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HOMEBREW Digest #2957
HOMEBREW Digest #2957 Thu 18 February 1999
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:
Yeast Nutrient? ("Mark Ellis")
Lagers, Decoction, Aged Hops, CAP, sour malt, water question (Ted McIrvine)
Thanks for help with HSA articles (Dan Cole)
Re: malts and hops (Tom Lombardo)
clone recipe requests ("Patrick Michael Flahie")
Sanitizing Bottles (Ken Schwartz)
Continuous Beer Fermentation (Bob.Sutton)
malts and hops (Lance Levsen)
re:alcohol and beer port (Rod Prather)
CF Chiller Cleaning ("Gregg Soh")
Re: Sanitizing Bottles ("rrscott")
Saurmalz (Dan Listermann)
Re: CAP corn question (Jeff Renner)
PC RIMS?? (Gordon n Stephanie VIZECKY)
tribal wisdom (Jeff Renner)
RIMS ("Philip J Wilcox")
Sour malt (Stephen Cavan)
Re: Problems with RIMS grain bed (Paul Shick)
Lagering in kegs (John Wilkinson)
re: Acid Malt ("Alan McKay")
Corny Keg Foam (jeff)
AOB Taxes, 1997 (Jim Liddil)
MCAB Conference Report: The Gory Details, Special Report ("George De Piro")
Lindeman's Lambic Yeast ("Randy A. Shreve")
non-alcoholic beer (William Frazier)
RE: RIMS Pumping Problems with Lager malts (LaBorde, Ronald)
Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 17:20:01 +1100
From: "Mark Ellis" <mellis@gribbles.com.au>
Subject: Yeast Nutrient?
Hi All,
Just wondering what the chemicals are that make up the generic "yeast
nutrient" that you see available for wine and cider making etc. I work
for a pathology company and can get food grade chemicals "very" cheap.
TIA
Mark E. in Oz
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 02:10:50 -0800
From: Ted McIrvine <McIrvine@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Lagers, Decoction, Aged Hops, CAP, sour malt, water question
HBD 2956 raised a number of questions that correlate to recent brewing
and tasting experiences.
For lager yeasts, I've been using Bavarian yeast for the last two
years. I typically ferment for about 10-14 days at 55 degrees, bring it
up to 65 degrees for 2 days (diacetyl rest) and then rack. This yeast
seems to produce fewer esters than Czech strains, less diacetyl than the
Munich strain, and less DMS than the St. Louis strain. But I think that
the Czech strain is better for Pilsner and Vienna.
For a triple decoction, I mash in around 130, decoct to 145 and 155, and
then mash out at 165 on the third decoction. I use a very thick
decoction (in fact I use a strainer to pull off the grain) so that there
isn't a lot of liquid in the decoction. Recently I've been doing double
or single decoctions instead (skipping the protein rest). The next time
I do a DoppelBock I'm going to do a triple decoction with protein rest.
(Mark Bayer's comments about this match my experience closely.)
I age hops for brewing lambics by purchasing a pound of Saaz and a pound
of Goldings and leaving the bag open for several years. (While the
Goldings are going stale, they are good for brewing Scotch ales during
the first few months since one doesn't want a hop nose in that style.)
Until Saturday, I was very skeptical about Classic American Pilsner,
until I tasted a really good one brewed by a fellow Homebrewer of Staten
Island. I used to think "Ew, corn doesn't belong in beer, I hate
vegetables in my beer" just as others think that phenols don't belong in
German Wheat beer and that peat doesn't belong in Scotch ales and that
cloudiness doesn't belong in wit beer etc... This was great (and so is
cloudy wit and peaty Scotch ale.) The brewer used about 10% adjuncts.
The sour malt someone was wondering about is used for water chemistry in
brewing German beers because the Bavarian purity laws prohibit water
additives.
Finally, a question for the collective wisdom... I read an analysis of
my brewing water and it is almost identical to Pilsen water, with a
speck more calcium. But I'd be happier if I knew how many parts per
million the Crosby & Baker water additives add to water. Lately I've
guessed pretty well. But I'd rather not guess. Does anyone have data
on this?
Ted
McIrvine@Ix.Netcom.Com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 06:18:35 -0500
From: Dan Cole <dcole@roanoke.infi.net>
Subject: Thanks for help with HSA articles
I wanted to thank everyone for sending me references for HSA [Hot Side
Aeration]. The best reference (on its own and with an extensive
bibiolography) was "Control Beer Oxidation from Kettle to Bottle" by George
Fix in the November/December 1998 issues of BrewingTechniques (I subscribe
to the magazine, but I forgot about the article). Anyone who is interested
in HSA, I would highly recommend this article and the bibliography.
