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HOMEBREW Digest #1735
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1995/05/19 PDT
HOMEBREW Digest #1735 Fri 19 May 1995
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Harsh, astringent taste from end of secondary? (Palmer Davis)
Stove cleaning (Philip Gravel)
Stuck fermentations (Ilkka Sysil{)
Re: Mercury! Give me a break! (Art Steinmetz)
Copper good for yeast? (Al Gaspar)
re: this mercury thread (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
SS/Brass/Copper/False Bottoms ("Timothy P. Laatsch)
Extract brewing is for mouthfeeling hydrometers (usfmchql)
RE: Re-using yeast (david lawrence shea)
hop and trub removal (Andrew J Donohue)
Pitching rates (Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna)
Cleaning beer lines (Steven Lichtenberg)
Info on Drake's Ale (2nd request) (Glen_Baldridge)
Draft Mix (CO2 & N2) ("Todd Ehlers")
Re: Decoction Mashing (Art Steinmetz)
Kirin's "First Pressings" ("Troy Howard" )
Vice. (Russell Mast)
Expolding CO2 Cylinder !!! (Terence McGravey {91942})
Re: RIMS system (Dion Hollenbeck)
Best Results using Irish Moss ("Look out now, I still got my guitar 17-May-1995 1510 -0400")
Brewhaha.zip at stanford (Andrew Cluley)
CO2 Regulator problems ("Christopher V. Sack")
False Bottom Questions (Bryan Dawe)
Thanks/lager/Pete's Summer Brew (Dan Pack)
Three Bad Batches in a Row (Chris Strickland)
Starter Aeration Trick (Elde)
Attention Brewcap Users (Robert Spackleheim Nonstraflarbenstamus)
strawbeerries (Larry Lowe)
Closed fermenting in a Corny. (Kevin McEnhill)
Plastic Hydrometer (Evan Kraus)
RE: Malt Variety vs. FG (RPB3)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 May 95 21:40:43 EDT
From: palmer@ansoft.com (Palmer Davis)
Subject: Harsh, astringent taste from end of secondary?
The last two batches that I've bottled have suffered from a curious
problem. The hydrometer samples that I tasted while the two batches
(an ordinary bitter and a doppelbock) were in the early secondary
and earlier indicated that both should be quite promising. Yet shortly
before I bottled both, as the SG's fall leveled off, the beer began to
develop a harsh, astringent character, which was still present at
bottling time. What happened, and will this go away with time?
I haven't encountered this with earlier batches. The doppelbock
was kept down in an old coal cellar in the mid 40's, the bitter upstairs
in the kitchen at room temperature.
- ---
Palmer T. Davis <palmer@ansoft.com>
Ansoft Corporation, Four Station Square, Suite 660, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
http://skua.ansoft.com/palmer/home.html
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 May 95 23:09 CDT
From: pgravel@mcs.com (Philip Gravel)
Subject: Stove cleaning
===> John Keane asks about stove cleaning:
>My question is this: if (heaven forfend!) this ever happens to me
>again, what is the Right Way to get that black, baked-on, carbonized
>sugar off of the stove *without* destroying the finish? Since I
>imagine this question might be of interest to others, if people e-mail
>suggestions, I will post a summary of responses back here.
I would suggest heavy doses of oven cleaner (eg. Easy Off). Be careful
of getting it on aluminum though.
- --
Phil
_____________________________________________________________
Philip Gravel Lisle, Illinois pgravel@mcs.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 13:54:59 +0000 (EET DST)
From: Ilkka Sysil{ <isysila@clinet.fi>
Subject: Stuck fermentations
I cannot see very much point in cosidering cures for stuck fermentation.
Stuck fermentation definitely means that things have gone unfortunately
& *irreversibly* awry in much earlier stage of brewing process.
Stuck fermentation is almost exclusively due to *wrong* composition
of sugars in the wort provided that aeration of wort has been done
properly and yeast & pitching rate is ok.
An elementary thing in brewing called *mashing schedule* (the sequence
of rests at certain temperatures) determines quite exactly the *desired*
sugar composition of wort (amount of fermentable sugars vs. dextrins).
We just have to understand the way beta- & alfa-amylases work and mash
accordingly.
There is no point doctoring the remaining much too high amount of dextrins
into fermentable sugars after fermentation stops (stucks) due to the fact that
fermentable sugars have run out - quite natural!
In biotechnical process called brewing the ratio of fermentables vs.
unfermentables is adjusted a little bit earlier by performing a pretty
little thing called *mashing* exactly the way which comes up with desired
composition of sugars in wort.
Malty brewing to all
IS
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 May 95 18:58:35 EDT
From: (Art Steinmetz)
Subject: Re: Mercury! Give me a break!
> This means a small clinical thermometer contains about 0.2g mercury and
> if ALL of that was volatilized in the above room the TLV would be exceeded.
