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HOMEBREW Digest #3582
HOMEBREW Digest #3582 Fri 16 March 2001
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
***************************************************************
THIS YEAR'S HOME BREW DIGEST BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
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Contents:
GFI/Color (AJ)
Philly competition! (Joseph Uknalis)
Beer in OBX ("Peed, John")
Re: Looking for some Hops info. (Jeff Renner)
Expanded Dorm Fridge (Sean Fitzgerald)
ring around the collar ("elvira toews")
Yeast Harvesting Question ("Marty Milewski")
Timing Oxygenation (Ant Hayes)
Re: Super V All-Copper CF Chiller (Part 2) ("Braam Greyling")
Yeast Cakes ("Gustave Rappold")
Weisse ("Brad McMahon")
reusing yeast (leavitdg)
The Flaked Barley Influence ("Phil & Jill Yates")
Victory IPA in ProMash (Jeffrey Donovan)
CIP'ing a Zwickel ("Larry Maxwell")
Brewpub and Micro reviews (was Re: checking in) (Tim Burkhart)
beer drinking travellers ("Jim Hagey")
Re: conicals and better brewing ("Kurt Schweter")
My Travels begin ("Jeff Beinhaur")
Pelletized hops plugging manifolds ("Jay Wirsig")
Whitelabs Saison Yeast Data (David Harsh)
RE: Super V All-Copper CF Chiller (LaBorde, Ronald)
star-san duration ("Joseph Marsh")
Primary vs Secondary (picking nits) ("Alan Meeker")
Ayinger yeast (Mark Garthwaite)
RE: Pub & Micro Review; Rennerian Coordinates Calculator (I/T)" <stjones@eastman.com>
pitching pint of yeast, and mashout question, beaverpelt response ("Czerpak, Pete")
Super V All-Copper CF Chiller (cmmundt)
The Year Of The CAP ("John Zeller")
Re: cheap SS boil pots (stencil)
GFI Receptacles and Brewing Beer in Basements ("Andrew Moore")
Secondary Fermentation ("Paul Campbell")
Hops: How, What and Why ("Paddock Wood Brewing Supplies")
StarSan ("Paddock Wood Brewing Supplies")
Re: Shopping for a Refractometer ("Angie and Reif Hammond")
next question ("elvira toews")
*
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!
*
* Drunk Monk Challenge Entry Deadline is 3/17/01!
* http://www.sgu.net/ukg/dmc/ for more information
*
* Maltose Falcons Mayfaire Entry Deadline is 3/20/01!
* http://www.maltosefalcons.com/ for more information
*
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 14:21:50 -0400
From: AJ <ajdel@mindspring.com>
Subject: GFI/Color
A tripping GFI means that some current is returning to ground through a
path other than the phase or neutral wires - a potential hazzard if
that path involves you or some other living (for the moment) thing.
That's what a GFI is intended to do. Since it works OK with a different
load (the toaster) plugged in the fault must lie in the refrig. Look for
frayed/rubbed/cracked insulation. If you can find such a problem it can
easily be repaired. Inappropropriate paths through blowers/ comperssors
etc are detected if the GFI holds when the fridge is plugged in with
these internally disconnected.
As GFI's are generally set for small (milliampere) imbalances (to
protect life) it doesn't take much leakage to set one off. The fridge
might work just fine on a non-GFI circuit but remember that the GFI is
telling you that there is an inapproriate path. I am hereby puttin
myself on record as advising against plugging into a non GFI outlet.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Heat + sugar = caramel which is dark. It's as simple as that. In order
to get very pale beer you must do what the pro's do. Brew a wimpy beer
using lots of adjunct (rice, corn, wheat) which has not been malted and
hence kilned. Getting a good percentage of fermentables from cane sugar
added close to the end of the boil also helps.
If you want a richly malty, flavorful homebrew you are going to get a
dark beer. There really isn't much that can be done about this except
to use the palest malts you can find and use high kilned malts very
sparingly if at all. Extracts tend to darken beer because they have been
boiled at the factory and then are boiled again by you.
A.J.
- --
A.J. deLange
CT Project Manager
Zeta Associates
10302 Eaton Place
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 359 8696
855 0905
ajdel@mindspring.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 13:41:06 -0500 (EST)
From: Joseph Uknalis <birman@netaxs.com>
Subject: Philly competition!
Announcing the 18th Best of Philly & Suburbs Homebrew Competition
April 21, 2001
Entries due 4/6-4/13/2001
Contact the competition organizer (Joe) for any questions or
judging/stewarding info. (birman@netaxs.com)
For additional details see :
http://www.netaxs.com/~shady/hops/archives/hops-bops_2001/index.html
Mail in location-
Home Sweet Homebrew
2008 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 569-9469
Contact: George or Nancy
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 13:43:55 -0500
From: "Peed, John" <jpeed@elotouch.com>
Subject: Beer in OBX
Sorry for the late response on Outer Banks beer, hope it's still useful.
