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HOMEBREW Digest #3593
HOMEBREW Digest #3593 Thu 29 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:
Trub Removal using 1/2 barrel kettle ("Eric C. Martens")
RE: Keg Lube ("Mike Pensinger")
Re: Brewing Faux Pas (Rob B)
Oh I'm Touched (craftbrewer)
suck back (Jeremy Bergsman)
re: keg lube ("Mark Tumarkin")
keg lube/ keg parts ("Bridges, Scott")
DMC Results are in!!! ("Formanek, Joe")
RE: Brewing in the Hinterlands of North Carolina ("Jim Hagey")
6 row malt vs 2 row (CMEBREW)
Moving hops and Brewing at a Home with a Septic System (JDPils)
Re: Soda Kegs (Mike Mckinney)
Bottle Labels (Peter Torgrimson)
secondary in keg ("Joseph Marsh")
Re: don't do this - cracked carboys (Spencer W Thomas)
Buckwheat Beer and Kegs (Charles.Burry)
Re: Brewing Faux Pa & Apartment Brewing ("Pannicke, Glen A.")
safety and gas conversions ("Stuart Strand")
more on mash pH and ATC (Brian Lundeen)
Recap of Vacation beers.... ("Jeff Beinhaur")
The $400 question (Danny Breidenbach)
Trip to Europe ("Eric R. Theiner")
CO2 delivery to multiple kegs (RiedelD)
Re: CO2 delivery to multiple kegs (The Man From Plaid)
RE" Flamethrowers (Bob Sheck)
*
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 19:46:29 -0600
From: "Eric C. Martens" <ecmartens@students.wisc.edu>
Subject: Trub Removal using 1/2 barrel kettle
**Craig Agnor asked about methods of trub removal using converted 1/2
barrel kettles:
Craig,
I can offer some empirical observation, but, unfortunately,
no solution to your problem (But, I hope somebody else has a good
one!). I brew with a converted Sankey Keg fitted with a Sabco false
bottom. I use a built in immersion coil to cool the hot wort. I
always cool to below 20C before I transfer to the primaries and
aerate, and I always suck out a lot of the cold-break material.
My observation is that, even with a ton of whole hops in the
kettle (most of which collects on the false bottom), a lot (perhaps
the majority?) of precipitated trub still gets sucked through the
false bottom and into my primaries. I have not dared to use anything
except whole hops for fear of clogging my 3/8" copper drain tube, and
to date have had no problem with outflow by gravity. My point is
that the hop bed may not act as enough of a filter to eliminate a
significant amount of the cold-break regardless of how you configure
your setup (you only need one gap in the hop bed, and the bulk flow
will find that path, carrying much of the precipitate through).
I have been pondering building a "wide-gauge" hop back that
can be sterilized by flowing a bit of hot wort through prior to
chilling the entire batch. And then, after my batch is chilled, can
act as an inline trub filter. I have no idea if this will allow
enough flow to use gravity to drain the kettle. It would also be
inappropriate for a brew that does not call for aroma hops (perhaps
sterile cotton would work too?).
The good news is that I have brewed five batches since I
built my new kettle, I've left the cold break in the primary until I
rack to the secondary and all of them have been just fine (a bit hazy
maybe?).
Eric Martens
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 20:25:59 -0600
From: "Mike Pensinger" <beermkr@bellatlantic.net>
Subject: RE: Keg Lube
I have been using a very light coat of petroleum jelly on my o rings. Seems
to work well and doesn't affect the beer. Don't overdo it though :)
Mike Pensinger
Beermkr@bellatlantic.net
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~beermkr/
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 16:54:03 +1000
From: Rob B <rbyrnes@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: Re: Brewing Faux Pas
This is what I have always done ... I though it would be more
time-expedient when I first started brewing (about 6 months ago) to just
number the brews and match the numbers to the descriptions in my little
database (Brewlog).
How do you label yours?
Cheers,
Rob
At 15:16 28/03/2001 in Homebrew Digest #3592, you wrote:
>I've started to label just the caps. Makes identifying them in the cases
>very simple - especially if my batches are mixed up in the cases and
>once the cap is popped, the label is gone. Life is good once again...
>
>Jamie on PEI
**************************
Q: Will I be reincarnated?
