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HOMEBREW Digest #1372
This file received at Sierra.Stanford.EDU 94/03/15 00:47:50
HOMEBREW Digest #1372 Tue 15 March 1994
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Homebrew Digest #1371 (March 12, 1994) (Peter Karp)
Beer stuff (John Robinson)
Where should I plant my hops? (Rick Dante)
Floating Thermometers (8-293-5810 or (914))" <huckfinn@vnet.IBM.COM>
Broken bottle when capping! (AYLSWRTH)
Re: Unclear beer in a C-Keg (fudgemstr)
Lactic Acid (Mark Ratliff)
Wheat Beer OG (GNT_TOX_)
NOTE 03/14/94 07:27:44 ("KERRY.WILSON")
AHA Sanctioned Competition - Kenosha, WI ("THOMAS L. STOLFI")
Re: Brewpubs (Jim Busch)
Hot Water O2/Bulk Suppliers (Alexander R Mitchell)
What have I brewed?? (I.J.Normington)
Whiff of Banana (macdonald)
brew pubs in NC ("Marc W. Julian")
extract recipe copies for popular beers (taylor)
Bad batches of beer (Fred Waltman)
Homebrew U (GARY SINK 206-553-4687)
First timer questions (Jack Boatman)
be published (EVERSTEN)
First Batch Paranoia (David Frazier)
canning wort (Jim Grady)
WAte? (/R=HERLVX/R=AM/U=KLIGERMAN/FFN=KLIGERMAN/)
Testing conventional brewing wisdom (Joel Birkeland)
Homebrew healthier then store bought?? (mont)
Wort Gravity vs. Hop Utilization (npyle)
Last call for contest entries (kaltenbach)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 1994 10:13:30 -0500
From: Peter Karp <karp@cs.columbia.edu>
Subject: Homebrew Digest #1371 (March 12, 1994)
>Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 09:00:38 EST
>From: budinski1@aol.com
>Subject: mass. suppliers
- -----<stuff deleted>----
>DON'T FORGET
>TAXES ARE HIGH IN MASS. YOU MAY SAVE SOME $ BY BUYING IN NH OR MAIL ORDER!!
Brewing ingredients are not taxed at all since they are classified as food.
Equipment is taxed at the usual rate of 5%.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 1994 19:55:56 -0400 (AST)
From: robinson@orbit.acrso.ns.ca (John Robinson)
Subject: Beer stuff
Some of you may remember my posting about a Marzen I brewed a
while back where I scorched the mash (while doing a step
infusion mash). For the record, the scorched taste was much
more noticeable when fermentation was complete, but mellowed
substanially with time until it more or less completely
disappeared.
I made another Marzen, this time with a double decoction mash.
It is still ferementing. At this point all I can report is that
during the lag time the wort was so clear you could read through
it. I'm dying to see how it turns out.
Recently I also did a triple decoction mash on a Pilsner, using
Bavarian Pils malt and the new Czech Pils yeast from Wyeast.
The triple decoction mash was very time consuming, about six
hours for the mash alone. This was quite an involved process as
I mashed in at cold tap water temps, infused with boiling water
to raise it to acid rest temps (approx 97 F) and then proceeded
with the decoctions.
The grain for the Pilsner, as well as the grain for a pale ale I
did recently, was ground with a JSP Malt Mill that is available
at a local homebrew shop. While I haven't done any objective or
quantitative comparisons, subjectively I prefer the crush
provided by the malt mill over my corona. While I will probably
continue to use my corona for some time, this experience has
strengthed my desire to one day own my own Malt Mill.
I can not remember if I mentioned it in a previous post or not,
but my first attempt at making sake has been a resounding
success. The first batch was made as per Eckhardt's book, and
is in my not so humble opinion, excellent.
Currently, I'm looking for ways to increase the volume of beer I
brew per session. I've considered ring burners and such like,
as well as only doing a partial boil and spliting the wort
between two batches. I might try using the same wort and two
different yeasts to produce different beers. I would be
interested to hear other people's experiences in this regard.
I am also interested in making a Maple Wheat beer, not unlike
that brewed by the Niagra brewing company. If anyone has any
experience brewing with maple syrup, it would be most
appreciated. I am more interested in hearing from people who
have brewed *and* consumed some or all of at least one batch. I
want an idea of how much syrup I should add to for what degree
of maple flavor. Cost is not, at least initially, a concern.
- --
John Robinson Internet: robinson@orbit.acrso.ns.ca
Systems Manager
Atlantic Centre for Remote If it is worth doing, it is worth
Sensing of the Oceans doing wrong until you get it right.
