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HOMEBREW Digest #1475
This file received at Sierra.Stanford.EDU 94/07/14 00:45:15
HOMEBREW Digest #1475 Thu 14 July 1994
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Grains pt 1, of 2 (Jim Busch)
Grains, pt 2 of 2 (Jim Busch)
Malt FAQ (Thomas Aylesworth )
Easy Scrubber (Gregg Tennefoss)
CO2 - Bicarbonate; CSTR Reactors (Kelly Jones)
A-B: Brewer or Giant Corporation? (Alan P Van Dyke)
Carrying hot pots (KWH)
Partial mash Qs--mash duration/sparge volume (David Draper)
Clubs/Adams Bashing? (508) 632-1603" <KOBELM@a1.mec.mass.edu>
Carboy Bunging Problem (Tony McCauley)
Answers to suspended trub & S.G. (pittock)
Re: Oak Chips Summary (Allan Rubinoff)
Re: secret bud strategy (wegeng.XKeys)
Summary of Sludge responses (jmd)
boil mead or not? (Montgomery_John)
Re: Heineken and skunkiness (Tel +44 784 443167)
WATER,BY-LAWS, megabrewers (HOMEBRE973)
houston,seattle,anchorage brewpubs (Larry Bellmard)
Clogged wort filter (David Deaven)
Dry Yeast vs Liquid Yeast- (RobertS735)
Recipe Requested (SSDS - Denver) <top@denver.ssds.com>
Elk Mountain Amber Ale/O2 during racking/extract yield/trub & SG (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 15:26:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jim Busch <busch@daacdev1.stx.com>
Subject: Grains pt 1, of 2
The following information was provided from the Brewers Resource folks.
I have added some comments/opinions , as well as some info on maltsters.
This is a first draft of something we (John Palmer and others) would
like have online as a part of a primer on Mashing and grains. Please
forward constructive comments/opinions/critisisms to myself or John.
Prosit!
Jim Busch
##################### All About Grains 101, revision 1 #####################
July, 1994
-American Malts -
Pale Malt (2 Row, Klages)
The basic malt for brewing all grain beers from scratch. Being American grown,
high in diastatic power, well modified and fairly neutral, Klages makes an
excellent base malt. Best for both American Lager and Ale styles, Klages lends
itself well to all beer styles.
Examples: Briess, Shreier, Froedterts. Froedterts is slightly darker than
Briess and Shrier. It is currently used at the Baltimore Brewing Co and
the Alleghaney Brewing Co, two quality German style micros. Alleghaney
uses a decoction mashing program with this malt. Great Western is also
a common variety of this malt. (Alleghaney Brewing Co has just been
renamed as the Penn Brewery).
Wheat Malt (Malted Wheat).
Use to make wheat and weizen beers. Also, small amounts (3-6 %) aid in head
retention to any beer without altering final flavor. Use 5 to 70 % in the mash,
40 to 70 % being the norm for wheat beers, combined with a high enzyme
malt such as Klages.
examples are: Briess (cattle feed due to excessive protein levels)
Gambrinus (canadian, high protein wheat)
Ireks (German), DeWolf-Cosyns. Imported varieties have lower protein
levels. In Germany, a weizen must be of at least 50% wheat malt, as
measured in the final beer. This means if a weizen is made of 55%
wheat, and subsequently krausened with say Helles krausen, the amount
of krausen must not reduce the final proportion of wheat to below 50%.
Germans are like that!
Vienna Malt (Lightly kilned) 4L
Vienna malt is kiln dried at a higher temperature than pale malt yet still
retains sufficient enzyme power for use as 60 to 100% of total mash grist.
Vienna is a rich, aromatic malt that will lend a deep color and full flavor to
your finest Vienna or Marzen beers.
Munich Malt (Domestic) 10 L
A little darker than our German Munich malt, use our Domestic Munich to add a
deeper color and fuller malt profile. An excellent choice for Dark and amber
lagers, blend Munich with German Pils or Klages at the rate of 10 to 60% of the
total grist.
Darker grades of Munich are available from contential maltsters. Essential
ingrediant in German Bock beers.
Carapils (Dextrin Malt)
Dextrins lend body, mouthfeel and palate fullness to beers, as well as foam
stability. Carapils must be mashed with pale malt, due to its lack of enzymes.
Use 5 to 20% for these properties without adding color or having to mash at
higher temperatures.
Some brewers dislike the almost cloying sweetness that high amounts (10%)
of Dextrin malt contributes.
Light Crystal (Caramel Malt) 10 L
5 to 20% will lend body and mouthfeel with a minimum of color, much like
Carapils,
but with a light crystal sweetness.
Also sold as CaraPils from the Dewolf-Cosyns maltster. My own opinion
is that this is a much better choice in malt sweetness/body builder than
the US Dextrin malt version.
Pale Crystal (Caramel Malt) 40 L
As with all Crystal malts, the character of this malt is contributed by
unfermentable
crystallized sugars produced by a special process Called "stewing". 5 to 20 %
Pale
Crystal will lend a balance of light caramel color,
flavor, and body to Ales and Lagers.
Caramel 40 is a mainstay malt in brewing of all types of ales. It
can be used in British and American ales, and in conjunction with
other malts in Belgian ales and German lagers. Hugh Baird Maltings
in Witham , Essex, England make very fine high grade caramel malts.
