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HOMEBREW Digest #2138
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1996/08/08 PDT
Homebrew Digest Thursday, 8 August 1996 Number 2138
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Shawn Steele, Digest Janitor
Thanks to Rob Gardner for making the digest happen!
Contents:
New Ethnic group (Guy McConnell)
Sulfites as sterilizants ("David R. Burley")
sending beer in mail ((Billy Cole))
RE: Temp Controller (John Wilkinson)
Re: Wyeast #1338 "European" Ale is slow to start (Miguel de Salas)
Re: Sparging technique, mashout / RE: RIMS Questions / Shawn's p ("Keith Royster")
re: RIMS questions (Marty Tippin)
Re: PET bottles ("Terry Tegner")
blackberry-lambic (Hettsmac@aol.com)
NO SUBJECT (pbabcock.ford@e-mail.com)
NO SUBJECT (pbabcock.ford@e-mail.com)
Sparging - an alternative? ("Jurie Dekter")
Nitrogen in Beer, Bigotry ((Tom Lochtefeld (Risk Mgt)))
PET bottles ((Tom Lochtefeld (Risk Mgt)))
sanitizing bottles in oven (Lenny Garfinkel)
RE: Wyeast Scottish & European, Metal screen & BTF ((George De Piro))
Nitrosoamines ("Rich Byrnes")
Grain to Extra (uszvnr96@ibmmail.com)
Hefe Weizen ("Little, Wayne")
Superior brand dry Lager yeast ((Bob Wysong))
120V Fermenation *Heater*? (KennyEddy@aol.com)
Questions: What to do with cold break/ use of whole hops ("Toler, Duffy L.")
Question on Rice Hull/Grain percentages (Joe Rolfe)
re: Reusing yeast ("Ed J. Basgall")
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Guy McConnell <guym@Exabyte.COM>
Date: Wed, 07 Aug 96 18:44:53 -0400
Subject: New Ethnic group
Jim Overstreet <wa5dxp@worldnet.att.net> Writes:
> It seems Robert Waddell cannot only not spell militia
> correctly, he throws in the "Red-Neck" ethnic slurs,
While I refuse to delve too deeply into the politics of
paranoia, I was surprised to find that "Red-Necks" were an
ethnic group. In my experience, they can be found across
virtually every group one would care to designate.
> and implies all Southern Caucasians of Scots-Irish ancestry
> are alcoholics.
Hmmm, I missed this inference entirely.
> As a Caucasian of Scots-Irish ancestry, I deeply resent this > ethnic
stereotyping, and demand an apology from this creep.
As a *Southern* Caucasian of Irish-Scots ancestry, I must've
left my membership card and 3-D glasses at home. That one got
by me too.
> Also, if this bigot can document one instance (outside of
> the ethnic-controlled news-media's anti-white yellow
> journalism) where one "red-neck" militia member was ever
> convicted of bombing anybody anywhere, it would be news to > me.
I won't do it. I won't do it...
- --
Guy McConnell /// Huntersville, NC /// guym@exabyte.com
"I've got a native tongue, from way down South. It sits in the
cheek of my Gulf coastal mouth..."
------------------------------
From: "David R. Burley" <103164.3202@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 07 Aug 96 18:47:15 EDT
Subject: Sulfites as sterilizants
Brewsters:
AlK writes in a somewhat insistent tone that my comments are incorrect. He even
quotes Webster!
Al, in my last post on this I tried to give you a way out by quoting the effect
of sulfites as a function of pH as it relates to beer.
Facts are that acidic sulfites in the region below 3 are excellent sterilants.
I quote from "Table Wines" op.cit p399
"As Cruess (1912) and others have shown, 100mg per liter ( 6 oz of potassium
metabisulfite per ton) will eliminate over 99.9 per cent of the active cells of
micro-organism from normal musts."
How do you think Webster will define "eliminate". Is "over 99.9%" enough to
classify sulfites as a sterilant?
