I go ahead a brew this batch at a warm
temp. (70+) with the lager yeast? More specifically, will I get a complete
fermentation from lager yeast at the warm temp?
Charlie P. says that the lager yeast will do okay at room temp, but I
wanted to see if anyone had any bad (or good) experiences with this
type of situtation. (Or, if anyone had any suggestions)
You can e-mail me to save bandwith.
Thanks for the input,
Alex
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 10:01 CDT
From: korz@iepubj.att.com
Subject: To: Bart Thielges
Bart--
My machines cannot reach your machines - please call me at 708-430-HOPS
some evening. Sorry for use of bandwidth.
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 9:32:27 MDT
From: npyle@n33.stortek.com
Subject: Re: Recipe formulation
John Montgomery asks about formulating his own recipes. He says he has 10 or
11 all grainers behind him and wants to strike out creating his own recipes.
This brings up an interesting point to me. I wonder how many people with this
much experience have done this little experimenting. I have brewed a total of
16 batches, the last 5 or 6 being all-grainers. I have been trying new things
with recipes since the second batch. Now, maybe I'm taking more creative
credit than I'm due, because I usually start with a recipe. I then adjust it
for my setup, ingredients on hand, ingredients available at the local HB shop,
my whims, etc. Doing this, I've only really screwed up one batch due to poor
recipe formulation, and I used it for boiling brats, etc. so it wasn't a total
loss.
The biggest variability I found was with hops. Once I found Rager's formulas
in the Zymurgy hops special addition, this went away. Of course, yeast is a
big contributor, but with some common sense, you probably can't pick a yeast
that will ruin a brew. The grain affects final flavor in a big way too, but
again, you won't ruin a batch by picking an American 2-row rather than a
Belgian 2-row. It will be different, and you may prefer one over the other (I
bet I know which one!) but it won't be bad.
With John's experience, he should be experimenting a lot, IMHO. Maybe I screw
around too much but then I'm not out to win contests. I'm only out to brew
a beer I really like. For me that means variety, and variety means
experimentation, which is a major reason I homebrew. I guess I've rambled
enough about this. Comments?
norm
- --
Norm Pyle, Staff Engineer Storage Technology Corporation
npyle@n33.stortek.com 2270 South 88th Street
Louisville, CO 80028-0211
(303) 673-8884
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1993 11:32:05 -0500
From: trl@photos.wustl.edu (Tom Leith MIR/ERL 362-6965)
Subject: Sham(?) Glassware
I've lost track of this company. Can somebody help me get in touch with them?
Address and/or phone number would be greatly appreciated....
t
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 12:53 CDT
From: korz@iepubj.att.com
Subject: Yeast FAQ corrections
First off, 3 cheers to Patrick for the effort in compiling all
that yeast information!
I have a few additions and corrections, however:
> Lallemand Nottingham Yeast
> This yeast is remarkable for its high degree of
> flocculation. It settles out very quickly and firmly.
> Very good reputation. Very fast to create a krausen and
> needed blowoff tube 6 hours after pitching hydrated
> yeast. Quick fermentation at 62F. It's very clean and
> only very slightly fruity in the keg, but tastes/smells
> nutty in the bottled version. Nottingham appears to be
> relatively attenuative (more so than the Coopers).
>
> Lallemand Windsor Yeast
> Produces a beer which is clean and well balanced.
> This yeast produces an ale which is estery to both palate
> and nose with a slight fresh yeast flavour. Very good
> reputation. Not a quick as the Nottingham. Not
> attenuative. Definite banana smell at racking.
According to two fellow Brewers of South Suburbia, Dick and Steve,
the Windsor is more powdery (doesn't flocculate as well) as the
Nottingham and thus tends to be more attenuative.
>
> Munton-Fison Ale Yeast
> Starts quick. Produces some fruity esters. Attenuative.
> Phenolic taste. Fair to good reputation.
I believe I was the one who reported the intense phenolic nose
and flavor with M&F "Muntona" yeast. It appears, however, that
they have gone to a new strain and a recent batch I made had
none of the phenolics I reported earlier. I've read that improper
rehydration (rehydration in wort rather than water) can lead to
off flavors, so maybe that was the problem I had with the Muntona
yeast.