I don't know why this is such an issue with me (I've let other inaccuracies
in BYO go by without comment). Maybe because HSA is usually (particularly
for their target audience - new/relatively new/extract brewers) very easy
to avoid.
Dan Cole
Roanoke, VA
www.hbd.org/starcity/
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 05:54:26 -0600
From: toml@ednet.rvc.cc.il.us (Tom Lombardo)
Subject: Re: malts and hops
Jerry writes:
>Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 09:34:02 -0800
>From: "J. Daoust" <thedaousts@ixpres.com>
>Subject: malts and hops
>
>I am looking for a listing of available malts, malt extracts, and hops.
>Listing the characteristics of each. Primarily what they will do for my
>beer,(color, flavor, bitterness). Has anyone heard of such a listing??.
>I have found partial listings of hops at cats meow and in Dave Millers
>guide. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Jerry Daoust
Jerry,
Get a copy of "Homebrewing, Volume 1", by Al Korzonas. The lists you want
are in there, as well as extensive lists of liquid and dry yeasts and
their characteristics.
Tom (in Rockford IL)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 07:41:17 -0500 (EST)
From: "Patrick Michael Flahie" <flahiepa@pilot.msu.edu>
Subject: clone recipe requests
Tom Franklin asked:
My neighbor is just getting into Homebrewing
and wants a good Newcastle clone. We tried
on a few weeks ago, and while it's good,
it's a far cry from Newcastle
Anyone have an extract recipe that comes close?
And Marc (JPullum127@aol.com) asked:
now that we have tried a couple all-grain
batches ,my partner wants to try an anchor
steam clone. anyone have a tried and true
all-grain recipe?
thanks marc
I reply:
When I started homebrewing, most of my effort was
directed toward cloning (simply because I didn't
have an idea what many of the styles out there
were supposed to taste like). A good resource I
have been using is a book called "Clonebrews". I
don't have the pertinent info here (at work not at
home), but I've heard it mentioned on HBD before and
I don't think it's that rare. It offers >100 clone
recipes for commercial beers that you know and some
you've never heard of. It might be a good investment
for your brewing library.
Hope this helps.
Patrick Flahie
Jackson, MI
(just a couple exits west on I-94 from Jeff Renner)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 05:53:54 -0700
From: Ken Schwartz <kenbob@elp.rr.com>
Subject: Sanitizing Bottles
Donald Fischer writes about sanitizing bottles. My favorite technique
is to run them through the dishwasher (WITH NO DETERGENT OR SPOTTING
AGENT), with heated dry cycle enabled. I also fill the detergent cup
with some Clorox though I recognize that water spray doesn't always
actually get inside the bottles. I can load the DW the night before
bottling and run it overnight or the next morning.
Another nice feature is that if I choose to bottle in the kitchen, I
open the dishwasher door and use it not only for access to the bottles
but also as a work surface; all spills and drips stay in the DW and will
be washed away the next time we do dishes.
Key to success here is to be sure the bottles are clean to begin with.
Always rinse your bottles after use so that there is no residue visible
inside. This way they will not become biology labs in storage.
- --
*****
Ken Schwartz
El Paso, TX
Brewing Web Page: http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer
E-mail: kenbob@elp.rr.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 07:55:36 -0500
From: Bob.Sutton@fluordaniel.com
Subject: Continuous Beer Fermentation
I ran across this recent paper last night from the folks at Millers. Although
I'm not yet ready to convert my carboys into continuous service, I found the
publication quite interesting...
Immobilized Yeast Bioreactor Systems for Continuous Beer Fermentation
Murthy Tata,* Patricia Bower, Susan Bromberg, Dick Duncombe, Jeff Fehring,
Vera Lau, David Ryder, and Paul Stassi
Miller Brewing Company, 3939 West Highland Boulevard, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
53201
Accepted December 4, 1998.
Abstract:
Two different types of immobilized yeast bioreactors were examined for
continuous fermentation of high-gravity worts. One of these is a fluidized bed
reactor (FBR) that employs porous glass beads for yeast immobilization.
The second system is a loop reactor containing a porous silicon carbide
cartridge (SCCR) for immobilizing the yeast cells. Although there was some
residual fermentable sugar in the SCCR system product, nearly complete
attenuation of the wort sugars was achieved in either of the systems when
operated as a two-stage process. Fermentation could be completed in these
systems in only half the time required for a conventional batch process.
Both the systems showed similar kinetics of extract consumption, and therefore
similar volumetric productivity. As compared to the batch fermentation, total
fusel alcohols were lower; total esters, while variable, were generally higher.
The yeast biomass production was similar to that in a conventional fermentation
process. As would be expected in an accelerated fermentation system, the levels
of vicinal diketones (VDKs) were higher. To
remove the VDKs, the young beer was heat-treated to convert the VDK precursors
and processed through a packed bed immobilized yeast bioreactor for VDK
assimilation. The finished product from the FBR system was found to be quite
acceptable from a flavor perspective, albeit different from the product from a
conventional batch process. Significantly shortened fermentation times
demonstrate the feasibility of this technology for beer
production.