DOD #0069
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 94 11:46:36 PST
From: rdante@icogsci1.UCSD.EDU (Rick Dante)
Subject: Where should I plant my hops?
Hello Hop Farmers!
I too want to grow hops this year. I'm thinking of getting Cascade,
Centennial, Mt. Hood, Nugget, Perle, and Tettnanger rhizomes.
Anyways I have a big dilema: Where to put them.
1. Front of the house seems ideal for the hops. It faces South and is in
full face of the sun until the houses across the street block it at
the end of the day. But a 25 foot pole sticking up might stand out.
The neighbors might not like it. The Landlord might not like it.
2. The Backyard faces North. A 12' X 35' trellis already exists extending
out of this north wall but it is only 8' high. It's all (rubbly)
concrete underneath except for 35' X 2' dirt flower area (no flowers
there now) right next to the wall. Obviously the overhead lattice is
huge, but I'm concerned about the 8' height.
3. At the northeast corner of the house there is a 9' X 9' square of dirt
just past the overhead trellis. If I planted here I could nail a 15'
pole extending from the top of trellis and run string down to the hop
hills on the 9' X 9' square. This square is somewhat exposed to the
south. The problem here is a pole sticking 15' past the roof might be
noticible to the people next door, though it might not be too
noticible.
4. Past the trellis in the backyard is a fence and below the fence the
hill is covered with thick iceplant. I could painstakingly clear some
of this out, plant hop hills and nail 5' poles to the top of teh
trellis and run string down to the hills. This would be 25'. THe house
will block its sun eventually (except for the vines reaching 5' above
the roof).
What should I do? Where should I plant the rhizomes??
neighbors |
______________________________________ |
|
| 3 | neighbors
| dirt concrete
| 9'X9' | line
| ______________________________|
|-|-|-|x| | | this
||-|-|-x| |
|-|-|-|x| | | side
||-|-|-x| E | 1
|-| |x| | | | of
||- 2 x| _|__S |
4 |-| |x| N- | _______| | the
||-|-|- | |
|-|-|-| | W | street
||-|-|- |
|-|-|-|x| house | |
||-|-|-x| |
|-|-|-|x| | |
||-|-|-x| |
|-|-|-|x| | |
||-|-|-x|______________________|
| concrete |
|_________________________________________
|
neighbors
Thanks for helping out a new hop farmer!
Rick Dante
rdante@ucsd.edu
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 94 17:25:50 EST
From: "Paul Austin (8-293-5810 or (914))" <huckfinn@vnet.IBM.COM>
Subject: Floating Thermometers
Some time ago there was discussion about how to make a floating
thermometer. On a recent trip to my brew supplier I saw some
for sale. They look quite similar to the thermometers you'd
use in a fish tank. The ones I saw are made by True Brew, and
cost about $4. So for those who want one, they exist.
Paul Austin
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 94 18:20:42 EST
From: AYLSWRTH@MANVM2.VNET.IBM.COM
Subject: Broken bottle when capping!
Well, I was bottling my beer this weekend, and on the third to last
bottle, the neck broke in my capper! I've never experienced this
before - has anyone else out there? Some data points - I had about
half refillable bar bottles and half non-refillable microbrew bottles
(Sam Adams, Celis, Dominion, etc.). The one that broke was one of
the non-refillables. Also, my capper is one of the double-lever kinds.
I was just starting to become convinced that the non-refillable brown
long necks were just as good as the others, especially after reading
it in a Zymurgy article in the current issue, but now I'm not so sure.
Does anyone out there agree with me that it was probably the bottle?
Would it be less likely to happen with a floor model capper? Or was
this just a fluke that could happen to any bottle with any capper?
Also, I refuse to get worried when I think to myself "if this bottle
can't stand the force of my capper, will it withstand the force of
carbonation?" - but the thought does continue to pop up!
Thomas Aylesworth
Dept. PX8/Space Processor Software Engineering
Loral Federal Systems, Manassas, VA
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet: aylswrth@manvm2.vnet.ibm.com | PROFS: AYLSWRTH at MANVM2
Phone: (703) 367-6171 | T/L: 725-6171
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 94 21:35:41 EST
From: fudgemstr@aol.com
Subject: Re: Unclear beer in a C-Keg
Benjamin Woodliff answers Steve Zabarnick:
>Prior to filling an empty keg, it's recommended to gently run a
>volumn of C02 into it with the keg lid left unsealed The reason to
>do this is so that the beer picks up no oxygen during the tranfer
>from the fermentation vessel to the keg.
