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HOMEBREW Digest #3997
HOMEBREW Digest #3997 Wed 24 July 2002
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
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Contents:
propane ("Haborak, Kevin")
in defense of plastic fermenters ("John Misrahi")
Beer preservation with yeast? (Ed Jones)
re: propane (Paul Kensler)
Re: Glass vs. Plastic (again) ("Joel Plutchak")
Peter Blum dies in Detroit (Jeff Renner)
How much priming sugar should I add? (Jake Isaacs)
corioles effect ("Joseph Marsh")
Acetobacter Infection (mohrstrom)
Re:supply stores in southern MA (Steve C Cobble)
RE: fermenting in plastic (Brian Lundeen)
Plastic/glass (LJ Vitt)
Muling Beers (mohrstrom)
Re: Goose Island IPA clone ("Gary Smith")
Vienna mild lager (Jeff Renner)
RE: Acetobacter - Thanks for the help - one more question (DHinrichs)
Oh heck, I wanted to make an IPA anyway ("Gary Smith")
Plastic Containers - Another Technique (Don Lake)
Buon Vino Mini-Jet Filter ("Colby Fry")
George Fix (Peter Torgrimson)
Kumiss (Jeff Renner)
ball lock kegs, stupid brewer tricks ("dave holt")
Travel Info (Steve Hill)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 04:30:05 -0700
From: "Haborak, Kevin" <KHaborak@golder.com>
Subject: propane
I was recently in the market for a new house. One of the houses that we
looked at had converted a large propane grill and two stnad alone burners to
run off the natural gas from the house. So you can definitely do what you
want to, but I would suggest using a contractor to get it done.
Kevin.
I believe God made man because he was dissapointed in monkeys. --Mark Twain
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 08:27:44 -0700
From: "John Misrahi" <lmoukhin@sprint.ca>
Subject: in defense of plastic fermenters
I can't say for everyone else, but i have never had to use a scrub brush on
my plastic buckets. I find a pressure washer does the job or just hot water
from the tap/hose.
John
Chad Gould said:
longer. Glass can get scratched, yes, but its much more difficult to do so -
a scrub brush certainly won't scratch glass, where a scrub brush could
scratch plastic in a way that's difficult to clean up afterwards. My
personal opinion is that glass is more difficult to clean, physically... but
plastic is more difficult to sanitize. Personally, I've had experience with
the later, and it wasn't pretty smelling -- one of the souring bacterias.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:14:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ed Jones <ejones@ironacres.com>
Subject: Beer preservation with yeast?
I posted this on the Brews & Views, but I thought I would ask the digest.
I've read that natural carbonation provides for longer storage life of beer
because the yeasties will scavenge the free oxygen that might otherwise stale
the beer. I'm curious to try this theory for my own, except I'm not going to
prime the beer after fermentation, nor do I plan to krausen it with freshly
fermenting beer. I'm willing to artifically carbonate, as usual. I'm asking
because a particulary tasty porter (and a couple of other beers I've made)
began to taste papery after a few months on tap. I don't detect any flavors
from infection that I am aware of, just stale, sort of papery beer. Could it
be that this is HSA rearing it's ugly head? And, if so, storage on yeast won't
help with this anyway.
I racked a CAP from the primary fermenter (2 weeks) to corny kegs last night
and now I'm beginning to slowly drop the temperature to lagering temps. I put
10 pounds of CO2 in to seat the seals, but did not artificially carb. I also
do not think there is much, if any, residual fermentation left. Given all that,
I have a couple of questions for the collective:
1. Will the storage on the yeast that drops out during lagering help at all
with the preservation of the beer? What I mean is, will storage on yeast help
keep the beer from staling?
2. Will the presence of the yeast cause off flavors if I store the beer at
around 42 degrees (after lagering) for several months before I force carbonate
it?
3. Should I dispense a couple of pints of beer before I force carbonate it to
cut down on foaming? Put another way, do I need to worry about the yeast acting
as nucleation points for the CO2?
