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HOMEBREW Digest #3548
HOMEBREW Digest #3548 Mon 05 February 2001
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
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THIS YEAR'S HOME BREW DIGEST BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
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Contents:
Making an electric heating element variable. ("Stephen M. Kunz")
This makes a lot of sense! (Bob Sheck)
Care of imported beers/Care of soil (Tom Smit)
Re: Sanke Fermenter (Epic8383)
Weizenbier -- stuck fermentation, or just newbie impatience?? ("Joel King")
sarcasm / Belgian yeast attenuation (David Harsh)
Grolsch (kbooth)
Re: all grain questions ("Kurt Schweter")
Re: Weizenbier -- stuck fermentation, or just newbie impatience?? (Jeff Renner)
Re: Floor malted MO (Bill Riel)
Devil Mountain 5-Malt Ale ("Michael O. Hanson")
Re: headspace & carbonation (chris buck)
RE: Temperature Sensors ("Dave Howell")
home vs. micro vs. commercial breweries??? ("Mike Capitain")
Vacuum insulated Aero-Cans ("Bret Mayden")
Temperature Sensors ("Peter Fitzsimons")
question re high final gravity... (darrell.leavitt)
Center of the Brewing Universe and CACA update (Jim Wilson)
Balancing in Burradoo (David Lamotte)
Hop "scum"; Wort clearing ("Joye & Kevin Sinn")
foamy carboy head (Jack Corbett)
caffrey irish ale ("mike o,neill")
Too much of a good thing? (RBoland)
Best of Brooklyn IV ("Kevin Winn")
Re: Weizenbier -- stuck fermentation, or just newbie impatience?? (Brunnenbraeu)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 00:22:56 -0500
From: "Stephen M. Kunz" <inline@nettaxi.com>
Subject: Making an electric heating element variable.
Hello all,
For a while now I've been looking for information on how to hook up a
kitchen stove type controller to a 3000W (240V) water heating element to be
used in a bucket boiler. I've checked the archives and found one posting by
a Matt Koch (out of Montreal, Qc, Canada) who said he used this type of
setup and it has worked great. Incidentally his last posting to the HBD was
around 1998, so I was hoping maybe that anyone knew how to get a hold of
Matt, or, could help me with some instruction on how to wire on of these
babies up? (links on the net or private e-mail very welcome)
Thanks in advance
Stephen
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 00:41:02 -0500
From: Bob Sheck <bsheck@skantech.net>
Subject: This makes a lot of sense!
>Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2001 08:31:37 -0600
>From: Joe Yoder <headduck@swbell.net>
>Subject: spruce
Snip-
>I use about 2 quarts of needles (loosely
>packed in a quart jar).
>hope this helps,
Yes; Is this like jamming 4 pounds in a 2 pound sack?
Do you pull the needles off the stalk?
IMWTK-
Bob Sheck
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 18:16:26 +0100
From: Tom Smit <lunica@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: Care of imported beers/Care of soil
Hi all,
Out of many stubbies of Theakston Old Peculiar that I have tried I
have only really liked one. That was the first stubbie ever that I
bought, put in my wardrobe and then, silly fears/prejudice re flat warm
UK beers coming to the fore, left there for 3 weeks (or more, I forget).
I then chilled it and drank it and enloyed its body, mouthfeel, toffee
taste etc. As I said, I have tried many stubbies TOP since and didn't
taste anything like that first stubby.
Two weeks ago I bought three UK ales, incl TOP, got crook (dehydrated
& bronchitis at one and the same time) and so these beers just stayed in
my brewfridge for two weeks. I have just opened & tasted the TOP and
guess what, that lovely taste, mouthfeel etc is back. Tom's first law of
brewing has just been formulated: let foreign/imported beers rest for a
couple of weeks before drinking same.
At the same time & for the same reason my garden has been largely
unwatered for the past two weeks, in the middle of a heat wave. Yet
today I picked a succulent, juicy rock melon (canteloupe) a bunch of
flowers to brighten up my study and have tomatoes, crookneck squash in
such profusion I have had to give a lot away. How is this?
