Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
HOMEBREW Digest #4194
HOMEBREW Digest #4194 Thu 13 March 2003
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
***************************************************************
THIS YEAR'S HOME BREW DIGEST BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Northern Brewer, Ltd. Home Brew Supplies
http://www.northernbrewer.com 1-800-681-2739
Support those who support you! Visit our sponsor's site!
********** Also visit http://hbd.org/hbdsponsors.html *********
Contents:
overcarbonated beer; was "AAAAAAH!" (Rama Roberts)
Anniversary Present (Charles)
Mazer Cup Mead Competition Announcement (grayling)
Re: RIMS with two Controllers (David Towson)
Belgian Dark Strong Ale survey ("Gordon Strong")
Steeping Munich Malt? ("Marcie Greer")
Re: A buck a lb project - refridgerant (sic) cooler (Kent Fletcher)
Re: Another View of CAP (Jeff Renner)
Descent Homebrew Starter Kit (Ryan Neily)
PBW=Oxyclean? And more.. (jim williams)
Re: Several Bitter Beers ("Dave")
Lallemand Scholarship ("Rob Moline")
temp (Darrell.Leavitt)
Dry Lager Yeast ("Dave Burley")
Roeselare (#3763) (darrell.leavitt)
re: Increasing Bitterness (Jonathan Royce)
RE: Several very bitter beers ("Houseman, David L")
Re: 2-liter soda bottles and pressure limits (Fred L Johnson)
Hop Plants ("Kevin Sinn")
Current Thoughts on Cleansers? ("Shogun007")
Re: Increasing Bitterness (Jeff Renner)
Re: CAP and Jeff Renner (Jeff Renner)
Concrete mills and Re: Increasing Bitterness (Jeremy Bergsman)
Dry Beer (kerry and dell drake)
Re: Hydrometer correction (Demonick)
Dry hopping lagers (Calvin Perilloux)
CAPs and TMS (can't help myself) (Marc Sedam)
Re: Batch sparging (Denny Conn)
RE: foaming stout woes ("Houseman, David L")
RE: TMS ("Houseman, David L")
"No Krausen" update ("Ian Watson")
*
* Show your HBD pride! Wear an HBD Badge!
* http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/shopping
*
* The HBD Logo Store is now open!
* http://www.cafeshops.com/hbdstore
*
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!
*
Send articles for __publication_only__ to post@hbd.org
If your e-mail account is being deleted, please unsubscribe first!!
To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE send an e-mail message with the word
"subscribe" or "unsubscribe" to request@hbd.org FROM THE E-MAIL
ACCOUNT YOU WISH TO HAVE SUBSCRIBED OR UNSUBSCRIBED!!!**
IF YOU HAVE SPAM-PROOFED your e-mail address, you cannot subscribe to
the digest as we cannot reach you. We will not correct your address
for the automation - that's your job.
HAVING TROUBLE posting, subscribing or unsusubscribing? See the HBD FAQ at
http://hbd.org.
The HBD is a copyrighted document. The compilation is copyright
HBD.ORG. Individual postings are copyright by their authors. ASK
before reproducing and you'll rarely have trouble. Digest content
cannot be reproduced by any means for sale or profit.
More information is available by sending the word "info" to
req@hbd.org or read the HBD FAQ at http://hbd.org.
JANITOR on duty: Pat Babcock and Karl Lutzen (janitor@hbd.org)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 09:32:15 -0800 (PST)
From: Rama Roberts <rama@retro.eng.sun.com>
Subject: overcarbonated beer; was "AAAAAAH!"
gregman writes:
I messed up good this time. I could'nt wait for this scotch wee heavy to
go beyond 2 weeks before bottling, big mistake. I guess it was not fully
fermented ( DUH ) because I opened one tonight an it gushed. I'm so mad I
could dump the whole thing down the drain!!!
Those big beers take some time to ferment down in my experience. The hostile
conditions (gravity, then alcohol) must inhibit the yeast. If you left it in
the secondary, I wouldn't be surprised to see it continue to ferment for
another 10+ days.
Now that its prematurely bottled, its salvageable, but will take some time and
work. First off, immediately put them somewhere cool- and wear goggles and
maybe gloves when you handle these. Can't be too careful while you get a feel
for how explosive these are.
My first and only experience with adding alpha amalyse (to a fermenter- not a
kettle. oops.) caused a porter to ferment down to 1.005 in the bottle over the
course of a bit more than a month. I rescued it, if you can say that about a
beer that dry, by using a technique Roy Roberts suggested- repeatedly "burping"
the caps to release the gas, just enough to heer the gas hiss out, but before
the beer gushes out. If you do this gently enough, you won't need to recrimp
the cap, you just release the bottle opener and it reseals. You'll need to
repeat this many times until fermentation stops- in my case, it was probably
close to 10 times.
- --rama
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 11:04:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Charles@thestewarts.com
Subject: Anniversary Present
Just thought I'd brag. Today is my anniversary and guess what my sweetheart
gave me? A brand new REFRACTOMETER! I think I'll keep her around. Now what to
get her . . . . I think she needs a digital pH meter.