Drink more beer and less coffee.
Keep on brewin'
Dave Burley
------------------------------
From: Billy_Cole@dgii.com (Billy Cole)
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 18:12:58 +0100
Subject: sending beer in mail
I'd like to send a 1 Liter PET bottle full of my favorite pale ale to a friend
in another state. Is it legal? Or the more important question: What will
happen to the beer? I'm afraid of the bottle exploding in the post office or
something and freaking out the postal workers (we don't want to do that).
I was thinking about doing it right after bottling the beer. I guess I could
even send him the beer and the priming sugar. Has anyone ever done this?
Thanks.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billy Cole / Senior Engineer / Digi International
ph: 206-867-3893x628 / pager: 206-663-0229
billyc@dgii.com
------------------------------
From: John Wilkinson <jwilkins@imtn.tpd.dsccc.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 19:23:30 -0500
Subject: RE: Temp Controller
In HBD #2135, John Varady asked about temp controllers for both heating and
cooling.
I had the problem last winter of fermenting in a refrigerator in an outbuilding
exposed to the cold. A couple of ferments were stopped by unexpected low temps.
I already had a controller to control the refrigeration part but nothing
to provide heat if it got too cold. My existing controller was a SPST,
that is it would switch off if the temp fell below the set point and switch
on if it rose above. I added a SPDT controller that would switch one way
if below the set temp and another if above. I had already cut the hot wire
to the original refrigerator controller and inserted the SPST controller
in line. I set the original controller to the coldest setting and controlled
the temp with the SPST controller. When I added the SPDT controller, I
connected the hot wire to the input terminal of the SPDT, a wire from the
falling temp terminal to a light bulb (I used the inside light), a wire
from the rising side of the SPDT controller to the input side of the SPST
controller, and a wire from the output side of the SPST to the original
thermostat (this connection was already there from the previous setup).
I set the SPDT to the minimum desired temp. and the SPST to the maximum
desired temp. When the temp falls below the set point on the SPDT controller
it switches power to the light. When the temp rises above the set point on the
SPDT controller it switches power to the SPST controller. When the temp rises
above the set point on the SPST controller it switches power (if it is getting
any from the SPDT) to the original refrigerator controller.
You could use the SPDT alone but then either the compressor
would be on or the light would be. I wanted to have a few degrees separation
to try to minimize cycling. Of course, if I ferment in glass I cover the
carboy in an opaque trash bag.
John Wilkinson - jwilkins@imtn.dsccc.com
------------------------------
From: Miguel de Salas <mm_de@postoffice.utas.edu.au>
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 10:25:52 -1000
Subject: Re: Wyeast #1338 "European" Ale is slow to start
Brian wrote:
>Is Wyeast #1338 "European" Ale yeast usually slow to start? I "smacked"
>a pack and after 24 hours @75 degrees, the pack was not puffed-up. I
>made a starter @~36 hours and the pouch was only puffer to about 1/2
>inch. The starter is now bubbling at ~2 1/2 days. Bubbling is VERY slow.
>No steps in my process have changed from the norm.
>Any experienced users of this strain, who would offer information, might
>tell me of this yeast's character.
>Thanks,
>Brian
I have used Wyeast #1338 on occasions before, although I couldn't say I'm an
expert. It never caused any problems to start, but then, you really should
wait until the packet is inflated properly, as it can take a few days (I
have had packets that have taken up to 5 or 6 days to inflate, here in
Tasmania they are usually not too fresh).
You really have to like the malty flavour to use that yeast though! It has a
very complex character, I couldn't really describe it. It is very nice though.
Miguel
------------------------------
From: "Keith Royster" <keith.royster@ponyexpress.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 22:06:42 +0500
Subject: Re: Sparging technique, mashout / RE: RIMS Questions / Shawn's p
Ian Smith asks about his sparging technique. While I am a fairly new
all grain brewer, I think this is something I can comment on...