I do not grow hybrids so my flowers, fruits (I didn't tell you about
my peaches) & vegies are more robust & hardy. More importantly I do not
use soluble, ionic fertilisers, but compost & composted manures.
Now, all this is strictly on-topic. If we are to maintain our
lifestyles and access to lots of good, cheap & plentifull malt & hops we
need to look after our soil and rivers. Here in Oz superphosphate is
rendering ever more soil too saline to use and filling our major
Darling/Murray river system with more and more algae. Another HBDer
lamented the damage nitrogen fertilisers are doing to Canadian soils.
Genetically Meddled Organisms and large doses water soluble ionic
fertilisers are the wrong approaches. We must nurture the soil.
Cheers
Tom Smit
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 05:17:41 EST
From: Epic8383@aol.com
Subject: Re: Sanke Fermenter
Thanks Rich for pointing out a few problems with fermenting in an
unconverted keg. Although I've never had a problem removing a spear (always
triple check there is no pressure before removing any keg fitting), the idea
of having to clean a clog is not very appealing. As far as removing all the
yeast, I find I can do this with a cornie if I just grab the rim and give it
a few sharp twists back and forth, letting it settle for a while then drawing
off some sediment- I'm thinking it might work with a sanke. For bottling, I
suggest force carbonating and hooking up to a CP bottler. This is assuming
the yeast removal works! I've found that although there is sediment in a
cornie, I get clear beer down to the last glass, so I think I might try this
in the future.
It certainly will fix the problem of fitting two 6 1/2 gallon carboys
in the fridge- they won't fit in mine. I definitly won't go more than 12
gallons thanks to your advice, I hate losing any beer, watching it get lost
in the blow off would seriously piss me off.
Gus Rappold
Massapequa, NY
-73.42956 Lat. 40.68112 Lon.
P.S. Congrats Marc on working out your motorization, sounds like something
I'll wind up going through in the future!
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 13:27:18 -0000
From: "Joel King" <joel_d_king@hotmail.com>
Subject: Weizenbier -- stuck fermentation, or just newbie impatience??
Daniel,
I'm of the opinion that most stuck fermentations are due to underpitching or
underaeration. The yeast just wimps out and refuse to ferment the more
difficult sugars.
I wouldn't try aerating this late in the game. You might want to make up a
large, well aerated starter, get it up to a full krausen, and pitch that.
Best of luck,
Joel
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 10:37:15 -0500
From: David Harsh <dharsh@fuse.net>
Subject: sarcasm / Belgian yeast attenuation
Brian Lundeen <blundeen@rrc.mb.ca> accuses me of
"resorting to snarky sarcasm" when I recommend use of a dipstick.
In your original post, Brian actually said the following:
> ....Now if you want to reply with comments such as,
> "Why would you do this, when it would be much simpler to...",
> that's fine, I am quite open to alternate ideas....
Let me rephrase my post to avoid piercing your thin skin: Why would you
want to do this, when it would be much simpler to use a dipstick with
calibrated markings for volume? (for the record, I would interpret a
statement like that as being arrogant and condescending)
I think your proposed floating level indicator had a bit of a Rube
Goldberg complexity to it and that's why I recommended the dipstick if
you weren't going to use a sight glass. My trademarking the concept was
a lame attempt at humor at the expense of a long time contributor to the digest.
I'll admit my post could be perceived as sarcastic, although facetious
would be a more appropriate description. Trust me - if it is my goal to
insult someone, my words are not mistaken as sarcastic. If I am
sarcastic, rest assured Brian, it is not only in response to you.
- --------------
WhiteLabs Belgian Yeasts were the subject of much discussion at Spirit
of Belgium since Chris White was there to talk about them. He gave out
a handout that listed flocculation, attenuation, alcohol tolerance, and
a table that listed flavor profiles at different temperatures. He said
he'd probably get it up on the website. At any rate, the attenuation
data listed was as follows:
High (80-90%): Wit (400), Wit II (410), Ale (550)
Medium-High: Trappist (500), Abbey (530)
Medium (70-80%): Golden Ale (570)
Low-Medium: Saison I (565)
None were listed as Low, but is did say that warm temperatures were
required to get medium attenuation out of the Saison. Of course, every
strain listed above has the word "Belgian" first in its name, but I
didn't want to type it that many times.
