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HOMEBREW Digest #1671
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1995/03/04 PST
HOMEBREW Digest #1671 Sat 04 March 1995
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
RE: Hefe-Weizen (Jim Dipalma)
getting pure H20 (Will Self)
Homebrew Digest #1665 (February 25, 199 (ADNEYK)
pitch timing/hop source/buttery/rescueing underhopped beer/iron bacteria/artificial cellar (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
mild malt (Spencer.W.Thomas)
Celis sells out to Miller (Alan P Van Dyke)
A-B and HSA (George J Fix)
Alt beer ("Jon Yusko")
hydrometers ("James Giacalone")
Brewsters who run with th (kit.anderson)
Brewsters who run with th (kit.anderson)
Re: RCMP competition (Martin Hatlelid)
1995 AHA style chart (PatrickM50)
re: Chicago beer bars & brew pubs (James Veach)
good scale (FLATTER)
beer supplies, brew clubs in dayton OH (A2J)
Re: Storing Yeast Slurry (ryan patrick harding)
RE:fermenters (Jim Busch)
Priming per bottle (Paul Sovcik)
Sparkeloid? (Marla Korchmar)
Cheap Wort Chillers (Richard Buckberg)
Bottom taps in primary fermenters ("Dutcher, Pier")
Gemstate Homebrew Contest (Loren Carter)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 15:46:34 EST
From: dipalma@sky.com (Jim Dipalma)
Subject: RE: Hefe-Weizen
Hi All,
In HBD#1668, Jeff Stampes asks about hefe-weizens:
>Given the low extraction efficiency I am still trying to work out, I was
>planning on a higher grain bill than called for:
>
>6 lbs. 6-row Lager Malt (Munich? German? Bavarian?)
>9 Lbs. Wheat Malt
Weizens are supposed to be at least 50% malted wheat, commercial examples
typically run 50-70% malted wheat. You're at 60%, so you're in the ballpark.
I've found a 50/50 mix of wheat and 2-row pilsner malt to work very well.
I wouldn't use 6-row though.
I don't know what your extraction numbers are, but 15# seems like a lot of
grain for a 5-6 gallon batch. The OG for this style should be around 1.045,
they are not high gravity beers.
>
>I was planning on a 60-90 minute 125F protein rest
> a 60 minute rest at 152F
> a 30 minute rest at 158F
> a 170F mash-out
A couple of comments on this mash schedule. You want to avoid excessively
long protein rests, even with a high percentage of wheat malt. The very first
weizen I ever brewed, I used a 60 minute protein rest as well, having heard
all of the horror stories about lautering with a high percentage of wheat. The
resulting beer had virtually no head retention. I suggest keeping the protein
rest to no more than 30 minutes.
Second, after a 60 minute rest at 152F, the mash will likely be converted.
A single decoction mash works well for this style, but if you want to do a
temperature step mash, try 30 minutes at 125F and one sacc. rest at ~153F-
155F. Weizens are supposed to be tart, crisp and rather well attenuated,
avoid the high end of the sacc. rest range.
>For hops, I was planning a 60 minute boil with Tettnang, and using some
>Saaz at the end for nose.
Save the Saaz for a Czech pils. This style has no hop aroma or flavor, and
*very low* hop bitterness. One problem I frequently encounter when judging
weizens is that they are too highly hopped. The combination of high hop
bitterness and clove phenolic from the yeast is not very pleasant. I target
12 IBUs when I brew weizens, which for my system is ~1.25 oz. of ~4.0AA
Tettnang (a good choice, my personal favorite for this style) for a
*10 gallon* batch. Since you're planning a 5 gallon brewlength, I'd suggest
roughly half that amount, boil for 60 minutes, no late additions.
>Given the cloudy nature of these brews, I assume that my standard procedures
>of adding irish moss at the end, or clearing with polyclar or isinglass will
>not apply.
With the exception of kristal-weizens(sp?), commercial weizens are cloudy
because they are dosed with a non-flocculating lager yeast at bottling time,
to achieve the extremely high levels of carbonation typical of the style.
You still don't want protein hazes in the beer, I'd stay with the Irish moss.
Don't forget to rehydrate it the night before :-).
>For fermentation, I was planning on 14 days at 45F in primary,
IMHO, this is a little too cold, though I don't know about the strain of yeast
you're using. I use the Wyeast 3068, and conduct primary at ~60F, slightly
colder than most ales, with good results. Along with the clove phenolic, an
important flavor component of this style is iso-amyl acetate, aka banana-like
esters. I think that fermenting at 45F would result in little if any ester
development.
>followed by another 14-21 days in secondary at 45F (that's the cellar temp.)
>Then keg, and age until the hottest day of the summer!
In my experience, these beers are best when fresh, they do not require
extensive conditioning. I ferment for three weeks, chill, carbonate, and
start drinking the beer within a month of brewday. Brewing 10 gallons at a
time, there have been occasions when it's taken 3-4 months to finish off
a batch. The last couple of gallons are never as good as the first couple.
