Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
HOMEBREW Digest #2012
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1996/04/16 PDT
HOMEBREW Digest #2012 Tue 16 April 1996
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Water Quality Information ("Joseph G. Spears")
All Grain Brewing Buddies, Question, Recipe (TArnott)
Gott temperature variation (Neal Parker)
lagering skunky beer (Kathy Booth)
DMS and Skunked Hops (Rob Reed)
Re: bottle baking (Jeff Frane)
Bulk Extract (Chris Storey)
Skunky (krkoupa)
Kegging Question (Art McGregor)
chillers ("FINLEY, BARRY CURTIS")
homebrewing during Prohibition (charles epp)
prohibition exceptions ("Dave Hinkle")
Priming with honey? (BKGravity)
Even the Wall Street Journal ("Frederick L. Pauly")
New-mown hay and Grolsch (Glenn Raudins)
sankey fermenter ("Keith Royster")
re: RIMS: Incredible Find (I hope) (Hugh Graham)
Re: RIMS: Incredible Find (I hope) (hollen)
Floating Hops (THaby)
Re:STARTER (Nigel Townsend)
best birth brew (Moncsko)
Fermentration / Lager Yeast Starters (Larry Davids)
******************************************************************
* 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: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 06:37:25 -0500
From: "Joseph G. Spears" <aquashed@Interpath.com>
Subject: Water Quality Information
I was asked to post the address of the Water Quality Association.
Their address is 4151 Naperville Road, Lisle, IL 60532.
Phone:708-505-1060. They also offer a certification program which
goes into sevaral aspects of water quality and water treatment.
Joe Spears, CWS-V, CI Phone: 704-459-2426
Certified Water Specialist FAX: 704-453-7617
Aqua Shed
3474 Duck Pond Drive
Conover, NC 28613-9458
aquashed@interpath.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 06:55:15 -0400
From: TArnott@aol.com
Subject: All Grain Brewing Buddies, Question, Recipe
Subject: All Grain Brewing Buddies/Question/Recipe
Hi All, decided to 'un'lurk for a bit.
There's been a recent thread about doing all grain batches with a buddy.
I've done two batches this way and its a pretty good way (IMHO) to get
started. My friend, I'll call him Paul ('cause thats his name), and I were
really curious about all grains so we decided to try one together. It was a
comedy of errors (spillage, slipage, the grain bag fell into the bucket in
our sparge setup) but all in all we had a blast. The beer (IIPPAA, we're
both hop heads) was actuallt quite good. We did however only collect 5
gallons to boil which brought our final batch to 4 gallons :-(. We enjoyed
the process and the results so much we did a second batch (question on that
later). The whole thing was worth it when, as we were preparing for our
second batch Paul's wife game down stairs (we got an EARLY start on a Sunday
morning) saw us drinking samples from our first all grain and eating Dunkin
Munchkins. The look on her face was great as she shook her head, turned
around and went back to bed.
***********
The question: For the second batch we did we collected 6.5 gallons but when
it was racked to secondary, it seemed 'watery'. We used the iodine test to
make sure we had conversion. Any ideas as to what happened? **We're still
gonna dry hop the Liberty and see what happens!***
***********
The recipe (5 gallons)
IIPPAA (Double I Double P Double A)
**You may want to reduce the hop bill***
Double I. Double P. Double A.
10.00 lb. Pale Ale
1.00 lb. Crystal 20L
1.00 oz. Cascade 5.4% 2 min
1.00 oz. Cascade 5.4% 10 min
2.00 oz. Hellertau (US) 7.5% 60 min
0.50 oz. Liberty 5.5% 0 min (DRY HOP)
Mashed for 1 hour for 155 (in the oven) before sparging.
Starting Gravity : 1.059
Ending Gravity : 1.015
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 96 08:05:02 EDT
From: NParker@Lockheed.on.ca (Neal Parker)
Subject: Gott temperature variation
I did it - extracts no more. All grain is even simpler than Papazian makes
it out to be. Lots of waiting though - good to have a good book on the go
while a-brewing.