Cheers!
Bob (bubbling over in sawth caroliner)
Fruit Fly Brewhaus
Yesterdays' Technology Today
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 08:14:45 -0600
From: Lance Levsen <lance.l@home.com>
Subject: malts and hops
Hops - I use "Using Hops" by Mark Garetz. ISBN 0-9640785-0-3. An excellent
book on hops, what they do, how you can figure it out, and hops profiles.
Malt - Zymurgy vol. 18 no. 4 Special Issue 1995 "The Great Grain Issue" has
always been a good resource for grains and their approx pt/lp/gal, colour,
and diastatic characteristics.
-lance
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 09:23:58 -0500
From: Rod Prather <rodpr@iquest.net>
Subject: re:alcohol and beer port
Actually the port makers add the brandy both to halt fermentation and to
increase alcohol. The increased alcohol content has the function of a
preservative. High ABV ports and sherrys are know for their longevity.
They age very slowly and once aged keep their flavors intact for on up to a
century of age. Actually, I think the idea of fortifying a barley wine
with scotch or brandy is an interresting concept. I think I prefer the
brandy approach though the scotch peatyness could be tasty. Break out a
20 year old bottle of home brew for special occasions. Especially a 20 year
old bottle of Millinium Strong Barley Wine. Oh, diluting with Grain Neutral
Spirits would help with the pocket book understanding that it would take
almost a gallon of 100 proof to boost 5 gallons of 11% barley wine to the
20% level. Of course you would want to use a quality scotch or brandy for
the flavor component. I would hate to pour a gallon of McCallans into a
vat of beer.
It might be wise to look into storing these in champagne bottles with corks
and caps like some trappist ales. 20% wines are typically not consumed by a
single person and you would want enough for several glasses.
> "I've been getting into port wine lately, and I was thinking
> about beer port. -----------
> The beer analogy would be to take a barleywine type
> wort, begin fermentation, and then 2 to 3 days later
> (maybe longer), add scotch to the fermenter to up
> the alcohol and leave the unfermented sugars behind.
>
> I would hazard a guess that the port makers do this as a means to achieve a
> desired sweet taste in the end product, not necessarily to increase the
> alcohol levels,
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 06:21:25 PST
From: "Gregg Soh" <greggos@hotmail.com>
Subject: CF Chiller Cleaning
A couple of weeks ago, there was a thread on how some of us clean their
counter-flow chillers. Most have expressed that they wash it out before
and after with boiling water. This is what I do too. Well, I wouldn't
say that I'm absolutely comfortable with that, and 15 batches after, I
am looking for a way of cleaning it at least a little more effectively
than just with hot water. I have "BLC" beer line cleaner that I use for
my beer lines on occasion. It says its ingredients "include alkalis,
water softeners, sequestrants, surfactants, chemicals with detergent &
cleasing properties". Could I use it safely on the copper in my CF
chiller? (I got the idea of using it since this stuff is also used to
clean out those SS coils used for cooling kegged beer).
Any experts on this subject?
Thanks in advance,
Greg Soh.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 06:36:19 -0800
From: "rrscott" <rrscott@jps.net>
Subject: Re: Sanitizing Bottles
Donald Fischer wrote about sanitizing bottles and aluminum foil:
"I fill the washed bottles to the brim with the sanitizing solution and
"cap"
the bottles with a 2-inch square piece of
heavy duty aluminum foil, squeezing the foil tightly around the top of the
bottle (it makes a tight seal)...
Here's my question: I notice the aluminum foil is often slightly tarnished
when I remove it (especially the part that covers the top & makes contact
with the solution). I also notice a faint salt-like residue on the bottle
top & around the side where the foil makes contact with the glass. Are the
tarnish & slight residue related? Is either toxic? Does anyone else use this
procedure?"
If the aluminum foil seems to be a problem, why not use Saran Wrap or such
to "cap" the bottles? However, I think storing bottles with sanitizing
solution in them is overkill. My procedure is to wash bottles with dish
soap and rinse immediately after pouring a beer. This way the inside of the
bottle does not have chance to dry out with the nasties left in. On
bottling day, fill a tub with sanitizing solution (bleach for me) and let
the bottles soak until needed. Rinse, fill and cap. I've never lost a
bottle to infection and the additional effort on bottling day is less than
15 minutes.
Bob Scott
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 09:40:58 -0500
From: Dan Listermann <72723.1707@compuserve.com>
Subject: Saurmalz
Randi Ricchi writes that he has 5 lbs of Saurmalz and he wants to know if
it can be used in stouts. I have been using about 3% in my stouts ( .25
lb. per five gallons) with great success. It has given my stouts a real
nice edge toward mimicking Guinness.