Thank you,
Ed
- --
Ed Jones - Columbus, Ohio U.S.A - [163.8, 159.4] [B, D] Rennerian
"When I was sufficiently recovered to be permitted to take nourishment,
I felt the most extraordinary desire for a glass of Guinness...I am
confident that it contributed more than anything else to my recovery."
- written by a wounded officer after Battle of Waterloo, 1815
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 06:09:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul Kensler <paul_kensler@yahoo.com>
Subject: re: propane
>Would it be feasible to connect my outdoor burners
>to the big propane tank, and if so, how?
Tod,
I asked a similar question on the HBD about a month
ago. I received several informed responses that said
yes, you "can" do it - the important point being that
the pressure for propane to liquefy does not change
from small (gas grill) to large (heat your house)
tanks. Therefore, both tanks are at the same pressure
and can use the same regulators. In fact, my big ol'
tank has the exact same fitting on it as my little gas
grill tank. I'm sure somebody with more experience
with propane and propane accessories can state it more
eloquently, but that's the layman's summary I took
away from the responses I received.
Now, "how" is a different matter. My large propane
tank is pretty near my brew-deck, so I had hoped to
find a pre-made solution for connecting it to my
burners. I checked online, I checked local hardware
and BBQ stores, I checked with local propane and
propane accessory companies, and all I got was blank
stares. I suppose that somebody with the proper
experience could permanently plumb the line and
fittings using copper and brass, but I really wanted
something flexible that could be coiled up and put
away after use - basically, something exactly like the
hose that connects my little tank to my gas grill,
just longer (maybe 10 - 12'). Either a replacement
hose with regulator, or an extension hose. So far,
I've come up empty.
I'd sure be eager to know if anyone has found such a
thing and where they got it.
Hope this helps,
Paul Kensler
Gaithersburg, MD
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 13:36:32 +0000
From: "Joel Plutchak" <plutchak@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Glass vs. Plastic (again)
"Chad Gould" <cgould11@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
>You can ferment in plastic if you want. However, as you said, you
>will probably have to replace a plastic vessel every year or so. Glass
>lasts much longer.
Do you have statistics for those statements? The reason I ask is
that IME carboys tend to break well before plastic fermenters, and
I use plastic primaries almost exclusively with no infection problems--
the only infection I've had in the past several years involved brewing
outdoors and various small flying insects (it wasn't pretty). I replace
the plastic fermenters roughly every 5-7 years strictly out of superstition.
My beers taste pretty good and do well in competition when I bother to
enter them.
Lets see some studies and stats before raising this (non-)issue again.
Joel Plutchak
Brewing better through plastics in East-Central Illinois
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:28:47 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Peter Blum dies in Detroit
Brewers
Some of you may have met Peter Blum, beer historian and author of the
fine book "Brewed in Detroit," at the NHC 2000 where he spoke. He
died last week. He was a fine gentleman with old country manners.
His death is a loss to the entire brewing community.
Below is his obituary from the Detroit Free Press.
Jeff
================
Peter Blum: Brewer was tester, historian for Stroh
July 19, 2002
BY JEANNE MAY
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Peter Blum, who invented the formulas for Stroh's Light and Stroh's
Signature beers, died of a heart attack July 12 at Cottage Hospital,
Grosse Pointe Farms.
He was 78, lived in Grosse Pointe Park and was a beer historian.
"Peter became probably the leading authority on Michigan brewing
history and the Stroh Brewing Co.," John Stroh III, president and
chief executive officer of the Stroh Cos., said Thursday.
Mr. Blum wrote "Brewed in Detroit" in 1998 and had been president of
the National Association of Breweriana Advertising and editor of the
Breweriana Collector Journal. He also lectured frequently on the
history of beer.
Brewing was in his blood when he was born in Czechoslovakia.
"His family had sensed the ill wind blowing across Europe," Stroh
said. "They had a malt house in Czechoslovakia, and his family
acquired a small malt house in New Jersey."
In 1939, they fled the Nazis and arrived in New Jersey. Mr. Blum was 15.
As soon as he graduated from high school, he enlisted in the Army and
fought in Europe, earning a Purple Heart for injuries he suffered at
the Battle of Anzio, Italy.