Dave Harsh
Bloatarian Brewing League Cincinnati, OH
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 10:47:53 -0500
From: kbooth <kbooth@waverly.k12.mi.us>
Subject: Grolsch
>
> Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 07:09:13 EST
> From: Wimpy48124@aol.com
> Subject: Can grolsch bottles handle higher carbonation
I use Grolsch bottles for my cider and a few years past I over carbonated a
batch. I managed to place the bottles to condition on the dining room table,
and SWMBO notices a spoting on the
ceiling. I couldn't imagine a roof leak, but one day while nearby I noticed a
Grolsch bottle with a stream of spray relieving itself on our ceiling.
Periodicly it acted as a safety valve with more distance than a boy baby.
So, you may not get the pressure you desire, particularly if the gaskets are a
bit worn.
Safety wise, no real problems as none detonated for me. YMMV
cheers, jbooth
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 10:55:43 -0500
From: "Kurt Schweter" <KSchweter@smgfoodlb.com>
Subject: Re: all grain questions
you can only move so much wort
through your chiller at one time
ok?!, so the difference is time
25 feet is long enough
wort goes through chiller---
you have time to clean
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 11:38:18 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <nerenner@umich.edu>
Subject: Re: Weizenbier -- stuck fermentation, or just newbie impatience??
Daniel Chisholm <dmc@nbnet.nb.ca> of Fredericton, NB Canada, has
made his second batch, a slightly over diluted extract weizen that
seems stuck.
First, Daniel, let me congratulate you for including your full name
and your location. (Now might be the time for my semi-annual request
that everybody do this when posting).
You've done a fine job of clearly stating the situation.
Unfortunately, this is one of those problems that can be a stumper.
I have a few ideas, though. First, you have probably underpitched by
a bit. I don't know how much yeast is in a Cooper's packet, but 5-7
grams is typical. Two packets would have been much better. Did you
follow the instructions for rehydration?
Second, you probably didn't really aerate that much. People on HBD
(AJ deLange, especially) have measured the dissolved oxygen in
different cases and you just don't get that much by even vigorous
stirring. Repeatedly pouring from one container to another is much
more effective. Pitch the yeast first and you'll be giving them
oxygen to use as you add more.
Third, it's possible that CO2 bubbles are clinging to your
hydrometer, making it more buoyant, giving a high reading. Make sure
to thoroughly degas the sample. Try putting it in a blender for a
few seconds and letting it settle.
Some malt extracts are suspiciously low in nutrients due to the
surreptitious use of sugars, and this can cause stuck fermentations
when diluting the wort as you did, , but I think Briess is above
this. It seems to be more of a problem with imported extract. So I
don't think this is likely to be your problem, and yeast nutrient
shouldn't help.
I think you may just have to wait it out, then bottle. Good luck.
Now about trying to duplicate that wonderful beer you had on
vacation. You never will. Part of it was the ambience. The latest
issue of "Malt Advocate" has an interview with Tom Peters and Ray
Deter, owners of two great beer bars, Monk's Cafe in Philly and
d.b.a. 41 1st Avenue in NYC. Deter tells the story of honeymooning
with his English born wife, before he was a beer afficianado. They
arrive at a country pub after a long bike ride on a hot English day,
and he wants a cold, fizzy one, but he wife insists he order two
Stones bitters, and they were wonderful! Everything changed for him
regarding beer. He says now that "People come into our place and
they'll say, 'You know, I had this beer in so-and-so, and it's
great!' Oh, yeah, who were you with? 'Oh, I met this beautiful girl
-." I can find the beer for you, but I can't find the girl, and
you're not 22 anymore!"
But you might do better. First, an important part of Bavarian
Weizenbier flavor is the yeast, which is kind of a tamed wild yeast.
Assuming your magical beer was this type, you need to get some
authentic weizenbier yeast, and that means liquid yeast. But don't
worry, it's not that hard. Get a Wyeast or WhiteLabs one, and make a
starter! A big one.
