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HOMEBREW Digest #2308
This file received at Hops.Stanford.EDU 1997/01/14 PST
HOMEBREW Digest #2308 Tue 14 January 1997
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@brew.oeonline.com
Many thanks to the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers of
Livonia, Michigan for sponsoring the Homebrew Digest.
URL: http://www.oeonline.com
Contents:
Heating mash - scorching
Re: Filtering wort- Sipnonstarter
Brew Your Own Magazine
No-sparge data, planispiral chiller
inline filters
Chocolates
Painted Labels
too much honey?
Boiling Wort, a reply and a question (George De Piro)
Stout, Irish and Dry
RE: Tannins and husk (Steve Alexander)
Big Head follow-up
Re:Using kegs as sparage water containers
mash thickness and mouthfeel
Inexpensive Mini-Keg Taps
sucrose and head/German Lager yeasts/hazy, flat beer
LM34 temperature sensor/RIMS
lowering pH of canned wort? (Sandy C.)
re:flames (humor)
fear of protein rest
RIMS heater
Molasses?
Re:Carrying beer onto planes
Re:Carrying beer onto planes
Dry Stout Recipes anyone?
RE: Sunbeam hops (WD Knudson)
Flannel
RIMS water
Mini-keg composition (Alex Santic)
Plastic Boilers
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 09:57:36 -0500
From: Bill Rucker <brewzer@peanut.mv.com>
Subject: Heating mash - scorching
Hey folks,
I have a question pertaining to the design of my brewery. I have thought
about using the opposite of an immersion chiller to heat the mash in my new
three vessel brewery. What I am thinking is along the lines of an
electrically heated RIMS only using a copper coil submersed in hot water
and pumping the wort through the coil and back onto the mash bed. I have
received a question to this on how hot the water would have to be to
prevent scorching or at least denaturing the enzymes as the wort travels
through the coil. Not being one of the engineering heavyweights I can't
answer the question. I plan on doing some testing to see what I get for
temp raises using water and adjusting for the increased viscosity in the
wort to avoid problems associated with over heating the mash. Do any of the
RIMS inclined folks have any comments as to what their electric heated
systems induce on the wort as it passes over the heating element? I realize
that I will have more liquid in contact with heat for a longer period of
time, depending on what temp the hot water is set for. Can anyone comment
on the effect this will have on the wort as it is recirculated through this
coil.
Some more specifics on design. Using 1/2 barrel sankey kegs with 3/8"
copper tubing from mash tun to pump and then flexible (read: vinyl) tubing
from pump to heating coil inlet. 20' of copper total for the coil assembly
and then 2' of flexible tubing back to the reciculating unit in the mash tun.
As I stated before I am not sure what temp to set the Hot Water Tank to
yet, but if anyone would care to make a fair calculation or even an
educated guess at a place to start from I would appreciate it.
Thanks and cheers,
Bill
Bill Rucker
Seabrook Station - Computer Engineering
ruckewg@naesco.com
Home - brewzer@peanut.mv.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:27:30 -0500
From: Mark Montminy <markm@dma.isg.mot.com>
Subject: Re: Filtering wort- Sipnonstarter
On Fri, 10 Jan 1997 08:35:51 EST, Jim Martin writes:
>There is a new product out that will start the siphon flow, strain the
>hops ( pellet or whole ) and leave just enough wort in the thing to
>pour off into a hydrometer jar for a reading. It's called the
>"Siphontap" It's easy to use and cheap ! ($ 9.95) Available through
>your local homebrew supply store.
However, it was conveniently designed to be too large for use with carboys. A
glance at the manual explains that you can eliminate the need for racking from
a secondary by using a FermenTap. Biting my tongue and assuming this wasn't
done to try to get people to buy the Fermentap, it's still a useless product
for the many people who primary in glass. I don't think we'll be re-ording
any more for our store. Most customer's 2nd remarks have been "how do I get
this in my carboy". Once I point out the statement on the back leading them
to the Fermentap, they place it back on the shelf in disgust.
A good idea poorly executed.
- --
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Motorola ISG Cable Data Products Group Email: markm@dma.isg.mot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Law of Computer Programming:
Make it possible for programmers to write in English and you
will find the programmers cannot write in English.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:02:13 -0600 (CST)
From: Frosty <frosty@cstar.ac.com>
Subject: Brew Your Own Magazine
Fellow Brewers!
Just wondering if anyone had any opinions on the magazine Brew Your Own
"The How-To Homebrew Beer Magazine".
Zymurgry is pretty good, but since it only comes out 4 times a year (+ the
special) I get anxious for more.