When I keg, I use a sterilant that does not need a rinse, it is iodine based,
and after I scrub it out with hot water, I fill the keg up with the
sterilant. Then I cap the keg, and after waiting at least ten minutes for
the sterilization to take place, I drive the sterilant out with CO2. Then I
open the keg to rack, and I am racking into a CO2 environment, no
Oxigenation, no cloudy beers. The force carb is better for a non cloudy
beer. I have been told that if you naturally carb (prime) then the "extra"
fermentation that takes place to get your carb causes the yeast involved to
flocculate into sediment on the bottom and can give you a cloudy beer. With
a force carb and a good rack, i.e. leave the sediment behind in the
fermenter, your beer should look almost as if it were filtered.
Hope this helps.
Fudge
Fudgemstr@AOL.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 94 21:50:00 EST
From: mratliff@gatecom.com (Mark Ratliff)
Subject: Lactic Acid
I am one of the crazy ones who wants to start making belgian ales. My
question is: Is there a place I can purchace lactobacillus (lactic acid
bacteria) or do I need to create it by souring lactose?
The reason I am asking is that I am very interested in creating a
Flander's Brown or Belgian Red which could use the introduction of
lactic acid during a secondary fermentation. I could be incorrect on
this though. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Mark Ratliff
mratliff@gatecom.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 08:24 EST
From: <GNT_TOX_%ALLOY.BITNET@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Wheat Beer OG
I find this rather odd, so I'm hoping that you all can help me. I
made a weizenbier yesterday. I used the new Wyeast wheat culture(the
one without a starter) and I did the Papzian, boil all malt in 1 1/2
gallons and dilute down method.
Well, I used one can of M&F Wheat and a bag of Northwestern Weizen,
made five gallons. My O.G. was 1.030. It seems low. Sholdn't I have
an O.G. of around 1.046? What are the chances I didn't stir the stuff
good enough to get it all dissolved?
------------------------------
Date: 14 Mar 1994 07:27:07 PST
From: "KERRY.WILSON" <HWCEMC2.KWILSON@HW1.CAHWNET.GOV>
Subject: NOTE 03/14/94 07:27:44
I use a Dayton "SPDT temperature control" model 2E399 attached to a 23
cu ft chest freezer. It works great. My freezer stays within 2 degrees.
It is not as inexpensive as a air stat but it was my understanding that
an air stat will not work on a freezer.
The infomation you will need to set it up. You will need wire and plugs.
Set freezer control to coldest. Tie the green (ground) together. Tie the white
together. The black from outlet to the red screw. The black from freezer to
the white screw. Ensure the the house wiring is correct for netural and hot.
I have a SS keg convereted kettle. Does any have any suggestion as to the
distance a 170,000 btu burner should be from the bottom of the pot? 3 or 4
inches?? or suggestions to determine correct distance.
Metal Fusion of Kenner, LA sell a 170,000 btu burner for $15.50 FOB
Kenner. 1-800-783-3885 The model # for the burner is "WKAf 1".
I have no connection to this company except being a happy customer.
------------------------------
Date: 14 Mar 1994 09:34:09 GMT
From: "THOMAS L. STOLFI" <WAUTS@CWEMAIL.ceco.com>
Subject: AHA Sanctioned Competition - Kenosha, WI
Contest Announcement
Bidal Society of Kenosha
Eighth Annual AHA Sanctioned Competition
Competition Date: April 23, 1994
Entry Deadline: April 16, 1994
Last year we received 238 entries and awarded ribbons in 21
categories. Any judges interested in helping out please contact me
ASAP.
For more information send me your fax number, e-mail, or snail mail
address.
Tom Stolfi
wauts@cwemail.ceco.com
p.s. Please provide full email address in your message, our email
reply is not very reliable.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 09:25:18 -0500 (EST)
From: Jim Busch <busch@daacdev1.stx.com>
Subject: Re: Brewpubs
Art writes:
> Subject: Opening a Brewpub
>
> The scale that everyone seems to think constiutes a brewpub
> requires a $500K to $1mm investment. The many wonderful ones
> I've seen all fit that criteria. Fine.
>
> I want to open a brewpub, too. I envision a corner bar in some
> working class neighborhood. You know, where guys with Polish
> surnames (or African, for that matter. I'm easy) eat pickled
> eggs and drink Pabst. I'll stick my half-barrel home rig in
> the back. If folks like it, fine. If not I'll still have
> Pabst. If I'm wildly successful, well, I can scale up from
> there.
>
> The big flaw in this dream, as I see it, is regulation. The
> regulatory cost is the same whether you're big or small so
> there are economies of scale involved.
