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HOMEBREW Digest #3168
HOMEBREW Digest #3168 Fri 12 November 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:
Re: Brewing Poem (John Wilkinson)
BrewTek, Books by ABG & Startup Brewpubs ("Brett A. Spivy")
Brewstmas (Marc Sedam)
Gypsum and fermentation activity (Matthew Comstock)
BJCP Styles (John Varady)
Re: Kurt's continued clog ("Steven W. Smith")
WOTTEN EGG WATER WOES ("Ken")
Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day (Paul Gatza)
Bona Fide Styles ("Alan McKay")
Yeast and Osmotic Pressure ("Tony Gallodi")
Low alcohol homebrew ("RJ - Excelsior Phenomia!")
RE: Aeration ("Frank J. Russo")
Star San ("Alison, Colin, Scott Birdwell")
The Secret (Biergiek)
re: water woes (phil sides jr)
To Secondary/ or not to seondary? (darrell.leavitt)
Digest 3167 - Ken & Kim - NH Water (RJ)
ASBC Color/Sulfur-Iron Water (AJ)
2-Tier 3 vessel RIMS Plumbing Ideas (David Sweeney)
H2S, Yeast energizer (Dave Burley)
Bo(c)kbier (JohanNico)" <JohanNico.Aikema@akzonobel.com>
Cold-side aeration ("Brian Dixon")
Home Malting (Dan Listermann)
flaws ("Paul Niebergall")
looking for a clone of buffalo bill's pumpkin ale (J Daoust)
NEW ENGLAND FALL REGIONALHOMEBREW COMPETITION (Jim Wallace)
re: Star San foaming (Jason Henning *** New E-mail Address ***)
Re: Winemaking ("Jack Schmidling")
Why am I getting headaches? ("Kenneth Smith")
StarSan info ("John Palmer")
wheat beer protein rest ("Bayer, Mark A")
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!
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JANITORS on duty: Pat Babcock and Karl Lutzen (janitor@hbd.org)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 12:05:36 -0600
From: John Wilkinson <jandjwilkins@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Brewing Poem
THAT IS PATHETIC!
John Wilkinson wrote:
>
> A Brewing Poem by,
>
> George Arnold 1834-1865 (short but happy life?)
>
> Beer
>
> Here,
> With my beer
> I sit
> While golden moments flit:
> Alas!
> They pass
> Unheeded by:
> And, as they fly,
> I,
> Being dry,
> Sit, idly sipping here
> My beer
>
> O, finer far
> Than fame, or riches, are
> The graceful smoke-wreaths of this free cigar!
> Why
> Should I
> Weep, wail, or sigh?
> What if luck has passed me by?
> What if my hopes are dead,-
> My pleasures fled?
> Have I not still
> My fill
> Of right good cheer,-
> Cigars and beer?
>
> Go, whining youth,
> Forsooth!
> Go, weep and wail,
> Sigh and grow pale,
> Weave melancholy rhymes
> On the old times,
> Whose joys like shadowy ghosts appear,-
> But leave to me my beer!
> Gold is dross,-
> Love is loss,-
>
> So, if I gulp my sorrows down,
> Or see them drown
> In foamy draughts of old nut-brown,
> Then do I wear the crown,
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 12:27:23 -0600
From: "Brett A. Spivy" <baspivy@softdisk.com>
Subject: BrewTek, Books by ABG & Startup Brewpubs
Good day all,
Has anyone here had positive experience with BrewTek / Brewer's
Resource? I have three purchases under my belt from them and ONE
marginally positive experience. Just curious.
Has anyone in the collective purchased, seen, perused, or read:
How to Open a Brewpub or Microbrewery ?
Was it worth the $ 159.00 that ABG gets for this tome? Is there anyone
in this illustrious group that has actually reaserched, business
planned, and/or set up a Brew Pub? As a chef that has been out of the
business for a few years trying to raise two georgous red-headed
daughters, the brewpub concept has piqued my curiosity. I have always
intended to go back to the hospitality business when I could afford to
work 75+ hours a week again, and this my be the way to do it.
Thanx . . .
Brett A. Spivy
Shreveport, LA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 13:34:39 -0500
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam@unc.edu>
Subject: Brewstmas
Hey all:
It's turning chilly, even in NC, and thoughts turn to the
holidays and...presents!! I thought it might be interesting for
people to post their list of the top three gadgets that they
either (1) wish to buy, or (2) couldn't live without. Since many
people would want a three-tier SS brewery if they had their
druthers (remember: it's all yours if you just parrot your
boss), why not stick to things under $100. If you know how much
it costs, all the better. Blanket no affiliation language is a
given.
Here's mine:
1) plastic wine thief ($6) -- great for taking gravity samples
2) SS mash screen for converted keg ($35-100) -- got mine on
sale from http://www.beeronline.com, works great and handles a
45lb grist bill with the greatest of ease! I'm cheap so I got
the one that says "for use as a hopback"...works like a champ.
3) 10 gallon keg ($35-75) -- oooh, do I want one of these!