>WYeast
First off, it's Wyeast and it's sort of a pun, since Wyeast is the
Native American name for Mt. Hood which is not far from Wyeast Labs.
Also, a frequently asked question is "how do you pronounce Wyeast?"
Well, it's pronounced like "WHY-yeast."
> WYeast 1007 German Ale Yeast
> Ferments dry and crisp leaving a complex yet mild
> flavour. Produces an extremely rocky head and ferments
> well down to 55 deg. F (12 deg. C). Flocculation is high
> and apparent attenuation is 73-77%. Optimum fermentation
> temperature: 62 deg. F (17 deg. C). A good balance of
> sweetness and tartness, with a pronounced green-apple
> note. A very pleasing yeast.
I did not get a green-apple note when I used this yeast.
Perhaps it was just tasted young and it was actually
acetaldahyde which is often found in young beers but
later fades unless the beer is filtered (like Budweiser).
> WYeast 1028 London Ale Yeast
> Rich minerally profile, bold woody slight diacetyl
> production. Medium flocculation. Apparent attenuation
> 73-77%. Optimum fermentation temperature: 68 deg. F (20
> deg. C). Complex, woody, tart, with strong mineral
> notes, this one will bite you horribly if you over-hop or
> if your water is high in carbonates. If you avoid that
> Scylla and Charybdis, it produces ales of marvellous
> complexity and sophistication. Most of the time you'll
> wish you'd used 1098 or 1056. Had best results in
> porters. Over-hopping is especially bad, but if you
> throttle the hops back, the results are indeed
> marvellous. Used this yeast in a Kolsch once, and it was
> *fantastic* The wood and mineral notes fused with the
> Hallertauer hops (which were used with some restraint),
> and a couple of months of cool ageing brought out some
> green apple in the aroma as well as the pallette. It
> tasted a good bit hoppier than it really was, and overall
> was well-balanced and smooth.
This is one of my two favorites (1056 being the other) and I've
brewed some very high IBU ales with it without the overhopping
problems reported here. Just 40 datapoints or so. Also, I'd
like to mention that this yeast was used for the 1992 B.0.S.S.
Challenge 1st place Barleywine, brewed by none other than Brian
and Linda North.
> WYeast 2007 Pilsen Lager Yeast
> Our original Lager Yeast Strain. Specific for pilsner
> style beers. Known as many things, we call it Pilsen.
> Ferments dry, crisp, clean and light. Medium
> flocculation. Apparent attenuation from 71-75%. Optimum
> fermentation temperature: 52 deg. F (11 deg. C).
It is worth mentioning that this yeast strain is reportedly
used quite a bit in St. Louis, if you know what I mean ;^).
> WYeast 2035 American Lager Yeast
> American Lager Yeast. Unlike American pilsner styles.
> It is bold, complex and woody. Produces slight diacetyl.
> Medium flocculation, apparent attenuation 73-77%.
> Optimum fermentation temperature: 50 deg. F (10 deg. C).
This yeast allegedly is the one used by August Schell in
new Ulm, MN.
> WYeast 2112 California Lager Yeast
> Warm fermenting bottom cropping strain, ferments well to
> 62 deg. F (17 deg. C) while keeping lager
> characteristics. Malty profile, highly flocculant,
> clears brilliantly. Apparent attenuation 72-76%.
Allegedly, the Anchor steam yeast.
> WYeast 2124 Bohemian Lager Yeast
> The traditional saaz yeast from Czechoslovakia. Ferments
> clean and malty, rich residual maltiness in high gravity
> pilsners, medium flocculation, apparent attenuation
> 69-73%. Optimum fermentation temperature: 48 deg. F (9
> deg. C).
Allegedly, one of the four (?) Pilsner Urquell yeasts.