A: Not unless there is a special need to recreate you. And searching backup
files is a major hassle,
so if there is a request for you, God will just say that the tape has been
lost.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 17:03:21 +1000
From: craftbrewer@telstra.easymail.com.au
Subject: Oh I'm Touched
G'day All
/
Now I tried to tell you lot not to worry about me, but no typical
yanks, I have to do it all over again. I sit here, in bliss, but no,
e-mails flood in asking if i am well, and the HBD is a flutter about
my demise. Oh people you dont think I would disappear that
easily. Heck I'm reminded of the moral demise of you country
every time i go to the outhouse. Yes Moral American For
Beginners is still there stopping people falling into the abise
(with the flys and all) and where more appropriate should my
mind be pricked that yes, I am still needed for our wayward
cousins.
/
Now these comments remind me
Well I'm as sad as anyone with Graham's disappearance.
I think there can only be 3 possible explanations.
1) SWMBO, to dreadful to even think of.
2) A salty, head hunting cod, or genital sucking frog.
If one of these, at least it was fairly quick.
3) The "Keyboard of the South" has taken all the piss
out of him.
/
So next time you tip one up, say a toast to Graham and
tip one up in his honor!<<<<<<
/
Now what can one say - UP YOURS TOO MATE!!!!!!!!
But yes it does remind me of what happened to SWMBO on
the weekend. It being a hot weekend, creatures like this feel
more at home in the water, lurking after unsuspecting prey. So
off to the local pool she goes. Well mother nature takes hold
with all that water so off the toilet she goes, not one wanting to
give away her presence with a yellow stream.
/
Anyway i would say she has a big ... uh how do we say this
expanse, but yes even the crabs even travel in groups incase
they get lost covering the vast unknown, so it was that she let
go one almighty scream that sent the pool staff running to her
aid. Well as i said before, we grow em big up here, but there
plastered to her bod was the biggest green and brown frog you
will ever seen. Even the crabs though the world had ended.
/
Well I had to endure for hours when she got home, I had to
get it off my ...... . And I did not need to see where it had been
I can tell you. And what did the the pool guy say to all this.
"Dont worry love, it happens all the time.
/
But you wonder why I'm not about as usual. With crap like
this coming out of your fair land
From: " Jim Bermingham" <bermingham@antennaproducts.com>
Subject: I Can't Name My Dog Spot No More
/
Now I
don't know if JackA$$ Brewery is an infringement on
Jack A$$'s Brewery or
not. Seems to me he is referring to his Buttock's Beer and I to
the animal
but who knows for sure in this sue happy world.
/
I'm asking two things please send me the names of your home
brewery and how
much money you have. If you have lots of money I am going
to change my
brewery's name to yours, register the name, then put a suit on
your a$$ for
all your money.<<<<<<
/
/
Now Jim I'll sort the bugger out. Tell you what, you sell me your
brewery name for 1 cent. I take the crackpot on Worts and All.
When I finish with him, I'll throw the mungrel to the cod we
have up here. Then you can buy back your name for a couple
of thou. The way the Aussie dollar is plumiting thats sounds fair
to me.
/
But why am I deafly silent. We we all know us Aus types have
our web page (and wait for it) http://oz.craftbrewer.org.
I told all you lot once I'll say it again. I'm helping get that off the
ground. Give me another few months and I be back to correct
all the misconceptions that are spread arround over there. Must
admit haven't hear from me mate S for a while. Might give him
a pull soon.
/
Shout
Graham Sanders
/
oh
Yes our frogs are all green up here, especially the genital
grabbing types. So why do we have green and brown ones
grabbing at the vast unknown. Well no thought really, is there.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 07:26:34 -0500
From: Jeremy Bergsman <jeremy@bergsman.org>
Subject: suck back
Regarding airlock suckback during cooling conditions in the carboy, I have
found that with the airlocks I have there is a level where the airlock
provides its namesake function but the liquid will not be sucked into the
carboy during cooling. Try filling it just enough to cover the holes in the
floater and test it.
Notes:
Rapid sucking will still suck a little back. Drying out is a worry when you
fill the airlock "just enough", but it's only for a short time, I haven't
had a problem during a week long primary. You can go back once fermentation
has begun and add a couple drops of water. Consider using water during the
primary since nothing should grow in there over such a short time and this
reduces the risk of drying out and minimizes the impact of suck back.