> When sparging is it better to simply drain the entire mash tun of
> sweet wort and THEN begin sparging or is it better to SLOWLY drain
> the wort while adding sparge water to the top of the mash tun ?
No, no, no! Always leave an inch or so of water on top of your grain
bed!!!! The water is supporting (ie floating) the grain on top of
your false bottom. You are almost sure to get a stuck sparge if you
drain it all first.
> It seems to be that it might be better (and faster) to just drain
> the wort, add hot sparge water and then slowly sparge away for the
> next 30 minutes.
The words "better" and "faster" should never be used together when
referring to sparging. A slower sparge is *always* a better sparge.
The slower you sparge the better your extraction effeciency. Don't
think of sparging as *washing* the sugars out of the grain. Instead,
think of it as adding fresh water to the top of the grain bed and
letting gravity settle the heavier sugars down through the grain bed.
The slower you sparge the better these sugars will settle.
> Do I still need to do a 170 F mashout or can I just go ahead and
> start sparging since all enzyme activity should surely be finished
> by this time ?
This point is more debatable. Technically some enzyme activity *may*
continue during the sparge if you don't mash out. But practically
speaking, I know of many brewers who skip this step, myself included.
- ---------------------
Then RUSt1d? <rust1d@li.com> posts a few questions about RIMS...
> Would heat loss be a problem on an uninsulated sanke?
I use an insulated sanke without much problem of heat loss. I
insulated the sides using a fiberglass wrap made for hot water tanks,
and sprayed an insulating foam on the bottom dome of the keg. I've
had some discussions with Dion Hollenbeck about this and he thinks
that SS is a poor conductor of heat anyway.
> What's the max capacity of a 10 gallon Gott (lbs of grain)?
Not sure what the max is, but I've done 20+ pounds without any
problem. Could have done another 10 pounds! I think your limiting
factor will be your boiling kettle more than your mash tun, unless
you are making a barely wine or have a 20+ gallon kettle.
> What kind of hose do RIMS users prefer? Where can I get high temp
> hose cheap?
I may get criticized on this one, but I just used what ever type of
clear braided plastic tubing I could find at Home Depot. I still
don't think it is necessary to pay $2/ft or more just for a "Food
Grade" stamp on your plastic tubing. It has worked very well for me
and holds up very well under mashing temperatures.
> When sparging, is there any advantage to draining off the first
> runnings from the tun, adding sparge water, recirculating and
> repeating the process till kettle is at desired volume?
I think this is a similar question to that asked by Ian Smith above.
IMO, letting the water level drop below the surface of the grain bed
while sparging is toying with the stuck-mash gods. You'd better have
an animal sacrifice ready to appease them.
- ------------------------------
And finally, Shawn writes:
> For those of you that think I'm slacking, I've spent 24 of the
> last 48 hours on this and a related problem.
Shawn, I for one think you are doing great! If anybody does feel
that Shawn is slacking you can easily unsubscribe. We all hope that
Shawn can fix the problems that have been making the HBD erratic
lately, but I think we also agree that an erratic HBD is better than
no HBD. Besides, when I've missed a few issues of the HBD I simply
go to the new HBD homepage and read it online. The URL can be found
from the AOB's homepage listed at the top of your HBD! Bookmark it!
Keith Royster - Mooresville, North Carolina
"Where if the kudzu don't gitcha, the Baptists will!"
mailto:keith.royster@ponyexpress.com
@your.service: http://dezines.com/@your.service
Carolina BrewMasters: http://dezines.com/@your.service/cbm
My RIMS page: http://dezines.com/@your.service/RIMS (rated COOL! by the
Brewery)
------------------------------
From: Marty Tippin <martyt@sky.net>
Date: Wed, 07 Aug 1996 21:51:22 -0500
Subject: re: RIMS questions
>From: RUSt1d? <rust1d@li.com>
>RIMS Questions:
>I am torn between using a sanke keg or a Gott cooler as a mash tun.