Chip Stewart
Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
Charles at TheStewarts.com
http://Charles.TheStewarts.com/brewing
Support anti-Spam legislation.
Join the fight http://www.cauce.org
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 13:38:02 -0500
From: grayling@wideopenwest.com
Subject: Mazer Cup Mead Competition Announcement
Hello All -
I am currently accepting entries for the 2003 Mazer Cup Mead
Competition. This competition is open to both homebrewed and
commercial entrants. This year's competition is being
organized by Ken Schramm (you may know him from the Mead
Lover's Digest and other events).
The complete information can be found at
http://www.mazercup.org/MazerCupbrochure'03.htm
But here are the Five "W's"
WHO: You
WHAT: Your Best Meads, with a $7.00/entry fee, make checks
Payable to:
Jim Suchy/Mazer Cup Mead Competition (Please include Jim's
name)
WHEN: Entries Due by March 28, 2003. Judging April 12, 2003
WHERE: Please ship Entries to:
Jim Suchy, Registrar, MCMC
38665 Northampton St.
Westland, MI 48186
WHY: (AWARDS & PRIZES)
The BJCP Mead juging sheet (50 Point scale) will be used;
25 points required for prize eligibility
First, Second and Third Place Winners in each category
will receive a hand crafted Mazer
The Best of Show Winner will receive the Bill Pfeiffer
Memorial Communal Mazer
First, Second and Third Place Commercial winners will
receive a Mazer and Medal.
If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them.
grayling@wideopenwest.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 14:53:40 -0500
From: David Towson <dtowson@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: RIMS with two Controllers
In HBD 4192, David Boice is considering using two separate controllers in
an electric RIMS, with the purpose of controlling mash temperature, while
allowing heater shutoff if the wort temperature exiting the heater gets too
high.
IMO, this is a severe case of overkill, and much more trouble/expensive
than it's worth. If you had a two-input controller that could be used to
control mash temperature as the primary control variable, while using
heater exit temperature as a limit variable, that would be the thing to
do. But since you don't, it's good to remember that precise temperature
control to a fraction of a degree is just not needed here. Mashing
temperatures are not *that* critical.
If you put your temperature probe at the heater outlet and insulate your
mash tun, you'll do fine. Just be sure to run some tests with water and a
hand-held thermometer to see how much difference there is between the
heater outlet temperature and the temperature in the mash tun, and use that
knowledge to adjust your controller setting so as to get the mash
temperature you want. And be aware that the hotter you want the mash, the
more temperature difference you'll get, because the hotter mash tun will
lose heat faster to the cooler room air. Of course, if your mash tun is
insulated well enough, you may not be able to see any difference. These
water tests will get you in the ballpark for starters. If you do see a
significant difference, repeat these tests when you do an actual mash,
because the ability of a real mash to retain heat will not be the same as
with just water.
Dave in Bel Air, MD
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 17:12:23 -0500
From: "Gordon Strong" <strongg@voyager.net>
Subject: Belgian Dark Strong Ale survey
I'm giving a talk on Belgian Dark Strong Ales at the AHA Conference this
June and am looking for some help. I'm trying to do a "Designing Great
Beers"-type analysis of the style, and am looking for data points from those
who either have judged and understand the style well, or who have won medals
(any level) at a judged competition.
I've put together a fairly detailed survey (16 questions), so there's a bit
of a time commitment required to complete it. If you feel that you meet the
survey critiera and would like to help out, please send me an email and I'll
shoot you a copy of the survey. It's in MS Word format, so please let me
know if you need a text-only version.
Thanks for any help,
Gordon Strong
Beavercreek, OH
strongg@earthlink.net
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 17:44:03 -0500
From: "Marcie Greer" <tea.dye@verizon.net>
Subject: Steeping Munich Malt?
In my internet travels I have read the following statement on the BYO
web site:
"Special malts such as Munich malts, ... are not well-suited for
steeping because these ingredients all contain a lot of starch."
and yet the partial mash Oktoberfest recipe in BYO this month calls for
1 lb. dark Munich malt (20deg L) to be steeped thusly:
"Coarsely mill the two specialty malts and pour them into a muslin bag.
Place the bag in at least two gallons of cold water and raise the
temperature slowly, for at least half an hour, until it reaches
170-190F"
Now the correct use of Munich malt eludes me! I also had little success
finding 20deg L Munich malt. Everything I could find is 10deg L (my HB
shop guy told me to just use 2 lbs.). I got the two pounds mainly
because I really hate to pay $5 and up shipping for a pound of malt
through mailorder. I'm mailordering some yeast slants for upcoming brews
but that place doesn't have the elusive dark Munich either. Would
someone please help me out here? I would like to start brewing this
recipe in about a week and I am inclined to follow the instructions in
the recipe and the advice of my shopkeeper, but the first statement
above is causing anxiety... I am just returning to homebrewing after a
20-year hiatus and things are quite different!
Thanks!
Marcie
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 18:51:45 -0800 (PST)
From: Kent Fletcher <fletcherhomebrew@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: A buck a lb project - refridgerant (sic) cooler
Bobz wants to build a refrigeration circuit for his
CCF using scrap automotive parts an an electric motor.
