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HOMEBREW Digest #2794
HOMEBREW Digest #2794 Tue 11 August 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:
Class vs. Keg System (Rick Theiner)
My Dubbel is good...but..what could make it better? (Jonathan Edwards)
100 IBUs and Beyond! (Ken Schwartz)
Repitching 3 wk. old slurry (Dean Fikar)
100+ IBUs (Jason Henning)
Re: Oak Casks & Flavor ("J. Kish")
sulfites (or not) (Dick Dunn)
blue bottles (Bob Hess)
American Brewers Guild-Adv homebrew course (Larry Azlin)
Iodophor (Larry Azlin)
Re: dry yeast (Tom Lombardo)
Experience with WhiteLabs English Ale Yeast? (Dan Cole)
Patron Saints? ("BG Krause")
Leaded Wine, Natural sulfite, Clinitest ("David R. Burley")
Misinformation (Robert Arguello)
Dry Yeast Suggestions (Ken Schwartz)
Poisoned beer ("Eric Fouch")
Oak ("Mort O'Sullivan")
pH optima of enzymes ("Steve Alexander")
Apology to Lyn Kruger/Yeast ("Steve Alexander")
Thanks Sam ("Peter Gilbreth")
Here's Charley ("Peter Gilbreth")
re: mega IBUs (Jeff)
Sealing fridges (fridge)
There will be a Sunday Digest this week...
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 10:03:50 -0400
From: Rick Theiner <logic@skantech.com>
Subject: Class vs. Keg System
From: Mike Allred <mballred@xmission.com>:
>>My beer budget allows for either this course or a keging system. Is
it worth giving up my keg system for now?<<
My kegging system is the best homebrew investment I have ever made. You
will be amazed at how much easier things become and the sudden
possibilities that open to you (force carbonation, no bottling time, dry
hopping, and on and on). Get the keg system. Do the class next year.
FWIW
- --
Rick Theiner
LOGIC, Inc.
LOGIC@skantech.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 14:15:20 -0400
From: Jonathan Edwards <jdedward@us.ibm.com>
Subject: My Dubbel is good...but..what could make it better?
hey now,
i brewed a belgian dubbel about 2 months ago and just got around to tasting it.
it's good..definitely a good beer. i don't know if it's exactly to style or
even tastes like a belgian dubbel. i've only had a couple dubbels in my
lifetime...if someone could give me some advice to improve upon the recipe or
yeast choice, please let me know. i think i may have fermented it too cool...at
around 64F. it's very clean tasting....not estery. answers in non-scientifc
jargon would be
best understood and appreciated! :-)
my recipe for 11 gallons:
16lbs Belgian Pilsner
2lbs German Pilsner (out of belgian)
2lbs Belgian Biscuit
1lb Belgian Aromatic
1lb Belgian Carimunich
.75lb Belgian Special B
2lbs Belgian Candi Sugar
2oz Styrian Goldings 4.6% 60 minutes
1oz Hallertauer 4.0% 45 minutes
White labs P500- Trappist Ale Yeast
my typical efficiency is 72%.
Mash at 133F for 10 minutes, boost to 155F for 90 minutes. mash out at 168F for
15 minutes. fremented
at around 64F for one week in primary then racked to secondary. have kegged 5.5
gallons and will bottle
the other half.
thanks,
jonathan
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 14:26:06 -0600
From: Ken Schwartz <kenbob@elp.rr.com>
Subject: 100 IBUs and Beyond!
AlK wrote:
> Unless they add bitterness via isomerised hop extract, it's physically
> impossible to get much over 100 IBUs. The solubility of isoalpha acids in
> hot wort is only 120 mg/l and you lose a *lot* of that via break and during
> fermentation. My guess is that it's difficult to *reach* 100 IBUs let alone
> surpass it.
>
Al, you may remember the BJ's cask IPA at the NHC "trade show" in
Portland last month. Someone apparently brought a sample over to Louis
Bonham at the Brewing Techniques booth, where he was performing IBU
measurements with some rather fancy Gadget with LCD Display(TM). A
piece of paper stuck to cask reported 93 IBU. I remember it certainly
having an assertive hop kick, but I wouldn't have guessed 93! There was
a post here not long ago stating to the effect that above 50 - 60 IBU
the bitterness effect "flattens out" such that increasing IBUs gives
less and less effect on the palate. After sampling this supposedly
93-IBU beer I would agree.
- --
*****
Ken Schwartz
El Paso, TX
kenbob@elp.rr.com
http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 21:39:28 -0500
From: Dean Fikar <dfikar@flash.net>
Subject: Repitching 3 wk. old slurry
Thanks to all who replied to my query about using Wyeast 1968 for
porters and stouts. Nearly all recommended this strain for porters.
Seems that not too many have used the strain for stouts.
Now my question is what should with the quart of 1968 slurry I have had
in the fridge at 38F since 7/28? I plan to brew to brew a porter on
Aug. 16th and wonder if I can just add a pint of wort to the slurry at
fermentation temp a couple of days before I brew? Have I waited too
long and should I just start over and build up a 2 qt. starter (6.5 gal.
batch) from a few cc's of the slurry? Oh, I didn't wash the slurry but
it seems pretty trub free.
