Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
HOMEBREW Digest #1855
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1995/10/12 PDT
HOMEBREW Digest #1855 Thu 12 October 1995
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: New brewery question (Bird)
response to all-grain cooker post ("Sharon A. Ritter")
Flouride in water/Irish moss ? (David Oliver)
Summary of Root Beer Recipies (Mark Peacock)
1st all grain question(s) (Gerald_Wirtz)
electronics (blacksab)
Brewing Systems ("Todd A. Darroch")
100% wheat affirmation & thanks ("mike spinelli")
Re: Patrick Higgins - Celis White (Eric Rouse)
Aluminum (Jeff Renner)
Giving a stuck batch a kick in the ass? (Mark Kuebeler)
Sparge Efficiency ("Andrew D. Kailhofer")
1995 THIRSTY Homebrew Competition (Wolfe)
Re: Broadway Brewing ("Richard Scotty")
chiller improvements (Chuck Wettergreen)
pumpkin ale ("Wallinger, W. A.")
Enzyme Activity (CCCEF.KHUIZING)
Syracuse Brew Clubs? (Eugene Sonn)
ooops (uswlsrap)
Erlanger, 800 numbers, gelatin (CGEDEN)
Tape recorders / Cottonwood brewery (Brian Pickerill)
Thanks & New Hop ?s (IHomeBrew)
RE toasting pumpkin (tfields)
re:Aluminum brewpots ("Matthew W. Bryson")
Grain Bed Depth in Mash/Lauter Tun (Christopher Beisel)
wort aeration via air pump (Btalk)
Diacetyl on pupose ("Robert Marshall")
Perforated SS Plate (G. M. Elliott)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!! October 3 thru October 13: The digest
!!! will be unmanned! Please be patient if
!!! you make any requests during this time
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
******************************************************************
* 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.
#
#################################################################
NOTE NEW HOMEBREW ADDRESS hpfcmgw!
Send articles for __publication_only__ to homebrew@hpfcmgw.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@hpfcmgw.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@alpha.rollanet.org
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, 10 Oct 95 22:28:09 MDT
From: roberts@Rt66.com (Bird)
Subject: Re: New brewery question
Hi, all. There wee a few questions on my new set-up:
>>>>> "DAN" == DAN LEE <DAN_LEE@HP-Chelmsford-om1.om.hp.com> writes:
DAN> I saw your artcile on your new brewery in HBD. Pretty
DAN> impressive. I had a couple of follow-up questions because I'm
DAN> planning on a new brewing set-up as I scale up to 15 gal boils.
DAN> - What %extraction efficiency are you getting out of your
DAN> brewery?
DAN> - What are you using to hold the 3 kegs at the 3 different
DAN> heights?
DAN> - Can you provide more details on how you fabricated the false
DAN> bottom and the geometry/spacing of the holes in the screen?
DAN> - Is your mash tun insulated? Do you have to apply any heat to
DAN> maintain your mash temp?
DAN> - What kind of wort chiller are you using?
DAN> - Did you do any special modifications to the 4th keg which is
DAN> acting as your primary fermenter?
and
>>>>> "Brian" == Brian Barnett <barnett@slc.unisys.com> writes:
Brian> Hi Doug,
Brian> I read your post in the HBD and I have some questions. I
Brian> am in the process of converting from partial mashing for 5
Brian> gallon batches to 10 gallon all grain batches. I have
Brian> aquired two 15.5 gallon kegs, 10 gallon Gott cooler, and a
Brian> propane cooker. I plan on boiling in a converted keg,
Brian> mashing in the Gott, and using the other keg as a hot water
Brian> tank for sparging. I want to keep everything as simple as
Brian> possible, which means no pumps or RIMS. I had planned to
Brian> use gravity for mashing and sparging.
Brian> My plan is to have the bottom of my boil pot at about 18"
Brian> so that I can drain directly into 2 carboys for fermenting
Brian> (I plan on using an imersion chiller). This requires that
Brian> the bottom of my mashtun be at a height of 3.5 ft and the
Brian> bottom of the hot water tank must be at about 5.5 ft. This
Brian> seems to be a little scary having all that hot water
Brian> perched so high in the air.
Brian> In you post you stated you had two 3 1/2 foot tall cookers.
Brian> Do you have a platform to get the hot water tank to the
Brian> required height, or do you use pulleys?
Brian> The top of your mashtun must be at about 5.5 ft. Do you
Brian> stir and whatever from a ladder or use pulleys at the
Brian> appropriate time.
Brian> Please describe your support structures. In the brief
Brian> description of my planned brewery do you see any flaws or
Brian> do you have any advice?
My answers:
System Efficiency:
I don't have the maltster's sheet on the Hugh Baird English 2-row malts
that I normally use, but if we assume an extract potential of 35
(specific gravity shorthand), my system has a potential OG of 88 for a
typical 10 gallon batch. The actual OG is usually around 55, for an
overall system efficiency of 62 percent. It has, however, been as low as
53 percent for one 5-gallon batch that I ground in my old Corona mill
(never again). We must remember that technique (little things, such as
remembering to mash out, duh), temperature control, sparge rate, how the
grain was ground, etc. all contribute to the overall system
efficiency...