After the war, he earned a bachelor's degree at the University of
Wisconsin, then attended the United States Brewers Academy.
He went to work for Pabst in Milwaukee, then for the Albert Schwill
malt house in Chicago, then for Falstaff in St. Louis.
"We hired him away from Falstaff in 1970," Stroh said. "He came to
run our pilot brewery. That's a very small-scale brewery used for
testing formulations. It has a one-barrel capacity. He ran it until
his retirement in 1989."
After he retired, he worked for Stroh as the company archivist.
"When he came to us in 1970, one of the things he noticed was the
company didn't have much of an archive of historical material. As my
grandfather put it, we were very good housekeepers."
Mr. Blum went to work on Stroh's history.
"He developed quite a collection over time," Stroh said. "Peter had a
great eye for things and an ability to get there first. Until the day
he died, he maintained and enhanced this collection for us."
Mr. Blum had also earned a master's degree in business administration
from Washington University, St. Louis.
Survivors are two sons, James and Paul; three daughters, Terry
Selman, Kathryn Shen and Elizabeth Nelson, and six grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Grosse Pointe
Unitarian Church, 17150 Maumee.
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:42:56 -0400
From: Jake Isaacs <rjisaa0@uky.edu>
Subject: How much priming sugar should I add?
I'm brewing a Belgian Saison soon and would like to use 1.5 L champagne
bottles I've been collecting (they cap nicely). Do I need to change the
amount of priming sugar from the 3/4 cup I use for 12 oz. bottles? Is
there a handy formula for making any necessary adjustments?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:22:40 -0500
From: "Joseph Marsh" <josephmarsh62@hotmail.com>
Subject: corioles effect
Well(harumph), I got my information from NPR The Weather Notebook
orgininating at the Mount Washington weather observatory. And sinse
weathermen are never wrong I suggest you argue with them. (harumph harumph)
Joe
Toung firmly in cheek.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 10:39:26 -0400
From: mohrstrom@humphrey-products.com
Subject: Acetobacter Infection
Marc Hache duels with a nasty acetobacter infection:
> Not convinced that's the problem but at this point
> my already receding hairline has almost disappeared!
> I guess what's frustrating is that up until the
> batches started going bad, my process and equipment
> stayed the same.
Marc - with "everything the same", you may have inadvertently "selected"
for a resistant strain of bug. Perhaps try a dose of bleach or StarSan,
etc. in rotation with the Iodaphor to see if that helps to kill it off.
Mark in Kalamazoo
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 01:40:17 -0400
From: Steve C Cobble <stevecobble@juno.com>
Subject: Re:supply stores in southern MA
Anyone know of a brew supply store south of Boston? ( in Massachusetts,
that is...)
Steve Cobble
[650.2, 86.6] Apparent Rennerian
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 10:15:07 -0500
From: Brian Lundeen <BLundeen@rrc.mb.ca>
Subject: RE: fermenting in plastic
This bit about replacing a plastic fermenter every year is news to me. I've
had some of mine for nearly a decade, not that that proves anything. I don't
want to be one of these people that say things like, I ferment my beer in an
old Chevy engine block, and people tell me it's the best beer they've ever
had. The last thing I want is to have somebody's batch spoiled by my
unverifiable anecdotes. So never mind that my plastic buckets are scratched
up, or that I have yet to see an explanation for how my beer wort finds
little nooks and crannies that are somehow off limits to my PBW and Star
San. I mean, none of you have tasted my beers and probably never will (well,
with the exception of a certain StrangeBrewer in Ottawa who has usurped my
Really Clever Name(tm) for their brew club in favour of yet another boring
acronym, sigh) so how are you to know my brews aren't sour, nasty, brutish
things that even an Australian wouldn't drink.
