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HOMEBREW Digest #2016
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1996/04/20 PDT
HOMEBREW Digest #2016 Sat 20 April 1996
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
cooling yeast starters and rehydration (Rob Lauriston)
Italian malt mill (Paolo DE MARTIN)
First All Grain (A. J. deLange)
Grains of Hardness - Brew Water (SSLOFL)
cleaning out beer lines ("Keith Royster")
RE: Request for Info on 10 Gallon Cooler-Mash Tun ("Bruce Gill")
Powdered Isinglass - easy but expensive (Joe Rolfe)
Beer on the Go! (Bill Rust)
Coopers extract, discontinued? (Mark Montminy)
Cylinder inspections... (Dave Beedle)
Re: first all grain batch (Jim Dipalma)
Adjuncts and Hops in MegaSwills ("Stephen Palmer")
keg priming ? (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
Dry Ice in Carboy (Kevin Kane)
Priming Sugar & Aging temps (Dazed Cummings)
Re: Ice Beer ("Jim Duensing")
Useless Hope Information (Tim Martin)
re: kegging, RIMS hoses, CO2 rockets (hollen)
Cascades!! (Orville Deutchman)
Re: Request for Info on 10 Gallon Cooler-Mash Tun (Dave Mercer)
Hot Gott, Cool Bottles. (Russell Mast)
Automatic Sparging Device (Charlie Scandrett)
more iodophors (Regan Pallandi)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 96 23:58 PDT
From: robtrish@mindlink.bc.ca (Rob Lauriston)
Subject: cooling yeast starters and rehydration
Recent talk of how to start dry yeast (Al K., Nigel, Chris D.) reminded me
of something I wanted to pass along about yeast handling -- something I
tried that didn't work. I don't think that it's a contender for BOAST,
though (Best Of All Silly Tricks).
I store my yeast in mason jars in a bar fridge just above freezing, then
adding canned wort to get it going again a day or so before using. When
pitching, I leave some behind in the mason jar and put some of the fresh
wort from the brew on top to bump up the yeast for next time. I thought I
could make my canned wort supply last longer if I put the fermenting starter
into the fridge after it was fermenting well, but before it was completely
fermented out. The idea was that when I took the starter out of the fridge,
it would warm up and start fermenting again without requiring fresh yeast.
Sounds good, eh?
What happened was that when I pitched these yeasts into a batch, the beers
fermented out half way and stopped. It was as if I had trained the yeast to
stop half way when I put the starter in the fridge. I think this was with
NCYC1332 and Wyeast 1056. (The only other time I had this happen was with
a very high alcohol beer, so the cause wasn't the regular reasons for 'stuck
fermentation').
I could understand this happening with a multiple strain yeast, where I
would have been selectively propagating only the early fermenters and
eliminating the late fermenters, but I was surprised to see this happen with
a (hopefully) pure culture. Do different cells in a pure culture behave
differently, or did I change the behaviour of all of them?
Perhaps this could be useful for making a Scotch Ale (low attenuation).
Now I let my starters ferment out all the way before storing them cold.
Anyone else have any comments on when to cool starters for storage, or what
happened to my yeast?
-=-=-=-
BTW, I have the Lallemand / Lalvin sheet on their Nottingham English ale
yeast. Much would probably apply to other yeasts. Recommended pitching
rate works out to 10g / 20 litres.
The rehydration instructions are:
"Mix the yeast with ten (10) times its weight of clean chemical-free water
at 37/42' Celsius (98/102'F), leave undisturbed for fifteen (15) minutes,
stir and mix with wort. Do not rehydrate in wort. [... our yeast has
sufficient nutrients for this phase...]
"Beer yeast cells tend to be vulnerable to mutation (petit colony for
nation) because of temperature shock. A temperature difference of 10'C can
shock the yeast and induce mutations that could affect the flavour of the
beer. Thus the rehydrated yeast chould be atemperated, by mixing the wort,
so that the temperature between the yeast slurry and the main wort is less
than 10'C. For an ale wort pitched at about 20'C this would involve a
50/50 dilution with wort after the 15 minute rehydration rest. This rest at
30'C chould last for between 5 and 10 minutes. After, the yeast may be
pitched directly into the body of the wort. Should the pitching temperature
be 10'C (for a lager or cold fermented ale) then one more intermediate
temperature rest stage would be necessary. Do not allow the yeast slurry
rehydrated at 40'C to atemperate naturally. This would take to long and
would result in many of the cells dying."
Since the recommended fermentation temperature for the Nottingham yeast is
20'C and these instructions mention fermentation at 10'C, they seem to be
intended to apply to other yeasts. Note especially that the hot rehydration
is for a limited time otherwise the cells die. There has been some
discussion of this before on the HBD.