Cheers,
Jim dipalma@sky.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 14:07:03 -0700
From: wself@viking.emcmt.edu (Will Self)
Subject: getting pure H20
Tom Williams' request for a demineralizer cartridge has prompted me to
send you all my method of making an inexpensive reverse-osmosis purifier.
This information (e.g. parts numbers and price) is a little bit old (5
years) but if I wait until I get around to updating it I may never get
this done.
Reverse-osmosis purified water is pretty much the same as distilled
water.
This whole thing should cost around $40.
The heart of the purifier is a cartridge which is intended as a
replacement part for Sears' least expensive reverse osmosis unit. Obtain
part number 34511, division number 42, source number 042. In June 1989
it listed at $34.95. It is a cylinder, 12 inches long and an inch and a
half in diameter. Besides the cartridge, you also need a length of
washer hose or garden hose with the female end in place, a band clamp to
go around the hose (auto supply store), a few inches of 1/2 inch CPVC
tubing (the kind that's beige in color), an adapter (described below *),
a few feet of 1/4 inch O.D. (outside diameter) polyethylene tubing
(handyman store), and PVC glue and cleaner.
At one end of the cartridge cylinder you will see one small hole, and at
the other end there are two small holes. The end with the single hole is
the inlet. On the other end you will see that the two holes are marked P
and B. I think of P as pure and B as Brine. When you have your unit
operating, you will observe that the Brine flows considerably faster than
the Pure water, perhaps four or five times as fast. To assemble the
outlet part of your purifier, just push lengths of the 1/4 inch
polyethylene tubing into each of the P and B holes. It should be a snug
fit requiring no further attention. Run the P hose into a collector,
and the B hose to a drain or onto the ground.
The setup is as follows. One end of the hose attaches to a faucet, and
the other end, which is a plain cut end, to the CVPC pipe. Slide it over
the pipe and tighten the band clamp around the hose. The CVPC pipe is
glued into the adapter (* mentioned above). The adapter is glued to the
inlet end of the cartridge. Here is where you want to be careful. It
will have to be a good glue job because it will have pressure on the
joint. Do not omit cleaning the surfaces with PVC cleaner before gluing.
The best choice for the adapter is a CPVC adapter which adapts from 1/2
inch CPVC pipe to a male 1/2 inch iron pipe. There will be threads
inside this adapter, but they are of no concern. What interests you is
the flange, which will butt against the end of the cartridge to provide a
gluing surface. There may be raised letters on the flange; if so, lay a
piece of sandpaper on a flat surface and carefully slide the adapter back
and forth on the sandpaper to remove the raised letters. Sand only until
the letters are almost gone.
Another adapter you can use is one that adapts from 1/2 inch CPVC pipe to
3/4 inch CPVC pipe. This adapter is intended to fit on the outside of
1/2 inch CPVC pipe and on the *inside* of a 3/4 inch CPVC connector. You
use it the same way, gluing the 3/4 end directly to the cylinder.
If by any chance your joint should leak, don't despair. Cut off the
adapter with a hack saw. Buy another adapter, sand down both surfaces
(as described above), check for a good fit, use more glue and more
pressure. I don't believe you will need to do this, but if it happens,
I'd appreciate a note from you informing me.
Eventually the cartridge will wear out and you will have to replace it
(and the glued adapter!). This may be years, depending on your usage.
Let me know if you make this, how it goes.
Will Self
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 16:16:03 -0500 (EST)
From: ADNEYK@delphi.com
Subject: Homebrew Digest #1665 (February 25, 199
HELP! I'm an extract with adjuncts brewer and in my last batch I added Irish
Moss dry (not reconstituted) in the last 15 minutes of the boil. Ignoring
the directions by not reading them, I dumped in the whole packet instead of
the recommened teaspoon for 5 gallons. I probably added about a tablespoon or
2.
There wasn't any excessive flocculating of the yeast, since I can hear it
gurgling happily in the primary fermenter. Will I get terrible off tastes or
anything else bad? Can I just ignore my stupid mistake? Or do I need to toss
the whole batch...
Private email preferred, TIA,
Ken
adneyk@delphi.com
------------------------------
Date: 1 Mar 95 14:24:00 -0600
From: korz@iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
Subject: pitch timing/hop source/buttery/rescueing underhopped beer/iron bacteria/artificial cellar
Don writes:
>4) Pitch at high krausen. While building up starters, I
>usually wait until the yeast fall and fermentation stops. Then
>I decant off the spent wort and add fresh wort, aerating
>vigorously. After the 1/2 gallon starter falls (about a day or
>two before brew day), I decant again and add a pint or two of
>fresh wort and aerate like hell. On brew day, this starter is
>at high krausen, in exponential growth phase, an ideal
>condition for pitching yeast.
Common wisdom and most (all?) homebrewing texts notwithstanding,
the ideal timing for pitching yeast is NOT at high kraeusen. High
kraeusen is the time at which the yeast glycogen levels are at their
lowest. While pitching at high kraeusen may result in the shortest
lag time, isn't what we actually want is the healthiest ferment?