I got this mailer in my mail (imagine that) a few days ago and thought I
would see what folks thought about it before I subscribe.
Thanks and hoppy brewing,
Frosty
- -----------------------------------------------------------
Michael Fross Network Systems Engineer
frosty@tp.ac.com Andersen Consulting
- -----------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 11:16:53 -0500
From: "Debolt, Bruce" <bdebolt@dow.com>
Subject: No-sparge data, planispiral chiller
Another data point for no-sparge brewing. Both batches in a 10 gallon
Gott with slotted copper manifold on bottom. Single temp. mashing with
no mash-out. Grain crushed with a 2 roller mill at the homebrew store.
I reported the results from my first attempt earlier, but to review
(Batch 1):
- - 3 gallon recipe
- -12 lbs of grain mashed with 4 gallons of water (1.33 qt/lb) at 154-150F
for 90 minutes
- - Collected 2.5 gallons of 1.075 wort, diluted with water to just over 4
gallons at 1.051 SG
- - Left 1.5 gallons of liquid in the tun, or 0.5 qt per lb of grain.
Batch 2 (new data)
- - 5 gallon recipe
- - Mashed 19.3 lb malt in 6.5 gallons of water (1.33 qt/lb) at 156F for
60 minutes
- - Collected 4.1 gallons of 1.075 SG wort
- - Diluted to 6.2 gallons of 1.052 SG wort and boiled as normal
- - Again I left 0.5 qt of liquid per lb of grain in the tun
Now I can plan for higher and lower gravity brews for my system, since
the results appear consistent.
Batch 1 has been in the bottle for one week now and tastes great. I
typically use Shrier 2 row as the primary base malt. I can't comment on
the maltiness of this technique from Batch 1 because I used Marris Otter
pale malt for the first time. Batch 2 was made with Shrier, I'll post
the subjective tasting comments after bottling.
I re-worked my old 1/4" copper immersion chiller into a planispiral
chiller this weekend. It worked very well, no agitation to get a
uniformly cooled wort. I wish I had done this in '93 when it was first
posted. As mentioned in an earlier post I "weaved" 18 gauge copper wire
in four radial lines through the coils to keep them from drooping too
much when suspended in the wort. If anyone is thinking of doing this
many hardware stores sell the tubing (1/4" or 3/8") already in a
planispiral shape, all you have to do is bend the ends fo the tubing
(inlet and outlet) so that you can run them over the top of the kettle.
Give it a spin.
Bruce DeBolt
bdebolt@dow.com
Houston, TX
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 11:28:15 EST
From: faymi@earlham.edu
Subject: inline filters
I've found an aquarium pump and thought I'd try that method of aeration. I
sure you've all read this a coupla times before, but where in the hell can I
find a .2 micron air filter? Particularly in small town IN?
Thanks
Michael
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 97 12:03:13 EST
From: Kirk Harralson <kwh@smtpgwy.roadnet.ups.com>
Subject: Chocolates
In December, I brewed a chocolate amber using Hershey cocoa powder
that really turned out well. The other day, I saw Hershey's "European
Style" cocoa powder at the store and wondered what the difference
could be. Can anyone enlighten me on this? Also, I remember reading
a few years back about a microbrew that used white chocolate. Has
anyone had any experience (good or bad) with white chocolate, brewing
or otherwise? What exactly are the flavor differences between this
and regular chocolate?
Kirk Harralson
Bel Air, Maryland
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 12:36:10 EST
From: jeffrey C Lawrence <brewmaker1@juno.com>
Subject: Painted Labels
Does anyone have a way to remove painted labels from Corona and the 22
oz. versions of Rolling Rock bottles? I have tried single edge razor
blades and paint remover as well as turpentine and mineral spirits. I
like the clear bottles for part of my batches so I can see the clarity of
the brew. The large bottles speak for themselves.
Either post replies to HBD or e-mail ma direct at Brewmaker1@Juno.com.
Thanks!
Jeff
"It's not 'What doesn't kill us makes us stronger,' but 'What doesn't
kill us drives us insane.'"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 12:43:18 -0500
From: kathy <kbooth@scnc.waverly.k12.mi.us>
Subject: too much honey?
I know this is a mead question on a beer format but......
I started a 4+g of SG 1.103 mead with 1 t yeast nutrients and 2.5 oz
acid blend and 2 tablets vit B1 and a cup of champaigne yeast slurry
from a second racking of my 25g of ciderand a temp of 65F. Four days
later....nada.