What I will do is point you to a really nifty solution that lets you have
your wort and drink it, too. They are called (for lack of a better marketing
name like WortSkins) fermentation bags, and I know of at least one retailer,
Paddock Wood NAJASCYYY, that sells them.
http://www.paddockwood.com/catalog_equipment_kegging.html
Simply place a bag inside your bucket or engine block (this is important, as
simply twist tying the filled bag shut in the middle of your floor will not
yield the desired results,... ummm, or so I'm told), ferment your wort, and
cleanup is as simple as tossing the bag in the trash (although I'm sure
someone is going to get on my case for promoting the dumping of yet more
plastics in our landfills).
Plastic. It's a good thing.
Cheers
Brian Lundeen
Brewing at [314,829] aka Winnipeg
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 08:31:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: LJ Vitt <lvitt4@yahoo.com>
Subject: Plastic/glass
>Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:05:12 -0700
>From: "Brian Schar" <schar@cardica.com>
>Subject: Plastic, glass, polycarbonate
>I have been brewing for almost 10 years and fermenting exclusively in
>plastic, and I haven't had any problems. I like plastic for several
>reasons. The primary reason is safety. I am uncomfortable with the
>idea of
>lugging around big glass bottles full of hot liquid, in part because I
>have
>known two brewers who have been hurt pretty badly by broken carboys.
Please DO NOT put hot wort into a glass container!
Cool your wort before putting into a carboy.
You can use a wort chiller or put the kettle of hot wort
into a sink of cold water.
I use carboys most of the time. Move the filled carboys as little as
possible. I need to lift to rack, but I don't move them from room to
room when I can help it.
=====
Leo Vitt
Rochester MN
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:17:44 -0400
From: mohrstrom@humphrey-products.com
Subject: Muling Beers
Marc Sedam discovers the illusion of airport security:
> Of course on the return flight I take the
> wonderful cornucopia of alcohol products
> ... through security at DFW in 5 seconds...
> The kicker? My Leatherman made it through
> security without any questions, comments,
> or pauses.
Ah yes, I remember the scrutiny my stash of Bell's got while muling them to
Atlanta, a _very_ pre-September 11th time ago. Face it, this is not going
to get any better, just more consistently strict.
The answer is to check your bottles as luggage. Yes, it can be done. It
only requires a BBoB. The BBoB (Big Box o' Beer)is simply a
pre-constructed, multi-layered corrugated cardboard box. Get _two_ of the
appropriate size (mine holds over a case of longnecks). The outer box is
well reinforced with packing tape, then take the second box and cut the top
and bottom off. The top and bottom are used to line the, wait for it ...
top and bottom of the BBoB. The remaining wall portion is then trimmed to
double the walls of the BBoB. Then, fit smaller boxes inside to hold the
brews. The piece of resistor is a set of three sturdy nylon straps - two
around the box the short way, and one the long way. Loop the long one
around the short ones at each intersection, and leave some slack at the top
for a carrying handle. Don't waste your money on the Sporting Goods Store
Coughlan's-type straps. Get good MIL-spec OD green rigging straps with
metal buckles from your local purveyor of millitary-industrial complex
surplus items.
Pack the bottles snugly. I don't pad them, but make certain that nothing
clanks by stuffing paper in the center of the bottles. Secure the bottles
in all three axis. At the airport, they'll ask about the contents of the
box. I tell them, "Product samples". In dozens of trips I've only had
three bottles broken, and two were when my luggage, instead of going to AZO
(Kalamazoo), went to AMS (Amsterdam). And, the Dutch didn't even have the
courtesy to replace them with a couple fresh Grolsch ...
Mark in Kalamazoo
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:19:30 -0500
From: "Gary Smith" <mandolinist@interlync.com>
Subject: Re: Goose Island IPA clone
> Not sure if anyone saw this post,
> but I was wondering if anyone had
> a recipe for Goose Island IPA. I
> tried it once while in the chicago-land
> area and would like to duplicate it.
>
> Thanks and go Red Sox
>
> Red Sox fan
Heh,
White Sox = Chicago
Red Sox = Boston
Goose Island = Chicago
Interesting approach to getting a recipe.
Since asking for a Chicago beer clone & then raising
the flag of an opposing team to both Chicago teams:
-2 points.