>Need technical assistance to design a cooling device
>using an auto air conditioning compressor and an
>electric motor. Specific recommendations for:
(snip)
>Any thing I have not considered.
Okay.
>The evaporator would be attached to the conical lid
>and detached from compressor unit with flex lines and
>quick disconnects.
Attached to the lid? do you intend to have the coil
immersed in the wort? Can you say "wortsicle"? A
coil wound round the exterior of the fermentor would
expand the cooling surface area, greatly reducing the
chance of icing. Cleaning and sanitizing an immersion
evap coil would be a nightmare. For example, it could
not be exposed to severe temperatures (you couldn't
boil it, for instance) without potential damage to the
refrigeration loop. Also, so-called quick disconnects
for refrigeration lines are problematic. They are
found in automobiles for ease of manufacturing, they
are NOT intended to be used for repeated
disconnection. The refrigerant charge must be
recovered BEFORE disconnection, and then the
refrigerant circuit has to me pumped down with a
vacuum pump BEFORE recharging with refrigerant.
>Electric motor would be 1 hp as this is what I have.
>Temp control would be a dead band temp control
>(freon bulb type) immersed in the wort.
>Freon R22 is the choice at this time but could be
>changed to a more greenie type if the gas can
>perform well within the task.
I don't know that there are any automotive type
compressors available that are compatible with R-22.
You would at least have to make sure that the suction
and discharge pressures of the compressor (while
connected to your hacked evap and condenser coils) are
compatible with R22's pressure/temperature curve. Not
to mention that R22 is not available in less than a 30
pound bottle, not to mention that you can't buy it AT
ALL without an EPA certification card. 134a would be a
better choice, and you can buy it OTC at an auto parts
store.
>Interface systems like cooled glycol or ice water in
>my opinion would unnecessarily complicate the
project.
>I have a York piston compressor, a swash plate after
>market compressor and a new 1/3 hp hermitic.
Actually, a secondary loop system is the only
practical way to achieve your goal. It is difficult
to achieve pinpoint temperature control with a direct
cooling refrigeration unit. The temperature of an
evaporator varies with the rate of refrigerant
expansion (the refrigerant is in fact boiling inside
the evaporator), which is dependant on the amount of
liquid refrigerant being admitted into the evaporator,
which is, in turn, dependant on the refrigerant
pressure in the condenser, which is dependent on the
ambient temperature (for an air-cooled condenser). In
short, variations of several degrees in a matter of
seconds are common in a simple capillary controlled
evaporator. In order to get more precise control a
thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) is required, and
the bulb has to be attached to the evaporator and
insulated from the cooled medium, further complicating
the system and making an immersed evap all but
impossible.
>It would be simpler for me to use the hermitic but
>then what about all the other homebrewers who could
>do the used auto compressor thing with salvage parts.
(FYI, it's hermEtic)
So you go to a junkyard and scrounge a compressor,
reciever/drier, expansion valve, then fabricate an
evaporator, then BUY a $300 vacuum pump, and manifold
gauge set? Then figure out what refrigerant you can
charge it with, and whether or not you can buy it
without an EPA card? And maybe if you DO get it
running, you freeze a whole batch of just-pitched
wort? I don't think even the "techier" homebrewers
are likely to do this.
>I then wouldn't have to build a walk-in to
>accommodate my too large for cooler conical.
I think buiding a walk-in might be simpler, possibly
even cheaper. Certainly you could find a used
refrigerator for less money.
Kent Fletcher
Brewing in So Cal
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 21:49:38 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Another View of CAP
"Peter Garofalo" <pgarofa1@twcny.rr.com> writes from Syracuse, NY:
>it occurs to me that we normally only hear Jeff
>Renner's take on the style.
And a helluva burden it is! Glad to have additional input.
Otherwise, it becomes too narrow a definition or viewpoint, sort of
the way Anchor is the only way to brew a California common/steam.
>It is a great style, and I have enjoyed it
>immensely. My thanks to Jeff, Ben Jankowski, Del Lansing, and the late
>George Fix for reviving it.
and Pete Garafalo, who was istrumental in getting it a recognized style.
>One thing that I fear may scare off potential CAP brewers is all the
>discussion of cereal mashes, using polenta or other corn products. I have
>been very successful using simple (though expensive) flaked maize. Really.
>It simply blends into the mash, and adds that grainy wonderfulness that is
>so hard to define.
I agree - I love cereal mashes because they're fun and the way most
American breweries treat their cereal adjuncts, but flakes are easy
and entirely suitable. And their use is authentic as well. See Wahl
& Henius' American handy Book of Malting and Brewing (1902)
http://hubris.engin.umich.edu/Wahl/.
I hope I haven't scared anyone off. I do try to encourage the use of
flakes as the way to go for beginners, especially, and by anyone else
who doesn't want to bother with cereal mash.
>I have tasted my CAP next to Jeff's (at MCAB IV in
>Cleveland last year), and they were remarkably similar. Mine subsequently
>fared very well in competition.
I tasted Pete's and agree.
>I like to mash hop, first wort hop, and bitter
>hop. Nothing hits my kettle beyond 60 minutes from knockout, and the hop
>flavor and aroma are just fine.