US domestic specialties are made from 6 row malt, whereas the
European vesions are 2 row. This makes imported specialties a much
higher quality product. The grain kernels are also plumper and as
such will mill better than 6 row malts.
Medium Crystal (Caramel Malt) 60 L
This Crystal malt is well suited to all beer recipes calling for crystal malt
and is a good
choice if you're not sure which variety to use. 5 to 15% of 60 L Crystal malt
will lend a well rounded caramel flavor, color and sweetness to your finest
Ales.
Dark Crystal (Caramel Malt) 120 L
5 to 15% will lend a complex bitter/sweet caramel flavor and aroma to beers.
Used
in smaller quantities this malt will add color and slight sweetness to beers,
while heavier concentrations are well suited to strong
beers such as Barley Wines and Old Ales.
Victory Malt (Aroma & flavor malt) 25 L
A unique, lightly roasted malt that provides a warm "biscuity " character to
Ales and
Lagers. Use 5 to 15 % to add a fuller flavor and aroma to Ales, Porters and
full flavored, dark Lagers where a bigger malt character is desired without
crystal malt sweetness.
D/C Biscuit malt fits in here also. Biscuity/toasted flavors and aromas
result from the use of this malt.
Special Roast (Aroma & flavor malt) 50L
Pale roasted to lend an unmistakable, toasted malt flavor and aroma and amber,
red-orange color to beer. At the rate of 3 to 10% Special Roast is an excellent
addition to your Vienna, Marzen and Alt beers or in recipes calling for Amber
malt.
Chocolate Malt (Roasted, black malt)
Being the least roasted of the black malts, Chocolate malt will add a dark
color and
pleasant roast flavor. Small quantities lend a nutty flavor and deep, ruby red
color while higher amounts lend a black color and smooth, roasted flavor. Use 3
to 12%.
Chocolate is an essential ingrediant in Porters, along with Caramel malts.
Used in smaller quantities in Brown ales, old ales and some Barleywines.
Roast Barley (Black, Unmalted Barley)
Use 10 to 12% to impart a distinct, roasted flavor to Stouts. Other dark beers
also
benefit from smaller quantities (2 - 6%).
Essential ingrediant in Stouts. Small amounts are OK in Porters, provided
they dont overpower the chocolate/caramel notes. Rarely used in any
Belgian ales or German Lagers
B1ack Patent (H ighly roasted black malt)
The darkest of all malts, use sparingly to add deep color and roast-charcoal
flavor. Use no more than 1 to 3%.
Best used in trace amounts only, for color. Almost any contribution
that Black Patent gives to beer can be obtained from using another malt
with less harsh flavor impacts.
**********end pt 1**************
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 15:26:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jim Busch <busch@daacdev1.stx.com>
Subject: Grains, pt 2 of 2
************pt 2 of 2**************
- German Grain Malts -
German Pale Malt (2 Row, Pilsner Malt) 1.8 L
A quality German two row malt. Produces a smooth, grainy flavor. Use in your
finest German Lagers and Alt Beers.
Weizen - (Wheat Malt) ~ L
German Wheat malt is the perfect ingredient for Weiss, Weizen and Berl iner
Weiss beers. Blended in proportions of 20 to 70% with pale malts, weizen malt
is the perfect companion for German wheat strains for a full flavored, classic
wheat beer.
Weiner - (Vienna Malt) 3 L
German Vienna is high in diastatic power, meaning you can use it as 100% of the
total
grist for a fuller, deeper malt flavor and aroma.
Munchener (Munich Malt) 6 L
A true Munich variety that has undergone higher kilning than the pale malt.
German
Munich still retains sufficient enzymes for 100% of the grist, or it can be
used at the rate of 20 to 75 % of the total malt content in Lagers for its
full, malty flavor and aroma.
Crystal - (Med. Caramel) 50 L
Use 3 to 20% of German Caramel malt to add color, sweetness and body to
European
lagers Viennas and Marzen/Oktoberfest lagers.
- British Grain Malts -
English Pale Malt (British, 2 Row)
Fully modified British malt, easily converted by a single temperature mash.
Preferred
by many brewers for full flavored ales. Pale Ale malt has undergone higher
kilning than Klages and is lower in diastatic power so keep adjuncts to 15 % or
less.
English Crystal (Caramel Malt) 37 L
Also known as CaraStan, use 5 to 20% of our English Crystal to add color and a
full,
toffee/sweet flavor to Bitters, Pale Ales and Porters.
Scottish Crystal - (Caramel Malt) 90 L
Will lend a deep amber to red color and a full bodied, toasted/caramel like
flavor
to the finest Scottish and European ales.
Chocolate Malt - ( Brown malt) 400 L
British Chocolate malt is ideal for British Porters and Brown or Mild Ales and
even Stouts. It's a little darker than domestic Chocolate malt yet it has a
slightly smoother character in the roast flavor and aroma profiles.
Highly recommended.
- Belgian Grain Malts
Belgian Pils (European 2-Row) 1.8 L
This is an excellent base malt for many styles, including full flavored Lagers,
Belgian
Ales and European Wheat beers.