No affiliation to Lallemand, but we could show our appreciation to them for
allowing me to reproduce this info <g>.
- -- Rob Lauriston
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 13:38:17 +0200
From: Paolo DE MARTIN <sintesi@nsoft.it>
Subject: Italian malt mill
Ciao Brewers.
I have from ask you a favor:
in U.S.A and in Canada is in commerce the three-roller Italian malt mill.
Could anybody send me the address of where does it come
made in Italy ? (The address usually is written in the label).
Thanks !
Paolo DE MARTIN <sintesi@nsoft.it>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 08:13:20 -0500
From: ajdel@interramp.com (A. J. deLange)
Subject: First All Grain
Bob Wysong had the following questions about his IPA:
1. Does the adding of acid change the PH imediately, or only after a wait
period? (Why the sudden change after the 3rd tsp of phosphoric acid?)
In this case things happen very rapidly but the amount of change in pH per
unit of acid addition is not a constant but depends on the buffering
capacity of the water and the acid. You didn't say much about your water
but I suspect that it may be quite alkaline. In this case the acid added
initially goes to neutralize the carbonates in the water and the pH change
is gradual. When the carbonates are all neutralized additional acid is
available for pH change and the change is relatively dramatic. The message:
add acids very slowly and check pH after each addition. With a little
experience you will get to know how much is required for your water.
2. Any reason for such a low OG? (sparge water too acidic?)
Not enough malt (or too much water). You had 7 pounds of convertible malt
and obtained an OG of 1.032 in 6 gallons. This is 27 points per pound per
gallon which ain't half bad for a first attempt (most of us get 28-31).
Design your next beer with this rate of extraction in mind. I always throw
in a little extra malt and dilute down to the desired gravity in the boil.
3. What could cause of the krausen falling? Did I do something to the
head-retention proteins by adding amylase enzyme?
The lack of head doubtless means that the proteins required for head
retention are absent but I doubt that adding the enzyme was responsible. I
have had beers like that (most of us have) and always attributed it to an
improper (or missing) protein rest. It hasn't happened in a long time (so
maybe I'm doing things better now).
4. Does anything in my procedure sound just plain wrong?
Nope. Looks OK to me. You can't expect everything to go smoothly on the
first try. It will take a few batches before it all becomes second nature.
A.J. deLange Numquam in dubio, saepe in errore!
ajdel@interramp.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 07:06:42 -0500
From: SSLOFL@ccmail.monsanto.com
Subject: Grains of Hardness - Brew Water
I recently had my water tested by a company that sells water
conditioning systems in my area. The sample I gave them was hard water,
which comes from a softener bypass. They reported that my water has 18
grains of hardness. I am not familiar with this unit, does anyone know
how to convert grains of hardness to something more common such as ppm
as CaCO3 or mg/l as CaCO3? I assume it is high, because the analysis
included the note 'softening recommended'. Of course, this company
sells softeners and are going to urge me to buy one. "No thanks", I
thought to myself, "I already have one - I just wanted a free analysis
of my brewing water" (Of course I didn't tell them this!)
Thanks,
Shane
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 07:13:50 -0500
From: "Keith Royster" <keith.royster@ponyexpress.com>
Subject: cleaning out beer lines
In HBD #2015 Mark Montminy <markm@dma.isg.mot.com> writes:
> I use one of the chrome, through the fridge-wall faucets. If I go
> more than a day or so between servings, the faucet sticks. I
> usually have a bugger of a time to get it to free up. I end up
> pushing on the sliding part of the shaft while pulling the handle.
> Anyone got any tricks for keeping it from "gumming up", besides the
> obvious solution of drinking more beer :) I'm thinking of maybe
> lubing the shaft with keg-lube?
Not sure if this will solve your problem or not, but it still is a
neat trick. A member of our brew club recently explained how he now
cleans out the beer lines on his kegging system. Instead of having
to practically dismantle the whole thing and take it into the
kitchen to clean, he now partially (1/2 to 2/3) fills a 2-liter soda
bottle with clean, hot water and pressurizes it using a
Carbonator(tm). Then he simply attaches this soda bottle to his
beer-out lines, inverts it, and opens that tap. The pressure forces
the hot water through the lines cleaning them out! If you didn't
have a Carbonator, I suppose you could do a similar proceedure with a
spare keg. Just keep a keg of water handy and whenever you want to
clean the lines, just pop your beer-out line onto the water-filled
keg and let her rip.
