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HOMEBREW Digest #2216
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1996/10/04 PDT
Homebrew Digest Friday, 4 October 1996 Number 2216
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Mike Donald, Digest Janitor-in-training
Thanks to Rob Gardner for making the digest happen!
Contents:
European Brewery List? ((Childers Mark))
Local Water Supplies. (Geoff Bagley)
Re: 40-60-70 and attentuation ((Fredrik Stahl))
When to Stop Secondary Fermentation ("David C.C. Sprague")
Well water and softeners (Bob McCowan)
False Bottoms ((Ken ))
Re: tasting panels, stones and filters (Joe Rolfe)
RE: Symptoms of warm fermentation ((George De Piro))
gnats,mashing ("Herb B Tuten")
Iodophor Questions (Jeffrey M Kenton)
digital thermometer (Anton Schoenbacher)
professional brewing ("Bryan L. Gros")
Peated Malt (Fred Waltman)
Cold storage for altbiers (Brewkits@aol.com)
The Un-Believer's Six-Pack (KennyEddy@aol.com)
Re: Longshot Hazelnut (James Moncsko)
Peat Smoked Malt ((Curt Schroeder))
yeasts (EDWARD SPADONI)
Robotic Palate (Carl Hattenburg)
"Tapping" a fridge (David Cummings)
re: mini kegs (Dale Smith)
re: Well Water (Dave Whitman)
mashing & water ratios (Darrin Pertschi)
Brewer's Almanac ((Jeff Sturman))
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: CIM@crossair.ch (Childers Mark)
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 09:21:56 +0100
Subject: European Brewery List?
A short request.
I recently moved to Switzerland and am looking for some list of brewerys
here in Europe. Not necessarily the big factories but more the smaller
breweries and monasteries, etc.
thanks,.....mark
------------------------------
From: Geoff Bagley <geoff@gcbagley.demon.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 1996 23:32:45 +0100
Subject: Local Water Supplies.
Our local water supply comes from a bore-hole near Bromsberrow,
Worcester, England.
The Water Authority (Severn Trent) combine this with some water taken
(and purified) from the River Severn.
Local legend states that the local (Malvern) water is famous for
containing "nothing at all", but in spite of that they DO add some
chlorination.
Both the "tap-water" and the water from local springs make good beer.
In the case of the tap water, I use the water from the HOT tap, on the
grounds that, having been heated, most of any chlorine will have been
driven off.
Personally I feel that too much is made of the mistique of various types
of water. If you are desperate you can "tweak" the pH value, but I have
never been able to detect the difference!
Just go on brewing, and only start worrying if you encounter a problem.
Best regards,
Geoff Bagley
------------------------------
From: fredriks@abel.math.umu.se (Fredrik Stahl)
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 11:24:23 +0100
Subject: Re: 40-60-70 and attentuation
Russ Brodeur wrote:
>It's been a couple of years since I last brought this up, but has anyone
>out there had any luck using this mash schedule (40-60-70 C), as
>initially proposed by G. Fix, to control fermentability in
>INFUSION-mashed beers???
>I have found the 60:70 C rest-time ratio super effective for controlling
>attenuation in DECOCTION-mashed beers, but insignificant in
>infusion-mashed beers. There is obviously something going on at 140 F
>in an infusion mash, because the wort begins to taste sweet, but my
>attenuation using a 30 min:30 min ratio have always been as though I'd
>used the 70 C rest only (ie. poor attenuation).
>I'd like to hear what others have observed.
I usually use the 40-63-71 C schedule for pale ales. The step from 40 C to
63 C is done by infusion and from 63 C to 71 C by heat on my electric
stove. I have settled for 45 min @ 63 C and 15 min @ 71 C for British
bitters to get a low enough FG, which seems to work rather well. With this
schedule I get a mash efficiency of >90% and a total efficiency of about
85%.
My problem is getting a low enough attenuation when needed, e.g. for
Scottish ales. I have tried a mash with 15 min @ 60 C and 45 min @ 70 C,
but the difference was only one or two points. It seems like the beta
conversion at 63 C is very quick indeed.
Russ, could it be that you are not aerating enough and pitching enough
yeast? I think I reused the yeast cake from a previous brew on the Scottish
ale mentioned above, and that the fermentation was very quick. Maybe this
caused a high attenuation hiding the effect of the more dextrinous wort. By
the way, the scottish ale is a bit phenolic and seems to contain too much
of the higher alcohols (sometimes I think it gives more of a headache than
other beers :-( ). This could have been caused by high temps during the
quick fermentation. (I thought I had kept the temp down but it might have
been higher during the violent initial phase.)
