Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
HOMEBREW Digest #1722
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1995/05/04 PDT
HOMEBREW Digest #1722 Thu 04 May 1995
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
ads on HBD (Alan P. Van Dyke)
BARGAINS! DON'T MISS! (Class Math212)
"Stuck" ferment (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
Re: Stuck batches, broken bottles, DME, Mash Heating (harry)
Where's the Mead makers??? (Gerald_Wirtz)
Stuck Fermentation (Domenick Venezia)
Anyone else had problems with bounced posts (uswlsrap)
Wort boiling question (A2J)
Dry Hopping / Open Ferments (Randy M. Davis)
Small and Tiny Homebrew competition (spencer)
Mittelfruh hops, microwaving insects (CGEDEN)
Dry hopping with pellets (David Draper)
Filtering ("Pete Hanlon")
Lemongrass? (Nikolaus Matheis)
OG Calcs in SUDS (David Draper)
Re: Stainless Steel (WCromwell)
homebrewers sanitation...worry too much? (Dan Pack)
Kegging (MR HENRY B BANKS)
Experience w/Gott & Fix mash schedule ("Rick Gontarek, Ph.D.")
Commercial postings, flubs and flames ("Lee C. Bussy")
Re: Grand Rapids Info ()
5 Liter Keg Problem (Drago James MAJ)
Re: Light Struck Beer (William Shelton)
STORING HOPS (Tom Wenck)
RE. Sparging with boiling water (Matt_K)
******************************************************************
* POLICY NOTE: Due to the incredible volume of bouncing mail,
* I am going to have to start removing addresses from the list
* that cause ongoing problems. In particular, if your mailbox
* is full or your account over quota, and this results in bounced
* mail, your address will be removed from the list after a few days.
*
* If you use a 'vacation' program, please be sure that it only
* sends a automated reply to homebrew-request *once*. If I get
* more than one, then I'll delete your address from the list.
******************************************************************
#################################################################
#
# YET ANOTHER NEW FEDERAL REGULATION: if you are UNSUBSCRIBING from the
# digest, please make sure you send your request to the same service
# provider that you sent your subscription request!!! I am now receiving
# many unsubscribe requests that do not match any address on my mailing
# list, and effective immediately I will be silently deleting such
# requests.
#
#################################################################
Send articles for __publication_only__ to homebrew@hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
(Articles are published in the order they are received.)
Send UNSUBSCRIBE and all other requests, ie, address change, etc.,
to homebrew-request@hpfcmi.fc.hp.com, BUT PLEASE NOTE that if
you subscribed via the BITNET listserver (BEER-L@UA1VM.UA.EDU),
then you MUST unsubscribe the same way!
If your account is being deleted, please be courteous and unsubscribe first.
Please don't send me requests for back issues - you will be silently ignored.
For "Cat's Meow" information, send mail to lutzen@novell.physics.umr.edu
ARCHIVES:
An archive of previous issues of this digest, as well as other beer
related information can be accessed via anonymous ftp at
ftp.stanford.edu. Use ftp to log in as anonymous and give your full
e-mail address as the password, look under the directory
/pub/clubs/homebrew/beer directory. AFS users can find it under
/afs/ir.stanford.edu/ftp/pub/clubs/homebrew/beer. If you do not have
ftp capability you may access the files via e-mail using the ftpmail
service at gatekeeper.dec.com. For information about this service,
send an e-mail message to ftpmail@gatekeeper.dec.com with the word
"help" (without the quotes) in the body of the message.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 12:31:18 -0500
From: alan@mail.utexas.edu (Alan P. Van Dyke)
Subject: ads on HBD
Howdy,
Okay, someone's got to come to the rescue here. I think that, in the past,
the general concensus concerning advertising on the HBD is that blatant,
repetitive advertising is a no-no, but single-shot, informative product
announcements are generally okay. I see -nothing- wrong with announcing
that you have a catalog available & leaving it at that. It is general
information that can benefit us as homebrewers & -consumers-. Mentioning
on a daily basis that you have crystal malt available at a specific price,
however, is annoying & not wanted.
I would also like to point out that there is a daily barage of advertising
on the HBD, like it or not. In today's HBD I saw advertising for America
On Line,
MCI Mail, Hewlitt Packard, IBM, & various other organizations having
nothing to do with homebrewing. The names pop up in sig lines & addresses
constantly. Is this wrong? Should it somehow be abolished? Or should we
just attack some small businessman & let the giant corporations continue
with business as usual?
Alan Van Dyke Austin, TX alan@mail.utexas.edu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 95 11:53:55 -0600
From: math212@viking.emcmt.edu (Class Math212)
Subject: BARGAINS! DON'T MISS!
BARGAINS! BARGAINS! BARGAINS! BARGAINS! BARGAINS! BARGAINS! BARGAINS!
BARGAINS GALORE ON HOMEBREWING SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT!!
SAVE SAVE SAVE!!
LIMITED TIME OFFER!!!!