Dan Listermann dan@listermann.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 09:49:01 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <nerenner@umich.edu>
Subject: Re: CAP corn question
DakBrew@aol.com asked:
>First off where do you by coarse ground corn meal? And what are you paying per
>LB?
I get it at a local bulk food store for $0.45/lb. It is a bright yellow
meal that is not terribly coarse, but certainly coarser than the Quaker and
other brands in the cardboard cylinder at the grocery store. That would
probably work, too, but it would be more likely to get past your false
bottom, EasyMash or manifold.
>Second what is polenta? and again what is the cost and where is it obtained?
Polenta is a fancy grade coarse corn grits - I think it's more refined
endosperm of the corn (less of the outer layers). It is used in Italian
cooking. It is considerably more expensive than corn meal. Its size is
more nearly that of brewers grits, which I have been unable to find. Of
course, regular table grits should work just fine. I *think* (QDA) yellow
corn may have more flavor than white, which is what all of the table grits
I have seen are.
This summer the brewer at Capitol Brewery in Wisconsin obtained a shipment
of white grits for the statewide CAP project (13 micros and BPs brewed CAPs
for the statewide beer fest). The recipe was based on pre-pro brewery logs
from Schlitz. I tasted Capitol's and it was a really nice CAP, although
less distinctive than mine or the one that won the category (and was
runner-up BOS "by an eyelash") at MCAB this weekend.
At the MCAB, Ed Westmeier told me of some old mimeographed brewer's
instructions for the Hudepohl brewery that he had just seen that didn't
worry about corn vs. rice in the recipe - they just told how to handle
whichever was available! Now I'm really looking forward to brewing my next
CAP with rice.
>Thirdly has anyone ever used popcorn? Unpoped and run through a grain mill?
Check the archives - I remember someone doing it. I don't know what the
special characteristics of popcorn might have on brewing. It's certainly
more expensive than ordinary corn, and its smaller size probably means that
it has a lower percentage of starch.
Speaking of MCAB, what a great time was had by all. I think the best part
was meeting so many members of this great virtual community. I won't even
attempt to begin to name them for fear of forgetting someone- just to say
it was wonderful. The technical talks were super, too. Thanks to Louis
and crew for all the hard work and for making it happen. See you all in
St. Louis next year!
Jeff, back to the usual center of the homebrewing universe, coordinates 0,0
Rennerian.
-=-=-=-=-
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan c/o nerenner@umich.edu
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 07:33:58 -0800 (PST)
From: Gordon n Stephanie VIZECKY <vizecky@yahoo.com>
Subject: PC RIMS??
I have searched the archives and the web but have been unable to
locate any information about the modification or use of a PC as a
PID-like temperature controler.
Has anyone tried this?
I was just thinking that it is relativly easy to find cheap or free
old 386's and 486's if one could hook in a thermocouple, a relay and
find the proper software it may be a reasonable substitute for a
PID-box.
The use of a PC could also expand system capabilities (individual
batch logging, graphing, efficency ofer time ect.).
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Gordon
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 10:39:09 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <nerenner@umich.edu>
Subject: tribal wisdom
"Bayer, Mark A (Boeing)" <BayerMA@navair.navy.mil> wrote:
>tribal wisdom ... says
I love it! A great new term, sure to join the ranks of QDA, mommilies, etc.
Jeff
-=-=-=-=-
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan c/o nerenner@umich.edu
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 11:05:21 -0500
From: "Philip J Wilcox" <pjwilcox@cmsenergy.com>
Subject: RIMS
From: Philip J Wilcox@CMS on 02/17/99 11:05 AM
Steve,
I have a 2-tier bottom fired rims (see hbd.org/prisoner for small photo) I
think the key to fixing the problem is in the 2nd paragraph. Most all pump
manufacturers claim you shouldn't restrict the up-stream plumbing to your
pump. If you pump is 1/2" (Most are) and your using the 3/8' dip tube that
came with your ABT false bottom (mine did) you are restricting the flow. I
drilled mine out and used 1/2" copper all through the system.
I don't know why it would be a problem with the continental malts and not
the US malts, my guess is you were on track with adjusting the grist size,
rice hulls (you did wash them first right?) etc. Proteins and beta gluten
will be different it would be interesting to see the specs on the malt
lots. But what really is the culprit here is the restricted flow on the
inlet size of the pump. If you cant change that then maybe you can add more
sparge water and reverse the flow, sucking from on top and pumping up from
the bottom? This way gravity works for you not against you. you'd have to
have a manifold or maybe easy masher on top too, but that's rigable.