I think I will try one of the following approaches the next time I brew a
Scottish ale:
1) A single saccharification rest at 67-68 C.
2) Starting the saccharification at 63 C and immediately raise to 71 C (the
raise takes <10 min on the stove).
I'll let you know how it turns out.
- --------------------------------------------------------------
Fredrik St{\aa}hl Tel: int +46 90 166027
Math. Dept. Fax: int +46 90 165222
University of Ume{\aa} E-mail: fredriks@abel.math.umu.se
S-90187 Ume{\aa}, SWEDEN WWW: http://abel.math.umu.se/~fredriks
On tap: Berghem Best Bitter
*** Nemo saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit ***
- --------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
From: "David C.C. Sprague" <dsprague@bga.com>
Date:
Subject: When to Stop Secondary Fermentation
A little background. This is my first batch that happens to be a pale ale
that came in a kit form. The instructions indicated that the starting
specific gravity should be at 1.050. Ours started at 1.052. Fermentation
was over in three days in the bucket. Two days after that I transferred the
liquid portion, leaving the trub (sp?) in the bottome of the bucket, to a
glass carboy. In the process of transferring, I checked the specific
gravity again. The instructions said that fermentation was over when the
specific gravity reached 1.012. Ours is 1.010. The place I got the kit
from here in town is quite laid-back about when to bottle/keg. They said
something like, "Hey man, whenever your specific gravity is there or
whenever you get thirsty like." Ok, I can somewhat handle that, but in
about a week I have five gallons of beer. I do not know how much clearer it
is supposed to get and feel that I have no good background for the
"artistic" ability to say that It Is Done. What do I do? Thanks for your help!
___________________________
David C.C. Sprague
Research Technologist
Core Laboratory for Applied Molecular Biology and Genetics
Scott and White Department of Research and Education
Temple, Texas
W: 817-771-7604
H: 512-259-7282
------------------------------
From: Bob McCowan <bob.mccowan@bmd.cpii.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 08:08:09 -0400
Subject: Well water and softeners
> My question is should I use the water from the softener, tap in
>prior to it being softened, or
>does it matter? I have been told that the softened water may have a higher
>sodium content, although I do not
>believe this to be the case since the softener rinses out the brine after each
>cleaning cycle.
Yes, the sodium is higher. The softener works by exchanging 2 sodium ions
for each calcium ion it removes. Unfortunately, it leaves the carbonates
untouched, so you end up with water with a bunch of carbonates that are much
harder to remove. You may be better off taking the unsoftened water,
boiling it, cooling it and then racking off the precipitate.
Our well water is very hard (350 ppm hardness) and we soften for household
use. Since we also have manganese that's removed by the softener,
presoftened water is not that great an option. Treatment of our water is a
little tricky since it undergoes significant variation during the year. In
long dry spells we have high manganese; in wet weather the manganese is
lower but the iron is higher. I guess we have multiple water sources in
varying ratios. Our well is 630 feet deep.
GIven all this, I generally use bottled water - either spring or distilled,
depending on the style of the beer.
Bob
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob McCowan
voice: (508)-922-6000 x208
ATG/Receiver-Protector fax: (508)-922-8914
CPI BMD
Formerly Varian CF&RPP e-mail: bob.mccowan@bmd.cpii.com or
Beverly, MA 01915 bob.mccowan@cfrp.varian.com
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
From: kbjohns@escape.com (Ken )
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 08:40:47 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: False Bottoms
Thomas Neary wrote
>The false bottom that I have decided on is a perforated SS sheet. But the
>problem I have is that I have seen two different styles in use.
>What are the pros & cons of using a 15" diameter perforated SS sheet which
>covers the entire circumfirence of the the keg and sits on short legs as
>opposed to an approximately 7" diameter sheet which sits flat on the bottom
PBS offers both types; a 9" for use as a hop back, and 2 full false bottoms,
folding and solid.
The full false bottom will allow for a better extraction rate at a higher
speed. It's more efficient. For complete explanation as to why see Aug 95
Brewing Techniques article covering this point.