That and you might be brewing yourself into the ground (or your
brewer, if you dont brew the beer). Think about how fast 1/2
BBl of beer goes. Yields 12 gallons, maybe 15-18 if you do
high gravity brewing. Say thats one 1/2 BBl per batch. Now,
how many tanks do you need, how many days to ferment one batch?
Say a 7 day beer, you brew every day (!), and filter since
you are pushing young beer. So, you need 5-7 fermenters, and
you only make 7 kegs of beer per week? At 7 hours per brew,
plus 2 to filter, you can look forward to 63 hours in the
brewhouse alone!
You wont make much money
this way, and whoever the brewer is will hate it. Its a lot
better to put in at least a 5BBl brewery even if the clientel
is "Pabst swillers". AS soon as you open a "brewery", the
beer snobs come out of the wood work!
Good luck,
Jim Busch
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 09:04:45 EST
From: Alexander R Mitchell <ARMITC01@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU>
Subject: Hot Water O2/Bulk Suppliers
Database/Analyst INF SYS
Phone: (502)852-5603
I have two questions for the collected wisdom of HBD.
A friend of mine adds ice to his hot boiled wort to cool it off quicker
and to make the up the extra volume need (partial mash w/ extracts).
He puts hot water from his tap into sanitized containers & freezes. He
feels that most of the oxygen and chlorine has been forced out of the water
by the water heater. Does anyone know if his assumptions are correct?
Does anyone know of any wholesale suppliers will sell bulk grains/extracts
to food co-opts at wholesale prices? Please send address/phone #'s.
I'd appreciate any information on these subjects. Please Email me directly
and I'll pass on the collected info to anyone that asks for it.
Thanks.
armitc01@ulkyvm.louisville.edu "Mitchell" *** Fortes Fortuna Juvat ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 15:58:08 GMT
From: I.J.Normington@bnr.co.uk
Subject: What have I brewed??
Hi,
I recently read a few threads about yeast culturing and
thought that it would be interesting to try it myself. So I looked in
my fridge to see what beers I had that I could take a culture from. In
the end I chose a Chimay (the kind with the blue metal cap) and
started a culture. Within a few days I appeared to have succeeded
judging from my bubbling airlock. Anyway, when it came to make up some
wort into which I could pitch this culture all I had was a 2lb can of
EDME SFX malt extract and 1lb of crushed malted wheat. So I did a
partial mash, boiled with 1/2 oz of Hallertauer and came up with a
gallon (imperial) of wort at SG 1064. I cooled, aerated and pitched.
Racked after a week and kept it in the 2ndry for another two weeks. I
guess that the fermentation temp was somewhere between 14 and 17 C. I
then bottled with just under 1/4 cup of sugar.
It tasted quite good at bottling and was quite a dark brown
colour, but I couldn't really say what it tasted like (in terms of
beer style) as I haven't really tasted too many of the Belgian styles.
Anyone want to have a guess at what I've got?? Its been in the bottle
now for a week so I think I'll give it least another couple of weeks
before trying properly.
Cheers, Ian
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 09:32:02 EST
From: macdonald@akocoa.enet.dec.com
Subject: Whiff of Banana
Ok, I haven't been paying attention. What is the prognosis for a
brew now in secondary ( 4 days) which produces a hint of banana-like odors
when sniffed? I know this has been discussed. I'm making a Victorian
Bitter and am using Wyeast British Ale yeast A04. The aroma is not strong
nor is it unpleasant, at least as of the moment. However, the possibility
of infection with unwanted beasts comes to mind, particularly since I made
one tiny, but mistaken step in my sanitizing procedures and I forgot to
immerse my racking cane and siphon tube--I sanitized their insides, but forgot
to sanitize their outsides--and I am afraid I may have infected the cool
wort on transfer from the boiling kettle. Also I notice a collection of
yeasties clinging to the side of the carboy, low down above the usual mass
at the bottom. Looks like a series of little light colored whitish drips of
wet paint. This all says " infection!!" to me. Any opinions, experience or
knowledge of this out there?
regards,
bruce
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 11:31:42 EST
From: "Marc W. Julian" <CMSMARC@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
Subject: brew pubs in NC
help help...
I'm going to be traveling in NC this weekend
and I need to know where I can find good brewpubs in
the following cities....
Charlotte
Durham
Raleigh
Greensboro
RSVP to...