Swing votes from Red Sox fans:
+1 point
To those who root for other teams:
-1 point
To people who only the games on a slow day when it's
raining or they're at a homebrew party & don't
particularly care who wins:
0 points
To those who think you meant to say
"go White Sox" & " White Sox fan"
and feel your angst for what they see as a faux pas will
give sympathy credit:
+1 point
To those who read it & made the now famous
"Shhhtttt!" sound heard by when the last beer can was
opened at Alaska's North Pole & couldn't ignore the
faux pas:
-1 point
To those who think you first asked for a Chicago beer
clone & then intentionally said "go Red Sox" & " Red
Sox fan" and who admire great Chutzpa when they see
it:
+1 point
To those on this list who actually have a clone recipe for
Goose Island & appreciate your taste in beers (my fav is
the anniversary ale with Christmas Ale & Summer Kolsh
right behind):
+2 points
So... you're points ahead. Excellent approach!
:)
Gary
BTW, I have no clone for Goose Island but would like
one for the above myself.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:22:23 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Vienna mild lager
Scotty Morgan <Scott.Morgan@Sun.COM>, who should bring an Apple for
the teacher (I'd prefer one with the new 17" monitor) if he really
wants an early mark, asked about my Vienna mild lager, as did another
brewer in private email.
This was inspired by George Fix's recipe in his "Maertzen,
Oktoberfest, Vienna" book. When he wrote it 11 years ago, good
Vienna malt was not available in the US, so his recipes use two-row
Pilsner malt and crystal malts. Nowadays, with high quality German
Vienna (and Munich) malt easily available, we can use the proper
malts.
Vienna is a beautiful malt and produces soft, gentle malty beers.
Perfect for the style it's intended for (no surprise). As a friend
said, a Vienna should shout "Malt!" and whisper "hops."
George's recipe for "Modern Viennese Mild" was for 6.75 lbs. Pilsner
quality malt, 4 oz. German light crystal malt, 4 ounces German dark
crystal malt, and 4 oz. English caramel malt (20L), OG 1.044-46,
18-20 IBU. He liked Tettnanger for first addition, Styrian Goldings
for 2nd addition, and Saaz for 3rd addition.
For 7.75 gallons, I used 16 gallons hard well water + 2 tsp CaCl2
boiled and decanted. The resulting low residual alkalinity resulted
in a low mash pH (~5.0) due to to the acidity of the slightly dark
Vienna. Didn't seem to cause a problem in the brewing or final
product.
I used 11.25 lbs Durst Vienna and 0.5 lb. Briess Carapils. I mashed
in at 153F, the temperature fell to 151F at the end of 45 minutes (I
think I wrote earlier that I mashed in at 145 - guess I
misremembered). Raised to 160 with boiling water and the propane
burner while recirculating, rested another 45 minutes, then mashed
off.
Hopped with 1.5 oz. Hallertauer @2.6% alpha for 50 minutes for estimated 8 IBU
1.0 oz. Crystal @ 4.6% for 35 minutes for estimated 7 IBU
0.6 oz. Crustal for 5 minutes for 5 minutes for estimated 4 IBU
It's been sort of lagering at 50F while the CAP fermented but tasted
great at only two weeks out of the primary. Soft, lightly bitter,
spicyu from the hops and malt, easy drinking. This is for the lite
beer crowd, although I suspect some of them will go out and buy Bud
Lite.
I'll rack it once more and carbonate it as it lagers properly.
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:29:15 -0500
From: DHinrichs@Quannon.com
Subject: RE: Acetobacter - Thanks for the help - one more question
From: "Hache, Marc" <HacheM@PIOS.COM>
Subject: Acetobacter - Thanks for the help - one more question
>One other possible source is the turkey baster I use for a liquid thief.
The
>owner of my local brew shop traced his infection to that. Apparently it is
>very difficult to sanitize rubber effectively. Will be relegating the
baster
>to it's intended purpose and getting a proper wine thief.
Another thing to remember, do not return samples back to the fermentor.
Drink them, toss them (gasp), just do not return back to your fermentor as
they can pick up nasties while outside the clean fermentor.