Aromatic (Mildly Kilned) 26 L
Used at rates of up to 10%, Aromatic malt will lend a distinct, almost
exaggerated malt
aroma and flavor to the finished Ales and Lagers. Aromatic malt also has a rich
color and is high in diastatic power for aid in starch conversion.
D/C Aromatic malt. As the name suggests, adds aromatics to a beer. At
25 Lovi, it is grouped in the upper end of the "Munich Malts" category.
It shows conversion by itself, with a diastatic power of 29, as compared
to D/C munich with a DP of 50 and Pils with a DP of 105. When using
Aromatic malts, be sure to calculate the additional extract and color
that will be added, since this malt contributes both.
Biscuit Malt - (Pale Roast) 23 L
Biscuit is a unique malt thats lightly roasted, lending the subtle properties
of black
and chocolate malts. Used at the rate of 3 to 15 %, it is designed to improve
the bread & biscuits , or toasted flavor and aroma characteristics to Lagers
and Ales.
CaraVienne - (Lt. Caramel) 22 L
As with normal Crystal malts CaraVienne is non-enzymatic. It does, however,
impart
a rich, caramel-sweet aroma to the wort and promotes a fuller flavored beer at
rates of 5 to 20 % of grist total.
D/C: CaraVienna, ~22 Lovi. Another excellent all purpose caramel malt.
Can be used in high percentages (up to 15%) wothout leaving the beer
too caramel/sweet. Good to use in conjunction with Munich malts and
Pils malt for a Maerzen base. Also good for use in many Belgian style
ales, in conjunction with other Belgian color malts.
CaraMunich - (Med. Caramel) 72 L
Use CaraMunich for a deeper color in Ales and Lagers, and in small amounts in
Lagers.
5 to 15% will also lend a fuller flavor, contribute to foam stability, add
unfermentable, caramelized sugars and contribute a rich malt aroma.
Excellent malt to use as a suplement to other caramel malts. I tend
to use 7-10% caraVienna and 3% CaraMunich as a amber beer base which
would include Munich and Pils malt.
Bamburg Rauchbier malt:
?green? malt is "kilned"/dryed over a beechwood fire. Some US
brewers use malt smoked over Adler. Depending on the amount
of smoking, the malt can be used in 100% of the mash, as some
Bamberg brewers do, or used as a flavoring malt in the 10-30%
range. Imparts a distinct smoked character to the beer. Rauchbiers
should be based on a Maerzen recipe and adjusted using Rauchbier
malt, which shifts the color from amber to dark amber/light porter.
Peated Malt: sold by Hugh Baird. Adds Peated flavors, good in
small amounts for Scottish ales.
Raw Wheat: used in Wit biers at 45% of grist and in Lambics at 30%.
Contributes a permenant starch haze to the beer.
Common Maltsters:
Briess Malting Co: 29 S. Columbia St, Chilton WI, 53014
Canada Malting Co: 21 Four Seasons Pl, Suite 325, Toronto, Ontario
DeWolf-Cosyns (distributed by Shreirer)
Froedtert Malt Corp: PO Box 712, Milwaukee, WI, 53201
Gambrinus malting Corp: 1101 Industrial Dr, RR#3,C-86,Palisades,
Armstrong, B.C., VOE 1B0
Great Western Malting: PO Box 1529, Vancouver, WA, 98668.
Hugh Baird (distributed by Great Western)
Munton & Fison (imported by Crosby and Baker ==$$$)
Schreier Malting Co: PO Box 59, Sheboygan, WI, 53082.
Importers:
Crosby & Baker: 999 Main Raod, Box 3409, Westport, MA 02790
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 15:51:34 EST
From: Thomas Aylesworth <t_aylesworth@lfs.loral.com>
Subject: Malt FAQ
In Tuesday's HBD, someone asked about the difference between various
malts - particularly the differences between malts made in different
countries. This topic seems to come up quite a bit, and is obviously
of great interest to those of us just starting to do partial mash and/or
all-grain brewing.
The last time this came up, someone (Jeff Frane?) mentioned that they
thought a Malt FAQ existed. Well, I searched sierra and could find no
such beast. Does such a thing exist? If so, how can I find it? If
not, would it be possible to convince one of you generous, experienced
all-grainers to create one? I would be happy to donate a significant
amount of time to the project, but have no experience with the grains
in question. If someone would be willing to provide the expertise, but
did not want to spend time searching the HBD archives, typing,
proofreading, etc., please let me know and maybe we could make this a
joint project (obviously with those providing the expertise getting the
credit).
BTW, the yeast and hop FAQs are both excellent, and us amateurs really
do appreciate all the hard work that has gone into maintaining them!
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Aylesworth | t_aylesworth@lfs.loral.com
Space Processor Software Engineering |
Loral Federal Systems, Manassas, VA | (703) 367-6171
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 16:22:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: greggt@infi.net (Gregg Tennefoss)
Subject: Easy Scrubber
It's here !!! The Easy Scrubber
Actually it's a toilet brush, but for a single dollar and a few quick
modifications, it becomes a very sturdy carboy brush.
Find one that has a wooden handle and remove the brush from the handle.
Straighten out the brush and reinsert only one side back into the handle.