SPECIALS ON MALT EXTRACTS, GRAIN MALTS, HOPS, YEAST, AND MORE MORE MORE!!!
ASK ABOUT OUR WEEKLY FREEBIE, WHAT YOU GET FREE WITH EVERY ORDER!!!
THIS WHOLE AD IS A PUT-ON BY WILL SELF, HAD YOU GOING THERE, DIDN'T I!!!!
FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE!
------------------------------
Date: 2 May 95 13:06:00 -0500
From: korz@iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
Subject: "Stuck" ferment
Lee writes:
>After many successful all-grain Pale Ale batches, my last two
>fermentations have "stuck"!
I'll just quote the parts I think are significant to my theory:
> Wyeast #1056
> << FG= 1.032 >> !!!
> Wyeast #1056
> << FG= 1.037 >> (after 7 days in primary) !!
Lee-- did you get married recently? No, seriously. When I got married,
my wife saw the first gas bill and suggested we lower the thermostat to
68F in the winter. In our house, 68F upstairs means 59F in my basement
fermentation room, but I did not think about that and agreed. The next
1056 batch I made, stuck. Wyeast really doesn't like temperatures below
63F and will quit early if it encounters them. If indeed you are fermenting
too cool, then warming the fermenter and swirling to resuspend the yeast
(possibly multiple times) would be the solution. Even so, the ferment
will never be quite the same and the beer will not be as good as if it
would have been continuously vigorous.
Al.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 14:24:15 -0400
From: hbush@pppl.gov (harry)
Subject: Re: Stuck batches, broken bottles, DME, Mash Heating
Lee Bollard <bollard@spk.hp.com> writes:
>After many successful all-grain Pale Ale batches, my last two
>fermentations have "stuck"!...
>
>I've kegged batch #1 and am drinking it. Batch #2 is in the
>secondary, and I would like to "fix" it if possible.
Assuming that Lee did everything correctly on the fermentation
side and his problem lies in a botched mash with lots of complex starches
left in it, then I would suggest some amylase enzyme added to the carboy (
1tsp/5 gal). I have a couple of formerly stuck extract batches (I know, how
can you f*** up an extract batch?- my theory is that throwing 7# of DME
into a pot of boiling water and creating a huge blob of what looks like a
giant Sugar Daddy creates lots of unfermentables) that I have added the
amylase to. One required a re-pitching of yeast (it was a lager that was
crystal clear- I guess the yeast had settled out), the other didn't, but
after a few days, both are going like wildfire! A brand new krausen of foam
and brown crud and everything! I'll post the results with all the gravity
data once they've completed fermentation, but so far I'm a believer. Try
it. I don't think it can hurt.
Art Stanton <StantonA@po1.atl.bls.gov> has a problem with broken bottles:
>My question, is it normal for these bottles to have such a low life-span?
> I'm using a double-winged bottle capper, should I invest in another capper
>that isn't so rough on the necks?
I too have a double winged capper and don't really like it. Mine
has a wing nut on top to adjust it and I constantly have to play around
with it, especially if I'm bottling into two or three different style
bottles (usually the case). I've broken bottles before but never 14!
I know that some double-handled units are better than others, but
my next capper will be a single handle job. It seems logical to me that its
a lot safer to transmit the capping force through the length of the bottle
rather than having to squeeze the neck.
Andy Lake (a2j@cu.nih.gov) asks:
> What is the general opinion on liquid extracts vs DME ? I
> bought some Ireks LME for my alt - has anyone had good or bad
> experiences?
I've had some unpleasant experiences with incomplete fermentations using
DME- see my above note to Lee. Never a problem with liquid extracts.
Chris Cooper <ccooper@a2607cc.msr.hp.com> writes about a proposed mashing
system:
>I propose to use a converted sanke keg (legal aquisition) with the top
>removed below the support ring and place a coil of copper tubing inside
>the the walls of the keg. I would then circulate boiling water through
>this reverse heat exchanger from a second keg on a propane burner using
>an electic pump. Mash temperature would be maintained by duty cycling
>the hot water pump.
DISCLAIMER! I am only an extract brewer who is also about to take
the plunge into serious marital strife ("honey, I'll be brewing for the
rest of the day").So any discussion is acedemic. I too am fishing for
pointers from the more experienced brewers.
I think that this has been discussed before, but why not use steam from a
pressure cooker that has been modified with a valve to become a steam
generator? Someone with a background in thermodynamics would have to do the
calcs (sorry, not me), but intuitively, I would think that steam could
transfer more heat to the mash than boiling water, without the use of a
pump. Can a pressure cooker hold enough water to produce the steam to do a
complete mash? I don't know. Can any pressure cooker users out there answer
this question?
In any case, I think that you would definitely need some kind of
mild stirring or recirculation of the mash to maintain even heating and
maximize heat transfer. I've been thinking of putting together a system
along these lines myself. The idea of being able to use your heating coil
as an immersion cooler (couldn't you?) at the end of the process also
appeals to me.
Harry
..............................................
"If it bleeds, we can kill it!"- Arnold S.
..............................................