Another problem is that extracts get darkened in their processing,
and when you boil a concentrated wort, as you did, they get further
darkened. I think you might get a lighter wheat extract from
William's Brewing http://www.williamsbrewing.com , but I'm not sure.
I do know that their all 2-row is about the lightest all malt extract
you can get.
Hope this helps some, and good luck.
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, c/o nerenner@umich.edu
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 10:00:15 -0800
From: Bill Riel <bill.riel@home.com>
Subject: Re: Floor malted MO
Brian Lundeen wrote:
> On to the Marris Otter thing. I can't find my source for this, and I may be
> wrong, but I believe a small Canadian maltster, Gambrinus, is still using
> floor malting for producing a British style pale malt (made from Canadian
> grown wheat, not Maris Otter) called ESB pale malt. I got the following from
> the Brewer's Online Market Guide:
>
> ESB pale malt: This "Extra Special British" pale malt is malted for brewers
> seeking the unique flavor imparted by well-modified British pale malt.
> Gambrinus modified its malting process to produce this distinct malt
> traditionally found only on the British Isles. <end quote>
>
> I have heard nothing but good reviews of this malt and is certainly one I
> think worth trying by those lamenting the loss of the floor malted MO.
Gambrinus is a small maltster located in Armstrong BC, and as I
understand it, do use floor malting.
Their pale malt is probably the best base malt I've ever used for making
English ales - it's slightly darker than the more common Canada Malting
Harrington 2-row, but it's superb for the kind of beers that I make. I
think I prefer it to Munton's MO and Hugh Baird, but it could be that
I'm getting much fresher samples of Gambrinus than those English malts.
After all I do live reasonably close to the source.
- --
Bill
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 12:39:55 -0600
From: "Michael O. Hanson" <mhanson@winternet.com>
Subject: Devil Mountain 5-Malt Ale
Does anybody know of a recipe for a Devil Mountain 5-Malt Ale clone?
All-grain, partial mash, or extract recipes are fine. Private e-mail is fine.
Thanks in Advance,
Mike Hanson
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 15:57:35 -0500
From: chris buck <cbuck@jhmi.edu>
Subject: Re: headspace & carbonation
I've been lured out of long-time lurking by the puzzle of slow
carbonation of high-filled bottles. I have some possible experiments to
address this mysterious phenomenon - and I did one 'spearmint already!
First off, my observation from a mere year and a half of homebrewing has
been that high-fill bottles (by this I mean less than half an inch of
headspace) reliably take much longer to carbonate than bottles with an
inch or more of headspace. It's not that the high-fills never attain
adequate carbonation - just that it takes weeks and weeks (while
inch-of-headspace bottles may be carbonated in just a matter of days).
The phenomenon bothers me because it's exactly the opposite of what
I'd expect. My assumption would have been that a fixed amount of
priming sugar should be converted to a fixed amount of CO2. Since this
fixed amount CO2 would be packed into a smaller headspace volume in a
high fill bottle, you would assume that the higher pressure of CO2 in
the headspace would, at equilibrium, result in more CO2 dissolved in the
beer. Intuitively, it seems ulinkely that pressure-inhibition of the
yeast is the culprit. If there were high CO2 pressure in the headspace,
doesn't it stand to reason that, at equilibrium, there would be more CO2
dissolved in the beer?
So my favorite of the theories people have put forth is that the
yeast require some fresh oxygen in order to rapidly convert the priming
sugar. After a large number of generations without oxygen in the
fermenter, I'd think that the yeast that make it into the bottle would
be depleted of the sterols and fatty acids needed for healthy cell
walls. So they might have serious metabolic needs for O2. If you make
the assumption that a milliliter or two of CO2 comes out of solution as
the beer bottle is filled, it might be that virtually all of the O2 has
been evacuated from high-fill bottles (maybe consistent with Louis
Bonham's results (HBD#3541)?).
So experiment #1, which I just did, was to add recently-aerated
yeast at bottling time. I added 1/2 cup of high-krausen starter to my
latest 5 gallon batch at bottling time. I filled a couple bottles
leaving 1" of headspace and a couple with 1/4" of headspace. Actually,
the entire starter-added batch was maybe a little more carbonated than I
would have expected from the 4oz of corn sugar I used. I think the
result is basically consistent with the idea that if the yeast in the
bottle are not oxygen-starved, they can carbonate the bottle rapidly
regardless of headspace.