Research (see references below) has shown that fermentations pitched with
low-glycogen yeasts were found to be more sluggish than those pitched
with high-glycogen yeasts. Poor flocculation, poor alcohol production,
slow attenuation, high diacetyl, and high levels of dimethyl sulfide were
also observed.
Glycogen levels are highest during the stationary phase of the yeast,
that is, AFTER high kraesen, when the multiplication of the yeast has
stopped. Of course waiting too long (the paper said after about 8 hours)
the glycogen levels begin to decrease when the yeast run out of food and
begin using glycogen for survival. So ideally, you would like to pitch
the yeast when the starter fermentation rate is on a downward trend (i.e.
they are beginning to run out of food).
References:
Impact of Yeast-Handling Procedures on Beer Flavor Development During
Fermentation by Pickerell, Hwang & Axcell, 1991 American Society of
Brewing Chemists, ASBC Journal, volume 49, no.2
Practical Yeast Management, Dr. Paul Monk
Brewery Operations Volume #6 (1989 Microbrewers Conference Transcripts)
Brewers Publications, Boulder, CO
Malting and Brewing Science, Vol 2, Hough, et. al.
Since this issue seems to keep coming up, could someone please add the
above to the Yeast FAQ? Pleeeze?
***
Steve writes:
>I'm looking for a good source of hops,
I recommend Just Hops -- I can't find the phone number, but it's in
both Zymurgy and Brewing Techniques. They have the widest selection
of hops I've seen (they get hops from several wholesalers), all hops
are in oxygen-barrier bags and they are centrally located (central
Illinois). Just Hops recently purchased Glenn Tinseth's business,
"The Hop Source" so their selection is even bigger now. No affiliation,
blah, blah, blah.
***
Nic writes:
>I've seen a comment similar to this in a few of the "dropping" thread
>responses. Is this "buttery flavour" due to excess diacetyl creation?
>Also, are we talking about a butter "flavour" or a buttery "texture" or
>"mouthfeel" or both?
Flavour. You're absolutely right -- aeration during fermentation elevates
diacetyl production, which has a buttery or butterscotch flavour/aroma.
One factor that I think can give a buttery *texture* is lots of hops --
it may specifically be lots of flavour hops (15 minute boil), but I'm not
100% sure. Lots of hops in the beer tend to give the beer a kind of
"tongue-coating" kind of effect. Could this be what you are experiencing?
Another factor is oats, but you did not mention oats in your post. In either
case, I don't think it will decline with age significantly.
***
Mark writes:
>> of ale using his left-over hops. Apparently, the hops were no good, as the
>> resultant beer has neither hop aroma nor bitterness. Is there any way to hop
>> finished beer and save this batch? Private e-mail is o.k.
>
>I think that hop oils that have been extracted with co2 are most likely your
>best bet.
Hop oils will add aroma, but not bitterness. You can add hop extract, which
will add bitterness *along with* hop oils, but you can also just boil up some
hops in a pot with a little water and then add that to taste. I'm afraid
you're on your own regarding rates and utilizations since malt affects the
utilization as does the concentration of hops which, in this case, would be
very high.
***
Tony asks about how to deal with possible iron bacteria in his water.
I'll leave it to others to answer the bacteria problem, but if all else
fails, you can rinse your fermenters/equipment/etc. with cheap commercial
beer. It's definately sanitary and in the small amounts that would be
left on the equipment would not significantly affect the flavour ;^).
***
Gilad writes:
>What I am looking for is information on how to construct an artificial
>cellar: An insulated chest that keeps a steady temperature and humidity
>ABOVE GROUND LEVEL.
How about the obvious... a refrigerator or chest freezer with a aftermarket
thermostat?
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 16:53:16 EST
From: Spencer.W.Thomas@med.umich.edu
Subject: mild malt
I found a recipe by Darryl Richman in the Cats Meow 3 that calls for
"mild malt". Anybody got a clue how (if) I might be able to make this at
home from pale malt?
------------------------------
Date: Wednesday, 1 March 95 15:50:48 CST
From: Alan P Van Dyke <llapv@utxdp.dp.utexas.edu>
Subject: Celis sells out to Miller
Howdy, HBDland--
Below is the article from The Austin American-Statesman (3/1/95) concerning
the Celis-Miller deal. Reprinted without permission.
Five years ago, Pierre Celis sold his brewery in Belgium to a large brewing
company, using the money to start Celis Brewery, Inc. in Austin.
On Tuesday he sold again, handing a majority interest in Celis Brewery Inc.
over to Miller Brewing Co., the nation's second-largest brewer behind
Anheuser-Busch. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Celis is confident that the partnership will not hurt the quality of his beer.
"The Miller people learned the lesson," he said. "They know you cannot make
beer like this in a large brewery."
Celis will get financing to increase production as well as access to Miller's
purchasing power, its distribution system and other key resources.
Celis should benefit from "Miller's marketing clout, which is quite
substantial," said Michael Schroeder, an analyst at First International Asset
Management who follows Philip Morris, Miller's parent company.
Miller also could provide marketing research to help Celis "understand what
the consumer wants," said Scott Barnum, general manager of American Specialty/
Craft Beer Co., a Miller subsidiary.
