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HOMEBREW Digest #3553
HOMEBREW Digest #3553 Sat 10 February 2001
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
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Contents:
RE: Homebrew and Airplanes (Brian Rezac)
RE: Temperature Control Units/Thermostats ("Max Brandenberger")
The Jethro Gump Report ("Rob Moline")
Force carbonation (Wayne Aldrich)
Beer on airplanes ("Gordon Strong")
shipping containers (kbooth)
Florida beer report (Spencer W Thomas)
RE: Mashing out ("Houseman, David L")
Re: Homebrew & Airplanes (JDPils)
Re: Mashing out (Demonick)
Re: Advantage of Performing a Mash-Out (Kevin White)
Re: Yeast ranching ("Pannicke, Glen A.")
Beer on planes (John Baxter Biggins)
Mash/Lauter tun choice (Nathan Matta)
Re: Re: Phillers ("Axle Maker")
Temperature controller (Alan Davies)
Siebel Institute Saved ("Robert J. Waddell")
Broken Hill Real Ale (Jim Wilson)
Soot (Althelion)
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Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 00:57:01 -0700
From: Brian Rezac <rawhide@oneimage.com>
Subject: RE: Homebrew and Airplanes
Steve asked:
> Anyone have any good/bad experiences taking a
> bottle or two of homebrew on an airplane? I am
> guessing there are no laws against it, but are
> there any issues with the caps not holding? In
> a properly pressurized cabin I'd imagine it is no
> different than keeping them in your basement. I
> realize they may get shaken up a bit but I have
> someone I am visiting and I'd really like to take
> a few bottles out to.
Steve, you've received some good advice already. The sexy Mark Tumarkin
(he'd be sexier if he had greyer hair and round glasses) saying to get
an airline representative involved with any problem and to just "go for
it". Dave Houseman (Okay, Dave, you're sexy too) telling you not to
advertise "Bottle Home Brewed Beer In Here" and to declare anything with
customs when it applies. I also liked Danny's advice telling you to
"consider checking it".
Let me just add a few things. First of all, while some states' laws may
allow homebrewing, some of those same states don't allow for you to
transport it out of your house. Travelling between two states just
compounds the potential for a problem. Check your states homebrew
statutes as well as those of your destination state. The AHA has a page
that you can look up the interpretation of each state's statutes. Go to
beertown.org and look under "Legalities". Be careful, it looks like the
page hasn't been updated since Feb 1999. Some things may have changed.
(Any changes will probably be for the better.) So if there's a problem
with a state or two, check their statutes directly.
As for actually taking it through the airport and on the airplane, I
would have to go with Paul Kensler's advice to "check ahead". When I
was at the AHA, I had proposed to write a story for Zymurgy on this very
topic. What I did was call the airline (United) directly, a week before
my flight. The customer service rep. didn't know the answer off hand so
went to check with her supervisor. When she came back on the line, she
told me that the only restriction was that I couldn't serve my homebrew
to any of the other passengers. And I was talking about taking a
5-gallon corny kegs with me along with some bottles!
When the SkyCap asked me what was in my duffle and I told him, I was
armed with knowledge of his own company's regulations. He just laughed
and said that I knew the regs better than he did and quickly checked my
baggage through.
Anyway, I'll go back to Mark Tumarkin's advice and say that you could
just go for it! If you do experience a problem, you might loose a few
beers, but you'll have a hell of a story to post on HBD!
Slainte!
- Brian
"I don't know where I am on the Rennerian Scale, but I know I'm only 37
days away from St. Patrick's Day!"
- --
Brian Rezac
VP Central Sales
Brewers Wholesale Supply
303-875-MALT (6258)
rawhide@oneimage.com
www.brewerswholesale.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 02:16:04 -0600
From: "Max Brandenberger" <maxb@austin.rr.com>
Subject: RE: Temperature Control Units/Thermostats
Stuart writes:
"i'm looking for a temperature controller to control the temp in
a chest freezer so that lager beer can be brew at low
temperatures and a keg system can be placed in it. . . "
I ran into the same dilemma when I wanted to convert an old refrigerator for
lagering. The refrigerator only had a temperature range of 38F to 42F. I did
not want to install a clunky external temperature controller that cost
anywhere from US$50 to $99 at the homebrew stores, and still have to drill a
hole for the temperature probe. I got very frustrated after phoning several
appliance repair shops because all they wanted to do was sell me an OEM
replacement thermostat, which would not solve my temperature range problem.