Keg Configuration:
I have a workbench that is about 4 feet tall. I placed the 1 1/2 foot
tall propane cooker on the bench and put the mash tun on it. I placed
one of the 3-foot tall cookers beside the tun, and the hot water tank
sits on it. The bottom of the hot water tank was not quite above the
top of the mash tun, so I raised the hot water tank's cooker about 4
1/2 inches by placing bricks under the cooker's base. I set the other
3-foot tall cooker on the garage floor, and the boil kettle sits on
it. The kettle's top is just below the base of the mash tun. I have a
small step ladder that I use to allow me to reach into the mash tun to
stir & take temperature measurements. I do use a pump to get the
sparege water up into the hot water tank.
Mash tun heat retention:
The mass of the 15.5 gallon SS keg + grains & water provides a pretty
good thermal flywheel: it is only sometimes necessary to add heat to
maintain desired mashing temperatures. However, it only takes a minute
or so to boost the temperature if needed.
False bottom specifics:
I found a supplier of heavy-duty SS screen material. The screen is about
1/16 inches thick, and the holes are about 1/64 inch in diameter on
about 1/8 inch centers. I asked the supplier to make mine 12 inches in
diameter.
Wort chiller:
Standard immersion chiller. I made mine out of 50 feet of 3/8 copper tubing.
Primary fermenter keg mods:
None were necessary, aside from removing the tap assembly. A #11 stopper
with air lock fits the bung nicely.
Cheers,
- --Doug
- --
"24 hours in a day...24 beers in a case...coincidence?"
Doug Roberts
roberts@rt66.com
------------------------------
Date: 11 Oct 95 00:50:07 EDT
From: "Sharon A. Ritter" <102446.3717@compuserve.com>
Subject: response to all-grain cooker post
James Linscheid posts:
>I am getting ready to do my first all-grain batch and was wondering
what size burner to get. Right now, the only readily available burner
is a 30,000 BTU Camp Chef. Should I hold out for a 100,000 BTU unit?
I am using a 1/2 barrel keg as my boiler, and will be doing 10 gallon
batches in the future.<
I recommend going for the extra BTU's. I recently finished my third 5 gal.
all-grain batch with a 130,000 BTU Bayou Cooker (Barbour International
1-800-736-8028). It has great low temperature controls and I'm planning on
using the full 130,000 BTU's when the temps start falling this winter (I boil
outdoors). Go for a cooker with good low temp. controls and a high end that will
come in handy boiling 10 gallons.
Dan Ritter in Grangeville, Idaho
102446.3717@compuserve.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 23:00:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Oliver <dwo@slip.net>
Subject: Flouride in water/Irish moss ?
Here in California the govenor is considering making it manditory that
all city water systems add flouride to the drinking water. Will this be
detramental to brewing? Can I just boil/cool/decant the brewing water in
advance to remove this-I don't know if boiling will remove flouride. I
know it works for clorine.
On another note, I've been using 2 tsp of irish moss to my kettle per 5
gallons. The other day I was leafing through Charlie Papizans "The Home
Brewer's Companion" and he recomends 1/4tsp per five gallons. My pals at
the brew store recomend 2 tsp per 5 gallons. Who's right? I won't even
ask whether to rehydrate or not. I'm just wondering if my beers will
improve if I use the smaller amount of moss or if they will be cloudy as
hell.
Hope you can help,
Dave O
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 02:04 EDT
From: Mark Peacock <mpeacock@oeonline.com>
Subject: Summary of Root Beer Recipies
Since half of the responses I received to my request for root beer recipes
were requests to pass along whatever I received, I'll post a summary.
Two Web URLs were suggested. One was the Root Beer page off of the Brewery
site (http://alpha.rollanet.org/library/RootB.html). The second was a link
off of the correspondent's home page (http://www.execpc.com/~jkane).
Spencer Thomas and Gary McCarthy suggested using root beer extract. Mr
McCarthy *strongly* suggested this route. "Someone may give you a recipe,"
writes Mr McCarthy, "and you can try it, but remember I warned you. What I
ended up with was an undrinkable liquid that smelled like very dirty socks
steeped in boiling water for a few weeks." Mr Thomas suggests "'Zafar's' or
some such. It's a small (2-3 oz?) bottle with a yellow label, and is made
in Louisiana."
James Lindberg sent along what can only be called the Root Beer FAQ. Too
long to post here, the FAQ was written by Steve Mercer who warns "This
document contains mostly unattributed excerpts from articles in the Home
Brewers Digest. I have shamelessly cut them apart and edited them to suit my
own purposes." If someone wants to post this on a beer-related Web site,
I'll send it along. Mr Mercer's FAQ tells us everything ever wanted to know
about root beer -- including the following recipes:
:ROOT BEER RECIPES:
:
:These 3 recipes come from: The Scientific American Cyclopedia of
:Formulas, edited by Albert A. Hopkins {query editor of the "Scien-
:tific American"} New York, Scientific American Publishing Com-
:pany, 1921
:
:Root Beer--1.--To 5 gal. of boiling water add 1 1/2 gal. of molas-
:ses. Allow it to stand for 3 hours, then add bruised sassafras
:bark, wintergreen bark, sarsaparilla root, of each 1/4 lb., and 1/
:2 pt. of fresh yeast, water enough to make 15 to 17 gal. After
:this has fermented for 12 hours it can be drawn off and bottled.