> Again if 1/1000th volatilizes you would have to break 1000 such thermometers
> to attain this level.
Thanks for this bit of sanity. I'm no chemist so I kept my mouth shut
(up till now :-) ) but it's quite apparent that a little ball of
Mercury stays pretty much a little ball of Mercury. This much I know
since I played with my share of Mercury as a kid...and we used it in
jr. high science experiments (read: "government approved - ooohhhhh").
I'd just roll that little ball out of my kettle into an HDPE bottle,
cap it and put it in the trash where it will be somebody else's
problem 10,000 years from know when the bottle decays.
- -- Art
asteinm@pipeline.com
76044,3204@compuserve.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 07:46:10 CDT
From: Al Gaspar <gaspar@STL-17SIMA.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Copper good for yeast?
Folks,
I ran across a statement in some literature from one of the BOP
outfits that made me curious:
"Brewing in copper kettles enhances yeast growth during the
important primary fermentation phase."
What about brewing in copper would promote yeast growth? I'd
appreciate any comments.
Cheers--
Al
- --
Al Gaspar <gaspar@stl-17sima.army.mil>
USAMC SIMA, ATTN: AMXSI-TTC, 1222 Spruce St., St. Louis, MO 63103-2834
COMMERCIAL: (314) 331-4354 AUTOVON: 555-4354
relay1.uu.net!stl-17sima.army.mil!gaspar
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 08:49 EDT
From: CSS2@OAS.PSU.EDU (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
Subject: re: this mercury thread
Okay folks: It is time to lay out some facts.
*Elemental mercury, as such, will not be readily absorbed by the body. BUT,
one of the problems is that, once ingested, your body will try to chemically
modify the mercury to make it easier to get rid of. This is where the problem
comes from. Elemental mercury is too heavy and dense to go through the
stomach or intestinal lining. But if it becomes chemically modified, it can
and will pass through this barrier and WILL ACCUMULATE IN TISSUES HIGH IN FAT,
like your brain, kidneys, and other vital organs.
*As somone posted yesterday, triple-distilled mercury has had most of the
water soluble mercury contaminants removed from it. But your body is still
gonna try to make it easier to get rid of.
*Mercury is a chronic toxin. We all (well, most of us chemistry types) played
with mercury in grade/high school, and we dn't hav anny brainy damagggggggge.
Seriously, it takes a massive one-time exposure or several high level
exposures to cause an long-term health effects.
*The reason that hat makers got Hg poisoning was that they would literally
take and large handfull of wool and dunk it in a barrel full of mercury. They
were leaning over the barrel, up to their elbows in Hg, breathing the fumes
the whole time! (Mercury has the amazing property of breaking the sulfur
bridges in wool that make it curly; after a short soak in Hg, wool will
straighten out and is easier to make into felt, and then into hats).
The chronic mercury poisoning that hatters suffered from is where the term
"mad as a hatter" came from (not Lewis Carroll).
*Practical advise: Buy alcohol thermometers. They are cheaper, with none of
the mercury worries (anyone know what kind of alcohol they use in them?)
Hope this helps
Curt Speaker
Biosafety Officer
Penn State University
Environmental Health and Safety Office
email: css2@oas.psu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 09:17:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Timothy P. Laatsch <LAATSCH@kbs.msu.edu>" <LAATSCH@kbs.msu.edu>
Subject: SS/Brass/Copper/False Bottoms
Hey All,
I'm about to embark on a great 3-tiered/RIMS fabrication journey. I've read
quite a bit of material in the archives regarding construction
considerations, but I still have a few questions about materials and false
bottoms.
1. Could somebody please definitively address the pros and cons of using
stainless vs. brass vs. copper? The obvious difference to me is price, which
is usually a direct indicator of quality and durability, but what other
considerations come into play. e.g. Why not go with brass ball valves rather
than ss?
2. False bottoms: As best I can gather from the archives and other sources,
there are three basic designs here: the EasyMasher(TM) clone, the slotted
copper manifold, and some sort of perforated stainless fabrication/screen
combination. The advantages of the EM and manifold designs are ease of
construction and low price, but there seem to be 2 major disadvantages: A)
scorching with non-RIMS systems; and B) Low flow rates and grainbed
compaction with RIMS systems. Since I plan to construct a RIMS, I'm leaning
toward the fabricated SS/mesh screen bottom-----I read about one made of a
perforated pizza pan with 18x18 ss mesh attached by fishing line. I would
like to hear RIMS users comment on what false bottoms work best for them,
especially in the interest of avoiding compacted grain beds. If this has
been rehashed endlessly or is not of general interest, please respond by
private e-mail. Although, I seem to notice a recent outcropping of
budding RIMS engineers. ;)
3. Where is the best place to get detailed RIMS plans?----the special
Gadgets issue of Zymurgy? I'm particularly concerned about constructing the
temperature controller and in-line heater assembly. Instructions for the
mechanically challenged would be most appreciated.