There is a surprisingly well-stocked Exxon gas station on Beach Road
somewhere in the vicinity of the 2 mile or 3 mile post. That's quite a ways
up the road from Avon, but might well be worth a trip. Good wine selection
too.
The trip to Howard's Pub on Ocracoke from the Kittty Hawk area is a very
long day, generally stretching into the night on the way back. While it's
true that it's only a 30 minute ferry ride, you typically have to wait an
hour or two to get on the ferry (make damn sure you get there before the
last ferry leaves on the return trip!). A trip to Howard's is worth it
though. Great place. And if the return trip does stretch into the night,
stop at a beach access in the middle of nowhere, walk out to the beach and
take a gander at that sky. It'll knock your socks off.
John Peed
Knoxville, TN
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 14:18:23 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <nerenner@umich.edu>
Subject: Re: Looking for some Hops info.
daniel.angela@ns.sympatico.ca of Nova Scotia asks
>if anyone could point me to a
>website that has some info on the uses for different styles of Hops.
Glenn Tinseth's Hop Page http://realbeer.com/hops/
HopTech's Website http://www.hoptech.com/
Freshops page on varieties http://www.freshops.com/hvariety.html
These and the many links from them should get you started.
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: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 12:48:01 -0800
From: Sean Fitzgerald <seanf@downstream.com>
Subject: Expanded Dorm Fridge
Hey,
Based largely on advice from this list, I recently finished building an
insulated plywood extension to my dorm-size fridge to accommodate my
growing corny keg collection. I have a Johnson Controls thermostat
hooked up and running, and it is maintaining temperature wonderfully.
The cherry on top would be to put an external tap (a la the Kegerator)
in there and have the co2 canister outside the fridge. Would it be
enough to drill a couple holes through the plywood and just run the gas
line in and the beer line out? I would caulk the gaps of course. I'm
just not sure if this hole in the insulation would "let the cold out",
so to speak. Has anyone done something like this before that could offer
some encouragement/advice?
Thanks,
Sean
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 18:28:19 -0600
From: "elvira toews" <etoews1@home.com>
Subject: ring around the collar
If your neck ring is just trub from priming with DME, then age your bottles
upside-down.
No, seriously.
I've done this with "sham pagne" - white or rose wine kits from which I
divert a gallon for bottle priming. I let the bottles rest upside-down,
then to open them I do a little flip trick with the opener which leaves the
yeast on the ground (outdoors) and clear fizzy wine in the bottle.
Sean Richens
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 23:40:54 -0600
From: "Marty Milewski" <mmilewski@mlpusa.com>
Subject: Yeast Harvesting Question
Help...
I apologize if this topic has been posted in the past, however, I am a
"newbie" in the hobby of home brewing and haven't seen anything posted on
this topic.
I'm finally taking the plunge into the process of harvesting yeast for
repitching. I have done some initial research on this process and have come
across some conflicting information. Some sources recommend harvesting and
washing the yeast slurry from the primary fermenter and others recommend
harvesting yeast slurry from the secondary fermenter. My guess is either
method is sufficient, but I was hoping to get some feedback
(advantages/disadvantages) from anyone who may have experience with either
method, the process, how many re-pitchings you can get out of it, how to
store it, and how long can you store it.
Thanks in advance.
Prost,
Marty (rookie)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 08:59:15 +0200
From: Ant Hayes <Ant.Hayes@FifthQuadrant.co.za>
Subject: Timing Oxygenation
I was at an IGB conference last week. During the yeast session, one of the
speakers had a bullet point on his overhead stating that 4 - 6 hours post
pitching is the ideal time to add oxygen.
Has anyone else heard this?
Ant Hayes
Gauteng; South Africa
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 10:38:08 +0200
From: "Braam Greyling" <braam.greyling@azoteq.com>
Subject: Re: Super V All-Copper CF Chiller (Part 2)
Bill,
Thanks for the nice description of the Super V All-Copper CF
Chiller.
I also want to build me one as the garden hose pipe on my current
chiller gets melted regularly.
It would be very nice if you could provide some photo's Will this be
possible ?
Best regards
Braam Greyling
Snr. Design Engineer
Azoteq(Pty)Ltd
Tel +27 21 8711730 Fax +27 21 8729973
braam.greyling@azoteq.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 4:26:19 -0500
From: "Gustave Rappold" <grappold@earthlink.net>
Subject: Yeast Cakes
Beaverpelt asks,
3. There's a lot of discussion about harvesting yeast.
Is it really worth the effort when a smack pack or dry
yeast costs so little? I'm not knocking it, I've just
wondered and never asked. My thoughts at this point
are that unless you brew often it's better to buy than
harvest.