Experiment #2 (pending): fill two bottles each with 1/4", 1/2", and
1" of headspace. Cap one of the two bottles with a regular cap, and the
other with an "Oxycap" oxygen absorbing cap (I get mine from
<http://www.morebeer.com/>, no affiliation blah). If Oxycaps are not
just snake oil, the decreased O2 in Oxycapped bottle should exacerbate
the high-fill effect.
Experiment #3 (I don't like this experiment as much as the first
two): Examine the high-fill effect in a split batch primed either with
DME or corn sugar. The extra break material from the boiled DME might
substitute for O2, giving the yeast in the high-fill bottles an
alternate source for fatty acid and sterol synthesis.
Experiment #4: purge the bottles with CO2 before filling them. Low
and high fill CO2-purged bottles should take equal amounts of time to
carbonate since neither would have much O2 left inside the bottle. It
looks like Stephen Alexander might have done this experiment already
(HBD#3539) - and probably didn't support the O2 availability model - so
I'm inclined to throw it out (hah hah).
I'll report back a couple months from now when my lagers are ready
for bottling.
Oh, I have one parting shot on a totally unrelated topic. Does
anybody else sanitize the spout on plastic buckets by first attaching
vinyl tubing to the spout, then running a little 70% ethanol down the
tube? The perfect no-rinse solution to sanitizing spouts as far as I'm
concerned. Might add a little ethanol to the beer... which is not a bad
thing. Last year I bought a liter bottle of grain alcohol to use for
quick sanitation and for airlocks. Cost $12 and its only about halfway
gone after more than a dozen batches.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 14:58:30 -0700
From: "Dave Howell" <djhowell@qwest.net>
Subject: RE: Temperature Sensors
In HBD #3457, Pete Calinski says:
"I just ran across some interesting Temperature sensors from Dallas
Semiconductor. The DS1820 http://www.dalsemi.com/datasheets/pdfs/1820.pdf
is a three terminal device. Power, Ground and serial I/O. It transmits the
9 bit temperature back over the I/O line. Also, can be programmed to alarm
for over and under temperature. Multiple devices can share the same data
line. Power isn't needed because in some applications, the device can
derive power from the data line.
The DS1620 http://www.dalsemi.com/datasheets/pdfs/1620.pdf is an 8 pin
device that is similar internally to the DS1820 but includes output pins for
Over/Under and Com.
I don't know prices, availability or how well they work. I think Dallas
Semi also has an evaluation board."
And I say:
Yep, this is a neat device. You can get them from Newark Electronics
http://www.newark.com (NAYY...) for around $2.00 US (Newark has a $5.00
handling fee for any order under $25 US).
You can run these in Thermostat mode, and set a Thigh and Tlow hysterisis
threshold, you get 0.5 deg C resolution (the DS1821 gives 1 deg C
resolution), you get some scratchpad RAM (useful for assembling into strings
for display), etc. Programming and communicating with it is not really
simple (the DS1620 is easier, with 3-wire mode, meaning you need a Chip
Enable line, a Serial Clock line, and a Serial Data line to communicate).
Examples can be found on the Intenet for Atmel, Motorola, and Microchip
microcontrollers (I haven't seen any examples for the STAMP, 8051 or 8086,
but you can adapt from the other examples). A good place to look for PIC
examples is here: http://www.phanderson.com/PIC/16C84/ds1820/.
The 9-bit devices are actually 8-bit resolution with a sign bit (bit # 9) to
help prevent you confusing the lower (0 to -50 deg C) from the upper (64 to
125 deg C) temperatures.
You can increase the resolution of these devices by some double-secret
commands (detailed in Dallas' App Notes for the devices) at the cost of much
increased code complexity and the need for at least a fixed-point library in
your microcontroller code. If you're using a PC to communicate to the
device this should not be a problem.
The DS1602 is slower, and has a larger case (unless you are adept at fine
pitch surface-mount) that may be more problematic to mount in something for
use as a temperature sensor. It was designed for laptop battery power
management (I think).