Some breweers do use the the 9" for mashing because it's less expensive. It
will give extraction rates and speeds about equivalent to manifolds and easy
mashers
Ken
Precision Brewing Systems URL http://www.wp.com/HOSI/pbscat.html
East Coast Brewing supply URL
http://virtumall.com/EastCoastBrewing/ECBMain.html
------------------------------
From: Joe Rolfe <onbc@shore.net>
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 09:22:01 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: tasting panels, stones and filters
just my thoughts on taste panels...
if done properly, they can provide a wealth of information.
siebels has a great course on how to implement taste panels. one
of the major issues is the taster and his/her training. without
proper training (doctored samples at various thresholds) one may
never know the blind spots the may have.
for commercial brewers the taste panels are very important, and
lots of records need to be kept on each individual. micros very rarely
can afford to do this in a proper sense. hence many craft brewers are
not sure what they are shipping and how it differs from last months brews.
many do not have the labs or people to execute the process. one thing i
notice, i tastes beers - probably too much (go figure;/ and i for one
have more difficult time tasting our own beer than some other breweries.
the festival panels, are a snapshot in time, very brief sampling of beer
bottled/kegged in a hurry by mostly those that are not equipped to
package (brewpubs - not all but most). many micros are not equipped to
package either even thou they do it on a regualr basis. one other issue
that pops up on tasting panels is the general health of the taster - this can
vary day to day. my suggestion for the blind taste panels would be to
perform this operation several times over the period of the festival, to
play down any variability. multiple samples, multiple days. i dont know
the details of the gabf - but my guess is they do a good job. but a good
job can always be a great job....and greater...
i will totally agree
with one other person on the big guys (AB, COORS, MILLER) - they do the job
extremely well. try an find a micro that can brew such a light profiled
product, package it as fast as they do and ship it. if anything goes wrong
it will stick out like a sore thumb - hence the reason why many panels
trianing select coors light or similar beer to doctor. i for one can not
knock any of the major brewers - i can understand the bull they go thru
to produce the products...it is scarey at best....most micros have this
"cavilier" attitude, and are more worried about paying the bills, than
shipping a quality product. not all mind you but alot. just look in the
new brewer articles as few months ago - the one were siebels tested a
sampling of beers...lots had oxygen way over 1 and 2ml...is that good? no...
if i remeber a/b would dump a batch if it had .3 - any they have very
tight controls on the distribution.
sorry for the wasted band with - i'll get off it and on to something
nicer......
on airstones and filters, filters need not be sanitized if they are sterile.
but if you have somethinggrowing on the filter media, you may want to
autoclave them (if they can hack it) and test the sanitation with a stress
test of aerated wort/no yeast. if you incubate for 3 days at 80-90F the
aerated wort, and you have no growth - consider it sanitary but you should
do this often as it is easy to blow a hole in the filters. .2 ucron or lower
is a must...
for those doing rye beers - your results will vary from brewery to brewery
based on the set up and raw materials. there are a lot of rye products out
there, some are great others are crap (from brewing purposes and equipment
that the average brewer may have). if one person say it is a sticky mess
worse than pumpkin mash - you either have poor ingredients or process or both.
mostly the average homebrewer has good process for the equipment - it might
tend to be more poor ingredients. buyer beware on all brewing ingredients.
great brewing to all
joe
------------------------------
From: George_De_Piro@berlex.com (George De Piro)
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 08:32:41 -0700
Subject: RE: Symptoms of warm fermentation
Hi!
Craig asks what the symptoms of overly warm fermentations are. Well,
like everything else in this hobby, it depends. Some yeast strains
are very tolerant of warm temperatures and will make good beer at
temps in the mid to high 70's (degrees F, of course. ~25C for you
metric types).
However, to answer the question, some of the symptoms of high
fermentation temp are tons of esters (fruity), noticeable higher
alcohols (harsh, almost solvent-like), and soapy flavors.
None of these are terribly desirable or pleasant.
A friend of mine has found that yeast cultured from Adelaide sparkling
ale is a good high-temperature performer. In fact, he's had trouble
with it getting stuck at more conventional temperatures!
Have fun!
George De Piro (Nyack, NY)
------------------------------
From: "Herb B Tuten" <herb@zeus.co.forsyth.nc.us>
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 09:30:49 -0500
Subject: gnats,mashing
Greetings, all.