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 95 8:53 EDT
From: Gerald_Wirtz@vos.stratus.com
Subject: Where's the Mead makers???
I've just started out making Mead and was wondering if there was a
'meadbrew_digest' or any other on-line information on this aspect of the
hobby.
Thanks - Gerald Wirtz.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 12:12:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: Domenick Venezia <venezia@zgi.com>
Subject: Stuck Fermentation
Lee Bollard in #1720 says,
>After many successful all-grain Pale Ale batches, my last two
>fermentations have "stuck"!
>
>#1 Single infusion mash @ 157F, OG= 1.059, << FG= 1.032 >> !!!
>#2 Single infusion mash @ 155F, OG= 1.052, << FG= 1.037 >>
>
>Both batches appeared normal during the primary fermentation.
>I use a pint of Wyeast starter.
>
>Ideas: My thermometer could be miscalibrated and I'm mashing
> too warm.
>
> I didn't check the true mash temp inside the GOTT
> during the mash,
After many successful batches I recently also had my first stuck
fermentation (oh, the shame!) (OG:1.052, FG:1.024), and have come to
attribute it to "yeast abuse" (in the past they have enjoyed being
handcuffed in a dark closet for days at a time, but then this was a new
yeast--next time, satin rope). I rushed my starter and did
not consistently and thoroughly aerate it over the scale up. I
tried a number of things over a period of 6 weeks that Lee might try. My
tests were done on a liter or so in a PET soda bottle. First I simply
let it warm to 70F, but nothing happened. Then I aerated the heck
out of it by shaking in hopes of simulating "dropping with aeration".
It didn't work for me, but it might for you. Next, I repitched with
a bit of the same but "pampered yeast" (let it lay in bed for a few days,
rubbed its feet, and fed it breakfast in bed). Nothing--the ingrates!
Finally, I gave up on my new acquaintance and made a small starter (well
aerated) of a tried and true old friend, Wyeast #1338, and pitched
that. Fermentation started up in the PET test bottle, so after a week I
pitched the test into the stuck batch and eventually got the FG to 1.018.
Surprisingly the beer is quite good, rather Fulleresque, which was my intent.
Some comments on Lee's process: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, mash blind! Always
monitor the mash temp in the tun. Especially when your target is 1.057
which is in the high range. Remember the final temp of the mash is a
function of the amount and temp of the mash water AND the starting temp
of the grist. The same amount and temp of mash water will result in
different mash temps if the grist starts at 60F, rather than 70F. Some
people first heat their grist in the oven to their target temp, then add
mash water at the target temp. No calculations, no fuss (except the oven),
but make sure your thermometer is accurate.
Lee, speaking of checking your thermometer, CHECK YOUR THERMOMETER! Invest
a few bucks in a lab grade alcohol thermometer and use it to calibrate
your others. You can also use it to calibrate your oven.
Finally, at what temp did you pitch batch #2. Could it have been too warm?
A good rule-of-thumb is don't pitch until the carboy feels cool. This
ensures that the wort temp is at least below 90F or so.
Don't give up.
Domenick Venezia
ZymoGenetics, Inc.
Seattle, WA
venezia@zgi.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 02 May 1995 15:23:41 EDT
From: uswlsrap@ibmmail.com
Subject: Anyone else had problems with bounced posts
I had to resend several times this morning because it kept bouncing
(from HBD program), supposedly because of a line length >80.
I sent a message (below) asking if anyone else had the problem
and IT bounced, despite extremely short line lengths. I re-sent an
edited version of the bounce message, and it also bounced, this time
for a non-informative subject line (the subject line of the "error"
message)
I'm trying this again. It's the first time I've encountered it,
and I've never had my posts' line lengths misinterpreted to be >80
> *** Resending note of 05/02/95 12:53
(more stuff deleted)
> HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM?
> You wrote:
> > From uswlsrap@ibmmail.com Tue May 2 11:34:36 1995
> (headers deleted)
> > Subject: Test--anyone have problems with bounced messages?
> > HBD has been bouncing
> > my post all morning,
> > supposedly for something
> > with a column width >80.
> >
> > I _counted_ the characters
> > in the longest line and
> > didn't hit 80.
> > Anyone else have this problem?
> >
> > Now go have a beer,
> >
> > Bob Paolino / Disoriented in Badgerspace
> > uswlsrap@ibmmail.com
> > THIS SPACE UNDER RENOVATION
Bob Paolino / Disoriented in Badgerspace
uswlsrap@ibmmail.com
THIS SPACE UNDER RENOVATION
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 02 May 1995 15:24:54 EDT
From: A2J@CU.NIH.GOV
Subject: Wort boiling question
Question of the day:
1. A friend of my wifes brews his own beer and boils his
wort for only 15 minutes. Why boil for 60 - 90 minutes, if
15 will do. What are the benefits of a longer boil?
Thanks for your help and patience with my neophyte questions !