Keith Royster - Mooresville, NC, USA
Carolina BrewMasters -
http://www.wp.com/@your.service/cbm/brewmast.html
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 96 12:51:55 UT
From: "Bruce Gill" <b2g@msn.com>
Subject: RE: Request for Info on 10 Gallon Cooler-Mash Tun
> from wiesej@smtp.mms.gov:
> I have seen several articles/messages about using a 5-gallon, round,
> plastic water cooler for a mash tun. In these I seem to remember a
> specific preference for Gott v. Igloo - though I can't recall the
> reason. . .
> . . . Lastly, I recall someone mentioning that mash-out in such a tun
might > be problematic. Unless the plastic couldn't sustain a 170-degree
mash for > 10-15 minutes, I can't figure out why. Any thoughts on this?
I'm sorry I cannot help with the question of differences/recommendations
involved in converting a 10-gallon vs. 5-gallon cooler; however, I have
experienced first-hand the confusion of brand preferences expressed by the
"Beer Collective".
As best as I can understand it, the preference for a Gott cooler is a
historical hold-over. Seems the first guy who converted a cooler to a
mash-tun (and wrote about it) used a Gott. That started it. Also, for many
years, Gott was the only brand that was designed for use with cold AND hot
liquids -- all the others handled just cold stuff. Finally, Gott *seems* to
be sturdier and build for punishment (after all, they're the ones you see
hanging off the back of trucks at construction sites). Hence the almost-brand
insistance for Gott that you see in the HBD.
HOWEVER, as long as the cooler is specified for use with hot liquids (as with
Igloo -- and others, I imagine), you're fine. (By the way, on Igloo the only
part(s) that are specified not to withstand heat are the spigot/gasket --
which you'll be getting rid of anyway during conversion.) I've brewed 30+
batches in my Igloo with excellent results ( the not-so-excellent results were
a function of the brewer and NOT the equipment). The Igloo *has* developed a
ever-so-slight warp on the inside walls, but I chalk that up to the
occassional very long contact with the hot grain-bed (sometimes I don't get
around to dumping the still-warm spent grain until the next day).
Standard disclaimer - I have no financial stake in Gott, Igloo, etc., etc. . .
. .
Happy Brewing!!!!
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 09:17:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Joe Rolfe <onbc@shore.net>
Subject: Powdered Isinglass - easy but expensive
Al's comments yeasterday on isinglass are correct, do not
use if yeast in suspension is very high, i have been told not over
8-10mill/cells/ml but varies with strain of yeast....
the other big trouble is isinglass is reported not to work very well
with falling temps....a brewpub in the area that uses open fermenters
resorts to the use of a gel (not silica) to settle out prior to
filtrations (see a crosby and baker recent news letter). the jist is
gelatin works on falling temps and more yeast in suspension and is alot
cheaper per use than the easier forms of isinglass.
the isinglass i have is from the UK (Vickers) by way of A. Gusmer(sp) in NJ.
this stuff is real easy to use (but expensive about $50/lb). suspend in
sterile (or as close as possible), blend on and off for 30 minutes with
rests and your ready to go....'bout as easy as it comes with the stuff.
good luck
joe
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 09:25:56 -0400
From: Bill Rust <wrust@stlmpe-4.army.mil>
Subject: Beer on the Go!
Good Morning Brewmeisters!
Every year at St. Patrick's Day we always try to hit the big parade in St.
Louis, followed by a trek to the Landing, a popular strip down by the
Mississippi. Last St Patty's Day's feat of engineering was to take a Corny
keg to the parade and get portable with it. I got a device called 'The
Party Pump' (available from William's Brewing - no affiliation, blah blah).
It's a regular keg pump that is fitted for a Corney keg. Granted, it will
make your beer spoil in a couple of days, but you don't have to lug a CO2
cannister and regulator around with you. It only weighs a couple of lbs!
I chilled the keg for 24 hours. Then on the big day, I took a closed-cell
foam pad (you know, like for camping), wrapped it around twice, and applied
copious amounts of duct tape (truly a 1001 uses...) to make a big Corny
coozie! I wrapped a green towel around the outside and stuck St. Patty's
pins to add a little holiday flavor. We bungee corded the keg to a green
dolly with big air tires on it (the streets of the Landing are paved with
very worn bricks...). With a party tap and a few plastic glasses we were
ready to go.
You should have seen the looks we got on the Landing! Folks were
understandably curious, and when we told them it was homebrew, there was a
lot of interest. I brewed a Toad Spit stout for the big day (an old
favorite). The keg only lost about a degree an hour, and there was no
foaming from the rough ride I'd say it was a complete success!
The portable Corny will get plenty of use this summer. Next stop, Memorial Day!
Skol.
------------------------------------------------------
Bill Rust, Master Brewer |
Jack Pine Savage Brewery | CENOSILICAPHOBIA
Shiloh, IL (NACE) | The fear of an empty glass.