For Miller, Celis' family of Belgian-style beers is a promising prospect for
the fast-growing specialty beer market.
Most important, Celis said, he retains control over how the beer is made.
"The alliance will allow us to focus on what we do best, which is to produce
specialty beers," he said. "I will not make something I don't like."
"Pierre is the man," said Barnum. "We want to build on the success he
already has."
Celis, the chief executive officer, founded the brewery in 1992 with his
daughter Christine and her husband, Peter Camps.
The alliance's quickest impact will be to increase Celis' production.
Celis shipped 15,000 barrels to 30 states in 1994.
With a 16,000-barrels capacity, the company has difficulty meeting demand,
said Craig Foster, Celis spokesman.
Miller will add fermentation tanks to the brewery, Foster said. Details on
how many tanks or when they will be added have not been finalized.
(End article)
I like Barnum's quote best, suggesting the Miller can help Celis determine
what the consumer wants. Can you say "clear beer?" I thought you could.
So, there it is. The rumors are substantiated. When you buy a Celis, you're
helping out Miller -and- Philip Morris. What joy. This really hurts us in
Austin, too, because we love to buy local, & this just won't be the same
anymore.
Anyone care for a Celis White Dog?
Alan Van Dyke, Austin llapv@utxdp.dp.utexas.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 96 16:41:08 -0600
From: gjfix@utamat.uta.edu (George J Fix)
Subject: A-B and HSA
Recent posts on HBD have accurately described the procedure used at
all A-B plants whereby hot wort is dusted with air to remove DMS
and other volatiles. These posts were, however, somewhat misleading
in that the procedure was characterized as a new and secret technology
which only A-B has perfected. In fact, it is an old technology which
A-B has had in place for a very long time. The modern version dusts
with nitrogen; see e.g. the excellent article "Uses of Nitrogen" which
appeared in the MBAA Tech. Qr. a few years ago.
I called Dr. David Bryant of A-B/Houston to get some background on this
issue, and he cited the following reasons why this procedure has not been
replaced:
(i) The corporate philosophy at A-B holds that DMS is the worst "off
flavor" in beer, and they want to be assured that all of it is
removed.
(ii) A-B uses high adjunct levels, and hence is not as sensitive to
HSA as all malt brewers. In this regard it is not surprising
that the most vocal advocates of eliminating HSA have come
from Germany and in particular Weinhenstephan (i.e., Narziss,
Prendel, et al).
(iii) A-B is extremely careful with packaging and this gives them
some margin for error in wort production.
In my presentation at last years conference at Denver I tried to make
the point that brewing science does not define what is right or wrong,
it value is simply to help us understand the consequences of our brewing
decisions. This certainly applies to HSA. As I have noted in this
forum it can be used to advantage in selected Belgian styles. This
could also be the case for lagers if you are into light libations
which smell like an apple orchard and are devoid of any maltiness.
George Fix
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 17:48:07 EST
From: "Jon Yusko" <jony@rsainc.com>
Subject: Alt beer
I am interested in brewing an Alt Beer and was wondering if someone
could e-mail me a recipe that they found successful. Also, can anyone
recommend a yeast for this style? I really like the taste of St. Stans
and would like to brew something similar, being either full or partial mash.
Thanks in advance
-Jon
jony@rsainc.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 17:15:43 MST
From: "James Giacalone" <JGiacalone@vines.ColoState.EDU>
Subject: hydrometers
This message is for Robert Becker and ayone else that
may have a hydrometer that you think is inaccurate.
To calibrate a hydrometer you should use distilled water
( so there are no trace elements dissolved) @ 25 degrees
celsius. Remember that specific gravity is very dependent
on temperature, dissolved substances and atmospheric pressure.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 95 17:04:22 -0500
From: kit.anderson@acornbbs.com
Subject: Brewsters who run with th
Part 3(B)
Another thing we like about the bottles is the gleam of the
glass once it is clean. It satisfies the need for tidying up and beats
the heck out of polishing the oak sideboard. There is something
quietly profound about 48 gleaming bottles lined up in formation on
the eh kitchen counter waiting to receive their ration of sanitizing
solution. They don't talk back, you don't have to clean up any towels
they have dropped and you eventually get to put a lid on all of them.
Try that with the kids and you are up for child abuse and a spot on
the Prime Time evening news with half a dozen microphones vying for
your nose hairs.
Bottling is always such an arousing event in my house. Picture
my devoted spouse rinsing and setting bottles down on a clean towel as
fast as he can. I squat on the top step of an ancient step tool,
insert the filler into the clean bottles, push and release just as the
foam comes into view, fade, cut to the next scene with my spouse
masterfully flexing his biceps as he clamps down with animalistic
grunts. Too hot for you? Okay- cool off with the final scene of us
both languidly stroking the sticky bottles with a damp towel to
remove the residue from the overzealous filling job. If this whole
vignette had caused you to overheat, then you definitely need another
brewsky before you finish this column.