- --
Jeremy Bergsman
jeremy@bergsman.org
http://www.bergsman.org/jeremy
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 07:30:19 -0500
From: "Mark Tumarkin" <mark_t@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: re: keg lube
Jason asked about using keg lube on leaking o-rings, Stephen Ross replied with
a very good post -
I have one additional question - how do you apply the keg lube to the o-ring?
By hand? Wouldn't this be a potential sanitation problem?
thanks,
Mark Tumarkin
Gainesville, FL
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:24:51 -0500
From: "Bridges, Scott" <ScottBridges@sc.slr.com>
Subject: keg lube/ keg parts
>Jason asked about Keg Lube.
Those who are looking for keg lube and other kegging / serving parts can
find a good selection at Superior Products. They are a commercial
restaurant/bar supply biz, and have all kind of neat stuff. They will sell
to individuals. I deal with the folks in Charlotte, but they have locations
around the country. Also, you can try Rapids (1 location in Grand Rapids,
Iowa I believe). They are a similar business specializing in bar stuff.
Both of these companies also will ship. I don't have their numbers handy
but I believe they are also both on the net.
BTW, I have finally completed my 3 vessel (converted 15.5 gal kegs), 2
propane burner, 2 mag drive pump RIMS system. Now all need to do is find
time to use it....
Scott
Brewing in Columbia, SC
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:02:05 -0600
From: "Formanek, Joe" <Jformanek@griffithlabs.com>
Subject: DMC Results are in!!!
Greetings!!
The 2001 DMC was held last Saturday, 3/24 at Two Brothers' Brewing
Company, in Warrenville, IL. We had a total of 504 entries - an amazing 83%
increase over last year!!
We are happy to announce the following notable winners:
Nick and Nancy Edgington, of Lake Grove, NY, received Beer BOS with their
Trapp's Dubbel. Sponsor of the Beer BOS prize is Glen Ellyn Brewing
Company, of Glen Ellyn, IL, where Nick and Nancy will have the opportunity
to assist in brewing a batch of their award winning beer!
Bill Aimonetti, of Tijeras, NM, received the Mead/Cider BOS for his Varietal
Traditional Mead.
Michael Pelter, of Crown Point, IN, won the Menace of the Monastery category
with his Belgian Strong Golden Ale.
The complete results for the 2001 DMC are now posted on the UKG
website at http://www.hbd.org/ukg.
Cheers!
Joe Formanek
Organizer, 2001 DMC
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 09:18:33 -0500
From: "Jim Hagey" <hagey@attglobal.net>
Subject: RE: Brewing in the Hinterlands of North Carolina
Collective!
Many thanks and a tip of the brewer's cap to all of the members of MALT
(Jay, Brian, Dave) and the other loose..errr... unaffiliated individuals who
responded to my plea for help in getting my buddy started in homebrewing
around Franklin, NC. I have forwarded your responses to him and suspect
that he may be contacting some of you soon. He will be coming up here at
the end of next week and I will give him all of my extra equipment to take
back with him at that time. With the help of such good individuals as
yourselves, I am certain that he will be turning out ales for all to enjoy
soon.
Thanks again,
Jim
Beer and Loafing in Kalamazoo
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 09:29:39 EST
From: CMEBREW@aol.com
Subject: 6 row malt vs 2 row
Jeff Renner, If you're listening, can you tell us if you have yet brewed a
CAP with 2 row malt and if so, how it compared to 6 row. I remember in hbd #
2657 you indicated you may try it. Charlie
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 10:18:50 EST
From: JDPils@aol.com
Subject: Moving hops and Brewing at a Home with a Septic System
Greetings Beerlings,
I need the help of the collective on issues related to moving. I am moving
to a home which has a septic system. I currently use mostly bleech and some
idophor as sanitizers. I have heard that PBW and Starsan can be dumped into
the septic and know bleech is bad. PBW and Starsan are also very expensive
relative to bleech. I suppose I could dump all my bleech water on the scrubs
and grass, however I am looking for other suggestions.
My second question is how to move my hops. I am moving the end of June. Do
I let the hops grow until then? Do I put them in a pot? or should I try to
get the new owner to let me come back in September to harvest and move the
rhizomes?
Thanks in Advance,
Jim Dunlap
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 09:39:26 -0600
From: Mike Mckinney <mikemck@austin.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Soda Kegs
"Nachman, James" writes:
>I have searched the web and have not been able to find a source for
>reasonably priced 5 gal soda kegs. Does anyone have any suggestions.