P.S. If someone could just sell a new, food grade, high
temperature mag drive pump for under $100 it would be on my list!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 12:37:36 -0800 (PST)
From: Matthew Comstock <mccomstock@yahoo.com>
Subject: Gypsum and fermentation activity
Greetings
One of the ingredients you'll find in just about every homebrew recipe
these days is gypsum, calcium sulfate (hydrated). In all-grain brewing
it plays a roll in adjusting pH of the mash (let's not go there again).
I'm not sure the role it plays in extract brewing. Some have
mentioned flavor effects attributed to sulfates. I've read that
calcium sulfate has some kind of effect on yeast flocculation. It is
this latter effect that I'm curious about at the moment.
I've got a extract kit pale ale going now. I didn't add any gypsum.
The primary ferment is still going at about 1/4 - 1/6 bps (bubbles per
second) after six days. This is about four days longer than batches in
recent memory. I've used gypsum in nearly ever recipe prior to this
one. While this is my first extract batch in quite a while, and it
seems like my all-grain batches are more active and finish faster than
my earlier extract batches, it feels like something else is going on.
In short, I'm using the same procedures and yeast (Nottingham), but no
gypsum.
If gypsum aids in flocculation, maybe this batch is fermenting longer
because the yeast is still floating around - not settling to the bottom
quickly. Further, maybe the FG will be lower than batches using
gypsum. Don't high flocculating yeast strains lead to higher final
gravities? Am I making sweeter beers - higher FG - when I use gypsum?
Why do we use gypsum in extract batches at all? Is is a flavor thing?
Has anyone done the implied experiment: brewing with and without
gypsum?
Questions, questions.
Matt Comstock in Cincinnati
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 15:58:47 -0500 (EST)
From: John Varady <rust1d@usa.net>
Subject: BJCP Styles
Folks,
I imported the new BJCP styles for 2000 into the MEMO PAD of my palm pilot.
This is very handy for reviewing the styles during your travels or judging.
If you would like an exported copy of the styles data in PALM PILOT MEMO PAD
format (*.mpa), go to my homepage and download them from there:
http://www.netaxs.com/~vectorsys/varady
You can import this file to the MEMO PAD using the PALM DESKTOP. Before
importing them create a new category called BEER STYLES and import them into
that. After importing you can HotSync the files to your Pilot.
A Division of Harry Palm Entertainment (tm),
John
John Varady The HomeBrew Recipe Calculating Program
Boneyard Brewing Custom Neon Beer Signs For Home Brewers
Glenside, PA Get More Information At:
rust1d@usa.net http://www.netaxs.com/~vectorsys/varady
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 15:00:27 -0700 (MST)
From: "Steven W. Smith" <SYSSWS@gc.maricopa.edu>
Subject: Re: Kurt's continued clog
Kurt, I use nearly the same setup and haven't come near to having a
clogging problem (and nary any line dancing...)
The one glaring difference is that rather than a scrubbie I use about a
1 square foot portion of window screen. I roll it up rather loosely, so it's
perhaps 3 or more inches at it's widest. Fold over the "far end" and use
a ring clamp (or wire would be fine) to attach it to the drain pipe. That
method gives a rather large surface area for straining. Afterwards, unroll
the screen, rinse and put it away 'til next time. This is also, if I'm not
mistaken, a clone of the ever-popular EASYMASHER (I'm not shouting, Jack is :-)
I like to use whole hops, which filter nicely but I've used pellets as well.
HTH,
Steve
>Thanks to all for your responses to my drain clog problem.
>
>Unfortunately my problem persists. I brewed a pumpkin ale this weekend and
>used hop plugs instead of pellets hoping this would solve the problem.
>Again after cooling, whirlpooling and allowing to settle for ten min. I
>got a clogged drain after about a cup of wort drained out.
>
...
Steven W. Smith, Systems Programmer
Glendale Community College. Glendale Az.
syssws@gc.maricopa.edu
And the demons of COMPAQ shall burn eternally for lobotomizing the once
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 17:54:51 -0500
From: "Ken" <wort01@prodigy.net>
Subject: WOTTEN EGG WATER WOES
HBD water wizards help!
Recently moved from Virginia where I had very nice brewing water to New
Hampshire where I've got the most sulfury, rotten eggy (or is that hydrogen
sulfide enriched) water I've ever encountered. I've got a whole house
charcoal filter as well as a counter top charcoal filter and there is still
a bit of the aroma to the water. What to do? Is there any hope? I am on well
water and I haven't gotten a water analysis yet, but from what I've been
told the water also has an elevated level of iron. Is there a way to
chemically treat the stuff or do I need to just suck it up and shell out the
cash for bottled stuff. I'm brewing 10 gal. batches so the thought of that
hurt$$ a bit. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. TIA!
Ken in Epping NH
P.S. Inside info from a local brewer on this and a couple more questions
I've got will get you a bottle of barleywine!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 12:29:57 -0700
From: Paul Gatza <paulg@aob.org>
Subject: Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day
Hi everyone. Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day, a joint project by the AHA
and HWBTA to bring new people into the hobby, is this Saturday, November
13th. Here's a link to the pertinent area of beertown for more
information.
http://www.beertown.org/AHA/teachday.htm
I ask all brewers to teach a friend the ropes of brewing this weekend.