I've never tried mash hopping. Marc Sedam has suggested that it
works best with soft water. What is your water profile and treatment?
>Some folks add a bit of Munich malt, though I
>prefer mine as light as Budweiser (in color, that is).
Me too. I used a bit of Munich in my first CAP in 1996 (with
flakes), but I now brew with just 6-row and corn. BTW, that first
CAP took first place in the German Pilsner class in the 1996 B.O.S.S.
competition (there being no CAP class at the time).
>In short, there are many ways to make the same style. I find this to be one
>of the simplest brewing sessions I can manage. Perhaps it simply fits my
>equipment and techniques. My recommendation is to do whatever works for you,
>but do not delay in making this appealing and rewarding style.
Amen, Brother Pete. Testify!
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 23:30:39 -0500 (EST)
From: Ryan Neily <ryan@neily.net>
Subject: Descent Homebrew Starter Kit
Can someone recommend me a descent homebrew starter kit? There are so
many, and I am not sure what I do need and don't need to get started. The
prices go from $55 to $129 and the quality of the kit varies with price as
well.
Any opinions?
- --
Ryan Neily
ryan@neily.net
Random Quote:
There is nothing wrong with Southern California that a rise in the
ocean level wouldn't cure.
-- Ross MacDonald
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 23:35:28 -0500
From: jim williams <jimswms@cox.net>
Subject: PBW=Oxyclean? And more..
That's the rumor I've heard. I'm wondering what the concensus is. Even if
it's not as strong, you could probably use more for a similar effect?
$10.00/# PBW from lhbs. $7.99/3.5# oxyclean at the grocery store.
Questions? Comments? Snide remarks?
Does anybody know where to find PBW in bulk?
Also, can PBW or oxyclean be kept and reused? If so, for how long, and how
would you know that it is still effective? Slimey feel?
Cheers,
jim
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 21:48:39 -0800
From: "Dave" <brewingisloving@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Several Bitter Beers
>Two, I bought a regulator and stone and started oxygenating the cooled
wort
>before pitching yeast. I use a $10 oxygen tank from the local hardware
>store. I bought the gear from an on-line brew shop and follow the
>directions.
I believe that the introduction of oxygen might be lowering your FG and
changing
the balance of what would otherwise be a balanced beer. If your FG's have
been
the same throughout consecutive batches, then your water could be too hard,
resulting in more bitterness. Or, maybe you are doing full wort boils and
not
accounting for the extra extraction?
Dave
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 00:15:12 -0600
From: "Rob Moline" <jethrogump@mchsi.com>
Subject: Lallemand Scholarship
Lallemand Scholarship
I am pleased to announce, as part of Lallemand's commitment to brewers
and brewing science, the Fourth Annual Lallemand Scholarship, valued @ $3900
USD, for members of the American Homebrewers Association.
The winner will attend "Beer Heaven!"...the Siebel Institute, Chicago,
Illinois...the oldest and most prestigious brewing academy in the U.S., for
the 2003 World Brewing Academy Concise Course in Brewing Technology (Oct.
27 - Nov. 7, 2003).
Full details and entry forms can be found @
http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/scholarship.html
including reports from past winners of the Scholarship.
"Beer Heaven" Awaits!
Cheers!
Rob Moline
Lallemand
"The More I Know About Beer, The More I Realize I Need To Know More About
Beer!"
- ---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.459 / Virus Database: 258 - Release Date: 2/25/2003
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 06:51:55 -0500
From: Darrell.Leavitt@esc.edu
Subject: temp
Frosty;
Your procedure looks good to me, and I am sure others will comment more
completely, but one thing I think is that the initial temp of your sparge
water should be higher...perhaps 10 degrees or so...in that it will drop
quite a bit over the hour (in the hot liquor tank and in the tun) and this
higher initial temp will lessen the drop...
Good luck!
..Darrell
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 06:33:45 -0500
From: "Dave Burley" <Dave_Burley@charter.net>
Subject: Dry Lager Yeast
Brewsters:
Apologies if I missed a major point on dry true lager yeast discussion, but
for many years it has been the goal of yeast producers to produce a package
stable dry lager yeast, but all have been unsuccessful due to autolysis, as I
recall.
Some years ago a yeast producer (Danstar??, Llalemand??, Red Star??) produced
a dry lager yeast which they removed from the market quickly due to its
instability.
Back in the 70s I lived in the UK and the dry "lager" yeast available to
amateur brewers there was nothing more than an ale yeast with a low flavour
profile. Their "lagers" in the pub were nothing but light colored ales ( made
with the house ale yeast no doubt) , as well. Unless some new technology has
been introduced, I doubt any dry yeast will be a <true> lager yeast.
Now fill me in on what I might have missed, please. I would think Gump would
have an answer to this if he hasn't already provided it.
Keep on Brewin'
Dave Burley
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 06:50:44 -0500
From: darrell.leavitt@plattsburgh.edu
Subject: Roeselare (#3763)
I received a pretty thorough description of the Roeselare Wyeast # 3763
from David Wendell at Wyeast Laboratories. If anyone wants it, let me
know and I will send.