Marc W. Julian -
email: cmsmarc@uga.cc.uga.edu
or
cmsmarc@uga.bitnet
thanks
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 12:39:11 EST
From: taylor@e5sf.hweng.syr.ge.com (taylor)
Subject: extract recipe copies for popular beers
Here are some recipes I just got from my local brew supply store for extract
brewers. I thought readers might like these.. I have not tried all of these
yet myself. These recipes were develop by the owner of the homebrew supply
store, who brews all the time. So try some of these recipes and let me know
how you make out. If anyone improves on these send me a message so I can
update the recipe cards. Thanks... All of these are for 5 gallon batches.
BECK'S LIGHT
1 can Mount Mellick Light Lager
2lbs. Extra Light Drymalt
1 1/2 oz. Hallertau Hops.
Bring gallon of cold water to a boil. Remove from heat and add can of Light
Lager and 2lbs of drymalt. Bring back to a boil. Add 1 oz. of Hallertau
hops and simmer for 20 minutes. At the last minute of simmer add 1/2
hallertau.
BECK's DARK
1 can Edme Dark Beer
1 can Amber Unhopped Extract
1 1/2 oz. Tettnanger or Hallertau hops.
Bring gallon of cold water to a boil. Remove from heat and add can of Edme
Dark and the can of Amber Unhopped extract. Bring back to a boil.
Add 1 oz. of Tettenanger or Hallertau hops and simmer for 20 minutes.
At the last minute of simmer add 1/2 hallertau.
BASS ALE
1 can English Ale
1 can Unhopped light Extract
1 oz. Fuggles hop
1/2 oz. Willamette hops
Bring gallon of cold water to a boil. Remove from heat and add can of English
ale and the can of Unhopped light extract. Bring back to a boil.
Add 1 oz. of Fuggles hops and simmer for 20 minutes.
At the last minute of simmer add 1/2 Willamette.
KILLIAN'S RED
1 can Mount Mellick Light Lager
2 lbs. Light Drymalt
2 cups Crystal Malt
1 oz. Fuggles hops
Put the 2 cups of crystal malt in hop bag and put in gallon of cold water.
Bring water up to a boil, then remove bag of crystal with strainer and throw
away(you made a tea with the cystal). Remove from heat and add can of light
lager and 2lbs. light drymalt. Bring back to a boil and add 1/2 oz Fuggles
simmer for 20 minutes at last minute add other 1/2 oz. of fuggles.
PETE'S WICKED ALE
2 cans Unhopped light Extract
1 lb Crystal Malt
1 oz. bullion hop
1 oz. Cascade hops
1 oz. Fuggles
Ale Yeast
Put the 1 lb crystal malt in hop bag and put in gallon of cold water.
Bring water up to a boil, then remove bag of crystal with strainer and throw
away(you made a tea with the cystal). Remove from heat and add 2 cans of
Unhopped light extract. Bring back to a boil and add 1 oz bullion
simmer for 30 minutes. Then add 1 oz. cascade hop and simmer for another
15 minutes. Then add 1/2 oz Fuggles simmer for 15 minutes. At last minute
add other 1/2 oz. of fuggles.
SAM ADAMS
2 cans Unhopped Light
1 oz. Cascade hop
2 oz. Hallertau hops
Lager yeast
Bring gallon of cold water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 cans of
Unhopped light , Bring back to a boil.
Add 1 oz. of Cascade hops and simmer for 30 minutes. Then add 1/2 oz.
Hallertau hops and simmer for 10 minutes; add another 1/2 oz. Hallertau
and simmer for another 10 minutes; add another 1/2 oz. Hallertau
and simmer for another 10 minutes; At the last minute of simmer add 1/2
Hallertau.
HARP
2 cans Unhopped Light EXtract
2 cups Crystal Malt
2 oz. Fuggles
1/2 oz. Willamette hops
Lager Yeast
Put the 2 cups of crystal malt in hop bag and put in gallon of cold water.
Bring water up to a boil, then remove bag of crystal with strainer and throw
away(you made a tea with the cystal). Remove from heat and add 2 cans of
light extract. Bring back to a boil and add 1 oz Fuggles
simmer for 30 minutes. Then add 1/2 oz. Fuggles hop simmer for 15 minutes;
Then add another 1/2 oz. Fuggles hop simmer for 15 minutes, at last minute
add 1/2 oz. of Willamette hops.
SARANAC
7 lbs. Unhopped Light Extract
1 oz. Cascade Hops
1 1/2 oz Hallertau Hops
Lager Yeast
Bring gallon of cold water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 7 lbs. of
Unhopped light , Bring back to a boil.
Add 1 oz. of Cascade hops and simmer for 30 minutes. Then add 1/2 oz.
Hallertau hops and simmer for 15 minutes; add another 1/2 oz. Hallertau
and simmer for another 15 minutes; * after 3 days in the fermenter throw
in 1/2 oz Hallertau. On the 7th day transfer beer to 5 gallon glass carboy
to let clear and age.
