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HOMEBREW Digest #3372
HOMEBREW Digest #3372 Sat 08 July 2000
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:
Australian International Beer Awards 2000 (Des Egan)
Steve Michalak of Anheuser-Busch to Guest on HBD ("John or Barb Sullivan")
Dated Questions Answered by Steve Michalak ("John or Barb Sullivan")
re: Mac & Jack's African Amber ("Poirier, Bob")
locatinon in australia (Edward Doernberg)
GBBF ("Nigel Porter")
pH/ water chemistry (Marc Sedam)
dry lager yeast (Marc Sedam)
Re: Bubble Counter ("Peter J. Calinski")
hell(es),pH (Jim Liddil)
Brew pubs ("Stephen Jordan")
changing and measuring pH (Jeremy Bergsman)
Toronto water and creation of a brew club ("patrick finerty jr.")
Nitrogen Blend System Help (Lonzo McLaughlin)
Acid Malt (Dan Listermann)
pH meters ("Stephen Alexander")
corn meal CAP (Dave Ludwig)
* 2000 AHA NHC pics and stories at http://hbd.org/miy2k
* JULY IS AMERICAN BEER MONTH! Take the American Beer
* Pledge of Allegiance! Support your local brewery...
*
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 15:38:10 +1000
From: Des Egan <degan@Bendigo.vic.gov.au>
Subject: Australian International Beer Awards 2000
The winners of this years AIBA 2000:
Hoegaarden White
- Grand Champion
- Grand Champion Specialty Ale
- Best Wheat Beer
- Best Specialty Ale
Malt Shovel Brewery - Sydney, Australia
James Squire Original Pilsener
- Champion Australasian Beer
- Champion Lager, Austrilasian Section
- Champion Australasian Bottled Beer
- Champion Australasian Brewery
Boston Beer Company
- Champion International Brewery
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
- Champion International Beer
- Champion Lager
Samuel Admas Boston Lager
- Best Lager International Section
Sail & Anchor Pub Brewery, Perth, Australia
- Champion Small Brewery
IPA - India Pale Ale
- Champion Small Brewery Beer
- Highest Scoring Ale Overall
Monteith's Black Beer, Greymouth, New Zealand
- Best Australasian Packaged Ale
Hightail Ale - Mountain Goat Beer, Melbourne, Australia
- Best Draught Ale
Coopers Brewery, Australia
Coopers Dark Ale
- Champion Dark Ale
Coopers Best Extra Stout
- Champion Stout
Wig & Pen Brewery, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Lionheart Light
- Champion Low Alcohol Beer
Des Egan
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 06:22:24 -0500
From: "John or Barb Sullivan" <sullvan@anet-stl.com>
Subject: Steve Michalak of Anheuser-Busch to Guest on HBD
At the request of Jeff Renner and others on the HBD, I have arranged for
Steve Michalak of Anheuser-Busch to take questions from the collective for
a brief period. Steve was a speaker and major contributor to MCAB II with
a presentation on high gravity brewing, participation in a panel that took
questions on the technical and artistic aspects of brewing and coordinated
the tour of the Anheuser-Busch pilot brewery. In fairness to Steve, I
feel it necessary to set some ground rules as follows:
1. Questions will be accepted with the 7/10 digest with the cutoff being
the 7/15 digest.
2. Questions should be related to brewing techniques and brewing
operations. We're here to learn about brewing, so let's stay focused. If
you submit a question that I (that's me not A-B) deem inappropriate, I will
not send it on and I will let you know in a private e-mail.
3. Questions will be answered as Steve finds time to answer them so be
patient. Do not expect dissertations on a topic. Answers will likely be
brief which is not necessarily a bad thing. We should sieze the opportunity
to promote further discussion of these topics AS THEY RELATE TO
HOMEBREWING. Steve can tell us about A-B techniques, but we need to decide
how relevant they are to homebrewing and small scale batches.
4. Questions should be posted to the digest on the days mentioned above
AND should be e-mailed to me as well at sullvan@anet-stl.com. It's going
to be easier for me to keep track of things through my mail file rather
than sorting through the digests.