I have yet to stick a mash, though some of the beds have been really
compacted...and I do use the EXACT same malts you do. My pump is a march
pump I got from Moving Brews and is rated at 220F. Great little thing. I
also use 2 different ball valves to decrease the flow speed. One of them
has the 3/8 restricted ball in it. but this is after the pump not before
it. (Jpegs avail upon request) Everything before the pump has to be 1/2 or
bigger, including the inside of the ball part of the valve.
Best of luck.
Phil Wilcox
Poison Frog Home Brewer
Warden-Prison City Brewers
AABG, AHA, BJCP, HBD, MCAB, ETC., ad nausium...
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 10:11:36 -0600
From: Stephen Cavan <paddockwood@sk.sympatico.ca>
Subject: Sour malt
Randy Ricchi asked about sour malt and its use.
This malt was designed to be used by the German brewers who were not
allowed to add chemicals to adjust for pH. It replaces the "acid rest"
in which a mash is held at 40C for 12-24 hours. I presume a devoted
brewer would sample the mash until the proper degree of acidification
was reached. Using Acid malt is far easier, but there are flavour issues
involved in lowering the pH.
First, the lower pH improves enzymatic action during mash, improves
flavour of polyphenols, gives paler colour and a mellower, more balanced
taste. Typically 3-5% is used to change pH of mash.
Second, it can be used from 6-9% of grist to improve flavour profiles.
5% is recommended by Narziss for improving the flavour of wheat beer.
I use about 10% acid malt in a batch of Pils style lager. I find there
is a detectable bit at 10% and I didn't like the result at 12% (too much
bite). But it can still be used at 5% for positive effect on your beer,
even a stout I think.
Cheers, Steve
___________________________________________________________
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 21:53:17 -0500
From: Randy Ricchi <rricchi@ccisd.k12.mi.us>
Subject: Sour malt
I just picked up 5# of Weissheimer acid malt, thinking I could use some
of
it in a stout, and also a wit to get a lactic character without having
to
screw around with a mini-sour mash, which is my usual procedure.
Then I realized maybe that's not what the acid malt is for. Does anyone
have any suggestions as to what this malt is used for, and how much,
percentage-wise should be used? TIA.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 11:19:47 -0500 (EST)
From: Paul Shick <SHICK@JCVAXA.jcu.edu>
Subject: Re: Problems with RIMS grain bed
Hello all,
Steve Birely recently wrote about problems with his grain bed
compacting while using lager malts, with a bottom-fired RIMS set up.
Steve, I've had a number of problems with similar gear about
a year and a half ago. My problems may actually have been worse, since
they included having the false bottom collapse a few times. Suggestions from
the collective generally centered around two ideas: keep the flow rate
low (using whatever valve you have on the exit side of the pump) and
keeping a relatively thick mash. For me, the mash thickness seemed to
be the key. If I kept the mash at 1.3 or fewer quarts per pound, I
encountered few problems. If I let it creep up to 1.5 or more (with
a 40-60-70C infusion program, for example,) it set up pretty badly.
These two ideas seemed to work regardless of the grist, by the way. Even
large quantities of flaked maize, etc., have been no problem if I keep
the mash nice and thick. I've been raising the temperature pretty slowly
these days, since I've given up protein rests. This may explain why I
can get away with relatively low flow rates.
Paul Shick
Basement brewing in Cleveland Hts OH
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 10:30:03 -0600
From: John.Wilkinson@aud.alcatel.com (John Wilkinson)
Subject: Lagering in kegs
When making lagers I have always lagered in carboys with airlocks until the
last few batches. The last three batches I have done are lagering in Cornelius
kegs with a vent hose from the gas in connection to a jar of water. Is the
vent hose or an airlock necessary? I have always assumed it was to provide
an escape path for the sulphurs and other things being gotten rid of during
lagering. However, in thinking about it, I find I can't explain to myself
how these things are vented if there is no CO2 being produced. If there is
no pressure being generated there is no bubbling of gas into the airlock to
carry off products of lagering. The only way I can think of is by diffusion
but this would seem to imply introduction of oxygen into the headspace. Is
venting not necessary when lagering? If not, where do the sulphorous odors
go?
John Wilkinson - Grapevine, Texas - john.wilkinson@aud.alcatel.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 12:14:56 -0500
From: "Alan McKay" <amckay@nortelnetworks.com>
Subject: re: Acid Malt
in 2956 Randy Ricchi asks about Acid Malt.
AFAIK acid malt is used in the German-speaking countries to lower pH in
accordance with the Reinheitsgebot. I don't recall how much to use, but it
is somewhere around 5% to 10% of grist. I know that this was covered
recently at http://www.bier-selbstgebraut.de/ in the Forum section, and
is probably still there. [ pause ] I just checked there and managed to
find the post fairly quickly. It says to use up to 10%.
cheers,
-Alan
- --
Alan McKay Nortel Networks
Norstar Team 613-765-6843 (ESN 395)
amckay@nortelnetworks.com
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Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 12:24:16 -0800
From: jeff <jeffi@chesapeake.net>
Subject: Corny Keg Foam
I am in the process of learning how to use a corny keg setup. I have
scoured the archives and have extracted a great deal of useful info.
