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HOMEBREW Digest #2259
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1996/11/01 PST
Homebrew Digest Friday, 1 November 1996 Number 2259
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Mike Donald, Digest Janitor-in-training
Thanks to Rob Gardner for making the digest happen!
Contents:
Zima process (Spencer W Thomas)
Brewer's Tragedy (Rob Moline)
Re: Your Message has been received (Rob Moline)
RE:Keg sediment (Chris Cooper)
Immersion Chiller construction ("Gregory, Guy J.")
Jorge Blasig questions on mead (snsi@win.bright.net)
3-Vessel Systems Update (Rob Kienle)
Re: What Comes Around/Yeast Ranching/Regulators (Charles Capwell)
RE: going to Atlanta ("Bridges, Scott")
Lagering (SCHNUPP_JOHN/FOX1_00@amat.com)
Getting missing copies of the HBD (AJN)
Re: Keg sediment (RUSt1d?)
stainless steel fittings ((Mark & Ava Lindberg))
cracking malt ((Jeff Sturman))
Construction of Immersion C ("Craig Rode")
Dry Hopping technique (Todd Bruce)
[nothing] ((Jeff Sturman))
RE: Counterflow chiller sterilizing/sanitizing ((George De Piro))
PacMan Yeast (Thomas Penn)
RE: No-Sparge HBD 2258 ("Genito, Michael A.")
No-Sparge Brewing -- How Much Sugar is Left Behind? (KennyEddy@aol.com)
Belgian Wit (Edward J. Steinkamp)
grain storage: plastic and mousies (Rick Dante)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer@engin.umich.edu>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 10:41:03 -0500
Subject: Zima process
I found this one. The article itself doesn't appear to be anywhere on
the net that I can find.
=Spencer
Posting 5: Extracted from file: 1693
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 12:49:11 -0600 (CST)
From: gellym@aviion.persoft.com (brewing chemist Mitch)
Subject: Brewing Techniques Article on HBD
....
Speaking of BT, in HBD 1691, Jeff Wolf asks about Zima, and what it is. In
the last issue of BT (Jan/Feb ?) someome (sorry do not remember who, and do
not have the mag here in my office) did a bit of research and a nice write-up
on the 'Zima process'. It was very interesting, although the comical
replacement of all occurrances of the letter 's' with the letter 'z' gave
me a headache halfway through the article. And it was not even that long
of an article !
Later,
Mitch
------------------------------
From: Rob Moline <brewer@kansas.net>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 10:00:15 -0600
Subject: Brewer's Tragedy
>Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 22:46:08
>To: homebrew@aob.org
>From: Rob Moline <brewer@kansas.net>
>Subject: Brewer's Tragedy
>
> The Jethro Gump Report
>Brewer's Tragedy-
> The brewers at a major regional recently suffered an industrial
accident at the hands of a new piece of equipment...this piece was carrying
175 F, caustic for cleaning and had only just been installed...hence the
more than usual number of employees being on the scene observing and
learning the operation of the device...
> A hose of 1 inch diameter, being clamped to a ferrule of 3/4 inch
diameter, (from the factory) worked its way loose, and sprayed the high temp
caustic solution into the faces and bodies of the assembled brewers, and
very nearly cost them dearly....
> One brewer reports that after being hosed down, and spraying his
eyes with water repeatedly, and then getting to the ER, still had a mucosal
ph of 11 around his eyes....
> Six brewers were injured in this episode.........some are, quite a
few days later, still not fully recovered...the thermal burns are leaving,
but the chemical injuries to the corneas are still not fully healed....
>
> Brewers, be careful....and if you feel like it, send a "Get Well
Soon Card" to the brewers of Boulevard Beers...., 2501 SW Blvd, Kansas City,
Missouri, 64108-2345.
>Jethro
>
Cheers!
Rob Moline
Little Apple Brewing Company
Manhattan, Kansas
"The more I know about beer, the more I realize I need to know more about
beer!"
------------------------------
From: Rob Moline <brewer@kansas.net>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 10:03:07 -0600
Subject: Re: Your Message has been received
>Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 22:46:02
>To: homebrew@aob.org
>From: Rob Moline <brewer@kansas.net>
>Subject: FermCap/Head Brewer's Position
>
> For the fourth time......