Dave, in minnetonka, mn
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:44:45 -0500
From: "Gary Smith" <mandolinist@interlync.com>
Subject: Oh heck, I wanted to make an IPA anyway
Hi all,
Self effacement is good for the soul it's said. Well...
something like that anyway. So I bare to you all my
latest goof. Ahem... series of goofs in a row.
My RIMS is finally completed. There's been much
thought that's gone into it. Many helpful bits of advice
from those who have built & designed RIMS systems
before and sage pointers from many others on different
topics related to my goal of making consistently
excellent beer.
History: I've been brewing one thing or another since
1977. Thanks to many years of several colleges, a past
professional career, two "Big D's, relocations & a career
change, the brewing has been spotty so I'm not a pro at
brewing but I've been at it enough I do understand parts
of the big picture.
Equipment:
All stainless construction, no brass Exception is copper
sparge arm.
Single tier RIMS
Converted sabco kegs
SABCO false bottoms
3" thermometer in each vessel
SIght gauge on boil kettle & HLT
Extra long Rims chamber with 6,000 watt ULWD
element at 120V =1,650 watts
Omega PID Temperature controller
Two mag pumps, one peristaltic pump
Polysulfone quick disconnects with Norprene tubing
1/2" full bore valves
Insulated mash tun & HLT
Counterflow chiller
1 flame element (a modified camp chef)
Theory of operation:
Peristaltic brings in Brita filtered water from carboys, to
the boil kettle. Temp is brought to the mash temp &
pumped into the mash tun by pump #2 (#2's Output is
dedicated to the input of the RIMS chamber). Once flow
is established, the RIMS element is turned on and the
PID takes care of temperature changes from here on
through the mashing cycle..
More Brita water is brought to the boil kettle by
peristaltic. Just before mashing is completed, this water
is heated to sparge temp & pump #1 pumps it to the
HLT.
When sparge starts, pump #2 input is connected to the
HLT output, the PID is set to sparge temp and the
recirculating arm remains in place but now acts as the
sparge arm.
Pump #1 input connects to mash output and the pump
output connects to the boilkettle.
Now sparge happens.
Clean, sweet, all at arms length & only one flame
element.
So... I should be able to make a decent beer given this
equipment, eh? Well....
I thought my christening brew should be something
lighter than my usual old ales & doppel wizens so I
opted for a pale ale. My next door neighbor Ted has
wanted to see my project in action and repeatedly
asked to see it in operation. So when I ground the grain
& started mashing, I put up the brew flag, went next
door & told him I was starting but that it was my first
batch with the system and I'd like to just show it to him
in action & then I'd need to concentrate on what I was
doing so I'd need to be alone this first time. NP was the
reply...
As you might expect, he was so interested he was
asking all kinds of questions & didn't leave. Since this
was the RIMS maiden run, I kept finding things I
needed to change & fix for the future (basically running
around like the chicken with it's head cut off doing this,
fixing that) & Ted started asking involved questions right
at all the critical times like when I needed to switch
pumps or change the flow of fluids.
Long story made shorter...
When I transferred the hot water from the bolikettle to
the HLT, Ted started asking questions and offering his
ideas on what was happening & I tried to explain what
what actually going on, heard the boilkettle go empty &
shut off the pump & answered his question. I neglected
to shut off the valve though and gravity pressure started
pushing water back into the boil kettle. When I did shut
off the valve it wasn't in time and about 2-3 gal of water
backed up into the boil kettle & I didn't notice it.
I finished the sparge, started the boil, Ted finally left and
about this time I started seeing things weren't adding
up. The color in the sight gauge was too light. I took a
sample, cooled it & saw the spec grav from the boil
kettle was about .35. I understood why I was short of
sparge water at the end & my backflow from not turning
the valve when the HLT was full causing dilution of the
wort.
So...I connected the mash tun up to the boil kettle &
infused 2 more remaining gallons of mash to the boil
kettle making it 13 gallons at the start of the boil. I had
to boil it so much longer to get the spec grav right. In
the midst of the chaos, But... now I discovered my hops
mistake; in my confusion I got the order of the hops
wrong so I added way too much in the bittering stage
but since I wanted some hop aroma at the end I had to
the boil for aroma.