Andy Lake (a2j@cu.nih.gov)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 02 May 1995 14:14:36 MDT
From: Randy M. Davis <rmdavis@mocan.mobil.com>
Subject: Dry Hopping / Open Ferments
In HBD #1720 Dan Pack asked about dealing with the residue produced by dry
hopping with pellets. I dry hop often and I use whole, plugs and pellets
interchangeably without any problems with hop junk getting into kegs or
bottles. If you have a beer/fermentation fridge it's a snap. I just move
the carboy to the fridge which is in the mid 40's F. a couple of days prior
to bottling. If whole or plug hops are involved they just settle right to
the bottom in short order. Pellets also cooperate nicely and drop out. The
added bonus is that I no longer require any finings to get very bright beer
quickly. The cooler temps drop out the yeast nicely too. Yes I do this with
my ales too but the ferment is complete at this point anyway. Worth a try if
you have been experiencing problems with 'hop junk'.
In the same digest Kirk Fleming relates his experiences with open
fermentation. Maybe it is due to our stronger ties to the UK but up here
in Canada it seems that virtually everyone does open fermentation
exclusively. All of the homebrew shops I've been to across the country
sell large 8 gal. imp. food grade bins (like a trash can) that do not come
with lids. I have three of these primary fermenters myself. I do not know a
single homebrewer who uses a carboy for the primary. I do cover the primary
by simply laying a sheet of sanitized plastic film over the top. This is
essentially the same as no cover except that it keeps dust out and I ferment
in an unfinished basement with a lot of potential dust from the ceiling
(flooring) above. Some people slip a large plastic garbage bag over the
whole thing but I like to be able to lift the edge and monitor the process.
I leave the cover on all through the primary but this can be for several
days since I don't rack until the protective layer of yeast is gone. Just
think, no blowoff hoses, no beer lost in a bucket of sanitizer, no danger
of clogs causing bodily harm and all of the good aspects related to
traditional ale brewing that Jim Busch has written about. As for the risk
of infection, I can also report that I have experienced an extremely low
rate of infections in approx. 120 batches of ales and lagers,all open
fermented.
Finally, Patrick Babcock asked about the 'Hugh Baird & Son English 2 Row
Black Malt' he acquired. Yes it is 'black patent' and should be 500-550 L.
and have a Coarse Grind Extract of approx. 50-65% which means it will
provide approx. 28 deg. to the pound per gallon of extract. This according
to a Hugh Baird spec sheet I have.
- --
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Randy M. Davis rmdavis@mocan.mobil.com Calgary Canada (403)260-4184 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 95 16:18:14 EDT
From: spencer@med.umich.edu
Subject: Small and Tiny Homebrew competition
First Small and Tiny Homebrew Competition
June 24, 1995
Entries due May 30 - June 11, 1995
_________________________________________________________________
Many of us homebrewers like to make those BIG, malty, hoppy
(alcoholic) beers. But there's a lot to be said for the beers at the
other end of the scale, too. This competition recogizes those beers
that are, despite their light gravity, good-tasting and flavorful.
Beers that get shunted aside in most competitions in favor of their
more robust cousins. Beers that deserve recognition! So, start
brewing!
_________________________________________________________________
The categories
- --- ----------
Beers may be entered in one of two basic categories:
1. Small beer
OG 1.035 -- 1.043. All beers entered in this category must be
in the specified OG range.
a. Classic small style
Beers in the AHA styles that overlap the "small" OG
range. These styles are: 3c. Belgian-style Fruit Lambic,
4a. English Brown, 4b. English Mild, 4c. American
Brown, 6b. American Wheat, 7a. English Ordinary Bitter,
7b. English Special Bitter, 8b. Scottish Heavy Ale, 8c.
Scottish Export Ale, 9b. Brown Porter 11a. Classic Dry
Stout, 16a. American Lite Lager, 16b. American Standard
Lager, 16d. American Dry Lager, 16f. American Dark Lager,
18b. Kvlsch, and 23. California Common Beer. Note that
for many of these styles, only the lower end of the range
is in the "small" category. Specify the original AHA
style.
b. Other small beer
A "small" version of any other style can be entered in
this category. Thus, a nice, hoppy lager with an OG of
1.040 might be entered here, as it clearly would not fit
any of the American Lager styles. If you believe the beer
to be a small representative of an AHA style, please
specify (e.g., 15a. German Pilsner). Specialty, fruit,
and herb beers would be entered here.
2. Tiny
OG less than 1.035. Beers entered in the tiny categories must
have an OG less than 1.035.
a. Classic tiny style
Beers in an AHA style that overlaps the "tiny" gravity
range: 4b. English Mild, 6b. American Wheat, 7a. English
Ordinary Bitter, 8a. Scottish Light, 16a. American Lite
Lager, and 24a. Berliner Weisse.
b. Other tiny beer
A "tiny" version of any other style can be entered in
this category. Thus, a pale ale with an OG of 1.032 might
be entered here, as it clearly would not fit any of the
usual Pale Ale styles. If you believe the beer to be a
tiny representative of an AHA style, please specify
(e.g., 5a. Classic English Pale Ale). Specialty, fruit,
and herb beers would be entered here.