>
>Jim
>james.nachman@uscellular.com
RCB has 5 gal soda kegs for $12 + shipping. You can find them at:
www.rcbequip.com
- --
mikemck@austin.rr.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 07:45:14 -0800
From: Peter Torgrimson <petertorgrimson@prodigy.net>
Subject: Bottle Labels
A recent post asked about labels for bottles, apparently planning to use
Avery labels. I don't know about Avery labels, but I suspect they might
be hard to remove, particularly if they have been on the bottles a long
time. Plus, they are expensive. I thought I would describe what I do.
I print labels on plain paper on my printer and cut them apart into the
individual labels. I glue them onto the bottles using milk for glue.
Any milk will do - 4%, 2%, etc. I usually use non-fat milk. A very
small bowl of milk glues a two case batch. I use a wet rag to wipe off
the excess.
The labels stick well, even with a minor amount of water exposure, after
they have dried. They come right off when I empty and then wash the
bottles. Plus they are CHEAP. If I am out of milk, I use a small
amount of white glue diluted with water to make a weak mixture. My
labels are black and white, printed on a laser printer. I don't know if
this will work with ink-jet printer labels. Is the ink water-soluble?
Peter Torgrimson
Worts of Wisdom Homebrewers
Mountain View, CA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 11:03:34 -0500
From: "Joseph Marsh" <josephmarsh62@hotmail.com>
Subject: secondary in keg
Charlie asks about using his corny keg as a secondary fermentor.
It works OK & I do it fairly often. But then I leave the primary going for a
month or so usually. I haven't had any complaints about autoasys (however
you spell it). If you don't have pretty clear beer to start with you will
get some mud in the bottom that you'll stir up if you shake the keg in force
carbonating. Let it settle for awhile then use maybe 20 psi to flush a cup
or so beer out then reduce to normal dispense pressure. That takes away the
loose trub & settled yeast away from the pickup tube.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 12:19:43 -0500
From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer@engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: don't do this - cracked carboys
>>>>> "Jamie" == Jamie Smith <jxsmith@vac-acc.gc.ca> writes:
>>> getting one of those spiffy stainless steel cylindroconical
>>> (or whatever) fermenters
>> Um, wouldn't this do the same thing during brewing what happens
>> to beer after being canned? I am, of course, referring to the
>> metalic taste of the drink. Granted, it may not be too
>> prevelant, but its there...
Jamie> Would it be any worse than kegging the beer in a Corny keg?
Beer cans are not made of stainless steel. And, I think, they're
usually lined with a thin layer of plastic, so the beer doesn't touch
the metal anyway.
And, in fact, if you do a blind tasting, where someone pours the beer
from a can into a glass and the *same beer* (say, b*ttwiper) from a
bottle into a glass, you won't (I assert) be able to tell the
difference.
If you drink straight from the can, so that your mouth touches the
aluminum top of the can, then you might get a metallic taste.
=Spencer Thomas in Ann Arbor, MI (spencer@umich.edu)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 11:23:14 -0600
From: Charles.Burry@ercgroup.com
Subject: Buckwheat Beer and Kegs
Regarding Buckwheat beers, I brewed up a batch two years ago that used 2 lbs
of Kasha, roasted buckwheat, from the local Wild Oats grocery store in a
batch that was otherwise an amber ale with a S.G. of 1.054. I boiled up the
buckwheat with 2 gallons of water and then simmered for 1 hour before adding
the mix to my other grains for an additional 1 hour of mashing. The beer
turned out very nice with the buckwheat noticeable but not overpowering.
The brew took a third place in the local KC Bier Meisters' contest in the
Specialty/Experimental category.
Regarding kegs, I have purchased kegs a couple of times from RCB Equipment,
http://www.rcbequip.com (standard disclaimer). Pricing is $12 each plus
shipping. Four kegs cost me $72 in total, shipped to Kansas City. The kegs
arrived clean (inside), pressurized, and in good shape. I have usually
replaced the O rings with the softer ones discussed previously in this
forum.
Charlie Burry
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 12:35:12 -0500
From: "Pannicke, Glen A." <glen_pannicke@merck.com>
Subject: Re: Brewing Faux Pa & Apartment Brewing
Jamie wrote of labeling:
>I've started to label just the caps. Makes identifying them in the cases
>very simple - especially if my batches are mixed up in the cases and
>once the cap is popped, the label is gone. Life is good once again...