Pete, drop me a line, I'm working with the DS1821 this week in my
microcontrolled-PID controller project. I'm almost finished learning how to
talk to the DS1305 Realtime Clock, and about to start with the DS1821. With
luck, by next week I'll be writing the PID algorithm (but my luck with
peripherals has not been good so far, lots of slogging along).
BTW, the part numbers with the K at the end are the evaluation kits (e.g.
DS1821K), and are roughly $100 US each.
Dave Howell
Hating assembly language projects that I get involved in only because I like
better beer, in Mesa, Arizona.
"The time has come, the Walrus said, to speak of many things: Of shoes,
of ships, of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings, and why the sea is
boiling hot and whether pigs have wings."
--- Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 18:15:24 -0500
From: "Mike Capitain" <mcapitain@diskonnected.com>
Subject: home vs. micro vs. commercial breweries???
i am asking for the help of all those with experience and insights into the
realms of home-, micro-, and commercial brewing. where is the line drawn
between the three? what makes a homebrewery a homebrewery and not jst a
microbrewery in someone's backyard? furthermore, if a microbrewery sells it
brew, what makes that different than a purely commercial brewery? i gather
that the biggest differences are in size, but where are the boundaries?
-fellow homebrewer,
-mike capitain
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 23:47:44 -0000
From: "Bret Mayden" <brmayden@hotmail.com>
Subject: Vacuum insulated Aero-Cans
Earl,
Where did you pick these up? Military surplus? Sounds like something I'd
like to tinker with.
Bret Mayden
brmayden@hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 21:16:38 +1030
From: "Peter Fitzsimons" <peterf@senet.com.au>
Subject: Temperature Sensors
Pete Calinski asks about the Dallas 1820 sensors
I have built a fridge temperature controller so that I can control
fermentation temperature based on this chip and a PIC controller. If you are
interested I can provide the details off line from the digest. After doing
this, I'm not sure if it was worth the effort considering how long it took
and the price of ready made controllers.
Peter
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 09:54:02 -0500 (EST)
From: darrell.leavitt@plattsburgh.edu
Subject: question re high final gravity...
I recently brewed a stout. It tastes great, so this is not a complaint in
search of a cure.
But, the final gravity really confuses me, so if any more
experienced brewers can render suggestions or
ideas that would eliminate my confusion,.or at least aid in that
process, then I would greatly appreciate it.
Here is the data:
9lb 2 row Maris Otter Malt (Thomas Fawcett, North Country Malt Supply)
1lb Chocolate Malt
.25lb Roasted Barley (in the sparge)
.5 lb Amber Malt
2lb Wheat Malt
4.5 gallons of water into lauter-tun.strike temperature was about 170 F
stabilized at 155 F for 60 minutes
tested with iodine.failed the test,
reheated to 158 F ,..rest for 30 minutes.
I collected about 7 gallons of 1.060 (about) wort.
First runnings were 1.082
OG was 1.072
FG after 11 days (no secondary) was 1.040 ? THIS IS WHAT CONFUSES ME
I used slurry (about half
of a half gallon growler) that had been used 2X
before,.I was thinking that this
might approximate an Imperial Stout, ..but it did not.
It tastes very good, sweet, .not cloyingly so.but I am confused as
to the high final gravity.
I kept the temp of the fermenter at real close to what it called for ,
so I don't think that the yeast crapped
out.
If I had used a secondary perhaps the gravity would have come down.??
Any ideas as to the reason for the hight-than-expected final gravity ?
..Darrell
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 08:33:52 -0800
From: Jim Wilson <jim.wilson@home.net>
Subject: Center of the Brewing Universe and CACA update
Thanks to all for completing the puzzle.
0,0 Rennerian is:
N 42^17'46.9"
W 83^49'34.5"
You can find where you are from
http://www.mapsonus.com/
Click Draw New Map
Put in your address
When the map comes up, the Lat and Long. are not visible. Click the Half
screen up arrow then the half screen down arrow.
The fine print is the Long and Lat.
Which may require a short side trip to
http://www.directionsmag.com/latlong.asp
to get the units to talk to one another.