..Darrell
Plattsburgh, NY: 44 41 58 N Latitude
73 27 12 W Longitude
[544.9 miles, 68.9~]Apparent Rennerian
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 04:24:47 -0800
From: Jonathan Royce <jonathan@woodburybrewingco.com>
Subject: re: Increasing Bitterness
Joe Screnock wants to increase his bitterness by boiling 2 cups of DME in 4
cups water with 1 oz of 6.8% Goldings.
Joe:
There are two problems with your plan:
1) You are not going to get 20 IBUs. Using a dry density of 0.75 oz wt/fl oz
for the DME, I estimate that you have 3/4 lb of DME in 1 qt of water. Assuming
45 ppg for the DME, that gives a wort with an OG of 1.135. With 30 minutes of
boil time, a wort that concentrated will only have a utilization of 0.083. So,
1 oz of 6.8% hops (6.8 AAU) will only give 8 IBU when added to a 5 gallon
batch. (You failed to mention the size of the batch, but I'm assuming 5
gallons.)
2) The initial IBU of the 1 qt of wort that you boil will be something like
168, which is probably way beyond the solubility limit of alpha acids.
So, my short answer is that I don't think this will work. Unfortunately, I
can't offer an alternative that I've tested. I'm thinking that a bit of hop
extract is the answer, but I've never tried this myself. Anyone else?
Jonathan
Woodbury Brewing Co.
www.woodburybrewingco.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 07:54:12 -0500
From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman@unisys.com>
Subject: RE: Several very bitter beers
Peter,
Are you sure what you are tasting is bitterness and not astringency?
Bitterness should be very straightforward to calculate what you think you
would have. While there may be a number of reasons why you would have a
beer with less bitterness than you'd calculated, it would be rare to have
more without a math error in IBU calculations or hop weighing error. There
are just limits to what you can extract from hops. Infections won't be a
source of bitterness either.
But if what you perceive is astringency at a high level combined with
bitterness then the two can be confused. How grain is crushed, the pH of
the mash and sparge water and the duration of the sparge all can affect the
extraction of tannins and resulting astringency. Also is the hops. Hops
contain tannins. Up to 25% of the resulting tannins in beer can come from
the hops. For a given IBU you can use a little of a high alpha hop or a lot
of a low alpha hop. The latter will also give you more tannins than the
former. So think about which hops you use and not just the total calculated
IBUs.
Good luck,
Dave Houseman
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 07:52:58 -0500
From: Fred L Johnson <FLJohnson@portbridge.com>
Subject: Re: 2-liter soda bottles and pressure limits
Richard is bottling a cider which will condition (carbonate) in the bottle
and is considering using 2 liter soda bottles and beer bottles. He asks
about how much pressure these can handle.
I have no experience with 2 liter soda bottles, but they obviously can
handle carbonation quite well, at least at the level one carbonates sodas. I
can't imagine one needing to carbonate much higher than this.
Regarding beer bottles, I bottle sparkling ciders in 12 oz. glass beer
bottles (variety of types) at levels as high as 4 volumes of CO2--VERY
sparkly--and have not had problems with breakage.
I'll never forget the first misinformation I received as a new
homebrewer--that one would risk creating bottle bombs if one ever primed a 5
gallon batch of beer with more than 1 cup of sugar. I guess that person
never bottled a proper hefeweizen. Of course, it depends on the bottle, how
much pressure it will handle. I've bottled at 4 volumes of CO2 in some
pretty light-weight bottles without problems.
- --
Fred L. Johnson
Apex, North Carolina, USA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 08:19:41 -0500
From: "Kevin Sinn" <skinner222@hotmail.com>
Subject: Hop Plants
Good Morning Beer People!
George/Ludwig {Bluestar792@netscape.net}asked:
"Where can I buy hops plants? I would like to grow my own."
and Steve Dale-Johnson comments:
"For those in Canada who do not wish to go through the hassles and cost
of
phyto-certification (due to disease concerns), a few varieties are
available
(Cascade, Hallertauer, Mount Hood, Nugget and Willamette) mail order
from
Richters' Herbs [www.richters.com]. They are small plants, not
rhizomes,
and will not produce the first year."
I received my order from www.hopsdirect.com on Monday. I live in Canada and
had them shipped via USPS. Shipping cost was $3.10US and they arrived in my
mailbox 5 days from ordering. Perhaps I was lucky, but there were no
problems with customs/duty, phyto-certification or brokerage fees (as there
would have been with UPS). Hops Direct sells a large variety of rhizomes,
and they were pleasant to deal with and were very accomodating to my "ship
via USPS" request.
Not affiliated in any way, just a happy customer.
Cheers!
Kevin Sinn
Member of Barleyment for Canada South
Brewing at [6537.9, 9.9] Rennerian
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 05:51:57 -0800
From: "Shogun007" <ShoGun007@SBCGlobal.net>
Subject: Current Thoughts on Cleansers?