Dean Fikar - Too hot to think in Ft. Worth, TX - dfikar@flash.net
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 02:44:44 GMT
From: huskers@tir.net (Jason Henning)
Subject: 100+ IBUs
Hello Friends-
In 2791 AlK said:
+ Unless they add bitterness via isomerised hop extract, it's physically
+ impossible to get much over 100 IBUs. The solubility of isoalpha acids
in
+ hot wort is only 120 mg/l and you lose a *lot* of that via break and
during
+ fermentation. My guess is that it's difficult to *reach* 100 IBUs let
alone
+ surpass it.
What's your source on that? I've heard this mentioned before, I even
pasted it one a couple times. Now I'm wondering who said and what they
based their comments on.
I was in Houston for the PAE lab testing. Louis Bonham did IBU essays
for the beers and a couple others as well. One was a barleywine that
weighed in at 115 IBUs. Someone needs to inform that brewer his beer is
not possible.
Cheers,
Jason Henning
Big Red Alchemy and Brewing
Clawson, Michigan
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 22:00:10 -0700
From: "J. Kish" <jjkish@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Oak Casks & Flavor
To Badger Roullett,
If you are planning to buy a keg so you can serve
"kegged" beer at the party, check first and find out
which type of keg they are selling.
In the old days, beer was lagered in kegs that were
lined inside with pitch, which kept the beer away from
the wood. (Except in Belgium).
Some of the kegs you can buy today may come from the
distilleries. These are straight oak that was burned
inside, and the bourbon gets it's flavor from the
interface between the burned and the non-burned oak.
That would NOT be the right kind of keg to use for
your beer. (Unless it's a lambic).
Better yet, there are stainless steel "kegs" that
look just like wood barrels with a plastic coating
on the outside with fake 'staves'. Real-looking!
Joe Kish
------------------------------
Date: 8 Aug 98 23:36:38 MDT (Sat)
From: rcd@raven.talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
Subject: sulfites (or not)
"David R. Burley" <Dave_Burley@compuserve.com> wrote:
> Alan Keith Meeker makes a fine presentation on the sensitivity of some
> persons to excessive sulfites...
...
> However, my point was, I know of no problems with the low levels
> of sulfites in commercial wines...
It can happen, but it's as rare as Dave suggests. However:
>...Interestingly most people complain
> of these headaches with red wine but can drink white wine just fine.
> When bottled, white wine often contains 3 or 4 times as much
> sulfite as red wine. I suspect "red wine gives me a headache" is
> part of the food additive hysteria that has been fomented in this country
...
Bu, ohyyfuvg!
Dave, I am trying to learn not to flame, but look: If you don't have any
idea what you're talking about, silence is a perfectly viable option. You
have no business ridiculing people who suffer a physiological reaction they
don't choose and can't control.
The headache (and often other symptoms) reaction to red wine but not white
wine is very real, surprisingly common (way more common than reaction to
sulfites in wine), AND well understood. It is a histamine reaction which
has nothing to do with sulfites.
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
...Mr. Natural says, "Get the right tool for the job."
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 01:56:21 -0400
From: Bob Hess <robert57@pilot.msu.edu>
Subject: blue bottles
Our local brewstore just started carrying blue bottles. Is there an
advantage over brown bottles? I have read about brown versus green, but not
versus blue.
Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 23:00:28 -0700
From: Larry Azlin <espresso@dsp.net>
Subject: American Brewers Guild-Adv homebrew course
Mike Allred writes in #2791
> I am seriously thinking about attending the American Brewers Guild 2
day
> Advanced Homebrew Course. I have a few questions of the collective
first.
> ...
I took the first offering of this class back in October '95, and found
it very helpful at the time. I was just preparing to go all-grain, and
perhaps some of those discussions weren't as meaningful as they would be
now. I think you have to expect a fairly even mix of all-grain vs.
extract brewers, so it may not be really "cutting edge". It is not,
however, an intro homebrewing course; there are discussions on mash
biochemistry, calculating yields and strike temperatures, various flavor
defects, basic yeast handling and propagation, etc.
At the time, it was all classroom instruction, so it wouldn't matter
where you took it.
BTW, I liked this class enough that I just went back for their 4 day
"Homebrewers Fantasy Camp". This was a lot more advanced, included
plenty of hands-on sessions plus a 2-hour tour of Sierra Nevada, and of
course cost a lot more. My impression is that you could contact ABG and
tell them what you're looking for, and get a straight answer (as opposed
to a sales pitch) on which course would best suit your needs.
Usual disclaimers apply - no association, etc.
Cheers.
Larry Azlin
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 23:14:39 -0700
From: Larry Azlin <espresso@dsp.net>
Subject: Iodophor
The very useful table for Iodophor that Jason Henning posted in 2791
reminded me of a recent quandary as regards how much to use.