I bot a packet of dry wine yeast and placed it in a starter at 110F of
water and the must. 6 hrs later it was exploding so I pitched it. Two
days later....nada.
Is the SG of 1.105 just too much honey for yeasts? How much should I
dilute? Private email is fine. cheers and TIA jim booth, lansing,mi
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 12:59:33 -0800
From: George De Piro <George_De_Piro@berlex.com>
Subject: Boiling Wort, a reply and a question (George De Piro)
Hi all!
In the last digest somebody from down under asked if boiling is
necessary, or if it is enough to just heat the wort to near boiling.
From my experience, you can achieve a good hot break by holding the
wort at around 200F for several hours without ever boiling. I don't
know what kind of hop utilization you would get, though.
I also don't think that most people would want to wait several hours
to achieve a hot break.
Several of you may now be wondering why on earth I know that you can
achieve a hot break without boiling. This segues nicely to my
question:
Can anybody think of some reasons that it would harm the wort to heat
it to ~200F, then let it sit overnight before continuing the brewing
process (T ~140F the next morning)?
I have had to do this because of scheduling conflicts and/or longer
than expected pre-boil brew days. I have done this on three or four
occasions, with no apparent ill effects (a Weizen I made this way
actually won a blue ribbon!), but then again there was no "control"
batch to compare it to.
Any opinions?
To continue my reply about boiling, the poster mentioned that he can
achieve a rolling boil if he keeps the lid on, but has heard that you
should keep the lid off.
The reasons to keep the lid off are to allow evaporation of water and
to allow evaporation of DMS (Dimethyl sulfide). DMS, in excess, will
make beer taste like a can of creamed corn. It boils at 35C (95F).
I think you may find that you can keep the boil going by either
keeping the lid partially on (so that gasses escape, but some heat
stays in), or by leaving the lid on and occasionally removing it (a
pain in the butt).
Have fun!
George De Piro (Nyack, NY)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:15:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Steven Ketcham <ketcham@earthlink.net>
Subject: Stout, Irish and Dry
Hello!
I received this recipe with an Irish Stout kit for x-mas. It fits neatly
into a one gallon spring water container from the grocery store:
One gallon spring water (minus one pint to be used at priming)
1 lb. Dry Malt Extract (DME)
3 oz.s of roasted barley
2 1/2 oz.s of brown sugar (my addition - I tried a couple of variations and
this one I liked)
1/4 oz. of northern brewer hop pellets
1 oz. priming sugar mixed with the one pint remaining water.
The basic directions were: run the grains through the coffee machine with
eight cups of spring water then add to the DME with the rest of the water
and hop pellets. Cook for one hour. Ferment in the original gallon jug. Mix
in the priming sugar and final pint of water after fermantation is finished
and bottle.
I want to convert it to a 5 gallon batch. Here is my guesstimate:
Recipe Makes : 5.0 gallons
Color (srm) : 94.9-
Hop IBUs : 27.5
7.00 lb. Pale Ale
1.00 lb. Flaked Barley
1.00 lb. Roast Barley
1.00 lb. Brown Sugar
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer 7.5% 60 min
Questions:
1.) The flaked barley adds head retention but from what I've read so far a
protein rest is not needed because the haze normally found won't be visible.
Is this true?
2.) In the partial mash recipe the grain is briefly steeped in the coffee
maker - how will the taste and color differ if it is mashed full cycle in
the whole grain recipe?
3.) I have never had a stout or porter that I liked comercially (never tried
guinness) but the kit I liked. Any recomendations or improvements will be
gratefully accepted. Thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 13:53:24 -0500
From: Steve Alexander <stevea@clv.mcd.mot.com>
Subject: RE: Tannins and husk (Steve Alexander)
John Wilkinson asks ...
>My question is, if the non-husk beer has 91% of the tannins of the husk beer
>and hops contribute only 33%, where does the rest come from? Am I
>misinterpreting Bill's statement? Are the husks sieved off after they have
>already contributed most of their tannins or is there another source?
The husk fraction was sieved off before brewing in the M&B Sci
reference. Grist minus the husk fraction is the source of most of the
'missing' phenols.
Steve Alexander
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 11:43:10 -0800
From: smurman@best.com
Subject: Big Head follow-up
Thanks to everyone who provided suggestions on improving my head size.
Here's a summary.
If brewing a high-gravity beer, such as Belgian abbey's, add fresh
yeast when priming. I guess this would be called a "finisher" as
opposed to a starter.