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 09:38:03 -0400
From: Mark Montminy <markm@dma.isg.mot.com>
Subject: Coopers extract, discontinued?
I help manage a homebrew shop. On our last order, we were told Coopers is no
longer making thier line of plain, unhopped extract. Anyone know if this is
true, or if we're being fed a line? If it has been dropped, I won't bother
trying to find another supplier of it. I'd be interested to know why they
dropped it though.
- --
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Motorola ISG (508)261-5684 Email: markm@dma.isg.mot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night,
God said, "Let Newton be," and all was light.
It did not last; the devil howling "Ho!
Let Einstein be!" restored the status quo.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 09:17:25 -0500 (CDT)
From: Dave Beedle <dbeedle@bacchus.net.ilstu.edu>
Subject: Cylinder inspections...
So dis guy, Bryan L. Gros sez:
Dave Beedle <dbeedle@bacchus.net.ilstu.edu> writes:
>> The DOT also requires the tank be within current hydro approval. Some
>> .....
> I considered myself lucky that the local shop filled my bottle last month.
> I think the most recent date (about five down) is 88. How much does
> it cost to get the tank hydro tested? And what is a visual inspection?
Around here (Illinois, Springfield) a hydro runs about $35-$40 (for a
scuba cylinder). I would guess a CO2 cylinder may be a bit less but that's
just a guess.
A visual inspection involved draining the tank, removing and inspecting
the valve and inspecting the cylinder, inside and out. The inspector will
look for corrosion and pitting (especially with scuba tanks!) and cracking,
especially in the neck area. Dents, cuts, gouges and bulges are also bad.
> Can we do it at home, or do we need to go to an expert?
I have to recommend a certified inspector. He will (should) be aware of
any manufacture recalls or problem cases that my have cropped up. He'll
also have some special gear to inspect the inside of the tank and know the
sneaky things to look for. Be aware, however, he also may fail the tank
and, in some cases (you generally sign a release) destroy a hazardous tank.
TTFN
- --
Dave Beedle - Unix Support Manager - dbeedle@ilstu.edu - Network Services
"Ignorance | http://www.ilstu.edu/~dbeedle/ | Illinois State University
being bliss is just great until you get run over by a bus 136A Julian Hall
because you never bothered to learn how to cross the road" Normal, IL 61761
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 96 10:35:38 EDT
From: dipalma@sky.com (Jim Dipalma)
Subject: Re: first all grain batch
Hi All,
In HBD#2015, Bob Wysong writes about his first all-grain batch:
>Questions:
>
>1. Does the adding of acid change the PH imediately, or only after a wait
> period? (Why the sudden change after the 3rd tsp of phosphoric acid?)
Depends on what ions are in the water. If your water is fairly soft, i.e.,
low ion content, the pH should drop very quickly, with only a small addition
of phosphoric. OTOH, it sounds to me like your water has some carbonate in it,
which is acting as an alkalinity buffer. Three teaspoons sounds like a lot
of phosphoric to acidify 6 gallons, have you had your water analyzed??
>2. Any reason for such a low OG? (sparge water too acidic?)
No, your extraction would likely *increase* slightly in that case. Did you mix
the wort well before taking the reading?? The dissolved sugars tend to settle
out, so a sample drawn from the surface of the wort would have a lower gravity
reading than one drawn from the bottom of the kettle. You need to mix the wort
for a minute or two before taking a reading.
Also, did you correct the reading for temperature?? My wort is typically about
120F or so at the conclusion of the sparge, which adds about 10 points to the
gravity reading.
>3. What could cause of the krausen falling? Did I do something to the
> head-retention proteins by adding amylase enzyme?
Adding amylase enzyme to a fermentation in progress would likely cause some
additional reduction of dextrins to fermentable sugars. The result would be a
beer with a "thinner" mouthfeel, slightly less body and more alcohol. As far
as I know, amylase enzyme does not act on proteins.
>4. Does anything in my procedure sound just plain wrong?
The process is fairly forgiving, I don't think there's any one single "right"
way to brew. A couple of suggestions:
>I had used about 3 teaspoons of gypsum to get the mash down to a PH of
>about 5.0
3 teaspoons of gypsum sounds like a lot to acidify a mash with only ~7 pounds
of grain. This is also a clue that you may have water high in carbonate
content. The problem here is that you are not only adding calcium to help
acidify the mash, but you are also adding a lot sulfates. This will have a
profound effect on how the hop bitterness comes across.
I *strongly* advise that you obtain a water analysis, and post it here.
There are some folks here that are very knowledgable about water chemistry,
I'm sure they can help.