We all must take a personal stake in the success of the hobby of
homebrewing. The more brewing that happens in a community means that a
nearby shop can provide fresher ingredients and remain in business. The
more brewers in a community means more potential members for your
homebrew club. The more new brewers in your community means more
homebrew to sample.
As we know from recent events such as closing shops, the demise of BT
and the reduced distribution of English grain, the hobby could use a
boost and some new brewers right now. I will be brewing mead and porter
with several friends in Sunshine. Thanks for your participation.
- --
Paul Gatza
Director
American Homebrewers Association (303) 447-0816 x 122
736 Pearl Street (303) 447-2825 -- FAX
PO Box 1679 paulg@aob.org -- E-MAIL
Boulder, CO 80306-1679 info@aob.org -- AOB INFO
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 20:15:30 -0500
From: "Alan McKay" <amckay@ottawa.com>
Subject: Bona Fide Styles
Pat,
I said :
> No offense, but if you haven't had the
> real thing, then you can't know the real thing.
Apparantly you have had the real thing, and I would therefore welcome your
input to the page. Yes, I know about jet planes ;-) I perhaps overstated with
"if you haven't been there ...", but I did go on to say the above, and that's
for certain what I mean. And of course I stand by it. If you haven't had the
real thing, then you are only relying on 2nd, 3rd and worse-hand information.
cheers,
-Alan
- --
Alan McKay
amckay@ottawa.com
http://www.bodensatz.com/
What's a bodensatz? http://www.bodensatz.com/bodensatz.html
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 17:47:30 PST
From: "Tony Gallodi" <liquid_ditty@hotmail.com>
Subject: Yeast and Osmotic Pressure
In DR. Fix's Book "Principles of Brewing Science"; he states at one point,
that sudden shanges in
osmotic pressure could damage the yeast. The example given, was yeast being
transferred from a
stage of rehydration, to a wort at, or above 16 balling (1.063). How likely
is it that this damage
would occur?
______________________________________________________
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 22:08:22 -0500
From: "RJ - Excelsior Phenomia!" <wortsbrewing@cyberportal.net>
Subject: Low alcohol homebrew
Thanks for all the responses...
I decided not to go through all the gyrations that others, who answered
my initial call for help, had done before me...
Funky stuff, like fermenting then freezing the alcohol out or boiling it
off at 160F, etc... whew, that had to be more trouble than it was
worth... The overwhelming conscencious from those who took this approach
was that it was more bother for less than good results.
I patterned my recipe, more along the lines of a "small beer" basically
using a partial mash setup (without any extracts) and by reducing
fermentation by lowering the ferment temperature to the lower spectrum
of the yeast's tolerance.
Here goes...
L.A. East (#156 10-23-99)
3# DWC Pilsen Malt 1.3L;
3.75 oz DWC Aromatic Malt 19L;
4.25 oz Gambrinius Brumaltz 18L;
L09 (YCKC) German Lager Yeast (W35-70 strain) 75ml slurry in 300ml
actively fermenting wort;
German Mittlefruh, cones;
German Hersbrucker, T-90 pellets;
Licorice Extract Powder;
Irish Moss;
Soft water;
88% Lactic Acid;
Dough-in at 64F in 4-1/4 Qts water;
Raise temp to 136F in 18 min (stirring constantly), rest 10 min.;
Raise temp to 148F in 10 min (w/out stirring), rest 10 min.;
Add 1-1/2 Qts boiling water (and heat, if necessary) to raise heat to
158F, hold 60 min.;
Sparge with 7-1/2 Qts 162F water that was pre-boiled and treated with
lactic Acid to 5.2pH
Add enough water to kettle to bring to 8 gal for 90 min boil, do not
oversparge!
(Please note, my system uses a "King Kooker" that blasts about 200k
BTUs. When I boil, I evaporate a significant amount of liquid; Normally
when I boil I loose 4gals; I actually cut back the heat on this one a
bit!... You should adjust this for your system or boil longer... my wort
going to the fermenter was 5.75gal, then I lost ~ 3/4gal to cold break &
subsequent rackings).
1st wort 2.0 HBU Mittlefruh
@ 90 min remaining 0.9 HBU Hersbrucker
@ 75 min remaining 1/16 tsp Licorice Extract Powder (probably comparable
to 1/2" of Brewer's Licorice Stick)
@ 60 min remaining 0.9 HBU Hersbrucker
@ 40 min remaining 1.0 HBU Mittlefruh
@ 40 min place 1/2 tsp I. Moss in 1/2 cup cold water
@ 15 min add I. Moss to kettle
@ 1 min remaining add 1/2 oz Mittlefruh in hop bag.
Whirlpool and let set 20 min then remove hop bag.
Counterflow.
5.75 gals of wort was 1.016 OG
Let sit covered and airlocked ~20hours at 70F; Rack to primary removing
as much cold trub as possible;
Ferment 7 days at 46-48F (Note this is the low end for this yeast, I'd
recommend trying to hit the low limit of whichever yeast you decide to
use.);
Remove primary to 65F let set for 24 hrs before racking to secondary
(di_rest);
Rest secondary at 40-42F for 8 days;
1.010 FG for 5 gal
Keg and force to 2.7 vol CO2
Serve at 45-50F
Has the soft "bread dough" flavor that I percieve when drinking Morretti
Lager
Not overly sweet and not to dry either...