The final step in bottling is storage and this depends on
whether the brewster is brewing ale or lager. If it is an ale, that
unused bathtub in the upstairs bathroom is just fine- one more excuse
for not having to put up with your brother-in-law and his wife for
another month. This is also an ideal situation to use that red,
shocking pink and orange tablecloth Aunt Jane brought you from Peru
and that you have previously only brought out for dinners with her.
Just drape that beauty over your batch of ale and let it glow in the
dark. No light dare pass to injure your brew. Lagers can be stored in
any cool dark place. Usually there is enough mold on the bottom shelf
of my refrigerator to shield the exposure of the bottles to the door
light. Furthermore, since it never drops below 45 degrees anyway,
that's perfect.
Yes, we brewsters are different from you brewers on some
fundamental practices. However, what we brew is still the same (well,
I like to think slightly better) and we all still enjoy it just as
much. It has been a pleasure sharing our womanly secrets with you
guys. I have one teensy request- try not to get into arguments over
whose tank is bigger when we're around. Remember fellows- it ain't the
circumference, the height or the capacity that counts...
*********************************************************************
Disclaimer: I did not write this. It was written by Marie Mains.
This is the third and last installment. You are free to redistribute.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as the hop utilization war.
*********************************************************************
Kit "Travels With Chiles" Anderson
Bath, Maine
<kit.anderson@acornbbs.com>
*
- ---
* CMPQwk #1.4 * UNREGISTERED EVALUATION COPY
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 95 16:57:15 -0500
From: kit.anderson@acornbbs.com
Subject: Brewsters who run with th
Brewsters Who Run With The Wolves
Part Three (A)
by Madame Marie Mains
The merry month of December brings me to the final installment
of "Brewsters Who Run With The Wolves" (affectionately known on my
desktop as BWRWTW- I think there is something prophetic about all
those W's or else they are symbols of the wind whistling its way
around my brain cells). I hope that you male brewers have felt a bit
more fulfilled having had this rare glimpse into the world of women
who brew. Certainly this extended piece has eased the tension between
the sexes, dissolved some of the prevailing myths and furthered the
cause of gender appreciation among all brewers. After all, we are
brothers and sisters of the art of zymurgy- and if you aren't woozy
enough after reading this paragraph, go have another brew before you
proceed reading the rest of this final installment.
We began this whole saga two months ago with the brewing stage
and particularly with the fascination that brewers have with techno-
gadgets in that process. It is with this same male fascination with
"stuff" (a term that brewsters use to cover everything that you
guys like- from chain saws to wort chillers) that I will close this
dissertation.
The bottling process divides sharply between brewsters and
brewers at this point. I know- I've attended a few (when I can stay
awake) meetings and a few contests rubbing elbows with brewers busily
discussing the attributes of round cylinders, tall tanks, short
tanks, pigs (hold the male chauvinist jokes, please) and GAUGES-
mercy, have I heard it about gauges! Even my non-brewing spouse who
loyally rinses bottles and caps on filling day will peruse the
catalogues on the gauges pages. ( If you can say that sentence without
slurring the last two words, you haven't had enough to drink.) single
gauges, twin gauges, gauge cages, you name it, I've heard men
extolling it. Anything with a dial, markings of some sort and a
wavering needle hand just sends you into outer space. It's that male
tendency to measure stuff, I guess. "Hey Fred, we're down to ten PSI.
Jiggle da gas pin lock, check yer nipple and screw yer nuts down a
little tighter." See what I mean? While poor Fred is having male
anxiety attacks for the rest of the party over his faulty barbed
adapter, the rest of the brewers run frantically around looking for
the leak locator fluid, or at least a hose clamp. Brewster don't have
anything more worrisome than remembering to tie a string to the bottle
opener so that somebody doesn't pocket it.
The process of bottling is something you brewers seem to
abandon with fervor once any of any of the following events have
transpires: (a) you have won the weekly poker game and have a few
spare bucks burning a hole in your pocket; (b) you didn't get a
pay cut and/or were passed over for departmental cuts; (c) your wife
let you carry the checkbook/ Visa/ Mastercard this month. Suddenly the
pages in the brewing supply catalogue for CO2 cylinders take
precedence over even the favorite back issues of Sports Illustrated
swimsuit edition. I've heard you rhapsodizing over shapes of tanks,
sizes of tanks, numbers of gauges and hose lengths with more
enthusiasm in your voices than over the topic of Cyndi Crawford's
moles. I've found the dog-eared pages in the catalogues hastily
stuffed in the bookrack by the upstairs toilet. I've even had to admit
I've found pictures of "party pumps" tucked in the edges of the
bathroom mirror that were torn out of MY brewing supply catalogues.
We brewsters take a more mundane approach to the bottling
question- that is, we still bottle. Quite a few of my brewer
counterparts still bottle too, but if you talk to them
long enough they have usually forsaken the mere 12 ounce bottles for
something bigger, such as the 22 ounce bottles. They also favor those
macabre free standing bench cappers rather than the hand-held lever
capper. At brewing meetings I will get up and move my seat from the
bench capper typers- they would probably ask me to go along with them
to look at their latest gauge or picnic tap out in the dark parking
lot. No thanks. We brewsters still favor the easily attainable 12
ounce bottle. These can be had by the six pack for the for the mere
bat of an eye and a vague promise of a bottle the finished product.