:
:2.--Pour boiling water on 2 1/2 oz. sassafras, 1 1/2 oz. wild
:cherry bark, 2 1/2 oz. allspice, 2 1/2 oz. wintergreen bark, 1/2
:oz. hops, 1/2 oz. coriander seed, 2 gal. molasses. Let the mix-
:ture stand 1 day. Strain, add 1 pt. yeast, enough water to make
:13 gal. This beer may be bottled the following day.
:
:3.--Sarsaparilla, 1 lb.; spicewood, 1/4 lb.; guaiacum chips, 1/2
:lb; birch bark, 1/8 lb.; ginger, 1/4 oz.; sassafras, 2 oz.;
:prickly ash bark, 1/4 oz.; hops, 1/2 oz. Boil for 12 hours over a
:moderate fire with sufficient water, so that the remainder shall
:measure 3 gal., to which add tincture of ginger, 4 oz.; oil of
:wintergreen, 1/2 oz.; alcohol, 1 pt. This prevents fermentation.
:To make root beer, take of this decoction, 1 qt.; molasses, 8 oz.,
:water, 2 1/2 gal.; yeast, 4 oz. This will soon ferment and pro-
:duce a good, drinkable beverage. The root beer should be mixed,
:in warm weather, the evening before it is used, and can be kept
:for use either bottled or drawn by a common beer pump. Most peo-
:ple prefer a small addition of wild cherry bitters or hot drops to
:the above beer.
:OLD FASHIONED ROOT BEER
:[This recipe can be found in the Cat's Meow recipe book.]
:"Use strong bottles with patent stoppers or tie corks in securely.
:Use a stone crock or granite vessell in which to let drinks stand
:while `working.' Fresh roots from the woods are always preferable
:to dried herbs. Select a cool place in which to store the drinks;
:the longer they stand in a warm place after bottling, the more
:effervescent they will become! When filling bottles, fill to
:within an inch of the top.
:1 cake compressed yeast
:5 pounds sugar
:2 ounces Sassafras root
:2 ounces Juniper Berries
:1 ounce Hops or Ginger Root
:1 ounce Dandelion root
:2 ounces Wintergreen
:4 gallons water
:Wash roots well in cold water. Add juniper berries (crushed) and
:hops. Pour 8 quarts boiling water over root mixture and boil
:slowly 20 minutes. Strain through flannel bag. Add sugar and
:remaining 8 quarts water. Allow to stand until lukewarm. Dissolve
:yeast in a little cool water. Add to root liquid. Stir will. Let
:settle then strain again and bottle. Cork tightly. Keep in a warm
:room 5 to 6 hours, then store in a cool place. Put on ice as
:required for use." The Fleishman Company, Excellent Recipes for
:Baking Raised Bread, 1912
:
:ROOT BEER
:INGREDIENTS:
:5 qt water
:1/4 oz hops
:1/2 oz burdock root, dried
:1/2 oz yellow dock root, dried
:1/2 oz sarsaparilla root, dried
:1/2 oz sassafras root, dried
:1/2 oz spikenard root, dried*
:1 1/2 cup sugar 1/8 tsp yeast, granulated
:PROCEDURE: Simmer herbs in water for 30 minutes. Add sugar, stir
:to dissolve, and strain into a crock. Cool to lukewarm, add
:yeast, and stir well. Cover crock and leave to ferment for about
:an hour. Bottle and store in a cool place. Makes about one gal-
:lon.
:*The American spikenard, Aralia racemosa, of the ginseng family,
:Araliaceae, is a plant native to the eastern United States. A
:decoction of the root was used by Indians for backache, rheumatoid
:arthritis, and coughing.
Mr Mercer suggests Rafal Spice Company (2521 Russell, Detroit, Mich, 48207.
(313) 259-6373) in Detroit's Eastern Market as a source for some of the more
estoteric herbs.
Mark Peacock
Birmingham, Michigan
mpeacock@oeonline.com
http://oeonline.com/~mpeacock/bbusiness.html
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 7:42 EDT
From: Gerald_Wirtz@vos.stratus.com
Subject: 1st all grain question(s)
I tried a test batch (3 gallon) of all grain brew last weekend.
5 lbs English 2 row
1 lb dark xtal
1 oz Goldings hops - 60 minutes
1/2 oz Hallertau - 10 minutes
1/2 oz Hallertau - dry
Mashed at ~146 for 1 hour. Sparged with a 'Zappap' system and my
starting gravity was only 1.29!!!
I think I made some errors in sparging. I simply added the grains
to the tub and opened up the spigot. Then dripped hot water on top of
the grains until my boiling pot was filled. (2.5 gallon). I think that
I should have left the spigot only open so a trickle come out. And also
kept the water level above the grain-bed.
The run-off never 'cleared'. Does 'cleared' mean clear like water?
or clear like you can see through the wort?
I've also heard things like recirculating the wort - should I have
also done this?