>
>
>>>> The Jethro Gump Report
>>>>FermCap-
>>>> What's in it?--Mineral Oil, Glycerides, Polysorbate, Silica
>>>Aerogel. Again, I like this stuff, and for the purpose asked about, it would
>>>help increase fermenter capacity.
>>>>
>>>>Head Brewer's Position-
>>>> Kevin Eichelberger, current Head Brewer of the Blind Tiger BP,
>>>Topeka, Kansas, is moving on and has not yet found his replacement. He will
>>>have a hand in selecting his replacement. Lists of brewers for hire from
>>>Siebel and the IBS are at hand, but as yet no strong candidates on the
horizon.
>>>> Experience as a headbrewer is preferred, but an experienced
assistant ready to move up will be considered. Very competent homebrewers
with a history of competition success may also apply. The biggest qualities
being sought are self starting capability, drive and passion for the work.
>>>> The system is a 14 BBL JVNW, gas fired kettle, 3 14 BBL unitanks, 1
>>>28 BBL unitank, and a heap of grundy's in the cold room for serving. Plate
>>>and frame filtration. Very attractive BP, and the first in Topeka. They sell
>>>at the bar, in growlers to-go, and kegs to-go, and some keg distribution.
>>>> Salary likely to be in the mid 20's. Call Kevin at (913)-267-2739.
>>>He is aware of and has authorized this post.
>>>>Jethro Gump
>>>>
>>>
>>>Cheers!
>>>Rob Moline
>>>Little Apple Brewing Company
>>>Manhattan, Kansas
>>>
>>>"The more I know about beer, the more I realize I need to know more about
>>>beer!"
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
Cheers!
Rob Moline
Little Apple Brewing Company
Manhattan, Kansas
"The more I know about beer, the more I realize I need to know more about
beer!"
------------------------------
From: Chris Cooper <ccooper@a2607cc.msr.hp.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 11:03:37 -0500
Subject: RE:Keg sediment
Hi all!
In HBD Mike Donald asks about transporting a corny keg and sediment,
I have done this several times and in general have not had much of
a problem with stirring up the sediment (of course I didn't drive down
any really rough roads, all city driving no gravel roads). If you are
really concerned I would suggest transfering your beer to another keg
following these simple steps:
1.) Clean receiving keg and purge with co2, fill to the same pressure
as your source keg.
2.) If possible refrigerate both kegs, the cooler the better.
3.) Connect the beer-out from the source keg to the beer-out of the
receiving keg (make sure the pressures are equal).
4.) At this point no beer should flow, bleed off a little pressure
from the receiving keg and some beer will flow until the pressure
equalizes, repeat this until the beer is transfered !
Since the receiving keg is cold and filled with co2 you should have no
oxidation issue and if your receiving keg has a pressure relief valve
in its lid it is a simple task. I have done this a couple of times to
transfer a couple of gallons to my one 2.5 gallon corny keg with great
results.
Good luck.
Chris Cooper , Commerce Michigan --> Pine Haven Brewery <--
ccooper@a2607.cc.msr.hp.com --> aka. Deb's Kitchen <--
------------------------------
From: "Gregory, Guy J." <GGRE461@ecy.wa.gov>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 96 08:12:00 PST
Subject: Immersion Chiller construction
William D Gladden <W_GLADDEN@Mail.Co.Chester.PA.US>
asked:
"During a recent trip to the local home supply superstore, I
noticed what I believe to be copper pipe/tube/whatever ...