>Put in insulated box for 2 1/2 hours. Ending temp was 145. The requirement was
>for two hours, but getting the sparge water ready took longer than I wanted.
It should not be necessary to mash for 2 - 2.5 hours to achieve conversion.
The malts we're getting now are fairly well modified, conversion is pretty
fast. I've been consistently getting conversion in 40-45 minutes with
single infusion mashes lately, I rarely find it necessary to mash for even
an hour. Next time, do the iodine test after 45 minutes or so.
>In my 1st post I mentioned that the ph in the sparge runnings
>never dropped below 5.8. I *meant* that it never got *above*
>5.8, which I read somewhere is the limit before it gets too alkaline.
This likely happened because the sparge water was slightly over-acidified.
There are problems associated with over-acidification of sparge water, e.g.,
poor hot break formation, diminished yeast performance. However, if the gravity
of your final runnings was 5.8, you're OK.
Congratulations on your first all-grain batch Bob, welcome to the club.
Cheers,
Jim dipalma@sky.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 10:57:32 EDT
From: "Stephen Palmer" <uscgsynd@ibmmail.com>
Subject: Adjuncts and Hops in MegaSwills
In HBD 2015,
"Bryan L. Gros" <grosbl@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu> wrote,
> I had a bartender tell me the other day that he prefers
> Bud to Miller Light because Bud has that corn taste and
> Miller uses a lot of rice.
I'm still new at this, (4 extract, 1 partial mash brewed)
but I was under the impression that Bud was brewed with
rice, and Miller with corn.
Does anyone have a list of which adjuncts American
MegaSwills use? A list of what hops they use would be
nice too. I'm not looking for full recipies, just some-
thing where I could say that this particular homebrew is
similiar to this brand...
Maybe something like this: (example only, I don't know
what's in these...)
Brand Adjuncts Hops
##############################
Budwieser rice Liberty
Miller corn N.Brewer/Liberty
etc.
Private Email is fine, I'll post a summary type thing if
requested...
Thanks in advance,
Stephen L. Palmer
uscgsynd@ibmmail.com - Columbia Gulf, Houston TX
elrond@helix.xiii.com - Home
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 10:03 EDT
From: CSS2@OAS.PSU.EDU (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
Subject: keg priming ?
Greetings fellow zymurgists:
I have been kegging now for about 6 months. While visiting the Brewery Web
site, I decided to check out the info on kegging in the library section. I
was very suprised to find that the author (don't remember who at the moment)
recommended adding 1/2 cup corn sugar to the beer before sealing the keg.
Since I have started doing this, I simply syphon over the beer, seal the top
and force carbonate based on the temp. of the beer and how many volumes of CO2
I want it to have.
Is there any advantage to be gained by priming your kegged beer with corn
sugar? If so, what is it? My beer tastes fine, has good head retention, and
after a week or so in the keg has very even carbonation (I even get small
bubbles climbing up the sides from the bottom of the glass).
Any info would be appreciated; if there is enough interest I will post the
results.
Finally, one shameless plug for a new homebrew club which has formed in
Central Pennsylvania. Last Sunday, I was elected president of the recently
formed State College Underground Maltsters (S.C.U.M.). If their are any
homebrewers in central PA who do not already know about us, you can email me
for more information or join us for our next meeting at Zeno's on Sunday, May
19th at 2:00 pm. See ya there!
Beer, it's not just for breakfast anymore!
Curt Speaker
css2@oas.psu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 10:03:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kevin Kane <kkane@uidaho.edu>
Subject: Dry Ice in Carboy
Randy Hyuck asked about using Dry Ice to purge his carboy. My
calculations come up with using about 40g of solid CO2 to fill an empty 5
gal (18.9 L) carboy. I think it would be better if you put the solid CO2
(after crushing) into another contaner that has a clean tube going into
the carboy. The gaseous CO2 evolved is denser than N2 and O2 so it will
displace both. If you use enough for 2 carboys, say 60 g or so, you'll
get a good purge. Another good reason to NOT put the solid CO2 into the
carboy is thermal shock. Even with the best glass, I can't see taking
unnecessary risks with my brewery.
This CO2 purging technique is used in some chemistry experiments where
absence of air is helpful but you don't have access (or $$) for nitrogen
or argon. As long as you don't make a closed system (a bomb), CO2
purging in this manner works quite well.
DON'T make the mistake of trying to carbonate with solid CO2 in bottles or
kegs. Even if your beer is chilled, the rate of going from solid to
gaseous CO2 is much much slower than the rate of gaseous CO2 dissolving in
your beer. The resulting pressure in the headspace will have to be
relieved somehow, explosively if need be.