A little epoxy may be needed to hold the brush in. Next, trim the wire on
the end not reinserted and bend it back to prevent sharp edges. Next form
the brush into the desired shape and scrub away.
Not a bad brush for a buck !!!
Wouldn't A/B have a ball with this !!
cheers
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 14:23:55 -0600
From: Kelly Jones <k-jones@ee.utah.edu>
Subject: CO2 - Bicarbonate; CSTR Reactors
Some questions were raised in HBD 1473 about the efficiency of CSTRs
versus recirculation reactors, and how this relates to RIMS, etc.
Since my education is in chemical engineering, I'll try to answer this:
A CSTR is a reactor for a _continuous_ reaction, that is, you always
have reactants flowing in and products flowing out. Of course, since
the tank is well stirred, some of what flows out is also unreacted
reactants, so efficiency is never 100%. A recirculation reactor is
also a _continuous_ reactor, and may well be more efficient, depending
on process conditions.
Unfortunately, the question is moot. Homebrewers do not do
_continuous_ reactions, they do _batch_ reactions. They start with a
given amount of reactants (water and grains) and end some time later
with a given amount of product (sugars). RIMS and paddle-stirrers are
both techniques for mixing the batch, which may enhance yield, but
neither of these techniques constitutes either a CSTR or a
recirculation reactor.
Someone else asks about CO2 chemistry, in beer vs blood. The relevant
equation is
H2O + CO2 <--> H2CO2 (carbonic acid) <--> H+ + HCO3- (bicarb)
So, dissolution of CO2 results in the formation of carbonic acid,
which dissociates to form bicarbonate and hydronium (acid). Because
hydronium is released, this acidifies the solution, whether it's water,
beer, or blood. (Of course, blood has some very spepcial organic
buffers which are very efficient, so the actual pH change in blood
will be much less). Adding bicarbonate in this matter will not raise
pH, as your friend asserts. He is confusing this with the addition of
a bicarbonate salt, as in
NaHCO3 + H2O <--> Na+ + HCO3- + H2O <--> Na+ + H2CO3 + OH-
which releases hydroxide and hence makes the solution more basic.
On another note: The only thing more hilarious than AB spending
millions to bash homebrewers, is homebrewers caring enough about what
AB says to actually whine about it.
Kelly
------------------------------
Date: Tuesday, 12 July 94 16:00:28 CST
From: Alan P Van Dyke <llapv@utxdp.dp.utexas.edu>
Subject: A-B: Brewer or Giant Corporation?
Howdy,
In reading all this discussion about Anheuser-Busch, I think everyone out
there needs to keep some perspective on what A-B is. It is a very big
company. It is a diversified company. It is a powerful company. It makes
beer, yes, but it is a *product*. I could be cookies or motor oil, as far
as A-B is concerned. August Busch III is an executive who inherited his
position, he is not a brewer who gave up everything to chase a hope. He has
a goal of selling 50% of the beer in this country by the end of the decade, &
he's damn close. He's gonna do what it takes.
Besides, is it unusual for a large company to buy into other smaller
companies? It works out for both; the large company has investments
elsewhere, & the smaller one has some extra cash to work with. It happens
everyday, even in the beer world. Can you fault A-B for doing that? Can you
fault them for their marketing? They spend lots of money researching what
marketing strategies to make, & it usually pays off. You notice they didn't
jump on the clear beer wagon, either.
Anheuser-Busch is #41 on the Fortune 500 list. They sell one of the most
popular products in the United States. They want to sell something to
everyone, or at least have a stake in it. This is how big business works in
America. Should they be any different because they make beer?
Me? I'll be happy to drink a Budvar, as long as no one was killed to get it
to me. I do boycott Nestle, though.
Alan of Austin
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 17:12
From: KWH@roadnet.ups.com (KWH)
Subject: Carrying hot pots
john.dodson@cantina.com (John Dodson) brought up the point of carrying pots
of hot wort in his article on wort chilling in today's digest:
>One CAUTIONary note. Lugging around pots of boiling wort is dangerous.
>Spilling hot wort on one's front section can be inconvenient... causing
>hospitalization and death! Inspect the handles on your brewpot often
>(I'd be particulary leery of low-end enameled steel pots). If possible,
>setup your chilling operation next to your boiling operation to minimize
>the lugging or get a friend or spouse to help carry. Duct tape the lid
>on to minimize effects of an unexpected slosh.
I have been trying to come up with a better way to handle pots of hot wort.
I have one of the 33qt enamel pots and the handles are a joke. I have
heard people caution against lifting any practical weight with these, and I
agree wholeheartedly. Some people use pot holders to lift the pot from
under the rim or lip. I also question how safe/practical this is. I have
used this method up until now, but I'm not very comfortable with it. I
have been wondering if it would be possible to build a collar that would
fit VERY snugly around the pot, between the lip at the top of the pot and
the existing handles. If done properly, the collar would exert even
pressure around the entire circumference and still give the user a steady,
cool handle to lift the pot with. It would have to be slipped onto the pot
from the bottom, and worked up to the top. Cutouts would have to be made
to get over the existing handles. After passing the handles, a 90 degree
turn would let the collar set on the existing handles throughout the
procedure. Is this absolutely crazy? I have been thinking that this could
not possibly work, but then again, why not? There are several questions
that I have not addressed, including (but not limited to), the strength of
the lip at the top of the pot, heat shrinkage of materials and assumption
of a perfect cylinder (a taper at the top would make this impossible). If
this idea gets me flamed back to the Stone Age, I guess I deserve it --
it's not a very well thought out approach. However, there are a lot of
handymen on the net that may be able to take this idea and run with it.