When I brew a 10 or twenty gallon batch, I need a huge yeast cake to
ferment the wort. The best place to get it from is a previous batch. I just
doesn't make sense to build up a big enough starter every time I brew.
Smack packs are great for those of us who don't have a microbiology lab in
our home! As another poster suggested, I make a small batch of beer off a
quart starter, then repitch larger batches with the same yeast. For
example, I'm currently working with a London Ale strain that has given me
15 gallons of stout so far and will ferment a 5 gallon Imperial Stout and
10 gallons of some kind of English Brown or Mild Ale from the same mash. If
it's nice and clean, I'll get another 5 gallons of barleywine and 10
gallons of pale ale from the next mash. At that time, I'll figure out which
yeast or two or three I'll culture up next for repeated use.
Gus
P.S. Yes, it's a lot of beer but my hockey team is mostly cops and my
coworkers and I are truck drivers!
- --- Gustave Rappold
- --- grappold@earthlink.net
- --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 21:13:29 +1030
From: "Brad McMahon" <brad@sa.apana.org.au>
Subject: Weisse
I love Kindl Weisse and I drink it straight with out a "Schuss" of syrup.
It must be one of those things to get those without a developed taste for
beer to drink the stuff, because I think it is great without the additives.
Each to their own!
Berliner Weisse is not the only style in which this is done.
In Muenster, at the Pinkus Mueller brewery & restaurant, they do what
is called Altbier Bowle. This is where they add homemade fruit syrup (fruit
of the season) and a slice of fruit to their altbier which has a lactic tang
to it.
Guys, don't get too upset if someone calls something bitter that really is
sour.
I understand some people cannot tell the difference. Strange but true....
Jeff, great to see you reading the weather in Washington State.
Is that a hairpiece?
I guess it is time to cease subjecting you to another one
of our periodical "inane ramblings".
Slainte (for tomorrow)
Brad McMahon
Aldgate, South Australia
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 06:38:49 -0500 (EST)
From: leavitdg@plattsburgh.edu
Subject: reusing yeast
Jerry;
I will weigh in on this one...in that I brew once a week, all-grain,
and do reuse.,..finally. I generally find that the 2nd or third use
of a liquid yeast produces much better beer: quicker to start, better
taste, etc...BUT, if you brew just 6 times a year, then I personally
don't think that it makes sense...ie unless you become more adept than
most of us are at storing it...most yeast shouldn't sit around that
long...
Happy Brewing!
..Darrell
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 22:37:13 +1100
From: "Phil & Jill Yates" <yates@acenet.com.au>
Subject: The Flaked Barley Influence
I have to be honest and admit that I haven't even read probably the last ten
digests. I haven't been home long enough to do so. But I will catch up when
I can.
I've been away from home for the best part of every week but when I do get
home, the homebrew is always waiting for me. And what a special treat that
is at the end of a week of high density meetings.
The Yates/Pivo pilsner seems to get better and better and the issue I want
to report on relates to the addition of flaked barley which we threw in
(just for good measure, as the Doc suggested). I would have thought that
flaked barley in a Czech style pils was an idiot suggestion but I wasn't
game to say so and did as the Doc ordered. Well!! This beer holds the best
head I have ever seen in anything that I have made. It hangs in there right
to the bottom of the glass. Clarity is not as "first class" (though not far
short of it) as I would normally achieve in a pilsner but who cares? There
is no substitute for good head!
The total grain bill was 9.7 kg and included in this was 500 gms of flaked
barley. I am attributing this brilliant head retention to the flaked barley
unless someone else can suggest otherwise. Not that I am going to believe
whatever scientific theory they might come up with. I've got good head and I
reckon I know why.
Thanks Doc for the suggestion and thanks for a great beer.
My concern is just when I might find enough time to make some more.
Cheers
Phil
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 05:49:06 -0800
From: Jeffrey Donovan <jeffrey@promash.com>
Subject: Victory IPA in ProMash
In response to Darrell's question:
>Promash's Victory IPA calls for a rest at 124F for 5 minutes. Is this
>due to the 1/2 lb of "soft white wheat malt" that is called for in
>their recipe? ie, is this raw wheat? If not, then I'd say that there
>is no need to rest here...and in fact it may hut head retention, no?
No, and you are correct regarding the rest (or no need for one). The mash
schedule is only listed this way to demonstrate the mash schedule
functionality (software wise) and nothing more. When I actually brew this
recipe myself I usually do a single infusion at 156 or so.
Cheers!
Jeffrey Donovan
Beer Engineer
The Sausalito Brewing Co.
jeffrey@promash.com
jeffrey@beerengineer.com
http://www.promash.com
http://www.beerengineer.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 09:03:07 -0500
From: "Larry Maxwell" <larrymax@bellsouth.net>
Subject: CIP'ing a Zwickel
Will too much CIP'ing one's Zwickel make them go blind?