>I will be using BrewCraft's Temperature Controller and Heating unit
>with a March pump for heating/recirculating the mash.
>
>With this setup:
>Would heat loss be a problem on an uninsulated sanke?
I've been *amazed* at the heat retention of my kegs. They're uninsulated and
only drop about 1 degF in 30 minutes on a warm day (winter time is a
different story). With the temperature controller and a pump for
recirculation, heat loss should be a non-problem.
I strongly recommend that you recirculate the sweet liquor during the
*entire* mash - it helps stir things up and keeps the temperature more
uniform throughout the grainbed. I'm pretty sure it's the recirculation
that's helped my system achieve a consistent 34+ pts/lb/gal of extract
efficiency. Once I mash in, the pump comes on and doesn't go off again
until the last drops of sweet wort have been sparged to the boiling kettle.
>What's the max capacity of a 10 gallon Gott (lbs of grain)?
Haven't seen a Gott cooler but if it holds 10 gallons, that should be plenty
for doing nearly any 10 gallon batch; in my keg system, a 16 lb grain bill
displaces about 8 to 9 gallons.
>What kind of hose do RIMS users prefer?
I'm using Norton PharMed - a medical-grade tubing rated for 250F; fairly
thick walled, impervious to nearly anything, opaque and a bit expensive at
around $4 per foot, only available in 25' rolls.
>Where can I get high temp hose cheap? Anyone have some for sale?
See if you can find a few other people to go in on it with you - I split a
25' roll 3 ways and it came out to be a pretty good deal for everyone. Call
around locally to find a distributor of Norton tubing; places like Fisher
Scientific and some of the other big mail-order places have incredibly
inflated prices.
>Has anyone tried using a sump pump (or toliet bowl) type float to
>regulate the sparge water level in the mash tun?
Not a bad idea (the float, that is) - but I've not had that much trouble;
you just try to match the inflow of sparge water with the outflow of sweet
wort and don't get too excited if it's a little more or less than the
"perfect" level.
>When sparging, is there any advantage to draining off the first runnings
>from the tun, adding sparge water, recirculating and repeating the process
>till kettle is at desired volume?
I think this is called "batch sparging" or something like that and have
heard discussions of it before. Seems like an awful lot of work for very
little gain to me.
>When chilling the wort, has anyone tried recirculating the wort through
>a counterflow chiller until the desired temperature is reached?
I was going to try it this weekend on a 10 gal pale ale but things went to
hell in a handbasket as I was trying to cool with an immersion chiller and I
got way too flustered to even think about it. (The pump got plugged up; I
had to blow in the hose to clear it out and dropped a spoon into the wort
which had to be fished out bare-handed. If this batch doesn't go bad on me,
it'll be a miracle. But I digress....) The idea of recirculating through
the chiller seemed like a good idea and shouldn't take very long if you have
a decent chiller. My problem this time of year is the 72F tap water...
- -Marty
|====================================================================
|Marty Tippin | Tippin's Law #8: No matter where you
|martyt@sky.net (preferred) | are, you can always tune in a bad
|martyt@geoaccess.com | radio station.
|http://www.sky.net/~martyt - Marty's Homebrew Gadgets
|====================================================================
------------------------------
From: "Terry Tegner" <brewtec@global.co.za>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 09:01:53 +0200
Subject: Re: PET bottles
We here in South Africa have been using the PET bottles for homebrew and
micro-brew for some years now. The bottles are available in 5ooml,1
liter,1.5 liter and 2 liter. They are coated to prevent excessive gas
leakage and are coloured brown or green so skunking is not a problem. They
are very durable and reuseable. The caps are ,funny enough, available only
from the cap makers and have a security ring at the bottom.
Regards
Terence Tegner.
------------------------------
From: Hettsmac@aol.com
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 07:35:17 -0400
Subject: blackberry-lambic
Dear HB,
My blackberry crop is pretty good this year and I am planning on brewing a
blackberry ale. I just don't know how.