I was even told by one shop that what I wanted could not be done. So I
removed the existing thermostat and went to the local appliance supply
dealer. These are the folks in the industrial part of town who sell
appliance parts to the repair shops. A very friendly clerk listened to my
story and told me what I needed was a universal replacement thermostat. He
looked in the catalogs and found one with a temperature range from 30F to
60F. It cost about US$32. Perfect. I do not recall the brand name of the
thermostat, but was able to install it in the same location as the old
thermostat, and use the same connectors. The temperature probe was longer,
but that didn't bother me because I was still able to stick it where the old
one had been. The original thermostat knob did not fit, but the replacement
came with a knob, and I don't really care what the inside of the
refrigerator looks like--it's in my garage anyway.
So, if a little unscrewing and lightweight wiring doesn't scare you, see if
you can find a friendly appliance parts dealer who can help you. Then just
do it yourself and save a few bucks. In my case, replacing the thermostat
was no more trouble than drilling holes to install the temperature probe for
an external thermostat.
Max Brandenberger
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 02:26:43 -0600
From: "Rob Moline" <brewer@isunet.net>
Subject: The Jethro Gump Report
The Jethro Gump Report
>From: mohrstrom@humphreypc.com
>Subject: Lallemand Kroner Yeast
>Has anyone use the (now discontinued) Lallemand Danstar Kroner yeast? I
>have come by a quantity, and am curious about fermentation temp ranges,
>characteristics, etc.
>Mark (snowbound sans luggage) in Connecticut
Mark,
Here is a response I sent to a similar enquiry ...excuse the cut and paste,
but that's life..
> I used it in it's first release....and they suggested that you ferment @
72 F for the first >24-36 hrs, then bring it down to 55 in steps...
> I left mine @ 68F (scared of 72!) but left it for 48-52
hrs...fermentation, including the initial high temp period, should conclude
in 13-14 days....
> The result was fine, but did have a slight fruity ester....
> The beer sold well, but in the end I mixed it with a fruit extract and
used it as the base >for a fruit beer...
> I am told that the ester prob has been dealt with....
> Apart from that, the yeast did exactly parallel the parameters of
attenuation that was >>described in the accompanying literature......
> Would I use the new stuff again? Absolutely, if only to establish for
myself that it works >as well as advertised....
> BUT, I have long ago decided that lagers are a bloody luxury for a BP, and
as such, after >an initial use, would revert to Nottingham for a clean
yeast profile with the fast fermentations >that ale yeasts provide....
> For me....keeping a tank of barleywine around for 6 or more months is all
the luxury I can >afford!
I guess that this may touch on the reason that Kroner was eliminated
from the line-up....most small brewers are ales only, for time reasons.
Certainly, being the least productive profit producer leads to death of a
product...as was the case with London...pity though, at least in London's
case! (BTW, I know that Scott labs has 4 more 500 gram bricks of London
left...and then that's it.....you have to be a commercial entity to buy it,
though.....Info current 2.6.01)
>From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman@unisys.com>
>Subject: RE Lallemand Kroner Yeast
>Speaking of Lallemand yeast, whatever happened to their supposed plans to
>introduce dry lager yeasts? Did that fizzle or were they quietly
introduced
>in some markets?
>Dave
Dave,
Believe me sir, when I say that there is no one more disappointed than
myself in the non appearance of these yeasts.
Yet, in Lallemand's defense, understand that there have been several
other activities that have had a higher priority....
1) Lallemand's purchase of the Siebel Institute.
2) Lallemand's defense of lawsuits related to the Siebel purchase, which
were settled, in non-disclosed terms. Now that Lallemand is the primary
owner of Siebel...
3) ...Other alliances with brewing institutes.....such as what I think you
may read in trade publications soon...an alliance between Siebel, the oldest
brewing school in the US, and Doemens, one of Europe's oldest and most
respected Institutes, based in Munich.
4) Development of the ServoMyces yeast product, in conjunction with
WhiteLabs. This product continues to exceed expectations in trials, and I
think commercial release for the professional market in the US is imminent.