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 08:03:56 -0600
From: Tim Burkhart <tburkhart@dridesign.com>
Subject: Brewpub and Micro reviews (was Re: checking in)
I'm sure others will respond the same... http://pubcrawler.com
I have had good luck with pubcrawler over the past few years. Most of the
reviews have led me to good pubs in NYC, St. Louis, and Las Vegas. I check
up on my home town spots every once and awhile as well. The KC reviews have
become a little stale with only one out of 5 possible brew spots having a
2001 review... this will help me explain to SWMBO why I am going on a pub
crawl this weekend.
This is not to say an HBD pub review source would not be appreciated... the
quality of reviews would most likely tower over the general writing on
pubcrawler. It would be refreshing to read something other than... "beer is
good, food is good, atmosphere is good, service is good..."
Tim Burkhart
Kansas City
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 09:23:14 -0500
From: "Jim Hagey" <hagey@attglobal.net>
Subject: beer drinking travellers
Greetings all!
In HBD #3581 beverplt queried:
> 6. Has anyone thought of starting a list of brew pubs
>to visit when traveling? There's always questions
>about it?
There is a wonderful website that does just this www.pubcrawler.com. It
is set up so that you can leave your own personal review of the brewpubs
listed. It even includes a link for you to add one that they hadn't
previously listed. I have taken advantage of this site on numerous
occaisions while travelling and would like to take this opportunity to
publicly thank the people responsible for this service.
Jim Hagey
Beer and Loafing in Kalamazoo (about 100 miles due west of the center of the
homebrewing universe).
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 18:31:16 -0500
From: "Kurt Schweter" <KSchweter@smgfoodlb.com>
Subject: Re: conicals and better brewing
I switched from 6.5 gallon conicals to 10 gallon
cornie kegs for fermenters -----
more brewing = experience =
better beer = don't over stress
what your fermenting in
it's what goes in the fermenter and
what temp. it's fermented at
that makes the bigger difference
of course, that's only my opinion !
lost in Long Beach Ca.
soon to be smelling a lot like methanol
the cart boys are on the way !!!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 10:08:44 -0500
From: "Jeff Beinhaur" <beinhaur@email.msn.com>
Subject: My Travels begin
Thanks to all who have made suggestions of places to stop on our vacation.
Todays HBD is the last I'll get to read until I get back from vacation on
the 27th. We're definately stopping at C.H. Evans Friday night and planning
on lunch on Monday at Vermont Pub and Brewery while passing through
Burlington. Who knows where else we'll end up but I'll be sure to report
back.
Thanks again.......
Jeff Beinhaur, Camp Hill, PA
Home of the Yellow Breeches Brewery
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 10:05:47 -0500
From: "Jay Wirsig" <Jay.Wirsig@can.dupont.com>
Subject: Pelletized hops plugging manifolds
Someone posted a question about pelletized hops plugging their boiler's
manifold. Below is an inexpensive solution that worked well for me both
for hops with seeds and pelletized hops.
I use homegrown leaf hops and my slotted ring manifold was getting
plugged up with hop seeds. I thought about several designs from false
bottoms to Stainless steel braided sheath. I ended up buying a couple of
grain bags and fitted them with a draw string at the neck. The grain bags
are huge and there is only 1 layer of hops so I'm not too concerned about
hop utilization (I haven't noticed any effect but I have not done any
serious side by side stuff). The bags have worked very well. I still have
my ring manifold so the trub still stays in the middle. I'm tempted to go
to a side take off dip tube which would leave an open tube which makes the
cleaning easier (with a tube brush).
Hope this helps.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 10:21:50 -0500
From: David Harsh <dharsh@fuse.net>
Subject: Whitelabs Saison Yeast Data
On WhiteLabs Saison yeast-
I realize you may be sick of me pulling out my notes from
the Spirit of Belgium III, held in Washington D.C. in January 2001,
but Chris White provided the following on WLP565:
Attenuation: Low-Medium (Low is <70%, Medium is 70-80%)
A footnote indicates that warm conditioning is required to obtain
medium attenuation.
Also, RAISE the TEMP if you really want that spicy saison character.
The original poster said he fermented at 70 F - this is not "high" for
Belgian yeasts, it is "medium".
Dave Harsh
Bloatarian Brewing League Cincinnati, OH
Arthur-"What's wrong with being drunk?" Ford-"Ask a glass of water."
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 09:21:25 -0600
From: rlabor@lsuhsc.edu (LaBorde, Ronald)
Subject: RE: Super V All-Copper CF Chiller
>From: Ken & Bennett Johnson <fearless1@abac.com>
>
>.... A lot of water, moving slowly past the inner (hot wort
>filled) tube, will perform the best. It will also use the least amount of
>chill water!.....