It also makes label removal simple. Just pop the cap ;-) I was considering
using circular labels about the dia of the cap. I think these can be
purchased in 8.5" X 11" sheets to be printed on by an inkjet printer. The
only problem exists in making a template to do the printing. Most
applications use a rectangular printing frame. PITA to keep within the
bounds... Anyone with a good solution?
As for regular labels on the side of the bottle, I'll save these for the
occasional "present brew". I don't care if the bottles return or not as
they'll take extra time to remove the labels. The only people who get
samples now are the ones who save bottles for me. Yeah, so I'm a bi+ch...
Regarding the recent threads on apartment brewing and uncontrolled
fermentation temps:
I found a nice way to keep cool temps in your closet. A neighbor gave me
two styrofoam boxes used to ship meat (about 1.5 cu. ft each) from his home
delivery service. My glass carboys and fermenting buckets fit inside
perfectly when the tops are removed and the bottoms are used to make a
single, tall container. Since you've got a round object in a square
container, there's a enough room in the 4 corners to stick some "blue ice"
packs. 4 little ones or 2 large ones will keep your brew at about 60F or
slightly lower all day long. Switch out the melted packs with fresh ones
from the freezer at the end of the day and keep recycling the packs. The
system works well, is simple and I still use it for making my sake since the
sake temp is between that of my lager fridge and ambient RT.
You may not be able to get these neat little boxes, but you could easily
make your own box out of a cardboard box and some styrofoam insulation. The
temperature inside the box fluctuates a bit, but the lag in response to
these changes within the fermenter may smooth out the fluctuations a bit.
The ice packs are nice because they're reusable.
Carpe cerevisiae!
Glen A. Pannicke
glen@pannicke.net http://www.pannicke.net
75CE 0DED 59E1 55AB 830F 214D 17D7 192D 8384 00DD
"I have made this letter longer than usual,
because I lack the time to make it short." - Blaise Pascal
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 10:19:56 -0800
From: "Stuart Strand" <sstrand@u.washington.edu>
Subject: safety and gas conversions
Hi --
I am setting up my HERMS brewery in my new house, finally, after 3 years
off. It's in the basement and I want to use natural gas, but safely! I've
located the brewery next to a large window and there is an exhaust hood over
the kettles (kitchen type). I also have methane and carbon monoxide
detectors in the room. Finally, and most important I want to have a safety
valve on each burner. As I understand it, this is a valve with a
thermocouple that senses whether the flame is lit and turns the gas supply
off if the flame is out. These valves are on all gas ovens. I intend to
scavenge a couple off used gas ranges. Any comments? Advice? Cries of
alarm?
Also, I used to use propane, but now I need to convert the burners to nat
gas. I've been told to just drill out the orifices to 3/32 inch. Does this
sound correct?
Stuart
sstrand@u.washington.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 13:43:58 -0600
From: Brian Lundeen <blundeen@rrc.mb.ca>
Subject: more on mash pH and ATC
Marc Sedam (based on other correspondences this seems to be a fairly popular
view) wrote:
**If your temp controlled pH meter reads 5.2 in the mash, then
it's compensating for the temperature of the mash and giving you
the equivalent reading at room temp.
A.J. then wrote:
> The differences between mash and lab
> temperature depend on several factors but tend to be 0.2 pH
> or less (in
> my experience). When you use an ATC meter to measure at mash
> temperature
> it reports the pH at mash temperature and that pH is lower
> than what the
> pH would be at room temperaure because the acids give up
> their hydrogen
> ions more freely at higher temperature. The meter's
> compensation circuit
> does not adjust for this effect. Rather it corrects for the fact that
> the meter electode responds differently to a given level of
> pH according
> to the temperature of the sample.
So, we have two opposite viewpoints on this question, which leaves me with
one of two options:
a) Ignore the discrepancy and/or explain it away with pseudo-scientific
rationalizations. However, not being a Baptist, I prefer option...
b) Look for additional information to determine which is the correct
interpretation of ATC in pH meters.
With some luck, I found the web site for Oakton Instruments, the
manufacturer of my pH meter. Not so easy when the obvious site has been
snapped up by a kitchen appliance dealer, and the instrument company is left
with the less obvious www.4oakton.com
In their FAQ section, they write the following:
Temperature Compensation for pH Instruments
Although it is widely advertised, the need for temperature compensated pH
measurements is not always explained except in technical books and articles.