already formed into a coil in a box labeled as being made for
hooking up automatic ice cube makers to a freezer. It comes in
3/8 inch and 1/2 inch diameters and up to around 20 or 25 feet in
length. It seemed as though it would bend easily and even snap
pretty easily *if* you bent it back and forth repeatedly. Since
I don't plan to do that to an immersion chiller, I thought it may
be just what I need. Has anyone made an immersion chiller with
this stuff? If so ... any advice? If not ... why not? I think
even I could make one if this stuff will work! Thanks. ""
Yes, I made one with 25 feet of 3/8 inch diameter, precoiled soft copper
tubing. I suppose you could use 1/2 inch, but the thermodynamicist threads
sorta suggested to me that 1/2 inch was too big, 1/4 inch was too oo oo
small, and 3/8 was just right. I grabbed the box of this material, then
nabbed one of those guys in the yellow vests, and announced, "Hey bud, I
need to hook this pipe up to my hose!". He recommended surgery, but soon
agreed to supply compression fittings for each end which went from 3/8 inch
to a standard female hose fitting. I also got some teflon tape for the
threads. You can make one, it will work. I paid a grand total of (I think)
20 bucks for mine, including a roll of solid copper wire and some solder so
I could make it stand up real good in the brewpot, but that may not have
been necessary. Go for it, in 20 minutes you could have a wort chiller
which I personally guarantee to last at least 3 years, minimum. It works.
Cheers,
GuyG4@aol.com
Guy Gregory
Lightning Creek Home Brewing
"Well, son, once you get the grain hot, it's really just plumbing"- my mom
------------------------------
From: snsi@win.bright.net
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 10:25:52 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Jorge Blasig questions on mead
Howdy All,
My first post of this was turned into a "[none] ()"
Jorge asked about saving a slurry from Strawberry mead. If he added the
berries in to the primary won't the yeast be mixed with the berrys. Would
the slurry be of any use with the berries in it?
Jeff Smith
End the un-digested mode, 50k per day and add a cancel feature.
------------------------------
From: Rob Kienle <rkienle@interaccess.com>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 10:30:03 -0500
Subject: 3-Vessel Systems Update
Thought I'd post an update to my previous notes regarding the
comparative merits of some of the 3-vessel brewing systems out there.
Since my post, I've had additional contact with both PBS and the
designer of the Penquat Brew Tree. PBS was quick to point out to me that
"99%" of their systems are sold as custom units, with the inclusion of
various options to suit the user's needs, and that some 90% of them are
also sold with the appropriate pumps necessary to facilitate use as a
closed pump, single-level system. In addition, they point out that all
fittings utilize flexible hose so that the movability of the system is
maintained.
The Penquat designer has also informed me that he's working on a 2-tier
system in which the lifting fixture is used to raise and lower the
boiling kettle instead of the mash tun/sparger, in order to save on
height requirements, and may also be able to custom design a gravity
flow system based on user needs. (Though I still think that if you've
got the space, the "tower effect" of the Brew Tree is pretty darn
impressive!)
In any case, I guess the moral of the story is that we're not dealing
with IBM or Chrysler here. The manufacturers of these systems seem
pretty willing to work on design features to suit individual brewer's
needs, so I urge all of you out there who don't own a welder yourselves
and who are thinking about making the move to go ahead and talk to some
of them and DO IT.
Happy brewing all,
Rob Kienle
Chicago, IL
rkienle@interaccess.com
------------------------------
From: Charles Capwell <chas@A119001.sat1.as.crl.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 10:55:55 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Re: What Comes Around/Yeast Ranching/Regulators
> >From: "David Kennedy" <HW1.DKENNED2@HW1.CAHWNET.GOV>
> Date: 31 Oct 1996 14:39:14 PST
> Subject: What Comes Around
> 2257 had some very good posts. To those signing off, why the need for
> a grand exit posting, just unsubscribe. Chances are you will be back,
Ya know what usually strikes me as extremely funny about thes 'farewell'
posts? Usually they have some comment about signal-to-noise or non-beer
related posts. I usually just look at these posts and think "Gee, good to
see you're not being hypocritical or anything like that." I find the long
rambling farewells usually fit this case best.
If you absolutely *have* to post a farewell, try something like:
Ye Gods! This is just too much for me! I've had it with X. Catch ya'll later.
Short, simple, and to the point. It also helps cut down on the s/n ratio.
(Which I will probably still find hilariously funny if X=s/n ratio)
***
Okay, to keep the s/n ratio down, here are some things that I have tried to
post but have been munched by majordomo.
***
Yeast Ranching:
I've a steady supply of 10ml bottles w/ screwtops. My supplier gets them
from the hospital she works at and they used to be blood typing reagent
bottles. Will they be safe to use for ranching those little buggers?