I have dozens more questions, but I'll leave it at that until I get my hands
on more detailed information. I appreciate any help you can give this
struggling RIMS newbie. Brew on!
Bones
*+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++*
| Timothy Laatsch |email: laatsch@kbs.msu.edu | All-grain |
| Graduate Student |phone: 616-671-2329 | but only |
| Michigan State University |fax: 616-671-2351 | half-way |
| Kalamazoo, MI | | sane |
*+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++*
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 09:39:15 EDT
From: usfmchql@ibmmail.com
Subject: Extract brewing is for mouthfeeling hydrometers
> This note has been carefully re-edited so it might pass the HBD
> Frustrator-Bot unscathed. Line lengths greater than 80. Gimme a
> break...
>
The re-edit failed. Third attempt.
>
> We interrupt your Homebrew Digest for these important announcements...
>
> -----------------
> >On extract brewing...
>
> Extract brewing is for gir... er, sissi... er, manly men don't do..., er,
> well extract brewing is for Russell Mast! Yeah! That's it! (Sorry.
> Couldn't resist. Have a genetically enhanced smart-ass bone.)
>
> -----------------
> >Just one more on mouthfeel...
>
> I drank a light lager, then I drank a heavy nut-brown. Put my finger
> in my mouth each time and it felt the same. Go figure...
>
> ----------------
> >In HBD # 1733 Stephen Harrington broke a hydrometer...
>
> MY GOD!!! Evacuate your family from your house, take all your brewing
> equipment and mail it to me (I'm qualified to dispose of paper
> contaminated brewing-ware), burn your house to the ground, and leave
> the country !!! If you thought mercury was nasty, you haven't seen what
> the toxins in that paper tube can do! Plus, it's now been exposed to
> oxygen and will multiply!!! Burn the house to the ground or we'll have a
> hydrometer paper infestation of biblical proportions! (Hydrometer paper
> tubes was one of the old-testament plagues of Moses, wasn't it?!?)
> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
>
> ----------------
> >New thingy to play with in SE Michigan...
>
> Warning! Regional (somewhat) post. If you suffer from regionophobia, or
> have any regional aversions, please close your eyes...
>
> Announcing the Homebrew University - Motor City Campus: Brew Beerd & Co.
> BBS. Tell your brewing friends - brewing message bases. Brewing downloads
> with no UL/DL ratios (Download all you want - we'll upload more!). HBD
> Archives from October 1988 to present! Utilities! Stuff! Stuff! STUFF! Tell
> your craft-oriented SO's - There'll be craft stuff, too! (That's how I got
> Momma to let me buy the machine, install the phone line, etc., etc., etc..
> etc.. Damn, but I'm a conniving one... - 'course, she's gotta get the stuff
> together). And, tell your root snuffling, er, I mean - your root searching
> friends, too - There'll also be a genealogy sig! So, c'mon down and dial
> 'er up! (313)397-9758 Located in Canton MI, Wayne MI exchange.
>
> Oh, and excuse the 'dust' - we're still building...
>
> (You can report any bugs online, or to pbabcock@oeonline.com;
> Flames to no:sense:of:humor@grumpen.grumble.org)
>
> ----------------
>
> We now return you to your normally scheduled diversion...
>
> 'Drink all you want - I'll brew more!'
>
> Patrick (Pat) G. Babcock ? "Yup, Kit's (Anderson) a brewer...
> President, Brew-Master ? What he isn't is a woman." - Dan Hall
> and Chief Taste-Tester ? "Let a good beer be the exclamation point
> Drinkur Purdee pico Brewery ? at the end of your day as every sentence
> pbabcock@oeonline.com ? requires proper puntuation." -PGB
>
Take that, you damned Robot!!!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 08:42:31 -0500 (EST)
From: david lawrence shea <dshea@indiana.edu>
Subject: RE: Re-using yeast
Mike Marshburn wrote about re-using his spent yeast:
There is an excellent step by step process for doing this in the
yeast.faq, but here is what you should do. If this jar contains trub
from your last batch, you should probably wash it. This is simple. Get
another jar and fill it half full with boiled water and let cool to room
temperature. Take out the jar you have from the fridge, let it warm up
to room temperature. Swirl it to get yeast suspended and wait a minute
or two while the trub resettles to the bottom. Flame or rub with alcohol
the rims of both jars, etc. Carefully pour yeast into fresh jar. Some
people prefer to then repeat this process with another jar, but I have
never bothered. You should have relatively clean yeast and it is ready
to go. Just make up a starter and add this jar, leaving behind any stuff
that collects on the bottom of the jar. If you want to save it, put
it in the refridgerator.