We reserve the right to split categories if we get enough entries. If
we do so, each new subcategory will have at least 6 entries. When
possible, subcategories will be formed according to the original AHA
classification of the beer.
We do not plan to take gravity measurements (although it's
theoretically possible to work backwards to OG from final gravity and
alcohol content (both measurable), it's not something we want to do at
the judging table.) It's up to you to be honest about your entries,
and please don't try to "slip in" a bigger beer.
_________________________________________________________________
Entering
- --------
Send 2 bottles and $5 per entry to
Small and Tiny HC
c/o Spencer Thomas
1418 Golden Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
313-994-0072
Entries must be received from May 30 through June 10.
The standard rules apply: 10-14 oz bottles (green, brown or clear), no
swing top ("Grolsch") bottles. No labels or other identifying marks.
Black out any printing or writing on bottle caps. Attach recipe and
bottle forms to bottles with rubber band only. You may submit multiple
entries per category, but only one per AHA style and substyle.
Awards
- ------
Awards will be made for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category, and
for best of show. Beers must score at least 25 points on the 50 point
scale to qualify for an award. All beers will be judged by
BJCP-certified judges. The competition is recognized by the HWBTA, and
sponsored by the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild.
_________________________________________________________________
This announcement is on the world-wide-web at
<http://guraldi.hgp.med.umich.edu/Beer/AABG/Small_and_Tiny.html>
Please publicize the competition to your net-challenged fellow
homebrew club members.
Spencer W. Thomas (spencer@umich.edu)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 02 May 95 16:09:12 EDT
From: CGEDEN@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU
Subject: Mittelfruh hops, microwaving insects
Mittelfruh hops. I just made a wonderful dunkelweizen
with Mittelfrueh pellets for boiling, flavor and aroma.
No earthy character at all. These were *not* from Boston
Beer Co., however; they were from "The Home Brewery"
Microwaving insects. A famous entomologist said "Most
people outgrow the habit of pulling the wings off flies.
Those that do do not either come to a bad end or become
entomologists" Even adult entomologists sometimes subject
arthropods to trials by ordeal. Believe me, cockroaches,
ants, and flies can survive a shockingly long time in
the microwave. All three, by the way, can survive very
high g-forces. In one lab that my wife worked in they
had g-force contests using a centrifuge. The ticks always won.
But don't worry- these are three-dimensional creatures. Just
because a cockroach or ant survives a two-minute exposure does
not mean that such an exposure would not sanitize a surface.
Airstones. Now that I do 5-gallon boils and use an immersion
chiller I'm worried about getting sufficient aeration. I've
read volumes on HBD about the Venturi tube, but I have siphon
phobias. It took me a year and a half to finally correct all
the screwups that I had with siphons; I'm not going to
jeopardize my current setup by introducing holes. So I bought
a cheap aquarium air pump and stone. So here's the question.
Does it make sense to go to all the trouble of sanitizing
every that's involved and then blow contaminated air into the
wort? The same question applies to the Venturi tube approach.
Should we filter the air somehow? Is it necessary to use
bottled air?
Commercials. Sure, commercials are inappropriate for HBD, but I'd
rather read an ad for a brewing toy than sig blocks with incendiary
right-wing polemics like the recent P J O'Rourke quote labelling
liberals as "miserable...despotic, useless...sniveling brats".
HBD should be a place where we come together, not just another soapbox
for partisan tirades.
Chris Geden in Gainesville, FL
Brewer, Entomologist
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 08:26:48 +1000 (EST)
From: David Draper <ddraper@laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au>
Subject: Dry hopping with pellets
Dear Friends, in HBD 1720, Dan Pack asked about dry hopping with pellets.
I do this all the time, and always contain the pellets in cheesecloth.
The amount of hop stuff that escapes the bag is trivial, even though I
contain them only loosely to allow for maximal flow-through of beer. (I
also do not bother weighting it down, because the week to ten days that
the bag is in the secondary is more than ample to allow the hop volatiles
to diffuse into the beer from the surface.) Any particles that do escape
end up on the bottom of the secondary, and stay behind when I rack to the
bottling bucket. I will also just endorse their use in general--I have
had good results dry hopping with pellets, just as I have with flowers.
If anything, better even.
In the same digest, PatrickM50 described lotsa bubbling after dryhopping
with pellets (in a stout?!?!?!?). I've never seen anything like that on
that scale--always some bubbling as Pat mentioned, but not the en masse
thing. Pat, taste the beer--you should be able to detect infection-based
flavors even through the dark malt and dry hop (sigh...) flavors...:-}
And Pat, you forgot to ask the key question: Is Your Beer Ruined???
Cheers, Dave in Sydney
- --
"Cross your fingers and wait it out." ---A. J. deLange
******************************************************************************
David S. Draper, School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109
Sydney, Australia. email: david.draper@mq.edu.au fax: +61-2-850-8428
....I'm not from here, I just live here....