Most fruit homebrews I have tried so far were simply too sour (may be too
young) and not fruity enough. I am pretty sure that is because the wrong
microorgansms (yeast/bacteria) were used.
>From my limited winemaking experience I know, that after the sugar is
degraded, there still is CO2 production due to malolactic fermentation, which
degrades malic acid to lactic acid and thus reduces the acidity. From my
german wheat beers I know, that only certain yeast are able to produce an
estery = fruity aroma. I should probably use a belgian yeast/bacteria mixture
for lambics but I don't want to keep the beer in my secondary for half a
year, like Papazian suggests.
So how can I brew a nice blackberry lambic, which isn't sour and doesn't
block my equipment for too long.
Please send your suggestions to "hettsmac@aol.com". I will summarize and
post.
Thanks for your replies.
Robert Hett, Hudson, MAssachusetts
- ------------------------------
------------------------------
From: pbabcock.ford@e-mail.com
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 07:47:52 EDT
Subject: NO SUBJECT
Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager...
Greg Furlich reports a white ring around the neck of his bottles that
disappears upon chilling. I doubt an infection. Being that the ring disappears
upon chilling it most likely has to do with the dissolution of gasses at
higher temperature. As the temp decreases and the capacity for dissolved CO2
increases, this ring of tiny bubbles re-dissolves.
Greg: if you're convinced it's an infection and feel you just have to dsipose
of it, write me in private e-mail for my postal address. I'm mighty
thirsty....
See ya!
- -p
SE MI
pbabcock@oeonline.com
------------------------------
From: pbabcock.ford@e-mail.com
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 07:52:59 EDT
Subject: NO SUBJECT
Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager...
Doh! I MEANT John Penn! Not Greg Furlich! (Yes, Greg - you want to do what all
the nice folks are telling you to do...)
See ya!
- -p
Obviously too busy in SE MI to properly read the names on the postings...
pbabcock@oeonline.com
------------------------------
From: "Jurie Dekter" <juried@ozemail.com.au>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 21:59:58 +1000
Subject: Sparging - an alternative?
My colleague and I were discussing brewing beer (as usual), specifically
sparging, and he came up with the following question:
If sparging is the process of leaching out the sugars from the grains, why
not dump *all* the water in the mashtun at conversion, stir like h*ll for a
few minutes to dissolve the sugars, and then just drain the whole lot,
thereby completely eliminating the long process of sparging? The stirring
with fresh water ought to dissolve the sugars as effectively as the
sparging. All that remains is to drain the lot, with perhaps a second
stir-up with fresh water to get those last sugars out.
My knowledge at this stage is too sparse to answer this question.
------------------------------
From: toml@fcmc.COM (Tom Lochtefeld (Risk Mgt))
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 96 08:22:38 EDT
Subject: Nitrogen in Beer, Bigotry
Nuthin better than a chewey Guinness with a thick foamy head that
leaves rings on your glass as you drink it. I know that Guinness
requires pubs to use some form of nitrogen to dispense this heavenly
beverage. Does anybody know what it is? Am I on the road to cancer in
the future? How can I safely imbue this frothy "Guinnes-like" head
into the stout that I brew? I think that this issue deserves some
debate on HBD.
Also, to the guy who who "demanded" an apology for the use of the term
"red-neck." Please educate the rest of us on why this is such a
derogatory term. Forgive me, but I think of a "red-neck" militia type
and I immediately think of the alleged perpetrators (innocent until
proven guilty) of the Oklahoma City or the Olympic bombings. How did
the term "red-neck" come to be and why is it so offensive to you. Are
you a "red-neck" who does not fit this stereotype? Education is the
best way to combat bigotry.
------------------------------
From: toml@fcmc.COM (Tom Lochtefeld (Risk Mgt))
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 96 08:38:12 EDT
Subject: PET bottles
Are "Beer-balls" packaged in PET plastic. How about "Party-Pigs,"
aren't they PET plastic?