Brewsters are enough of a novelty themselves ( its like admitting you
build houses or repair cars) in mixed company that one can take the
reusable bottle right from under the nose of an unsuspecting drinker
by just inquiring," I brew my own beer- may I have your bottle." In
fact, this technique works so well it may backfire and the
unsuspecting drinker will bug the hell out of you for the rest of the
evening wanting to know how beer is brewed. I have also had it
backfire with the manager who insists that ALL bottles have to be
returned for the recycling deposit. For those types, we brewsters
usually have to resort to zymurgical guerrilla tactics and take the
poor guy by the hand, pull out a shiny unused ball lock fitting and
whisper in his ear what it is for. I've had 12 six packs personally
loaded in my truck with this very technique. I would not recommend it
for brewers, however, since the manager might want to take you out to
the parking lot to knock off your ball lock fitting instead of helping
you load bottles into the trunk.
Kit "Travels With Chiles" Anderson
Bath, Maine
<kit.anderson@acornbbs.com>
*
- ---
* CMPQwk #1.4 * UNREGISTERED EVALUATION COPY
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 20:05:45 -0800
From: martunes@unix.infoserve.net (Martin Hatlelid)
Subject: Re: RCMP competition
David P Brockington writes:
>
> I am interested in entering the R.C.M.P. competition that you mentioned in
>a recent HBD. I have some rudimentary information, like shipping point
>for US entries and the deadline, but what about style information? DO
>you have anything on line which outlines the categories you have, and
>which styles belong in those categories?
>
I quote from the entry form:
Styles:
Specialty 1: Fruit, Spice & Herb, Mead, Saki, Cider
Specialty 2: Wheat, Kolsch, Belgian, Lambic,
Specialty 3: Barley Wine, Smoked, Scottish Strong, Old English, Russian
Imperial Stout
German Lagers: Vienna, Marzen, Octoberfest, Bock, Dopplebock, Dunkel,
Scwartzbier
Pilseners: Bohemian, Classic, German, Continental, Dortmund, Export, Alt,
Cream Ale, Helles Bock
Ales: Bitters, Classic English Pale Ale, Scottish, Scottish Export
Srong Ales: American Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, California Common
Dark Ales: Porter, Mild, Brown
Stouts
If you need more info, fax Peter at 1-604-322-6005
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 01:44:59 -0500
From: PatrickM50@aol.com
Subject: 1995 AHA style chart
I am pleased to report that I got immediate responses back today from the ABA
re: my request for the *missing* 1995 style chart information, as follows:
START >>>>>>>>>>>>>
From: james@aob.org (James Spence)
We still publish the styles chart--IBU, gravities and so on. I will check to
see why it is not included on our server. The competition insert in Zymurgy
Winter 1994 includes the styles chart. It starts after page 90.
James
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Also:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
From: shawn@aob.org (Shawn Steele)
The Style Guidelines Chart is now available from info@aob.org by sending it
the
keyword "CHART". WARNING: this file is 120 characters wide and will not
display properly on most screens. Hopefully people who need the information
will be able to print it in a small font.
- shawn
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<END
Shawn then kindly sent me the complete chart via another email message but it
is too big to upload to the HBD so interested brewers should pick up a copy
of the Winter '94 Zymurgy or request the chart as explained above by typing
the word "CHART" in the message section of email to info@aob.org. Speaking
from the perspective of an ex-Customer Service Manager, I am impressed by the
speed and completeness of the AOB's response. Now if I can just get my IBUs
to match . . . ;-)
Hope this helps!
Pat Maloney
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 1995 06:41:39 -0500
From: James Veach <james.veach@arch2.nara.gov>
Subject: re: Chicago beer bars & brew pubs
I will be traveling to Chicago very soon and was wondering where or if
there are any brewpubs, microbreweries, good beer bars etc. up there.
Can anyone help?
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 1995 08:57:23 -0820
From: FLATTER%MHS@mhs.rose-hulman.edu
Subject: good scale
I've been looking for a general use scale too. Consolidated Plastics
Company, Inc. has three in the catalog I got this week. Each have 1/4
ounce resolution with 2, 5, and 10 pound capacity for $59.95, $75, and
$99.95 respectively. Their address is 8181 Darrow Road, Twinsburg, OH
44087 and can be reached by phone at 800-362-1000 or FAX at 216-425-3333.
They mainly sell postal and shipping supplies including different sized
ziplocks, anti-static mailers and such.
What I'll probably purchase is a platform spring scale from Cynmar
Corporation in Carlinville, IL [131 North Broad Street, PO Box 530, ZIP
62626]. Their phone number is 800-223-3517 or FAX 217-854-5154. Their's
holds up to 5000 g with 5 g resolution. It's analog, but at $25 I think
I can deal with that and the hassles of conversion to English units.