After a year of downtime during a complete remodel of my basement (aka
CB's Brewhaus) I'm ready to fire up the kettles once again. The problem
I"m faced with is twofold:
1. Possible Bacterial Contamination - One of the primary reason's I
haven't been brewing is that the last 4 batches I did make in the
basement were all contaminated with some kind of bug. Beer was great
after a few days in primary fermentation but after a week or so after
racking, every batch went sour with almost identical tastes, even with
different styles of beer. I thought by covering the ceilings and walls,
the whole area would be easier to keep clean and bug free, so I stopped
brewing and started the remodel.
2. Just plain dirty - I found my stainless screen false bottom the other
day encrusted with goo left from cutting tile. It was in the general
vicinity of my tile saw and is completely covered with marble and
granite dust/water paste mixture (now dry). A number of small equipment
pieces such as plastic racking tube, hoses, valves, etc are really dusty
and rusty. My glass fermenters have spiders in 'em. A black widow stout
right now would actually contain some real black widows.
I'll probably toss the plastic stuff out and replace it. What does the
collective recommend for a good cleanser for the glass fermenters,
stainless kettles these days?
Charley (got the brewitchagain) Burns
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 09:02:11 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Increasing Bitterness
Joe Screnock <hts@essex1.com> writes:
>The batch is happily
>bubbling in the primary now, but I'd like to increase bitterness to
>about 50 IBU's (adding about 20).
>
>My plan is to boil 4 cups of water, 2 cups of DME, and 1 oz Goldings
>(6.8%) for about a half an hour. My IBU chart tells me this should give
>me about 20 IBU's. I'd then add this to the secondary when I rack it.
I've actually had luck just boiling hops with water. You might try
that. Two cups of DME in four cups of water sounds like a mighty
concentrated wort, which will cut down on your utilization.
Another possibility, which I posted here a year ago or so, is hops
extract. I got a little bottle (~25ml?) from Adventures in
Homebrewing in Dearborn, MI http://homebrewing.org/ (I can't find it
in their online catalog). It worked great - gave a boost of very
focused, clean, laser-like bitterness and increased foam stand to
boot.
There are different kinds of hop extract - bitterness is the kind you
want. This was a sample that Jay had lying around, but after I sang
its praises, he got some in stock. (Hope it's selling). I liked it
so well that (shh, don't tell anyone) I'm considering using it SOP
for part of my bitterness in bitters.
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 09:25:28 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: CAP and Jeff Renner
Bill Wible <bill@brewbyyou.net> wrote hopefully:
>Speaking of CAP and Jeff Renner, I heard a long
>time ago that Jeff was writing a Style Series Book
>on CAP. Any progress? How's that coming, Jeff?
>I want my copy as soon as it's available!
An unfounded rumor.
I have been encouraged to do this. Ray Daniels told me that my
Zymurgy article was already a long ways toward a book, and George Fix
and I spoke of collaborating on something before he became ill.
However, this will have to be a retirement project (~5 years if the
stock market recovers some and a war doesn't tank the whole economy).
I simply don't have the time to do the job I would want to do on
this. To do it up right, I would want to research primary sources.
That would mean the libraries of the MBAA and Anheuser/Busch, for
example. It would probably also require my learning to read German
passably as US lager brewers "brewed in German" (the way my Grandma
cooked in German) until a hundred years ago or even less.
When I lamented the daunting scope of such a project, Dan McConnell
(of the late YCKC) said, "Jeff! That's what second editions are for.
Just write what you've got now."
Maybe he's right, but I'm afraid it would not be something I'd be
happy with. So for now, you'll have to do with what I've written in
the mags and here.
But one never knows, do one?
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 09:41:19 -0500
From: Jeremy Bergsman <jeremy@bergsman.org>
Subject: Concrete mills and Re: Increasing Bitterness
I've been researching the art of making "decorative" concrete for a kitchen
countertop. I've learned a couple things that may be useful for those
making concrete roller mills so I thought I'd post them.
First, concrete is a great casting material. I had visions of these rough
rollers looking like concrete on the sidewalk, with bits chipping off into
the grain. In fact, in an appropriate mold, concrete can be as smooth as
glass. One could easily add material to the inside of the mold to cast
grooves into the rollers. Vibrating the mold as you add the concrete helps
get the bubbles out and get the fine cement around the sand and aggregate to
make a smooth surface. A typical technique is holding a recipricating saw
without a blade against the mold and running it a few minutes.
Second, one can make concrete a lot stronger with a little know-how
(decorative concrete is actually stronger than "regular" concrete). The two
tricks are 1) use more cement and 2) use less water. You can buy cement
rich blends like Quickcrete 5000, and some of the special mixes previously
mentioned here or "Precision grout" mixes are also supposed to be good. To
use less water the big trick is to add a water reducer/plasticizer which
helps the concrete flow better with the reduced water. Then mix up the
concrete with as little water as possible. If you want to mix your own, a
recipe for 1 cubic foot is: 24 lbs cement, 1 cubic foot of sand and gravel,
and 1+ gallon of water, plus the admixtures as suggested by the manufacturer
(will be a couple ounces).
++++++++++++++
Joe Screnock wants to increase the bitterness of a batch of beer. I like to
keep both light dry malt extract and hop isoalpha extract around for recipes
that don't come out quite right (water comes in handy too!). The isoalpha
extract is great stuff. Very clean bitterness. Every brand is different
but should come with directions on how much to add for a certain # of
IBUs/gallon.
