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HOMEBREW Digest #2607
HOMEBREW Digest #2607 Mon 12 January 1998
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
Many thanks to the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers of
Livonia, Michigan for sponsoring the Homebrew Digest.
URL: http://www.oeonline.com
Contents:
start your enzymes (Dave Sapsis)
Re: Mixmasher (Dion Hollenbeck)
Hot-Side Aeration 101 (Samuel Mize)
HSA ("David R. Burley")
More on HSA (Samuel Mize)
Cold Turkey and Mash Temp Steps (Jack Schmidling)
Direct Readout on Morris RIMS Circuit (KennyEddy)
Re: Keeping warm (Chris Cooper)
Glass Carboy with Tap/ Amylase t1/2 ("Bret Morrow")
Will any CO2 do? (Ed Choromanski)
Alaskan Brews and Fishing Tips (Ken Schramm)
Bottle Labels ("George A. Forsyth")
Q: Enzyme fractions in the mash and Nitrogen gas ("Thor")
RE: Freezing Hops? (John Wilkinson)
220 outlets for bruheats (AlannnnT)
RE: Keeping Warm (Winter fermentation temp control) (Brian Pickerill)
Stirring the mash/Virtual voyeuristic Siebel/lager yeast (GuyG4)
Of rats and men and elephants taking the big trip (Steve Alexander)
Hats off to A.J. (Utesres)
Opportunities and Siebel ("Rob Moline")
So Many Worries (mearle)
3 Most Important Questions ("Rob Moline")
9th Annual Reggale & Dredhop - Long (John A. Carlson, Jr.)
allergic reaction to beer? (Heiner Lieth)
Water Chemistry (Anthony Capocelli)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 08:29:23 -0800
From: Dave Sapsis <DAVE_SAPSIS@fire.ca.gov>
Subject: start your enzymes
Greg is concerned about the diastatic power of his malts, particularly
in regard to the relative amount of non-enzymatic adjuncts he can
successfully use.
Well the answer all lies in what base malts you are talking about, but
in general, modern malts are awful darn strong in diastatic power. It
is a spec that should be shown on anyood spec sheet, but it is pretty
well correlated with both protien content and inversely with color (due
to kilning temps). As such, american malt, of both the 2- and 6- row
varieties, are very enzymatic, and if handled well in the mash tun, are
capable of easily converting over 50% non-enzymatic adjuncts. I say
"non-enzymatic" because although some definitions of adjuncts use lack
of enzymes as part of the definition, this is not always true. While
the malting process does transform lots of ptotiens into amylases, the
base grain starts with some, and in some cases, quite a bit. George
DePiro is looking into numbers for raw cereal grains while at Siebels.
Greg also wonders whether wheat malt should only be used to convert
itself. If fact, wheat malt makes an excellent source of enzymes,
usually in excess of that found in 2-row. Just as an aexample, I have
Crisp finest Pilsner lager malt having a DP of 95, compared to Crisp low
color wheat malt at 130. Remember, these figures are for British malts,
which is pretty much the onlky place on the planet where brewers still
have some control over how much fertilizer to (not) use. In America,
where the use of non-enzymatic adjuncts such as rice and corn are
prevelent, higher protee, hence higher dp abound. A spec sheet for
Great Western Premium 2-row, composed of 50% klages and 50% Harrington
cultivars rates dp at 118.
Bottom line, modern pale base malts, even those with the lowest protien
you can find, are pretty enzymatic, and can handle the conversion of
lots of non-enzymatic carbs if treated well in the mash tub.
Cheers,
- --dave in Sacto, 10,000 miles from nirvana.
------------------------------
Date: 08 Jan 1998 08:38:00 -0800
From: Dion Hollenbeck <hollen@vigra.com>
Subject: Re: Mixmasher
>> Jack Schmidling writes:
JS> Brings up another intersting point. With the Mixmasher running in
JS> the brewing water (at whatever temp one chooses to start) one
JS> simply pours the grain in slowly as the Mixmasher does the perfect
JS> dough-in.
JS> Ironically, this has become the most "tedious" part left in my
JS> process. How easy it is to forget how really tedious it was when
JS> I also had to stir it.
Well, dough in on my RIMS is as easy as the MixMasher as well. I have
a "J" shaped manifold meant to hook over the side of the top of the
mash tun and be used strictly for dough in. I turn the pump up high,
then dump the grain directly into the stream of returning wort. No
stirring needed, never any unwetted grain. This is very much like big
breweries that have nozzles in the grain chute for mixing the incoming
grain with water.
dion
- --
Dion Hollenbeck (619)597-7080x164 Email: hollen@vigra.com
http://www.vigra.com/~hollen
Sr. Software Engineer - Vigra Div. of Visicom Labs San Diego, California
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 10:53:30 -0600 (CST)
From: Samuel Mize <smize@prime.imagin.net>
Subject: Hot-Side Aeration 101
Greetings to all, and especially to:
> HOMEBREW Digest #2604 Thu 08 January 1998
> From: Jack Schmidling <arf@mc.net>
> Subject: Mixmasher, God, Humor and Thanks
>
> Some more thoughts on HSA. I have always been troubled by some facts
> that seem to be in conflict.