Might try dry-hopping next batch with 1/4oz Czech Saaz.
Ciao & Good Drinking
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 23:21:23 -0500
From: "Frank J. Russo" <FJRusso@coastalnet.com>
Subject: RE: Aeration
First I want to thank all who responded to me via personal e-mail and
posting on HBD on the issue of aeration of wort. The results I have
received are probable in line with what I expected.
1/2 were of a technical issue on yeast growth and health. The other 1/2 was
based on experience generally doing nothing special to aerate the wort and
compensating by over pitching. I was even told by some who never had a bad
batch and even under pitched with no aeration of any kind other than pouring
from a height.
I have come to the conclusion I may just need to create a test of 4 samples.
Using the same wort :
1st - under pitched with no special aeration,
2nd - over pitch with no special aeration
3rd - normal pitched with a wort aerated with a pump for a couple of hours
4th - normal pitched with an aerated wort and continue the aeration for 8
hours after pitching.
I would have my local HomeBrew Club, The ATF of New Bern, NC, then evaluate
the samples not knowing the differences.
Any ideas or recommendation? Would an Ale or a Lager be better to run this
test on? I think I may have to do it with both.
Why am I considering doing this? Other than curiosity and a love of
brewing, I was trained as a Chemist so I kind of love to investigate things
I do not know and no one can show me solid evidence other wise.
Frank Russo
FJRusso@Coastalnet.com
"There is only one aim in life and that is to live it."
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 23:51:37 -0800
From: "Alison, Colin, Scott Birdwell" <defalcos@insync.net>
Subject: Star San
Dan Ritter was asking about Star San and excessive foaming
"I just tried Star San as a sanitizer for the first time. I have been
using
Iodophor for as long as I can remember but, because I don't want to dump
any sanitizer into my septic system, I have been dumping the used
Iodophor
on my driveway or in the field below my house. Star San is billed as
being
more environmentally benign so I decided to try it. What's with all the
foam? It's like sanitizing in bubble bath! Has anyone been using this
sanitizer successfully without all that foam? Or should I just ignore
the
bubbles clinging to the inside of my vessels after I pull them out of
the
Star San?"
I've been using Star San for about two years now and like it very much.
The foaming that you're noting is an important aspect of its sanitizing
properties. It was formulated to be used in commercial applications in
vessels where completely filling is not always an option like it is for
homebrewers. Star San & water are added to these vessels and a pump is
used to re-circulate the sanitizing solution over and over. As you
might well expect, this creates a LOT of foam, but that's O.K. because
this foam will get into all the nooks and crannies and sanitizes them.
Believe me Dan, if you're using Star San, you want the foam! Don't
sweat the little bubbles on your vessels. If they really bother you,
you can rinse them off with boiled water or bottled or canned
Bud/Miller/Pabst (fill in you favorite industrial brew name here). Hey,
when people used to bring crappie beer to my house, I used to cringe.
Now it just more keg and carboy rinse for me! Hey, can you think of a
more appropriate use for Mega Brew than assisting with you home craft
brewing? And they're pasteurized, too! Beautiful! Later. . .
Scott Birdwell
Hotter than Hades, Houston, TX
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 01:44:00 EST
From: Biergiek@aol.com
Subject: The Secret
A.J. says:
>Proper pitching is one of the "secrets" that distinguish the really
>good homebrewers from the flock. I've heard so many guys say
>that this extra step was the one that really moved their beer quality
>forward and I number mysef among those.
All you beginning brewers take heed to the above comment, and to all the
other xpurts page down! It has taken me 9 years of brewing to finally
realize this. I can't think of one book on homebrewing that I own that
mentions this. The only thing that even comes close is Dave Millers classic
"Brewers make wort, yeast make beer" comment. That is why I have been so
anal lately to gain yeast management knowledge. Fix's AOBT is the only
homebrewing text that I have read that provides adequate details regarding
this subject. The smack pack of any size or the vials of pitchable yeast for
5 gallons just won't get you there...start firing up those 2 gallon starters!
Then we have this little jewel of a remark:
>Eric (I have twelve inches, but I don't use it as a rule) Fouch
>Bent Dick YoctoBrewery
>Kentwood, MI
You have to make rules regarding its use, and the only rule is not using it
at all? I sense severe trauma in one's childhood...
Kyle
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 02:20:14 -0500
From: phil sides jr <psides@carl.net>
Subject: re: water woes
Ken Writes:
>water one could wish for to New Hampshire where I now have a much wider
of
>brewpubs to visit (Hooray!) but brew water that is lousy with sulfury,
>rotten eggy, (or should I say Hydrogen Sulfide enriched) smells and
from
>what I've been told, a good bit of iron. The questions is, can I
somehow
>brew with it. From experience I know that whatever is in your water is
i
What do you get when you boil it first? Is the aroma left and do you
get any precipitated gunk? What about taste? If I am reading your post
correctly, you have not tasted it yet, correct? Also, municipal water
or well water?
Phil Sides, Jr.