In the future, I would do this yeast washing right away after bottling
your beer. I hope this helps, if you have questions e-mail or get a hold
of the yeast.faq which gives a more rigorous outline of this process.
David L. Shea
Indiana University
dshea@ucs.indiana.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 95 10:00:27 EDT
From: andy2@hogpa.ho.att.com (Andrew J Donohue)
Subject: hop and trub removal
There have been a few posts lately about trub removal and
hops clogging CF chillers. I use a homemade easy masher
for mashing and in my kettle. Even if you don't wan't to
mash with an EM, they are excellent for trub removal. I've
found it necessary to use whole or plug hops. Pellets seem
to clog the EM. Whole hops act as a filter bed and filter
out th hot and cold break leaving bright wort when used
with an imersion chiller. When used with a CF chiller the
EM prevents the hops and hot break from entering the chiller.
Andy Donohue
andy2@hogpe.ho.att.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 95 10:07:35 EST
From: Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna@relay.com
Subject: Pitching rates
In HBD 1733, Ron asks:
>How much yeast slurry
>should I pitch to a 5 gallon batch to assure quick starts and no
>contamination?
As I understand it, "standard" pitch rate for 5 gallons of ale is about one
pint of starter. That is what I use, and it has worked fine. For a
"higher" gravity beer (and for lagers i think), use more. If you have FTP
access, check out the yeast FAQ located at ftp.stanford.edu for a better
explanation Access info in the HBD header.
Tim Fields
Timf@relay.com
Relay Technology, Inc., SQL/DS Division
Vienna, VA, USA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 10:56:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: Steven Lichtenberg <steve@Pentagon-EMH6.army.mil>
Subject: Cleaning beer lines
In this mornings HBD there was a post (sorry I forget who) on techniques
for cleaning beer lines between kegs. The poster said he bought a garden
sprayer and made modifications to it. While this will work well, my
feeling is that you already have all the equipment you need to clean your
lines. I do this between each keg I put on line. I just fill an empty
keg with cleaning solution (iodophor solution etc) and run it through the
line using my regular connections. I then open the lines and collect the
run off in a bucket. I follow this with a rinse with clear water and run
it out the line until nothing but CO2 comes out the line. I am now ready
for the next keg to go on line. OF course, I do take the tap off line at
the end of this process and clean it as well. Simple safe and I don't
need more gadgets :-(... I do use a small amount of CO2 in the process
but I have a 20lb tank and it is cheap and lasts a long time.
Hope this helps ....
**** ---- "There's always time for a Homebrew!" ---- ****
C|~~| ------------ Steven Lichtenberg --------------- C|~~|
`--' ------ steve@pentagon-emh6.army.mil --------- `--'
-- Programmer/Analyst - Datanamics, Inc. --
-- Gaithersburg, MD & The Pentagon ---
-----------------------------------
ENJOY LIFE--THIS IS NOT A REHEARSAL
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 95 11:38:35 PST
From: Glen_Baldridge@ccmail.medicus.com
Subject: Info on Drake's Ale (2nd request)
This is a 2nd request for info on DRAKE'S ALE from Lind Brewing Co in
San Leandro CA (outside Oakland). My first post has generated NO
RESPONSES!
If you know ANYTHING about this brew or have tasted, PLEASE SEND
INFORMATION!!!
BTW, I hear that the AI robot gives bonus points for supplying
information!
Thanks,
Glen Baldridge
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 11:30:44 +0000
From: "Todd Ehlers" <ehlerst@ralph.txswu.edu>
Subject: Draft Mix (CO2 & N2)
SITUATION:
My roommates and I have built a couple of "keggerators" out of old
fridges and keep beer (mainly store bought) on tap in them at all times.
About two months ago we got a Guiness keg and tapped it using a
cylinder of "draft mix" which is provided to the bars etc, by the
distributor to tap Guiness and Young Oatmeal Stout. The draft mix is
simply a mixture of CO2 and Nitrogen (N2) in a single cylinder.
This worked, but not perfectly. At first we got exactly the creamy head
you'd expect on a draft Guiness, but as the month went on it got flatter
and less creamy until we eventually had to pour out (don't hate me for this)
probably the last two gallons which had been deemed undrinkable. It didn't
get sour or anything just kinda flat and definately NOT CREAMY. We
had the pressure on the keg at 20+ lbs. which is more than the 10-15 lbs.
we usually use to tap a keg with CO2.
QUESTIONS:
What is the "correct" mix of N2 to CO2 in "draft mix"?
What is the effect of different mixtures?
What characteristics are the two gasses responsible for?
What is the correct pressure to tap beer (stouts) with draft mix?
Is that different from CO2? Why?
Is the flow control faucet used on Guiness and Oatmeal at bars essential?
Why? Is it essential due to increased pressure?
If I had separate CO2 and N2 cylindars how would I determine the
pressures necessary to obtain a certain ratio of gasses in the mixture?