The ice that Randy saw was formed by the water vapor in air condensing
onto the cold Dry Ice, much the same was a mug from the freezer gets
frosty.
Slainte... Kevin
Kevin Kane
Department of Chemistry
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID 83844
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 11:19:24 -0600 (MDT)
From: Dazed Cummings <woodstok@rupert.oscs.montana.edu>
Subject: Priming Sugar & Aging temps
I have a couple of questions for the brewing community. I hope someone
can help.
I've been following Geore Fixes formulas for amount of priming corn sugar
and have been coming up with amounts around a half of a cup of sugar. I
know that Papazian reccomends 3/4, is 1/2 too little? If i recall
correctly i've had kind of hit and miss results with 1/2 cup of sugar.
Sometimes i get semi-flat beer, sometimes it's just right. I may just
resort to 3/4 all the time....
Second part to this question- I store my bottles of beer in an unused room
in my apartment to age out. We never heat it during the winter because it
would cost too much (electric heat's durn expensive!). Now in the spring
we will experience 70 degree weather on day and 30 degree weather the
very next (I live in Montana where it's actually the weather that's
crazy, not the people :). Could the radical change in temperature (more
like a difference of 20 F inside the room) shock the yeast and kill it or
something?
TIA, you're help is appreciated. Posts or e-mail is fine with me.
David
Life's a beer,
Brew it up...
------------------------------
Date: 19 Apr 1996 14:16:04 -0400
From: "Jim Duensing" <jim.duensing@stu.hillsdale.edu>
Subject: Re: Ice Beer
Mail*Link(r) SMTP RE>Ice Beer
- -------------------------------------
Date: 4/19/96 4:41 AM
To: Jim Duensing
From: Posting Address Only - No Requ
Does anyone know the procedure, theoretically or in practice, to brew ice
beer, and can it be done economically by the homebrewer. Any light you may
shed on this subject will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Jim Duensing
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 14:43:56 -0300
From: Tim Martin <TimM@southwest.cc.nc.us>
Subject: Useless Hope Information
Hey Neighbors,
FWIF, of the three hop varieties that I planted last year;
Northern Brew, Halletaur and Cascade, only the N. Brew has
come back. The N. Brew was also the most vigorous and
bountiful of the three last year.
Oh yea, this morning while leaving for work I caught my dog
hiking his leg and pissing all over that N. Brew plant. Will
this "doggy" my hops? How can I tell if my hops are
"doggy"? Should I wait until next fall and try the hops or just
pull it up now and replant?
Tim Martin
Buzzard's Roost Homebrewery
"with that strong predatory taste"
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 96 12:00:23 PDT
From: hollen@vigra.com
Subject: re: kegging, RIMS hoses, CO2 rockets
>>>>> "C.D." == C D Pritchard <cdp@chattanooga.net> writes:
C.D.> There's been a bit of traffic reguarding hoses on the suction
C.D.> side of RIMS pumps. Why not use copper pipe with screwed
C.D.> unions? Works very well for me and you sure can buy alot of
C.D.> pipe and fittings for the cost of the just a foot of the hoses
C.D.> mentioned.
What you say is quite true if your system is "fixed". By that, I mean
that during use, no changing of where the input comes from needs to be
done. In my system, during the recirc, the source is the mash tun,
but during sparge, the source is the hot liquor tank. So that my
system is not 12 feet tall, I have chosen to put the hot liquor tank
at floor level and pump sparge water UP to the mash tun at the highest
level.
Also, if, like some folks, you do not have a large dedicated brewery
area, and have to disassemble your system and store it away between
brew sessions, hoses with quick disconnect fittings are preferable
because they can be coiled up and store in a small space. Not so with
the rigid copper pipe you suggest.
However, for some people, your suggestion is possibly the best
solution.
dion
- --
Dion Hollenbeck (619)597-7080x164 Email: hollen@vigra.com
Sr. Software Engineer - Vigra Div. of Visicom Labs San Diego, California
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 14:58:36 -0400
From: Orville Deutchman <orion@mdc.net>
Subject: Cascades!!
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 12:34:30 -0400
From: Mark Montminy <markm@dma.isg.mot.com>
Subject: Harpoon IPA recipe request
You said......
I'm trying to formulate a recipe for a Harpoon IPA clone. I'm more interested
in a hop schedule, than malt base, since it's really Harpoon's hop profile I'm
after. I'll be doing an extract, full boil. Yeast recommendations are also
welcome.
Email responses preferred. If there's interest, I'll post the resulting
recipe.