Concord, NH (about 30 miles northwest)
- --
Macht nicht o'zapft ist, Prost!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 05:18:37 -0500 (EST)
From: darrell.leavitt@plattsburgh.edu
Subject: To Secondary/ or not to seondary?
THAT is the quetion!
I have again seen on the hbd a brewer stating that s/he does not
secondary. Now I, at times, will not seondary a dark ale/ stout when
I know that it is done fermenting, and when I know it will be cloudy
and I don't mind having more yeasties on the bottom of the bottle....but
to not seondary at all? Does anyone understand this?
..Darrell
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 06:04:36 -0500
From: RJ <wortsbrewing@cyberportal.net>
Subject: Digest 3167 - Ken & Kim - NH Water
Hi Ken,
Read your HBD post...
Not sure how bad Epping water is.. I'm from the lakes region.. water
does have iron in it, but is
rather soft and temporary hardness (though a bit higher) is low too. My
water pH is 6.7 - perfect for brewing -
I don't know if your water is city, dug or artesian... Mine is
artesian... My town sits above one of the states' largest aquafers and
quite often (spring & fall, esp noticible) goes thru a metamophsis...
During these times (either the rust is highly visible or HS in
discernable, etc) I just boil the water
before using. You might also try looking for a natural spring in your
area.
If you'd like an analysis and your on city water.. the city water works
should be able to supply this
for you. Elsewise, you can send your water to the state labs in Concord
and for a nonminal fee
(~$15.00) they'll test it for you.
I've been brewing with NH water since 1978 (steady since 1993)... Have
nearly 160 recorded
batches, of which over 100 have been all grain. I can honestly say
that water is rarely a concern or a problem.
Ciao,
RJ
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 13:34:56 +0000
From: AJ <ajdel@mindspring.com>
Subject: ASBC Color/Sulfur-Iron Water
RE Dave's comment on the ASBC method for color measurement. It has
nothing to say about dilution nor should it as beer is notorious for not
following Beer's law under dilution. Like many things in p-chem, Beer's
law works best when the solution is very dilute. When less dilute the
color producing (dissolved) particles evidently interract with one
another causing the extinction coefficient to change. The ASBC method is
extremely restricted in its applicability - it was developed based on
measurements on an ensemble of US and Canadian beers the darkest of
which was SRM 7.6 or somewhere in that region. I've seen beer pairs in
which the darker looking had a lower SRM than the lighter appearing.
This is why I advocate the use tristimulus luminance as a first order
description of beer color. This tells us how dark it looks similarly to
the way SRM does. SRM and luminance correlate very well but luminance
never labels a darker beer with a lower value than a lighter beer). By
throwing in the two tristimulus chrominance parameters we have a
complete description of the beer color (for a particular path - I've
been using 5 cm because that's about the diameter of contest beer
glass). I'd hoped I'd be able to get an article on this interesting
subject into BT but alas, that won't come to pass.
Perhaps the caramel coloring material does follow Beer's law through
dilution to the extent that it can be diluted and measured by the SRM
method. But note also that the SRM method depends upon the shape of the
whole spectral absorbtion curve being close to the ensemble average of
the 37 beers used in defining SRM. There's lots of ways this could have
been done and that's why I'm curious as to how the number was actually
obtained. My guess is that basis of the labeling is that x mL of the
caramel added to y liters of beer causes an increase in color of z SRM.
This implies that over some range of dilutions a brewer can calculate
how much to add to get a desired color depth even though the extinction
coefficients at full strength and diluted are not the same.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ken in Epping has iron and sulfur in his water. These can both be
combatted with air. Aeration sweeps out hydrogen sulfide, oxidizes
sulfite to sulfate and also oxidizes Fe(II) i.e. "clear water" iron to
Fe(III), the ugly yellow-brown gel which stains sinks, clothes, toilets
etc. After sufficient aeration to effect the oxidation and gas escape,
the water must be filtered through a tight filter to catch and remove
the iron gel. Sand bed filters are good for this as they can be
backwashed and reused. Water treatement companies sell equipment for
removal of iron and hydrogen sulfide using this method. A convenient way
for a brewer to get the required level of aeration is to recirculate the
brewing volume with a robust pump returning to the container through a
spray nozzle such as a shower head.
- --
A. J. deLange
Numquam in dubio, saepe in errore.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 08:01:13 -0600
From: David Sweeney <David@stulife2.tamu.edu>
Subject: 2-Tier 3 vessel RIMS Plumbing Ideas
I am 75% finished with a 2-tier 3 vessel RIMS system. I've completed
the
frame, gas line and burners (3 total), RIMS system with electronics,
and keg
conversion. The kegs each have two " couplers welded at the bottom;
one
for a valve and one for a thermometer.
My question is this? What's the best way/path to plumb it up? My
current
idea is to buy 3 pieces of beer tubing (teflon) with tri-clover clamps
on
the ends. These "patch pipes" can then be moved easily during the
mashing
process to accommodate whatever path I need. My main requirement was
to
create a system that can be broken down quickly and easily for
cleaning. I
had considered going with a rigid path, but this degrades the above
requirement.
With my "patch pipes", I've devised two different configurations - one
for
mashing and one for sparging.