***
Regulators:
While perusing Builder's Square's tool dept(insert approriate Tim Allen
noises here), I saw a single line air regulator for ~$40. This was to be used
on a compressed air system, but I was wondering if it would work with a CO2
system?
- -Chas (chas@crl.com)
Crazy Cockatiel Brewery
------------------------------
From: "Bridges, Scott" <bridgess@mmsmtp.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 96 11:47:00 PST
Subject: RE: going to Atlanta
Since I was recently in Atlanta for the Peach State Brew Off and we turned
it into a pub crawl, I'll add my $.02 to this thread. I know this isn't
specifically brewing related, so I wouldn't have replied if it was a "me
too" post. Just to provide another viewpoint.
>From: cburns@spider.lloyd.com (Charles Burns)
>At 05:41 PM 9/27/96 -0700, Eric Gutenkauf wrote:
>>
>>John Harvard's, on Peachtree in Buckhead, great food (advanced pub grub),
>>beer is good but not as good as the original in Cambridge, MA.
>I really enjoyed my visit to John Harvards. Every beer tasted was
excellent,
>especially the Porter. Very comfortable atmosphere, great bartenders.
The locals we spoke to told us that the beer at John Harvard's was not too
good, so we skipped this place in favor of the rest on the tour. We did go
to an Irish Pub (Fado Fado, I think was the name) close to Harvard's for a
pint of Guinness. Neat place.
>>Cherokee Brewing Company, Roswell Road just west of Peachtree in
>>Buckhead, incredible food and menu, very good Oktoberfest, and a nice
>>Brown Ale.
>What a coincidence. The brewmaster, Doug, studied right here at UC Davis,
>did an internship at the Rubicon, one of my favorite microbreweries in
>Sacramento. He gave me and my brother a personal guided tour of the brewery
>he is so proud of. He'd just finished his 13th batch, a wonderful English
>style pale ale. It wasn't on tap yet but we got tastes during the tour, we
>got tastes of stuff that was still fermenting!
We got a tour, also. They just started selling their beers again after a
lapse due to some BATF licensing snafu. Nice beers, but a little out of
style. Not a major offense, but I like truth in advertising.
>>Phoenix Brewing Company, Roswell Road just inside the loop,
>>Buckhead/Sandy Springs, good food (great sausage plate). Very nice Pils!
>This was the most dissapointing. It was very far out of the way, the
>bartender didn't want to be bothered with us, and it had a "yuppie" feel to
>it. Cold, not friendly enough. We had a single beer (stout) and split.
The place definitely says "yuppy" - don't think it would ever rate as a
regular hang-out for me. We didn't eat but spent our time there in the
bar. My opinion of the beer was that it is very good - a wonderful hefe
Weizen, some very good ales (though they screamed of diacetyl). Bar staff
didn't know anything about beer, unfortunately, but the female bartender's
looks made up for that...... I guess "out of the way" depends on where
you're going.
>>Atlanta Beer Garten, on Peachtree in Buckhead, 1/2 block south of John
>>Harvard's. Buffalo Skull Dunkel is most promising beer.
>This was the first place we stopped on my first night. Hell to find a
>parking spot but its only a block away from John Harvards. The Buffalo
Skull
>had been replaced by their Ocoberfest which was very malty very nice
indeed.
Actually, this is where the PSBO was held. I had plenty of home brew there,
but only one of the house beers. The Buffalo Skull Dunkel was a nice beer
but kind of heavy on the hops (not noble hops either, I think) for a Munich
Dunkel. A companion who lived in Munich shared my opinion.
>>For microbreweries go to Taco Mac on Roswell Road just outside the loop.
Taco Mac. What can I say. This is what I envision Heaven to be like. This
is where we ended the pub crawl.
>> Try a Sweet Georgia Brown from Marthasville Brewing. Helenboch from
>>Friends Brewing is local also.
Don't forget Atlanta Brewing Company. Sorry, Friends isn't local. It's
contract brewed.
>>Have fun,
>>Eric
>We did,
>Charley
So did I.