> WYeast 2308 Munich Lager Yeast
> Lager yeast from Wissenschaftliche in Munich #308. One
> of the first pure yeast available to American home
> brewers. Sometimes unstable, but smooth soft well rounded
> and full bodied. Medium flocculation, apparent
> attenuation 73-77%. Optimum fermentation temperature: 50
> deg.F (10 deg. C).
I'd like to mention that I got an intense off aroma (like home
perm solution) with this yeast fermented at 45-50F, but it
miraculously disappeared after four months aging in the bottle
at 40F.
> WYeast 3056 Bavarian Weissen Yeast
> A 50/50 blend of S. cerevisiae and delbrueckii to produce
> a south German style wheat beer with cloying sweetness
> when the beer is fresh. Medium flocculation, apparent
> attenuation 73-77%. Optimum fermentation temperature: 56
> deg. F (13 deg. C). Problematical to get the right
> flavour, often just produces bland beer, without the
> lactic flavour.
No, no, no. Lactic sourness is the requisite characteristic
of a *Berliner* weiss, not a Bavarian weizen -- Bavarian weizens
are characterized by clove-like aromas/flavors and often some mild
banana esters. What the original poster probably meant was:
"Problematic to get the right flavor, often just produces relatively
unattenuated beer, without the clove-like aroma/flavor." I have
been thinking that perhaps it's the freshness of the Wyeast #3056
that makes the difference in whether you get the clove-like aroma/flavor
or not. Any other data points?
> Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast
> Very attenuative. Good for mead. Good reputation.
Popular yeast for Imperial Stouts and Barleywines due to it's high
tolerance for alcohol. Some use it by itself, others pitch Pasteur
after their chosen beer yeast poops out.
>Part 1: Hydration Procedure For Dry Yeast
>
>a. Use 14 grams of dry yeast (usually 2 packets) per 5 gallons of brew.
> ***Rigorously*** sterilize everything used in the hydration procedure.
>
>b. Add the dry yeast to 1/2 cup of water at 90F (32C). Leave for 15 mins.
According to the Lallemand newsletter, the proper temperature for rehydration
is 104F to 110F. Also, you may want to mention that this should be boiled
and cooled water, so chlorine is boiled off and so the water is sanitized.
You would be surprised at how literally some people take directions!
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 13:30 CDT
From: korz@iepubj.att.com
Subject: Re: rapid chilldowns after boiling
Rick writes:
>Hi all! I've been a homebrewer for about a year now, and since I live in a
>small apartment, I can only brew from extracts and partial grain recipes.
>A few days ago, I saw a brief post on the HBD where someone said NOT to
>dump a boiling hot wort into a carboy filled with cold water. Why not?
>I know Papazian says to do this, and while I would not jump off a bridge
>if he told me to, I had never heard otherwise (I am a new subscriber to HBD).
>My brews have all been quite good (if I don't say so myself), so I don't
>know what the problem is with doing this. Please, someone, set me straight.
>I'd like to get the facts.
I think the most important reason is to avoid aerating the hot wort. It
would be okay to instead *gently* pour or (even better) siphon the hot wort
into the cold water. Once the temperature of the wort has dropped to below
80F (that's the commonly agreed upon temperature) you should then aerate
the heck out of the wort, but not while it's still hot. Before I built
a wort chiller, I used to gently lower blocks of boiled-then-frozen water
into the kettle and then topped up the fermenter with boiled-cooled water.
I noticed a BIG difference in the flavor and stability of my beer. I think
you will too.
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 14:41:51 EDT
From: sims@pdesds1.scra.org (Jim Sims)
Subject: Sanitation 'crit' - mea culpa
OOPS!
It was actually Al Korzonas, from Sheaf & Vine Brewing Supply, that
called the manufacturer and emailed me the proper dosage (1 tbsp/gal)
for B-Brite.
Sorry, Al
And THANKS!
jim
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 11:51:41 -0700
From: Drew Lynch <drew@chronologic.com>
Subject: YACFWCD (Yet another counter flow wort chiller design)
After modifying my immersion chiller to be a "coil in a bucket -o-
cold water" chiller, I finally seem to have gotten it right.