In the mashing setup, one patch pipe goes from the mash tun outlet to
the
intake on the pump. The second patch pipe goes from the outlet on the
pump
to the inlet of the RIMS chamber. The third patch pipe goes from the
outlet
of the RIMS to the return manifold which sits on top of the mash.
In the sparging setup, the second patch pipe above is disconnected from
the
RIMS inlet and attached to the boiling keg valve, which acts as an
inlet.
The third patch pipe is disconnected from the RIMS outlet and attached
to
the HLT outlet thus using the same return manifold to sparge.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. And remember; a picture is worth
1000
words.
David Sweeney
Texas A&M University
David@stulife2.tamu.edu <mailto:David@stulife2.tamu.edu>
- --I'm learning big things
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 09:04:05 -0500
From: Dave Burley <Dave_Burley@compuserve.com>
Subject: H2S, Yeast energizer
Brewsters:
Ken's new brewing water in New Hampshire
is hydrogen sulfide and iron enriched and he
wonders about how to brew with this water,
At least you won't have to use WYeast
Danish II lager yeast in your lagers.!
I can offer several potential solutions:
1) obviously boiling the water before you
brew or use it to dilute boiled wort is one way,
since H2S is a gas.
2) It may be that the wort boiling will take care
of this anyway, so as the Ozzies say "no Weirries".
3) In winemaking, 0.1 ppm of copper sulfate added
to the wine makes any trace of sulfur disappear
since the sulfide is so insoluble and the amount there
is so miniscule. Add 0.15 mls (3 DROPS) of a 1%
CuSO4.5H2O solution per gallon. This will be 0.1 ppm.
I would add this one drop at a time, swirl and check.
The reaction is fast so you can titrate it. Copper can also
cause haze problems so don't overdose..
4) I would think that if you had some copper chips
or screening or a Choreboy which had oxidized,
passing the water over this or just allowing the
water to sit in contact with occasional swirling
should do the trick.
Try an experiment with a dirty copper penny or
other piece of copper and see if the smell goes
away in a small quantity of the water sealed in a
jar overnight.
In making lager, after the third or forth day sulfur
is sometimes a by-product , probably due to the
generation of amino acids containing sulfur from
other sulfurous compounds in the wort, with a sulfur
by-product. Much of this is scrubbed by CO2
during fermentation and the small amount left is
consumed or doesn't bother the drinking. I can't
say the same for ale yeasts.
Probably the iron will cause you more problems
than the sulfur, as it will lead to all kinds of hazes
and the like as well as metallic tastes. I suggest
you buy a whole house water softener, as iron in
the water will degrade your brass fittings ( check
the washer seats in your sinks) and copper
piping over time. Pinholes in the pipes and blue
water in your tub. It is a good investment.
Too much iron intake can be harmful, especially
to men.
If you don't like the idea of switching to an all
sodium diet, add a reverse osmosis (RO)
deionizer at the kitchen sink as I did. Be sure your
whole family ( including your dog) takes mineral
tablets , like dolomite to make up for the loss of
a mineral source. Oh yeah, this RO water is
great for brewing and you get beer bullets, besides.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd was impressed with the effects of adding
a yeast energizer to a stuck fermentation.
Todd, were you doing a John Bull Extract
Scotch Ale? My experience in teaching brewing
classes has been that these extracts are so
low in FANs, I presume from sugar addition to
replace the more expensive malt extract, that a
yeast energizer or ammonium phosphate is a
required addition.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep on Brewin',
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 15:09:08 +0100
From: "Aikema, J.N. (JohanNico)" <JohanNico.Aikema@akzonobel.com>
Subject: Bo(c)kbier
Hi,
If someone is interested in Dutch Bo(c)kbeers:
http://matrix.crosswinds.nt/~grotenbe/bokbier/bbf1999/bbflijst99.html
Greetings from Holland, Hans Aikema
http://www.cybercomm.nl/~aikema/index.html
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 06:34:11 -0800
From: "Brian Dixon" <briandixon@home.com>
Subject: Cold-side aeration
>Miguel de Salas at UTas replied to a thread on aeration:
>
>>In 5 years brewing, 3 of which have been all grain and I also grow my own
>>hops, I have never once gone to any greater lengths aerating my beer than
>>to pour the water from a height or give it a good swirl with a long,
>>plastic spoon.
>
>Just to add substance to murmurs of a possible antipodean conspiracy, I
wish
>to side with my twelve-fingered friend (just kidding Miguel, I know you
>weren't born down there). I am very happy with the lag times and finished
>product I get from splashy splashy wort transfer or frantic spoon waggling.
>Just what is this north American obsession with airstones, oxygen tanks and
>hours and hours of bubble, bubble toil and trouble? Give it a rest. The
beer
>will taste just as good and eventually even the callouses will go away.
>
>Steve Lacey
With all the bad press against aeration (along with claims of gold-studded
blue-ribbon beer spouting forth from the depths of argon-filled dark casks),
I figured it was time to speak up. As far as I'm concerned, aeration makes
a huge difference! I originally used little aeration, and had trouble once
in awhile getting a beer to ferment, and had high final gravities whenever
it didn't take off very well. I then used the splashy-splashy shake the
carboy or pour from a height method and things got a lot better. Then on a
whim, I bought my Liquid Bread Oxynator system and whoa! My beer all of a
sudden surpassed 99% of the beers that I buy from professional microbrews
(flavor, fermentation, attenuation etc). People that know me know that I
brew some pretty darn huge beers (OG up to 1.125) and they attenuate well
without a lot of effort on my part too. I'm not going back, and regardless
of what the Foes of Aeration say, ... aeration works and works well!