The first keg (American ale) I forced carbonated and tapped was great,
perfect carbonation and not a lot of foam. I carbonated at 45F, 17 psig
on the regulator. I dispensed through 5 ft of 3/16" ID hose. I had
found a reference in the archives to a article in 'Brewing Techniques'
regarding balancing the dispensing side of a keg setup and figured that
with a pressure of 17 psig in the keg, 15 psi (3 psi/ft) of line
resistance would get me pretty close to the ideal line resistance,
knowing that the fittings would add some as well. This resulted in the
perfect glass of beer. Now keg # 2, (a lager) is giving me the perfect
glass of foam. The pressure on the regulator is 20 psig and I am
dispensing through 6 ft of 3/16 inch hose. Two other differences
between the first and second keg. On the gas side, I now have a modular
manifold that with 3 shutoffs between the regulator in the keg. On the
beer side, the faucet shank is one inch shorter. I have tried
dispensing at 10, 15 and 25 psig with no apparent improvement. I am
thinking of removing the manifold to eliminate one of the variables and
then play with hose lengths. Any advice those of you with some
experience with corny kegs can offer is much appreciated.
Jeff Isakson
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Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 10:49:04 +0000
From: Jim Liddil <jliddil@azcc.arizona.edu>
Subject: AOB Taxes, 1997
Anything but Eudora or Outlook
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Once we present the 990 tax form information from the AOB.
Total Revenue $3,785,015
Total Expenses $3,674,732
Program Services Revenue $2,441,995
Membership dues and assessments $836,663
***********************************************************
What is the Organization's primary exempt purpose? PROMOTION OF HOMEBREWING
(author note: keep this in mind as you look at how the money is being
spent)
*********************************************************
Publication of Zymurgy ~170,000 copies $374,102
Craftbresers (sic) conference $584,937
Publication of New Brewer ~28,000 copies $ 411,538
Compenstaion of Officers and Directors $200,712
Other Salaries and Wages $ 972,942
Travel $119,191
Conferences, conventions meetings $515,699
salary employee
benefits
Linda Starck, Adv Manager $98734 $2700
Charles N. Papazian $140,492 $8214
Cathy Ewing $60,220 $1200
Within the AOB is a sub corp called Brewing Matters
Program Service Revenue $682,817
Total Revenue $729,252
Total Expenses $ 788,249
Program Service Expenses (GABF) $711,494
None of the people the key people working with Brewing Matters recieve
compensation as reported on the 990 form.
Relationship of Activities to the Accomplishment of Exmpt Purposes
Explain how each activity for which income is reported in column (E) of
Part VII contirbuted importantly to the accomplishmnet of the
organization's exempt purposes
TO PROMOTE PULBIC AWARENSS AND APPRECIATION OF THE QUALITY AND VARIETY OF
BEER THROUGH EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND THE COLLECTION AND DISSEMINATION OF
INFORMATION; TO SERVE AS A FROUM FOR THE TECHNOLOGICAL AND CROSS CULTURAL
ASPECTS OF THE ART OF BREWING; TO ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE USE OF BEER AS AN
ALCOHOL CONTAINING BEVERAGE
(so that's what the GABF is for?)
Jim Liddil
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 12:17 -0800
From: "George De Piro" <George_De_Piro@berlex.com>
Subject: MCAB Conference Report: The Gory Details, Special Report
Hi all,
The first MCAB is now history, and despite my pilot's unfortunate
illness, I made it back to NY while it was still winter. I must
remember to send all the American Airlines pilots get well cards...
The mysterious illness afflicting the pilots caused me to arrive at
the conference 8 hours later then I intended. While the IPAs were
being evaluated in Houston on Friday evening, mine was keeping me
company at LaGuardia airport. I wasn't really too upset about missing
the IPA evaluation because I had oxidized the hell out of my beer.
Somehow, while transferring the beer to the secondary, I must have
picked up some air because the beer was only 6 weeks old and yet
tasted papery and metallic. Of course, I could just be making up all
these flaws as an excuse to toss 10 gallons of beer down the drain. I
love watching my work go down the drain.
We all make mistakes. The important thing is recognizing them and
avoiding them in the future.
Back to the MCAB:
I got to the hotel at about 10:40 p.m. (Houston time) to find that
most people were well ahead of me in the race to relaxation. I made a
gallant effort to catch up, drinking a couple of locally-brewed
English milds while saying "Hello" to some of the folks I already
knew. I then sat back and listened as Paul Farnsworth and George Fix
lightheartedly debated the merits of various fermentation schemes.