The quantity of priming sugar that will provide a big head is larger
than I thought. Checking an article at The Brewery site
(http://alpha.rollanet.org/library/YPrimerMH.html), and advice from
Dave Burley, both point to using 8-10 oz. of corn sugar for styles
such as wheat beers that maintain big head. The 5 oz. that I used for
these styles seems paltry in comparison.
The last point, which was made by several people, was the importance
of protein, not only for head retention but also head formation. The
most common suggestions were to either add some wheat malt to your
grist, or skip the protein rest altogether.
Thanks for the help,
SM
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 12:26:07 -0800
From: Mack Huntress <mack@deltanet.com>
Subject: Re:Using kegs as sparage water containers
- -
Does anyone see any potential problems with using a corny keg to hold my
sparage water (with a towel wrapped around it for insulation) and
delivering the water under pressure to my sparage arm? I had planned to
install an inline valve in the line from the keg to the sparage arm to
control the flow. Right now, with about 5psi and no valve, it makes the
arm spin around so fast I think it's going to take off.
- -
I've been using a keg for sparge water for the past 2 batches and love it.
You don't have to worry about having a height difference and the sparge
rate is MUCH more controllable. With a gravity system you lose a lot of
head pressure towards the end of the sparge but with a pressurized keg you
can keep the flow rate constant or adjust it to whatever you want. The
heated air in the keg actually helps because you end up using less Co2 to
pump the water.
I learned this from my local HB shop, who also suggested that I solder
(lead-free) copper end caps on the sparge arm to replace the plastic ones
that are likely to pop out because of the pressure.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 14:33:53 -0600 (CST)
From: korz@xnet.com
Subject: mash thickness and mouthfeel
Jean-Sebastien writes:
>I'm wondering what effect mash thickness (1qt/lbs vs 1.1qt/lbs) has on
>body. I seem to remember that a thicker mash tends to promote enzyme
>activity and lower extraction rates. Is this correct? If so, does a
>0.1qt/lbs difference affect mouth feel at all, or is it simply a matter of
>conversion speed/efficiency?
I believe that such a small difference in thickness would not be noticeable
in the finished beer. Thicker mashes don't necessarily promote *all*
enzyme activity because for some enzymatic reactions the products of the
reactions slow the reaction (and a thicker mash would mean a higher
concentration of the products).
What you may be thinking of is that thicker mashes protect more heat-labile
beta-amylse from being denatured as quickly and therefore thicker mashes tend
to favour the production of maltose (along with a reduction in dextin levels)
over the level created in a thinner mash at the same temperature.
I do know that between alpha amylase (less heat-labile) and beta amylase
(more heat-labile), thicker mashes tend to make for a more fermentable
wort (i.e. the heat-labile beta amylase *lasted longer* in the mash and
cut up more of the dextins into maltose). A similar grouping of the
proteolytic enzymes exists: peptidases and proteases. The peptidases
break medium-sized proteins into amino acids and is more heat-labile
than the proteases which break big proteins into medium-sized proteins.
The medium-sized proteins contribute very strongly to mouthfeel and
head retention. Furthermore, dextrins contribute to mouthfeel too.
[SPECULATION MODE ON]
It would seem logical that if a thicker mash protects beta amylase, it
would also protect the peptidases too, no? Therefore it seems that
a thicker mash would have TWO reasons for having less mouthfeel than
a thinner mash *at the same temperature*.
[SPECULATION MODE OFF]
The difference in thickness to cause a noticeable amount of difference is
much greater (I don't have my copy of MBS or Fix here, but I'm sure that
"thin" would be at least 50% more water than "thick").
Al.
Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korz@xnet.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:37:28 -0500 (EST)
From: Eugene Sonn <eugene@dreamscape.com>
Subject: Inexpensive Mini-Keg Taps
Hello Beer Brewers
I've been very happy with my mini-keg set up (2 years now). I
have a tap which allows me to switch mid-keg from CO2 to a hand pump which
lets me save those CO2 cartridges. But for parties, it would be nice to
have a second, inexpensive, hand-pump tap. Does anyone have experience
with these types of taps? How well do they work? How expensive are they?
This information would be very helpful.
I'm probably going to brew several batches of beer for a friend's
wedding and knowing whether I should put the beer into mini-kegs is
important for planning purposes.
Thanks in advance, I would be happy to post findings to the
Homebrew Digest, so private e-mail is preferred.
Eugene Sonn
eugene@nova.dreamscape.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:16:49 -0600 (CST)
From: korz@xnet.com
Subject: sucrose and head/German Lager yeasts/hazy, flat beer
Jeff writes:
>I believe there is a direct
>connection between the use of sucrose and the "mousse" head in
>the Belgian beers. Note, as a cross-reference, the mousse head
>on a glass of Cooper's Ale, which also uses sucrose in the kettle.