Thanks for any and all replies - keep them direct and I'll post
a summary for all the new 'all grainers' out there.
Gerald_wirtz@vos.stratus.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 06:42:29 -0500
From: blacksab@siu.edu
Subject: electronics
I've got a couple of questions for the collective:
1. Has anyone used the BruProbe and BruTemp(tm) from JB Distributing? I'm
not real good with electronics, but I'm fairly handy, and this seems like a
good entrance into it. Anyone had any experience?
2. I'm still kicking this RIMS-thing around in my head, and I want to start
with a motor speed controller. I have in front of me ZYMURGY's Gadgets and
Equipment Issue, p.50, Rodney Morris's schematic. For the most part,
everything makes sense except for 2 things:
a.) L1--100uH choke (200 turns of 20 guage wire wound on a 1.5x0.5
ferrite rod). Is the wire bare or insulated? Isn't this a species of
resistor? And what happens to the ends of the 20-ga wire, are they wired
into the line?
Why ferrite, why not copper? And is ferrite simply iron? Stupid question,
but I don't know any better.
b.) Wired across line and neutral, and also wired to D2, diac
trigger for triac, is something labeled T2. But it also seems to be labeled
MT1, MT2, & G. What do these last 3 represent. They're present in the
teperature controller above as well. What gives?
c.) Finally, do these schematics work as printed? I recall reading
something in an old HBD when I was doing my RIMS research that someone
couldn't get the temperature controller to work properly. Anyone with
experience out there?
Oh yea, another question from my long list that I keep forgetting to ask:
Where can I get brewing/food grade caustic soda? I assume that off-the-shelf
lye-type drain-cleaner would be unacceptable?
TIA,
--Harlan
****************************************************************************
* Harlan Bauer ...malt does more than Milton can *
* <blacksab@siu.edu> To justify God's ways to man. *
* Carbondale, IL --A.E. Houseman *
* *
****************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: 11 Oct 95 08:00:31 EDT
From: "Todd A. Darroch" <75602.1137@compuserve.com>
Subject: Brewing Systems
Please lend me your thoughts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been looking for a company that manufactures an all-grain homebrew
gravity feed system. I don't have all the time or effort required to build a
system from scratch.
Does anyone out there have any experience with the systems manufactured by:
Precision Brewing Systems ( wholesale division of East Coast Brewing Supply) of
Staten Island, New York.
It appears from there catalog that they use quality parts and they have a very
high opinion of the company's craftsmanship. However, I would like the opinions
of real-life homebrewers and not there marketing department.
TIA - private e-mail OK
Todd Darroch
Birmingham, Alabama
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 08:01:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: "mike spinelli" <paa3983@dpsc.dla.mil>
Subject: 100% wheat affirmation & thanks
I'd like to personally thank fellow HBD'r Russell Mast for enlightening
me on the ability to mash 100% wheat malt provided you give it a shitty
crush.
Over the weekend I had 20# of wheat (1/2 american, 1/2 german) crushed at
my local HB store. I had the owner open the MM up to its widest setting.
I mashed in a 10 gallon Gott using a 12" aluminum pizza pan as a false
bottom (thanks to Dave Bradley, another HBD'r). After 130 mins. at around
150 (give or take a couple), started sparge and it went FLAWLESSLY. NO
barley, NO rice hulls. And this was my FIRST all grain 10 gallon batch!
Thanks again, Mike
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 09:26:01 EST
From: ASFA.DAUPO04A@daubgw1.itg.ti.com (Eric Rouse)
Subject: Re: Patrick Higgins - Celis White
Hi Eric,
>Here's one for a Celis Clone:
> Method : Partial Mash
>Malts/Sugars:
> 0.50 lb. Flaked Oats
> 0.50 lb. Barley Flaked
> 1.00 lb. Briess Weizen
> 4.00 lb. Briess Pale
> 1.00 lb. 2-Row Lager Malt
Are the two "Briess" entries for malt extract or malt? You do say "partial
mash" above, but nothing is clearly labeled malt extract.
>This one has nice color and taste however you may want to increase the
>volumes
>for the Coriander and Orange peel, I thought it was mild compaired to an
>actual Celis White.
Well, I have never seen a recipe that wasn't equal parts unmalted wheat and
pilsener malt before, so I suspect that plays a part.
John DeCarlo, MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA--My views are my own
Fidonet: 1:109/131 Internet: jdecarlo@mitre.org
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 09:43:36 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <nerenner@umich.edu>
Subject: Aluminum
In HBD 1854, rbarnes@sdccd.cc.ca.us asks:
> In the latest Zymurgy special issue the author of
> one of the articles commented that there was still
> some debate in homebrewing circles over whether
> aluminum pots were acceptable for use in brewing.
> My understanding was that the aluminum would undesirably
> affect the beer. Anyone out there using aluminum?
> It's sure cheaper than stainless.