Well, I have been given some good advice, and at least 3 oz of Cascades (and
only Cascades) will do it. I have a batch of this in the keg right now, and
it is close. I think perhaps upping the amount (4-4.5 ozs) would be a better
choice. I do partial grains, and used a very light German Crystal with 1 cup
of rice to add sparkle, aid clearing, reduce chill haze, and increase head
retention. It's getting rave reviews here!
OD
Brewer of Down Under Ale!
Hobby Brewing at its Finest!
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 10:51:53 -0700
From: Dave Mercer <dmercer@path.org>
Subject: Re: Request for Info on 10 Gallon Cooler-Mash Tun
I have been using a 5 gallon cylindrical Gott with a slotted copper
manifold for a while now. It can handle up to about 14 lbs of grain if I
don't do a mashout, but only about 12 lbs otherwise. A couple of months
ago I bought a 10 gal cylindrical Gott for those bigger loads.
Conversion was simple: I swapped out the plastic spigot for a brass
assembly, use the same slotted cross arms but cut new side arms for my
existing manifold so that it would extend to fill the larger diameter
bottom (I cut the manifold pieces for both 5 and 10 gal coolers so that,
when assembled, they fit snug against the sides of the cooler and keep a
little force against the outflow pipe so there's little chance that the
thing can come apart when I'm stirring the mash). I can't speak for any
other brands, but both coolers will hold a steady mash temperature of
152-3 without losing more than a degree an hour - probably not even that
much. Whichever one I'm not using becomes a holding tank for hot sparge
water, and neither shows any sign of damage from holding 180F water for
up to an hour. I can NOT say this about the old rectangular cooler I
used to use for sparge water. That thing (a 12 gallon Igloo) was pretty
much destroyed the first time I used it: With a lot of loud popping and
creaking, the internal sides and bottom buckled and bubbled until it
looked like it had been in a house fire. It still seemed to insulate OK,
but it looked like hell, and it was hard to get water out of it for
sparging. But I see adds in Zymurgy all the time for 10 gal mash tuns
made out of similar rectangular coolers, and wonder if my experience is
unusual. Bottom line: I'd recommend cylindrical Gotts, which seem to be
made to handle hot or cold liquid, and steer clear of rectangular
Igloos, which appear to be only suitable for cold storage. But that's
just my opinion.
Dave M.
>Date: Thu, 18 Apr 96 15:17:44 EST
>From: wiesej@smtp.mms.gov
>Subject: Request for Info on 10 Gallon Cooler-Mash Tun
>
> I have seen several articles/messages about using a 5-gallon, round,
> plastic water cooler for a mash tun. In these I seem to remember a
> specific preference for Gott v. Igloo - though I can't recall the
> reason. These articles detail the modification process.
>
> I brew all-grain recipies, use a medium-wet mash (1 1/2 gal./lb), and
> like a hearty beer (i.e., 10+ lbs). Therefore, I think the 5-gallon
> cooler might be a bit undersized.
>
> I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has converted a
> 10-gallon cooler. Specifically, any recommendations on brand of
> cooler, parts used in the modification, and type of false bottoms used
> (e.g., Phil's) would be greatly appreciated. Lastly, I recall someone
> mentioning that mash-out in such a tun might be problematic. Unless
> the plastic couldn't sustain a 170-degree mash for 10-15 minutes, I
> can't figure out why. Any thoughts on this?
>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 14:51:10 -0500
From: Russell Mast <rmast@fnbc.com>
Subject: Hot Gott, Cool Bottles.
> From: jfrane@teleport.com (Jeff Frane)
> Subject: Re: Hot Bottles -- one last time
>
> Russell Mast and I have been [arguing?] discussing bottle
> sanitizing, ovens, and breakage:
Spanking?
> Just to clarify: the three days I described in my bottling "method" are
> not contiguous days;
Doh! It's all clear to me now. I really did miss that. I can be pretty
dumb sometimes. In fact, this method is the same method one of my friends
uses. (With the foil and all that.
> Copyright 1996 by whoever wants it
Oooh, ooh, me, I want this one.
> From: wiesej@smtp.mms.gov
> Subject: Request for Info on 10 Gallon Cooler-Mash Tun
> I brew all-grain recipies, use a medium-wet mash (1 1/2 gal./lb), and
> like a hearty beer (i.e., 10+ lbs). Therefore, I think the 5-gallon
> cooler might be a bit undersized.
And you're right. I recommend the 10 to everyone for 5 gallon batches. I
gott my 5 when I didn't know there was a ten, and didn't know where to find
them. I talked a friend of mine into getting a 10 gallon (same guy who bakes
his bottles) and we all agree it's great. I'm getting one myself, um, soon.