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 15:33:36 PST
From: "Pete Hanlon" <HANLON@gu.gonzaga.edu>
Subject: Filtering
I am new to this list and Homebrewing. I am batting 2 - 0 with the
first two batches coming out surprisingly well (I think I'm
addicted!). My third batch was made with honey and grated ginger
root. What is the best method for filtering out the root particles?
I have 2 - 5 gallon carbouys, and used a mesh bag while boiling the
root, but sizeable particles still got into the wort. Also looking
for a good recipe for a red beer.
Thanks in advance
Pete Hanlon
HANLON@GONZAGA.EDU
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 15:37:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: Nikolaus Matheis <psu04289@odin.cc.pdx.edu>
Subject: Lemongrass?
Concerning the lemongrass thread, I've never used the stuff and was
wondering how much people have used, was it fresh or dried, and what
flavor and aromatic contributions it makes in the finished product. I
would like to experiment with it but not blindly, so any info would be
appreciated.
Belgian Nik
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 08:40:26 +1000 (EST)
From: David Draper <ddraper@laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au>
Subject: OG Calcs in SUDS
Dear Friends, thanks to John Palmer for starting a very useful thread on
the Truth about extraction calcs, and to all the other participants for
some good stuff. I've been in touch with Mike Taylor, SUDS author, and
he told me that his sources for the extract expected from various grains
are the usual ones: the brewbooks, zymurgy special issue, etc. Thus,
these values have the "fudge factor" built in--they are that one step
removed from the actual spec sheet data. So, as I believe Andy Walsh put
it some time back, using SUDS you are comparing your extraction
efficiency to that of, say, Dave Miller--not to the theoretical total
possible maximum acme zenith.
As long as I'm here talking about Suds, I'll just comment that the latest
release, 4.0, has been patched up to 4.0a to correct a problem in Mike's
new module for figuring amounts and temperatures of mash water in 2-step
infusions. In 4.0, there was something off about the conversion from
screwed-up-British-engineering units to metric, so that if using metric,
negative amounts of water were called for. 4.0a fixes that, and in three
trials has performed very well in my system (two mashes infused to 40 and
then 60 C, and one to 50 and then 60 C). The addition of this module is
a handy one IMO. I'll also "endorse" the way hop calcs are treated in
4.x SUDS--users can choose Rager, Tinseth, or Garetz schemes and edit the
utilization tables themselves if they like. No affiliations, etc etc.,
just a satisfied user.
Cheers, Dave in Sydney
- --
"Why am I typing when I could be brewing?" ---Gary Bell
******************************************************************************
David S. Draper, School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109
Sydney, Australia. email: david.draper@mq.edu.au fax: +61-2-850-8428
....I'm not from here, I just live here....
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 19:37:36 -0400
From: WCromwell@aol.com
Subject: Re: Stainless Steel
In reference to how to tell if the kegs are Stainless Steel, the easiest way
to tell that they are not plated steel is with a magnet. SS is non-magnetic
vs Steel which is ( this is not totally true, but for this purpose it is!).
Aluminum which is also non-magnetic is much softer and you could tell with a
knife or razorblade. I really doubt that a keg would be made out of anything
other then SS, but unless you can get your hands on some Nitric Acid and
Caustic soda, these methods should make you feel secure in you purchase.
-- Wayne --
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 17:57:15 -0700
From: danpack@grape-ape.che.caltech.edu (Dan Pack)
Subject: homebrewers sanitation...worry too much?
In HBD #1720 TomF of Kalamazoo Brewing says:
>Most homebrewers worry way too much about sanitation.
Tom, I don't think you know how lucky you are to brew under
the controlled conditions of a professional brewery (well maybe
you do but let me make my point anyway ;->). Here are just a few
of the reasons for a homebrewer to worry about sanitation which
need not concern the professional:
1). A garbage can full of chicken parts from last night's
dinner a mere 6-10 feet from the boiling kettle.
2). A 5 year-old with a cold who needs her nose wiped during
bottling operations.
3). A curious cat who thinks a dangling siphon hose is a toy.
4). A SO who thinks your mash tun is the perfect size pot for
boiling pasta.
So, HOMEbrewers, go ahead and worry (or at least be highly concerned)
about sanitation. ...because a batch of homebrew is a TERRIBLE thing
to waste. B^) And as Bob Paolino would say,
"Now go clean you carboys..."
or something like that.
Dan Pack
Pasadena, CA
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 02 May 1995 20:13:29 EDT
From: CWGT22C@prodigy.com (MR HENRY B BANKS)
Subject: Kegging
- -- [ From: Henry Banks * EMC.Ver #2.10P ] --
When I was in San Diego, I was following most of the HBD that I could
get my hands onto in regards to Kegging equipment and procedures. I
was trying to get a good grasp on what I was about to plunge into,
having only been brewing now for a little over a year. I decided that
Kegging really was the way to go, although I have little to no
experience with this.