Hmm, glad you brought this up as I have been told by a refrigeration
mechanic that if the fan motor in the condenser unit is replaced by a higher
speed motor, that the air moves through the coils too fast and less not more
cooling efficiency will occur (we were discussing an outside condenser unit
for air conditioning). He said the air moves through so fast, that it
cannot absorb the heat as well.
I do not understand the physics of this and have always wondered about this.
Your statement seems similar, only involving a moving liquid heat transfer.
What is the scoop here, anyone to elaborate?
Please,
Ron La Borde
Ronald La Borde - Metairie, Louisiana - rlabor@lsuhsc.edu
http://hbd.org/rlaborde
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 11:06:51 -0500
From: "Joseph Marsh" <josephmarsh62@hotmail.com>
Subject: star-san duration
Denis Bekaert asks about how long you can keep star san.
I don't use it myself so this won't be directly applicable but here is what
I do use. Teatwash. I got a gallon of it from a farm supply store that was
going out of business. It is almost the same thing as iodophor but cost
$6.00 per gallon. I can keep it for a couple weeks as long as it's covered
airtight.
Always looking for cheaper & better.
Joe
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 11:09:55 -0500
From: "Alan Meeker" <ameeker@mail.jhmi.edu>
Subject: Primary vs Secondary (picking nits)
On differences betw/ primary and secondary fermentations D. Burley wrote:
"Chemically there can be a difference also as during this secondary
fermentation a different set of sugars and even some dextrins will be
getting fermented as the major source of carbohydrate, although they were
getting fermented during the primary also. This explains one aspect of the
slower fermentation besides the lower concentration of sugars and the
flocculation of the yeast."
Unless your batch is contaminated with certain wild yeast strains that
secrete hydrolytic enzymes /none/ of the dextrins will be metabolized by the
brewer's yeast, neither in the primary nor the secondary phase. cerevisiae
do not transport in anything much larger than maltotriose. /Maybe/ some of
the maltotetraose will get utilized but beyond this limit (4 glucose
residues) the longer carbohydrates will be left untouched.
The slower fermentation rate is due to nutrient depletion and concomitant
flocculation.
-Alan Meeker
Baltimore, MD
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 11:50:53 -0600 (CST)
From: Mark Garthwaite <mgarth@primate.wisc.edu>
Subject: Ayinger yeast
Marc Sedam asks about obtaining the Ayinger yeast strain. I too have
tried to get this strain from Yeast Culture Kit Company. I sent a check
in mid December. I'm a pretty patient guy but when my February bank
statement shows that the check was cashed in January and it is now March,
my patience wears thin. I sent a polite email in early February, one in
late February, and one a couple of days ago. No response. I presume Dan
to be a nice guy but since he has my money and I have nothing to show for
it, I'm airing this on HBD. Sorry if I offend anyone here by doing so.
On another note, I appreciate the discussion of Helles recipes
since I just brewed one. Has anyone seen the Classic Beer Style Series
book on Helles that I believe has just been published? Any reviewers out
there who could comment on the book?
-Mark Garthwaite
Madison, WI
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 13:07:20 -0500
From: "Jones, Steve (I/T)" <stjones@eastman.com>
Subject: RE: Pub & Micro Review; Rennerian Coordinates Calculator
Jerry (& others):
Although I'm mostly a lurker, reading the HBD daily during lunch, I do
occasionally post. This is one of those rare times, and for the next week
I'll bet I see a jump in the number of hits on my website. Strange
coincidence, don't you think ;^)
To find breweries, pubs and beer bars to visit when traveling, I use
http://www.pubcrawler.com. I first learned of it a few years back right here
on the good ol HBD. You can even set up a profile, select specific cities or
states, and get regular updates on additions to their database.
This isn't a promise, but I might attempt to write a Rennerian Coordinates
calculator. Rather than sell it, I think it belongs on the HBD site, which
is, of course, the 'cyber'center of the brewing universe. Of course, I will
also put it on my website along with the other calculators I've done.
Steve Jones
Johnson City, TN
5:47:38.9 S, 1:17:37.5 E Rennerian
http://users.chartertn.net/franklinbrew
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 13:06:03 -0500
From: "Czerpak, Pete" <Pete.Czerpak@siigroup.com>
Subject: pitching pint of yeast, and mashout question, beaverpelt response
Steven Parfitt asks about pitching a pint of yeast for a brew. This tends
to refer to a pint of yeast including the starter mixture liquid. I tend to
not pitch the starter mixture unless I've been lazy and pitch about 1/4"
deep of yeast from the bottom of a 1/2 gallon growler. Strong starts in
about 6-8 hours are typical. These starters are usually made by the smack
pack route with waiting for full inflation, then pitching to a beer bottle
with appropriate extract and water, and then pitching this to a 1/2 gallon
growler that is maybe 3/4 full of starter solution. Total time is usually a
day or 2 to inflate, maybe a day in the bottle, and maybe 2 days in the
growler. i usually start them a week or so before brewing since my brew
schedule is fairy free with no children....