With those rules established, I guess we can begin with the next digest.
When Steve arrived to give his presentation at MCAB, the first thing he
said after I handed him the mic was "Good morning fellow brewers". Please
remember that we are fellow brewers with a lot to learn and share and
welcome Steve as our guest.
John Sullivan
St. Louis, MO
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 06:34:49 -0500
From: "John or Barb Sullivan" <sullvan@anet-stl.com>
Subject: Dated Questions Answered by Steve Michalak
There were some questions bandied about recently that I have received
answers on from Steve Michalak.
1) How many IBU's in Budweiser, 6 or 11?
Answer: Budweiser is 11 IBU's.
2) If it's not acetaldehyde that the homebrewers think they are
picking up in Budweiser, then what does your analysis show it to be?
Answer: There are SEVERAL DOZEN compounds that make up the flavor profile
of Budweiser. There is no one dominate flavor compound (that is
intentional and that is part of what we call well-blended).
3) Why is there no oxidation of wort components in the air column stripping
procedure. Everyone remembers this but no one seems to
remember the answer or fully understand.
Answer: There is some oxidation of the wort during the aeration but minor.
We routinely monitor the oxidation ingress throughout the brewhouse process
and have taken numerous measures to minimize the oxygen pick-up so that
overall, our worts have very little oxidation. Oxidation at the aeration
point is minimal because oxygen does not readily dissolve in wort at the
near boiling temperature and the oxygen that does absorb will soon be
assimilated by the yeast in the fermenter before it can cause significant
damage. Brewhouse oxidation is most critical in the brewhouse process
prior to the kettle boil.
That's a start.
John Sullivan
St. Louis, MO
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 06:46:00 -0500
From: "Poirier, Bob" <Bob_Poirier@adc.com>
Subject: re: Mac & Jack's African Amber
Greetings!
Back on Tue, 02 May 2000, Nathan Kanous asked for info regarding
Mac & Jack's African Amber. I just received an e-mail from a
homebrew shop in Washington state, and included in it is a recipe
for a brew which they say is similar to Mac & Jack's African Amber.
If you visit their web site, you can get all the details:
http://www.mhbws.com/Outback%20Amber%20Ale.htm.
Good luck!
Bob Poirier
East Haven, CT
PS - I'm not affiliated in any way, shape or form with the above
mentioned homebrew shop.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 20:04:41 +0800
From: Edward Doernberg <shevedd@q-net.net.au>
Subject: locatinon in australia
i am in Perth the capital of western Australia
you should find about as far from those easterners as is possible without
leaving the country.
up the eagles (AFL)
up the glory (soccer)
up the wildcats (basketball)
and up and rugby teems we have.
(the truth be known i don't follow any sport at all)
the reason I say should is that my father was a long time subscriber to
national geographic until there was an article on Perth. It was so
inaccurate he never renewed the subscription.
Edward
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 14:06:55 +0100
From: "Nigel Porter" <nigel@sparger.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: GBBF
Brad asks about homebrewers at GBBF:
As there has been for the last 4 or 5 years, there will be a CBA
(Craft Brewing Association) stand at GBBF this year. There should
be a few British homebrewers there, and it often turns into a meeting
place for people. I am planning to be there most of the week.
Unfortunately we won't be breweing this year (cannot get
sponsorship to pay high costs for supply of water and drainage). We
will however be giving away samples of our beer, which always go
down well, and have a selection of brewing kit on display, whilst
trying to explain to people the joys of brewing.
I'm sure if any of you lucky enough to be in London for our cold wet
summer pop along and introduce yourselves, you'll find us most
welcoming.
AFAIK the stand is in the same place as last year - as you come
through the main doors, it is on the RHS about 1/2 way down the hall.
Hope to see some of you there.