Drew's Counterflow Wort Chiller Design
Parts list:
50' 5/8" id garden hose
50' 3/8" od soft copper refridgeration tubing
6 ea 1.5" long pieces of 1/2" copper pipe
2 ea copper "T"s to fit above pipe
2 ea copper end caps for above pipe
4 hose clamps
plastic zip ties
Tools Needed:
sharp knife or clippers
propane torch, solder and flux
standard screwdriver
power drill, 1/8" bit & 3/8" bit
1) Cut off each end of the garden hose, leaving about 8" attached to
each "hose end"
2) Insert the 6 pieces of copper pipe into the 6 ends of the 2 copper
tees, and solder in place.
3) Drill a 1/8" hole in the end of each copper end cap.
4) Enlarge these holes to 3/8"
5) attach one end cap to each enlarged "T" so that you can look
through the "T" and see light through the 3/8" hole in the end cap.
6) straighten the 50' of copper tubing, and feed through the garden hose.
7) slip a hose clamp over each end of the garden hose.
8) slip the copper "T" assembly over the end of the copper tubing, and
into the garden hose. Attach with clamp.
9) Solder the copper tubing to the "T" assembly where it passes
through the hole in the end cap.
10) Using the 2 remaining hose clamps, attach the hose end remnants to
the "other" end of the "T" assembly.
copper T ______________________________________ copper T
end+-----------+ clamp Garden Hose clamp +-----------+end
===============<<<<==copper=tubing=<<<=wort=flow=direction=<<<============
cap+--+ +--+______________________________________+--+ +--+cap
| | | |
+ + + +
| clamp | | clamp |
| | | |
Hose end in Hose end out
11) Coil this using your favorite round object as a form. I used my
old 5 gallon brewpot. Zip tie the coils together.
I attached 3/8" id plastic tubing to each end of the chiller. For
the "in" end, I attached a 3/8" od copper racking cane. I hose
clamped a copper Chore Boy scrubber to the end of the racking cane, to
filter out hop particles.
To sanitize, I siphon iodophor solution through the chiller into the
carboy. To start the siphon, put a female garden hose to 3/8" hose
barb fitting on the "out" end and attach it to a water source, Place
the "racking cane" into a bucket filled with sanitizer. Then run the
water until all the air is removed from the system, disconnect the
water source, and place the "out end" lower than the "in end" immersed
in sanitizer. I use this same method to start the siphon from the hot
wort (remember not to blow bubbles into the hot wort though).
This design works very well. I was able to drop boiling wort to
within 5 degrees F of the tap water temperature. I found three
drawbacks: 1) The flow is very slow. It took about 20 minutes to
siphon 5 gallons through the system. 2) a fair amount of wort is left
in the tubing then the siphon quits. 3) a fair amount of wort is left
amongst the hops in the bottom of the brew kettle. I have a small
food grade pump which I may attach to the outflow of the chiller next
time I use it, which should solve #1 & #2 and help #3.
I may also add another, bare copper coil between the outflow of the
CF chiller and the carboy. This coil will be immersed in a small ice
bucket. This will minimize the amount of ice needed, and get that
final, desireable drop in temperature.
Drew Lynch
Chronologic Simulation, Los Altos, Ca.
(415)965-3312 x18
drew@chronologic.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1993 13:39:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: bmv@plaza.ds.adp.com (Brian M. Vandewettering)
Subject: Welding Stainless
What special considerations are there for welding stainless steel for
brewing equipment? I've heard that Cadmium rod should be avoided since
it could leach into the hot wort. Are there other things to consider?
I've heard that you can arc weld stainless. While heli-arc gives a cleaner
result, are there other reasons not to use a simple arc welder?
-brian
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1993 20:15:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Kinney Baughman <BAUGHMANKR@conrad.appstate.edu>
Subject: Re: Water and Mineral Hardness
Steve asks:
>A few questions:
> 1. Where is the best place to get a water hardness analysis?