How big a deal are the temperature variations along the depth of the grain bed
during mashing (this is with a 5 gallon Gott)? I got a temperature range
of 5degC(9degF) (62 to 67degC) from top to bottom of the grain bed on a worst
case measurement. Two points arose from this measurement:
1. I obviously have to mix the mash well before measuring the temperature
to get a good average tmeperature and
2. Should I stir the mash every 10 min or so to keep the temperature more
uniform?
Neal Parker
Lockheed Martin Canada
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 09:12:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: Kathy Booth <kbooth@isd.ingham.k12.mi.us>
Subject: lagering skunky beer
Brian Pickerill asks about lagering skunky beer.
I intentionally placed several bottles of Bud in a sunny window
to create light struck beer for the club to taste. after 5 days it was
indeed skunky. I left one bottle there for 4 weeks and when I opened it
for a friend to show what skunky beer was, it wasn't. Apparently,
skunkiness is a phase in a set of reactions with sunlight (or time) that
passes. Cheers Jim Booth, Lansing, MI
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 08:29:39 -0400 (CDT)
From: Rob Reed <rhreed@icdc.delcoelect.com>
Subject: DMS and Skunked Hops
Michael writes:
> It immediatly struck me that this "sulfury note" is what seems to be missing
> from _my_ beers, as well as many domestic interpretations of bavarian styles
> I have tasted.
>
> The characteristic "rotten egg" smell has been noticably missing
> from my fermentations. Moreover, my lagers have tended to be somewhat
> under-attenuated, FG usually falling on the low side or just below the
> mfgrs stated attenuation range for the yeast.
I don't think it's the H2S that gives continental lagers that malty,
sulfury character. Due to lower temperature kilning, quality lager
malt produces noticable amounts dimethyl sulfide - DMS - some of which
ends up in the finished beer. This is one of the primary differences
between ales and lagers. You didn't mention what malt you're using, but
I like Durst (1) or DeWolf-Cosyns (2) Pils malt for my lagers.
I notice a fairly strong sulfur aroma from lagers at racking, but several
weeks/months in the secondary allows much of the undesirable components
to out gas.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Guy writes:
>
> Well, I actually brew in the garage with the door open so direct
> sunlight does not hit the wort. My problem comes with the hops
> hanging on the bines, in full sunlight as they like to be. Skunks the
> hell out of them before you can even harvest them. Go figure.
One thing you can do to prevent skunking of your hops is to spread a
little lime on the ground in your hop garden. When the skunks approach
to invoke their wrath on your prized cones, the lime will irritate their
little feet and they will depart post haste 8-{).
This brings up an important concern: do I need to worry about my
coriander getting skunked while its growing, i.e. is my beer ruined?
Cheers,
Rob Reed
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 08:24:12 -0700
From: jfrane@teleport.com (Jeff Frane)
Subject: Re: bottle baking
Kerry Drake:
>
>In #2009 Mike Spinelli tells about how he bakes his bottles to sanitize them.
> Yeah, it should work, but (there's always one of these), the temps required
>can make the glass brittle and lead to premature fatigue/failure. Be careful
>or you may experience the exploding bottle syndrome. And if you think bottle
>washing is a PIA...
>
Russell Mast:
>
>Yes. It will weaken the strength of your bottles. If you let them cool
>slowly overnight, that is minimized, I think. I would generally take them
>out and let them cool after a short time. I didn't have too many problems
>with it, except I decided it was a lot of hassle anyway. Also, because I
>tend to sample whilst bottling, I got burned a couple times, and, well, we
>don't need to talk about that here.
>
Well the responses are certainly authoritative. But, if this is true
why is it that in approximately 10 years of brewing and santizing bottles
in the oven, I've never broken a single bottle? Inquiring minds want
to know.
I have found this method to be the easiest, simplest, and most
time-effective method for sanitizing bottles: wash bottles when time is
available (put them away); put foil on the bottle mouths and pop them
into the oven, raise temp to 350F, leave for 90 min., turn oven off,
go to bed; put bottles away in case; when ready to bottle take cases
out, fill the bottles, put them back in the case. Drink.
For me, the great advantage is that I can break the process up into
manageable lumps. I can wash one day, sanitize another day, and fill
yet another day. No hassles, and no exploding bottles.
- --Jeff Frane
No copyright implied, wanted, or needed.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 11:26:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: Chris Storey <cstorey@mail.peterboro.net>
Subject: Bulk Extract
I thinking of buying a 66 lb. pail of Pale Malt Ectract syrup. I am still an
extract brewer and this will cut my costs in half. I have a couple of questions.