Brian
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 09:57:28 -0500
From: Dan Listermann <72723.1707@compuserve.com>
Subject: Home Malting
Clifton Moore ( cmoore@gi.alaska.edu) writes:
< It should be noted that other than loss of synchrony, higher steep
temperatures foster microbial activity of a complex and thus far
indeterminate nature.>
I have found that microbial activity is the anaerobic variety and if the
steep water is aerated. I hook my shop air to a line that blows air
under
a Phil's Phalse bottom which spreads the flow. There are never any nasty
aromas with this method.
I have found that a 48 hour steep gives enough moisture for full
modification. If the piece is drying too quickly, make it deeper.
Dan Listermann dan@listermann.com 72723.1707@compuserve.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 09:19:04 -0600
From: "Paul Niebergall" <pnieb@burnsmcd.com>
Subject: flaws
Every time that I hear someone say the following, it makes me want to
scream:
>>Every time I read a post that says "I've never tasted the effects of
>>insert your favorite brewing practice ("bad" or "good") here> in my
>>beer," I want to scream. Maybe you haven't. But that doesn't mean
>>it's not there!
>Most of us (and I include myself here) are not able to be totally
>objective about our own beers. Get some other experienced beer
>tasters to try it, preferably "blind" (i.e., they don't know it is
>YOUR beer). Until you do so, I won't believe your unsupported
>assertion.
People, we need to stop underestimating the ability of our own taste buds.
Being an "experienced beer taster" is not some kind of Zen-like state
that one achieves after attending tasting classes by George De Piro and
then getting a Sieble diploma. It just is not all that complicated to
educate yourself to be a good beer taster. I can assure you that most
people who have been drinking and brewing beer for a decade or so qualify
as "experienced tasters". Why do I say this? Because if you are a
typical fanatical home brewer, you brew a lot of beer, you read the HBD,
and you are completely aware of the flavor issues that exist in our hobby.
How many of us out there actually chug our home brews and never give a
thought to the various flavors that we are tasting? Every time I open a
home brew, I do a full "sensory evaluation". It may not be a structured
evaluation, but years and years of informal evaluations have taught me
what is good and what is not. It really, really, is not that hard to
develop the required skills.
It is ridicules to go through life believing that your home brew has flaws
in it, but you just cant taste them. I can see myself at my next homebrew
party passing out samples of my latest creation........
"You know Bob, I have been brewing beer for over ten years know and I have
drank in excess of 1000 gallons of quality brew from around the world.
You may think this beer that I brewed is excellent, but in reality it is
severely flawed, you just cant taste it. In fact, I cant even taste the
flaws, but they are there none the less. Somebody from Michigan told me
so in the HBD. No, he didnt actually taste the beer, but he reads a lot
of books on the subject and posted some really neat chemical equations.
Here, you had better put down that home brew and open up this can of
Bud......................"
If you want to believe that your beer actually has flaws in it that you
cannot perceive, and if you insist on agonizing about boogy men that just
are not there, go ahead and continue to live a frustrated life. But
please dont tell me that my beer is flawed even though I (or anyone else
without an anal complex) cant taste it.
Paul Niebergall
Burns & McDonnell
pnieb@burnsmcd.com
"Illegitimis non carborundum"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 07:31:54 -0800
From: J Daoust <thedaousts@ixpres.com>
Subject: looking for a clone of buffalo bill's pumpkin ale
Does anybody have a recipe for buffalo bill's pumpkin ale?? Thanks,
Jerry Daoust
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 09:49:40 -0500
From: Jim Wallace <jwallace@crocker.com>
Subject: NEW ENGLAND FALL REGIONALHOMEBREW COMPETITION
Attention fellow beer and cider enthusiasts:
The Valley Fermenters of Greenfield MA
present
NEW ENGLAND FALL REGIONALHOMEBREW COMPETITION
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, December 5, 1999
. Contact: Jim Wallace ... jwallace@crocker.com
11 High Street Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
413 625-2494
Entry deadline is Dec 1, 1999
__________JIM WALLACE ____________
jwallace@crocker.com
http://www.crocker.com/~jwallace
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 16:33:30 GMT
From: huskers@psn.net (Jason Henning *** New E-mail Address ***)
Subject: re: Star San foaming
Dan Ritter <ritter@bitterroot.net> asks about Star San foaming in HBD
3167...
It foams a lot if you shake it. Add the water first then the Starsan.
Gently swirl it around the vessel. You only need to get the surfaces
wetted. You'll get minimal foaming and a good rinse out. It really
doesn't take much, I generally make about a pint of water and about
teaspoon of Starsan to do a carboy.
And you can ignore the foamy bubbles too. I asked 5-star about them a
couple years ago. They said that where Starsan is used in keg lines, the
foam is literally blown out of the kegs by the beer. There is no effort
to remove the bubbles beforehand.