My bottle of BTF indicates that 1/4 oz in 2.5 gallons yields 12.5 ppm,
consistent with the recommendations of the Fall 95 Zymurgy article.
However, Noonan recommends (in New Brewing Lager Beer) a rate of 0.5 oz
/ gal., seemingly equivalent to 62.5 ppm!!! He also says this is a
no-rinse concentration, but it seems a bit too close to the 75ppm that
I've seen (somewhere) as requiring a rinse.
Comments?
Thanks.
Larry Azlin
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 05:56:03 -0500
From: TomL@ednet.rvc.cc.il.us (Tom Lombardo)
Subject: Re: dry yeast
Badger Roullett writes:
>i was wondering if there was a good source material (such as a handy web
>page) for information regarding the different types of DRIED beer yeasts
>available.. such as floculation, flavor profiles, experiences, best with
>which style etc. etc.
>
I find myself plugging Al's book for the second time in less than 30 days.
"Homebrewing, Volume 1" By Al Korzonas has an appendix which compares a
multitude of dry yeasts and their characteristics. (Yes, there's also one
for liquid yeasts.) No affiliation, etc. [Al, where's that new Corvette
you promised me? ;-) ]
Tom in Rockford, IL (still waiting for "Homebrewing, Volume 2")
TomL@EdNet.RVC.CC.IL.US
http://EdNet.RVC.CC.IL.US/~TomL
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 08:41:28 -0400
From: Dan Cole <dcole@roanoke.infi.net>
Subject: Experience with WhiteLabs English Ale Yeast?
Does anyone have experience with WhiteLabs English Ale Yeast?
After approx. 2 years homebrewing, I just had my first infected batch.
Right now, I think I have to blame it on the yeast (or more specifically
the lack of performance of the yeast).
Last week, I brewed an oatmeal stout for my next homebrew club meeting and
pitched straight from the Whitelabs vial. I know, I know, there have been
discussions on this list in the past about whether Whitelabs vials are
truly pitchable, but since I was only doing a 2.5 gallon batch, I thought
that it would have enough yeast. About 9 hours after pitching, I had
"bloops" from the airlock and a fairly decent krausen (with a lot of trub
unfortunately carried over from the fermenter).
During the heights of fermentation, I never had more than one bloop per 20
seconds or so. As reference, on just about any other yeast, I get one bloop
every 5 seconds or so.
Five days after racking to secondary (to get it off the trub), I look at
the fermenter and see blue/green colonies on the surface. These are not
bubbles, these are bacteria or mold.
I thought at first, that by racking to secondary with this yeast (described
as a high flocculator), I removed the largest portion of the yeast mass,
and fermentation was stalled, but I remembered getting bloops in the
airlock 2 hours after racking to secondary.
So my thoughts are that despite having enough yeast, it just didn't perform
fast enough to out-compete anything else.
Has anyone else had similar experiences with this strain of yeast?
Description from www.whitelabs.com :
WLP002- English Ale Yeast:
A classic ESB strain from one of England's largest breweries. This yeast
is best suited for English style ales including milds, bitters, porters, and
English style stouts. This leaves behind some residual sweetness.
Attenuation: 63-70%
Flocculation: Very High.
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 65-68F.
Dan Cole
Roanoke, VA
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 09:03:00 -0400
From: "BG Krause" <bkrause@gwis.com>
Subject: Patron Saints?
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 1998 08:12:01 -0700
From: John Baxter Biggins <jbbiggin@mail.med.cornell.edu>
Subject: Patron Saint of Brewing/Beer???
>Anyone out there know who the patron saint of Brewing or Beer is (if
>there is one)???
"Saint Arnold was born to a prominent Austrian family in 580 in the Chateau
of Lay-Saint-Christophe in the old French diocese of Toul, north of Nancy.
He married Doda with whom he had many sons, two of whom were to become
famous: Clodulphe, later called Saint Cloud, and Ansegis who married Begga,
daughter of Pepin de Landen. Ansegis and Begga are the
great-great-grandparents of Charlemagne, and as such, Saint Arnold is the
oldest known ancestor of the Carolingian dynasty.
Saint Arnold was acclaimed bishop of Metz, France, in 612 and spent his holy
life warning peasants about the dangers of drinking water. Beer was safe,
and "from man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world." The people
revered Arnold. In 627, Saint Arnold retired to a monastery near Remiremont,
France, where he died on August 16, 640.
In 641, the citizens of Metz requested that Saint Arnold's body be exhumed
and ceremoniously carried to Metz for reburial in their Church of the Holy
Apostles. During this voyage a miracle came to pass in the town of
Champignuelles. The tired porters and followers stopped for a rest and
walked into a tavern for a drink of their favorite beverage. Regretfully,
there was only one mug of beer to be shared, but that mug never ran dry and
all of the thirsty pilgrims were satisfied.
Saint Arnold is recognized by the Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of
Brewers. "
>From Saint Arnolds Web Page.....
http://www.saintarnold.com
No affiliation by me... ( they do have good beer though!)