- --
Jeremy Bergsman
jeremy@bergsman.org
http://www.bergsman.org/jeremy
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 05:59:35 -0900
From: kerry and dell drake <drakes@gci.net>
Subject: Dry Beer
Greetings all:
After a 5 year hiatus, I recently returned to brewing. I brew all-grain in
5 gallon batches using a false bottom in a SS pot. My setup is a 3-tier much
like the ones from B3, but is home made using Polarware 10-gallon pots. I
start with an infusion for the initial sacchrification rest and have a
pump/manifold setup to recirculate during the step to mashout temp and to
set the grain bed prior to sparging. I only brew ales as I haven't invested
in a fridge/freezer for lagering, yet, that is. Anyway, I've noticed that
all my brews so far, about 20 batches in the last 5 or so months, have a
distinctly "dry" feel to them. This "dry" taste/feel leaves ones mouth a
little dried out feeling, especially after a few glasses. It's not nearly
as intense as a dry wine, but is similar. Most have been attempts at APA's
and taste pretty good over all, except for this one problem. My neighbors
love them all, but they usually drink Bud/Miller/Coors so they don't have
much background for comparison.
I started out doing multi-step mashes, but went to single step mashes after
the first three batches in an attempt to isolate this. I have also started
using a "settling tank" which is just a carboy in which I let all the hot
break settle. I then rack off the clear wort to another carboy, aerate with
aquarium pump/.5 micron filter/SS stone and pitch adequate yeast from a
starter (I have scaled the batches to give myself about 6.5 gallons in the
settling tank which yields 5.5 gallons in the primary and 5 gallons in the
secondary. I sanitize using Iodiphor and have replaced all the tubing and
racking canes at least twice so far. My fermentation temps are usually
around 66 - 68, measured with a stick-on thermometer on the carboy. Before
kegging, I completely disassemble the kegs for cleaning and sanitizing and
sanitize again once they're reassembled. On the last few batches I even
raised the sacchrification temp to 157 degF in an attempt to add body, but
it hasn't helped. I have large screw-in dial thermometers on both the HLT
and mash tun and have calibrated them using ice water and boiling water and
also spot check the mash with a standard 12 inch dial thermometer that I
also calibrated. Oh yeah, I've used WhileLabs Amer. Ale and Calif Ale and
WYeast Amer Ale and NW Ale yeasts all with this same dry feel/taste. Any
advice on this one? Private or public replies welcome.
Thanks in advance,
Kerry
Brewing in Eagle River, Alaska
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 07:16:05 -0800
From: Demonick <demonick@zgi.com>
Subject: Re: Hydrometer correction
From: "Greg Remec" <gmrbrewer@hotmail.com>:
>Are the correction curves standardized, or do they vary with each
>hydrometer model?
Specific Gravity changes with temperature are independent of the
instrument used to measure it. It is an inherent characteristic of the
parameter.
See the formulas page of the PrimeTab website:
http://www.primetab.com/formulas.html
Domenick Venezia
Venezia & Company, LLC
Maker of PrimeTab
(206) 782-1152 phone
(206) 782-6766 fax
Seattle, WA
demonick at zgi dot com
http://www.primetab.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 08:04:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Calvin Perilloux <calvinperilloux@yahoo.com>
Subject: Dry hopping lagers
Jack Horzempa writes in the previous HBD about his dry-hopped
Bohemian Pils, comparing it favourably (nay, better even!) to
commercial versions.
Admittedly, for those of us who like hop aroma, such a pils
can indeed be a lovely beer, especially when the dry-hop rates
are well managed. But for those who are EXPECTING a low hop
aroma level, as in Budvar and similar beers, the presence of
that aroma is disconcerting, disturbing, and even dislikable.
Taking it to extremes, some people could even argue that continental
pilsners could be well-improved with the addition of Munich and
chocolate malt "for more flavour, yeh!", but that means the beer
is not to the traditional style. Yet who's to say what traditional
style is? And isn't a "better" beer an improvement on stodgy
old styles? Not really. I'll give you an example:
Some years back, when I was living in Germany, I brought back
with me from USA holiday a suitcase full of various American
microbrews, some average, some excellent. I invited several
Germans brewers (two profis, plus amateurs) for a night of
sampling. When we got to some of the dry-hopped beers, the
common refrain was "Mmmm, uh, I must tell you that this is
NOT the way that one should use hops..."
They were expecting the pils/etc. label to reflect the low hop
aroma of a typical (name-your-continental-pils). I was a bit
dismayed because I *liked* some of these beers, but further
experience and thought has convinced me that loads of hop aroma,
while enjoyable to me and you, can often be perceived (correctly)
as inappropriate. The style guide shows what we EXPECT from a
certain beer, and not what we want in our favourite beer.
Calvin Perilloux
Middletown, Maryland, USA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 11:27:31 -0500
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam@unc.edu>
Subject: CAPs and TMS (can't help myself)
Peter Garofolo talks a bit about the non-Rennerian perspective of CAPs.