Although I don't find beer out of a "beer-ball" tasty, I do usually
find it to be "fresh." Any opinions?
------------------------------
From: Lenny Garfinkel <lenny@inter.net.il>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 15:37:14 +0400
Subject: sanitizing bottles in oven
>
From: Steve Ensley <steve@globaldialog.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 22:20:08 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Sanitizeing bottles in the oven
I have occasionally seen comments about sanitizeing bottles by putting
foil over the neck and stacking them in the oven and heating them up.
What is the procedure for this. Specifically how hot and how long?
Anyone have any comments on this technique?
//////////////////////////////////////////
+----------------------------------------+/
: Steve Ensley steve@globaldialog.com :/
+----------------------------------------+
<
I oven sanitize all the time and never had a problem. I rinse bottles
immediately after use and dry them. After I've accumulated 30 or so in a
covered box, I cover the mouths with aluminum foil and stand them up in the
oven. I heat to 50C for 15 minutes, then 100C for 15 minutes, then 150C for
30 minutes. You'll have to translate to fahrenheit yourselves.
F=(9/5*C)+32 (clue: 150C=302F). My oven is electric, but that shouldn't
matter. I leave them to cool overnight, then store indefinitely in a closed
carton until I'm ready to bottle.
Lenny Garfinkel
Leonard Garfinkel, Ph.D.
Biotechnology General
Kiryat Weizmann
Rehovot
Israel
Tel: 972-8-9381256 (office)
972-8-9451505 (home)
FAX: 972-8-9409041
972-8-9381124
------------------------------
From: George_De_Piro@berlex.com (George De Piro)
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 08:31:43 -0700
Subject: RE: Wyeast Scottish & European, Metal screen & BTF
Mike responds to Al's post about Wyeast Scottish ale yeast giving the
beer a smoky flavor. This is probably caused by phenols, not esters.
Some yeast strains are just prone to doing this. The possible
solutions to this are:
1. Use a different yeast
2. Split the batch, fermenting a portion with the Scott's
yeast and the rest with a cleaner yeast, then blend the batches to
achieve the desired flavor
3. Play around with fermentation parameters (temp) to see
if you can reduce phenol production.
-----------------------
Brian tells us that his Wyeast 1338 is a slow starter. By
coincidence, I just happened to be making a starter of that and the
1084 side by side this week and had the exact same experience.
Although the 1338 had a more recent manufacture date, it took twice as
long to get going. Can't be our fault, the package wasn't even
opened, and I had a different strain doing fine right next to it, so
mysterious time warps and temperature anomalies can be discounted!
-----------------------
Max had a problem with a metal screen he soaked in BTF. Was it
stainless (probably not). Are you sure the medicinal taste isn't
metallic? Sounds like you corroded the metal, than washed it into
your beer! Did you rinse off the BTF after the final dipping, or just
run it into your beer?
-----------------------
Have Fun!
George De Piro (Nyack, NY)
------------------------------
From: "Rich Byrnes" <rbyrnes2.ford@e-mail.com>
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 09:20:10 EDT
Subject: Nitrosoamines
Greetings all, first off I'm not a chemist nor do I play
one on TV. But a brain fart made me remember that an episode
on 20/20 or 60 minutes highlighted Nitrosoamines as a byproduct of
barbecuing foods. ALSO a local Beer historian, Peter Blum (a Strohs/
Augsburger brewer and noted historian) mentioned that a scare about
nitrosoamines dropped consumption of Rauchbier severely several
years ago in Germany, it was reported that the smoking of the grains
were introducing the deadly nitrosoamines into the beer itself.
This may or may not be true nor will I debate it, just adding some
paranoia to the populace! heh heh heh.....