This has been hammered all to heck in previous HBDs. Here's a summary.
Definitions:
* "Oxidization" is oxygen chemically bonding to other compounds in wort.
It can cause stability and flavor problems (roughly like an apple going
brown after you cut it open).
* "Aeration" is dissolving air into the wort. ("Oxygenation" is dissolving
oxygen into it.) This is just physical mixing. It has no direct impact
on beer quality, BUT is necessary for oxidization to occur.
ANY time your wort gets aerated, it starts oxidizing.
BUT in cool wort, the chemical reaction of oxidization is very slow. Also,
most of us pitch yeast as soon as the wort is cool; they consume the oxygen
before the slow process of cool-side aeration can cause much oxidization.
In hot wort (over about 100F), oxidization runs much MUCH faster. Hot-Side
Aeration leads to EFFICIENT oxidization, even with less oxygen dissolved.
Practical impacts:
* When wort is hot, little oxygen will dissolve, but oxidization is fast.
Avoid aeration during this period (Hot-Side Aeration).
* When wort is cool, lots of oxygen will dissolve, but oxidization is slow.
However, until you pitch yeast, you get no benefit from aeration, and you
DO get some oxidization. Avoid aeration before you pitch yeast (for
instance, if you let your wort cool overnight -- but who would :-).
* Yeast need dissolved oxygen, and consume it before much wort can oxidize.
When you're ready to pitch yeast, aerate the heck out of the wort.
Unless you use forced oxygen for a long time, you can't add too much for
the yeast.
* After the yeast have been working, the wort contains alcohols. These
oxidize rapidly, creating diacetyl. (Also, perhaps the yeast don't use
oxygen as fast once they have a full colony going.) So, once the wort
is fermenting, we USUALLY avoid aeration. Some brewers, like Samuel
Smith's, do aerate fermenting wort, and the buttery flavor is part of
their beer's flavor profile.
By the way, for those new to HBD, beer yeast does NOT respire for a while,
then ferment. It ferments in wort from the start. However, it DOES use
oxygen to build cell membranes, making for healthier yeast and faster,
cleaner fermentation. So cool, aerate, pitch yeast, and then don't aerate.
Best,
Sam Mize
- --
Samuel Mize -- smize@imagin.net -- Team Ada
Fight Spam - see http://www.cauce.org/
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 12:04:57 -0500
From: "David R. Burley" <Dave_Burley@compuserve.com>
Subject: HSA
Brewsters:
Ron LaBorde ( a short distance from the Crescent Brewing Company), says:
>.Some more thoughts on HSA. I have always been troubled by some facts
>that seem to be in conflict. We have to oxygenate the wort because the
>boiling drives off the oxygen. We have the basic fact that the hotter a
>liquid is, the less oxygen it can hold. As we heat the liquid, oxygen
>escapes to the atmosphere.
>However, if we stir it while heating, it will somehow absorb so much
>oxygen that it could ruin our beer.
I can see how you might be confused, as I have read similar comments
implying that somehow it was the *solubility* of the oxygen in wort which=
was the *sole* factor contributing to HSA ..
This is not the case, as the important feature is the rate of reaction of=
oxygen with wort components. If it follows normal behavior, the rate of
reaction goes down by a factor of two for each 10 deg C drop in the
temperature, given all else is equal. Going from 100 C to 20C represents
2X2X2X2X2X2x2x2 OR 256 X SLOWER At 20C than at 100C. To put it in
understandable terms, 1 minute exposure at 100C is equivalent to 4.25 hou=
rs
exposure at 20C. A second factor is the surface area exposed to the oxyge=
n.
Since the oxygen is not as soluble at high temperature as at lower, the
higher temperature exposure requires more intimate mixing to bring about
HSA and conversely gives us an opportunity to control HSA by avoiding
physical mixing of hot wort with air or oxygen. That's why we all pooh-po=
oh
Charlie P pouring hot wort through a sieve in a picture in Joy of HB. =
*Don't do it.* Also, note that a properly pitched quantity of yeast will=
reduce the oxygen content of the wort to zero in 30 minutes (AJ DeLAnge-
?). So if you oxygenate a cold wort by pitching the yeast first, then th=
e
oxygen damage to the wort will be minimized.
Another example is boiling hot wort for an hour. During that rolling boi=
l,
hot wort liquid comes in contact with the air and explains the darkening=
(
along with Maillard reactions, hop extraction and concentration ) of the
wort on boiling. Charlie Scandrett (?) once mathematically demonstrated
that this effect should be reduced and perhaps didn't exist because of a=
4
mph "steam wind" coming off the kettle. I don't buy this completely as I=
often see the steam of a fully open kettle being blown aside by air
currents. Professional brewers have a cone shaped top to their boilers to=
minimize oxygen access and maximize this steam wind, while channelling th=
e
steam outside or to their heat exchangers. I have tried an aluminum foil=
cone on my kettles with success, but discovered an easier way. I have
modified my boil up procedure to minimize the HSA by keeping the kettle
partly covered with the kettle lid (after the initial frothing) during th=
e
boil to maximize the steam wind speed which sweeps the surface of the
boiling wort free of oxygen and minimizes the mixing of the air back to
the surface, reducing HSA during the boil.