Rudimentry Ascii graphics:
TOP VIEW EXPLANATIONS
-----------------------------------
| |
| ___ (a) | (a) holes cut in order
| | | | to slip collar over
| /-------\ | existing pot handles
| / \ |
| / \ | (b) position of existing
| | | | pot handles under
|-- -| (as close to |- --| collar
| | (b)|| a circle as ||(b) | |
| | || I can draw) || | |(c) (c) handles cut in collar
| | -| |- | | to actually lift pot
|-- | | --| with
| \ / |
| \ / |
| \-------/ |
| |___| |
| (a) |
-----------------------------------
SIDE VIEW
lip of lip of
pot pot
| |
V V
_ _
--------|-----------------|--------
| | | | proposed collar
--------|-----------------|--------
_| |_
|_| |_| <- existing
| | useless
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| handle
| |
| 5 gallons |
| hot wort |
| |
| |
|_________________|
Any ideas, suggestions, constructive comments and yes, flames, are welcome
public or private.
Kirk Harralson
Q: How many home brewers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: A third less that a regular bulb.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 10:56:08 +1000 (EST)
From: David Draper <David.Draper@mq.edu.au>
Subject: Partial mash Qs--mash duration/sparge volume
Dear Friends, I will be doing my first partial mash this weekend and am
looking for some advice. I have Miller's _Brewing The World's Great
Beers_ and Line's _Big Book of Brewing_ to refer to. First, I am
wondering about the duration of the mash. I know that once starch
conversion is complete, additional time is required for beta amylase to
convert the dextrins produced by alpha amylase into maltose, so that a
successful iodine test is not the signal to begin sparging. Miller
describes an hour as sufficient time for a partial mash, but specifies at
least two hours for a full mash. This difference suggests that mash time
is some kind of an extensive variable, i.e. depends on the size of the
system. Because the amounts and proportions of sugars produced by the two
enzymes are functions of the composition of the grist, it occurs to me
that a batch of goods (grains and water in the proper proportion) made, say,
with 90% 2-row and 10% caramel malts should require the same mash time
whether there are 3 kg or 30 kg of these goods. I also know that too long
a mash results in too great a proportion of maltose to dextrins, resulting
in a thin brew. So for my planned mash (I'm shooting for an Altbier),
consisting of 2 kg (4.4 lb) of 2-row lager malt, 500-gr (1.1 lb) of 15L
Munich, and 50 gr (1.75 oz) each of black malt, wheat malt, and flaked
barley, will an hour be sufficient or should I do two hours despite
Miller's recommendation? BTW, I am told that the 2-row available at my
local shop is pretty well-modified.
Second question: volume of sparge water. My limiting factor is the size
of my brewkettle, which is 17 litres (4.5 gal). I reckon I would not want
more than 15 litres (4 gal) in there at the start of boiling; and I intend
to add 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of light extract syrup (which I measure to have a
volume of just over 1 litre or about a quart). Thus I would be limited to
about 14 litres (3.7 gal) of grain-based wort. The accounts I have of
doing all-grain brews describe sparging with enough liquid so that one has
about 20% more liquid than final batch size to allow for evaporation
during the boil, but I have seen no mention of a minimum recommended
sparge volume. My plan is to dough-in the above grist with 7.2 litres
(1.9 gal) of water at the start and sparge with about 8 litres (2.1 gal)
of water. I would guess that there would be just over 14 litres (3.7 gal)
total liquid after sparging, since I expect some liquid to be retained in
the grain bed. BTW, I will be sparging using a drilled-bucket inside
another bucket system graciously provided by the Legless Brewing Co., A.
Walsh prop. Can I hope to get most of the extract out of my grain? 100%
efficiency for the above scheme would give a gravity for the 14+ litres of
grain-based wort of about 1050, so I will be able to determine how well I
did after the fact; I am just looking for a little guidance (handholding?)
before the fact.
Many thanks for any comments--email is fine but posting might be useful
too. Cheers, Dave in Sydney
- --
******************************************************************************
David S. Draper School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University
ddraper@laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au NSW 2109 Sydney, Australia
Fax: +61-2-805-8428 Voice: +61-2-805-8347
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 21:29:00 -0400
From: "Mark Kobel, Gardner Jr. High S (508) 632-1603" <KOBELM@a1.mec.mass.edu>
Subject: Clubs/Adams Bashing?
Greetings Brewmasters,
In addition to the earlier posting for brew club by-laws,
I'd be interested in info relating to brew club newsletters.
We have a new club, 3 months old, here in central Massachusetts
and somehow I got involved in the club newsletter, (I thought I
knew better)so I'm looking for any advice or help.
Now for the risky part. I've been reading HBD for 3 months and I
am curious (some may say naive) about the Sam Adams bashing. I have
tried the SA lager, cream stout, honey porter, double bock, and
dunkel weizen. I haven't been offended.