- ---- Brian G. Krause -----
bkrause@gwis.com
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are TWO rules for success in life:
Rule 1: Don't tell people everything you know.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 11:01:11 -0400
From: "David R. Burley" <Dave_Burley@compuserve.com>
Subject: Leaded Wine, Natural sulfite, Clinitest
Brewsters:
To my comment:
>The Romans also used to put lead into their wine...
Sam Mize says:
"Not intentionally..."
Actually they did put lead in their wine intentionally to sweeten it.
( sort of the original low-calorie sweetener 8^) ). About 400 AD
when the empire was in collapse ( no more slaves
from Europe to make wine and do the work) the only wine they
could afford was from France and was dry (and not sweet as they
were used to) due to the lousy, cold French weather. The Italians
added Sugar of Lead to sweeten the wine. Sugar of Lead is lead
acetate. Like all soluble lead salts it affects the Central Nevous
System and the heavier wine drinkers ( increasingly the nobility
as the price of imported wine went up) suffered the most from
dementia and eventually death from lead poisoning. There may
also have been a problem from the dissoluton of lead from the lead
drinking vessels as is so often reported ( and is the source of
Sam's comment), since the French wine is so acidic compared
to Mediterranean grown grapes. The transport of the wine in then
newly invented and poorly constructed oak casks didn't help as
the wine undoubtedly spoiled on the way from Marseille to Rome.
The spoilage of the wine would produce acetic acid which would
react with the lead oxide on the drinking vessels' surface and
form lead acetate - Sugar of Lead. This would help explain why
this had become a problem towards the end of the Empire and
was not apparently a problem for most of the reign of Rome, since
drinking from lead and lead alloy vessels stetches back into history.
Why didn't all Italians suffer from this? With the collapse of the
wine industry ( all those villas stretching from Rome to Pompeii
with "barbarian" slaves) the poor farmers raised their own grapes
and knew what was in their wine and raised sweet grapes in warm
Italy which didn't need sweet additives, unless it was honey and
spices. This tradition of the Italians has carried forth to support
the home winemaking and eventually home beer making hobbies
today.
Who could have imagined that we would owe our hobby to the
Fall of the Roman Empire!
- ----------------------------------------------
Sam MIze also says of my discussion of low levels of sulfite in wines:
"You kind of dodged his point. Sulfite is as "all-natural" as salt.
That
doesn't make it safe, just natural. Some people care."
Well, I can't think of anything more natural than salt, can you??
After all we have a fairly concentrated solution running through
our veins.
Sulfite, as I pointed out, is a by-product of many wine yeasts'
fermentation. It is a natural product which they make to protect their
turf ( the grape must) from other yeasts and bacteria. Lallemand
calls this phenomenon a "killer Strain" of yeast, but it is quite normal
and natural.
I would be the last person to imply that "natural" meant "safe."
( I mean, plant-derived strychnine is about as natural as you can get).
This implied realtionship in many people's mind is an outcome of
the despised "health" industry spreading its unsupported load of
crap throughout our society for their own enrichment. I implore
all readers to be extremely sceptical of unsupported health claims.
Likewise, I also implore you to not be whipsawed by claims of danger
from ingestion of harmless (or even helpful) things on the basis that
they are not natural.
I am still awaiting a definitive scientific study which proves that the
small dosage of less that 100 ppm of sulfite in commercial wines
is harmful to even the most sensitive person.
Sam goes on to show that we both agree that irrational fears should
not be a driving force in anyone's life. Insist on proof and not glib
discussion.
- -------------------------------------
AlK asys:
"I'd like to thank Dave for spurring me to finally put together
that Clinitest page on my website. Rather than clog the HBD with
the same old story, you can find my thoughts on this subject"
I guess this is the only response you have left, to withdraw from
open discussion, since you've never bothered to try or even
understand why Clinitest is so great for homebrewers.
Just stick to the facts and don't libel me.
I know Clinitest is a useful aid in knowing for sure if "the beer is
done", I've tried the other methods over decades and found them
to be wanting
.
I simply can't understand someone with your knowledge of
brewing, hiding from an improvement in homebrewing technique.
- --------------------------------------
Keep on Brewin'
Dave Burley
Kinnelon. NJ 07405
Dave_Burley@Compuserve.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 08:29:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Robert Arguello <robertac@jps.net>
Subject: Misinformation
I did not respond publicly a week ago when Al Korzonas declared that my
method of Counter Pressure Bottle Filling would result in "Gushers.
Guaranteed!!". But I will now...
Nonsense!
A couple of days ago someone mentioned that they had tried my method of
force carbonation, (posted on my web site at
http://www.jps.net/robertac/carb.htm), and had found it to his liking.
For some reason, Al has decided that all of my methods, (first CP filling
and now Forced Carbonation), will result in over-carbonated beer and
wrote......
.>Marc posted that he has tried Robert Arguello's Force-Carbonation
.>technique and it works well for him (chill beer in freezer for
.>4 hours, attach CO2 at 35 psi and then rock for 4 to 5 minutes).