Regards,_Rich Byrnes Jr
Fermental Order of Renaissance Draughtsmen \\\|///
phone #(313)323-2613, fax #390-4520_______o000_(.) (.)_000o
rbyrnes2.ford@e-mail.com (_)
------------------------------
From: uszvnr96@ibmmail.com
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 09:37:05 EDT
Subject: Grain to Extra
Hi all. As I've been looking at some of the recipes posted (and some
sound pretty tasty) I've been wondering--is there an easy way to convert
the grain bill for all-grain brews into a comparable extract recipe? There
may be a source for it, but I haven't found it yet. While I'd like to
jump into all grain, I'd rather wait until I get more space to keep
the stuff. Anyway, if anyone out there has information on this,
I'd appreciate it if they could let me know.
In a related note, if the grain bill can be converted, does the
degree of specialty malts remain the same? Or would something else have
to be done to compensate for with a partial mashing?
Please respond by private e-mail.
Thanks again in advance.
Bill Bigge
uszvnr96@ibmmail.com
" Thus, those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle.
They capture his cities without assaulting them and overthrow his
state without protracted operations " -- Sun Tzu, 'The Art of War'
------------------------------
From: "Little, Wayne" <LittleW@od31.nidr.nih.gov>
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 96 09:40:00 edt
Subject: Hefe Weizen
I have been attempting what is perhaps impossible: to make a decent extract
hefe weizen. Has anyone perfected a recipe they would be willing to share.
I am looking for that light colored, finely carbonated, slightly funky
character that describe some of the classics I've had at various brewpubs.
I have played with wheat: barley ratios and yeast strains, but have not
found a combination that is satisfactory. What is the best pitching volume,
fermentation temp? Is Ireks a decent extract?
On the road to all grain
------------------------------
From: bob@ocs.com (Bob Wysong)
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 96 10:02:14 EDT
Subject: Superior brand dry Lager yeast
Hello HBD'rs,
When I brew lagers, I usually use starters made from liquid yeast which
produce reasonably active ferments at below 50 degrees. On my last batch
however I decided to try a dry yeast for a change. The brand was "Superior"
and is from Australia.
Has anyone had success with this? I pitched 2 packages (re-hydrated) into
a batch Sunday and there's been very little activity for 3 days in a 50 deg
refrigerator. When I finally placed my carboy in a room temperature
environment the yeast appears to be waking up.
Can anyone recommend a dry Lager yeast, or is a starter from liquid yeast
the only way to go? Sometimes the urge to brew comes up and there is no
starter ready.
- -Bob Wysong
------------------------------
From: KennyEddy@aol.com
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 10:17:27 -0400
Subject: 120V Fermenation *Heater*?
John Varady writes:
>Temperature Controllers:
>Can someone tell me a source for temperature controllers? I would like
>to build a fermentation chiller (like described on Martys page). I would
>like the controller to be able to control both hot and cold. I plan on
>using this with ice in the summer and a heater in the winter. The controller
>needs to be able to switch 115 VAC and control temperatures between 32F and
>70F.
I designed the Fermentation Chiller for 12 VDC for several reasons. A 12-V
fan will provide as good of results as a 120-V fan. 120-V thermostats are
less common (at least in home stores) and a LOW VOLTAGE THERMOSTAT SHOULD
NEVER BE USED WITH 120 VOLTS! It's possible that the layout of the
conductors inside the thermostat could produce arcing, or that the wiring
won't handle the load. From a safety perspective, messing with 120 volts is
dangerous unless (and sometimes even if) you know what you're doing.
As far as heating goes, it's *feasible*, but remember that the unit is
constructed from plastic foam. Should your heating element "stick on" for
some reason, a meltdown or fire could conceivably occur. Also, many of the
same concerns above still apply.
Ken Schwartz
KennyEddy@aol.com
http://users.aol.com/kennyeddy
------------------------------
From: "Toler, Duffy L." <TOLERD@cdnet.cod.edu>
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 96 09:37:00 PDT
Subject: Questions: What to do with cold break/ use of whole hops
Two questions from an AR all-grain newbie for the all-knowing collective.