- --------------
Neil Flatter Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Chemistry - Math (CMA) Department of Chemistry Stockroom Manager
Novell Supervisor 5500 Wabash Avenue 73
(812) 877 - 8316 Terre Haute, IN 47803-3999
FAX: 877 - 3198 Flatter@Rose-Hulman.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 1995 09:36:00 EST
From: A2J@CU.NIH.GOV
Subject: beer supplies, brew clubs in dayton OH
Neophyte questions of the day:
1. I am just starting out brewing and want to by a kettle. What is the
optimum size, what is a good price. Did I also read that
people use old kegs as kettles ? Sounds interesting. Any info
on any other supplies and suppliers would be helpful. My
email address is a2j@cu.nih.gov.
2. My brother-in-law is also interested in brewing in Dayton Ohio.
Anyone with info about brew clubs, brewing supplies can also
email me.
Thanks for your help
A.Lake
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 95 09:45:23 -0500
From: ryan patrick harding <uk03131@mik.uky.edu>
Subject: Re: Storing Yeast Slurry
A few poeple have asked about yeast farming. So here is my procedure.
After I rack to sec. or bottle from primary I pour the slurry into a
sanitized 1 qrt Mason jar (about half way). Take some cool pre-boiled
water and fill up the Mason jar, put the lid on, and swirl to mix. Put the
jar in the refrig until the mixture has separted. The heavy particles
will fall to the bottom while the yeast will remain suspended in the water.
Pour the liquid off the heavy particles into a sanitized bottle and cap then
store in the refrig. When you are ready to use let the bottle warm to pitching
temp. and flame the lip of the bottle and dump into a starter or primary.
Thats all I do and so far have not had any major problem. The main important
thing is to have excellent sanitation procedures.
I think it is a good
idea to step up the yeast count in a starter before pitching. Last week
I brewed a ESB using Wyeast London ESB and I did not use a starter,
consequently I had a 36-48 hour lag time. This may be from the yeast itself
(I have heard of long lag time with this yeast) or because of not using
a starter, I am not sure. Also am I am not sure how long you can store the
yeast mixture, but I have gone as long as 4 months will no problem. Maybe
someone else can comment on this more. One last thing is that I have been
told not to wash the yeast more than 6 times, because of risk of wild yeast
strain.
Hope this helps
ryan harding
uk03131@mik.uky.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 09:56:31 -0500 (EST)
From: Jim Busch <busch@eosdev2.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: RE:fermenters
Kirk writes:
<My thought was to cut the keg at the weld joint at the lower chine,
<then fabricate a cone from stainless sheet and have it Heli-arc'ed to the
<bottom of the keg. Sanitary welding is what's needed--it won't be a
<pressure vessel.
If your going to this amount of effort, ditch the keg idea and go all
out and have a 304 2B SS sheet rolled to make the top. You already need
to have the cone made, its not that easy to do yourself (or should I
say, do you want to experiment with cost of SS?). There is a lurker on
the digest who makes these things....
<Your idea for a bottle under the tank drain valve sounds good--provided it's
<a completely closed system like the oil-jars you may have seen on ancient
<industrial equipment. OTOH, I would just open the airlock, then crank open
<the ball-valve on the bottom of the tank. A slug of yeast sediment should
<come out, followed by clear beer. A little training and one should be able
<to minimize losses yet still get the trub out of the unit. After closing
<the ball valve, the pocket of the valve exposed to the atmosphere should be
<spray-flushed with a sanitizer to prevent bacteria growth, preparatory to
<final racking. Anyone knowing commercial practice in this area should
<please contribute!
<
It doesnt need to be fully closed. What you will need to do is bleed off
some trub and yeast several times, once or twice wont cut it. The way
most pros use unis is with SS triclover/butterfly valves. A weak solution
of sanitizer is sprayed into the valve prior to opening. The first outflow
will have more trub in it, and is usually tossed. The next thick slurry
is repitched. A large (4-5 gallon) SS pail is often used to collect the
yeast, weigh it, then toss it in the manhole of the uni. After the valve is
closed, the yeast is rinsed off with water, and some resanitize it, but
this gets done next time yeast is harvested anyway. In most unis, the beer
is not pulled out the bottom yeast valve, it comes out the side racking
port.
Al writes:
< Personally, I'd insist on
<Oxygen-barrier packaging for hops and, ideally, CO2- or Nitrogen-purged.
<Grain should be stored in sealed containers, like buckets or thick plastic
<bags. Grain stored in paper or open containers will go stale (as quickly
<as a few days if the humidity is high).
A point should be made that the grains are not shipped this way from the
malthouse. Also the degradation is mostly a concern if buying precrushed
malts, Ive stored whole grains for some time in a basement with no noticable
problems.
< The key is really the yeast. You can always
<get similar grain and similar hops, but the yeast has a far bigger effect on
<the final flavour than a slightly different hop variety or a different
<maltster's grain.
Yeah, but since there only a few yeasts in widespread use in the industry,
there is a lot of similarity. I can remember a comment by a brewer from
Marin at a GABF, "were all using the same three yeasts!".
JHojel asks:
<I'm in search of a yeast strain (other than the usual: Wyeast's Weihenstephan
<strain) to brew a fruity Hefe Weisen.