Often the outlet from the lauter/sparge is allowed to splash. This hot
liquid can experience HSA . Lead the fresh wort to the bottom of the
receiving vessel with a hose to minimize splashing. Transfer this to the
boiler by placing the transfer vessel under the surface, tipping it and
removing it upside down rather than pouring and stirring in a lot of
oxygen. This transfer vessel should be as large as possible to minimize
the number of transfers or use a hose under the surface for the transfer.=
Stirring of a mash with the incorporation of a lot of oxygen can damage a=
wort. Pumping hot wort onto the surface in a RIMS can also bring about H=
SA
=2E The solution? Stir with the blades submerged and don't allow a whirl=
pool
to form, while keeping it tightly covered, stir only during the heat
cycles. In the case of RIMS, pump back below the surface of the wort in=
the mash tun. Minimize the oxygen over the surface of the mash or wort =
by
keeping it as small a volume as possible, as tightly covered as possible
for as long as possible. For those who lauter in a different vessel than=
they mash in ( as I do), when transferring the mash contents to the laute=
r
do it with minimal splashing using the largest vessel you can handle to
minimize surface area and reduce the number of transfers.
My mash tun is a 5 gallon kettle with a tight fitting lid and very little=
freeboard by the end of the mash, since I use boiling water infusions to
get to the various major temperature stages. I stir by hand with a big
paddle that reaches to the bottom of the kettle to minimize oxygen
entrainment.
- ---------------------------------------------------------
Ray Steinhart asks:
"What would be better for pH adjustment of sparge water?
Lactic or Phosphoric Acid?"
I don't think, for sparge water, there is much reason to choose one over
the other. In mash pH adjustment, however, calcium phosphate is very
insoluble and using phosphoric acid could rob the mash of calcium ion whi=
ch
relates to alpha amylase stability among other things, if enough were
added. Be sure the Phosphoric acid you use is food grade. It is likely
available from the HB shop or through the HB Mail-order channel.
- ----------------------------------------------------------
Keep on brewin'
Dave Burley
Kinnelon, NJ 07405
103164.3202@compuserve.com
Dave_Burley@compuserve.com =
Voice e-mail OK =
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 11:02:51 -0600 (CST)
From: Samuel Mize <smize@prime.imagin.net>
Subject: More on HSA
Greetings to all.
I just re-read an email written by a very wise person -- me -- on avoiding
Hot-Side Aeration, and thought I'd share them:
If you have some free space above the wort in your kettle, it will fill up
with steam -- some people say this will drive out the air and help prevent
oxidization of the wort.
Preventing HSA, like preventing infection, is an exercise in compromise --
we can't eliminate them completely, but we reduce them as far as reasonable.
Any manipulation of the wort can introduce the unwanted item (assuming
you're brewing in Earth's atmosphere :-) but you HAVE to manipulate it.
Note that I DO NOT say reduce them as far as possible, or even as far as
feasible. Reduce them until they don't harm your beer, by your standards,
then don't worry about them.
Go ahead and stir when necessary, but without a lot of surface turbulence.
A nitrogen-filled radiation-sterilized clean room is not required.
- --
Samuel Mize -- smize@imagin.net -- Team Ada
Fight Spam - see http://www.cauce.org/
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 10:45:55 -0800
From: Jack Schmidling <arf@mc.net>
Subject: Cold Turkey and Mash Temp Steps
John Wilkinson -
"I am sure that the defenders of the zero tolerance theory would say
that if someone can drink in moderation they are not an alcoholic in the
first place. In that case, Jack is not in "denial" as has been
suggested.
But then they have to deal with the fact that I went cold turkey for
10 years. It was all part of the plan I worked out without the
help of god or anyone else. Knowing there was a light at the end
of the tunnel made it far easier to enter the tunnel and keep
marching. Frankly, I found it much harder to quit smoking, probably
because I knew it was forever.
The fact that I could limit my consumption after that time amazed
me far less than what happened to the homebrew community during
the same period.
Half way through the production of "Brew It At Home", I discovered
Zymnurgy, HBD, all grain brewing and the need for a grain mill and
better way to lauter.
From: Scott Murman <smurman@best.com>
Subject: Re: MIXMASHER vs RIMS
"Come on Jack. Let's see, we have a tub full of grain and water. In
order to raise the temperature we can either a) heat the grain, in
which case we're performing a decoction mash or b) add heated water,
in which case we're step mashing. The methods and calculations for
both are available from many sources, including back issues of the
HBD.
Well, the problem I always ended up with is that in order to raise
the mash temp to where I wanted to go, there wasn't enough room in
the mash tun for all the water. I would also play devil's advocate
for the RIMS gang and suggest that as probably the least accurate
method of achieving rest temps in addition to completely losing
control of the mash thickness.
From: "Olin J. Schultz" <beerx3@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Same Recipes: Infusion versus step mashing
"In the battle of ease of use and simplicity Infusion pretty much waxes
the mixer and rims and step mashing in general. Does not get much
simpler than mixing the grist in and coming back 60 minutes(or whatever)
later. So it comes down to what tastes better.