First, a tip... Recently my basement brewery attracted gnats,
probably because adding apples to mead caused some blowout
through the airlock during the night (yuk). Anyway, I wondered
how to get rid of the little bothers, who seemed attracted to all my
bubbling airlocks even after I cleaned up the cyser mess. At last
I got an idea; I spread several lengths of wide packaging tape on
top of the closed buckets and around the airlocks (sticky side up).
The next day I had 12 gnats stuck to the tape and none flying.
Next, a question... If a mash tun will not hold all the necessary
grain for a batch, would it be ok to split the mash/sparge
operation? Ok, it would take hours longer; but someone with a
5 gallon Gott could brew a barleywine. Is there any reason not to
collect/sparge the first half, and let it sit quietly in the unheated,
covered brew kettle until the second half is added later? I recently
collected data from folks about the limitations of their mash tun,
and this idea might help alot of brewers. Has anyone done this?
Cheers,
Herb
herb@zeus.co.forsyth.nc.us
------------------------------
From: Jeffrey M Kenton <jkenton@iastate.edu>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 08:41:56 CDT
Subject: Iodophor Questions
Hello, collective!
As is often the case out here in Central Iowa, I found myself in the farm
supply store looking for cheap sanitizers, etc for my homebrew setup. I
ran across a product (very cheap $6.99/gallon) which claims to be 25%
Iodophor, dilution schedule was 1 oz/3 gallons. This schedule looks
the same as the one on the smaller bottle of restaurant sanitizer I
already have.
Upon reading the "ingredients" I came across a reference I probably
didn't want to see. It said that this product had a significant (0.12%)
proportion of LANOLIN in it. The product is for sanitizing udder teats,
and I imagine the lanolin (even in this low concentration undiluted)
helps to reduce the chafing and irritation associated with long term
contact with Iodophor.
Question: will this lanolin have an effect on my equipment which will be
soaking in it? Will I have a new style (Cardigan Pilsener??) or am I
freaking out? The concentration information looks like the lanolin will be
0.12 ppm (or 120 ppb) at sanitizing strength, since the direction say 25 ppm
Iodophor at 1oz/3gallons.
Private Email is fine, and suggested.
Thanks for the bandwidth
Jeff Kenton
- ---
Jeffrey M. Kenton
Teaching Assistant C&IT PGP? Email with REQ PUB KEY
Current Class: ElEd/SecEd 301 in subject line for my
jkenton@iastate.edu public key.
------------------------------
From: Anton Schoenbacher <aschoenb@eecs.wsu.edu>
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 96 7:21:24 PDT
Subject: digital thermometer
in response to :
radio shack (std. disc.) now has a lighted indoor/outdoor F/C digital
thermometer on closeout for $10. the range listed in the specs only goes up
to 120F, but it has a probe, so you can check the serving temp of your beer,
the inside of your fridge, etc..
bob
bob rogers bob@carol.net
I have been doing this for about a month now, it works great. I am
surprised at how cold I like my beer to be, 36 deg.
- --
*****Anton Schoenbacher*****aschoenb@eecs.wsu.edu*****
******************************************************
------------------------------
From: "Bryan L. Gros" <grosbl@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 09:32:08 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: professional brewing
Jeff Frane writes:
> Over
>time, I've come to a few conclusions. All, I hasten to add, my own opinion.
>
>1. There are a lot of people brewing beer that aren't very good at it.
>Just because someone has a job making beer doesn't mean that they're skilled,
>or craftsmen and a lot of them don't even notice the flaws in their own beer.
I've certainly noticed this is true in the South, although there were one or
two
places in Northen California as well. You can get away with it down here
since a lot of customers don't know the difference. You can't, however, try
to run a business based on the ignorance of your customers (at least I hope
you can't).
Have you seen those ads in Zymurgy or The New Brewer for a small
brewing system? They basically say to restaurant owners that they
can buy the system and serve fresh beer at their restaurants, implying that
little skill is involved.
>2. There is a lot of bogus labeling of beerstyles. As Dane noted, he
>was found a number of "Kolsch" that weren't worth drinking; probably even
>more that weren't even close to the style. Same goes for "altbiers",
>"weizens," you name it. Not to mention all those "British" beers full
>of Cascade hops.
I also agree with this. And I consider this misleading advertising. I'm all
for giving brewers a lot of leeway to be creative. They should brew what
they want, but they should label it correctly. If I get a beer I feel is
grossly out of style, I don't have a problem sending it back. " I ordered
a Kolsch and this isn't a Kolsch. If you don't have a Kolsch available,
bring me something else."