So, as you can see, while personally, nothing would make me happier
than release of a Weihenstephan dry yeast for say, a Weizen, other matters
have had vastly greater priority.
And these priorities have direct relation to my fervently dreamed of
goals of greater co-operation between brewers of every creed, whether
homebrewer, or manufacturer of 100 million BBL's per year.
As such Lallemand leads the way....
Providing Scholarships to Siebel for AHA members..(this initiated
before Siebel was even for sale...)
Supporting the MCAB by sponsoring the BOS Prize.
Creating new energy for America's oldest brewing school.
Creating alliances for marketing a revolutionary new product,
ServoMyces...with a direct competitor, a wet yeast manufacturer....
Seeking to build new international educational alliances with Doemens.
We have had a lot on our plate! But we have achieved a lot...
I hope we can soon provide what was promised long ago.....but, if even
Presidential Pardons have secondary repercussions...I guess that no one is
perfect. But you knew that!
Idle Gossip.....
Jethro Gump is pleased to announce that he has accepted the position of
Head Brewer for the Court Avenue Brewing Company of Des Moines, Iowa.
CABCO is a five year old brew-pub, initiated by a consortium of
businessmen, lead by Rod Henning, and the K.C. Hopps/75th Street
organization. A 7 bbl Specific system, steam fired dominates the hot side,
while Porter Lancastrians fill the cold side.
All provide adequate challenge in taking over from Steve Zimmerman, who
intends to return to his military career. Steve has provided some fine house
brews for downtown Des Moines, but in my mind excelled in his specialty
offerings.
Heather ales, Gruits, Schwartzbiers, and Belgians of every stripe
flowed freely and creatively from Steve's mastery....I have a tough act to
follow! Steve even made the first, to my knowledge, Soy Beer, as
acknowledgement of our local agricultural economy.
The design and layout of the plant will further provide serious grist
for discussion of "What Not to Do." Like...don't install hardpiped steam
fired kettles or tuns within 1/2 inch of front glass windows and wooden
walls. The cleaning is "Oh, So, Easy!" ;-(
The only problem is that since I left Kansas, the supply of 1/4 inch
thick Munchkins is slim!
Nonetheless, I am pleased to return to the fray, and while Barleywines are
illegal to produce in Iowa, the Capitol is just up the hill....
Give me some time.....I hear those Legislators do like a beer... ;-)
Cheers!
Jethro Gump
"The More I Know About Beer, The More I Realize I Need To Know More About
Beer!"
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 11:13:54 +0100
From: Aldrich4@t-online.de (Wayne Aldrich)
Subject: Force carbonation
After cleaning what felt like my thousandth beer bottle
with a bottle brush I decided to purchase 2 "Corny"
kegs and begin kegging my beer. I did some searching
on the internet and was surprised to find very little detailed
information on forced carbonation. Does anyone know
of a good published book on the subject? Also is there
such a thing as "food grade" carbon dioxide, or can I use
CO2 from a welding shop? Any and all responses are
greatly appreciated.
Wayne Aldrich
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 08:47:38 -0500
From: "Gordon Strong" <strongg@earthlink.net>
Subject: Beer on airplanes
I've taken lots of beer on airplanes and generally not had problems. It is
all based on the local security people, so don't do anything that allows
them to flex their small amount of power. Don't take an attitude with them
if they question you, be nice (even patronizing to them), be reassuring and
friendly, etc. Remember your goal is to get your beer home not to prove to
everyone else in line your intellectual superiority. They can ruin your day
if they want.
I've taken beer in many different forms on planes. Anything that looks
"questionable" is likely to have more problems. Unlabelled bottles draw
questions but generally can pass. Home-filled (i.e. unsealed) growlers are
apparently bad. Home-filled 2L or smaller pop bottles are OK as long as
they don't have special carbonator caps or other unusual characteristics.
They usually won't even look at those.
Commercial bottled beer has never been a problem, either in carry-on or
checked luggage (domestic or international). I've taken a mixed case of
beer from Sam's in Chicago home through O'Hare security without one word. I
did (momentarily) make the day of a group of Japanese businessmen on the
plane, however, but that's another story. I've returned from the UK with
beer in my suitcase and dutifully declared it through the "special" line.