When in a package store, to buy wine for my wife of course, I usually
pick up a single or to of something new to try. SA seems to have
a good variety and decent taste. So what is all this anti-sam stuff
about?
Summary will be posted if warranted.
****
|~~~|
| | ) enjoy a homebrew,
`---' Mark Kobel kobelm@a1.mec.mass.edu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 23:20:51 -0500 (CDT)
From: afmccaul@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Tony McCauley)
Subject: Carboy Bunging Problem
An interesting question came up in our club meeting last night that I want
to present to the masses for a solution suggestion.
Seems that the brewer in question (or is he a questionable brewer) got a
little zealous banging the bung into the neck of a carboy. The bung has passed
through the neck and now can bounce merrily about inside the carboy. I
suggested that the carboy make good solid contact with his garage floor or a
hammer.
Any ideas out there in HBD land to retrieve a wayward bung from it's new
home?
Thanks,
Tony McCauley -- afmccaul@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu
P.S. -- He has promised to buy bigger bungs for his carboys from now on.
.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 18:08:05 +1000
From: pittock@rsbs8.anu.edu.au
Subject: Answers to suspended trub & S.G.
>From: especkma@reed.edu (Erik Speckman)
>Subject: The effect of cold break on hydrometer readings.
>>From: pittock@rsbs2.anu.edu.au
>Asks what he should do to prevent floating cold break from effecting his SG
>readings.
>
>Take a toy boat and put it in a bathtub full of water. Mark the water
>line. Now float a bunch of rubber duckies in the tub. The waterline will
>be at the same level on your boat. Fill the ruberduckies part way with
>water so they sit below the surface. No difference.
>
>[hint, the boat is your hydrometer]
>
>This doesn't preclude some effect from break material sticking to the
>hydrometer.
Gotcha. Now if you thought I was being finnicky there, then answer this:
How do I sterilise the toy boat?!? And then calibrate the boat with a
plimsol-line and use it to do the S.G! [couldn't resist that one...]
>From: Tom Clifton <0002419419@mcimail.com>
> In my experience it doesn't seem to make any difference. Try it
> both ways and if your hydrometer is calibrated in .002 increments
> like mine is you won't be able to tell any difference. I have
> started drawing a sample into a pint jar and sticking it in the
> fridge to lower the temp to 60 degrees so I don't have to subtract
> points to correct for temperature. It also gives the wort (or beer)
> time to clear some so the question above is moot...
[also suggests that pitching yeast, and measuring S.G. late makes no real
*measurable* difference]
>From: evanms@lcac1.loras.edu (Mark Evans)
>Subject: Re: Trub & specific gravity
>
>Chris: Probably a little "don't worry, have a homebrew" is in order here.
[also suggested that if it ain't dissolved - it has no effect].
Thanks!
\\|// . o ____________ Chris Pittock 06)2495099
o-O O-o O ( Yeast, hop ) pittock@rsbs0.anu.edu.au
| U | () ( & charity... ) PO Box 475 Canberra City
{ - } (____________) ACT 2601 Australia.
/|\
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 08:39:40 EDT
From: Allan Rubinoff <rubinoff@BBN.COM>
Subject: Re: Oak Chips Summary
In HBD #1474, gam@beluga.must.com (Guy Mason) writes:
> Here is a summary of replies to Oak Chips in Pale Ale posting :
<summary deleted>
An additional point:
If your goal is to make an authentic English pale ale, you should omit
the oak chips entirely. Some homebrewers use oak chips in pale ales
(especially IPAs) based on the mistaken assumption that the oak barrels
that IPAs used to be shipped in imparted a flavor. In fact, the barrels
were lined with pitch and would have added no flavor.
On the other hand, if you really want to experiment with oak flavor, by
all means go ahead -- the effect might be interesting. But if
authenticity is what you're after, skip the oak chips.
-Allan Rubinoff <rubinoff@bbn.com>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 05:54:46 PDT
From: wegeng.XKeys@xerox.com
Subject: Re: secret bud strategy
In HBD #1474, al.vaughn@castles.com (Al Vaughn) says:
>As far as I know, Bud has already brewed their own
>version of a "handcrafted" (liberal on the quotes O.K.) brew called Elk
>Mountain Amber Ale.
That`s interesting. The July 4 installment of National Public Radio`s "All
Things Considered" had a segment on craft beers, and stated that A-B was not
going to follow Coors and Miller into this market. Apparently they were wrong.
On the other hand, this same segment stated that Coors` eisbock is a wheat
beer, and identified AHA`s Karen Barella as president of a microbrewery in
Denver.
It was nice to hear ATC talking about craft brewing, but it`s a shame that they
got many of the facts wrong.
/Don
dlw.xkeys@xerox.com
------------------------------
Date: 13 Jul 94 13:33:00 GMT
From: jmd@mtunh.att.com
Subject: Summary of Sludge responses
Thanks to all who responded to my sludge posting. If you recall,
I had a problem with clogs when using hop pellots filtering my wort.
Here is a summary of the private responses I got.
The problem was reported as trub which I do want to remove from my wort.
Most of the responses suggested I switch to whole hops which won't have
this problem and would even help by providing a nice leaf bed which
itself acts as a filter.