Great posting and welcome to the "Momily Busters".
My experience is similar to yours with a few variations. I abandoned
decoction mashing because I could not detect the slightest contribution
it made to my PU clone.
I then rationalized that if I slowly raise the temp from room temp to
saccharization temp, the mash will pass through ALL of those magic
rests for some period of time and I will have covered all the bases.
More recently, I have been simply heating the mash water to about
160F, adding the malt and adjusting the strike temp if necessary with
a bit of heat and return in 30 min to see how it's going. I still
do a mashout at 170F because it makes too much sense not to get it
all to the sparge water temp.
If my beer has suffered through these changes, it's news to me.
"Also would be interesting to know what percentage of commercial micro
breweries do step mashing compared with infusion?
Me too. My guess is close to zero.
js
- --
Visit our WEB pages:
Beer Stuff.........http://ays.net/jsp
Astronomy.......http://user.mc.net/arf
ASTROPHOTO OF THE WEEK..... New Every Monday
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 13:12:01 EST
From: KennyEddy <KennyEddy@aol.com>
Subject: Direct Readout on Morris RIMS Circuit
Robert Zukosky asks:
"Question 3: Has anyone added a digital readout for setpoint on the
Morris circuit."
This would be very difficult to do since the temperature-sensing input is not
a linear function. In other words, there is not a direct "x volts = y
degrees" relationship that would allow the attachment of a voltmeter to read
out in degrees directly. The thermistor which is used to sense the
temperature is a non-linear device. The problem is compounded by the design,
in that changing the setpoint pot also changes the voltage to degrees
relationship. It's a moving target.
The electronic solutions to this problem are such that it would be far easier
to completely redesign the controller to use a linear sensor such as the
LM34/35 or a diode/transistor arrangement. Then a voltmeter could be attached
which would read out numerically in degrees.
*****
Ken Schwartz
El Paso, TX
KennyEddy@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/kennyeddy
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 14:33:29 -0500
From: Chris Cooper <ccooper@a2607cc.msr.hp.com>
Subject: Re: Keeping warm
Tony asks about a heat source for a fermenter box. I have an industrial
40 cu foot fridge in my garage that has no cooling plant (that's why I got
it for free), some day I will add a cooling plant and be in lagering heaven
but for now I use it as a secure storage area for my grains and completed
beers that need to settle and clear a bit. As I live in Michigan and it
is now winter I had to come up with a method to keep the box from freezing.
I simply added a string of 10 C-7 Christmas tree lights to the inside of this
box and use a $15 Honeywell controller that I found at my local Home Depot.
This controller was designed to control an AC load of up to 120watts (
it's purpose is to turn on a lamp in a window if the house temperature falls
below a set point because the furnace has failed. The lamp would be seen
by a neighbor who was asked to watch the house while the owners are away
on vaction or bussiness) and can be set between 30^F and 60^F, it has been
maintaining the temp. in my cooler 45^F +/-3^ for the last couple of months
while the ambient temp. has varied between 10^F and 50^F. So far it seems to
work well.
As far as light and your beer just cover your carboy with a dark cloth (an
old tee-shirt or a towel works well) and make sure you box design allows some
space between the light bulbs and any combustible materials!
I used a string of outdoor grade Christmas lights because I had them and I
like the idea of using several smaller bulbs so that if one burns out I still
have the others providing heat until I notice the failed bulb and replace it.
Chris Cooper , Commerce Michigan --> Pine Haven Brewery <--
Chris_Cooper@hp.com --> aka. Deb's Kitchen <--
(about 20 miles ENE of Jeff Renner)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 11:47:57 PST
From: "Bret Morrow" <bretmorrow@hotmail.com>
Subject: Glass Carboy with Tap/ Amylase t1/2
Recently, there were a couple of postings regarding racking beer out of
a glass carboy. I have a glass carboy with a integrated port (i.e.
glass stem w/ 5/8" ID) at about 2" above the bottom. I have a hose
connected to this port.
--
||
/ \
/ \
/ \
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |==
\______/
I obtained it from a decommisioned water still and use it for primary
fermentation. When I want to move the beer to the secondary, I just tip
the hose connected to the port into the secondary carboy which,
unfortunately, does not have a similar port. This works well for me but
I don't think it is easily available for everyone. Does anyone make a
similar carboy commercially? or a kit to convert a regular carboy? I
know drilling glass is a PITA but its not impossible.
Secondly, my last posting several months ago was regarding the half-life
of the amylase enzymes in the mash. I thank the readers for their
responses. It seems that most feel that activity is gone by 120 min,
but I'm looking for some hard data (i.e. scientific study) on the
subject. Anyone know?
TIA,
Bret Morrow
John Elsworth
Johnson Brewing
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 16:02:12 +0000
From: Ed Choromanski <choroman@voicenet.com>
Subject: Will any CO2 do?
Hi All:
I am in the process of getting into kegging and am at the point of
needing to get my CO2 tank filled. I was wondering if there is
anything special about the CO2 needed. The reason why, is I have
gotten a price of $13 from the welding supply shop that is very
convenient and that is about $6-$16 cheaper than some other
non-welding places I have called. I just want to be sure, it's my
first time and I don't want anyone getting sick or worse. Or is CO2
just CO2 and I am being anal?