Each debater punctuated their key points with a beer sample, which
always make for an interesting diatribe (although it makes it harder
to keep your audience from finding their way to maximum entropy, too).
The debate ended with no clear winner; clearly more beers need to be
sampled before any conclusions can be drawn. I then set about meeting
as many of the new faces in the crowd as I could. I got to meet Deb
Jolda, the editor of Brewing Techniques, Paul Farnsworth, Harlen Bauer
(Rob Moline's use of the word "intense" as a descriptor for Harlen is
almost an understatement!), and many others from HBD land.
Strangely wired, I didn't retire until after 5 am, much to the chagrin
of my roommates Pete Garofalo and Scott Bickham. Fortunately, Scott
was awake and let me in the room rather than forcing me to sleep in
the hall. I am forever indebted.
Saturday began about 3 hours later, with a quick meal and then a bus
over to St. Arnold's Brewery for the judging of the remaining flights.
St. Arnold's is a neat little micro, offering tours on Saturday
afternoons that feature generous samples of their beers. After all of
the beers have been tried they have the tour group rate them by
applause. I wanted to use his method for judging the MCAB entrants,
but the idea was shot down.
I evaluated Munich Dunkels in the first round, and there were some
nice beers in the flight. The first beer of the flight had a very
promising aroma: rich with Munich malt and squeaky-clean. It was
most unfortunate that the bitterness of the beer was about 3 times
what it should have been, or the beer would have won first place.
Instead, it took third.
The best of show semifinal round was the next phase of the judging. I
can say without hyperbole that this round was the most difficult beer
judging I have ever done. There were 9 beers in front of the 3 of us
(Dave Houseman, Bill - I can't remember his last name, and me). I
would have been proud to be the brewer of any of the beers - no
kidding.
After much debate, we advanced the 4 that we thought were the best
examples of their styles (robust porter, Dopplebock, barleywine, and
IPA). I really liked the dry stout, finding a slight bready aroma to
be the beer's only fault (and indeed a very minor one). It was
perfect in every other way. The American brown ale, which had a hop
character that was deservedly loved by some other judges, was not sent
on by us because it lacked the malt backbone we were seeking to
balance the beer perfectly.
You get the idea, though: these were all really good beers. The
winners should be proud. I heard that the other best of show
semifinal panel had an equally hard time choosing which beers to
advance to the big party.
Next came the best of show judging, which I didn't participate in. I
can't imagine how difficult that round must have been! I was happy to
go off and have a beer at that point.
Due to several technical and scheduling issues, not the least of which
was my chemical supplier handling my order with complete incompetence,
I did not get to host the sensory evaluation seminar. This
disappointed some, including me, but we got over it by drinking,
socializing, and conducting some triangle taste panels to determine
the effects of first wort hopping. I wonder if the data we gathered
was in the least bit useful?
After dinner was the awards ceremony and raffle. I was pleased to be
on the winners list, and was even more pleased that I brought enough
extra HefeWeizen with me to share with some of the other MCAB
participants. Sharing is always fun!
After the events at St. Arnold's were complete, we took a bus back to
the hotel so that we could drop stuff off and go out drinking. I
don't even know where we went! It was a nice enough place, although
the bouncer wouldn't let Phil Wilcox bring an unopened bottle of his
beer into the bar. (By the way, Phil makes really cool labels for his
beers.)
I ordered a Fuller's London Porter, which you can't get properly
served in NYC (it's always pushed through a Guinness-type faucet which
I feel is a crime worthy of punishment on Hell's 6th level).
Unfortunately, the keg was really off. When I told the bartender she
responded that none of the kegs are kept on line for more than 4 weeks
(4 weeks!!! Some bars in NYC list the tapping date on the beer list;
I avoid stuff more than 4 *days* old!).
I figured that I should stick with a more local product and ordered
Celis White. It suited the weather, anyway. It was balmy compared to
the winter I left behind (although southern NY has been pretty mild
this winter, even a polar bear like myself can't lounge outdoors in a
short-sleeved shirt at 1 a.m., which is what I was doing in Houston).
It was a fun evening of hanging out with other brewers: I got to talk
to Andy Anderson about the dry stout that I liked so much; it turned
out that he brewed it! I got to hang out with John Wilkinson and Eric
Schoville (sp), who drove down from the Dallas area, and a whole bunch
of other folks (although my mind was getting pretty cloudy at this
point, so please forgive me for not mentioning everyone by name).
Last call in Houston turned out to be mercifully early: 2 a.m. At
the time I was kind of annoyed when the bartender started yelling out,
"Come on y'all, we want to go to church, too." The next morning I was
grateful. (Last call in NYC is 4 a.m. 2 hours makes a huge
difference in the middle of the night.)