1. I have a huge amount of cold break in my primary after cooling through a
counter-flow chiller. What is its effect on the beer, and would it be
worth the trouble of letting it settle and then racking off the sediment
into another fermenter? Is a little cold break desirable for yeast growth?
2. My boiler is a converted keg with a basic manifold running out to a SS
ball valve. I use whole hops in the boiler. When I drain the boiler, the
hops do a nice job of filtering hot break, gunk, and any stray insects that
managed to fall in while boiling on the back porch. I am wondering if I am
leaving a lot of fermentables behind in this primordial ooze. Should one
try to "sparge" these hops to get a couple more points, or will you just
flush all of the nasties back into your wort?
Thanks in advance for any advice, postings or private e-mails!
Duffy Toler
tolerd@cdnet.cod.edu
Hmm.... Bugs in the wort. I've heard that cicadas have a nutty flavor when
cooked. Perhaps a Cicada Nut Brown Ale, enjoy it once every seven years!
------------------------------
From: Joe Rolfe <onbc@shore.net>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 11:14:38 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Question on Rice Hull/Grain percentages
anyone used rice hulls in a pumpkin beer?
has anyone done any experiments with % of grist for max runoff
when using mushed up pumpkin in the mash?
thanx in advanc
joe
------------------------------
From: "Ed J. Basgall" <edb@chem.psu.edu>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 96 11:19:27 EDT
Subject: re: Reusing yeast
Re:
<From: Daniel Louis Lanicek <daniell@jove.acs.unt.edu>
<Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 13:29:42 -0500 (CDT)
<Subject: Reusing Yeast
<Fellow Homebrewers,
< What is the best way to reuse yeast? I have heard that you just
<take the yeastly sludge at the bottom of the carboy (after racking from
<primary to secondary), put it in a sanitized jar, cover the jar (but not
<airtight), and store in the fridge. Is this sanitary? How long will the
<yeast last? What if I put the yeast in the freezer? How many times can I
<reuse the same yeast?
<By the way, I am using liquid yeast.
In response to Daniel's query:
First get a degree in microbiology (just kidding, but I do have one).
I have been re-using most of my yeasts for several years now. I've
heard reports from friends that you can get away with it for four
or five passages. More than that they tell me the yeast may mutate. Who can
say for sure without doing the molecular biology.
What I usually do is bottle two or more 12oz sizes of slurries from the
bottom of my fermentor and fill them about 1/2 full, then crown cap.
I do not add any additional sugar or DME unless I plan to
freeze for longer term storage. You do not want to built up a lot
of carbonation (unless you want to wear it later). I have stored some of these
in a refrig. for over a year with no apparent problems. While still cold,
vent the pressure off slowly (this varies) and gently swirl to resuspend.
I reconstitute by making up between 2-4pts of 15% DME (boiled/cooled) as a
starter and pitch into that first. Some strains take off right away and
some take a couple of days to "wake up". I have a microscope so I can visually
inspect and count the little guys with a counting chamber. I also use a vital
stain to do a dye exclusion test for viability (trypan blue is excluded by
living cells).
To freeze yeast I use sterile plastic screw topped 15 or 50ml polyethylene
centrifuge tubes and add 15% boiled/cooled sugar or DME in water to an
equal volume of slurry. This provides some degree of cryoprotection.
I store these in my freezer. A deep freezer at -80C is better if you have
access to one.
70% ethanol make a good sterilant for soaking most small instruments
and rinsing out bottles. I also flame sterilize the mouths of the bottles
before and after filling (habit). A quick pass over a propane torch flame
achieves this.
Just my two cents worth. Good Luck.
Ed Basgall
Dept. of Chem
Penn State Univ.
State College, PA 16802
SCUM (State College Underground Maltsters)
"Beer- it's more than just a breakfast drink, it's a way of life"
------------------------------
End of Homebrew Digest #2138
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