Also, I saw that the welding supply shop had a pressure requlator (has
both tank and output pressure dials). What pressure range for both
the tank and output should I purchase? The one they had was $75 with
output range of 100 psi and tank range of 4000 psi (seems a bit much).
Thanks in advance,
Ed
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 16:43:12 -0500
From: Ken Schramm <SchramK@wcresa.k12.mi.us>
Subject: Alaskan Brews and Fishing Tips
I am trying to put together a trip to Alaska this summer. Since I can
hardly affard to ship a corny of pale ale or a case of Pilsener
Urquell up there with me, I would love to hear from anyone - with
experience - which high quality micros are available in the Anchorage
area, and what the prevailing rate is for a six pack. And, if anyone
knows, how do liquor prices compare with the lower 48. I am paying
about $50 for a fifth of Lagavulin, and am wondering if I should
bring some with me or buy it there.
Lastly, if you are an AK native, and have tips on Kodiak, the
peninsula or the Mat-Su valley for late June and Early July, I would
love to hear from you. Private E-Mail is fine.
A thousand thanks,
Ken
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 16:48:02 -0600
From: "George A. Forsyth" <gforse@nevia.net>
Subject: Bottle Labels
Someone mentioned the use of milk as a glue to attach labels to bottles.
I have done this for some time and find it generally satisfactory. I
put a little milk in a flat pan and briefly float the label on top of
the milk, just long enuf to wet it. I then place it on the bottle and
use paper towels to blot off any excess.
The whole trick is to not saturate the label--just wet the back.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 15:06:27 +0000
From: "Thor" <thor@valhallabrewing.com>
Subject: Q: Enzyme fractions in the mash and Nitrogen gas
I had a couple of questions I thought readers of the HBD could help
me answer. I tried looking them up first in some of my brew books but
couldn't find an answer and my organic chemistry is a little rusty.
First, if you use a false bottom in your mash tun, how much of the
enzymes are in the mash portion and how much in the liquid portion
below the false bottom? Are the alpha and beta amylase linked to the
starches or are the mostly soluble? Does recirculation of the wort in
a RIMS system create a larger portion of enzymes in the liquid
fraction? I have hear that using various grist to liquor ratios can
greatly saccharification. Is this due to the nature of the enzymes?
The other topical question I have is about nitrogen gas. After
visiting a local homebrew store, the owner told me he uses nitrogen to
push extract out of the barrel because its less reactive and cost
less. I know that nitrogen is sometimes used in packaging hops as
well. I was wondering what effect bubbling N2 through a 100C hot boil
kettle would have. Is there anything that the nitrogen gas could react
with in the beer? What would be the consequences?
Thanks in advance.
THOR
- -----------------------------------------------------------
Thor's Stainless brewery @ http://www.valhallabrewing.com/
AHA club The Draught Board Homebrew Club @
http://www.valhallabrewing.com/dboard/index.htm
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 98 18:36:42 CST
From: jwilkins@wss.dsccc.com (John Wilkinson)
Subject: RE: Freezing Hops?
Gregg Soh asked if freezing hops would hurt them.
I keep my hops in sealed glass jars in the freezer and have not noticed any
deterioration in them. I mark the jars with masking tape with the hop type
and alpha acid since the jars frost up quite a bit, making it hard to read
any labels inside.
John Wilkinson - Grapevine, Texas - jwilkins@wss.dsccc.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 20:23:36 EST
From: AlannnnT <AlannnnT@aol.com>
Subject: 220 outlets for bruheats
To: brad@sa.apana.org.au
I don't know the reason for 110/120 Volts at the outlets but I could quess.
One, it's safer than 220. [1/2 the power to knock you on your butt]
Two, it is simpler. One wire hot, one neutral, and often, one ground
220 requires two hot wires , and four wires total to get a grounded circuit.
Also, power in homes was designed for incandescent lighting, primarily. and
120 is more than adequate for that purpose. Perhaps if the pioneers of
electricity foresaw all the motorized gadgets we now have, 220 would be the
norm.
Most importantly, we like to be different. Being an American means never
having to know the metric system or have a 220 volt outlet.
Alan Talman
My only metric system experience is with the two liter coke bottles used to
make the hopper on my Phil mill.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 22:10:05 -0600
From: 00bkpickeril@bsuvc.bsu.edu (Brian Pickerill)
Subject: RE: Keeping Warm (Winter fermentation temp control)
Tony Willoughby asks about fermentation temp control in #2603.
Yes, incandescent light will cause skunking, but I have read several posts
from brewers using bulbs wrapped in foil or light sheilded in some way.
Using a bulb would be nice as long as you had the thermostat to keep it at
the right, steady temp.
I've not seen anything posted in years about this, but once saw that some
brewers have used water bed heater pads (they have thermostats built right
in). It's a fairly easy to find junk item, but I'm not sure how well it
works. Comments?
You could use a small electric space heater in a small room. This is a
good method for 10 or 15 gallon batches. One problem might be that some of
the thermostats might not go low enough, and it could get kinda expensive
to run for a week or two, heating a whole room. I wouldn't recommend
running one in too small of an area due to the potential fire hazard.