We must be careful to not jump to the wrong causal relationship (remember
the relationship between aluminum and Alzheimers?). I find it very
hard to believe that a 100% fermentable sugar, made of little other
than a molecule of dextrose and a molecule of fructose could increase
head retention. Presumably, the "moussyness" of the head would have
to be affected by the only other factor in the equation and that is
the extracellular enzyme invertase that the yeast produce to allow
them to ferment sucrose. I'm still very skeptical.
What about the moussy head in Bavarian Weizens (certainly not made
with sucrose)?
Let's not forget that head is a combination of head formation (increased
with high carbonation) and head retention (primarily increased by
increasing the level of medium-sized proteins) are not the same. If
you don't have enough protein, increasing the carbonation will not
give you better head, it will give you more carbonation (like Pepsi).
***
Jerry writes:
>I'm going to try my first true lager soon, and I need a recommendation on
>yeast. I'm planning on a German pils following closely by a doppelbock,
>using the same yeast. The old Wyeast spec sheet recommends these strains:
>
>- ---
>German Pilsner: Light to medium body. Dry. Bitter. Medium to high hop
>flavor and aroma. Very low diacetyl OK. Nofruitiness/esters. Wyeast 2007,
>2124, 2308.
>
>Bock/Doppelbock: Full body. Malty. Low bitterness. Low diacetyl OK. No
>fruitiness/esters. Medium to high alcohol. Wyeast 2124, 2278, 2007.
>- ---
>
>So, I was thinking of using one of these strains:
>
>2007 Pilsen lager yeast A classic American pilsner strain, sturdy and
>simple to use. Ferments dry and crisp. Flocculation -medium; apparent
>attenuation - 71-75%. (48-56F)
I'd reccommend against it. Rumour has it that this strain is the A-B
yeast and the level of acetaldehyde it produces backs up that assertion.
This is a great yeast for cloning Bud, but will give you too much
acetaldehyde for a German Pils or Bock.
>2308 Munich lager yeast A demanding strain, but capable of producing some
>of the finest lagers made. Very smooth, well-rounded and full-bodied.
>Flocculation - medium; apparent attenuation - 73-77%. (48-56F)
Yes, this yeast has a tendency to create some byproducts that take months
to lager away. I made a Bock with it that smelled like home perm solution
for four months of lagering (at 40F), but then the smell went away and the
beer won several ribbons.
>2124 Bohemian lager yeast A pilsner yeast from the Czech Republic. Ferments
>clean and malty, with rich residual sugarin full gravity pilsners.
>Flocculation
>- - medium; apparent attenuation - 69-73%. (46-54F)
I've heard that this is the Weihenstephan 34/70 yeast. If so, it is one
of the most popular yeasts in Germany. I would suggest either this yeast
or the Wyeast #2206 Bavarian Lager. That's another very clean and popular
yeast in Germany. I made my last two bocks with the #2124 and #2206.
The #2206 is still in the primary, so there's no data yet, but the #2124
batch is very nice. I used it also for a Doppelbock, but it got a little
fruity. I believe that I had the fridge set to 60F for the first 8 hours
and when the yeast took off, it raised the temp up even more. I should
have started at 55F or even 50F.
***
Suzanne writes:
>Being the pioneer brewpub in this province is exciting but not without
>frustration. We lack sources for discussion locally, and therefore the
>learning process can at times be hindered. We kegged our first brew two
>weeks ago (a top fermented amber ale using extracts). We poured yesterday
>and two problems ensued. First, the brew is extremely cloudy and has
>excessive sediment, despite having been filtered. Second, the brew is flat
>(we use a CO2/Nitrogen, 70/30 carbonation system which has been effective
>for all imported kegged beer). We didn't clarify the beer. Could this be
>what has caused the cloudiness, and if yes, will it help if we clarify now?
>And then the problem of carbonation remains. We'd like to salvage this
>first brew because ... well it's our "maiden brew" ... and because despite
>these two unfavorable characteristics, the brew imparts a rather pleasant
>flavor. What can we do about it now, or what should we look to change in
>future brews? Suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.
When you write "clarified" I presume you mean "fined." As for why your
"filtered" beer is cloudy, I cannot say. Either your filter's pore size
was too big and all of whatever is clouding your beer didn't get filtered
out or you used too high a pressure and forced it through the fitlter.
You didn't give the recipe, but if you used grains that need to be mashed
(like Pilsner, Pale Ale, Biscuit, Munich, and Aromatic malts, for example)
and you didn't mash and laeuter them properly, then you have starch haze and
you are stuck with it (well, you could use some amylase enzyme, but I
recommend against it).