Nigel Porter
Guildford, UK
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 09:10:16 -0400
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam@unc.edu>
Subject: pH/ water chemistry
OK. I get the concept of testing the pH at room temperature
as part of the ASBC guidelines. That makes sense to me only
because they're written guidelines. But again, what does
that do to the mash? Knowing that the pH of a cooled sample
is 5.1 does nothing to tell me what's going on in the
mash...or does it? By doing so isn't the pH of the mash
always understated? Again, I recognize that this is the way
people do it, but it's not passing my sniff test. Perhaps I
won't be satisfied.
Of course AJ jumped in and added something I also wanted to
say about brewing pH meters--that the gunk in the mash
really does screw up a meter rather quickly. Fortunately I
have some lab quality caustic on hand. A quick dip in
caustic followed by a dH2O rinse repeated 2-3x does the
trick. BTW, the electrode I used was a KCl electrode so I
didn't risk anything major by dipping in the mash, but since
the meter is broken I won't have a chance to repeat the
mistake either. I also came to the conclusion that, while a
pH meter is a pretty cool toy, its utility in brewing is
limited. Once you know what your water is and what you need
to do to make it behave in the mash tun, the meter can
return to the closet.
***************
I was surprised to see all the errors in the water chemistry
section of the Helles book too. But one small nit to pick
with Jeff's comments on slaked lime. Of course it will help
ppt any Ca++ and Mg++ and do all the other things Jeff said
re: alkalinity, etc. But once all of the minerals are ppt
it certainly would increase the pH of the water. I don't
think that's what the article was referring to, but a slight
correction at best. Maybe I'm being a bit cranky on
this...not a big deal really.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 09:22:12 -0400
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam@unc.edu>
Subject: dry lager yeast
After much searching I managed to get my hands on some
Saflager S-23 dry lager yeast (thanks to Scott B. at
DeFalco's). Brewed up 10 gallons of kolsch two weeks
ago--pitched one with WhiteLabs Kolsch yeast and the other
with a rehydrated pack of Saflager. Fermented at 55F.
Checked the gravity two days ago and the Saflager was
performing like a champ...its gravity was four points lower
than the kolsch yeast and still going strong. Looks like
this yeast really does ferment well at lower temps. It was
a clean ferment and seems like a true dry lager yeast. I
can't wait to try the two next to each other when they're
finished.
The only complaint with Saflager is that they don't tell you
the temperature at which to rehydrate the yeast. I assumed
its like most dry yeasts and did it at 105F. Best guess.
In case anyone was interested in brewing a kolsch, here's my
recipe for 10 gallons
15lbs pilsner malt
2lbs malted wheat
3oz Tettnang (4.0 a.a.) in the mash
Mash profile: mash the grain and hops in at 131F; when
fully doughed in raise to 143F (hold for 30 mins), raise to
152F (hold for 15 mins), raise to 158F (hold for 15 mins),
raise to 172F (hold for 10 mins). Sparge.
Collect 12 gallons of wort. Add 1oz of 13.2%aa Target in
the boil. Chill, pitch, ferment at 55F.
I really dig mash hopping as it adds something to the flavor
and aroma profiles of a beer like nothing else. Many of my
brew buddies who have tried it swear they'll always use it
in styles that need hop flavor and aroma. My last CAP was
mash hopped with 3oz of Ultra and it's magically delicious.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 09:22:44 -0400
From: "Peter J. Calinski" <PCalinski@iname.com>
Subject: Re: Bubble Counter
If the air lock is a floating hat variety, why not put some conducting tape
on the inside of the top and another piece on the top of the floating hat.
Run some fine #30 or so wire to each conductor. Then fill the air lock
enough that the hat floats up and touches the top just before the burp.
Run the wires back your PC, one to ground, the other to an input. I would
use one of the joystick button inputs. Easily accessed and seldom used on
any of my computers. I can track down the pin #s and locations if anyone
is interested.