Scott
------------------------------
From: SCHNUPP_JOHN/FOX1_00@amat.com
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 96 09:00:00 -0800
Subject: Lagering
Greetings to the collective,
I've been reading the posts about modifying fridges and chest freezers for
use in lagering beer. I just wanted to add a novel approach that I tried
last year about this same time. I brewed an Oktoberfest using this technique
and won third place in the German Amber Lager catagory at the Green Mountian
Mashers competition in Burlington, VT. This idea may not work for you if the
outside temperature is not cold enough, but up here in the Green Mountian
state of Vermont this procedure can be used as early as October.
I built a box using 2x4's and some 1/4" plywood. The box was not insulated
but can easily be insulated with the blue foam board insulation that is
commonly
used on the exterior of houses before siding is applied. I have seen this
insulation in sizes from 1/2 - 2". At the top of the box I mounted a reflector
light fixture. I also mounted a temperature sensor on the side approximately
half way down the side of the box (I used a K-type thermocouple). The sensor
and power for the light were hooked up to a temperature controller (I used an
old controller from work but there are may various types on the market). The
idea is to have the light turn on when the temperature drops below the setpoint
and warm the inside of the box. This is kind of the reverse of a fridge or
freezer. It is a cheap way to take advantage of Mother Nature. Place the box
in a protected area and make certian to keep all electrical connections dry
and protected from the elements (I was able to locate the box next to a window
and all of my connections were inside my basement).
I used this method because I didn't have a fridge at the time and my
basement is finished so I didn't have an area inside that got cold enough.
Another good place to set up this type of arrangement would be in an unheated
garage or utility shed. I will need to use this arrangement again this fall/
winter because the fridge that I got this summer is dedicated to the storage
and dispensing of my finished product. Even if you have a basement that gets
cold enough this would be a good idea as it will provide better temperature
stability.
John Schnupp, N3CNL
schnupp_john@amat.com
------------------------------
From: AJN <neitzkea@frc.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 11:30:55 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Getting missing copies of the HBD
It would seam that a glitch has caused many subscriber (if not all) to
miss HBD 2253. I actually ended up missing 2253 and 2245, however I got
them back by the following commands sent to homebrew-digest-request@aob.org:
>get n2253
>get n2254
>end
BTW, the new digest janitor is Mike Donald (look at the top of your HBD),
he is remotly located and has trouble contacting the AOB at times, but he
tries like h*ll to help you out, he helped me anyways!
_________________________________________________________________________
Arnold J. Neitzke Internet Mail: neitzkea@frc.com
Brightion, Mi
------------------------------
From: RUSt1d? <rust1d@li.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 12:16:02 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Keg sediment
>HELP !! I have a fully-carbonated cornelius keg full of amber
>ale that needs to be transported to another location for a friend's
>40th birthday party. I am worried about stirring up the sediment
>from the bottom of the keg.
Why transfer beer from one keg to another to leave behind sediment?
Simply tap a glass or two off it before you move it. This will
give you a glass of sediment and a glass of beer. Drink the beer.
Apperantly, the undigested people are getting all posts (especially
the one that are being sent over and over and over and over...), and
the digested people are getting (None). I've tried myself to send a
post to the digest stating this, but I don't think it made it.
John Varady http://www.netaxs.com/~vectorsys/varady/index.html
Boneyard Brewing Co. "The HomeBrew Recipe Calculating Program"
"Ale today, Gone tomorrow."
------------------------------
From: ckbrew@ime.net (Mark & Ava Lindberg)
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 12:15:37 -0500 (EST)
Subject: stainless steel fittings
In HBD 2255 john asks about the availability of ss fittings. Try Fox
equiptment. 800-821-2254. They have several pages of these types of
fitting in their catalog.
Mark
A friend with mead is a friend indeed...
------------------------------
From: brewshop@coffey.com (Jeff Sturman)
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 10:20:50 -0700
Subject: cracking malt
Dave Burley recently described how he double mills his malt for increased
efficiency. I second that notion.
i was getting fairly good efficiencies but had arrived at a point where
nothing else could be improved within my budget and time constraints. Then
one morning while cracking some grain i looked into the pile of cracked
grain and noticed some of the grains unscathed or only very slightly
cracked. i put the grain through the mill a second time at the next lowest
roller gap setting. The grain appeared to be much more uniformly crushed
and i topped 31pppg that day for the first time. Now, honestly, it may not
have been just the crush: since i double crushed the malt i got nervous
about tannins and sparged conservatively after recirculating much wort.