My first batch of CACA is bubbling along. After 2 weeks at 60 deg yeast
cultured from a bottle of SNPA has pulled the gravity from 1.052 down to
1.018. And *Jeff Renner*, my homebrew store confirmed that the granular
looking corn was indeed flaked maize, so I'm resting easier.
Now that I know the fine details of where I am, I'm just happy to be in the
same Universe and I'll leave it at that.
Reporting from Redondo Beach, CA where the wind chill is about 72 deg and
I'm off to practise my other hobby.
o \o
__o /\ /
`\ <> `\ `> `\ >
(*)/ (*) (*)/ (*) (*)/ (*)
I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 10:29:48 +1100
From: David Lamotte <lamotted@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: Balancing in Burradoo
Just thought that I should report that I spent the weekend in Burradoo,
and like Ray Kruse before me, I have survived intact.
Arrived at the Burradooo railway station a bit earlier that scheduled
due to something that the train driver announced as the Coriolis
effect. Milling around the platform, waiting for the Burradoo bus to
arrive, I couldn't help but notice some graffiti down low on the wall.
The writing was a little faint, but I could have sworn that it said
'Jeff Renner was here'.
I was about to start walking towards the Hilton when I heard the
distinctive thump of a classic Norton approaching. As it came around the
corner I could see that the Baron was the Commander of the vintage rig.
Thankfully it was in the middle of the day so Phil was fully clothed.
Apparently his eccentricity was at a low ebb as he had just had his
medication adjusted by a visiting Doctor. Something to do with New
Zealand hops.
I was intent on booking into the Hilton for the night, but the Baron
wouldn't hear of it, insisting that he had a spare tent in the back yard
which had been recently vacated by the turtles. So, mounting the rear
of the bike, Phil did a grand job of keeping it upright as we burbled
back to the Estate, with me trying to hang on while balancing an empty
keg on my head (after all you never know what samples may be available).
Now, speaking of balance, I would like to comment on the effect that the
yeast strain has had on the infamous Czech Pilsener. While I will leave
it to those more closely involved with its production to give a more
detailed review, it appears that what wort was left after the extended 3
hour boil was separated into two fermenters. One was pitched with an
Ayinger starter, and the other with a few packets of Saflager dry yeast.
Now it really was striking the effect that the different yeast has had
on the flavour profile. Both samples were a little yeasty to the taste
due to the short lagering period, but the overall impression of the
Ayinger was a lovely malty sweetness. In contrast the Saflager was
predominantly hoppy, with some other estery notes.
It was really quite amazing how the perceived bitterness of the beer was
markedly affected by the yeast.
David
Now back home in Newcastle - Still with an empty keg.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 20:56:33 -0500
From: "Joye & Kevin Sinn" <skinnrz@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Hop "scum"; Wort clearing
Good evening fellow brewers! (Good morning to those of you Down Under),
I have a couple of questions that are lingering in my late Sunday nite head.
Brewed my second all-grain batch today, and I had a problem with the sparge.
I can't seem to get my wort to clear when I recirculate. I had this problem
with my first batch as well, so it's either the method or the materials (and
I'm betting on the method!) I use a 5 gallon Gott cooler with a copper
tubing manifold setup. I recirculated about 12 or 13 litres - the wort did
get clearer, but did never become bright. Pics of the manifold can be seen
at www3.sympatico.ca/skinnrz if the need arises. The grain was milled at
home with a Valley Mill. I don't think that the ESB's I was drinking were
clouding my eyes, but that also could be a possibilty. ;-)
The second question is with regards to "hop scum" (technical term). After
the boil was complete, I found a large amount of hop residue clinging to the
side of my kettle (I used pellets). Should I be watching more carefully as
the boil progresses, and stir this stuff back into the wort? It seems to me
that I might not be getting all that I can out of my hops if bits and pieces
of them are not in the wort. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Thanks for your help.