This comes up every few months. Rather than just offer theory, I'll
give personal testiimony. I've been using a 10 gallon, 5mm thick
Johnson and Rose ALUMINUM pot for 1-1/2 years with NO detrimental
effects on my beer. This includes my "Your Father's Mustache" Classic
American Pilsner (see BT, Sept - Oct, '95), which allows no place for
off flavors to hide, and which took a 1st in the BOSS last spring. I
have been so pleased with this that I just bought two more (~$70 each
with lid) and have set up a three burner RIMS. Not only is aluminum
cheaper than SS, it is lighter, and 10X better heat conductor. I prefer
it irrespective of the cost. The only advantage I can see to SS is that
you can use caustic to clean it, which I never would.
A few months ago, there was an article in BT reporting on a test in
which a 10 gallon batch of wort was split and boiled in a 5 gallon SS
pot and a 5 gallon aluminum pot. Both were analyzed and showed the
same, very low level of aluminum as the brewing water did. So even if
aluminum ingestion were correlated with Alzheimer's disease, brewing in
aluminum is a non-issue.
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan c/o nerenner@umich.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 08:44:54 -0500 (CDT)
From: kuebeler@PICARD.tamu.edu (Mark Kuebeler)
Subject: Giving a stuck batch a kick in the ass?
I have a batch of ale that has been in the secondary for several weeks
now. I believe I racked it to secondary too soon, because the SG at
that time was 1.022 (OG 1.040). My first clue should've been clumps
of flocculated yeast still at the top of the fermenter, but I went
ahead and racked anyway. It had been in the primary for 7 days, and
out of 7 batches, this was the first that hadn't finished fermenting
within that time.
During the first night in secondary it produced enough foam to fill
the airlock before settling down to what appears to be an
excruciatingly slow fermentation. After one week the SG had dropped
to 1.020, and as of this morning (10 days after racking) it is still
bubbling away.
My primary fermenter should be free this weekend, and I'm thinking of
racking the still-fermenting batch back to that after stirring up the
sediment at the bottom of the carboy. I'm hoping this will wake up
enough dormant yeast to finish the job without having to resort to
pitching another dose of fresh yeast. I don't think it will hurt, but
the question is, can it help? :)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 08:48:26 -0500
From: "Andrew D. Kailhofer" <andy@aerie.bdy.wi.ameritech.com>
Subject: Sparge Efficiency
This made me stop and think...
: (Message hbd/tmp:13) -- using template mhl.format --
: Date: Sun, 08 Oct 1995 14:18:10 MDT
:
: From: flemingk@usa.net (Kirk R Fleming)
: Subject: Extraction Efficiency, Agitation, and Recirc
:
: exclusively, that number had to be tweaked down to 65-68%, and most
: recently, a disturbing 55% (unfair--I used a batch sparge).
I hadn't thought that "incremental" sparging vs. batch sparging would
yield substantially different results. The only difference I can see
is that there's more pressure head in a batch sparge.
>From a "data point" view, I did get poor extraction from the last
batch I did in which I did a batch sparge, but we felt that this was
cause by a too-coarse crush (significant quantity of uncrushed sweet
grains left amongst the spent grains at the end, with the spent grains
being truly spent). Now I've got this variable...
Can someone please tell me where in the literature I've missed seeing
this? Am I misremembering reading that some (all?) of the big boys
batch sparge? Is it a function of sparge head vs. grain bed depth?
Thanks.
Andy
- --
Andy Kailhofer Sr. Analyst, Ameritech Network Services 414/678-7793
andy@aerie.bdy.wi.ameritech.com FAX: 414/678-6335
740 N Broadway, Room 430, Milwaukee, WI 53202-4303
pXostmaster@ameritech.com Fight for your right to privacy!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 08:42 CST
From: Wolfe@act-12-po.act.org
Subject: 1995 THIRSTY Homebrew Competition
1995 THIRSTY Homebrew Competition
The entry deadline is a month away (November 10th) for the 1995 THIRSTY
Homebrew Competition. The competition will be held on November 18th in
Iowa City, Iowa. We'll also sponsor a BJCP exam on the 19th.
Entries will be taken in all AHA beer and mead categories, and BJCP judges
will score all entries. Ribbons will be given for each category and
winners will be advanced to best of show judging. Great prizes will be
given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Best of Show Beer (a total of $150 in
gift certificates and a paid entry into the 1996 AHA National Homebrew
Competition) and Best of Show Mead (an unlimited number of entries into
the 1996 Mazer Mead Competition, a one-year membership to the American
Mead Association, and 10# of honey). We'll also have a special category,
Best of Homebrew, that will be judged strictly on drinkability (no AHA
guidelines). Prizes will be given for the top three places in Best of
Homebrew also (a total of 1.75 pounds of hops, a case of beer, a way cool
jacket, and a beer mug).
To get more information about entering or judging in the 1995 THIRSTY
Homebrew Competition, contact Dave Schinker at 319-523-2314 or email Ed
Wolfe at wolfe@act.org. If you send email, please include your snail mail
address or phone number in case your email bounces.
------------------------------
Date: 11 Oct 1995 07:57:24 -0700
From: "Richard Scotty" <richard_scotty@msmgate.mrg.uswest.com>
Subject: Re: Broadway Brewing
Doug Glantz writes:
>Can anybody tell me more about Broadway Brewing Co. in Aspen, CO?
I can shed some light on the Broadway Brewing Co. First of all, it's not in
Aspen. The Flying Dog is in Aspen, but Broadway Brewing is in Denver, on
Broadway near Coors FIeld.