But now i always double crush my malt like this and my efficiencies have
indeed increased because of it. BTW, i tried to save time and crush the
malt just once on the smaller setting and i made malt flour; everything
was totally pulverized and the husks were practically non-existant. The
double crush is definitely worth the time. The two gap settings are
approx. 1.8 mm and 1.5 mm on the Valley Mill.
jeff
casper, wy
------------------------------
From: "Craig Rode" <craig.rode@sdrc.com>
Date: 1 Nov 1996 11:23:25 -0600
Subject: Construction of Immersion C
William D Gladden asks about using the refrigerator tubing he saw as material
for building an immersion chiller. I did just that. Bend it around a paint
can to get the correct coil dia.
Straighten the two ends and bend them so the connections for your inlet and
outlet hoses won't be above your wort when they leak. Slide tubing over the
ends (same dia as used for siphoning) use hose clamps, get an adapter for your
water source (e.g., garden hose). Done. I have used this for all 25 all grain
batches that I have made and the only problem that I experienced was the first
batch because I didn't use hose clamps and the tubing slipped off of the coil
and sprayed all over my wife's kitchen I didn't know that she knew those
words!
Feel free to email me for more details.
Craig Rode
------------------------------
From: Todd Bruce <tbrucer@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 09:34:18 -0800
Subject: Dry Hopping technique
I add pellet hops to the secondary when transferring to the primary and
then gently swirl the secondary every day until bottling. I get more of
a hop aroma in the beer using this technique.
Question: Am I taking unnecessary risks with oxidation or contamination
by swirling the secondary daily?
Question: Do you whole dry-hoppers let them float or do you suspend them
with a weight? If you are a floater, does the hops provide much aroma?
Lastly to Guy Gregory's Personal Pledge of civility in Digest #2257..
Amen! I couldn't agree more.
------------------------------
From: brewshop@coffey.com (Jeff Sturman)
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 10:42:05 -0700
Subject: [nothing]
------------------------------
From: George_De_Piro@berlex.com (George De Piro)
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 12:46:39 -0800
Subject: RE: Counterflow chiller sterilizing/sanitizing
Hi all!
I believe that my method for sanitizing my C-F chiller is the easiest
and most efficient. Some will argue that it seems risky (in a
microbial sense), but I've not had a problem yet.
I flush it thoroughly with hot water after each use and store it open.
Before use, I flush it with hot tap water (in case anything has taken
up residence inside it). I then hook it up to my boiling kettle. At
the end of the boil I whirlpool the wort, let it settle 5-10 minutes,
then open the spigot *without* turning on the cooling water.
I collect at least a 6-pack worth of the piping hot wort into 12 ounce
(355 mL) beer bottles and cap them (the bottles are clean and
pre-warmed).
I then turn off the flow, turn on the cooling water, and start
collecting cool wort into the fermenter.
The bottled wort serves as yeast culturing material or Kraeusening
wort. I always mark the first bottle, because if there is a
sanitation problem it will most likely show up there (because the
first runnings lose some heat to the chiller even though there is no
coolant in it). I haven't had a problem yet (except for a friend
opening a bottle of sterile wort, thinking it was beer. I guess you
could make malta this way!).
Have fun!
George De Piro (Nyack, NY)
------------------------------
From: Thomas Penn <tjpenn@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 12:56:05 -0400
Subject: PacMan Yeast
I checked back issues of HBD and found this question asked, but never
answered in previous versions:
What is your experience culturing the Rogue Ale PacMan yeast from the
bottles? I love the malty flavor of their ales, and I believe that the
yeast is key. Rogue holds this very close to the vest (as they
should)-any knowledge or experience out there?
Tom Penn
Bordentown, NJ
------------------------------
From: "Genito, Michael A." <mgenito@ci.rye.ny.us>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 13:35:29 -0500
Subject: RE: No-Sparge HBD 2258
In HBD 2258, Charles Burns asked for the report on the no-sparge
technique that someone (perhaps a none[0]) had earlier posted. Charles
also asked if there are other benefits to no-sparge.
Perhaps it was my post you saw but just 2 weeks ago. I bottled my first
no-sparge batch (an Oatmeal Stout) a week ago Wednesday. Since it is
only 1.5 weeks old, I won't be trying it until at least another week.