This Tech-Tip will give a brief explanation of the major characteristics of
temperature compensation in pH instruments.
1. The Solution Temperature Effect
When temperature changes, the actual pH of the solution being measured can
change. This change is not an error caused by the change in temperature. It
is the true pH of the solution at the new temperature. Since this is not an
error, there is no need to correct or compensate for this temperature
effect.
2. The pH Electrode Temperature Effect
There is only one major temperature effect in pH measurement that can cause
errors in readings. This is the change in the electrode's response (or
sensitivity) to pH that results from change in temperature. It is the only
reasonably predictable error due to changes in temperature, and is the only
temperature related factor that pH instruments with temperature compensation
can correct.
This temperature error is very close to 0.003 pH/deg C/pH unit away from pH
7.
The errors from changes in electrode sensitivity due to changes in
temperature are the only errors that can be corrected by meters with
temperature compensation. In both cases a correction factor
based on 0.003 pH/deg C/pH unit away from pH 7 is applied to the final
reading you see on your meter.
(end quote)
In short, ATC in a pH meter does NOT correct for the actual change in pH
resulting from temperature, rather it corrects for the electrode
sensitivity. Whether this change in pH of the mash is 0.2, as AJ suggests,
or 0.35 as other sources have stated, is moot, if we accept the notion that
the recommended range of 5.2-5.5 is at room temp, and should be measured
there accordingly (if only to enhance electrode life). It would have been
helpful to know whether the ATC correction raises or lowers the displayed
reading, which I calculate could be almost as much as the actual pH change
given the difference between room and mash temps, and neutral and mash pH
levels. IOW, if you were measuring hot mash with an uncompensated pH meter,
would the two factors cancel each other or give you a reading on the order
of 0.5 pH from where you thought you wanted to be? Did any of what I just
wrote make sense? Maybe I should just follow a simple flowchart.
make beer -> Beer taste good? -> Yes, drink beer.
-> No, make 'nother beer.
Cheers,
Brian
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 16:14:09 -0500
From: "Jeff Beinhaur" <beinhaur@email.msn.com>
Subject: Recap of Vacation beers....
First, thanks again to all who made suggestions of places to stop while on
vacation in the Adirondacks and Vermont.
Unfortunately I did not get to as many places as I had hoped to but did try
a number of different beers. For what its worth here is my brief review.
C. H. Evans in Albany - A MUST stop for anyone in that area. It's easy to
get too and what a great building. Every beer was a great one but the
appropriately named Kick Ass Brown Ale was by far the best. George please
send some of this to PA. We also had dinner there and the food was top
notch. My only complaint was that the only beer you could get to go was in
growlers. That would have been fine except they wanted a $13 deposit on the
bottle for a total of $21 for a growler. Now George, your beer is great but
do something about that growler cost.
Lake Placid Pub and Brewery - I only had time to make a quick stop and had
the Pale Ale. IMHO, it was a great APA and I did get a growler of it for I
think $9. (are you listening C.H. Evans) A nice smooth beer with a great hop
aroma.
Vermont Pub and Brewery - Tried the IPA, which was almost too bitter but I
still enjoyed it. The next was a Bitter which I thought was a good but not
great tasting ESB and I ended up getting a growler of it for (hey George are
you listening) $9. But the best by far IMHO was the Wee Heavy. I could have
sipped on that rich heavy ale all day but I think my day would have been
very short as the high level of alcohol was present. As for the food, it was
OK but when I looked at all of the other restaurants within walking distance
I think next time I'll skip the food.
As for the rest of the trip I wasn't able to stop by any other breweries but
did pass by Trout River brewery in Lyndonville, VT. You got a love a brewery
that has a drive up take out window. I did however sample a number of
different beers. Trout River's Rainbow Red was a very refreshing beer after
a fun day on the slopes. I think my favorite became Otter Creek's Copper
Ale. A very pleasent brew with the right balance of hop and malt flavors and
aromas. Some of the Long Trail beers were good but not outstanding. Wasn't
crazy about the Magic Hat but then again I'm not usually into weird flavored
beers which they seemed to produce alot of.
Catamount put out a nice Pale Ale and I tried a few others that were OK at
best and since they didn't really stick in my memory I guess they at least
got me fuzzy. Speaking of fuzzy, I had to keep looking at the calendar to
remember that it was late March. The skiing was as if it was mid winter. Our
last day of skiing had us in Stratton with 6 to 8 inches of powder. But alas
I'm back in south central PA with no snow and the skis are away for the
season. Well I guess that means it's time to get brewing again.