BB is co-owned by The Wynkoop and the Flying Dog breweries. I'm uncertain of
the ownership split, but I suspect the Wynkoop holds the majority stake.
I first went to BB with the now ex-head brewer from the Wynkoop and got the
following story about BB's existance. BB was formed to brew and bottle the
beers from the Wynkoop and the Flying Dog breweries. In fact Doug, the beer
you are drinking (Doggy Style) was brewed and bottled at BB. The Flying Dog
in Aspen is a small operation with no bottling capacity. The same holds true
for the bottled Wynkoop beers.
At BB, they have a large brewery with the appropriate filtering and bottling
lines to package their beers for distribution. I have been told that BB is
also doing some contract brewing, but I can't confirm or deny this. There is
a small pub tacked onto the front of the operation to satisfy some outdated
Colorado liquor laws.
As to the Road Dog "controversy", it revolves around the label for the
bottles. Hunter Thompson, a self described gonzo writer, helped design the
label. Toward the bottom of the label on either side of the graphic, it
said, in small lettering, "Good Beer - No Shit". The Colorado Liquor Board
made them stop selling the beer until the label is changed. Now, I think
that this is over-reaction on the part of the State. Anyone old enough to
walk into a liquor store and purchase a bottle has heard this word before,
and I'm getting tired of the government trying to 'protect' me in instances
like this one. It inhibits creativity - a bad thing in the beer business.
Lastly, if you're ever in Denver, I would include a visit to Broadway
Brewing. There is a small, rather plain pub on the front of a pretty large
brewery, and they keep 20 taps of the finest beers available on hand. Food
is basic, but good and you'll have a tough time finding another beer
selection like this one.
Damn, now I'm thirsty...
Rich Scotty - Broncbuster at the yeast ranch - The Crapshoot Brewery
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 09:22:35 -0500
From: chuckmw@mcs.com (Chuck Wettergreen)
Subject: chiller improvements
Fellow HBD'ers,
Recently I've made some dramatic improvements in my immersion chilling
techniques that have resulted in incredibly short chilling times. Most
of the changes were learned from hints or suggestions on the HBD, for
which I am most grateful. As I gleaned many of these suggestions over a long
period, I thought I'd list them together here so all can benefit from my
experience.
I boil in a standard 15.5 gallon stainless keg, usually 10 gallon batches.
With the changes I have made I usually don't stir as the temperature gradient
within the wort is now minimal. Here are the changes I have made.
1) Changed the cold water inlet to go in the top of the coil
(where the wort is hottest) rather than in the bottom and exiting the
top.
2) Attached two pieces of 8-gauge copper wire to the top of the
chiller. This enables me to hang the chiller from the keg handles so the
it is suspended at the top of the hot wort (again, where the wort is
hottest).
3) Suspend the keg off the ground so that air can circulate under it
while chilling. I used to just put it on two 4X4 blocks, but now I
wheel it around in style! I found, at Amer. Science & Surplus, a "trash
can dolley" for $7.50. This item is a ring with rods welded like spokes
in a wheel and a standard keg fits it with room to spare. It has five
plastic casters. It looks incredibly cheap and chintzy, yet I've tested
it with a keg full to the top with water and it holds it and wheels
around just fine.
4) After the first blast of hot cooling water exits (which I capture in
a plastic bucket for chiller and keg cleaning later), the chilling water
is (relatively) cool. I spray this on the hot bottom ring and other
lower portions of the keg. I considered that I might be creating thermal
stress cracking, but haven't experienced any problems yet. Please be
careful, this action produces steam which can easily cause severe burns!
It also points out just how hot the bottom of the keg gets, which also
has to be cooled before the wort will also be cooled.
This last step, I believe, does more to cool down the wort than any of
others above. I plan on constructing a copper tubing ring around the top
of the keg with holes drilled on the underside. This will direct the
cooling water flow around the entire perimeter of the keg.
I've also made one other change unrelated to chilling, and that is to
install a block & tackle attached to my garage rafters. No more back
strain from lifting 10 gallon batches.
Cheers,
Chuck
chuckmw@mcs.net
Geneva, IL
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Chuck Wettergreen
chuckmw@mcs.com
Geneva, Il
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
------------------------------
Date: 11 Oct 1995 07:17:07 PDT
From: "Wallinger, W. A." <WAWA@chevron.com>
Subject: pumpkin ale
From: Wallinger, W. A. (Wade)
To: OPEN ADDRESSING SERVI-OPENADDR
Subject: pumpkin ale
Date: 1995-10-11 09:02
Priority:
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judging from some of the posts of late, it must be pumpkin ale season.
Russell comments that he might try using the pumpkin shell, which is what I
did last year and intend to do again this year. Credit goes to the folks at
Heart's Home Beer and Wine making Supply in Orlando, Florida (no financial
interest, but a very satisfied customer). This recipe appears in their
catalog. It is apparently based on a Thomas Jefferson recipe.