> I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has converted a
> 10-gallon cooler. Specifically, any recommendations on brand of
> cooler, parts used in the modification, and type of false bottoms used
> (e.g., Phil's) would be greatly appreciated.
I use a Gott. The 10-gallon ones are pretty hard to find. The one my friend
bought was marked "$54.95" but he only paid $40 for it. Go figure. You might
want to call Rubbermaid, Gott's parent company, for info on where to find one.
(I haven't called this, so I don't know how useful this is.) 1-800-347-3114.
We've found, as have others, that the very best thing to convert the spigot
is a rubber bung sold with the Fass-Frisch mini-kegging systems.
We used Phil's Phalse Bottoms. THe smaller one works well in the five gallon,
a very snug fit, so no problems with it floating. I'm less confident about
the larger one in the 10-gallon - there is about a 1/4" or more of leeway
between the edge of the bottom and the wall of the cooler. This can cause
floatation if you're careless in adding your grains and water. It might also
be a problem for sparging (bottom not cover entire area, or something).
> Lastly, I recall someone
> mentioning that mash-out in such a tun might be problematic. Unless
> the plastic couldn't sustain a 170-degree mash for 10-15 minutes, I
> can't figure out why. Any thoughts on this?
I've never had any problems, even with much hotter mashes (eg for a lambic
sparge, or laying boiling water for foundation water).
Russell Mast
Copyright 1996 Bryan Gros
(like you weren't asking for it, eh? How's Bob doing?)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Apr 1996 09:46:39 +1000
From: merino@cynergy.com.au (Charlie Scandrett)
Subject: Automatic Sparging Device
Harlan Bauer and Rob Lauriston have been discussing the various *outlet*
devices in sparging with regard to automating the water level and thus
(presumably) leaving more time for beer and conversation.
The device in "German Wheat Beer" p 67 is a multiple outlet designed to
recover wort at different rates from different parts of the bed depending on
SG progress. The "U" prevents air ingress. It is not automated in any way.
The moveable outlet hose ("Swan Neck") devices reduce the hydrostatic head,
thus flow rate, *if* they don't siphon. Restriction valves (a hose clamp?)
or large diameter outflows that won't siphon will solve this but not
automate it as the inlet lauter level is a factor.
To really turn your back on the lauter/sparge, regulating the *inlet* water
level seems essential to controlling the flow rate.
I didn't post this before because I thought everyone knew this principle.
(I've been in the printing/publishing industry too long!)
Lithographic printing presses use acidified water (buffered to ~5.4, you
could lauter with it) carefully metered by a roller in a pan (the
"fountain") The level of the fountain solution is critical to good ink/water
balance.
There are two methods used to control this.
One is to continuously pump the fountain full and have an overflow back to
the resevoir. Because fungus can grow in acid, if the overflow gets clogged,
fountain solution goes everywhere. The fungicide business then moved into
the printing industry. Hombrewers are trying to grow fungus, but the expense
and complexity factor is also an issue for some.
The older method has no moving parts. A *large* bottle is simply filled with
fountain solution, fixed with a 3/4" outlet and held inverted in the
fountain pan.
_______________
| |
| air 1 |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| sparge |
| water | air2 = atmosphere
| |
| 0 |
| 0 |
\ 0 ______/________ bubbles
\ O /
\ 0 /
\ o /
\ o /
\ /
\ /
\o/
| |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~~~~lauter level~~~~
3/4" outlet
When the pressure difference between air1 and air2 equal the head of sparge
water, flow stops. However when the lauter level drops close to the end of
the 3/4" outlet, the pressure differential sucks air bubbles in which
equalise the pressure between air1 and air2. When enough sparge water has
flowed to raise the lauter level and seal off the outlet to atmospheric air
again, the differential is re-established and the flow stops. The variation
in lauter height (the "hysteresis" of this system) is about 1/8".
A spare carboy should do the trick. The 3.4" outlet is fairly critical due
to certain air/water flow dynamics. For 22 years this has worked fine on my
book presses.
Charlie (Brisbane, Australia)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Apr 1996 11:16:25 +1200 (EST)
From: Regan Pallandi <reganp@iris.bio.uts.EDU.AU>
Subject: more iodophors
Hello all - puzzling about for a way to sanitize the inside of a CF
chiller, iodophor seemed the best solution (groan). However, I wasn't
sure whether anything like this was available in Australia, until I
noticed a bottle of Betadine surgical scrub at the chemist's. The main
ingredient is povidone iodine, at around 1% (?). A quick check of the
Merck Index shows that the surgical scrub contains no emulsifiers or
anything else. So, in a roundabout way, the question is - will this
stuff be a good source of iodine-based sanitizer?
Regan in Sydney
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #2016, 04/20/96
*************************************
-------