.>I'm not comfortable with that method. It seems to work for Robert
.>and Marc, but everyone's freezer is different and everyone's beer
.>*starting* temperature is different. So if the beer in the keg
.>happened to get down to 40F in those 4 hours, 5 minutes at 35 psi
.>could give you more than 5 volumes of CO2!!!
.>I urge everyone to print out Alan's excellent tables that were
.>recently reposted, set the CO2 pressure to the one you need for
.>the actual temperature and volumes and then rock the keg until
.>the CO2 stops flowing. Actually, since I've personally made the
.>following mistake more than once, let me suggest that you
.>disconnect the gas line from the keg during shaking. Sure,
.>that bubbling sounds cool, but what do you do when beer starts
.>climbing up your CO2 hose back towards the regulator?
I don't have the scientific knowledge to argue with his assertions except to
say that I have force carbonated over 300 batches of beer with this method
and 3 to 5 minutes of forced carbonation at 35 psi at 40 degrees F will NOT
result in beer with 5 volumes of CO2. I have never actually measured the
temp of my beer after 4 hours in my freezer and, in fact, nowadays I don't
even have the old freezer and now chill the beer in my large keg fridge,
(http://www.jps.net/robertac/fridge.htm), but the results are the same. My
keg fridge is set to 40 degrees F. I force carb at that temp for 3 1/2
minutes at 35 psi., then draw a pint to check on the carb level. If further
carbonation is desired I continue the force carbonation process for 30
seconds and check again. I force carb every beer I brew and the 10 ribbons
hanging in my brewery, (5 of them being first place), would suggest that the
process works well. As in any method or process, your mileage may vary and
certainly, different levels of carbonation are appropriate for different
styles of beer. My Chimay clone, for instance, gets a full 5 to 6 minutes of
treatment whereas my English Pale Ale is usually appropriately carbonated
after only 3 and 1/2 minutes. As I mention in my article, folks trying this
method for the first time should check the carbonation level often during
the process. Certainly there are variables that need to be respected.
Al correctly mentioned the possibility of beer backing up into the gas line.
This can only happen if the pressure in the corny keg becomes higher than
the pressure coming from the regulator. While it won't happen during the
normal course of force carbonating, it CAN happen accidently and to prevent
it completely, I installed a check-valve between the hose and the
quick-disconnect. By the time anyone reads this post, I will have updated my
web site article to reflect this.
********************************************************************
Robert Arguello <robertac@jps.net>
CORNY KEGS FOR SALE! $12.00 each
http://www.jps.net/robertac/keg.htm
ProMash Brewers' Software - http://www.jps.net/robertac/promash
********************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 12:20:01 -0600
From: Ken Schwartz <kenbob@elp.rr.com>
Subject: Dry Yeast Suggestions
Badger asks about Dry Yeasts:
> which dry yeast is best in a sweet stout?
> which dry yeast is best when making a Pale ale?
> which dry yeast is best for making english ales?
> which dry yeast is best for doing High Gravity batches?
>
I've been experimenting with dry yeasts a lot this year, mostly with
good success. For the most part I've been using Danstar Nottingham,
from Lallemand. This yeast is very neutral, enough so to have made a
credible Bohemian Pilsner when fermented at 60F. I've also used it in a
barleywine, where it took the 1.092 wort to 1.017 in a few days. Now
granted, this was accomplished by dumping the wort onto the yeast cake
of a just-racked amber ale, but all nine of our club's Big Brew brewers
reported quick complete fermentations with this same yeast when pitched
from the foil (2 packages, rehydrated).
I have also used the Danstar London in a porter, which added just enough
character to complement the beer. I would describe it as midway between
"neutral" and "English/fruity". Might be a good choice for the sweet
stout. Though I haven't tried their Windsor, it is claimed by Lallemand
to be "estery to both palate and nose with a slight fresh yeasty flavor"
producing beer that are "usually described as full-bodied, fruity
English ales" (see http://www.lallemand.com). The Windsor thus would be
a logical choice for your pales and other English ales.
Finally, I recently obtained a sample of some DCL Safale S-04, which I
haven't seen commercially available but you might be able to get some
ordered from a HB store as Crosby & Baker (I believe) distribute this in
the US. This yeast fermented with a nicely-fruity finish which would be
welcome in a "typical" English ale. Also, John Pilhoefer at Jaxon's
brewpub here in El Paso (1997 GABF Gold Medal winner for American Brown)
recently brewed a batch of stout using this same yeast which came out
well. This same beer will be served at this year's GABF so if you're
there and want to try a "dry yeast beer", there's your chance.
I have yet to try Cooper's, Edme, or any of the other popular dry yeasts
in one of my own brews, but I have sampled others' beers made with these
and found them to make good beer.
FWIW I use two 5-gram packets per 5-gallon batch. Remember to rehydrate
the yeast first, by soaking it in sanitized (boiled/cooled) water (NOT
WORT) for 15-30 minutes before pitching. Lallemand recommends around
105F while DCL suggests much cooler water, so read the label. ANd
speaking of reading the label, be sure to check the expiration date on
the label. Dry yeasts typically can store two years and retain adequate
viability, but fresh packs will give faster starts and better ferments.