Doppelbock
1 can Ireks Amber
2 cans Unhopped Amber Extract
1 lb Crystal Malt
2 cups Chocolate Malt
1 cup Roasted Barley
4 1/2 oz Hallertau hops
lager yeast
Put the crystal malt, Chocolate and Roasted Barley in hop bag and put in
gallon of cold water. Bring water up to a boil, then remove bags with
strainer and throw away(you made a tea with the cystal). Remove from
heat and add can of Ireks Amber and 2 cans of Unhopped Amber Extract.
Bring back to a boil and add 2 ozs Hallertau simmer for 30 minutes.
Then add 1 oz. Hallertau hop simmer for 15 minutes; Then add another
1/2 oz. Hallertau hop simmer for 5 minutes;
Now add 1/2 oz hallertau hop and simmer for 10 minutes at last minute add
1/2 oz. of Hallertau hops.
I hope you all enjoy these. Todd........
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 10:29:22 -0800 (PST)
From: waltman@netcom.com (Fred Waltman)
Subject: Bad batches of beer
Rick Gontareck talked about a spruce beer that took a long time to mature:
I have some brewing friends that I can bring to tears by reminding them
of the batch they thru out. It was a Trappist style ale and when they racked
to secondary it tasted foul and they decied to dump it. But they wanted to
take it to the homebrew club's "troubleshooters corner" to find out the
problem, so they grabbed a handy bucket (un-sanitized), filled it up;
took a bottle (also unsanitized) and held it under until it filled and
capped it. It was placed in the fermentation fridge to bring to the next
meeting but was forgotten.
Six months later as joke they gave it to somebody to drink and it was great!
They claim it was the best beer they had made and 15 gallons of it when down
the drain.
Fred Waltman
Marina del Rey, CA
waltman@netcom.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 12:03:00 -0500 (EST)
From: GARY SINK 206-553-4687 <SINK.GARY@epamail.epa.gov>
Subject: Homebrew U
Thought I'd provide a brief report on Homebrew U, a one-day
seminar held in Seattle every March with well-known homebrewing
experts/brewers. This years event was held on March 12th, with
about 300 people attending. Main speakers were: Roger Mussche,
Belgian yeast/lambic expert, Dave Miller, author and brewer;
Randy Mosher, H.B., author; and Byron Burch, author. The brewers
from Pike Place Ale, Thomas Kemper, and Big Time Brewpub also had
a panel Q&A session. The seminar is organized by Liberty Malt
Supply/Pike Place Brewery/Merchant du Vin Importers all owned in
whole or part by Charles Finkel (disclaimer, etc.).
An excellent lunch was prepared by local chefs, as well as
several beer samples to accent the food (or was it the other way
around?). Beers included: Pinkus organic Weizen, Ayinger Ur-
Weisse, Lindeman's Framboise Lambic, Brasseurs, MacAndrews Scotch
Ale, Pike place IPA, Rauchbier, Pike Place XXXXX Stout, Sam Smith
Taddy porter, and Traquair House Ale (barleywine). They also
broke out a few cases of Lindeman's Grand Cru Renee Lambic
Gueuze, which Dr. Mussche had brought with him from belgium to be
wholesaled by Merchant du Vin. They didn't even have labels on
them yet!
Afterward, many attendees worked their way to the Liberty Malt
store to taste Pike Place Ale and barleywine, as well as chat
with the speakers and others in the audience, including Mr. Sake,
Fred Eckhardt and the brewer from Portland Brewing Co.
To be honest, some of the talks were kind of dry (unless you're
already into mead), but all in all, it was well worth the $55
fee. See ya next year!
-disclaimer--disclaimer--disclaimer--disclaimer--disclaimer--
GSINK
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 08:34:47 EST
From: Jack Boatman <c23jrb@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com>
Subject: First timer questions
Having just procurred the necessary equipment to brew my first batch, I find
myself with a couple questions that I would sure appreciate answers to.
I will be using a 5 gallon carboy, closed w/blow-off, single stage process,
starting with a Coopers real ale kit (3.75#) and an additional 3# of bulk
laegander light (syrup). This "recipe" was suggested by the brew supply store.
I plan to ignore the instructions in the kit since they don't agree with what
I've read and call for lots of white sugar. I do not plan to use any sugar
(except some corn sugar for pitching to bottles).
1) What's the best way to store my 3# of bulk malt extract syrup since I won't
be starting for a week or two? Does it need to be refigerated? Does it hurt
to be refigerated? How sensitive is it to contamination (it's stored in a
foam container with plastic lid)?