1. How long will it stay fresh? I can't brew every week because of lack of
equipment. I figure to use it around 2 or 3 months.
2. How should it be stored and where?
Thanks, Chris Storey.
P.S. I have been looking around everywhere for a malting company and
behold there is one right here in my little hometown since 1928. They say
they are the only one in Canada.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 96 08:53:13 PST
From: krkoupa@ccmail2.srv.PacBell.COM
Subject: Skunky
I met a homebrewer from England over the weekend. Just for the fun of it
we had him taste a "skunky" beer. "Ah, so that's what's meant by skunky,"
he said. "We don't have skunks in England. I always wondered what you
Americans were talking about."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 11:19:24 -0500 (EST)
From: Art McGregor <mcgregap@acq.osd.mil>
Subject: Kegging Question
Hi Everyone,
Well I bought my kegging equipment, and decided to go with pin lock (coke)
kegs and went with a 2 gauge regulator, and a 20 lb CO2 tank. I finished
cleaning/sanitizing the kegs last night, and will try to kegs some beer
tonight :^) I also made a pin lock socket using my dremel (?) type tool and a
13/16 sparkplug socket, and looks something like the ascii dwg below if
looking into the socket. Took a few hours to cut the slots, would have been
easier to buy a pin lock tool for $12, but was a learning experience cutting
it! First time kegging is like anything else the first time. I'm a little
nervous about it until I find out the beer's ok. At least I won't need to
wait 4 weeks to find out!
_______
/ / /\
/ / / \
/__ __\
__ __
\ /
\ \ \ /
\______\ \/
I usually drink only on weekends, so I'd like to know how to keep the tap and
beer line clean between weekends. Is this something I don't need to worry
about, or just remove line every Sunday night and clean and store till next
weekend?
Another question deals with securing the CO2 tank. Does anyone have a simple,
but effective way to make sure the CO2 tank won't fall over, which could cause
the valve to bust off, thus sending the tank off like a rocket thru the house?
What I might do is build a wooden box that is a little bit larger than the
diameter of the tank and then bolt the box to the concrete floor, then put CO2
tank inside of wood box. If there is a simpler method I would like to know.
I am thinking about picking up a 15 gallon keg (sankey?) for a modified brew
kettle, which will require cutting top of keg. Before I do, are all 15 gallon
kegs made of stainless, and if not, how can I tell? Any easy but reliable
homebrewer tests that can be done to find out if Al vs SS?
BTW, the local gas supplier I bought my gas from told me he had five 10 lb CO2
tanks that he would like to sell to people in the Washington, DC area if
anyone is interested. The tanks are used, new pressure test date, cleaned,
re-valved, and filled with 10 lbs of CO2 for $65, including any tax, but I
think you might be able to talk him down to $55-$60. Ask for Robert at
National Gas & Supply, store is in Springfield, Virginia (703)455-5200. Call
for details and directions if interested. (I have no affiliation, no
benefits, etc).
TIA and Hoppy Brewing,
Art McGregor
(mcgregap@acq.osd.mil - day)
(mcgregap@aol.com - night/weekends)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 12:22:04 EST
From: "FINLEY, BARRY CURTIS" <BFINLEY@MUSIC.CC.UGA.EDU>
Subject: chillers
I'm fairly new to the world of brewing, however, I am not a rookie.
There are still many things that I don't have a complete understand of.
For instance, I know that the faster the wort can be chilled, the better
the beer will be. But How can this be done? At the present time, I've
been filling the sink up with ice, then placing my brew pot in the sink.
This works ok but I wish to get a little more sophisticated. What
exactly is the principle of an immersion chiller and how could I go
about making one?
Also, I'm going to brew a pilsner, and I want to use wyeast. I've
herd that pilzner is good as an ale as well as a lager. I don't have
the facilities to lager, so what would be a good strain of ale? Would
American Ale (1056) work well?