- Bryan
grosbl@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
Nashville, TN
------------------------------
From: Fred Waltman <waltman@netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 07:47:08 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Peated Malt
There has been some discussion of the proper amount of Baird Peated Malt
to use in a recipe. You should be aware that there are both "Light Peat"
and "Medium Peat" (and for all I know a "Heavy Peat") versions. This may
account for the different results people have posted. The Medium is much
stronger. If your retailer buys full bags, they should know which one they
have.
Fred Waltman
Culver City Home Brewing Supply Co.
waltman@netcom.com
http://www.homebrew.inter.net
------------------------------
From: Brewkits@aol.com
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 11:51:05 -0400
Subject: Cold storage for altbiers
Hello all,
My question deals with the cold storage that is necessary to achieve the
smooth, rounded flavor of a typical altbier. I do not currently have access
to cold storage that is large enough for my secondary. Has anyone tried
simulating this lagering step by simply letting the fermentation finish at
ale temps, bottling, and then storing the bottles in the fridge for a few
weeks?
Any related experiences or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks - Ken Cannon.
------------------------------
From: KennyEddy@aol.com
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 13:18:48 -0400
Subject: The Un-Believer's Six-Pack
It seems that whenever I start talking about brewing with non-brewers (you
know, the Bud-Lite-on-ice crowd), regardless of their opinion of "premium
beers" they're almost always fascinated with the brewing process and flowing
descriptions of the wide spectrum of colors, flavors, and aromas they've
never experienced. Just a few minutes ago I was in such a conversation, with
the usual "beer is beer" phrase being brought up. I replied with a remark to
the effect that I could send you to the store with a list of six beers that
would leave no doubt that beers are (or at least can be) different and
flavorful.
As I walked away I was tossing around a few ideas for which beers I would
include. Then I thought this might be a fun thread to start here (although
my idea of "fun" is often not everyone's):
If you had to assemble a six-pack of beer to give to a "beer is beer" type
person, which six would it be? I'm thinking along the lines of good examples
of a broad range of styles, rather than just a random pile of good beers I
think it's most realistic to limit the selection to commercial beers readily
available in most areas, but feel free to suggest a local favorite if you
think it's truly outstanding.
Any takers?
*****
Ken Schwartz
El Paso, TX
KennyEddy@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/kennyeddy
------------------------------
From: James Moncsko <James_Moncsko@imail2.ul.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 13:04:44 -0500
Subject: Re: Longshot Hazelnut
Recently, Greg Moore asked for the Long Shot Hazelnut recipe. I have
the hazelnut recipe right here from the bottom of the 6 pack, and it is an
inspiring, wonderfull beer. This is it verbatum:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ingredients for 5 Gallons
9# Pale malt
8 oz. Munich malt
7 oz. Caramel malt
4 oz. Chocolate malt
3 oz. Victory malt
4 oz. Carapils malt
2 oz. Fuggles hops
.5 teaspoon Gypsum added to mash
Ale yeast (1056?)
Procedure:
Mash in at 155'F, rest for one hour.
Sparge and fill kettle.
Boil 90 minutes adding hops as follows:
At kettle full: 1.5 oz.
At KF + 85 mins: .5 oz.
Cool to 65' F and pitch ale yeast
Ferment at 65 - 70'F
Add hazelnut flavoring before bottling
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I've heard that this is a recipe that the Boston Wort Processors (HB Club)
have made and is not exactly the real deal. I'd imagine it would be close
though. My questions are What yeast? Wyeast 1056? Also, where do
you get hazelnut flavoring??????
Jim Moncsko, still in Brentwood NY, but not for long........
------------------------------
From: cschroed@ball.com (Curt Schroeder)
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 12:52:45 -0600
Subject: Peat Smoked Malt
All this discussion about smoked malt has prompted me to relate my
experience. I wanted a strong smoke flavored porter (inspired by Little
Apple's Holy Smoke, Thanks Jethro!) I used 1# of HB Peated Malt for a 11#
grain bill (5 gal.). It did not have the "in your face" smoke flavor I
wanted. It was more subtle. Since that time I have heard that Hugh Baird
comes in Low, Medium, and High Peated Malt. I have also heard that after
smoking, within 2 months the grains have lost half of their smoke flavor. I
have nothing to back this up, just comments by other brewers and
homebrewers.