Kevin Sinn
Essex, Ontario
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 19:29:25 -0800
From: Jack Corbett <jcorbett@oz.net>
Subject: foamy carboy head
I am fairly new to homebrewing, and I'm having a challenging time
with too much head foam after pouring in my 2 gal wort on top of 2
gal chilled water in 5 gal carboy...I get a good mixed temp of about
70 F. (I've chilled the covered wort pot in cold water in the sink),
but I get so much foam on the top, that I have a hard time topping
off the carboy with additional water...tried adding less chilled
water...but still very foamy...any suggestions will be appreciated.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 22:34:42 -0600
From: "mike o,neill" <mikeo2624@uswest.net>
Subject: caffrey irish ale
hello every one this is my annual post. I would post more
often but I type that slow
You see I went to a very poor school and all the could
afford was a bloody australian typing teacher. Any way I am
not normally a fan of irish ale that killian stuff from
colorado broke me of that habit, but my wife said either
take her out to eat or she was going to cook so we went to
the braisen head "irish pub" and they had caffrey's irish
ale and it was very good they even had it on nitro that
suprised me.But the reason I posted was does any one have a
recipe for it. Private posts ok and thank you in advance
Mike O'Neill, Omaha Ne.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 22:47:03 EST
From: RBoland@aol.com
Subject: Too much of a good thing?
I've had three failures recently while stepping up yeast, a procedure I have
performed successfully for years. My procedure was identical to usual, with
one exception. I added a pinch of yeast nutrient to these starters. My wife
the chef tells me that a pinch is about 1/16 of a teaspoon. Recommended
usage rate is 1/8-1/4 teaspoon per gallon (1/64 - 1/32 teaspoon per pint).
I probably added twice the recommended maximum nutrient volume. Total
concentration was about 250 ppm. The nutrient, Fermaid K, contains diammonium
phosphate, vitamin B1, magnesium sulfate, yeast hulls (can you imagine
shucking those babies?), folic acid niacin, and calcium pantothenate. Has
anyone had a similar experience? Will the nutrient inhibit yeast activity at
these concentrations?
Thanks for the help.
Bob Boland
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 22:56:43 -0500
From: "Kevin Winn" <krewbrew@mindspring.com>
Subject: Best of Brooklyn IV
The Malted Barley Appreciation Society is hosting its fourth annual
homebrew competition, Best of Brooklyn IV, on February 24, 2001 at the
Brooklyn Brewery. This AHA sanctioned event will continue the tradition
of providing quality judging and rewarding brewers with a prize for
first, second, and third place in each category. There will again be a
First Time Contestant's Best of Show. Entries are due by February
16. Visit the competition website at http://hbd.org/mbas/bob2001.html
or contact Kevin Winn at krewbrew@mindspring.com for more information.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 23:39:42 EST
From: Brunnenbraeu@aol.com
Subject: Re: Weizenbier -- stuck fermentation, or just newbie impatience??
In einer eMail vom 03.02.01 07:13:02 (MEZ) Mitteleuropaeische Zeit schreibt
Daniel Chisholm <dmc@nbnet.nb.ca>:
> I think I might be having problems with a batch of Weizenbier. Dunno if
> it's a stuck fermentation, or a characteristic specific to wheat beers
> that I simply don't know about.
Hi, Dan,
I think, your text was one of the longest non-scientific texts in HBD since a
couple of years... :-) So give me a chance to answer in a somewhat shorter
manner:
> So what's wrong?
Nothing.
> Should I just wait a couple or three weeks and measure
> then?
Definitely yes. Check the temperature - it should be at about 20deg C.
> (My concern is that I don't want the wort to go bad, if in fact
> there are fermentable sugars there that my yeast aren't doing anything
> with).
If you worked properly and cleaned your equipment, nothing serious will
happen.
> Should I pitch some more or a different yeast? (a lager one
> perhaps?)
No. I've never seen yeast dying during transfer to second fermentation. And
your yeast has been very active in first fermentation, so it was healthy
enough. Just give the yeast cells a chance to multiply and to work at your
wort again. That isn't a matter of two or three days, but of two or three
weeks!
Good luck, and hope it helps.
(And, by the way, 1016 isn't that far away from 1012 that you should really
worry...)
Cheers / Zum Wohl / Na zdrowie,
Volker
Volker R. Quante
Brunnenbraeu Homebrewery
Brewing and working in Warsaw / Poland, but definitely a German Homebrewer
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #3548, 02/05/01
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