The inspector looked at me like "why are you here?" when I told him I had
five bottles of beer. One time at the Kalamazoo airport, the x-ray operator
looked inside my paper bag to see what kind of beer I had. He nodded
approvingly when he saw it was from Bell's and then proceded to tell me a
story where he made fun of someone who was taking a six-pack of Bud on the
plane. Another time I was bringing back a rare find of Kulmbacher
Reichelbrau Eisbock from a visit to Milwaukee. I had also picked up some
extra extra sharp cheddar and local sausages. When the security guard gave
me a questioning look, I said "beer, cheese and sausage. what else would I
bring back from Milwaukee?". He laughed and let me by.
Unlabelled homebrew in plain brown bottles is a bit more iffy. I've had
some of those looked over real closely. Them: "what's in this?" Me: "beer"
Them: "where was it made?" Me: "my garage" (long pause) Them: "well, OK,
I guess". I felt like they were bending the rules for me. One thing I've
considered doing when taking my beer with me on planes to competitions
(which doesn't happen very often) is to make up a set of micro-looking
labels and print them on peel-off Avery labels. That should probably help.
I probably should point out that airport people tend to profile and hassle
people accordingly. If you dress and look like a drug smuggler or terrorist
(at least what they think they look like), you're more likely to get
scrutiny. If you're travelling with your family, they'll probably leave you
alone. These are some tips, but there are no hard and fast rules. Try to
minimize the reasons for them to get suspicious.
Gordon Strong
Beavercreek, OH
strongg@earthlink.net
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 09:11:52 -0500
From: kbooth <kbooth@waverly.k12.mi.us>
Subject: shipping containers
> From: "Eric and Susan Armstrong" <erica@isunet.net>
> Subject: Packages for Shipping Homebrew
>
> Contest season is here and I have a desire to ship some bottles to a couple
> of contests. Does anyone know where to find the shipping containers that
> the AHA recommends? These would be the same containers that the Brew of the
> Month clubs use. Are there retail suppliers for these? Does anyone know of
> a good way to ship bottles without one of these? Thanks in advance for your
> expertise.
I have a basement full of same (well, a few) if you live near Lansing MI.
Other beerhunters might want to share some with the HB supply stores, announce
same with HB clubs or otherwise post such a notice at the store. Proper
shipping containers are important as my first effort ended up crushed and
rejected because of leaking bottles. cheers, jim booth
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 09:53:55 -0500
From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer@engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Florida beer report
Bottom line: there are some nice beers in extreme south Florida, but
gin is better. :-)
On the recommendation of several people, I forced the family to stop
at Titanic in Coral Gables for dinner, on our way from the airport
down to our cottages in Islamorada. Good thing I did, as it was the
best Florida-brewed beer we had on the whole trip. I talked briefly
with the brewer, Jamie, and he told me he's planning to bring a couple
of firkins to the Real Ale Fest in Chicago in March. He had a great
range of beers, from a non-wimpy "light" to a really nice smoked
porter (a "special" beer). I'm thinking the porter might be one of
the beers he's bringing to Chicago.
As to beer in bottles, we found the two selections from the Key West
Brewery -- Sunset Amber and Lager (it might have a name, but I
forgot). Both were decent beers, but nothing to shout about.
And Ybor Brewing Co in Tampa had a range of products on the shelf.
Their "Caribbean Lager" was light and crisp in clear bottles
(competing with Corona?), and quite appropriate for drinking on a hot,
sunny day (of which we had many!) I picked up singles of several of
their other beers. Again, nothing to shout about, but the Pale Ale
was decent -- I would probably rate it about 30 (out of 50) if I ran
into it in a homebrew competition.
Finally, we stopped into Kelly's in Key West for dinner one
night. They had 3 beers -- a "Red", a wheat beer, and an "Amber." The
best of the three, IMHO, was the wheat beer, although it suffered from
a bit of diacetyl and banana. It's an "American wheat," not a
Bavarian-style wheat. We were somewhat "underwhelmed" by the whole
dining experience at Kelly's. Our waiter was good, but the food was
just lacking something (especially for the price. :-)
Anyway, it's not quite a beer wasteland, but it's not Colorado or
California, either. :-)
=Spencer in Ann Arbor, MI
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 10:05:11 -0500
From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman@unisys.com>
Subject: RE: Mashing out
Doug Hurst asks about mashing out.