I can tell you that it cut about 1 hour off my time, and was as
convenient as extract brewing once you drained the mash. I didn't take
any sg readings, but it fermented well, and appeared as normal as any
stout in color and taste (before bottling). I will note that the beer
appeared quite clear (not cloudy) when transferring from fermenter to
bottling bucket.
There is an article by Dr. George Fix in the rollanet library.
Purportedly, no sparge brew tends to have less tannins and is maltier.
Time, for me, will tell.
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From: KennyEddy@aol.com
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 13:31:45 -0500
Subject: No-Sparge Brewing -- How Much Sugar is Left Behind?
Charles Burns says:
"In any case, your question about "how much sugar is still left" after
draining the grain bed is a good one."
I've addressed this point before, but it's a worthwhile technique to pursue
so I'll regurgitate my spin on the topic. Prepare yourself for my usual
long-windedness.
Before I get to the specifics I'd like to say that the no-sparge techniques
is an excellent way to make the jump from extract to all-grain brewing with
minimal investment in equipment & space. It also saves a bit of time over a
full-sparge technique for "regular" all-grain brewers.
There are two ways to not sparge (does that make sense?). The important
thing to remember is that in both cases you'll be collecting *a smaller
amount of concentrated wort* (higher gravity and less of it than your target
recipe volume), since there's no rinse-water to thin it out and make up the
volume. In one approach, you'll add water to the runoff and do a full-volume
boil. This of course requires a large brewpot; not a problem for
well-equipped all-grainers. The other approach is to collect conentrated
wort and brew as if it were and extract brew. This is the part that makes it
so simple for extract brewers to all-grain brew without getting too fancy. I
made about four batches of beer using this technique before building my
Plastic Electric Brewery (which, for those of you who have been following
along, is still working marvelously; see my web page for details).
There are a couple ways to approach the recipe formulation adjustments. The
technique I used, which is handy if you use a software program like SUDS, was
to assume about 65% mash conversion efficiency. This way you can aim for
your actual target recipe gravity and color and still be pretty close after
all's said & done. The alternate technique is to use the actual conversion
efficiency (say 75% - 80%) as if you were formulating a regular five-gallon
batch, then boost the amount of each grain by about 25% - 30%. This should
give Charley an indication of "how much sugar is still left" after not
sparging ;-)
For a five-gallon batch, I collected three gallons of concentrated wort (no
sparge, just recirc & drain). This ended up giving me a final product
gravity close to what I predicted. Since I only had three gallons of wort, I
could continue using my 16-qt stockpot for boiling on the kitchen stove,
adding makeup water to the fermenter to get the recipe's five gallons.
Again, if you have a large kettle, you can add the water to the wort before
boiling.
The beer thus produced tasted great! Keep in mind that when boiling
concentrated wort, your hop utlization will be lower than a full-volume boil.
Also note that since you're making wort of concentrated gravity, you'll be
limited by the size of the mashtun as to the gravity of wort you can produce.
A 5-gal picnic cooler tun can produce a beer well into the 50's of OG (after
adding makeup water; that is, the actual recipe gravity). You can always add
a pound or two of high-quality extract to increase the gravity without
compromising the "all-grain character", or simply use a bigger mashtun.
Equipment-wise, all you'll need is a mashtun. My Coleman went on permanent
vacation so I just made a new one using a 5-gal Gott. I removed the spigot
and replaced it with a Fass-Frisch bung (the kind used in mini-kegs) minus
the plastic insert, installed with the large flanged end inside the cooler.
I shoved in a 2" long piece of 5/8" OD vinyl tubing flush with the outer
surface of the bung. Next I pushed the barb end of a 1/2" NPT x 1/2" hose
barb brass coupling into the tubing in the bung, from the outside. I can now
attach any number of different 1/2" valves to the coupling (I used Teflon
thread tape too). I use a right-angle CPVC stop valve which accepts a
compression-fit tube to run wort to the bottom of the kettle. Inside the
mashtun, I attached my copper-pipe manifold. It's made of 1/2" copper pipe &
fittings in the shape of a square with a cross-piece, and drilled with a
bunch of 3/32" holes. It terminates with a 45-deg fitting that slides nicely
over the 5/8" tubing, connecting it to the valve. I also toss a cut-to-size
sheet of 8-holes-per-inch nylon needlepoint mesh on top to prevent the
manifold from getting scooped up with the spoon.