6.6# gold malt extract
5# fresh pumpkin pie meat (the 'shell', from a 7# pumpkin)
1.5# pale malt
1.0# british crystal malt
2 oz willamette hops
4 each 1/8" and 1/4" pieces of ginger root
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp gypsum
1 tsp irish moss
wyeast - british ale
Rinse the pumkin, leave skin on and cut into large sections. Bake in 350f
oven for 1hr 15min. Remove skin and crush meat. Mash pumpkin and grains with
the gypsum and 1.5 gal water at 150f for 1 hour. Sparge. During the boil,
add 1 oz hops for 1 hour and 1 oz hops for 10 min. Add spices with 5 min
remaining in the boil. Expect excessive trub in the primary.
>From my experience last year, the sparge was no problem at all, even with
this small amount of grain. And the pumpkin flavor did come through. The
baking process 'carmelizes' (maillardizes?) the top part of the pumpkin
meat, which adds to the flavor of the beer. This was a very mellow beer, and
becomes especially well balanced after 2 or 3 months.
Wade, brewing contraband on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 10:24:09 -0400
From: CCCEF.KHUIZING@capital.ge.com
Subject: Enzyme Activity
All,
Concerning the ongoing discussion of enzyme activity, I have found
myself wondering if a graphical representation of said activity
exists? Here's what I was thinking, if you plotted for each of the
major enzymes, a rate of conversion over the appropriate temperature
range and a rate of denaturing over the same range. Then determine
the spread at each temp, would the resulting data follow a bell curve?
Assuming you limit the temp range to acceptable limits, considering
time as a valuable resource. This could be very helpful in gaining a
better understanding of the whole process.
Keith Huizinga
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 10:49:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: Eugene Sonn <sonn@oswego.Oswego.EDU>
Subject: Syracuse Brew Clubs?
Hello to HBDers,
Anyone have a listing of homebrew clubs in the Syracuse NY
area? I moved to Oswego, NY this summer and would appreciate
knowing I'm not the only brewer in the area.
Thanks in advance,
Eugene Sonn
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 11:07:44 EDT
From: uswlsrap@ibmmail.com
Subject: ooops
got that email address for As it Happens backward.
Correction: AIH@toronto.cbc.ca
Now go have a beer,
Bob Paolino uswlsrap@ibmmail.com
Madison
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 10:54:30 EDT
From: CGEDEN@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU
Subject: Erlanger, 800 numbers, gelatin
John Harkey asks about Erlanger...I remember it as being some megabrewery's
response to Michelob, that is, a new "premium", top of the line brew.
But are you sure it was Schlitz - I thought it was Pabst or Coors.
They had good TV ads, and the product's motto was "Come and taste the
moment". The funny thing is that I remember the jingle, the ads, and
the slogan bu have absolutely no recollection of the beer's character.
Steve Madson finds that those 800 numbers don't work outside the US.
Lay 'em on us, we'd be happy to call them and get their "regular" line
numbers for you.
Now, a question. I wish now that I hadn't blown by all those discussions
about gelatin because now I'm interested in trying it. I'm getting old
waiting for a now 6-week fermentation to end for an IPA. It seems pretty
still but has been very slow to settle and clear. Please no discussion
about boiling the stuff, my question is this:
Is there any danger that there won't be enough yeast left after using
gelatin to carbonate the bottled beer? Is there a critical window of
time after using gelatin when the beer should be primed and bottled?
Chris Geden in Gainesville, FL <cgeden@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu>
------------------------------
Date-Warning: Date header was inserted by BSUVC.bsu.edu
From: 00bkpickeril@bsuvc.bsu.edu (Brian Pickerill)
Subject: Tape recorders / Cottonwood brewery
>Found a new brewing gadget last weekend; a tape recorder!
>
>It sits on a small shelf in the brewery (kitchen) next to a clock. When
>someone has a comment or note to take, they push record say the time, then
>whatever they wish to record.
>
>When done brewing, I play it back and transcribe the notes into my computer.
I do this without the tape recorder, directly into my Macintosh PowerBook.
Pretty cool, and all my notes and converions, etc... are there too.
>I hereby dedicate the ribbon that held the medal around my long, skinny
>neck all day Saturday to the HBD and invite you all to come see and touch
>it at the brewery! It's as much yours as mine. I know in my heart we
Congrats, Kinney! Where is Cottonwood? I've been reading the HBD every day
for about 2 years, but have only ever met 1 (short term) reader, so far.
Someday, I'd like to meet more of you. That would be one of my main
motivations for going to a national or regional conference--second only to
trying your beers, of course! ;-)
- --Brian K. Pickerill <00bkpickeril@bsuvc.bsu.edu> Muncie, IN
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 11:36:34 -0400
From: IHomeBrew@aol.com
Subject: Thanks & New Hop ?s
Fellow HBDers,
Thanks to everyone who responded to my recent posts about repitching yeast
and composing grains. I'm going to give both a try starting with my next
batch. FYI, the best advice that I received on both topics was to <surprise>
RELAX!!! ;->
New question: what is the proper technique for pruning my hop vines for
winter? My vines are beginning to turn brown as the weather cools. Also, I
read an article somewhere on the 'net (darn! can't remember where...) about
uprooting vines and transplanting (no pun intended) them to different
locations. Has anyone ever done this? This was my first year of hop growing
and I am afraid that I may have to move next June (I'm graduating from
college) and I want to take my vines with me. I was thinking of
transplanting them to 55-gallon barrels or something that I could move around
with a hand truck. It seems that this would provide enough soil depth,
though I don't know how hop roots grow.