MASHOUT QUESTION:
Quick question for mashout. I batch sparge. mash-in is with about 1.4 to
1.5 qts/lb with mash temp at about 152-154degF. After mashing I drain first
runnings and then sparge in one big dump at about 0.4-0.5 qts/lb of 172F
water. This doesn't bring my grain bed temp to mash out temp. In fact,
maybe to about 160F or so. I let this rest for 15-30 minutes and then drain
and combine to boil.
Does anyone suggest that I add water at hotter than 172F to bring the temp
closer to mashout at 168+F? I was always worried about this due to tannin
extraction but haven't tried it with triangle testing or anything else. Any
batch spargers want to comment. yes, I purposely cut extraction low for
better flavor - about 62% yield (22 pts/lb gallon).
Here is my Beaverpelt response. Yes I brew fairly regularly (perhaps "quasi
pro" as you say). Lets say over 30 batches (5 gal) a year. I bring kegs to
parties, maybe a competition or 3,deliver growlers to friends, send brews as
seasonal gifts to old friends, ...... Not to mention I enjoy a pint as well
most of the time. I enjoy the tinkering with recipes and find that I'm
always looking to try something new as well as make a few old favorites. It
is a fairly large quantity and time commitment but is a hobby and not just a
means to make beer or save money. I still buy beer when I want to try
something new or see what is marketted. Yes, you should answer questions you
feel you might have some experience or understanding of. Often times you
see a question sit unanswered for days..... feel free to chime in either
way. You don't have to be correct or even completely correct. Others will
comment as well. Discussion is good and may help you become more
knowledgeable and a better brewer with things you thought were right or
wrong and are in fact the other way around. As for repitching a slurry, I
do and its as much for economic reasons as yeast health and time reasons. I
found that repitches start quicker, ferment better, have less offtastes due
to long lags than do direct from smack pack pitches. It also enables you to
only buy say 8-15 yeasts a year since there are a few that I only use once
and a bunch that I reuse and like the taste of in many styles. I tend to
reuse 1028 and 1056 quite a bunch - 3 to 4 times and just reused 1968 three
times since new years. I tend to keep old slurry in the fridge for up to a
month and have no problem repitching. Use at up to 2 weeks with no starter
required and perhaps start the ones that are a month old the night before
you brew with some extract/water mix. For those of us that buy grain in
bulk, if you bought yeast every time, it is practically the largest part of
your recipe spending....
Thanks.
Pete czerpak
albany, NY
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 13:33:01 -0500
From: cmmundt@AircraftBraking.com
Subject: Super V All-Copper CF Chiller
Hello all,
Though I typically stay out of any technical discussion, I felt I
needed to comment on the all copper counterflow chiller (heat exchanger).
In HBD #3581, Ken Johnson wrote
>>Also, this chiller only has 1/16 clearance between the two tubes. Volume
is very important to these chillers. More volume of chill water will
absorb more heat. You can't solve this dilemma by simply forcing more
chill water through faster. Higher velocity will reduce the ability of the
chill water to absorb heat. A lot of water, moving slowly past the inner
(hot wort filled) tube, will perform the best. It will also use the least
amount of chill water!<<
Volumetric flow of the cooling liquid is very important in designing a heat
exchanger. The more cooling water that is flowing the larger the "cold
sink" to take the heat. There are typically two methods that can increase
the volume 1) increase the area of contact between the hot liquid and the
cooling liquid (i.e. have more than 1/16 clearance) or 2) increasing the
flow of the cooling liquid.
Heat transfer in a heat exchanger can be calculated using
q = U*A* (delta Tm)
where
q = the heat transferred from the hot liquid to the cold liquid,
U = the overall heat transfer coefficient,
A = the surface area of contact, and
delta Tm = the log mean difference between the inlet and outlet
temperatures of
the hot and cold liquids.
U = 1 / ((1/ hiAi) + ln (Ro/Ri)/(2 pi Kc L) + (1/hoAo))
where
h = convective heat transfer coefficient of the liquid to the metal
wall,
i = inner diameter,
o = outer diameter,
R = diameter of the inside pipe,
Kc = thermal conductivity of copper, and
L = length of the inner pipe (length of contact).