Check your local aquarium shop. They have kits that allow you to test
your own water hardness.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kinney Baughman | Beer is my business and
baughmankr@conrad.appstate.edu | I'm late for work.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 17:27:38 PDT
From: nexgen!bart@olivea.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Bart Thielges)
Subject: re-priming results
As promised, here are the results from my attempt to recarbonate a partial
batch of ale. This is a follow up to last week's response to Robert Pulliam's
question about rebottling beer that has altready been kegged. I can now
comment on the results.
First, some history of the batch. It was brewed from a Boot's "mild"
kit combined with 4lbs of unhopped amber extract. The following dates
refer to time relative to the initial priming/kegging/bottling :
day 0 - batch is combined with 1/2 cup corn sugar and mixed in a 5 gallon
cornelius keg. 2.5 gallons are then siphoned off into bottles.
day 2 - After noticing that the keg does not build up any pressure, I
finally figure out an error that I made in reassembly. The error
is corrected, but I am even more suspicious of the viability of
the kegged beer. 1/3 cup of corn sugar in boiling water is added
to re-prime the beer. About 1 gallon is siphoned off into
bottles, leaving about 1.5 gallons in the 5 gallon keg. The
relief valve at the top of the keg is left open overnight to
allow air to be replaced with CO2.
day 12 The kegged beer is sampled. The keg starts with about 20psi
and is relieved to about 5psi for dispensing. It is iced
down from the cellar temperature of 70F to 50F. It tastes fine.
day 15 The kegged beer is iced down and sampled again. Now it has
developed a harsh unpleasant bitter taste. Making the assumption
that the lowered pressure has somehow activated a "bad" mode
of yeast growth, I repressurize to 20psi.
day 16 The taste test. (see below)
The taste test involved comparing the three different sub-batches. Batch
A is the originally bottled beer from day 0. Batch B is the beer rebottled
on day 2. Batch C is what remained in the keg. Here's the comments from
the tasters :
Batch Taster 1 Taster 2
- ----- ------------------------------- ---------------------------------
A Tastes good. mature Tastes fine, full bodied
B Good, but a little "green" Like batch A except much more
carbonation and a little thinner.
C Like batch B, but flat too bitter, a bit flat
So, one conclusion is that the re-priming technique seems to work well
at the expense of losing some of the body. If it were re-primed with
DME, perhaps the body could be preserved. In retrospect, 1/3 cup of
corn sugar was too much for the repriming.
However, I am somewhat baffled about why the beer turned harshly
bitter between days 12 and 15. This is the second time a kegged
batch turned out with this bitter taste. The first keg started out
bitter even when filled to 5 gallons. It did however, have a long
ride in the back of a car soon before tapping.
These bitter kegged beers are somewhat disappointing. So far, I have
yet to get a good batch of beer from a keg. My bottled beers do not
exhibit this problem. Does anyone have any guesses as to why my kegged
batches are turning bitter ? Surely 100s of homebrewers using cornelius
kegs can't be wrong.
Until I can figure out what is going wrong, Mr. Cornelius Keg is on
probation.
Bart
(brewing equipment destroyed in this experiment : 0)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 17:39:59 PDT
From: Victor Stevko (Human Genome Center, LBL) <stevko@genome.lbl.gov>
Subject: hydrogen peroxide
DO NOT DRINK Hydrogen Peroxide! Gee whiz - look at your logic: hydrogen
and oxygen aren't poisonous, you say. Sodium and chlorine ARE, yet table
salt, sodium chloride, is an essential nutrient. Besides, even granting
your (incorrect) logic, oxygen IS poisonous. Oxygen damages your body.
Vitamin C is supposed to do its job by being an anti-oxidant - any
connections? Your body does a great deal of work trying to keep oxygen,
which, yes, is essential, from damaging you beyond repair. Honest- I did
a thesis on a related matter.
The super-oxidation of solutions you refer to IS the chemical reaction you
are looking for - it breaks down proteins, lipids (fats), cell walls, etc.
That's how it kills bacteria as an antiseptic
Data point: Viruses don't respire aerobically or otherwise. An anaerobic
virus is a meaningless term.
Data point: Warts come and go, often spontaneously.