This doesn't DIRECTLY relate to homebrewing, but I'd like to use a draft
mix on my homebrewed stouts. Nothing can replace that creamy mouth feel
a good Guiness on tap (or in a draft can) has got going on. I'm willing
to buy a flow-control faucet from Rapids (about $80) if necessary.
Thanks.
/\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\
- --todd ehlers
information technology services
southwestern university
ehlerst@txswu.edu
/\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 95 11:26:27 EDT
From: (Art Steinmetz)
Subject: Re: Decoction Mashing
In #1733 ajdel@interramp.com (A. J. deLange) said:
>
I find it helpful to have a "program" posted on the wall of the
brewhouse
(my wife calls this room the "kitchen"). This is a graph of time vs
temp-
erature like the ones in the brewing books except that everything is
labeled
with notes like "to 122 in :10; hold :30" i.e. all the numbers you
need
are on that one piece of paper. You will be so busy that you will not
have
time to be looking things up in books.
Try to develop a detailed procedure either in your mind or on paper
and then
think about each step.
>
This is invaluable advice. A lot of forethought allowed my first
decoction to proceed as if it were my second one. Being a gadget-y
guy I put the mash program into my pocket organizer (e.g. Casio BOSS
or Sharp Wizard) as appointments, printed it out and posted it on the
wall. During the mash the organizer alarm notified me when to do
something and, importantly, what to do. Skipping or forgetting steps
is a chronic problem for me ("Damn, I forgot the second hop
addition!")
This worked like a dream and the whole day went as scheduled. I
underestimated the time required to pull the decoctions but I jimmied
the clock time on the organizer to keep on track.
- -- Art
asteinm@pipeline.com
76044,3204@compuserve.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 95 09:07:50 PDT
From: "Troy Howard" <troy@oculus.jsei.ucla.edu>
Subject: Kirin's "First Pressings"
Driving into work this morning I heard an astonishing radio ad for Kirin. In it
the announcer comments that Kirin's beer is made from only the "high quality
first pressings" as opposed to other beers that are made by mixing the "first,
second, and third pressings".
I suppose that Kirin could use some sort of forced lautering process (so the
wort _might_ be described as a "pressing"), but more likely the ad company has
no clue how beer is made and thought it was similar to wine making.
Anyone know if Kirin really uses some sort of novel "pressing" process to
produce wort?
-Troy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Troy Howard | Live fast, die young, and leave a good
troy@oculus.jsei.ucla.edu | looking corpse.
Jules Stein Eye Institue, UCLA |
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 12:04:34 -0500
From: Russell Mast <rmast@fnbc.com>
Subject: Vice.
> From: dsanderson@msgate.CV.COM
> Subject: Using Weisse Yeast Without the Weissen
>
>
> I was pleasantly surprised this morning when a friend and colleague from
> Munich unexpectedly appeared in my office and presented me 2 bottles of
> Schneider Weisse.
>
> One bottle is for drinking, the other for culturing the unique Schneider
> yeast.
First, I have to say you should drink most of the beer from BOTH and use the
slurry from BOTH.
Second, if there's not slurry, there may be no yeast.
Third, I don't know if Schneider's does this, but several commercial
weissbeers are filtered from their special (S. Delbruckii) yeast, then
primed with a regular S. Cerevisiaeou(and sometimes y) yeast. Thus, the
yeast you culture from this bottle might not be the yeast that gives the
beer its distinctive flavor.
I was confused for a long time as to why anyone would do that, why they
would filter their special yeast out. Then, I made a batch. And, I found
that if you keep the temperatures below 50-55 F, the yeast produce very
little banana esters and a lot of yummy phenolics. However, when the temp
rises, it reverses, and the stuff tastes like Chiquita. This effect happened
in bottle-primed beers that had finished weeks earlier, and it would take
a couple weeks in the cool to reduce the esters, and it would never get as
low as it had been originally.
> I'd be interested in comments or experience using a Bavarian Wheat yeast
> in a straight Barley brew? I am curious about how much of the
> distinctive Weisse flavor is contributed by the wheat and/or the yeast?
Me, too. Post your results.
-R
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 14:46:50 -0400
From: Terence McGravey {91942} <tpm@swl.msd.ray.com>
Subject: Expolding CO2 Cylinder !!!
EXPLODING CO2 CYLINDER !!!
Now that I have everybody's attention, I will pose my question
again.
I've just began kegging beer using Corny kegs and a CO2 sytem
and on my sixth keg (now being dispensed) I've been having some
pressure fluctuations. If I set the regulator to say 8 lbs. the
regulator can be heard filling the tank and then stop at 8 lbs. .
But then if I check it say an hour later, the pressure is at 15 lbs. .