If you did use a very large pore size (say, larger than 5 microns), lots
of yeast could have still gotten through and now if you are drawing off
the bottom of the tank, you could be just getting the little bit of yeast
that did make it through. If this is the case, the beer should start
running clear after you run off a handful of pints. Do you have an outlet
higher up in the serving tank? If so, you can check the clarity at the
higher outlet to see if it's just settled yeast at the bottom. Note that
if your yeast happens to be a slow flocculator, you could get a clear
sample higher up and still have a bbl or two of cloudy beer. If this
is the case, you can help settle the yeast faster with isinglass or gelatin.
Why it's flat is easy... since it's an ale, I'm assuming that you have it
at ale serving temperatures (55F or so). At this temperature, to get between
2.0 and 2.5 volumes of CO2 in the beer, you want it to see 15 to 20 psi
of CO2. But you are using 70/30 CO2/Nitrogen (usually the 70% is
N2 and the 30% is CO2...) so you need to increase the pressure the beer
sees of this mixed gas. If indeed it's 70% CO2, then divide the 15 to 20
psi by 0.7 to get the pressure to use (21.43 to 28.57psi). If it is 30%
CO2, then you need to divide by 0.3 and use 50 to 66.67 psi. The reason
it works for the imports is because they are pre-carbonated. Incidentally,
you want to add the finings before you carbonate or you will have a huge
gusher on your hands when you add the finings.
Al.
Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korz@xnet.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 14:30:17 -0700 (MST)
From: Ian Smith <rela!isrs@netcom.com>
Subject: LM34 temperature sensor/RIMS
Does anyone know how to get a LM34 to talk to a computer board ? What is
the accuracy ? Can it be calibrated ? Is there a LM34 package that can be
made immersible or into a water proof probe for using in hot water/wort ?
The only LM34's I've seen have 3 legs and are in a plastic package that
would not work in fluids ? Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Ian Smith
isrs@rela.uucp.netcom.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 21:28:19 +0000 (GMT)
From: SANDY COCKERHAM <COCKERHAM_SANDRA_L@LILLY.COM>
Subject: lowering pH of canned wort? (Sandy C.)
Hi all,
I am hoping to can a dozen quarts of sterile wort this coming weekend.
I have previously done so with the boiling water method as I have no
pressure cooker. I often read that this is a potential health hazard
from botulism. My 1st question to the collective is - can I add acid blend
or something else to lower the pH of the wort to around 4.0 so that I am
in the range of "acid foods" like you always hear about for the boiling
water method? Question #2, will this cause any problems with my yeast?
I don't think it will, but before I make up 3 gallons of this I wanted to
check with you all.
Thanks!
Sandy C. (cockerham@lilly.com)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 13:43:47 -0500
From: Nightcrawler <shane@cais.cais.com>
Subject: re:flames (humor)
I got this off one of the other lists I'm on. Sorry if its off topic
<---- Begin Forwarded Message ---->
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 20:58:22 -0500
Reply-To: timujinn@ismi.net
Sender: owner-solo@listproc.bgsu.edu
From: tim <timujinn@ismi.net>
To: For the Solitary Practitioner <solo@listproc.bgsu.edu>
Subject: re:flames (humor)
MM,
I know that most of us have some problem with the occasional
disagreement s and flames which happen from time to time. Last month
Jeremy posted a humors rules for flame wars. I found this and thought it
was a bit more humorous.
By the time someone reads it to check things off they should be laughing
not angry
have fun,
BB,
Tim
NETIQUETTE 101: THE FLAME FORM LETTER
Dear
[ ] sir [ ] clueless one [ ] twit [ ] great man on campus
[ ] madam [ ] dweeb [ ] twerp [ ] comrade
[ ] Elvis [ ] moon beam [ ] boor [ ] Obergruppenfuehrer
[ ] citoyen [ ] Geek [ ] grad student [ ] cur
You are being gently flamed because:
[ ] you continued a boring useless stupid thread
[ ] you repeatedly posted to the same thread that you just posted to
[ ] you repeatedly initiated incoherent, flaky, and mindless threads
[ ] you posted a piece riddled with profanities
[ ] you advocated Net censorship
[ ] you SCREAMED! (used all caps)
[ ] you posted some sort of crap that doesn't belong in this group
[ ] you posted the inanely stupid 'Make Money Fast' article
[ ] you threatened others with physical harm
[ ] you made a bigoted statement(s)
[ ] you repeatedly assumed unwarranted moral or intellectual superiority
[ ] you are under the misapprehension that this group is your preserve
[ ] you repeatedly showed lack of humor
[ ] you are apparently under compulsion to post to every thread
[ ] you are posting an anonymous attack
Thank you for the time you have taken to read this. Live n' Learn.