Thanks,
Barry Finley
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 12:06:01 -0500 (EST)
From: charles epp <cepp@indiana.edu>
Subject: homebrewing during Prohibition
The recent posts about beer and winemaking during Prohibition brought back
memories of what my father has told me about life in the farm country of
Nebraska during Prohibition. He says that most of the relatives in his
large extended family fermented wine from grapes that they grew on their
farms. He recalls his older relatives always offering a glass of wine to
the local minister as he stopped at the house during his rounds through
the community. A number of people in the area also brewed and fermented
beer. My father says the beer would be taken to the fields for
refreshment during work. At harvest time, work would be done by large
groups of farmers cooperating together, and usually somebody had brought
beer along for the event.
This suggests (although this may be partly speculation) that both
winemaking and beermaking were generally accepted and were not hidden.
This is especially clear from the offering of wine to the local minister,
and the sharing of beer among harvest crews. And this was happening in
the farm country of the nation's midsection, not the big immigrant
centers in the cities. I should note, though, that my ancestors were
immigrants from Russia and that most of their neighbors were as well.
Unfortunately, the recipes for beer and for wine have been lost.
(Hope this isn't too far off the HBD list's topic!)
Chuck
------------------------------
Date: 15 Apr 1996 10:14:43 -0700
From: "Dave Hinkle" <Dave.Hinkle@aexp.com>
Subject: prohibition exceptions
Bob Rogers wrote:
>correct me if i'm wrong, but the following seems very clear, and i don't see
>any exceptions:
>
>[quote]
>Amendment XVIII
>
>(1919)
>
>Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the
>manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the
>importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United
>States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage
>purposes is hereby prohibited.
<snip>
There WERE in fact exceptions made regarding the prohibition laws.
The Catholic Church managed to get sort of a blanket exemption for making
and serving wine "FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES". Several Monasteries in
California never stopped wine production. I have heard (but don't have
reliable proof) that some Dioceses managed to get exceptions for individual
families who made their own wine for "religious ceremonial use".
I wouldn't doubt there were other religious exemptions granted during the time.
Any members of other faiths know of exceptions made on their behalf? Makes
sense, considering that certain Native American Tribes here in the SW can
still grow and use peyote for religious purposes. Separation of church and
state and all that...
Dave H
Phoenix AZ
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 14:07:19 -0400
From: BKGravity@aol.com
Subject: Priming with honey?
I'm a new subscriber so excuse me if this has been covered in a past issue.
I'd like to prime a batch using honey and wonder if anyone has tried this in
the past? Specifically I'm planning an priming a 15 gallon batch in a sanke.
I'm hoping to come up just shy of 2 volumes of CO2 in the finished product.
>From prior experiments I've discovered that if I were doing this with wort
I'd need about 3/4 of a gallon at 1.050 (very rough numbers). Should I just
approximate this with honey diluted in enough water to create this volume
(and gravity). Or can I do it with honey straight away (and not have to worry
about any little friends the honey may be carrying?) Or am I just plain
screwy? Any help is greatly appreciated. I can be e-mailed at BK
Gravity@AOL.com.
Thanks in advance
Brendan Kelly
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 14:12:26 -0400
From: "Frederick L. Pauly" <flp2m@galen.med.virginia.edu>
Subject: Even the Wall Street Journal
Just thought you might enjoy this. The Wall Street J. had an
article on Micros Mon.April 15. The main point being that a lot
of "micros" are just marketing people. But missing the point that
good ingredients make good beer. Anyway, the funniest thing was a
quote from August Busch IV. " What we don't like are crafty
marketers duping the consumers"
Talk about who is calling the brewkettle black, wow.
Rick Pauly
Charlottesville,VA
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 12:01:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: raudins@lightscape.com (Glenn Raudins)
Subject: New-mown hay and Grolsch
Michael Owings asked about the missing smell of new-mown hay in his lagers.
This is one of the prized characteristics of Grolsch. Though the idea of it
being related to sulfur (DMS) does make sense to me, I remember reading
something somewhere (nice bibliography that would make) indicate that for
Grolsch the source of the odor was their hop choice and usage. Anyone one
know what hops they use?
Glenn Raudins
raudins@lightscape.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 14:52:34 -0500
From: "Keith Royster" <keith.royster@ponyexpress.com>
Subject: sankey fermenter
Hello all!