Pete Calinski
East Amherst NY
Near Buffalo NY
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 06:43:12 -0700 (MST)
From: Jim Liddil <jliddil@VMS.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: hell(es),pH
> Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 14:08:59 -0400
> From: Jeff Renner <nerenner@umich.edu>
> Subject: To the Publisher of Brewers Publications
> I think that Horst Dornbusch should have let someone like AJ DeLange write
> the section on water chemistry, or at least review it. It is apparent he
> does not have the necessary grasp of chemistry. He may brew fine beer, but
> here he is in over his head. I am surprised that these errors got past the
> people at Spaten he credits with reviewing his manuscript.
>
Well put. His other book had a number of errors which seemed obvious. The
more things change.....
I can appreciate the obsession with ph (there are drugs to treat this),
but I have had no problems using pH paper and cooled mash samples. But
then again I know my water chemsitry and now have pilsen like brewing
water. pH electrodes are just too high maintenance for my tastes except in
exacting applications.
Jim Liddil
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 10:43:52 -0400
From: "Stephen Jordan" <Carrotbay@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Brew pubs
Beer Gods
I'll be in Lake Oswego, Or. this coming week, just south of Portland. I need
to know of any and all brew-pubs in the area within walking or stumbling
distance.
Thanks in advance
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 09:11:46 -0700
From: Jeremy Bergsman <jeremybb@stanford.edu>
Subject: changing and measuring pH
"Lynne O'Connor" <stpats@zoom.realtime.net> writes:
> Based on my knowledge of Celis, I would suggest a pH of 5.2 (at room
> temperature) for wit beer at beginning of boil. Direct addition of lactic
> acid to kettle
> will work and is the method employed at Celis.
I had an email conversation with Lenzie Kinyon, operations manager at Celis,
on this subject a few years back. We were talking about the Grand Cru, not
the wit, but he said:
> We use acetic acid in the final processing to enhance the tartness. As
> you know, many traditional Belgian beers/ales are on the sour side.
> Some were and still are a result of lactic or acetic acid producing
> bacteria, but the addition of lactic and acetic acid is a standard
> practice and much easier to control. Many of these products are
> acidified and then sweetened with slight amounts of sugar to produce an
> unusual flavor. I have never heard Pierre talk about lactic or acetic
> acid producing bacteria in his breweries.
I'm not trying to say you are wrong, just that one always has to be careful
of the Belgian Waffle, especially with Pierre.
**************************************************
Lynne later writes:
> I did a quick check with cheap and expensive
> pH papers and decided cheap ones are hopeless at high temperatures
> (I got a different answer every time). the expensive papers
> (not colorphast but some German ones) gave a lower pH reading
> at high temperature but the resolution (0.50) wasn't enough to
> know if it was accurate. I did a quick search on the web and
> couldn't find any info on temperature dependence of pH papers.
> Maybe someone else can find something?
I have posted a few times on analysis of pH papers. There are some good
ones. My take on temperature is that after dipping and removing the paper
it should go to room temperature fairly quickly. You need to wait a moment
before you read pH paper anyway.
- --
Jeremy Bergsman
jeremybb@stanford.edu
http://www.stanford.edu/~jeremybb
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 12:41:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: "patrick finerty jr." <zinc@finerty.net>
Subject: Toronto water and creation of a brew club
hi folks,
recently there has been some discussion of water composition and a few
people have posted water analyses for our perusal. i thought i would
just repost the link to an analysis of Toronto H2O i received from the
city (via snail mail and email no less). this file is an excel
spreadsheet so if that's not viewable to you i'd be happy to put it in
another format for you. perhaps i'll convert it to HTML today if i'm
feeling ambitious...
http://www.finerty.net/pjf/interests/brewing/toronto_H2O.xls
also, i was talking with Barry at the local homebrew supply shop
(Brew-Your-Own on McCaul) this past week and he said they were talking
of starting a more active brew club in Toronto. it would be simple,
with meetings at member's houses and that type of thing. if you're
interested, drop me a note or bring it up with him when you're in the
store.
ciao,
-pjf
- --
"There is only one aim in life and that is to live it."
Karl Shapiro,(1959) from an essay on Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer
finger pfinerty@nyx10.nyx.net for PGP key
http://www.finerty.net/pjf
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 12:57:42 -0400
From: Lonzo McLaughlin <lonkelm@dol.net>
Subject: Nitrogen Blend System Help
I'm trying to use nitrogen on my latest stout but an having troubles
connecting my regulator to the tank. Please advise if anyone out there has
done this. I have two different approaches.