Doug, IMO, there are two reasons to mash out, neither is a requirement and
you can certainly create excellent beer without this step. One is that at
the higher temperature you should be able to obtain a higher extraction
efficiency since the viscosity of the wort should be lower and those easier
to remove from the husks, etc. Solubility of sugars should be somewhat
better at higher temperatures as well. If you're not worried about
efficiencies, and at the homebrew level this isn't a major issue, just
calculate your recipe for the lower efficiency and use that to determine the
amount of grain to use. Second, at 168oF-172oF the Beta Amylase enzymes are
very denatured but the Alpha Amylase is still active so you will produce
additional dextrins that aid in body/mouthfeel. If the particular style
you're brewing would benefit from this, then by all means rest at this
temperature for awhile.
David Houseman
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 10:52:58 EST
From: JDPils@aol.com
Subject: Re: Homebrew & Airplanes
Greetings Beerlings,
I used to carry homebrew from the Seattle airport for many years. About
three years ago my beer was confiscated because it didn't have a label. When
I asked why now, I've done it before, they replied it has always been the
rule. So now I save some Roque or other painted bottles and use silver or
gold caps, so when they check it I just say its microbrew.
Jim Dunlap
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 07:55:17 -0800
From: Demonick <demonick@zgi.com>
Subject: Re: Mashing out
From: Doug Hurst <DougH@theshowdept.com>
>I am wondering what the advantage is of performing a mash-out. As I
> ... snip ...
>minutes, then start sparging with 170F water. Am I doing something wrong?
>My beers haven't been too terrible.
Just terrible enough? :-)
But seriously, the party line on mash out is that it "kills" your enzymes,
locking in the point of conversion, and it lowers the viscosity of the
mash to enable greater extraction.
Neither effect is necessary to good beer, though both effects will increase
consistency in your brews. A careful mash temperature profile allowed
to go another 45 minutes without a mash out may over attenuate. Remember,
even after the iodine test shows no starch, the amylases are still chewing
up some of the remaining dextrins.
If you have the room in your mash/lauter tun system try a mashout. In my
10 gallon Gott, For a 152F mash with a 10 lb grain bill and 1.33 quarts
water per pound I mashout with about 2 gallons of just not boiling water
(210F). Just dump it in, stir a bit, and let it sit covered 10 minutes
before establishing the grain bed. It raises the temperature of the 4.5
gallon mash to right around 168F.
Domenick Venezia
Venezia & Company, LLC
Maker of PrimeTab
(206) 782-1152 phone
(206) 782-6766 fax orders
demonick at zgi dot com
http://www.primetab.com
FREE PrimeTab SAMPLES! Enough for three 5 gallon batches. Fax, phone, or
email: name, shipping address (no P.O.B.) and phone number. (I won't
call. It's for UPS in case of delivery problems). Sorry, lower 48 only.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 11:20:22 -0500
From: Kevin White <kwhite@bcpl.net>
Subject: Re: Advantage of Performing a Mash-Out
Doug Hurst <DougH@theshowdept.com> wrote:
>
>I am wondering what the advantage is of performing a mash-out. As I
>understand it, mashing-out involves raising the temperature of the entire
>mash to the 168-175F range before recirculating or sparging. I have not
>been doing this. At the end of the mash I simply recirculate for about 15
>minutes, then start sparging with 170F water. Am I doing something wrong?
>My beers haven't been too terrible.
>
The purpose of high-temperature mash-out is to fix the wort carbohydrate
profile by stopping all enzyme activity (hence the high temperature). If
you aren't that worried about the exact fraction of your wort extract that
is fermentable, then don't worry about a mash-out. Enzyme activity will
continue in the brewpot until the wort temperature reaches 185F or so,
giving you a bit more fermentables.
A higher fraction of fermentables in your wort results in more alcohol but
less body, and vice versa. So, if you are trying to achieve very specific
results, then mash-out may be appropriate.
Kevin White
Columbia, MD
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 11:33:42 -0500
From: "Pannicke, Glen A." <glen_pannicke@merck.com>
Subject: Re: Yeast ranching
Mark Alfaro had some questions regarding yeast ranching:
>I recently acquired a 1 pound bottle of dry Potato Dextrose Agar powder.
>... Is this a suitable medium for culturing yeast?