The solution I have seen posted most often is to use an aquarium heater to
heat a water bath around the fermenter.
- --Brian Pickerill, Muncie Malt Mashers, Muncie, IN
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 23:27:17 EST
From: GuyG4 <GuyG4@aol.com>
Subject: Stirring the mash/Virtual voyeuristic Siebel/lager yeast
I trust our most passionate brethren have reconsidered the demand for
censoring Jack. Though I sometimes disagree with him (and the rest of you), I
am always stimulated and entertained. Viva el Digest! and thanks for the
policy, Pat and Janitors.
One of the things I disagree with JS about is tedium of stirring. I ginned up
an old icecream freezer motor a couple of years ago to relieve myself of
stirring the mash. I stepmash in a canner on a gas burner...The problem was I
also relieved myself of watching the thermometer closely, so I gave it up
after screwing up a couple of batches. I now brew where I can see the TV,
though after this year's Rose Bowl, I'm gonna turn off all games just before
they end. By the way, Wolverines, great job. The Cougs were worthy and
honorable opponents, and we not in Pasadena enjoyed a great keg of ESB, brewed
during our victory over the Huskies. Anyway, if this idea appeals to you, the
old icecream freezer paddles made of aluminum work well (or so I think I
remember) and I suppose the newer plastic ones work as well. They don't turn
very fast. 30 rpm in a 1 to 1.5 qt/lb mash is not gonna aerate much... that,
for you non-science types, is 1 revolution every 2 seconds. I bet I get more
HSA with my spoon.
- -----
Jethro and George, guys, you're drinking too much beer and having too much fun
and learning too much! Write more...I can't wait for the installments!
Sounds like a blast.
- -----
My Rose Bowl Vienna began fermenting very slowly. I pitched 500 ml of yeast
starter, fed twice so it was nice and big, of Wyeast bohemian into my carboy
of wort, and it took approximately 72 hours to show a nice kraeusen. Temp is
54 degrees. Is this yeast slow or should I have kept it at room temp for a
day or so prior to moving it to my beerfridge? Perhaps it was this Coug's
bitter tears. Anyway, does anyone have any guesses? By the way, if my beer is
ruined, I won't know for sure until I drink it, probably around April fools
day. Cheers, all.
Guy Gregory
GuyG4@aol.com
Lightning Creek Home Brewery
Spokane, WA
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 23:40:43 -0500
From: Steve Alexander <steve-alexander@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Of rats and men and elephants taking the big trip
Ed Basgall writes ..
>An LD-50 of .71g/kg for rats simply means that .71g of pure vertigris fed
>to rats weighing 1 kg(2.2 lbs) will kill 50% of the rats.
>
>Now what this means in practical terms for humans is that it's probably not
>a good idea to eat a lot of this stuff. For example, if a group of rat
>homebrewers weighing 220lbs each eat 71 grams (~2.5 oz) half of them will
>be expected to die.
Actually there are often good reasons, based on the mechanism of the lethal
effect, why toxicity may not scale linearly. During my misspent undergraduate
life I used to study everything, except my coursework, in the Med School
Library. I came across a most amusing article a psychiatric journal. The
researchers made a linear extrapolation of the dose of LSD required to give a
rat a 'trip' to that of an elephant. The elephant died almost instantly!
The point is that if .71 grams will kill a rat, it may well kill a rat's worth
of you too.
My suggestion is to refrain from storing any metal in contact with chlorine
bleach. But as Ed points out the killer vertigris is the acetate form.
Steve Alexander
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 23:52:00 EST
From: Utesres <Utesres@aol.com>
Subject: Hats off to A.J.
I recently posted for help regarding correction of pH using Phosphoric acid
for my highly alkaline water, and was referred to A. J. deLange's
"Acidification of Water" article on The Brewery page. Made a spreadsheet
using the calculations for each of the acids I've used in the past (HCl &
Lactic), and for Phosphoric. The results were as follows and applies to
adding a measured amount of acid to 4 gallons of 350ppm alkalinity, 7.6 pH,
and achieving a mash pH of 5.2 to 5.5:
ACID Amount Calculated Amount actually needed
HCl (28%) 4.8 ml 6.5 ml
Lactic (88%) 3.6 ml 4.0 ml
Phosphoric (10%) 33.4 ml 29 ml
The calculations used were assuming a target pH of 6.5, letting the buffers in
the malt do the rest.
As you can see, the calculations predicted actually used values very well.
Thanks, A.J., for taking the time to organize the formulas in a useful and
accurate way!
Mike Utes
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 98 23:33:42 PST
From: "Rob Moline" <brewer@ames.net>
Subject: Opportunities and Siebel
Greetings!
From the El-Nino modified climate of Chicago.....the last few days, while
wet and cloudy, have been quite temperate!
But, I have been made aware of a few opportunities that I thought I would
pass on....
1.) Chris Bird, Registrar @ Siebel, received the following....
"Leinenkugel's 10th St,. Brewery has a Packaging and Brewing Internship
opening, from Feb. 23-March 20, with the possibility of a short extension.