*****
Ken Schwartz
El Paso, TX
kenbob@elp.rr.com
http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 16:59:21 -0400
From: "Eric Fouch" <fouches@iserv.net>
Subject: Poisoned beer
HBD-
In HBD #2792 Sam M said about "poisonous" foodstuffs:
>Some people think things are dangerous if processed, and safe if "natural"
>- -- you know, like curare, blowfish toxin, or uncooked tapioca...
OMIGOSH!!!!!! What about the Manioc Dopplebock I like to make with tapioca
granules?!??!!
Should I be step-decocting my goods mash in a pressure cooker? Am I slowly
killing myself with my beer?
I read in the paper today about a new rocket fuel consisting mostly of
hydrogen peroxide. It was deemed non-toxic, since it can be diluted in
water. Seriously! So, I guess the moral is, dilute your uncooked tapioca,
and you won't have any problems. Ditto with your sodium cyanide solutions.
I wonder if the botulism toxin is water soluble?
Eric Fouch
Bent Dick YoctoBrewery
P.S. - Parts of this post were in jest: :) ;) :). Put 'em where you
like.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 01:32:09 +0100
From: "Mort O'Sullivan" <tarwater@brew-master.com>
Subject: Oak
Badger Roullett asks:
>Ok Al, and all you Beer Brained Buckaroos out there....
>Oak Casks.. how does one tell American and Euro Oak? how can you age a
>beer in a SMALL (5 gallon) cask with out adding too much flavor?
I seem to remember that you can add Folin-Dennis reagent to shavings of
both American and European oak; the Euro oak will turn the reagent a deep
blue and began to froth, whereas there will be no frothing and not as
severe a color change with the American oak. I believe the Folin-Dennis
reagent (mercuric cyanide) reacts with the tannins in the wood and since
European oak is much higher in tannins, you get a more severe reaction. (I
realize this may not be much help to you without access to Folin-Dennis
reagent, but you did ask). Alternatively, you might try to make an infusion
of the wood shavings in a little boiling water and then sip the cooled
infusion--the more astringent will be European oak (but the American oak
will also be astringent so you would pobably need some kind of reference
standards).
European oak (Quercus sessilis or Q. robur) and American white oak (Q.
alba) both impart strong flavours to any liquids stored in them, and
depending on how they are treated they will also absorb some of the more
volatile flavor components from the liquids. But European and American oak
are very different, as has been noted in a few other posts. In general,
American oak is much higher in lactones (which is perceived as "coconut" at
high concentrations and "oaky" at lower concentrations), whereas European
oak is much higher in tannins.
If you're going for historical accuracy for a British beer style, you would
need to find either English or Memel oak. English oak was used until the
reign of Elizabeth I, during which it was nearly completely depleted by the
ship building industry. From the mid 16th century until the Second World
War, British brewers and coopers used almost exclusively Memel oak, sourced
from Russia and imported through the port of Memel on the Baltic. During
WWII, the supply of Memel oak was cut off, but then the days of oak casks
for beer were numbered by then anyway.
As I believe Phil Grossblatt mentioned, the preparation of the wood is as
important as the type of wood. For wines and spirits, the inside surface is
left rough and heat-treated to various degrees. The heat catalyses
pyrolysis reactions with the oak lignin compounds and releases all sorts of
flavorful derivatives of syringyl and guaiacyl compounds (e.g. vanillin).
For beers, the inside surface is usually smoothed to minimize the surface
area and if a mild oak such as English or Memel were used, it would only be
treated with a pickling solution of brine and sodium carbonate to
neutralize some of the tannins near the surface. If the cask smelled "sweet
and clean" after this treatment it would be filled directly with beer.
Otherwise, it might be lined with pitch or another suitable resin before
filling with beer. Of course there was one well-known brewer of stout who
used casks with a rough, charred interior, claiming that the flavor the
wood imparted to the beer was desired by its customers.
Also, the smallest cask size coopers would make for beer was a pin. A pin
held 4.5 gallons and was 16.5 inches long, 11 inches across the head, and
13.5 inches in diameter at the pitch. A cask of this size will have a large
surface-to-volume ratio, so a mild, pickled oak or one lined with a resin
would be essential if you did not want an oaky beer.
Cheers,
Mort O'Sullivan
Edinburgh, Scotland
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 15:58:26 -0400
From: "Steve Alexander" <steve-alexander@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: pH optima of enzymes
Fred L. Johnson asks about pH and enzymes.
>So, do the enzymologists have this measurement under control or not?
Generally not.
The recommended procedures for enzyme parameter measurement specify a
temperature , 20C I believe, where practical. So a correction under these
conditions isn't called for. Unfortunately many enzyme cannot be practically
isolates and measured at this temperature, so it is necessary to understand the
conditions under which the measurements were taken.