The convective heat transfer coefficient (h) is directly proportional to
the flow of the fluid (if you want I can give that equation). The faster
the fluid flows through the pipe the better the heat transfer. As the
velocity of the cooling water increases the heat transfer from the hot
liquid to the cold liquid increases. However, there are practical limits
on the maximum achievable velocity of the system as well as diminishing
returns at higher velocities. There is one exception to these design
parameters, when both liquids are laminar. Laminar flow of fluids, though
possible, is not likely unless under special circumstances. Laminar flow
of liquids eliminates the convective heat transfer coefficient and all heat
transfer is conductive. Conductive heat transfer is almost always greater
than convective heat transfer.
The higher the velocity, the better the heat transfer between the liquids
and the lower the exit temperature of the cooling liquid. This allows the
hot liquid to cool faster and to a lower exit temperature because the cold
liquid temperatures do not increase as much as with a slower flowing
liquid.
Chad Mundt
cmmundt@aircraftbraking.com
Wadsworth, OH
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 11:22:21 -0800
From: "John Zeller" <jwz_sd@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Year Of The CAP
Last fall I picked up the September/October issue of Zymurgy magazine at my
local homebrew shop. The thought of brewing a true lager had always
intrigued me. Jeff Renner's article showcasing the classic American pilsner
inspired me to give it a go. I knew from the start that a good pilsner
lager would be difficult to create, especially for a novice brewer like
myself. With little more than a year of homebrewing experience and only
about half of that with all grain, I took the plunge.
Jeff's article included a very detailed recipe for "Your Father's Mustache".
This classic American pilsner promised an historical re-creation of the
beer my grandfather enjoyed at the local taverns
in downtown Cincinnati very early in the last century. A beer that the
large German immigrant population of Cincinnati savored with as much
enthusiasm as the old world beer they remembered so fondly.
The recipe seemed straight forward. A fun double mash method using only
American six row lager malt, cornmeal, hops, water and a clean lager yeast.
Seemed simple enough until I tried to find the right cornmeal. Cornmeal was
easy enough to locate, but most were fortified. Fortified with what and how
I could not determine. The supposedly "organic" cornmeal I could find was
not degermed. Jeff warned that this could cause problems. At last I
located degermed unfortified cornmeal at an upscale market. No problem at
all gathering the rest of the ingredients.
Brew day arrived and the mashing proceeded like clockwork. No glitches at
all. The O.G. matched the recipe prediction precisely. I was a little
surprised that my efficiency was that good. This lager was beginning to look
promising, but I was very aware that it would be months before I could know
for certain.
Following Jeff's fermenting and lagering schedule to the letter, I took her
down to 32 F. for the long cold sleep. Bottling day finally arrived. I
sampled this beautiful, clear golden nectar with eyes wide. With the first
sip I knew my efforts had paid off. This was certain to be one of my best
beers to date.
After a few weeks of conditioning I began proudly sharing this wonderful
lager with my close friends. The stock began to diminish at a very rapid
pace. I reserved a few bottles to see if they would improve even more with
some aging. I got wind of an upcoming local home brewing competition here
in San Diego. I had never entertained thoughts of competition before. I
did have these few bottles of my precious lager remaining. I entered my CAP
knowing that it was definitely very good beer. I really wanted to know what
the experienced competition judges would think of it.
The official results were in. You could have knocked me over with a
feather. My CAP won the first place award in the American Lager style
category! Shocked to say the least, but there was even more amazement to
come. This lager scored a 43.5 of a possible 50 points for the highest
score out of all 327 entries! Not too bad for a small town boy with little
brewing experience. So, if you have been hesitant about entering a
competition in the past, let my experience help you overcome any
reservations. Give it a try. You may find yourself as surprised as I was.
Many thanks to Jeff Renner for providing the recipe and the inspiration to
create a great Classic American Pilsner.
John Zeller
San Diego, CA
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 15:12:17 -0500
From: stencil <stencil@bcn.net>
Subject: Re: cheap SS boil pots
On Tue, 13 Mar 2001 00:10:59 -0500, "Czerpak, Pete"
<Pete.Czerpak@siigroup.com>
wrote in Homebrew Digest #3579:
>http://www.stratfordimports.com/f_outdoor.html
>
>SS boil pots......
>
>>
>No comments on the quality of these boil pots but the price seems right. I
>may order one just to try it out.
>
Lots of other good stuff, including cast iron and
aluminum, and $8.00 thermometers. As Pete indicated, it's
worth it just to experiment: I bought a 32-qt tall
aluminum turkey cooker to try as a mashtun, for $30.00.
They're in Macon, GA and charge percent-of-price shipping,
so the Southrons will subsidize the Yankees and webfeet.
Thanks, Pete.
stencil sends
RKBA!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 16:22:27 -0500
From: "Andrew Moore" <abmjunk@hotmail.com>
Subject: GFI Receptacles and Brewing Beer in Basements
In response to Bob Sutton's Fridge woes:
As a licensed architect, I feel compelled to toss in my two cents worth in
the name of promoting public safety and welfare. Why is this pertinent to a
homebrew discussion? Because many of you (like me) brew in basements where
GFI outlets are required by code and some of you (unlike me) utilize
electrical appliances in the brewing process. The combination of standing on
wet floors (common when brewing, yes?) and touching electrical applicance is
where GFI protected cicuits come into their own.