The Internship is geared towards hands-on packaging operations @ roughly
70 %, with exposure to all other aspects of the brewing operation ~ 30%.
The pay is $8.00 per hour.
Leinenkugel's 10th St. Brewery has an IDD Super King Sankey keg line, and
a Krones 20-head VK2K bottle filler with complete bottling line. The
brewhouse is equipped with a 100 BBL Briggs brewhouse. The internship is an
excellent opportunity to observe a state of the art microbrewery in
operation."
Resumes should be sent to ....
Greg Walter, Brewmaster,
J. Leinenkugel Brewing Co.,
1515 N. 10th St.,
Milwaukee, WI., 53205.
Further inquiries should be directed to Mr. Walter @ (414)-931-6706.
2.) Chris also related the following.....
The word is that the Mueller 'show-piece' brewery in Saint Joseph,
Missouri, is currently looking for a brewer to run the place......I don't
have my BRD with me, so you will have to look up the numbers to call. I
have a feeling that it will be a great place to brew!
FWIW,
Siebel is great! All the instructor's are 'switched on' pro's from a
variety of backgrounds. Those of you who have been here know this, but
those of you that haven't just don't know what you are missing.
Personally, I have had so many 'flashes' going off in my head as theories
and practices of the past are either blown away, or congealed into a firmer
understanding, that I feel there is a strobe in the cranial vault!
And it is truly fine to see the photo's of all the past graduates on the
walls, and to continue identifying so many of you who have preceeded us,
the 63rd Short Course. There are quite a few of my friends among them.
Strange Observance of the Day.....
I am told, by reliable sources, following A-B's "Frog" campaign, that
incidents of consumers reporting 'frogs' in their cans and bottles, and
seeking settlements, is the
reason that you don't see many, if any, frog commercials anymore!
Damn, and I just about got that Clydesdale down to size!
Rob Moline
Brewer At Large
brewer@ames.net
Ames, Iowa.
On Loan To The "Leaning Tower"
"The MoreTime I Spend At Siebel, The More I Know More About Beer!"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 21:10:22 -0700
From: mearle <mearle@orcalink.com>
Subject: So Many Worries
So many worries...hot side aeration, old trub, autolysis of yeast, phenol
extraction, under aeration of the wort, over aeration of the wort, mash
temperature fluctuations - important or not?, to rack off the trub that is
really a yeast nutient - or not, to skim the boil and mess up head retention -
or not, and on and on and on. How on earth do I wind up with such good beer
when I'm always counter to someone's opinion? Maybe I've been doing it wrong
all along and everyone has been just being very polite when they praise my
beer. So many worries. I think I'll have a beer. Aaaaah... that's better.
Mearle
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 98 00:20:57 PST
From: "Rob Moline" <brewer@ames.net>
Subject: 3 Most Important Questions
Howdy!,
Thanks for all the messages of greeting, support, and such to George and
myself while we are @ Siebel. But, we just decided that here is an
opportunity to get some HBD'r questions answered.
To this end, I wish to ask for proposals for 3 questions for us to pose to
the "Round Table" discussions, held a couple of times per week.
George here... Some of what we've already learned:
1. Degermed cornmeal: no answer, so don't ask (see my last post)
2. Yeast oxygenation is critical, don't mess with it.
3. HSA is not as important as keeping air out of the finished beer, but it
is still important...
12P lager beer stored at 4C, with little HSA, shelf life 16 weeks...
Absolutely NO HSA increases shelf life by 1.5 weeks.
Air in the packaged beer, but no HSA, shelf life: 2 weeks. Wow.
4. Mash efficiencies can be increased substantially by getting the grain
bed up to 170F (brewers stuck with two vessel systems can do this by
underletting the mash with hot water and mixing the floated grains).
We learned a whole bunch more, but I can't go on. I must get to sleep and
give the controls here back to Rob - Have fun! George Oh, wait: we went
to the Chicago Beer Society meeting tonight. It was great! It was at
Goose Island Brewpub, and except for the inconvenience of them losing Rob's
credit card, it was great! I brought homebrew to share, as did many
others. We met Ed Bronson (who judged my Oktoberfest in 1996 at the NHC.
We also met Randy Mosher, Leroy Howard, principal with the 3 Floyds Brewing
Co., Karl Helfrick (new homebrewer with good beer, soon to be reading this
forum), Andy Ager, (HBD'r) and Ray Daniels (who Rob already knew). What
fun! There were many other less famous, but very interesting,
personalities there. Thanks for having us!
OK, now I'm going. Back to Rob! Have fun!
Rob Here....
Conspicuously absent, due to illness was Al K. Perhaps he will recover in
time for us to get together before the next week is gone.
But, back to the point....give us what YOU consider the 3 biggest
questions you have, here on the Digest, so that others can consider and
comment, and we will get them handled! And, be assured, if we, with the
resources of the truly elegant assembly of professional talent at the
Institute, can't get it answered for you......it probably can't be
answered!!
Cheers!
Jethro Gump
Rob Moline
Brewer At Large
brewer@ames.net
Ames, Iowa.