What is probably more important is to understand that the pH optima may shift
with temperature too, so a single temp optima measurement doesn't really
reflect an optima under other conditions anyway. Basically pH impacts the
conformation of the enzyme, which impacts it's activity rate. Think of an
enzyme as a largish ribbon of protein that tends to fold into a particular
shape. In that shape it can effect it's catalytic role. When it is stretched
or deformed it becomes less effective or even entirely ineffective. pH impacts
the electrical attraction and repulsion between the different amino acids of
the enzyme and so impacts it's shape. High salt levels, probably much higher
than in mash water, can have a similar effect. Temperature affects the number
of enzyme/source collisions that are energetic enough to cause the reaction,
but temperature can also lead to enzymes which spend less of their time in the
optimal conformation, which in turn can shift the pH optima. This last effect
can shift the pH optima by about -0.2 per +10C, and here I am not referring the
temperature dependence of pH [1]. The activity of enzymes can be very greatly
enhanced by the presence of cofactors, such as calcium ions in the case of some
of the amylases, and zinc and magnesium ions in the case of some yeast enzymes.
As a practical matter the pH vs activity curves for malt enzymes are
exceedingly wide, and your first concern about pH in the mash should be towards
phenolic extraction and protein solubility and coagulation.
[1] 'Enzyme Technology', Chaplin & Bucke, 1990 Cambridge Univ Press.
Steve Alexander
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 21:27:34 -0400
From: "Steve Alexander" <steve-alexander@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Apology to Lyn Kruger/Yeast
All, a couple HBDs back I posted some doubts about Lyn Kruger of Seibel. This
was/is entirely unfair on my part. I do not know Lyn or her qualifications, I
do not have direct access to her course notes and she isn't here to defend her
point of view so my comments were based on second hand, out of context
recitations. Enough said, apologies to Lyn Kruger.
The course notes apparently represent a short course on practical aspects of
brewing, and are apparently largely relevant to commercial operations. These
notes appear in my somewhat underinformed estimation to not contain sufficient
technical detail to justify some of the extrapolations made by a few students
of the class. Out of context and in the forms quoted here, they appear to defy
well established models for yeast growth and fermentation and use rather
unintelligible definitions for the term 'lipids' among other things.
I suspect that the adage about a little knowledge being a dangerous thing is
relevant here. I do not claim to be an expert on yeast microbiology; still it
is pretty clear that a short course on practical brewing at Seibel does not a
microbiologist make either. .I suspect some of the Seibel students need to take
a wider perspective as well and dig out those library cards and to question
what they have been taught. Taking a short course is often like drinking
knowledge from a fire hose. There is no time to seriously challenge the
information at the time it is presented. There is therefore a need to question
and determine the underlying support for the information later to create a
proper perspective. Until you can personally support or reject the things you
have "learned" you are really being constrained intellectually by the titles
and opinions of others, and have little basis for judgment.
By private email a Seibel short course grad points out the terrific
qualifications of the Seibel staff. I can't really challenge this, and don't
mean to, but it is important to challenge the ideas they present, whether it's
George Fix, Lyn Kruger or Ludwig Narziss or perhaps some guy on HBD. If you
don't question the ideas - you're not a student, just a trainee.
I find that there is a sometimes recently a certain arrogance by Seibel
students that they have been enlightened by the the one true method of brewing,
followed by a list of techniques that make Miller the beer it is and a
recitation of "facts" that the student cannot support. I must admit that I
didn't/don't see this at all when Rob and George attended Siebel, but then
again I suspect they began with a pretty substantial background. Also I don't
think that the methods used at Miller or in Micros are bad, it's just that
without understanding the principles and motivations behind these techniques
it's impossible to say you really understand brewing or the relevance of the
method to various types of brewing. For example it's been stated that 3X is
the yeast growth rate in ale breweries; perhaps this is so ( I still have
doubts) , but was the purpose to perform quicker fermentations, or to avoid
yeast growth byproducts ? If the latter why aren't they pitching a full
complement of yeast and shooting for near zero growth (because it would cause
zero fermentation right ;^) ) ?
Also don't get the impression that I'm stating unequivocally that I am correct
and Seibel is wrong. I've presented some pretty good lit references as to why
I think I'm right on several key points. Perhaps I'm totally wrong, and the
Seibels guys are right, because some new discovery or datum that I have
entirely overlooked. I'm just asking that you demonstrate why I'm wrong. A
journal reference would be a great starting point.
I've also received criticism that I have gotten lost in journals and don't know
as much as I think. Perhaps so - but considering the bogus definition of
lipids presented and the highly unusual model for yeast fermentation rates
suggested, I certainly must have a right to raise doubts and serious questions
about what is being stated. I've already posted sources and definition of
lipids. The yeast fermentation and growth models I'd like to cite appear in:
[1] Engasser et al., Proc. fo the EBC, 1981, p579 and [2] Gee & Ramirez,
Biotech and Bioeng. 1988, v31, p224, also [3] Gee&Ramirez, JIB 1994, v100, pp
321. This is all based on work that goes back to the early '60s done by
Aryapaa, Nordstrom and others. If these models have been decisively rejected
then certainly there is a journal article describing this. Peter, Jim, can you
cite a paper ? [BTW I posted the math contents of the Gee&Ramirez model from
[3] on HBD 1+ years ago.]