All previous kegs stayed right on the money where i set it. I bought
the regulator new through Superior. The fermentation is complete as I
achieved my FG. It worked perfectly up until this batch.
My feelings are that there is something wrong with the regulator but
I figured I would tap the knowledge of the Digest befor I sent it
back. It is a double guage regulator on a 10 lb. tank.
Thanks in advance for all input !
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| _/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/ WEST END PUB & PICOBREWERY |
| _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Methuen, Mass. |
| _/_/ _/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ |
| _/_/ _/ _/ _/ Terry McGravey |
| _/_/ _/ _/ _/ Owner / Brewmaster |
| _/_/ _/ _/ _/ tpm@swl.msd.ray.com |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 95 12:00:49 PDT
From: hollen@megatek.com (Dion Hollenbeck)
Subject: Re: RIMS system
>>>>> "Nia" == Nia Schmald <nschmald@uclink2.berkeley.edu> writes:
Nia> I've seen passing reference to RIMS systems, but have yet to see
Nia> any description of what a RIMS system entails. Can anybody
Nia> provide a fairly technical description, or point me to an
Nia> information file/FAQ?
RIMS stands for Recirulating Infusion Mash System. The simplest form
of a RIMS system (true to the exact name) is a mash tun with false
bottom and a pump to pump out the wort from under the false bottom and
return it gently to the top of the grain bed. With no more equipment
than this, one can perform a single step infusion mash and get all the
benefits of recirculation (crystal clear wort, evenness of
temperature). Your temperature will drop more than if you just did a
single step infusion mash because the wort is recirculating out and
through the pump.
However, even though the above description is technically a RIMS
system, a RIMS system as more commonly implemented puts a low density
heater in a pipe chamber controlled by a solid state temperature
controller and pumps the wort out of the mash tun, through the heater
chamber and back into the mash tun. This has the advantage of being
able to maintain and even boost temperatures, making upward step
infusion mashes quite easy.
The best written reference to a RIMS system is the article by Rodney
Morris in the 1992 Zymurgy Special Issue on Gadgets. Hopefully, this
fall, the best written reference available will be my book on how to
build a RIMS system (kind of like the "Complete Idiot's Guide to VW
Repair"). Rodney did a great job of describing how to build a RIMS
system if you have a *lot* of mechanical skills. Heck, what do you
expect in 4 pages in a magazine. I will be assuming you have almost
no mechanical skills and will teach all necessary to build a RIMS
(short of welding, this is best left to the pros if you are not
already good at it).
dion
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 95 15:12:22 EDT
From: "Look out now, I still got my guitar 17-May-1995 1510 -0400" <ferguson@zendia.enet.dec.com>
Subject: Best Results using Irish Moss
>Date: Mon, 15 May 95 10:16:56 EST
>From: Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna@relay.com
>Subject: When to add Irish Moss to the boil?
For best results, rehydrate 1 TBSP (or so) of IM with about 1-2c warm
water 24 hrs before brewing. ok, so, you forgot to rehydrate. i usually
forget and rehydrate it starting at the mash, about 2 hrs from the boil.
then, i pitch the rehydrated stuff at 15 mins LEFT in the boil.
i used to pitch dry IM into the boiler 15 mins out from boil completion.
when i started rehydrating (got the idea from a George Fix post), it made
a big diff in beer clarity.
jc
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 11:34:44 -0700
From: drew@eskimo.com (Andrew Cluley)
Subject: Brewhaha.zip at stanford
If anyone could help... I d-loaded it to my home computer but
I can't get pkunzip to unzip it. Any tricks? Is this program
a worthy one? If you can e-mail me direct we'll save space in
the digest...and I don't always read it. Thanks. drew@eskimo.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 11:35:36 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Christopher V. Sack" <cvsack@mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: CO2 Regulator problems
Terry,
If you have used the regulator on other kegs and had no problems of
pressure overshoot, I think that the regulator is fine. You could
always test this by pressurizing an empty keg and checking the pressure
after a couple of hours. If a regulator goes bad, ie, the needle valve
leaks, the pressure of the keg would not stop a 15 psi (setting it at 8
psi), the pressure would continue to build until ...
There are two possible answers to your situation:
1) the fermentation was not quite finished. The CO2 produced would
increase the pressure inside the keg because it can not escape from the
sealed system.
2) the temperature of the keg changed. (I think that this is the case.)
As the temperature of the keg rises, the pressure will rise as well.
Since gases are not as soluable at higher temperatures, the pressure would
rise more than the ideal gas law would predict (PV=nRT).
Sincerely, ___ ___ Christopher V. Sack
Chris / ) | / / ) __ __ | Chemistry Dept.
/ | / (___ __ ) / )| / S.U.N.Y.-E.S.F.