I'm am considering using my converted keg hot-liquor tank as a
(partially?) open fermentation vessle and am looking for some hints
and suggestions from those that have done this before. Primarily, I
am wondering how much yeast sediment to expect. I would like to use
the existing tap welded just above the lower chine to empty the keg
when fermentation is complete. I was wondering if I should place an
upward pointing tube on the backside of this spigot so that it is not
submerged by the trub and yeast sediment. Thanks for any and all
suggestions!
Keith Royster - Mooresville, NC, USA
http://www.wp.com/@your.service/kroyster/
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 13:40:34 -0600 (MDT)
From: Hugh Graham <hugh@lamar.ColoState.EDU>
Subject: re: RIMS: Incredible Find (I hope)
In HBD #2011 dion writes:
> One of the most challenging pieces of equipment on a RIMS system is
> the input line to the pump. It must take high heat, be food grade,
> and not collapse under vacuum. One outstanding alternative, SS
> overbraided teflon is $8 per foot, but this rather pricey for most
> people and also it is not readily available. I just discovered what
> appears to be a good alternative, and that is Nalgene Brand PVC vacuum
> hose. It is autoclavable, food grade, and the 1/2" stuff is 1.25 OD
> so that it will not collapse under vacuum.
This stuff does sound rather promising, and it is FDA approved.
Unfortunately, according to my ever-handy Fisher catalog (1-800-766-7000,
no connection, blah blah), a 10 foot length costs $109 ($10.90/foot,
Nalgene number 8000-1210). A 50 ft length reduces this to only $9.43/ft.
Any advantage over SS overbraided teflon from a technical viewpoint is
unclear, except that it appears to be clear, i.e. transparent (pun
unavoidable). Of course it is _available_; where does the SS overbraid
stuff come from? BTW, the 1/2 inch ID hose has a 1.125 inch OD.
Thinner wall tube is also available, and I like the look of it
for hot wort racking purposes. A harder, more kink resistant, less
flexible, thin wall grade is also listed. All food grade and autoclavable,
but all $5 to $10 per foot.
Hugh
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 96 13:20:48 PDT
From: hollen@vigra.com
Subject: Re: RIMS: Incredible Find (I hope)
>>>>> "Hugh" == Hugh Graham <hugh@lamar.ColoState.EDU> writes:
Hugh> In HBD #2011 dion writes:
>> One of the most challenging pieces of equipment on a RIMS system is
>> the input line to the pump. It must take high heat, be food grade,
>> and not collapse under vacuum. One outstanding alternative, SS
>> overbraided teflon is $8 per foot, but this rather pricey for most
>> people and also it is not readily available. I just discovered what
>> appears to be a good alternative, and that is Nalgene Brand PVC vacuum
>> hose. It is autoclavable, food grade, and the 1/2" stuff is 1.25 OD
>> so that it will not collapse under vacuum.
Hugh> This stuff does sound rather promising, and it is FDA approved.
Hugh> Unfortunately, according to my ever-handy Fisher catalog
Hugh> (1-800-766-7000, no connection, blah blah), a 10 foot length
Hugh> costs $109 ($10.90/foot, Nalgene number 8000-1210). A 50 ft
Hugh> length reduces this to only $9.43/ft.
What I did not mention is that my local industrial hardware store has
it for sale for $4.50 per foot. Fisher is charging an outrageous sum,
but then again, anything labelled "scientific" or "medical"
automatically means twice the markup. B-{
Hugh> Any advantage over SS overbraided teflon from a technical
Hugh> viewpoint is unclear, except that it appears to be clear,
Hugh> i.e. transparent (pun unavoidable).
Your assessment of technical superiority is correct, however, as long
as *some* of my circuit can be seen into, the need to have all of it
that way is not necessary and therefore, the transparency on the input
is not of much concern to me.
Hugh> Of course it is _available_; where does the SS overbraid stuff
Hugh> come from?
Here in San Diego, the Hose Pros. I just called them and they said
that their supplier is Gates and that is product C-14. You should be
able to find a supplier in your area from the manufacturer. Be aware
that the fittings on the ends need to be swaged on. I just tried to
do a WWW search of the Thomas Register so that I could provide you
with a phone for Gates, but I can't get in. If you need it, let me
know.
Hugh> BTW, the 1/2 inch ID hose has a 1.125 inch OD.