In beer, hydrogen peroxide will kill your yeast. Remember, it's supposed
to stop infections?
Data point: There is a POISON label on that bottle oof peroxide. Why
might it be there?
Mr. Childers, I am sorry to be so vehement, but I fear you are
doing yourself harm. Stop drinking hydrogen peroxide, and do deep
breathing exercises, if you want more oxygen. Call the researchers you
refer to, and ask them about this, if you must. But do the reseearch
before the experimentation with your health and life - please.
---Victor Stevko
stevko@genome.lbl.gov
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 19:19:00 +0000
From: WHEATON_JOHN/HPBOI1_03@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com
Subject: SS 55 Gallon Drum
Item Subject: d:\memo\jw55gal
I am in search of expanding my boiling kettle to over 25 gallons. I have heard
that there are 55 gallon SS drums that are used in the food industry. Does any
one know where I can get one. I have checked our local cafeteria but they say
no one uses them anymore.
Any clues? I did find 55 Gal. SS drum behind a restaurant but it is being used
for old grease. Yum! that will make for quite a clean up and is my last resort
to ask them for it.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for making a 25< boiling kettle?
Remember, I have a (very) limited brew equipment budget.
John in boise
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 9:09 BST
From: "Andy Phillips, Long Ashton, Bristol, UK" <phillipsa@afrc.ac.uk>
Subject: Strike temperature
Until recently, I mashed using a Bruheat boiler (a brewing
bucket fitted with thermostat and element), but I became
dissatisfied with the poor control of temperature, hot spots
near the element etc. I've now bought an insulated mash tun
(actually a picnic chest with tap and slotted pipe sparge
manifold).
This is probably an FAQ, but can someone tell me the
specific heat capacity of crushed malt, so that I can
heat my strike liquor to the right temperature (65C)? Dave Line's
books don't seem to take the mass of grains into account when
calculating strike temperature. Alternatively, could you tell me
waht mass of grains you use and at what temperature, the volume of
water and strike temperature, and the final mash temperature, so
that I can work it out for myself.
Thanks
Andy Phillips
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1993 18:13:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: Marcia Ingrid Hageman <MHAGEMAN@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU>
Subject: Fruit Beer/calories
Fellow Brewers:
A couple of questions for you. Thanks in advance for your help!
1. Fruit Beer - I have a large amount of fresh-picked wild blackberries that
I'd like to preserve for later addition to beer. What's the best way? Are
they best frozen, or first made into syrup and canned? If canned, can I safely
omit sugar, or is that needed for prevention of spoilage?
2. Fruit Beer - OK, so I've got the berries... now what? How much fruit is
added to what kind of "base" beer? Any recipes?
3. Beer belly - Are there reliable ways of measuring caloric content of
homebrew? This is of some concern to my wife, who sees my once svelte >; -)
abdomen tending toward flab.
Thanks again,
Kyle Hammon
MHAGEMAN@UOREGON.OREGON.EDU
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 08:28:03
From: neal.ridgeway@mms.raleigh.nc.us
Subject: ICE-BREWED BEER
A friend of mine just returned home from Canada and he told me of a
new slogan being used by the Canadian breweries. He said they were
now selling "Ice Brewed" beers! I asked him if he didn't mean
"Cold Filtered" and he assured me that it wasn't cold filtered or
ice filtered but "Ice Brewed". He told me he like Labatt's the best,
but also like Molson's, Carling Black Label, and others.
Is this something new in brewing like "Dry Beer" was or are we talking
about the old process of Lagering?
Also - Like JS, I have used an aquarium pump to try to aerate my new
batches of ale. For me it just never did as well as my old reliable 18 inch
stainless steel 3/8 inch tube with the 4 1/16 inch holes drilled 2
inches from the top. With my SS Keg/Boiler sitting at approx 3 feet
of the ground, approx 2 feet of 3/8" ID vinyl tubing connecting the
spigot of the boiler to the SS tubing, when I open the spigot and
start pouring 65-70 degree wort into my primary, the air rushing
through the holes in the SS tubing COMPLETELY aerates the wort. When
finished there is a good 12 inches of foam protruding out of the
fermenter.