Previous messages have addressed the technical troubleshooting aspect of the
problem. It should be noted, however, that a GFI outlet provides a redundant
safety mechanism to a properly grounded electrical circuit (and,
incidentally, the only safety mechanism for a non-grounded circuit). As
mentioned before, the GFI senses a difference between the hot and neutral
legs of a circuit and "interrupts" the circuit very quickly. Assuming a
cicuit without a GFI is properly grounded, a ground "leak" is usually safely
conducted by the ground wire back to the panel and to the house ground. All
three-prong appliances have the metal case wired directly to the ground to
account for the possibility that a bare live wire comes in contact with the
case. Without a GFI, a person would receive a mild but probably non-lethal
shock. However, if the person had wet hands (brewing?) and was standing in a
puddle (brewing?) the shock could be substantial. This is where the GFI
comes in (and why it is required in basements, where dampness is common).
In summary, the GFI provides an important function and if the possibility of
dampness exists, then the objective should be to restore the refrigerator to
its prior condition, i.e. plugged into a GFI outlet, by either replacing the
GFI (if malfunctioning) or replacing the refrigerator (if there is ground
fault).
Here's to safe brewing,
Andrew Moore
Richmond, Virginia
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 14:51:52 +0800
From: "Paul Campbell" <p.r.campbell@tesco.net>
Subject: Secondary Fermentation
Back in HBD#3581 Dave (good to have you back btw) quite rightly picks me up
on my sloppy terminology when I tried to talk about the use of multiple
fermenters (i.e. a primary and a secondary) but used the word fermentation
instead; although it's good to know I can be as sloppy as the brewing texts.
I must be in good company ;-)
I think what I was trying to say was, that the racking of the beer into a
new "container" did not magically cause a new process to commence, hence
there is no chemical reason to do it. It does have advantages however in
some circumstances. Better?
In this vein, can anyone come up with other proven/observed advantages to
racking to a secondary i.e. other than avoiding rubber beer/other flavour
impact from the yeast and trub lurking at the bottom? I'm pretty well
talking about ales here, of course lagerers (sp?) have their own reasons...
I think it may yield some interesting info for all levels of brewer.
Paul.
Glen Esk,
Scotland.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 16:46:24 -0600
From: "Paddock Wood Brewing Supplies" <orders@paddockwood.com>
Subject: Hops: How, What and Why
Daniel from Nova Scotia asks about how and when to use different types of
hops.
We have a Guide to Hop Varieties at
http://www.paddockwood.com/guide_hop_varieties.html
and a Guide to Hop Usage at
http://www.paddockwood.com/guide_hop_usage.html
that may be of some use.
cheers,
Stephen Ross -- "Vitae sine cerevisiae sugant."
Paddock Wood Brewing Supplies, Saskatoon, SK
orders@paddockwood.com www.paddockwood.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 16:47:07 -0600
From: "Paddock Wood Brewing Supplies" <orders@paddockwood.com>
Subject: StarSan
Denis asks about the shelf life of mixed Star San solution.
It's not affected by heat, light or exposure to air, so it should last
indefinitely. We recommend making the solution with a neutral water like
reverse osmosis or distilled.
As long as the pH is below 3 it should be effective. A rough guide is the
clarity: if the solution is not cloudy it is still effective.
cheers,
Stephen Ross -- "Vitae sine cerevisiae sugant."
Paddock Wood Brewing Supplies, Saskatoon, SK
orders@paddockwood.com www.paddockwood.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 18:10:18 -0500
From: "Angie and Reif Hammond" <arhammond@mediaone.net>
Subject: Re: Shopping for a Refractometer
I picked up a AO Refractometer #10430 on e-bay last summer for $50 plus
shipping. I am really satisfied with it. 2 drops of wort to check gravity
during runoff!
Reif
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 20:01:57 -0600
From: "elvira toews" <etoews1@home.com>
Subject: next question
Daniel:
(Canada-specific answer)
As far as canned kits go, the Glenbrew and a couple of the ones made in
Belgium seem a touch better. I found that more than a 5-10 minute boil
makes them really bitter.
For truly decent beer, Wort Works (NAJASCYY) from Vancouver are pretty close
to what I make myself, if you spend even more money and buy a smack pack of
liquid yeast. They aren't so expensive if you compare the price to buying
two kits per batch to avoid the corn sugar.
Someone posted a comment about avoiding bag-in-box kits. Well, I wouldn't
avoid Wort Works, at least based on the last time I used one.
Sean Richens
srichens@sprint.ca
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #3582, 03/16/01
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