It is almost odorless and tasteless in it's concentrated form. Phil
Wilcox (who I've made tell this story too many times) was at a
demonstration of Starsan. They put like a tablespoon of the stuff in a
beer. It didn't greatly effect the beer! Changed the color but didn't
alter the flavor or aroma.
I love the stuff and recommend it. I also recommend PBW. I hate the
"homebrew sampler", it's a little pricey. I've been ordering bulk
quantities from Grape and Granary (http://www.grapeandgranary.com/)
Cheers,
Jason Henning
I'm going to be (0,0) Rennerian for the UM-PSU game drinking hand pumped
mild.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 09:26:16 -0600
From: "Jack Schmidling" <arf@mc.net>
Subject: Re: Winemaking
From: "Nathaniel P. Lansing" <delbrew@compuserve.com>
>Jack, you want me to send you a free bottle of wine, I have an even
_better_idea; you buy a Selections Premium wine kit and wait over a year
for it to mature and try it......
And you can buy the Brooklyn bridge from me now and I promise you will only
have to wait a year for the title to clear.
> I don't want to be blamed for switching a commercial wine to a home vintner
label.....
I fail to see the logic here. You send me a $20 bottle of wine and it is so
good that I complain about out it?
> The data you judged concentrates by is 20 years old, by your own words......
And by your own words, the current stuff makes wine indistinguishable from $20
wine. But to prove it, I have to buy something from you and wait a year to
continue this discussion .
It's called putting your money where your mouth is. Do you have any idea how
many free EASYMASHERS I gave away to get people to try them? Naturally, I
selected discriminating people whose opinions people would respect.
I am afraid if you wish to invigorate the wine making business (at least with
folks who have been burned in the past) you are going to have to stick your neck
out.
I don't need a free bottle of wine and I have no interest in making wine with
concentrates as I now have my own vines. However, I am interested in the craft
and would be happy to do anything to promote it. Furthermore, I have nothing to
sell and no axes to grind and a reputation I am proud of.
Your option.
js
PHOTO OF THE WEEK http://user.mc.net/arf/weekly.htm
HOME: Beer, Cheese, Astronomy, Videos http://user.mc.net/arf
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 10:56:00 -0600
From: "Kenneth Smith" <Kenneth_Smith@enron.com>
Subject: Why am I getting headaches?
Forgive the bandwidth waste if this question betrays lack of knowledge, but I
would appreciate your commentary. Private mail is fine.
I am 36 years old, have been brewing for about 3 years, and for some reason, I
am noticing that I tend to get pretty wicked headaches when I consume some of my
brew. I am not talking massive quantities here... one 22oz bottle will do it.
I know fusels can be the cause of this, but I do not think my process is causing
them in excess. The beer is great, if a bit malty. Am I just getting old?
Should I try a less malty recipe? Any ideas welcome, because it has gotten to
the point that I do not brew that often anymore. BTW, I occasionally notice
similar headaches when I drink Fuller's or Old Peculier. Never with lagers or
very light commercial ales.
I do a mini mash. My basic pale ale recipe is 7# MES, 2#pale malt, some small
quantities of other specialty grains (varies according to which experiment I
happen to be conducting). I have been recently using White Labs WLP001 -
California Ale yeast with no starter in addition to the vial. I normally do a
high flavor / aroma hop addition with about 30IBU bitterness.
I have a refrigerator and ferment at 68 degrees in plastic, rack to glass, and
then bottle.
Commentary is welcome.
Ken Smith
Houston, TX
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 09:14:02 -0800
From: "John Palmer" <jjpalmer@gte.net>
Subject: StarSan info
Steve asked about the foaming action of StarSan:
Here is the website for info:
http://www.fivestaraf.com/products/cleaners/starsan.html
>From my own discussions with the company, as well as my experience with the
product, I can offer this info.
The foam works just as well as a sanitizer as the liquid. The foaming agent
is the same as that used in toothpaste. There is a low foaming version
called SaniClean. The product warnings that you read on their website (avoid
contact with skin, etc) are due to FDA regulations for the undiluted
product. My friends and I regularly dunk our arms in the solution and
experience no redness or irritation, unlike when using bleach.
At more than the recommended concentration (1 oz per 5 gallons) they
recommend a potable water rinse. I have not experienced any off flavors when
using StarSan, nor have my friends in our brewclub when not rinsing.
John Palmer
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 11:23:53 -0800
From: "Bayer, Mark A" <Mark.Bayer@JSF.Boeing.com>
Subject: wheat beer protein rest
collective homebrew conscience_
kmacneal pondered the following:
>jdickins@usit.net writes:
>>I've got a question about mashing a wheat beer. I want to do a decoction
>> to get the benefits from it, but I don't like the side effects that come
with
>> the long protein rest @ 50C.
>What are the side effects that come with "the long protein rest @ 50C"?
obviously, i can't speak for jdickins, but the side effects i have observed
in my own weizen decoction brewing (with long 50c protein rests), have been
the following:
1) best of show at memphis (1996?) and
2) first place at the 1998 saint louis brews hhh competition.
ymmv.
brew hard,
mark bayer
stl mo
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #3168, 11/12/99
*************************************
-------