<---- End Forwarded Message ---->
Shane Saylor, Eccentric Bard
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 16:27 -0600
From: BAYEROSPACE <M257876@sl1001.mdc.com>
Subject: fear of protein rest
collective homebrew conscience:
regarding leaving your "rest mash" in the protein rest temperature range for
a longer than desirable time when decoction mashing:
doesn't the fact that you have the vast majority of the starch grits in the
decoction vessel minimize this danger to a great degree? i mean, i realize
there are proteases and peptidases in the rest mash, but there's not really
much protein in the rest mash for them to break down, is there? it's in the
decoction vessel, isn't it?
brew hard,
mark bayer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:15:55 -0700 (MST)
From: Ian Smith <rela!isrs@netcom.com>
Subject: RIMS heater
I am looking for a 6000 W 240 Volt inconel heater element for my RIMS
system. Anybody know of a source ?
Cheers
Ian Smith
isrs@rela.uucp.netcom.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:38:52 -0800
From: "Brander Roullett (Volt Computer)" <a-branro@MICROSOFT.com>
Subject: Molasses?
Have many of you used Molasses in beer before? i would love to hear
from people who had used it and how it turned out. I was reading
Papazians NCJHB, and was thinking of trying molasses in a Stout.
badger
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 16:23:42 -0800
From: Mack Huntress <mack@deltanet.com>
Subject: Re:Carrying beer onto planes
I too have carried my homebrew onto planes before. The only problem I've
ever had was with some that I had put in an unlabelled PET bottle. The
security agent didn't understand when I told him what it was and when he
opened it he got a little surprise. The agitation and warmth caused it to
spew and managed to get him pretty sticky. He quickly capped it and handed
it back to me without saying a word. Needless to say he was a bit
embarrassed.
Anyway, since then I've heard that as the bottles have labels and 'look'
to be a commercial product they won't hassle you.
- -Mack
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 16:23:42 -0800
From: Mack Huntress <mack@deltanet.com>
Subject: Re:Carrying beer onto planes
I too have carried my homebrew onto planes before. The only problem I've
ever had was with some that I had put in an unlabelled PET bottle. The
security agent didn't understand when I told him what it was and when he
opened it he got a little surprise. The agitation and warmth caused it to
spew and managed to get him pretty sticky. He quickly capped it and handed
it back to me without saying a word. Needless to say he was a bit
embarrassed.
Anyway, since then I've heard that as the bottles have labels and 'look'
to be a commercial product they won't hassle you.
- -Mack
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 20:16:29 EST
From: Jim Hilliard <jhilliard@juno.com>
Subject: Dry Stout Recipes anyone?
I'm looking for a good dry stout recipe (extract please, I'm not yet
ready to make the plunge). The recipe in my brewing book (_Brewing the
World's Greatest Beers_, Miller) has a recipebut it calls for no
finishing hops. Is this normal for dry stout? It just doesn't seem
right!
It's time to get away from Guiness for St. Patty's day, and go with my
own *real* Irish brew... :)
Thanks in advance.
Jim
James & Christine Hilliard jhilliard@juno.com
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1933
- ------------------------------
Borg? Sounds Swedish!
- --Lilly in Star Trek, First Contact
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 19:29:30 -0500
From: "William D. Knudson" <71764.203@compuserve.com>
Subject: RE: Sunbeam hops (WD Knudson)
Glenn asked about Sunbeam hops.
Glenn,
I bought a rizome from freshops in Oregon a couple of years ago. This was
one of the strains that I bought. *
I planted in spring of 1995. The yield was not great for the first
harvest, but I understand that to be normal. I did not brew with them.
I did however have a pretty nice yield this last fall. I did not brew with
them. I'm an all grainer, and I just can't see brewing up a batch based on
'guesstimates of alpha acid', plus going through the hassle of drying etc.
I've got too many hops in the fridge as it is.
Besides the hops did not have much aroma, which doesn't hit the profile
'Northern European Pilners' very well. It was a strain that from what I
can tell, has not taken off **. I probably would have made a test extract
batch had the things given an aroma. (I sample aroma from green to all the
way to brown - nothing.)
If you are interested in growing hops, and you should be*** , its early to
order yet, but look through the brew mags for Freshops or one of the other
growers, and call for a list.