Hoppy trails to U.
Neal
neal.ridgeway@mms.raleigh.nc.us
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 09:07:14 EDT
From: gorman@aol.com
Subject: Reusing Yeast Slurry
I'd like to try to pour another batch of wort on top of the yeast slurry
that's currently bubbling away in my primary fermenter. It's Wyeast
California Lager.
Any advice via private email on things to do/not do, etc. would be
appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Bill Gorman
America Online
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 8:10:33 PDT
From: ghultin@sfu.ca
Subject: water, beer in BC, homebrew data
I enthusiastically second the kind of info Bill Flowers called
for regarding water alterations. I have never fooled with my
water, but it would be nice to see some more straightforward
talk and less scientific language (which is difficult for me,
a non-science type to understand).
Beer in BC. There are several microbreweries in BC. Don't be fooled
by the name however, my experience (limited) with Seattle micros
suggests that BC micros are smaller versions of the big brewers.
Sure, Okanagan Spring, Whistler Breweries make good beer, but
they do not have a diverse range of product, tending to stick with
what sells in our relatively small canadian market. Don't even
bother with Granville Island beers, they aren't worth it. If you've
tried Canadian you've had these supposed micro beers. (actually,
it's not that bad, but the general drift ofmeaning is there).
I do recommend Horseshoe Bay breweries. But Best for Last, go to
Spinnakers Brewpub in Victoria. It is close to downtown, just the
other side of the blue lift bridge, and they have wonderful brew,
and a wonderful variety. Swann's Brewpub is also a good choice
in Victoria. I tend to favour Spinnakers, but that's personal choice
for you.
Finally, I would be most interested in any collected database of
homebrew oriented information. If this collection does get made,
are there any plans to share/post/distribute it? I would enjoy a copy.
geoff.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 12:08:39 EDT
From: carlson@61.267.ENET.dec.com
Subject: FWD: It was foamy with a mature flavor ...
LONDON (UPI) -- Divers exploring the wreck of a Royal Navy ship that
sank near the Isle of Skye off Scotland during World War II have
recovered a small treasure -- 48 bottles of beer, unopened and unspoiled
after 50 years on the sea bed, officials at the Whitbread brewery said
Tuesday.
The divers, members of the Hartlepool Diving Club, were exploring
Royal Navy mine-layer HMS Port Napier when they discovered the cache of
Whitbread beer in the ship's galley. When they brought the bottles to
the surface, they sampled the brew and found it still drinkable.
``It was foamy with a mature flavor and you could still taste the
beer,'' said Tony Brumwell, one of the divers.
The divers handed over some of the beer to Whitbread's Castle Eden
brewery for testing.
``Beer is not meant to last a long time but our brewers are
interested in analyzing it to test its condition and alcoholic content,''
said Whitbread Regional Director Jim Kerr.
A fire broke out on the HMS Port Napier in 1942 as it started out on
a mine-laying mission. It sank in 80 feet of water. The navy later
salvaged the mines from the vessel but the ship remains on the sea bed
and is a favorite for exploration by divers.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 12:20:07 EDT
From: "John R. Calen - Contacting Systems - E.F., N.Y" <calen@vnet.IBM.COM>
Subject: RE:Grolsch Bottles and Carbonation
Philip J. Difalco suggests that contracting gaskets from the cold of
his refrigerator may lead to reduced carbonation in his beer.
I disagree.
Assuming that the conditioning is finished, the "problem" is more likely
the vapor pressure of the brew. The apparent carbonation is a function of
temperature and atmospheric pressure.
Basically, beer with a given content of Carbon Dioxide in solution, will bubble
more vigorously when it's warm than when it's cold. (Also on a rainy day
vs. a sunny one. But that difference is slight.)
It's very likely that the one which is 40 degrees F or so cooler than the
other will appear less carbonated.
Getting the thing nice and chilly is a good way to help offset the effects of
an overcarbonated brew. In fact, I've got a batch right now that will gush if
merely cooled, but is manageable once chilled. (Though it still needs
decanting. Hey, I thought it was done!)