Potato Dextrose Agar is made by the following method:
Infusion from potatoes (see below) - 1000.0 ml
Glucose - 20.0 g
Agar - 15.0 g
Potato infusion: Boil 200 g scrubbed and sliced potatoes in 1000 ml water
for 1 hour. Pass through fine sieve. Avoid new potatoes (the little red
ones).
Reference: http://www.dsmz.de/media/med129.htm
The German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures
http://www.dsmz.de/
is a wonderful on-line source of information on media and microorganisms.
This agar contains starches from the potato which apparently have been
gelatinized in the process and broken down into smaller "bits" for the
little buggers. But these starches are of little to no use to brewing yeast
unless broken down further into simpler sugars. In short, they won't hurt -
nor will they help.
Shhhh... don't anyone even say it... adding alpha amylase enzyme to break
down the starches at this point is a waste. Just add the DME ;-)
>Can it's suitability for yeast culturing be improved by
>adding Dry Malt Extract before re hydrating?
Most definately. The Agar is a super fine grade and shouldn't be thrown
out. Pure agar is generally mixed into the solution at a rate of 1.5 to 2%
(15 to 20 ml per liter). I prefer 2% as this gives a stiffer media which is
easier to work with and will not be on the verge of melting at room temps.
The only problem here is that your powder is mixed with a known amount of
glucose and an unknown amount of potato starch. Does the label give percent
composition? That would let you know how much of the powder to add to get in
that desired 1.5 to 2% range (for pure agar).
Your best bet is to make up a small batch of wort using DME and use that in
place of the distilled water. I'd shoot for a gravity around 1.020. Some
have suggested using a 1.040 SG wort. I believe that is perfect for a
liquid-based medium, but not a solid. My concern is over osmotic pressure
having a negative impact upon the yeast growth, plus it's a waste of DME. I
may be nuts, but I'm sure some armchair scientist will come straighten me
out by quoting textbook brewing scripture if I'm too far out of line. I get
great growth within 3 days at 75 F from the following 1 liter formulation:
30 g Malt Extract
20 g Dextrose
20 g Agar
5 g Peptone*
3 g Yeast Extract*
0.5 g Yeast Nutrient* (Diammonium phosphate & Urea)
*optional additions
>if so, what percentage of the
>mix should be DME? Any help is greatly appreciated.
I would suggest experimenting since you've got a whole pound of the crud, so
only make a small batch (like 250 ml). Follow the instructions for the
required amount of your agar powder. I'm guessing it's somewhere about 40
grams per liter. If so, then go with 30 g of DME /liter to get close to my
formula. See how the agar sets when cooled. It should not be quite as
stiff as Jello, but should not be sloppy and easily broken by shaking the
tube either. It should stick to the sides of your culture tube at room
temperature and should not move freely when the tube is rotated. Too stiff
is better than too soft.
PS. If you've got a pressure cooker, make a liter of this stuff since liter
measurements are easier to use. Pour your plates and/or slants and pressure
can the rest in pint jars. It lasts forever this way!
Carpe cerevisiae!
Glen A. Pannicke
glen@pannicke.net http://www.pannicke.net
75CE 0DED 59E1 55AB 830F 214D 17D7 192D 8384 00DD
"Designs which work well on paper rarely do so in actual practice"
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 12:46:29 -0500
From: John Baxter Biggins <jbbiggin@med.cornell.edu>
Subject: Beer on planes
I brought back 2 cases of beer from Portland to NYC w/ no problem,
but then again, I think PDX is used to the export of beer on planes.
Had some breakage, though.
I have it on good authority that wrapping each bottle with a
sweat-sock (clean, I imagine) does wonders in preventing breakage.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 14:36:25 -0500
From: Nathan Matta <whatsa@MIT.EDU>
Subject: Mash/Lauter tun choice
Hello all. I'm an extract brewer who is planning on trying all-grain soon.
I've been trying to decide what to get for a mash/lauter tun, and I had a few
questions. I think I want to go with a round beverage cooler, and my
question is mainly one of size. I normally do 5 gallon batches, which
would suggest a 5 gallon cooler. However, I would like the ability to do
big beers (100+ OG) as well as more standard ones.
Should I:
A) plan on a separate vessel for heftier batches,
B) supplement big beers with extract, or
C) get a larger cooler and sparge slower to offset the poor extraction?