Jeff Beinhaur, Camp Hill, PA
Home of the Yellow Breeches Brewery
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 17:09:38 -0500
From: Danny Breidenbach <dbreiden@math.purdue.edu>
Subject: The $400 question
Last week Steve A. asked: "So for $400 how could you best improve YOUR
HB quality?"
I'd see if $400 would cover the cost of getting my basement organized,
cleaned, and all the junk put on shelves, thereby giving me the space to
brew and removing the #1 reason I haven't gotten around to it in my new
house!
- --Danny in West Lafayette, Indiana
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 16:34:51 -0500
From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic@skantech.com>
Subject: Trip to Europe
I know this has been covered, but I have a new wrinkle to add.
My wife and 21 month old son will be accompanying me to a reunion in the
Fatherland (Germany). We are planning on spending 5 days in the homestead
(Volbach in Bavaria), but then will have 8 days on our own. I have a
burning desire to get to both Prague and Plzen while in the neighborhood,
and on the other end, to get by Vienna.
My wrinkle is that my wife is not a fan of beer. If I take her to brewery
after beer hall after putsh (little humor), she's gonna divorce me. How
can I work in some other activities so that we can take a brew route which
is also culturally appealing to her. Oh yeah, and my son, who will
probably be in a bit of a hellian phase.
Thanks for any help at all,
Rick Theiner
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 17:38:41 -0500
From: RiedelD@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Subject: CO2 delivery to multiple kegs
Just wondering what people do to run CO2 to more than one keg from a
single cylinder. I have T-fittings and enough gas-in fittings, but I suspect
I'll run into problems with kegs equalizing between each other if there are
pressure differences.
Do most people simply use check-valves (1 per gas-in fitting)? How do
you get these in line? Aren't they female threaded w/o a hose barb end?
cheers,
Dave
Victoria, Can.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 22:41:05 -0500 (EST)
From: The Man From Plaid <pbabcock@hbd.org>
Subject: Re: CO2 delivery to multiple kegs
Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager...
RiedelD@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca writes of CO2 delivery to multiple kegs...
> Just wondering what people do to run CO2 to more than one keg from a
> single cylinder. I have T-fittings and enough gas-in fittings, but I suspect
> I'll run into problems with kegs equalizing between each other if there are
> pressure differences.
>
> Do most people simply use check-valves (1 per gas-in fitting)? How do
> you get these in line? Aren't they female threaded w/o a hose barb end?
A "Y" at the regulator is a good thing, but generally only delivers gas to
two devices, unless you want a series of them. Such a beast makes it
easier to snap the puppy right off hte regulator. The best way is to use
one of the block regulators available from most home brew shops. And, yes,
after having experiencing a system without check valves, I HEARTILY
recommend check valves. As you suspect, the crossing of CO2 from keg to
keg (they tend to "make up" for each other before the regulator fills in -
there is no "trigger threshold" on the kegs. There is on the regulator.)
resulted in some strange flavors across the beers. The worst was when I
had an Orval clone on with a pale ale, a Christmas ale and a brown. They
all got Brett. Some were pretty good with it - but a lesson well learned.
Check valves can be purchased to fit the "Y" on a regulator, the regulator
itself and the ports on a block manifold. William's, for one, stocks
them. I wouldn't doubt that St. Pat's and others do as well. Inlines are
available, too, most commonly in nylon or PVC. I don't know why anyone
would bother when the valves and manuifolds can be had, making the system
less complex.
- --
-
See ya!
Pat Babcock in SE Michigan pbabcock@hbd.org
Home Brew Digest Janitor janitor@hbd.org
HBD Web Site http://hbd.org
The Home Brew Page http://hbd.org/pbabcock
"The monster's back, isn't it?" - Kim Babcock after I emerged
from my yeast lab Saturday
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 23:28:56 -0500
From: Bob Sheck <bsheck@skantech.net>
Subject: RE" Flamethrowers
Rob Compton wrote about using the McDonnel-Douglas
F5 Phantom engine exhaust to fire up his brew pot.
Are you related to the guy who uses LOX to light off his
charcoal Barb-B-Q grill?
see at: http://ghg.ecn.purdue.edu/~ghg/
Bob Sheck / DEA Greenville, NC
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #3593, 03/29/01
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