By the way the Sunbeam was a Saaz hybrid.
Hope this helps.
Bill
* The other 2, I gave to a friend who has a greenhouse and presumably a
green thumb: he killed them.
** Like the other recent 'Noble' hybrids: 'Liberty', 'Crystal' and 'Ultra'
.
*** Look you're a brewer, you won't believe the clout you'll get when your
friends and neighbors see your cultivation of hops and they don't look half
bad in the yard.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 17:35:33 -0800
From: The Holders <zymie@sprynet.com>
Subject: Flannel
In HBD V2 #25, Pat said:
>Not a good idea, Cliffy! Most flannel shirts are plaid... ;-)
I've found some flannel marked "99% plaid free". Is this safe to use on
my fermenter? :^O
Wayne Holder CEO
Zymico, "The folks that brought you the Toob"
- --
"contrary to my own opinions, I'm NOT always correct....
at least that's what I think..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 21:18:17 +0000
From: Bob Bullard <rbullard@datasync.com>
Subject: RIMS water
I am in the process of building a brew system ala Marty Tippin
etal and have a question regarding water quantities during the
mash with a recirculating system. To date I have used a Gott
cooler to mash in starting with an original strike water addition
at a calculated temp for the first step at +/- 1qt water/# mash.
Subsequent temp steps were attained by adding calculated amounts of
boiling water. The mash out step was ignored. I will now be mashing
in a kettle with fire under it. The question is: should the mash
water be added all at once and then temperature step increases
attained by heating the mash kettle, or is it better to start with a
thicker mash and add water in subsequent stages? Another question is
about flow rate for recirculating the mash. Is 1 gpm a reasonable
rate? Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Bob Bullard
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 02:58:08 -0500 (EST)
From: Alex Santic <alex@salley.com>
Subject: Mini-keg composition (Alex Santic)
I noticed upon re-reading that I referred to mini-kegs as being made of
stainless. I meant to say steel, not stainless steel.
Some other posts indicate that these cans are made of aluminum. Not having
been so fortunate as to never see them rust, I think I can confirm that
they are made of steel, not aluminum.
Even with the plastic linig intact, they have a few vulnerable areas.
They are prone to rust along the top and bottom rims if left on a wet
surface. They will also rust around the edge of the bung-hole if left
filled with liquid for a protracted period.
Cheers.
- --
Alex Santic - alex@salley.com
Silicon Alley Connections, LLC
527 Third Avenue #419 - NYC 10016 - 212-213-2666 - Fax 212-447-9107
http://www.salley.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 10:13:33 -0000
From: Graham Stone <gstone@dtuk.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Plastic Boilers
Marshall Muller wrote re: "Do you really NEED to boil the wort?"
>G'day,
>After several successful partial mashes (and noticiably improved beer)
>.I'm setting up a plastic electric all grain brewery to give it a go.
>I already had a 2400W element and a 45 l (11 gal) container so I thought
I'd
>give it a go as a kettle.
>The first test boil of 26 l (7 gal) basically produced a result I expected
would
>happened - it couldnt maintain a rolling boil without a lid. With the
lid
>sealed it boiled violently, however without it the temp could only reach
98 C (208F)
>Is it really necessary to have a rolling boil or will 98 C be OK if I
stirred
>it frequently. I've heard you must boil with the lid off. Is this correct
or
>can I simply leave the lid on to maintain the boil?
>Secondly, I haven't insulated the container yet. Has anybody else has
this problem
>and solved it by isulation or should I just increase the element power?
Morning Marshall (and thanks for rescuing our Sailors!).
I've recently made a 13 gal boiler from a plastic bin which is fitted with
2x2.75 KWatt kettle elements. Uninsulated, with both element on it will
boil in about 1 hr. 10 mins. However, by insulating it with green house
bubble wrap this time can be shortened by up to 15 mins. Once the liquid
is boiling, it will maintain a reasonably vigor boil with just one element
on. If it should be necessary to get the boil more vigorous (e.g. to
reduce volume quickly), the other element can be switched on again. Since
I haven't tested the difference in the final beer between boiling with 1 or
2 elements, I'll stick to using 1 for an long as I can purely on grounds of
economy. BTW, each element is plugged into different sockets on my ring
main. Hope this helps!
Dr. Graham Stone
- ------------------------------------------------------
Dunstan Thomas (UK) Ltd
web: http://www.demon.co.uk/dtuk/
email: gstone@dtuk.demon.co.uk
phone: +44-1705-822254
fax: +44-1705-823999
- ------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #2308, 01/14/97
*************************************
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