Does anyone have the real skinny on Peat Smoked Malt?
Side issue:
My weak smoked porter with a high percentage of smoked malt won best of show
:-) and now I get to brew it at the Pumphouse (Longmont, CO) :-). The
inconsitancy of smokiness has me a little concerned about replicating the
beer especially in light of what others have said about too much smoke
flavor from much less grain than I used. Any ideas about how to scale it up
and not get too much smoke? Would peated malt teas in proper proportions
give me a good gage on how much to use for a given bag of smoked malt? Any
ideas would be helpful.
TIA
Cheers!
Curt Schroeder, cschroed@ball.com
Longmont, Colorado
------------------------------
From: EDWARD SPADONI <SL9YN@cc.usu.edu>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 12:56:30 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: yeasts
Hi, I know this is a wine question and this list is primarily for beer
but I know you guys can help me on this. The question is, what is the
difference between Sherry yeast and wine yeast if any at all? I used a
packet of Sherry yeast to make a wine recipe I had made before and it's
taking longer to settle out and has a different color. When I made the
recipe before I used a packet that said "For Wine"
Any comments to help lessen my ignorance would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ed
sl9yn@cc.usu.edu
- ------------------------------
------------------------------
From: Carl Hattenburg <CHattenburg@Perstorp-us.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 14:52:36 -0400
Subject: Robotic Palate
Hello consortium -
My company makes a Beer Analyzer, and I finally had one
installed in my office! Yea! It measures or calculates the
following parameters:
Specific Gravity, Original Extract (w/w), Original Extract (w/v),
Alcohol (v/v), Real Extract (%w/v), Apparent extract (%w/w),
Apparent extract (%w/v), Real degree of fermentation (%),
Apparent degree of fermentation (%), Real fermentation (%),
Apparent fermentation (%), Extract/Alcohol Index,
Refractive Index, Calories (100g), Calories (100ml),
Calories (12 oz), Kilo Joule (100g), Kilo Joule (100ml),
Kilo Joule (12 oz), Present Gravity, Spirit Indication,
Extract Gravity, Degrees Lost, Original Gravity. (whew!)
Ok - as I love & appreciate the HBD and it's users, I
would like to offer the services of my 'robotic palate'
to the consortium....you send me a bottle (or a keg!!!)
of your homebrew, and I'll send you the printout of the
results! (I keep the *brown* bottle...and the kegs!)...
The catch - since the device sits in a hackers office
(mine) I can not and will not guarantee that the readings
will be accurate, and will take no responsibility for damage
caused by the results, or lack thereof. Since I ask no money
or fees, please don't sue me! Also - I don't know how long
I will have access to the Beer Analyzer, so first come,
first serve! (I cannot guarantee any results!!!)
That said - bring 'em on!! Any pertinent info you
already have (OG/FG/IBUs/HBUs/etc, recipe!) please send
as well...a self addressed stamped envelope would be
handy too.
I am going to try to calibrate this beast to read IBUs as well,
anybody out there know the actual chemical(s) I should look at?
I will guess my window of opportunity to be about 2 months....
after that time, please email first!
Send to:
Testing Lab
Flack Street Brewery
12411 Flack Street
Wheaton, Md 20906
(e) CHattenburg@Perstorp-us.com
(e) CHatten@Erols.com (WEEKENDS!!)
(www) http://theweeds.smxcorp.com/carlos/carlos.html
- - Carl H.
(w) 301.680.7276; (fx) 301.236.0134; (h) 301.942.3756
(e) CHattenburg@Perstorp-us.com (e) CHatten@Erols.com
Perstorp Analytical, Inc.
Quality Control at the speed of light.....
------------------------------
From: David Cummings <woodstok@rupert.oscs.montana.edu>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 13:10:40 -0700
Subject: "Tapping" a fridge
This isn't directly related to brewing, but it is directly involved in
enjoying the beer.
I in stalled a tap in my vintage fifties fridge through the wall with
some difficutly. I drilled progressively larger holes in the wall until
i got to the largest drill bit. I then had to grind away the rest of
the metal to make a large enough hole for the tap. Does anyone have a
better solution for making a ~1 inch hole in a fridge?
BTW, the tap works great! And i highly recomend it to anyone who has an
extra fridge. It look great, and is a great converstion piece.