Phil's Phalse Bottom is another potential route to go (does he make a 5-gal
version?). I'ts a ready-made dome of plastic, drilled and fitted with a hose
barb, so you can use the same bung technique; just run the tubing far enough
to attach to the Phalse Bottom (check the required tubing size though).
Finally, there's the Easy-Masher design, bought or home-made. It's a rolled
screen with one end folded over and closed off, and the other end slipped &
clamped over the end of the drain tubing. You can bastardize a kitchen
strainer for a chunk of SS screen.
Brewing Technique: For a simple one-step infusion mash (British pale ale
malt is well-suited for this), add all your grains to the mash tun, and add
1.3 to 1.5 qt 165F - 170F water per pound of grain; mix well. Shoot for a
temperature of about 152F, though anything from 150F to 155F will give
satisfactory results. Cover the tun and wait 60 - 90 minutes. Open the tun
and add a gallon or so of boiling water to mash-out at 165F (if there's room;
otherwise, don't worry). You should have a length of tubing going from the
valve to the bottom of the kettle to prevent splashing and HSA. But first,
you'll want to recirculate the first runnings to set the grain bed and clear
most of the debris from the runoff. Open the valve very slowly and collect
about a quart of runoff. Close the valve and gently return the runoff to the
top of the mashtun. Repeat until the wort is chunk-free and the turbid haze
gives way to "clear" wort (you'll probably still get a few chunks and the
wort won't necessarily be crystal-clear, but these are your ideal goals).
The flow rate for both recirc and sparge should be quite slow, maybe 1 qt
per minute, to prevent stirring up of the grain bed. Now (slowly again)
drain the wort to the bottom of your kettle. When you've collected the
target amount, shut off the valve and continue brewing, adding makeup water
either now or later.
How much sugar is left behind? Who cares? You have what you want in the
kettle, so try not to weep too bitterly as you drain the remaining runoff
into the sink.
*****
Ken Schwartz
El Paso, TX
KennyEddy@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/kennyeddy
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From: Edward J. Steinkamp <ejs0742@dop.fse.ca.boeing.com>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 11:46:17 PST
Subject: Belgian Wit
Okay I brewed a Belgian wit last weekend, but I only had 1/4 oz
(7.1 grams for you euro-brewers) of coriander. I wanted to add a
full oz (28 grams) but did not have time to run down to the
store. As a solution, I figured I'd dry-coriander the secondary.
The question is, how do I go about doing this? I could crush the
coriander, pour boiling water over it to make a tea, and dump
that in the secondary. I could put it whole or crushed into a bag
and toss it in, but I'd be worried about infection. I could put
the bag into a cup of water. Boil it for a few minutes, and dump
the bag and the tea into the secondary. I could add one seed to
each bottle, but again I would like to sanitize them somehow.
Does anyone have experience with this? I'm kind of new to brewing
with spice.
Thanks,
Ed Steinkamp
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From: Rick Dante <rdante@pnet.net>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 12:14:34 -0800 (PST)
Subject: grain storage: plastic and mousies
Looks like I fed some mousies through last winter. Had a couple of
unopened sacks of grain sitting in my garage on top of my empty (sniff)
corny kegs. Mousies chewed a very small hole through the outer and inner
plastic of a sack of EDME. Surprisingly they left the sack of wheat
alone. Somehow they got several pounds out of that tiny hole (the grain
hulls are piled on the floor beneath the kegs).
Last night I picked up 3 18-gal Rubbermaid roughnecks. Metal garbage cans
were too big and not too stackable (I *almost* got some of the expensive
10-gallon cans, a few gallons too small for a sack and the lid's not too
tight). The roughnecks are made of LDPE. Am I doomed to having
determined hungry mousies gnawing through the plastic (probably at the
joint between the lid and the container) to get to my precious grain? If
these things are totally unsuitable I can always use them for storing
books.
Rick Dante
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End of Homebrew Digest #2259
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