I've also been reading the Pumpkin Ale threads. Such a recipe sounds
intriguing, however I can't imaging drinking 5 (or more!) whole gallons of
pumpkin flavored beer. Eeeew!
Prost!
Clark D. Ritchie in (it's been far too rainy lately) Tacoma, WA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 11:51:16 EST
From: tfields@relay.com
Subject: RE toasting pumpkin
Russell Mast writes in #1854:
>Someone in private e-mail a couple of Novembers ago said that you
>should
>toast or bake the pumpkin first.
Makes sense. That should brown it and caramelize whatever sugars are
present, giving more color and flavor as a result. I've used this
caramelizing with Cajun recipes - sauteing onions, peppers, and spices
in a hot cast iron pan. Having the spices in there as well helps to
intensify their flavor contribution, and the caramelization gives some
really nice flavors. (BTW, i don't advocate onion beer ;-)
I wonder what flavor might result from briefly sauteing some pumpkin
meat chunks with a little pumpkin spice? Might use just a spritz of
PAM to lube the pan.
-Tim
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"reeb!"
Tim Fields ... Fairfax, VA
74247.551@compuserve.com _or_ timfields@aol.com (weekends)
timf@relay.com (non-brewing time)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 12:02:11 EDT
From: "Matthew W. Bryson" <MWBryson@LANMAIL.RMC.COM>
Subject: re:Aluminum brewpots
Randy Barnes asked about brewing in aluminum brewpots. I can't speak
for other brewers; however, I have been brewing for about 2 years using a
10 gallon brewpot I purchased while working in the food service industry.
Neither I nor any of my friends have been able to detect any noticeable
defects in the flavor- except for the ones that I inadvertently put in
there. As far as the whole Alzheimers/Al debate, i don't worry about it at
all. YMMV.
Matthew Bryson
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 12:48:55 EST
From: Christopher Beisel <Christopher_Beisel@exec.niaid.pc.niaid.nih.gov>
Subject: Grain Bed Depth in Mash/Lauter Tun
I'm getting ready to make the transition from extract brewing to partial
mash and/or all-grain, and I'd like to take the opportunity to learn
something about the design of mashing/lautering equipment. While the HBD
archives has lots of useful info on constructing specific systems, there
has been considerably less posted about the theory behind the designs.
The question for today: what are the limitations on the dimensions of a
mash/lauter tun? Clearly, the tun's volume must accomodate the grain,
water and any plumbing, with room left over for stirring. However, for
any given mash a larger tun will result in a thinner grain bed (a
problem with partial mashes or small batches). How thin can the bed be
and still allow for acceptable extraction and filtration?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Christopher Beisel
CBeisel@nih.gov
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 12:51:23 -0400
From: Btalk@aol.com
Subject: wort aeration via air pump
One of my beer geek buddies and I were talking about wort aeration.
I've used an aquarium air pump with a couple different types of air stone
diffusers. My experience is that the foaming is so great that it becomes a
humongous PITA, even with 5 gal of wort in a 6.5 gal carboy.
I can run the air pump for about 10 min, then have to shut it off and wait
20-30 min for the foam to subside before I can turn the pump on again. 3 or 4
of these cycles is the limit of my patience.
I typically use the 'holes drilled in the tube aerator and shake carboy when
half full' aeration technique. There was no noticeable difference in the
terminal gravity between this technique and using the air pump, with a
standard beer recipe and same yeast.
Any thoughts on this? WIll using 02 make much difference?
My feeble memory suggests there was a thread along this line about a year
ago.
Regards,
Bob Talkiewicz, Binghamton, NY <btalk@aol.com>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 10:18:04 +0000
From: "Robert Marshall" <robertjm@hooked.net>
Subject: Diacetyl on pupose
Call me a sick puppy, but what do I do to specifically get more
diacetyl on purpose????
I really love Sam Smith's products from England and the taste that
their high diacetyl level gives.
Any ideas???
Later,
Robert Marshall
robertjm@hooked.net
homepage: http://www.hooked.net/users/robertjm
- ----------------------------------------------
"In Belgium, the magistrate has the dignity
of a prince, but by Bacchus, it is true
that the brewer is king."
Emile Verhaeren (1855-1916)
Flemish writer
- ------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 14:29:20 -0400
From: ge083@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (G. M. Elliott)
Subject: Perforated SS Plate
To any and all looking for perforated SS plate and or Plastic
I received a catalog from Ametco Manufacturing 4326 Hamann Parkway
Willoughby, Oh 44094 phone 216-951-4300 or 1-800-321-7042 and
they have all styles and types of SS perf and plastic plates
that they can cut to various sizes etc for those who are looking
to make their own tuns.
Standard disclaimer and I am also not even a customer just got
the catalog.
But from the looks of the catalog, if they don't have it you don't
want it.
Regards,
Mark in Hudson Ohio
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1855, 10/12/95
*************************************
-------