When I was in route to New Mexico from San Diego, I stopped off at one
of the more popular tourist traps, (The Thing) and if you have ever
been out that way, you know a lot of trucker pull in and out of the
place. Well, it happens that a Coke truck came and the driver came
inside the Dairy Queen located in this fine establishment. While I was
standing around waiting for my burger or whatever, I asked him about
the supposed phase out of the Pre-mix containers (Kegs). He said to
the contrary that the Coke company had no intentions of phasing them
out. I asked him if perhaps Coke was selling these kegs. He said,
Sure, just give your local bottling company a call. There probably
selling them for around $10.00.
On that note, when I arrived to my destination, after a couple of weeks
of setting down, finding a job, and all that jazz, I happen to get
hold of one of the guys who was coming into the business I was working
at who was placing an order for a new Pepsi soda machine. I asked him
if he had any used kegs (Soda Canisters) he would be interested in
selling. He told me he had over 100 he could not give away! He told
me to give his boss a call and see if I can arrange to purchase some of
these kegs. I mean you could not imagine my excitement (or maybe you
can?) to here such a excellent inside tip.
I contacted the warehouse boss for the shipping plant, where the kegs
were placed. I got directions to where he was located, and upon my
arrival, sure enough . . . almost 100 kegs were just sitting out by the
dumpster as if they were scheduled to be tossed. I spoke with the
manager and he wanted to know exactly what I wanted to do with these
kegs if I purchased them. I had no fear in telling him my intentions
were strictly for Homebrewing. He agreed to sell me all the kegs for
what an outside company was biding to buy them for.
I picked up 3 five gallon kegs for my self and purchased 19 three
gallon kegs for personal use and to see if I could make a little money
while passing on the savings of this great deal I stumbled onto.
I got connected on Prodigy through my fathers account and place a
bulletin on the Wine/Homebrew section selling these kegs for $15.00 for
the five gallon and $10.00 for the three gallon. I did pretty well
long enough to completely sell out the stock that I had on had. After
awhile, things got rather sticky with the board manager, who did not
appreciate commercial posts in the forum and another person who did not
appreciate me e-mailing them with junk mail, extending this offer to
them.
Never the less, I became so over stocked with orders that I had to turn
some checks back in the mail. I had exceeded my supply that much. I
did try to go back and restock but the Pepsi manager had already made
the deal with the outside company that offered to buy the rest, and the
kegs were packed up waiting to be shipped out.
However, I did connect with other sources within the management
department both with the Coke and the Pepsi bottling facilities in my
region, making equal or close to the same offer I was receiving before.
So now the deal had become even sweeter! I have ready access to both
Pin and Ball lock kegs
.
The point is I guess, that the information I have been told and reading
about the phase out of the pre-mix soda canisters to the concentrate
box syrup is not all that accurate (even the Pepsi guys told me the
same thing in regards to this) but the trick was, that the older soda
canister had slightly slanted Gas In and Beer out connections that they
could not be sent through the assembly line to be clean and then
refilled with pre-mix soda. The Pepsi manger told me that the assembly
plant offered to fill them but they would have to pay something like
$50 a piece to hand clean these tanks, so it was just easier to get rid
of them! Look out for these deals and if your ever interested, I know
I can legally (including all sales receipts) help those who are keg
deficient. Thanks and Happy Brewing!
Henry Banks (cwgt22c@prodigy.com)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 21:54:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Rick Gontarek, Ph.D." <GONTAREK@FCRFV1.NCIFCRF.GOV>
Subject: Experience w/Gott & Fix mash schedule
Hi Everybody. I am currently using a 10 gallon Gott cooler as a mash and
lauter tun (w/ Phil's Phalse bottom). I would like to get in touch
with someone who has successfully employed a similar setup and routinely
gets greater than 25 pts/lb/gallon...I am looking for some advice. So,
if you are using a Gott and a Phalse bottom (or a slotted manifold, for that
matter), please contact me. I'd appreciate it!
Also, could someone please explain the Fix Mash schedule to me?
I have seen it mentioned several times here on the Digest, but I may
have missed the origin of the thread. TIA.
I am still in awe of how great this medium is for exchange
of information and how much it has helped me to improve my brewing.
Let's keep up the good work!!
Rick Gontarek
Owner/Brewmaster of the Major Groove Picobrewery
Baltimore, MD
gontarek@fcrfv1.ncifcrf.gov
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 20:56:04 +0000
From: "Lee C. Bussy" <leeb@southwind.net>
Subject: Commercial postings, flubs and flames
I was reading yesterday's HBD and something occured to me. People
don't pay attention. Maybe not everyone but certainly alot. If you
pay attention then this isn't about you. If you're getting mad then
you don't pay attention. ;)
People, the HBD "automagical mailer" sends back that message telling
you that your article has been received, it is behind so many others
and how to cancel. If you send a message that is say behind 100
others then chances are someone else beat you to the punch on an
answer. E-mail that person instead. He would probably appreciate
it. This would provide timely responses and prevent days and days of
answers about the same thing.