Steve Alexander
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 02:12:59 -0700
From: "Peter Gilbreth" <BARLEYWINE@prodigy.net>
Subject: Thanks Sam
Sam quotes me:
>
In the yeast thread, Peter Gilbreath said:
>What I do see is a lot of evidence that points me to believe that O2 sats
>do indeed influence the length of lag.
>
Actually I said a bunch of hard to follow crap that Mr Mize had the patience
to sort through and write it in English.
Thanks, Sam
Cheers.
Peter Gilbreth
barleywine@prodigy.net
www.barleywine.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 02:37:20 -0700
From: "Peter Gilbreth" <BARLEYWINE@prodigy.net>
Subject: Here's Charley
I laughed my ass off at Charley:
>Now, where was I? Oh yeah, one bazillion and 1, one bazillion and 2, one
>baz....
>>Charley (counting yeast instead of sheep) in N. Cal
Charley was wanting to know how to guesstimate a yeast count of his slurry:
Perhaps if someone had done exactly as you do when you save your yeast,
>I store recovered yeast under boiled distilled water in *Quart* jars in the
>fridge.
>>I normally run the stuff through one wash cycle as described on the Wyeast
>>page (www.wyeastlab.com).
>
and then taken a representative sample (water decanted, slurry stirred) and
done a cell count on a hemocytometer and published the results, (maybe with
several different sized examples like 4 oz, 8 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz)....maybe you
could call your educated guesses (which is what these are ;')*just
approximately*.
Also helpful would be a viablility count.
What the *artistic* brewer (me) should strive to do is to find out which
method
works best for your equipment and favorite procedures. Then you must be able
to replicate it. That's the hard part.
Cheers.
Peter Gilbreth
barleywine@prodigy.net
www.barleywine.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 09:03:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: mcnallyg@gam83.npt.nuwc.navy.mil (Jeff)
Subject: re: mega IBUs
Hi All,
Al K. wrote:
>Unless they add bitterness via isomerised hop extract, it's physically
>impossible to get much over 100 IBUs. The solubility of isoalpha acids in
>hot wort is only 120 mg/l and you lose a *lot* of that via break and during
>fermentation. My guess is that it's difficult to *reach* 100 IBUs let alone
>surpass it.
I made a barleywine in June of 97 that supports Al's comments about the
max solubility of isoalpha acids.
Using Glenn Tinseth's online bitterness calculator, the IBUs in this
barleyine should be 210 (no that is not a typo!).
As part of the lab testing that Louis Bonham did for the Palexperiment
brews, he also measured the IBUs in this barleyiwne for me. It meausred
out at "only" 115 IBUs.
To get to this IBU level I used 16.5 oz of hops in a 5 gal batch, the
first addition was 4 oz of 15.4%AA Columbus (60 min boil)!
Hoppy brewing (literally),
Jeff
==========================================================================
Geoffrey A. McNally Phone: (401) 832-1390
Mechanical Engineer Fax: (401) 832-7250
Launcher Technology and email:
Analysis Branch mcnallyg@gam83.npt.nuwc.navy.mil
Naval Undersea Warfare Center WWW:
Code 8322; Bldg. 1246/2 http://www.nuwc.navy.mil/
Newport, RI 02841-1708
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 09:24:07 -0400
From: fridge@Imbecile.kzoo.edu
Subject: Sealing fridges
Greetings folks,
In HBD # 2792, Al Korzonas brought up an excellent point. It is
important to seal any penetrations into a fridge or freezer cabinet.
The factory often uses a putty-like substance or rubber grommet
where a wire or sensor probe must enter the cabinet. Silicone caulk
or plumber's putty make good substitutes.
Older refrigerators and freezers often used spun rock wool or
fiberglass to insulate the cabinet. Early models relied upon the
cabinet liner to act as a vapor barrier and often had problems with
ice buildup inside the insulation around the evaporator area. Later
models used a polyethylene vapor barrier either glued or gum-
sealed to the cabinet liner, or encapsulated the insulation in poly
bags before inserting them into the cabinet recesses. Any
penetrations made through this type of insulation should be carefully
sealed at the cold side of the insulation, and at both penetration
points of bagged or wrapped insulation.
Newer models are "foamed in place". The fridge cabinet is injected
with a two-part liquid which forms a sticky closed-cell foam when
mixed. The foam fills any space between inner and outer cabinet
walls and adheres to the cabinet surfaces, forming a goog vapor
barrier in the process. Penetrations through this foam shouldn't
cause problems, but I like to work a little silicone caulk into the foam
surface where I drill it to prevent any moisture from wicking into it,
and seal any hole made to the cabinet wall with either silicone caulk
or putty.
Hope this helps!
- ----------------------------------------------
Forrest Duddles - FridgeGuy in Kalamazoo
fridge@Imbecile.kzoo.edu
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #2794, 08/11/98
*************************************
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