I haven't yet worked out the IBU's yet but it's way up
there. The 90 min boil became 3 hours and there might
be some astringency from the secondary infusion of
mash to up the lost spec grav. Probably not too much,
but some, maybe.
The beer's working nicely in the basement right now
and the starting spec grav is .45 but it has the hop
quotient of a Sierra Nevada plus. Not quite what I
planned on (though I do like the hops myself but wanted
the neighbors & my bluegrass festival friends to have a
nice mild brew to show what I've been working at).
Lessons learned/remembered:
1. The RIMS works wonderfully. I might like a bit faster
ramping speed when changing mash temps but it's just
fine as is.
2. Never but never ask someone full of interest &
questions to see what you're doing when it's your first
time doing something in which you haven't memorized
the routines yourself.
3. Do use a timer.
4. Plan your work & work your plan; be sure you have
each step done in order including the order of
ingredients.
I suspect this beer will be enjoyable but with the hops
it's got in it, the starting gravity should have been .55 so
it really doesn't fit into a standard category but IPA's
probably pretty close..
Next time, the moon...
Cheers,
Gary
Gary Smith
http://musician.dyndns.org
"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of
a joy you must have somebody to divide it with."
- Mark Twain -
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:57:50 -0400
From: Don Lake <dlake@amuni.com>
Subject: Plastic Containers - Another Technique
I have been using an unusual technique for over a year to brew with
plastic loosely based on a article in Zymurgy a while back. For my
primary fermenter, I use a 6.5 gallon plastic container with a 3-inch
diameter screw-on lid. They originally held caustic cleaner used in the
brewing industry given to me by a pro-brewer friend.
Because my main goal was to eliminate cleaning those damn narrow-neck
glass carboys, I line the container with food-grade plastic bags. After
the primary fermentation, I rack the beer to another container
(unfortunately a glass carboy at this point) and dispose of the bag with
all its spooge, yeast & glop. No smell and no mess! I simply rinse out
the plastic container and store it until the next time.
Another added benefit is that I eliminated the blow off tube which has
enhanced my yield. The cleaning of the carboys after a secondary is a
breeze since the activity is minimal. The question of sanitation of the
plastic is moot since the bags are sanitary due to the high heat
extrusion process of manufacturing them.
One weakness in the technique is the bag opening. So far, I've had the
best results by pulling the top of the bag outside of the container as
far as it will go and then screwing the lid on with the bag edges
hanging on the outside. I then take (sanitized) scissors and cut the
bag around the lid and as close to the lid as possible. Because of the
potential of contamination, I do restrict myself from opening the lid
and peaking in (my favorite part) until I believe the primary
fermentation is finished.
I highly recommend this technique for anyone who hates cleaning carboys
and handling glass. The only thing better would be a conical
fermentator. But I can't find one that will fit in my chest freezer.
Don Lake
Orlando FL
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 15:51:04 -0400
From: "Colby Fry" <colbyfry@pa.net>
Subject: Buon Vino Mini-Jet Filter
I am interested in filtering my beer and my B-day is coming up. My wife ask me
what I wanted and the wheels started to turn. I would like to filter my beer,
but I do not want to secondary in a cornie (if it is possible). I keg most of
my beer, but i like to see what's goin' on in there. I am reading about this
product on several web-sites that is a motorized filter and is made for wine.
The item is Buon Vino Mini-Jet Filter. Listermann sells it as does a number of
other co.'s. The questions I pose are:
1. Does this product perform well with beer?
2. What filters are best to use?
3. Will I still have to 2ndary in a cornie?
4. Is it worth the cash ($165)?
Thank you in advance.
Colby Fry
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 15:21:31 -0500
From: Peter Torgrimson <petertorgrimson@prodigy.net>
Subject: George Fix
The following appeared in the Spring 2002 issue of the Rice Owlmanac,
the alumni newsletter for Rice University. I thought it might be of
interest to some in the HBD community.