This brings me to my next point. I have answered a post before and
the next day someone else beat me to it. Just a little slow
sometimes. I cancel my post that is queued for the next day. This
allows others a chance. Most of us can save those response messages
and maybe it would be a good idea to do so. This would prevend a
whole week's worth of replies to the bogus "Good Times" virus for
instance.
Anyway, those are my ideas and I'll deny they were mine if asked
again! Might be some good ones in there though........
Sorry for the non-beer post but maybe it will help in the future.
Oh, BTW, I don't have a problem with an occasional commercial
posting, but huge taglines with commercial bulletins everytime do get
old. If I want you, I'll call you. (To the retailers)
- --
-Lee Bussy | Screaming on the Internet with |
leeb@southwind.net | Windows 95!!!! 32 Bit made simple! |
Wichita, Kansas | http://www.southwind.net/~leeb |
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 08:00:38 +0500
From: generic@be1578.be.ford.com ()
Subject: Re: Grand Rapids Info
Hiya Ed! Moving to White Cloud eh? It's beautiful up there!
I don't live there, but I've been up to GR 3 times in the last 5 months.
There's a liquor store called B&B that carries a pretty decent supply. They're
on W. 28th street which is HWY 11. There's probably more.
There's the Grand Rapids Brewery, a brewpub that has a very impressive beer
list plus 6 of their own. The food is outstanding! They are also on W. 28th.
The latest issue of Midwest Beer Notes has a little write up on them.
Grand Rapids does have a minor league team, for Oakland A's I think. The
stadium they have to play in is unbelieveable, due to the support of Meijers
or Amway, maybe from both. Minor league baseball is big there, and I have this
feeling it's gonna start getting more attention nationwide. The guys play their
asses off for a lot less money. :-)
Hope this helps.
Mike Preston, Secretary .~~~.
The Detroit Carboys | |]
"Habeo Hordea Fermentabo" |___|
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 03 May 95 07:43:04 EDT
From: tj2996@WESTPOINT-EMH2.USMA.ARMY.MIL (Drago James MAJ)
Subject: 5 Liter Keg Problem
I usually put a portion of each 5 gallon batch of beer I brew in the small 5
liter kegs used with the CO2 cartridges. Recently, I experienced a problem with
the beer getting "overcharged" in that even with the regulator turned all the
way to the off position, it flowed out so fast that there was way too much
foam. When the regulator worked correctly, the pressure would eventually
subside once the keg ran for a few seconds. I could then increase the pressure
flow to the desired rate Recently, the keg has stayed charged to the max even
with the regulator off. Additionally, the CO2 cartridge expends itself
completely. When this first happened, I immediately sent the tap back to James
Page Brewing company where I bought it with a note, and they replaced it along
with a whole box of CO2 cartridges. Unfortunately, the new tap did the same
thing. Obviously, I am now questioning my own procedure, although there seems
to be little that I could screw up. Any ideas out there? Thanks.
JAMES P. DRAGO
MAJ, FA
ADMISSIONS MEDIA OFFICER
X5701
------------------------------
Date: 3 May 1995 08:19:04 -0400
From: William Shelton <William.Shelton.0206973@nt.com>
Subject: Re: Light Struck Beer
Hi,
I have been a homebrewer for about 10 years and have never had a problem with
my beer skunking from exposure to light. Maybe its cause in the past I have
exclusively used brown bottles. I have started using some clear bottles to
monitor color and settling of yeast and I am concerned about the effects of
light.
I followed the discussions on skunking in HBD in the last several months, but
seemed to miss whether skunking is a cumulative or a binary effect. For
example if 10 minutes of sunlight will skunk beer is this 10 minutes
cumulative sunlight? or any exposure exceeding 10 minutes?
TIA
Bill Shelton
NORTEL Federal Systems
william.shelton@nt.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 08:31:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tom Wenck <twenck@clark.net>
Subject: STORING HOPS
I have had an idea brewing in my head for some time that I would like
some comments on.
I am thinking about lining the bottom of my whole hop storage jars with
oxygen absorbing bottle caps. This should significantly improve their
shelf life.
Any comments?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 May 95 08:55:59 edt
From: Matt_K@ceo.sts-systems.ca
Subject: RE. Sparging with boiling water
Message:
Bryan L. Gros sez:
> I bring my sparge water to a boil and then drain it
> into the pre-warmed cooler and seal it. I figure the water in the
> cooler is probably 200F tops
Bob Devine responds:
> It is a bad idea to use water at boiling or near-boiling
> temperature to sparge because you are likely to be
> bursting some starch granules. That will lead to a hazy
> beer as the unconverted starches other carbohydrates
> get washed out.
I think:
The temperature of the sparge water doesn't matter. What matters is
the grain temperature. So, stick a thermometer into the mash at the
beginning of the sparge and check the temp. If it's too hot don't use
boiling water. If it's not don't worry. I usually start with boiling
water, and with the temperature losses in my system the grain temp
maxes out at 170F during my sparge.
Matt
in Montreal
Suds.... Gotta love'em!! - Kenny King -
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1722, 05/04/95
*************************************
-------