This is the weizen yeast you want. If you want an american bland wheat, use
Wyeast 1056.
Jim Busch
busch@mews.gsfc.nasa.gov
"DE HOPPEDUIVEL DRINKT MET ZWIER 'T GEZONDE BLOND HOPPEBIER!"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 95 09:41:23 CST
From: Paul Sovcik <U18183@UICVM.CC.UIC.EDU>
Subject: Priming per bottle
I have recently started kegging my beer, and I would like to have a few
bottles of each batch to distribute to others, etc.
I was thinking I could individually prime each bottle with a small
well measured amount of corn sugar (dextrose).
I have access to 50% and 5% dextrose in sterile water. I figure the 50%
dextrose (500mg/ml) would be good to add to each bottle. My question is,
how many grams of dextrose per bottle will give equivalent carbonation to
3/4 cup per 5 gallons? The number I need here,I guess,is how much does
one cup of corn sugar weigh?
Free bottle of homebrew to the first correct answer! (You pick it up...
-Paul
Paul Sovcik Chicago, IL U18183@uicvm.uic.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 11:16:31 -0500
From: Marla Korchmar <marlak@pipeline.com>
Subject: Sparkeloid?
Has anybody used a fining made for clearing wine and cider (post
fermentation) called Sparkeloid (I may have the spelling wrong)? I don't
like the idea of using cow hooves (gelatin) or fish (isinglass) in my beer;
maybe this is a workable alternative?
Marla
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 08:19:24 -0800
From: Richard Buckberg <buck@well.sf.ca.us>
Subject: Cheap Wort Chillers
Pat FitzGerald asked today about cheap wort chillers. As suggested here
long ago, I made a cheap immersion chiller out of 3/8 inch copper tubing (25
feet) and a couple of compression fittings. At a large hardware chain, the
whole thing cost about $25. Use some nylon tape at the fittings, bend it
around a bucket or something similar, and you can be chilling out in 20
minutes or effort.
I can bring 5 gallons from boil to pitch in about 12-15 minutes. Takes
about 25 mintues for 10 gallons.
------------------------------
Date: 02 Mar 95 08:27:24 PST
From: "Dutcher, Pier" <PEDU@chevron.com>
Subject: Bottom taps in primary fermenters
From: Dutcher, Pier -PEDU
To: OPEN ADDRESSING SERVI-OPENADDR
Subject: Bottom taps in primary fermenters
Date: 1995-03-02 08:12
Priority:
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eamonn McKernan writes:
<snip> <Also, if you put a tap at the bottom to collect samples during
fermentation,
would it be sanitary? After taking one sample, the outside would get covered
with wort, which airborne beasties would latch onto by the time you wanted
to use it again. Or is this not true? In fact, even if it were sanitized
when you started fermenting, a few days of contact with outside air would
be enough to cover them with bacteria.>
I have a setup like this on my primary. The valve is mounted ~2" above the
bottom of the container. (That height was selected because it was as low as
I could go and still have the outlet of the valve clear the counter.) It
works great for me -- the inlet of the valve is ~1" above the level that
most of the trub settles. I used to do single-stage fermentations and could
bottle directly from the valve -- no siphoning required. And, as Eamonn
notes, it makes taking samples a snap.
Caveats: 1) When taking samples, go S_L_O_W, or you'll suck the contents
of your airlock (vodka, in my case) into your primary.
2) Clean the valve as much as possible when done. (I spray mine with H2O
to get most of the wort off, and then dry the valve with a few blasts of my
air compressor. Air drying would probably work as well - it would just take
longer.) Afterwards, I cover the valve with a plastic baggie.
3) I live in a low-humidity area (25 mi. east of San Fransisco). If you
live in a tropical rain forest, your results may vary.
Sanitation has never been a problem. I'm not too worried about
contaminating the samples -- measure the S.G. and down the drain (or tummy)
they go. Before bottling (or transferring to the secondary), I take a final
sample, which probably flushes the majority of the airborne beasties from
the valve. By the time you bottle (or transfer), most of the food will have
already been eaten by the yeast, which will have a HUGE head start on
anything you might introduce. I've been doing this for about 5 years and
have only had one contaminated batch -- and it went bad in the primary
before it ever saw the valve. (As I recall, I got cocky on my second batch
and took a bunch of shortcuts.) However, if you're really worried, you
could probably spray a sanitizing solution up the valve and let it drip dry
just before you transfer. Unless you brew in a really windy room, not
much is going to go UP the valve.
Enjoy! Pier -- pedu@chevron.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 10:04:00 -0700
From: Lcarter@claven.idbsu.edu (Loren Carter)
Subject: Gemstate Homebrew Contest
Announcing:
The Ninth Annual Gemstate Homebrew Contest
Deadline: April 23, 1995
All standard catagories
For more information contact Loren Carter at lcarter@claven.idbsu.edu
Let me know if you want the info pack via email or snail mail. For smail
please give me your smail address.
Loren Carter
Chemistry Department
Boise State University
Lcarter@claven.idbsu.edu
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1671, 03/04/95
*************************************
-------