Jeff
Other responses:
|Your problem may be that you are using hop pellets. I switched
|to plugs about a year ago for the same reason. The plugs are
|closer to whole leaf when they "un-plug" vs. the dust I got from
|pellets. (I spend approx. $.50 more per ounce for the plugs.)
|In my experience the stuff that's clogging your funnel filter is mostly hops.
|I use a pretty darn big funnel and keep a sanitized spoon handy to dredge some
|of that glop out of there when it gets too clogged. I haven't had any
|sanitation problems with this method.
|One day my wife came home from the gourmet kitchen shop at the mall with
|two what I would call stainless steel strainers made somewhere in Japan or
|Taiwan. The big one EXACTLY FIT the eight in opening of the funnel.
|They have a one-half inch rim and a deeply domed mesh and a wire formed
|handle for easy handling. The key element is the deeply doming of the mesh.
|And also the large diameter. As the sludge builds up in the bottom of the
|dome (depression), the wort just moves up higher in the mesh. Bottom line,
|next batch, at least as much sludge...absolutely no problem.
The more novel approaches:
|My solution for sludge is to just boil the hops in plain water. Strain out
|the hops and add the extract to the hot water. NO SLUDGE and NO BOILOVER.
|The extract has been boiled already, that's how it became extract. If you
|try this, reduce your hops to about 5/8 of what you would normally use
|because utilization is much higher.
|Clean, sanitize, "de-feet" a pair of knee-high Legg's(TM).
|Attach to the bottom of your funnel. Sparge and top up carboy.
|Hold top of hose, bottom of funnel and lift. The hops and gunk will
|a large ball that you must slowly pull up and out.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 08:51:00 CST
From: Montgomery_John@lanmail.ncsc.navy.mil
Subject: boil mead or not?
Hello all,
I have hopes of making an orange melomel as prescribed by Acton and
Duncan, but am confused on one point. They call for the addition of
campden tablets and shun boiling for sterilization. Where does one
find campden tablets? My mail order catalog doesn't list them.
Should I use them instead of boiling - will it result in a better
product? Has anyone made an orange melomel? Any suggestions? Thanks
in advance.
john
montgomery_john@lanmail.ncsc.navy.mil
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 15:08:04 +0000
From: Brian Gowland <B.Gowland@rhbnc.ac.uk> (Tel +44 784 443167)
Subject: Re: Heineken and skunkiness
I'm not familiar with the skunkiness of Heineken but
could it be a high level of dimethyl sulphide?
Cheers,
Brian
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 10:18:28 EDT
From: HOMEBRE973@aol.com
Subject: WATER,BY-LAWS, megabrewers
John Isenhour asks about water chemistry pH. Yes, if you add CO2 to water
you get carbonic acid and it becomes acidic--lower pH. However, it is not
that simple because the minerals in the water have a great effect on the pH.
Calcium especially tends to buffer the action of CO2. CaCO2 will dissolve in
acidic waters and neutralize the effects of theaddition of CO2. Also, the
addition of bicarbonates will tend to neutralize the acids and raise the pH.
- -----
People ask why brew-clubs need bylaws. They don't always but it helps to set
dues, have an orderly succession of officers, and to have some control on how
funds are spent.
- ----
I for one would wish people not waste bandwidth talking about the products,
adds, etc of CoorMIllBUdMIcweizer. Who gives a $#@&@#. They don't effect us
and we don't effect them.
Andy Kligerman
nanobrewer
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 09:01:33 -0500
From: dev1!larryb@dev4.ssd.fsi.com (Larry Bellmard)
Subject: houston,seattle,anchorage brewpubs
Hey, I hate to waste the space, but... I'm heading to Anchorage and have
a few lengthy layovers and am looking for brewpubs near the Houston (9 hr
layover on a Sunday, does the Johnson Space Center serve beer?) and Seattle
airports. I would rather get drunk in a bad brewpub than in an airport.
Also, anything (beer related) in Anchorage or close? Private email please.
TIA, LB
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 09:59:59 -0500
From: David Deaven <deaven@ishmael.ameslab.gov>
Subject: Clogged wort filter
I saw a few posts discussing easy ways to "filter" the hop gunk from
wort on its way to the primary fermenter. For the past three batches
I have been using a neat little gizmo constructed from a 2" stainless
steel kitchen strainer. I removed the plastic handle and inserted a
copper tube into the side of the filter (puncture the steel screen).
The wire around the rim of the filter, which used to secure the handle,
can be wrapped around the tubing to secure it. This is the "pickup
screen" I then use in the bottom of the brew kettle. (I think an
EasyMasher(tm) from JS would do a better job, but I haven't committed
my brew pot to beer yet.) The other end of the copper tubing goes up
out of the kettle to my counterflow chiller, and into the fermenter:
+---> to chiller
| |
| screen | |
| \ _____ | | <-- 1/4" copper tube
bottom | /....-\--------/ |
of | |.....--|--------/
kettle ---> +--------------------------
This setup allows me to start the transfer to the primary right
after the boil is done, when the hop gunk is still swirling in
suspension. I had tried holes drilled into the copper tube, but they
clogged easily. I had one batch clog the screen, but it was easy to
unclog by rapidly raising and lowering the pickup. Make sure you get
a fine screen, and also that it is steel and not plastic (the handle
can be plastic, but you throw that away).