Sunday started early (Scott had an early flight so Pete and I got up
when he did). Breakfast, good-byes, etc. and it was off to the
airport, where I found out that my long-suffering pilot was indeed
still not feeling well. Unlike Friday in NYC, the airports were much
less hectic and I managed to get a cab from Hobby to ICH (what a big
city; the ride "across town" took 45 minutes at 60 mph!). I then ran
across the airport and hopped on a flight with a comfy 3-minute safety
margin. If Jimmy Paige (the brewer) is reading this, your Best of
Brooklyn entries made it safely to NY with me.
I returned home to find that my hot water heater had burst, and a few
other bits of not-so-good news, but I had my MCAB trophy in hand, and
the memory of a fun weekend with new and old friends to cheer me.
As a final note I would like to thank Hubert Hangoffer for his part in
my winning HefeWeizen. I met a friend of Hubert's in NYC for drinks
last spring, and Hubert gave him a slant of Weizen yeast from
Austria's oldest brewpub to give me. That is the yeast I used in this
Weizen. It made a pretty tasty beer, too, if I do say so myself.
Have fun!
George de Piro (Nyack, NY)
Pronounced "Dee Peero" and "NI-ack" (rhymes with Kayak)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 13:04:35 -0500
From: "Randy A. Shreve" <rashreve@interpath.com>
Subject: Lindeman's Lambic Yeast
Has anybody successfully cultured any yeast from a bottle of any of
Lindeman's Lambics?
Thanks.
Randy in Salisbury, NC
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 18:51:57 +0000
From: William Frazier <billfrazier@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: non-alcoholic beer
Doctor says stop drinking for three months and get retested. Sounds like I
will at least have to restrict my alcoholic intake and this plays havoc with
my long time homebrew and wine making hobbies. I've always enjoyed the
brewing as much as the drinking. So to be able to continue I need some
leads on;
low-alcohol beer brewing
non-alcohol brewing techniques
I wouldn't mind making the investment to remove alcohol from homebrew if the
pilot size equipment is feasible and available. It would be a real
challenge to brew good tasting alcohol-free beer.
I've reviewed the HBD archives and there were several posts in years past.
There was one very good post by Ken Schwartz (KennyEddy@aol.com) in 1997.
Unfortunately, Ken's email and homepage (http://members.aol.com/kennyeddy)
are no longer active. If Ken still reads the HBD please get in touch.
TIA
Bill Frazier
Johnson County, KS
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 13:16:03 -0600
From: rlabor@lsumc.edu (LaBorde, Ronald)
Subject: RE: RIMS Pumping Problems with Lager malts
>>>>....
From: SBireley@renex.com
.... We use an ABT false bottom in the mashtun with a 1/2"
copper manifold to distribute the wort on top of the grain bed.....
<<<<
You are about the only other person that I am aware of that uses the ABT
false bottom, in addition to myself. I liked the price, but I am wondering
about the effective surface area. The shape and design of this screen does
not allow the full diameter surface to be used.
I have found that 5 gallon brews with my RIMS work quite well, however I
have found that some 10 gallon brews tend to stick as you say, causing flow
and temperature step problems.
>>>>
....Wanting try other malts to brew European Style beers, we have
experimented with Crisp Lager Malt, DWC Munich, Durst Munich, and
Durst Pilsner Malt. The problem we have encountered with all of these
malts is the mash bed compacting to the point of sticking during
recirculation. The mash is still loose enough to run-off during
lautering, but we cannot maintain a pump speed high enough to boost
the temperature of the mash bed to mashout. Repeated stirring to
break up the compaction works for a couple of minutes, but it compacts
again.....
......pumping up through the mash be to keep the bed fluidized, but we
did
not have a suitable filter to keep grain out of the pump. This did
show some promise though.
None of these worked satisfactorily.
Has anyone experienced this before? Does anyone have an idea how
solve this problem?....
<<<<
I have not tried this yet, but I did have the occasion to observe a RIMS
system where instead of a return manifold during mashing, they used a
partially pinched off long copper tube with a right angle at the end, which
could be moved about and was inserted near the bottom of the filter screen.
My thoughts were that it could easily clog with grains, but it did not. I
think the pinchoff size was large enough to pass grain kernels without
clogging. The pumping rate and pressure caused quite a bit of force at the
pinched off nozzle which seemed to stir up the whole mash and prevent
sticking and also allow excellent mixing and efficiency. I have no idea
about HSA with this, except to say that there was movement visible on the
surface, but not splashing. I think I will try this myself, it would be
very easy to rig up.
Ron
Ronald La Borde - Metairie, Louisiana - rlabor@lsumc.edu
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End of HOMEBREW Digest #2957, 02/18/99
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