/ | / ) / / / | / Syracuse, NY 13210
(____/* |/* (____/ (__\ (__/ |/ \ <cvsack@mailbox.syr.edu>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 95 16:35:02 MDT
From: Bryan Dawe <bryand@hpgrla.gr.hp.com>
Subject: False Bottom Questions
I am considering buying some equipment to build a three vessel, ten
gallon brewery. East Coast Brewing offers a "Precision Brewing Systems"
(PBS) 15 gallon (Vollrath SS) brew kettle having a bottom drain and ball
valve installed that appeals to me for use as a mash tun for a variety
of reasons. They also offer a 0.020 inch thick folding stainless steel
false bottom for the kettle that has 3/32" holes placed on 5/32" centers.
The false bottom rests a little more than one inch above the bottom of
the kettle supported on eight legs. The bottom drain has a 3/8" ID and
is mounted underneath the false bottom on the side of the kettle.
I am curious what kinds of experiences people have had with configurations
similar to that described above. Specifically, it seems to me that
the hole size is a little bigger than optimum and that setting the filter
bed might take a little longer than is necessary, particularly in light
of the fact that I do a lot of decoction mashing and would prefer to
continue this practice in the larger brew length.
Note that I already have a magnetic drive pump that I would use to
recirculate the mash as needed. It could be that since I would use
a pump on the mash tun that a little extra time to set the grain bed is
not important. What do you think?
Any and all contributions related to this topic are appreciated.
Thanks,
Bryan P. Dawe
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 17:24:57 -0700
From: danpack@grape-ape.che.caltech.edu (Dan Pack)
Subject: Thanks/lager/Pete's Summer Brew
Last week I asked about boiling a full 7-8 gal on the stovetop. I
got a number of responses ranging from "I do it all the time, no
problem" to "I tried that and couldn't get a decent boil" (I'm
paraphrasing of course). Anyway, I've decided to give it a go. So
I wanted to say thanks to all who responded. "Thanks to all who
responded" B->
Next I have a question. A friend is currently brewing a bock (I know
it's out of season but who cares?). It's his first attempt at a lager
and I have never tried one myself so we're just sort of winging it.
It's been in the primary about 1 1/2 weeks and the bubbling had slowed
substantially (15 secs/bubble) so he decided to rack to a secondary
today. In the process he took a hydrometer reading and it came out
1.034 (down from 1.064 OG). So it seems the fermentation has a ways
to go yet before it's done. The beer was still quite cloudy indicating
there was still a lot of yeast hanging around but we left quite a bit
of yeast in the bottom of the primary. Are we at risk for a stuck
fermentation here? My feeling is that the beer should continue to
ferment fine but it would ease our minds to have that confirmed.
So what do the experienced lager brewers have to say? Assuming is
does ferment out would you recommend racking off the yeast again
for the lagering? How long to lager? (BTW, the beer is in a fridge
at constant 50 F).
Also, we tasted some (of course) and there is a perceptible butterscotch
note (diacetyl, right?). So it seems a diacetyl rest is called for.
How and when is the proper way to do a diacetyl rest? Any suggestions?
Finally, over the weekend I tasted Pete's Wicked Summer Brew. It's a
partial wheat brew with a subtle "tang of lemon" or so the label claims.
There is a slight lemon flavor in the first few swallows which I found
annoying but other than that I thought it was rather nice. It's not
trying to be a true wheat beer, IMHO, but it seems they used some amount
of wheat to simply lighten the body. Anyway, it's a nice light beer
for quenching your thirst on those hot summer days and in that light I
think they've succeeded. In fact, I enjoyed it enough that I was
inspired to brew something similar for the summer. So if you see it
around you may want to pick up a six pack and give it a try. (No, I'm
not affiliated with Pete's in any way, etc., etc.)
Dan Pack
Pasadena, CA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 21:08:51 -0400
From: cstrick@iu.net (Chris Strickland)
Subject: Three Bad Batches in a Row
Well, the bad news is I think on my third contaminated batch. :(
The good news is I found the problem. Boy was it a hard one to find. It
turns out that I have a very small microsopic crack in my glass carboy. I
still can't find it but I know it's there. Normally I put a towel under my
carboy, and wrap with a damp towel so the the temp will stay around 68F.
The towel on the bottom was soaking up the beer leak underneath the carboy.
The loss was very small and I just assumed it was due to the blowoff.
Well, after two bad batches I sanitized the heck out of everything.
Including cholorine and water overnight in the carboy instead of the normal
2hrs. I had filled the carboy to the top and the next morning it was down
from the top of the mouth to the bottom of the mouth. I was curious, but
didn't think anything of it. Then for some reason, I didn't put a towel
underneath this time. The next morning I noticed wort around the bottom of
the carboy. I cleaned it up and just figured I must have spilled some (even
though I knew I cleaned it up). The next morning, my wort was even at a
lower level, though just a little lower and there was more beer around the
bottom of the carboy.