"Nancy Fix Anderson, sister of George J. Fix III (M.S.), writes: "My
brother, George, died of cancer on March 10 at the age of 62. After
receiving his M.S. from Rice, George went on to get a Ph.D. in math at
Harvard. At the time of his death, he was the chair of the Department
of Mathematics at Clemson U. He was very prominent in his field, and
the Rice Department of Mathematics should feel quite proud of him.
"Dr. Max Bunzburger, a professor of math at Iowa State U., wrote the
following regarding George.
"George was one of the pioneers of finite element methods. He wrote the
first or one of the first papers on finite element methods for
eigenvalue problems, finite element methods for time-dependent problems,
finite element methods for problems with singularities, least-squares
finite element methods, finite element methods for PDEs of mixed type,
the effects of quadrature errors on finite element solutions, finite
element methods for compressible flows, and mixed and hybrid finite
element methods. He was the co-author, along with Gil Strang, of the
seminal book AN ANALYSIS OF FINITE ELEMENT METHODS, which became one of
the most important and influential applied mathematics books ever published.
"George was a man of great energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, talent, and
most of all, of great heart. He gave unselfishly to his students and
co-workers, all of whom benefited greatly from interacting with him.
His colleagues, friends, and family will miss him immensely."
Peter Torgrimson
Austin, TX
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 19:10:44 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Kumiss
Brewers
In the past, some of you may remember my mentioning kumikss, the
fermented mare's milk of central Asia. I've used this as an example
of how we might not notice flaws in our own beer, because it gives us
that kick to our brain's pleasure center from the alcohol. We come
to associate the flavor, flawed though it may be, with the kick.
I've tasted some horribly oxidized homebrew and wine whose makers
smacked their lips over. I've called this the kumiss factor,
imagining Kyrgyzstanis smacking their lips over kumiss that we might
find nasty, and remarking, "That sure was a good batch last Thursday!"
Well, there is a really good article on kumiss in the international
NY Times this week at
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/19/international/19KYRG.html . Hope
you all enjoy it. Maybe some of you may even be moved to try making
it yourself.
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 17:06:41 -0700
From: "dave holt" <brewdave@hotmail.com>
Subject: ball lock kegs, stupid brewer tricks
Has anyone bought ball lock kegs from RCB Fermentation Equipment? Were you
happy with the kegs? Did the o-rings need replacing? Etc. I need a source
for reasonably priced kegs and am open for suggestions. TIA
I recently stepped up to 10 gallon batches and I have a shortage of
available kegs. This led to my stupid brewer trick on Sunday. Normally, I
won't drink homebrew while brewing. What!!! Heresy, man!!!I want to enjoy
my brewday. Too many times I was ready to sleep before it was time to put
the beer to bed.
There's not much left in that English Strong Ale keg, 10% abv. I can use
one of those kegs for the ESB and then brew the APA. I thought maybe there
was a growler and a pint left. I'll have the pint and take the growler to
the step-son. Two growlers and 2 pints later. Damn, can't waste this beer
and no one is here to help me.
With 15 minutes left in the boil, I added the flavor/aroma hops. I sat down
on the sofa for a brief rest....I woke up an indeterminate time later.
Hours! Oh crap, I was brewing. Didn't have too much evaporation loss, well
maybe because now it's raining outside.
I added the finishing hops and called it a day. I wanted a little hoppier
APA, I guess I got it. I'll adjust the flavor/aroma by dry hopping. I am
happy to say, it was bubbling away like mad the next morning.
Moral of the story: Buy more kegs or pick a keg to empty that isn't so
robust. Or have help.
Part of the joy of brewing is sharing and thinking up the name of the brew.
So far, we've come up with Passed Out Pale Ale.
Cheers!
Dave Holt
Forest Lakes, AZ
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 23:26:39 -0400
From: Steve Hill <stevehill@comcast.net>
Subject: Travel Info
Hey Guys and Gals,
I am looking for anyone that has access to cheep air fare. I need
connections.
If you can SERIOUSLY help out, please email the sites or persons of contact.
Thanks
Your fellow homebrewer!
Steve Hill
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #3997, 07/24/02
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