Yah, it was up on a shelf about 6 feet over my head, so not a bad
guess, being off by .125 by eyeball at that distance.
Hugh> Thinner wall tube is also available, and I like the look of it
Hugh> for hot wort racking purposes. A harder, more kink resistant,
Hugh> less flexible, thin wall grade is also listed. All food grade
Hugh> and autoclavable, but all $5 to $10 per foot.
For output, the thinner may be nice, but the thick wall is probably
*necessary* for pump input to prevent collapse. All of my other hose
is PVC internally reinvorced with braid.
dion
- --
Dion Hollenbeck (619)597-7080x164 Email: hollen@vigra.com
Sr. Software Engineer - Vigra Div. of Visicom Labs San Diego, California
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 96 15:14:54 CDT
From: THaby@swri.edu
Subject: Floating Hops
HBDer's, I dry hopped for the first time one week ago using hops plugs. The
hops have been floating on the surface since then. My question is will they
eventually sink or do they stay on the surface? Thanks again.
Tim Haby
thaby@swri.edu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 09:22:52 +1000
From: nigelt@delm.tas.gov.au (Nigel Townsend)
Subject: Re:STARTER
CHRISTOPHER DIIORIO asked about making simple starters. I use dry yeast
and have had one batch of beer which did not commence fermenting. I
repplied more dry yeast and off it went. Since then I have made a simple
yeast starter. This is the process:
* "Sanitise" (I use bleach) a bottle (I use plastic 1 litre Coke bottles
now) and a jug and table spoon (plastic preferably).
* Boil a kettle of water
* Rinse jug
* Place 2 table spoons of dried malt extract, liquid malt extract, glucose
or sugar into the jug, pour on boiling water and stir until extract
dissolved. About 1/4 litre of water is enough.
* Allow to cool to pitching temperature
* Rinse bottle and cap
* Add 1 or 2 sachet of yeast to bottle and add water/extract.
* Add lid and shake like ****, keep out of direct sun and in a warm temperature
* After a few hours the pressure will have built up and you will need to
release the lid a fraction to allow the CO2 to escape. Adjust lid so that
a very slow and continuous hiss is heard.
* Use after 24 hours, and up to a week (if this long you will probably have
to screw lid tightly down after 3 days, and consider decanting off the
liquid above the yeast and replacing it with more, about 1 day before you
intend to brew).
* Pour off most of the liquid above the yeast
* shake well before pouring into fermenter at pitching temperature.
Its not the purist way, but it proves that the yeast is working, gets it
rehydrated and working prior to adding to the brew. The last time I used
this method I used two sachet of yeast, and the 5 gallons of ale fermented
in about 36 hours. No problems with infection so long as you keep a
positive pressure in the bottle.
The same approach could be used in the bottom of the fermenter, but it does
not seem to commence fermenting quite so fast.
I would not recommend a glass bottle for this technique! Hope this helps
Nigel Townsend
Hobart, Tasmania
Australia
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 19:30:28 -0400
From: Moncsko@aol.com
Subject: best birth brew
G. Jolson asks in HBD #2008:
What is the best style to brew after the birth of a new child?
An I.P(ee).A(ll-night.)?
A Barleyw(h)ine?
An Outmeal S(p)out?
A Midnight Ale?
After my son Douglas was born, some three years ago, I wanted to brew a beer
to serve at his christening party. I brewed a Brown Ale. Ended up naming it
"Belly Button Brown Ale" 'cause I kegged it the day his umbilical cord fell
off. Don't even ask about Cathleens Diaper Pail Ale!...
( ...and now back to lurch mode...)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 20:48:08 -0700
From: l.d.@ix.netcom.com (Larry Davids)
Subject: Fermentration / Lager Yeast Starters
"Fermentaption" queries. The general consensus was not to waste my
money. Although the "Brewcap" seemed to get good reviews. Less money
and fewer trub clogs. More comments welcome!!
Next question..... I'll be making my first lager yeast starter
tommorrow evening and would like to know the proper temperature to grow
the yeast. I'm using Wyeast #2124 Bohemian Lager. Do I start at room
temperature and then chill or just stay at room temp. Any and all
comments welcome.
TIA....Larry Davids
Glen Head,NY
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #2012, 04/16/96
*************************************
-------