Besides, it just sounds cool to say, "I've got beer _on tap_ at my
place..." ;)
TIA for any advice.
Dave
------------------------------
From: Dale Smith <des@io.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 13:30:04 -0500
Subject: re: mini kegs
I have had experience with Brew King mini keg system and it wasn't
pretty. I got the plastic model as opposed to the steel version. I was
told the principle is the same just that the steel is more durable. I
had many leaks in my system where the CO2 meets the keg. I went through
several O-ring and tried various ways to make it work but ended up
chunking it for corney kegs. I wish I hadn't wasted my money. Now
granted this is just one persons experience. I went out numerous time to
draw a pint only to find no CO2 left and flat beer. Twice the seals blew
and the kegs puffed up like dead fish. It wasn't pretty nor safe! Plus,
the regulator isn't much to write home about. I got a lot of real foamy
spew on more than one occasion. My advise, save your money for another
month and by a real kegging system. Much better control, plus you can
force carbonate the beer!
Dale
------------------------------
From: Dave Whitman <dwhitman@rohmhaas.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 14:24:53 -0700
Subject: re: Well Water
In HBD #2215, Dave Reid asks about using "softened water"
>I have been told that the softened water may have a higher
> sodium content, although I do not
> believe this to be the case since the softener rinses out the brine after
each
> cleaning cycle.
Believe it. Water softeners work by exchanging the calcium with
sodium. During the cleaning cycle, the softener pumps concentrated
sodium chloride solution over the ion exchange resin to wash out the
accumulated calcium and charge up the resin with more sodium.
It's not "rinsing out the brine", it's using a gross excess of sodium to
force the calcium off and recharge the ion exchange resin into its
sodium form. Every once in a while, you need to dump in a big bag of
solid sodium chloride to allow the softener to carry out this recharge
cycle.
> I have recently moved to a house with a well and not city water. All of my
> brewing has been done with city
> water, but I would like to try my next batch (an English Ale) utilizing the
> unique characteristics of our local
> water supply. My question is should I use the water from the softener, tap in
> prior to it being softened, or
> does it matter?
My answer depends in part on whether you are brewing all-grain or using
extract.
If you are brewing all-grain, you NEED some calcium in your water, and
the softened water is inappropriate unless you add dump some calcium
back in, which sort of defeats the whole purpose of the softener. Thus
if you're doing all-grain, I strongly recommend tapping off your well
water prior to the softener (or just buy bottled water)
For extract, calcium isn't critical, but will contribute differently to
the flavor than sodium will. The softened water may be ok, but I
suspect that your beer would taste at least slightly better using
straight well water, and that the preference for well or bottled water
would be more important depending on how hard your well water is.
Each calcium or magnesium ion the softener removes is replaced by two
sodium ions. Thus the harder your well water is, the more salty the
softened water is. If your water had 100 ppm Ca as CaCO3, your softener
would be adding about 117 ppm Na as NaCl.
------------------------------
From: Darrin Pertschi <darrinp@cowles.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 16:14:19 -0400
Subject: mashing & water ratios
In the grain-bag-mashing thread, Ken says:
"To be on the safe side, stick with around 1-1/2 quarts water per pound of
steeped grains..."
Why is this? I think I recall someone else stating no more than 1 gal. per
pound of grains.
I regularly fill my pot with two gallons of water and steep my grains at
150 for 30 to 60 min. I may have between one half and two pounds of
grain. No rhyme or reason to my water volume, I just figured the more
water the more goodness that could escape from the grains. It sounds like
I'm wrong, but why?
Also, I'm thinking of getting an EasyMasher and do some real partial mash
brewing. I'm confused about enzymes and conversions (not to mention
water compsition) for all the different grains. Where can I find a
definitive source that explains which grains need to be mashed with which
other grains? I seem to only have a GED, (Grain Education Deficiency).
- -------------
Darrin in Central PA
Proprietor--Simpleton's Cosmic Brewery
- ---------------------------------------------
You never know just how you look through other peoples eyes. <B.H.S.>
------------------------------
From: brewshop@coffey.com (Jeff Sturman)
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 14:31:36 -0600
Subject: Brewer's Almanac
Has anyone ever heard of the Brewer's Almanac? Does anybody know where one
could find a recent copy of this book?
TIA, jeff
casper, wy
------------------------------
End of Homebrew Digest #2216
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