Moral: If you get a bad batch for no known reason, fill your carboy with
water and let it set a few days. If the water level drops, then buy a new
carboy.
- --------------
Chris Strickland
cstrick@iu.net
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 23:34:05 -0400
From: Elde@aol.com
Subject: Starter Aeration Trick
I aerate my starter by whipping it for a minute or two at the end of the
boil. (Still hot enough to hopefully kill any nasty's, and its *starter* HSA
is not an issue.)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 20:44:51 -0700
From: Robert Spackleheim Nonstraflarbenstamus <android@rahul.net>
Subject: Attention Brewcap Users
Does anybody have a review of the "Brewcap"? It sounds like a nifty idea, but
I'd like to hear from someone who has experience with it.
Any comments, regrets, suggestions are welcome.
Rev. Android (android@rahul.net)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 May 95 2:52:01 CDT
From: Larry Lowe <lnl@apwk01g3.abrfc.noaa.gov>
Subject: strawbeerries
Full-Name: Larry Lowe
to the collective wisdom,
i am an extract brewer. i have a small patch of strawberries and they are
quite tasty. i was wondering if it is possible to brew a batch of beer with
them
tia
larry---no catchy logo or quote
- --
from: Larry N. Lowe
NOAA, National Weather Service
Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center
10159 East 11th St, Suite 300
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74128-3050
lnl@apwk01g3.abrfc.noaa.gov
Off: (918)832-4109 FAX: (918)832-4101
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 May 95 07:07:46 -0400
From: kevinm@rocdec.roc.wayne.edu (Kevin McEnhill)
Subject: Closed fermenting in a Corny.
Howdy,
I just came from Spencer's Beer Page on the Web and have searched the HBD
for some insite on this brewing method (all inside closed Corny kegs, and
after its done fermenting, you can drink your carbonated beer right away
without waiting for conditioning). Nada, zip, zero, it just ain't there. I
might have been searching for the wrong term ('closed ferment') but I don't
think so. The method that I'm looking for is the one in the Tip's and
gadgets special issue of Zymurgy.
So, my question is, is there any one out there that uses this system? Are
there any articles out that can be ftp'ed?
Thanks in advance for any help that you can give.
**********************************************************************
* * /|~~~~~| I was told by my wife that *
* kevinm@rocdec.roc.wayne.edu * | | | if I brew one more batch *
* * | | | of beer she would leave me!*
* Kevin McEnhill * \| | *
* * |_____| I'm going to miss her :-) *
**********************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 07:13:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: ejk@bselab.bls.com (Evan Kraus)
Subject: Plastic Hydrometer
Stephen Harrington writes :
>Subject: Broken Hydrometers
>Is there any reason that hydrometers are not made out of plastic. I ask this
>question because the cost of my last batch of beer included the money for the
>hydrometer I broke.
There are Plastic Hydrometers made by a company called ERTCO and sold by
Cole-Palmer.
They are Polycarbonate and cost $37
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 May 95 07:48:13 CDT
From: RPB3%mimi@magic.itg.ti.com
Subject: RE: Malt Variety vs. FG
From: RUSSELL P. BRODEUR RPB3
Subj: RE: Malt Variety vs. FG
I guess the title is a bit misleading: I really just want to know how to
bring my FG's down to the levels I was getting with a simple 2-step infusion
(i.e.~ 15 typically for an IPA). I fully expected the Scottish ale to
finish high, but not the weizen or IPA.
It seems to me as though the rest at 140 F does virtually nothing at all,
and the entire conversion is taking place at 158 F, hence the high FG's.
This is the logic which prompted me to increase the 2nd rest to 145 F. Yes,
this was not a controlled study in any way, shape or form. I just notice a
difference when using this mashing sequence.
I have been brewing all-grain for the past 5 years, using both decoction &
infusion mashes, making a wide variety of beers, and always have gotten FG's
in the low-mid teens (except BW's & other "strong" stuff). I have been
using DWC malts for about the past 2 years, and with a "normal" 2-step
infusion (122 F/30 min; 154 F/1 h) have also been getting significantly
lower FG's. This is a concern to me because I would like to brew a few
lighter styles for the summer months.
Maybe it is apples & oranges, but the FG of my pils using the Shreier malt
was "significantly" lower than an almost identical beer (except hops) using
DWC. The data sheets for both malts show them having about the same
enzymatic strength (Siebel INst.). Is it possible they have different
ratios of alpha/beta amylase??? Just curious.
I'm going to brew an English bitter this weekend (15# DWC PA + 1#xtal). I'm
shooting for an OG around 40-45 and hope to get the FG down to 10-15.
Should I abandon this mash schedule (40/60/70) in favor of a 2-step or
single infusion?
TTFN
Russ Brodeur (r-brodeur@ds.mc.ti.com)
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1735, 05/19/95
*************************************
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