2) Does it make much difference how much water is used in the wort considering
that I'll be adding the wort to water anyways? Obviously I'm not going to
try and boil syrup; I'll probably add about 1.5 gallon water - my concern is
how do I make sure that I don't put too much water in the carboy, and then
not have enough room in the carboy for all of the wort.
3) I know that fermenting is sensitive to temperature, but how senstive?
My basement seems to be about 58 degrees F. Is this too cold? What about
right after after bottling? What about storage?
4) How do I get a hydrometer sample out of the carboy? siphon? Should I worry
about SG for my first batch, or should I just let it blow a couple days and
then let it ferment a couple weeks?
Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 13:05:09 -0500 (CDT)
From: EVERSTEN@VAX2.Winona.MSUS.EDU
Subject: be published
I am a new boy to this hobby, actually, I haven't even started yet. I am
however, an emense fan of fine beer. After having lived in Germany it is hard
to find a beer in the U.S. that fits my tastes and imports are often unfresh.
I have three questions:
1) Is it possible to brew a fine beer at home (up to my european standards)?
2) How much would a good kit cost? What would be best for my desires?
3) Where do I purchase supplies? Do you have any mail order addresses?
I hope to hear form someone out there. Until then................
Zum Woll,
Tad
eversten@vax2.winona.msus.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 14:03:07 EST
From: David Frazier <frazier@msuacad.morehead-st.edu>
Subject: First Batch Paranoia
After reading this digest for a while, I finally have summoned enough
courage to start my first batch. I am using a M&F premium kit to
which I have added (per the instructions) 1.5 lbs of Amber DME.
I boiled 2 gallons of wort, then added cold water up to 5 gallons
in the fermentor. After cooling I added to supplied yeast by
sprinkling on top and stiring.
The OG was 46. I ptiched the yeast at 9pm, and by the next
morning, it was really bubbling. Vigorous fermentation continued
for 2 days then slowed down. I tookn SG reading 4 days into the the ferment
I took an SG reading that read a little over 20. This beer should have a FG
of 10.
2 days later the SG is right at 20. Is this beer stuck?
It is still very dark (it is supposed to be an amber ale).
There is some gunk stuck on the sides of the fermenter (It is a
plastic bucket with an air lock on top). Is this yeast, and if
so does it need to be reincorporated into the wort. I assume it
got there when the krasen (sp?) died down.
If the beer stays at 20, will it be drinkable?
Any help to these paranoid rantings will be greatly appreciated.
By the way, if you are every in Louisville, stop at the Silo,
a nice brewpub that I visited last month.
David Frazier
Morehead State University frazier@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 14:34:08 EST
From: Jim Grady <grady@hpangrt.an.hp.com>
Subject: canning wort
There were a couple of posts in today's digest about canning wort for
use in starters so I suppose this is of general interest:
1. "Hot water" canning should be sufficient. I followed the directions
Miller gives in "The Complete Handbook of Homebrewing" and it worked
quite well.
2. The wort did not need to be refrigerated. I kept the jars of
starter in the basement for up to a year and they worked fine.
- --
Jim Grady
grady@hp-mpg.an.hp.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 14:39:36 -0500 (EST)
From: /R=HERLVX/R=AM/U=KLIGERMAN/FFN=KLIGERMAN/@mr.rtpnc.epa.gov
Subject: WAte?
Yes! Wate = water. It was a typo but I figured most would understand. By
the way that's Kligerman, not Klingerman!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 13:33:43 MST
From: birkelan@adtaz.sps.mot.com (Joel Birkeland)
Subject: Testing conventional brewing wisdom
The discussion of hop utilization that has appeared here is another
example of a subject where a little science could go a long way. There
are numerous other examples:
The effect of primary blowoff on flavor.
The effect of racking beer off the hot/cold break.
Effects of oxygenation and pitching rates on FG
and fermentation times
etc...
It seems to me that well designed experiments could provide quantitative
results in the above areas that would be of use to many homebrewers. I
appreciate that the experiments would have to take into account quite a
large number of factors, e.g. boil vigor, fermentor geometry, water
chemistry, etc....
I suspect that existing research aimed at commercial brewing is not
applicable because of the huge scale difference and also because of
differing goals of commercial and home brewing. What is needed is
research directed specifically towards home and other very small scale
breweries.
I know of a few brewers who have performed experiments like this, but
usually the scope of their work is too narrow, not extensive enough, not
well controlled, or poorly documented.