Also, I know that a shallow grain bed (< 8 inches or so) contributes to
poor extraction. What is the problem with deeper grain beds? I would
guess that deep beds suffer from compression and stuck sparges.
Finally, I know Gott/Rubbermaid coolers are good for this, are there
any other brands that are particularly good or bad for use at mashing
temps? Thanks for info.
Nathan
========================================
Nathan Matta
Fuzzy Beer Home Brewery
Randolph, MA, US
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 18:47:28 -0500
From: "Axle Maker" <axlemaker@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Re: Phillers
Going on a fellow HBDer's ( name ? ) suggestion, where he stated that my
problem might be debris from the manufacturing process slightly holding open
the valve and thus the heavy drip, well I took my Philler to work with me
today and blew it out with an air nozzle, tried it out tonite with water and
it worked fine. Thanx Dude !
I would also like to thank Dan Listermann for E-mailing me more than once
and showing a true concern for the problem I was having with his product, in
this day and age it's hard to find people backing up there products, but he
did and that say's alot.
I'm new to HBD and love it, what a wealth of information, I would have never
figured out this problem myself...
Happy Brewing ! Axle...
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 12:07:04 +1100
From: Alan Davies <afjc@cnl.com.au>
Subject: Temperature controller
Attention Strart Phillips
Have a look at Pacific brewing, they are well set up in keg brewing.If
you are interested I brew with a Rims
Big Al
http://www.homebrew.com.au/
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 18:36:29 -0700
From: "Robert J. Waddell" <rjw@dimensional.com>
Subject: Siebel Institute Saved
From the "Real Beer Page" (in case nobody noticed it...):
SIEBEL INSTITUTE, DOEMENS PARTNER IN WORLD ACADEMY
The Siebel Institute of Technology of Chicago and Doemens Brewing Academy
of Munich, Germany have partnered to form a multinational brewing
institute. The new venture will be named The World Brewing Academy, and its
mandate will be to revolutionize the form and content of contemporary
brewing education. A unique feature of the WBA will be to provide students
the opportunity and choice of studying at either the Chicago or Munich
campus. The Siebel Institute and Doemens Academy will continue to offer
separate educational and research programs, as well as hosting the mutual
courses offered by the World Brewing Academy.
Side note: If you want to subscribe, send "subscribe" in the body to:
RBPMail-subscribe@realbeer.com
I *L*O*V*E* my [Pico] system. 'Cept for that
gonging noise it makes when my wife throws it
off the bed at night.
Women...
--Pat Babcock
*** It's never too late to have a happy childhood! ***
****************************************************************************
RJW@dimensional.com / Opinions expressed are usually my own but
Robert J. Waddell / perhaps shared.
Owner & Brewmaster: Barchenspeider Brew-Haus Longmont, Colorado
****************************************************************************
(4,592 feet higher than Jeff Renner)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 19:47:31 -0800
From: Jim Wilson <jim.wilson@home.net>
Subject: Broken Hill Real Ale
I was given a bottle of this beer. There was a little sediment on the
bottom, so I thought, what the hey, let's culture it. Would any Aussie
readers have an idea of what yeast I'm dealing with? The label gives no
clue of the beer's heritage. TIA
o \o
__o /\ /
`\ <> `\ `> `\ >
(*)/ (*) (*)/ (*) (*)/ (*)
I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 22:58:23 EST
From: Althelion@aol.com
Subject: Soot
Greetings:
Lookin' for advice on how to eliminate the excess amount of soot produced
from my propane-powered cajun cooker. I've all ready wire brushed the
exterior of the unit but I'm still getting a large coating on the bottom and
bottom quarter of my brew pot. I'm thinking that there must be some kind of
buildup in the line. I would appreciate any advice on how to alleviate this
messy situation.
By the way, if you happen to encounter soot on your pot, gently, AND I MEAN
GENTLY, wipe it off with a wet towel. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, try to spray
it off with your your water hose. This will cause the soot to disperse all
over your brew cleanup area. The soot is very difficult to clean up at that
point. It seems to get over everything floor to ceiling. And the first thing
I thought about after I did this was: Hey, now there's a real good Stupid
Brewers Trick.
Cheers,
Al Pearlstein
Commerce Township, MIichigan
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #3553, 02/10/01
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