Also, let me sneak an encouragement into this post: if you have
ever wanted to try a "ginger" beer, DO IT!!!! My first one has been
in the bottles about a week and already is quite tasty. I followed
a combination of the cat's meow recipes, adding half of my grated
ginger at the end of the boil to boost the raw ginger flavor. Wow!
David Deaven <deaven@ishmael.ameslab.gov>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 09:59:53 -0700
From: Richard B. Webb <rbw1271@appenine.ca.boeing.com>
Subject: splashing into secondary
In HBD 1474, Chuck E. Mryglot asks about splashing into the secondary.
Don't do it! Aeration at this stage will lead to cardboard and/or
band-aid flavors in your beer (or mead or whatever). I use a long
flex tube to siphon with, and I attach a hard plastic tube to the
end of the flex in order to keep the good stuff running to the
the bottom of the carboy. Don't splash!
Rich Webb
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 13:30:46 EDT
From: RobertS735@aol.com
Subject: Dry Yeast vs Liquid Yeast-
The consensus answer to my question- which was, " why is liquid yeast better
then re-hydrated dry yeast." is as follows:
1.- The drying process damages the "pure" yeast strains which are delicate,
so, in order to produce viable dry yeast- the manufacturers use strains that
are hearty- but may not be optimum (for the job you had in-mind).
2. It is suggested also that the drying and packaging process may expose the
yeast to contamination risk which is not encountered in liquid yeast.
IMNSHO "graduating" to liquid yeast cultures is one of the most effective,
and least costly methods possible to produce a quantum leap in your beer's
quality... Brew-On
Robert Stovall
Melbourne, Fl
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 11:35:56 MDT
From: Rory Porth (SSDS - Denver) <top@denver.ssds.com>
Subject: Recipe Requested
To all:
I am trying to reverse engineer a beer from a brewpub in San Jose area.
The place is called "Tied House". They have a pub in San Jose and one
in Mountain View. I used to live there, now live in Denver and miss
their brews very much. I'd like to try to build their "Tied House Amber"
which is definitely one of my favorite beers (along with my wife).
I will do either extract or all-grain for this, so if you can give me some
hints, I'd appreciate it!
Rory Porth
top@ssds.com
- ---------------------------------------------------------
Everybody needs something to believe in -
I believe I'll have another beer.
- ---------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: 13 Jul 94 18:07:00 GMT
From: korz@iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
Subject: Elk Mountain Amber Ale/O2 during racking/extract yield/trub & SG
Al Vaughn writes:
>out Red Hook. As far as I know, Bud has already brewed their own
>version of a "handcrafted" (liberal on the quotes O.K.) brew called Elk
>Mountain Amber Ale. The name is after their hop fields in Idaho. They
<snip>
>Fairfield, CA and some say it is pretty good for a beer by the biggies.
I agree. It's the best beer I've tasted from one of the Industrial Brewers.
Has some similarity to Samuel(tm) Adams(tm) Boston(tm) Lager(tm) in terms
of carameliness, lots of hop flavor and general color. I think it's a
fair-to-good beer and would drink it again. I had it at the Paramount Cafe
on 16th street in Denver.
******
Chuck writes:
>Now my question is, when I rack this to secondary and then later
>to a keg, should I take careful steps to make sure I do not splash
>the wort around? Will adding more oxygen at these points adversely
>affect the beer? If yes, what is the affect?
Yes. Yes. Adding oxygen during fermentation will elevate diacetyl
(butterscotch aroma/flavor) levels and adding oxygen after fermentation
will reduce hop aroma and will shorten shelf life (ever try air-pumped
keg beer on the morning after?).
********
ChuckM writes:
> 2. I mash in a picnic cooler with a slotted pipe manifold. My yields
> are always just shy of 25 pts/lb/gal. I was thinking of changing
> from a manifold to an Easymasher type of drain in order to improve
> on yield.
In addition to grain crush being a factor in yield as others have mentioned,
there are a number of other factors that increase yield:
1. sparge volume (if you simply stopped sparging when you reached 5 gal,
then you left a lot of sugars in the grain bed -- watch the pH and SG of
the runnings to decide when to stop and then boil this volume down to 5 gal),
2. mash pH (a pH much higher than 5.7 or so will impede enzyme activity), and
3. grain quality (fresh, high-quality, 2-row, freshly-crushed will give
you the best yield).
********
A number of repliers said:
>Trub has no effect on SG readings.
I measured the SG of a well-fermented-out ale a few weeks ago from a trub-
and-yeast-clouded sample. The SG (measured at 68F) read 1.013. The next
morning, the hydrometer was still sitting in the sample, but the trub/yeast
had settled and the hydrometer read 1.011 (still at 68F). Hmmm... One
data point, but I will repeat said experiment a few more times and see if
I can duplicate it. Perhaps the analogy of rocks and logs is not analogous?
Perhaps some CO2 that was sticking to the hydrometer bubbled out, perhaps
the temperatures were not both 68F (couldn't have been more than 5 degrees
apart at most), perhaps I misread the hydrometer one of the times...
Al.
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1475, 07/14/94
*************************************
-------