1. RAPIDS Supply sold me a regulator that is rated for nitrogen but has a
C.G.A. 320 connection that only connects to low pressure CO2 tanks. RAPIDS
says I should ask for the blend to be placed in a CO2 bottle. This sounds
dangerous to me and the gas company refuses to do so.
2. Gas company approach: Where in the hell did you get this regulator?
The gas company agrees the regulator can be used for nitrogen, I just need
to replace the stem and nut that connects to the tank with one that fits
Nitrogen tanks (C.G.A 580). Well, they had the stem and the nut but the
thread from the stem into the regulator on my regulator is left hand
thread. The gas company has never seen this. All their stems are right
hand thread.
What thread is everyone's regulators out there that are rated for nitrogen?
What would this forum recommend I take as a path forward other than buy a
new regulator?
thanks in advance
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 16:03:50 -0400
From: Dan Listermann <72723.1707@compuserve.com>
Subject: Acid Malt
Lynne O'Connor ( stpats@zoom.realtime.net) mentions acid malt. I believe
that they two on the market maybe called the same, but are very different
animals. The Weyermann Acidulated malt is _VERY_ tart to taste. I
recommend that one tast only one corn to feel the effect. I use it at
about .25 lbs per five gallons of stout to give a Guinness simulation.
Weissheimmer makes something they call acid malt and it may well be
acidulated, but it is nowhere near Weyermann's as I can't taste a sour
flavor in the corns. We bought a bag and quickly saw that it was no match
for Weyermann's and threw it out.
Guy Burgess is attempting to simulate a Berliner Weiss using 33% acid malt.
We shall see?
Dan Listermann 72723.1707@compuserve.com dan@listermann.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 17:42:22 -0400
From: "Stephen Alexander" <steve-alexander@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: pH meters
Marc Sedam says ...
>I used to have (well still have a nonfunctioning version of) a
>Piccolo Plus pH meter.
Like other Hanna Instruments has the lifespan of a housefly.
I'd personally avoid this mfgr. Cheap price and cheaply made
IMO. Is "Hanna" Taiwanese for disposable ? YMMV.
-S (who likes short sig lines)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 21:40:07 -0400
From: Dave Ludwig <dludwig@us.hsanet.net>
Subject: corn meal CAP
Richard Scholz said:
Using "Whole" corn in your grist will create a
very nice corn oil slick on top of your fermenter and you will end up
with
beer without any head foam as the oil will kill all foam retention.
You need
to use de-germed corn grits/meal/flour/flakes to get around the oil
problem.
I have a CAP that's been fermenting for 3 days now. Based on Jeff
Renner's "Your Fathers Mustache", I
used roasted whole corn meal. At the grocery store, seems the only
choices are the roasted whole or the
quaker oats(degermed and enriched) corn meals. A couple of questions:
1) Will I have the oil problem with the "whole" corn meal? The
fermentation looks normal and has a nice
thick krausen.
2) Will the "roasted" corn meal be a positive flavor enhancement to the
beer or is it better to use
"unroasted"?
This is the first time I've done a CAP or used corn meal. Couple other
questions. Jeff Renner's
instructions call for 2 lbs corn meal and 10 oz malt for the cerial
mash. What's the 10 oz of malt for? I
decided not to add the malt at first and using 1.5 qt water, found the
corn meal became gooey and
clumpy, basically unworkable. I added the 10 oz of malt and half a qt of
water, mixed it up and the mash
was much better and easy to work. Seems the malt at least makes the mash
less gooey. After simmering
the cerial mash for about 30 minutes, added to the main mash. During the
sparge, which went without a
hitch, I was impressed how quickly it cleared during runnoff. So far,
a positive experience with corn
meal. Cheers!
Dave Ludwig
Flat Iron Brewery
SO MD
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #3372, 07/08/00
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