It seems to me the AHA could fund work like this. The cash outlay would
be minimal and the results could be very beneficial. Maybe they could
take time out from printing Charlie Papazian masks and "I wish this were
my homebrew" coffee mugs. Naah, what was I thinking?
Joel Birkeland
Motorola SPS
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 15:55:27 PST
From: mont@ibmmail.COM
Subject: Homebrew healthier then store bought??
I use to make my own beer years ago, and recently my interest in doing
so has been rekindled, mostly due to this mailing list. Before I go and
spend a lot of money on equipment though, I need to find out something.
In the last few years I've been getting headaches from drinking store
bought beer (even one bottle). I wonder if this could be because I've
become more sensitive in some way to chemicals that might be added to
the beer or an allergic reaction to the beer itself. Do manufactured
beers have chemicals and/or perfumes added to them that could be causing
my headaches?
Are there certain kinds of hops or malts that people tend to have less
allergic reactions to?
What would be some good simple recipes to try? (example: light on hops
and/or lighter flavors of malts).
I've recently switch from store bought wine to homemade wine because of
the sulfites always added to store bought. This year I bought a 50 gal.
oak barrel and bought Zinfandel juice from a winery in Lodi, CA. Made
a nice wine completely chemical free. No more headaches from sulfite!!
Hope I can do the same with beer...
Thanks,
Mont.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 16:37:45 MST
From: npyle@n33.stortek.com
Subject: Wort Gravity vs. Hop Utilization
Mark Garetz restates his position that boil gravity does not affect alpha
acid utilization. I remain open-minded about it all, but will offer
something to think about. Most homebrewers report that when they go to
full-volume boils, the beer became overhopped. This was certainly true with
me, although at the time I didn't know what an IBU was. I assumed that the
lower boil gravity (remember that the fermentation gravity didn't change) was
the reason. As most things here in the HBD, this is not scientific data, but
anecdotal evidence. It is also a small set of data (I know a little about
the importance of sample size).
Also, the point about the iso-alpha acids oxidizing in the head has me a
little confused. We've been told forever that one of the affects of
fermentation is to push out the oxygen in the headspace of the fermenter. I
wouldn't expect much oxygen to be in the headspace for this process to
happen. Am I off? I could see this happening more in an open fermenter,
which are still used commercially in places. Perhaps the research was based
on this type of fermenter.
Norm
npyle@n33.stortek.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 22:48:40 EST
From: kaltenbach@aol.com
Subject: Last call for contest entries
It's not too late to enter the AHA-sanctioned UNYHA 16th Annual Competition!
It's a great chance to get some credit for brewing great beer! Prizes and
high-quality certificates are awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
Best of show prize is a complete home kegging system! Send in those
entries!
_______________________________________________________________________
Upstate New York Homebrewers Association
16th Annual Competition and 5th Empire State Open
Saturday, April 16, 1994
McGinnity's Restaurant and Party House
534 West Ridge Road
Rochester, New York
Doors open at 6 PM -- Judging begins at 7 PM
Admission: $5.00
Come & join the fun! Enjoy complimentary samples of homebrew!
_______________________________________________________________________
12 HOMEBREW STYLES WILL BE JUDGED:
British Ale Light Lager Porter
North American Ale Amber Lager Stout
Brown Ale Dark Lager Specialty
Belgian Looks Like "Saranac Black & Tan" Mead
No entries will be accepted after April 6.
Contest entries may be entered at homebrew shops in Rochester, Buffalo,
Syracuse, Utica, Ithaca, Binghamton, and the Hudson Valley -or- they may
be shipped. Send email request to address below for more information.
Prizes:
* Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in all categories
* For all categories (except Looks Like): Malt extract or other brewing
supplies
* For Looks Like "Saranac Black & Tan": Prizes awarded by F.X. Matt's
Brewery
Prizes For Best of Show:
1st Prize -- Complete home kegging system from ADM Amalgamation
2nd Prize -- $50 gift certificate for homebrew supplies from The Wine
Press & Hops
3rd Prize -- $25 gift certificate for homebrew supplies from Cottage
Brewing
(All categories except Mead and Looks Like "Saranac Black & Tan" compete
for best of show.)
Drawing for a gift certificate from Rohrbach Brewing Company included in
admission; there will be chances to win other beer-related prizes.
We'll provide free snacks & samples of homebrew.
*** Contest Sanctioned by the American Homebrewers Association ***
For more info about our competition, or about the BJCP exam being held
on Friday, April 15, contact me at the address below:
Tom Kaltenbach
Member, Upstate New York Homebrewers Association
Rochester, New York, USA
Internet: kaltenbach@aol.com
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1372, 03/15/94
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