"The MoreTime I Spend At Siebel, The More I Know About Beer!"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 23:14:30 -0700 (MST)
From: jac@iex.net (John A. Carlson, Jr.)
Subject: 9th Annual Reggale & Dredhop - Long
9th Annual Reggale & Dredhop Homebrew Competition
Hop Barley & The Alers invites you to enter the 9th Annual Reggale &
Dredhop Homebrew Competition. We will accept all homebrewed beer and mead.
This competition is AHA sanctioned and will accept all AHA recognized
categories; however, we will consolidate entries into twelve categories.
Medals will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place entries in each Category.
Ribbons will be awarded for Best-of-Show Beer and Mead. Prizes will also be
awarded. Check out more details about the Dredhop on the web at:
http://members.aol.com/hopbarley/index.html or contact Caroline Duncker at
303-939-9174.
Rules & Regulations
Eligibility All entries should be hand-crafted products, containing
ingredients available to the general public.
Categories Each beer will be judged according to the 1998 AHA National
Homebrew Competition classification it is entered under. Beers of similar
styles will be grouped together to allow for manageable judging sessions
and reasonable competition. First place winners in each Category will be
judged in a final round to determine the Best-of-Show beer and Best-of-Show
mead. An entry shall consist of two bottles, 10 - 22 ounce, clean of all
paper, printed or enameled labels, label adhesive, misc. debris, raised
designs or brand names, or any other distinguishing features. Clear glass,
wire swing-top (Gr=F6lsh) type, corked, and oversized (22 oz, champagne) are
acceptable. Printed crown caps are acceptable but must be blacked out
completely with black marker to assure anonymity. Bottles will not be
returned to entrants.
Paperwork Each bottle shall have a bottle ID form attached with a rubber
band. Glue or tape are unacceptable. A single recipe form must accompany
each entry (one recipe form per 2 bottles, one bottle ID form per bottle).
Enter your beer according to the 1998 AHA National Homebrew Competition
styles -- a chart of these classifications is attached. Please fill out the
entry forms completely and be meticulous about noting special ingredients
you want brought to the judges attention when entering categories 3c, 20b,
20c, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27.
Limitations Brewers are limited to one entry per AHA subcategory.
Entry Fees An entry fee of $5 per entry will be collected for the first two
entries, (i.e. $5.00 for one entry and $10.00 for two entries). Additional
entries (3 or more) will be $4 per entry, (i.e. $12.00 for three entries,
$16.00 for four, etc.) Please attach your entry fee to the Entry and Recipe
form. Make checks payable to: Hop Barley & the Alers. PLEASE INCLUDE A
SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED BUSINESS SIZE ENVELOPE FOR EACH ENTRY SUBMITTED.
The Fine Print
Disqualified beers may be judged but will not be eligible for awards. The
judges may decide not to award all places in any Category. The decision of
the judges is final.
Where To Enter
Entries are to arrive between Friday, January 23, 1998 and 5:00 p.m.
=46riday, January 31, 1997. Late entries will neither be returned nor judged=
.
To minimize the impact on the businesses accepting entries please have a
check or the exact change attached to your recipe forms. Make checks
payable to: Hop Barley & the Alers.
What's Brewing Odell Brewing Co.
(use this site if mailing in your entry) 800 E. Lincoln Avenu=
e
2886 Bluff Street Fort Collins, CO 80524
Bolder, CO 80301 (970) 498-9070
(303) 444-9433
Wine & Hop Shop HomeBrew Hut
705 E. 6th Ave. 555 Hwy. 287 Unit I
Denver, CO 80203 Broomfield, CO 80020
(303) 831-7229 (303) 460-1776
Judging
The judging will take place from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Saturday,
=46ebruary 7, 1998 at the Old Chicago restaurant in Boulder. Judging
information has been sent to area BJCP judges. If you are not a registered
BJCP judge, and would like to judge at the competition please contact John
Carlson at jac@iex.net. Stewards and apprentice judges are welcome.
Awards Ceremony & Celebration
An awards ceremony will start around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 7 at
the Boulder Old Chicago. Please attend! Medals, Ribbons and prizes will be
handed out. Food and beer will be available.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 23:29:56 -0800 (PST)
From: Heiner Lieth <lieth@telis.org>
Subject: allergic reaction to beer?
With some posts recently about allergic reaction... I had a thought a while
ago when I met someone who was allergic to wheat gluten that I would have to
be careful not to pour that person a Koelsch (it has wheat in the grain
bill). Of course, there are obvious wheat beers, but there may be many more
(commercial or homebrewed) that have some small amount wheat added to help
with head retention. Could gluten have something to do with it?
Heiner Lieth
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 03:28:19 -0500
From: Anthony Capocelli <acapocelli@pol.net>
Subject: Water Chemistry
Just a simple question regarding NYC water.
I obtained water analysis from the DEP
and in the package they sent the various
ions etc are listed as a mean and range.
I have been using the mean but might it
be safer to use the upper range. My beers
have been O.K. but I was thinking I might
get an even better result. Any thoughts.
Direct EMAIL O.K.
A Capocelli
New York
(I don't have a drinking problem unless
I can't find a drink)
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #2607, 01/12/98
*************************************
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