Peter, you should know that Jeff is the Grand Master of CAPs and just
by writing his full name out in a sentence discussing CAPs means that
you have sinned. His name should further be refered to as J*ff. Heh
heh. KIDDING...J*ff just happens to have more experience with CAPs than
most of us.
But to further what Peter has said, I have previously suggested (as has
J*ff) that flaked maize is just fine in a CAP provided it's reasonably
fresh. Also, don't ignore Corn Flakes (tm). They work fine too and
have the added benefit of some minerals and vitamins useful to the
yeast. Dump a large box of Corn Flakes in the mash and you're off! And
you KNOW that stuff is fresh. I have also taken to brewing my recent
CAPs with Saflager S23 yeast. I'd love to try the other dry lager
yeast, but can't really use 500g. These CAPs are a little fruity, but
use lots of floral aroma hops and you'll barely tell. Good enough for me.
Unable to resist entering the TMS debate...
It's too bad that the TMS price increase came on the heels of their
Zymurgy article, but again it's no one's right to purchase a conical SS
hopper for $84. Supply and demand suggests that if they see their
orders dropping like a rock the price may again drop. Or use the web
creatively. Gather a bunch of people (gee...think an email to HBD would
work?) together and make a bulk order. Or order 5 yourself, sell four
on eBay for $100 (cheaper than their new pricing) and reduce the overall
price of the conical for you to below the original pricing. There's
always a way that efficient markets lead to the best price. Prices
fluctuate, things change...that's why if a deal is too good to be true
you should get in on it before it changes. We've all known these
hoppers were available for $84 for at least a year, if not longer. I
would say TMS moved a lot slower than I may have expected. He who
hesitates is lost. I should add that I too lost, as I was considering
buying one. C'est la vie! Made good beer without one...that shouldn't
change.
OTOH, here is an opportunity for an innovative and customer-focused HB
shop to buy some hoppers in bulk and offer them to the HB community.
You say lemons, I say lemonade.
Cheerios!
Marc
P.S. Thanks to Steve A.
- --
Marc Sedam
Chapel Hill, NC
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 08:51:26 -0800
From: Denny Conn <denny@projectoneaudio.com>
Subject: Re: Batch sparging
Hallelujah, another convert! I've been doing nothing but batch sparging
since my 3rd AG batch (over 4.5 years now), and frankly I can't see why
every homebrewer doesn't. I recently introduced a couple of my club
members to batch sparging, guys who have been brewing for over 20
years. Both saw their efficiency go up (although this is definitely not a
given), the length of the brewday go down, and were impressed by the flavor
of their batch sparge beers. Both told me they're never going back to fly
sparging.
--------------->Denny
At 12:36 AM 3/12/03 -0500, John Palmer wrote:
>Step 8 and 9: Sparging Proceure: Okay. Although in my next edition I am
>really going to recommend that everyone batch sparge instead of
>continuous/fly sparge. It's a lot easier to coordinate, especially for
>a first brew. see www.realbeer.com/jjpalmer/HTB_update.pdf
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 11:56:55 -0500
From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman@unisys.com>
Subject: RE: foaming stout woes
John,
Over carbonation would seem to be the problem, whether derived from
premature bottling, too much priming sugar or from incomplete mash leaving
starch in the final product. That starch may eventually be broken down by
any wild yeast and result in over carbonation. I don't believe it's
residual proteins but it certainly could be residual starches.
Dave Houseman
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 12:01:31 -0500
From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman@unisys.com>
Subject: RE: TMS
Doug Hurst says "Charles Stewart points out the fact that TMS is running an
add in
Zymurgy. Clearly, more than anything, this points to the fact that they
DO want "onesie - twosie" orders. If not, why would they run the add."
Whoa, that's a jumping to conclusions. Could it be that TMS wants to sell
wholesale to HB shops or other distributors and that the ad in Zymurgy is
part of brand recognition or demand creation? That could also be one read
on the motives for the ad.
Dave Houseman
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 12:27:37 -0500
From: "Ian Watson" <realtor@niagara.com>
Subject: "No Krausen" update
Hi all
I bottled the ale I mentioned in digest #4158, about 2 weeks ago, with about
2/3 cups brown sugar in boiled water. It has turned out to be a very bitter
(a GOOD thing to a hop-head like me) clear reddish-amber, tasty beer. If I
had to characterize it, I would call it a double IPA, except that the FG is
1.001 This is probably due to me adding champaign yeast when I was worried
there was no fermenting taking place from the Nottingham yeast. The odd
thing is that, when I pour a bottle at room temperature, there is a nice
thick head, but a cold bottle yields absolutely no head. I only used 2/3
of a cup for priming, because in the past, 3/4 cup has lead to half the beer
4.5 lb 2 row Pale Malt
2.25 lb Munich Malt
1 lb 6 row Malt
1 lb Carastan Malt
1 lb Flaked Barley
1oz Roasted Barley
1 lb Dextrose
Plus lots of Northern Brewer, Cascade and Goldings hops at various intervals
:-)
Cheers!
Ian Watson
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
[235, 71.9] Apparent Rennerian
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #4194, 03/13/03
*************************************
-------