Regards,
John Calen
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 13:03:41 EDT
From: Jim Busch <busch@daacdev1.stx.com>
Subject: reLYeast culture kits & shipping
In the last digest,
<Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1993 22:40:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jim Griggers <brew@devine.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM>
Subject: Shipping live yeast
<I bought a "Yeast Culture Kit" from _*deleted*_ when I was at
the AHA Conference in Portland. I had been thinking of buying one for
some time, and their "special show price" of $29.90 seemed great.
<The yeast arrived Friday in a plain manila envelope in the US Mail. My mail
box is a standard flat-black metal rural box that spends 75% of its time in
direct sunlight. Today is fairly cool (90F) and mostly cloudy. The temperature
inside the box was around 105F. I guess I am lucky in that: 1) I was
home, 2) I checked the mail early, and 3) today has mostly overcast skies.
I exhanged email with Jim, and just wanted to clarify that the kit in question
was *NOT* from the Yeast Culture Kit Company. I was a bit concerned of this,
thinking that there is a supplier that is not following the preferred methods
of shipping. When shipping yeasts in the hot hot summer, it is most definetly
a good practice to fork over the 6 bucks and get fast delivery. The yeast may
be fine, it may not. A small test ferment is in order to ascertain the
condition of the yeast.
Good brewing,
Jim Busch
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 12:09:24 -0600
From: Mike Zulauf <zulauf@orbit.Colorado.EDU>
Subject: withholding grains until after conversion
Hi everybody!
Now that I have my Gott insulated mash/lauter tun all set and ready
to go, I have a couple quick questions.
I have heard from numerous different sources of the benefits of
leaving any crystal malt of the mash until after conversion. This
supposedly keeps the complex sugars in the crystal malt from being
reduced to simpler, more fermentable ones, and has the effect of
yielding a maltier tasting beer.
My first question is, how many people do something like this? Does
it work?
Also, what other grains would benefit from this treatment? I've
heard rumbles that dextrine malts might as well, but I would like a
little more reassurance before I try it.
Thanks,
Mike
zulauf@orbit.colorado.edu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 14:00:23 -0400
From: "Phillip Seitz" <p00644@psilink.com>
Subject: Visiting Los Angeles
I will be in the Los Angeles area (mostly mid-town and Orange Co.) from
this Saturday, August 21 through Thursday, August 26, and will likely
have a lot of evening time to burn. Can anybody recommend any
beer-related venues where I should spend my time?
More to the point, are there any brewers out there who'd like
to meet up? A Maltose Falcons meeting?
Please send any suggestions to me via direct e-mail, and TIA!
********************************************************************************
Baudouin Albert Charles Leopold Axel Maria Gustave of Saxe-Coburg Gotha
(1930-1993)
Fifth King of Belgium, 1950-1993
********************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1993 15:58:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Stephen Brent Peters <sp2q+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: top fermenting infection?
Last may I used the last of my malt extract to make a smoke lager. I
made the mistake of using yeast that hadn't seen fresh wort in six
months and the fermentation took off very slowly and never picked up
much speed. It fermented over a month in the fridge with no sign of
stopping, and being an impatient person I took it out so it would
finish up faster. It didn't. Even the heat wave didn't finish it
off.
Finally two weeks ago I tasted it. Sour. Infected. Tasted terrible.
So, two days ago I finally get around to dumping it out. After the
first few inches of beer gurgled out of the carboy I noticed the beer
aroma had improved. I poured myself a glass, and sure enough the bad
flavor was gone! What's happening here? Shouldn't the whole batch be
as bad as the stuff on top? Has anyone else ever experienced anything
like this?
Steve Peters = sp2q@andrew.cmu.edu
*Oxnar demands a _Sacrifice!_*
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 14:05:56 -0700
From: dons@ca.sandia.gov (sheaffer donald a)
Subject: Remove me from your mail list
Please remove my email address from your daily account.
Thank You. dons@snll-arpagw.llnl.gov.
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1206, 08/18/93
*************************************
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