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HOMEBREW Digest #4322
HOMEBREW Digest #4322 Wed 13 August 2003
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
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Contents:
brew places ("Holly Vandenberg")
Dr. Cone, 2003 - Cell Counts ("Mike Dixon")
RE: Yeast Stirring ("Ronald La Borde")
Rob Moline 2003. Dry yeast varieties ("Drew Avis")
Cidery Flavors, Stale Extract and Sugar ("Dan Listermann")
Re: Yeast Stirring (Jeff Renner)
Hot (Jim Bermingham)
Re: Potato Beer (MOREY Dan)
Re: Potato Beer (Jeff Renner)
RE: yeast "Superfood" (Brian Lundeen)
Re: Intro and wit beer question (Jeff Renner)
RE: Two-gauge regulator progress report (Kevin Wagner)
RE: Yeast Stirring (eIS) - Eastman" <stjones@eastman.com>
Grand Haven Brew Pub ("Eric Fouch")
Double the recipe? ("Mike Eyre")
Dr. Cone, 2003 - Killer Strains (BrewInfo)
Dr. Cone, 2003 - Autolysis (BrewInfo)
Dr. Cone, 2003 - Yeast for very high-gravity beers (BrewInfo)
Dr. Cone - Yeast Density (BrewInfo)
Competition Announcement: Dayton Beerfest, Sept 13th ("Gordon Strong")
Where is Miss Manners when you need her? ("Lee and Ant Hayes")
Re: Potato Beer ("Doug Hurst")
Things to see/drink in Denver? (Alex Hazlett)
re: yeast stirring ("the Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty")
Dr. Cone 2003 - Mead query (Ken Schramm)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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* * * * * * * * COMING TO THE HBD! * * * * * * * *
* Dr. Clayton Cone Fortnight of Yeast *
* 8/11/03 - 8/22/03 Yeast Questions Answered *
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 11:20:31 +0000
From: "Holly Vandenberg" <hollyvandenberg@hotmail.com>
Subject: brew places
Greetings from Grand Haven, MI.
There are a couple of decent choices. The first is the Old Boys Brewery in
Spring Lake. Get off I-96 at the Spring Lake exit and take C-104 all the
way west into town. Before the ramp to the drawbridge there will be a
service drive on the right (near Harborfront Hosptial for Animals). This
takes you right down to the brewpub on the water. Good food, too.
I've noticed that the Kirby Grill right downtown in Grand Haven has recently
started serving its own beers. Haven't been in there lately. I recommend
trying their patio area, which serves custom wood-fired pizzas. (The rest
of the restaurant tends toward avant-guarde or French Cuisine). The Kirb is
on Washington at Harbor Drive. Let me know if you need directions. The
hardest part will be finding parking, unless you're boating in.
One note of caution. Keep in mind whenever visiting the Lovely Lakeshore
that there is a Blue Law in Ottawa county that prohibits the sale of beer on
Sundays. Actually, you cannot buy any alcohol in a store, and you cannot
order beer or wine in a restaurant. But you can order hard liquor. I have
NOT figured this one out yet.
Happy Trails!
Holly
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 08:34:57 -0400
From: "Mike Dixon" <mpdixon@ipass.net>
Subject: Dr. Cone, 2003 - Cell Counts
Dr. Cone,
As others have mentioned, thank you very much for the opportunity...
My question is on yeast cell counts within a starter. Assuming one began
with a 1L of 1.040 starter wort, and 50 ml of yeast containing 15 billion
cells that has an Apparent Attenuation of 75%:
1) What would the cell count be in the starter if allowed to go to
completion? How about with a 2L starter of the same gravity?
2) What would the cell count be in the starter if continuously stirred and
allowed to go to completion? How about with a 2L starter of the same
gravity?
Thanks once again.
Cheers,
Mike Dixon
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 08:47:02 -0500
From: "Ronald La Borde" <pivoron@cox.net>
Subject: RE: Yeast Stirring
>From: "Jennifer/Nathan Hall" <hallzoo@comcast.net
>
>Anyone out there utilize a laboratory magnetic stir plate to
>continuously stir
>their starters while stepping-up? I've heard they increase cell
counts,
Yes, it certainly works well. I have used stir plate to capture and
grow yeast from bottled beers, and success rate is much better.
When growing yeast, things happen rapidly, I add more wort each day
and in a couple days have much more yeast mass.
Definitely worth having one, but most are somewhat expensive. You can
build one fairly easily with a small motor with a bar magnet clamped
to a spinner of some kind. You could use a small brass gear as the
spindle, clamp the magnet to it, and mount onto the motor shaft.
Ron
Ronald J. La Borde -- Metairie, LA
New Orleans is the suburb of Metairie, LA
www.hbd.org/rlaborde
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:43:30 -0400
From: "Drew Avis" <andrew_avis@hotmail.com>
Subject: Rob Moline 2003. Dry yeast varieties
Since we're on the topic of yeast... a question for Rob Moline (or maybe Dr.
Cone, I'm not sure).
For the past two years I've been using dry yeast for homebrewing almost
exclusively - ever since Paddock Wood started carrying the DCL dry lager
strains. Before that I occasionally used Danstar/Lallemand Nottingham,
Windsor, London, & Manchester (the Nottingham always worked out well). Now,
being a proud Canadian, I would love to buy my yeast from Lallemand, but
they don't offer the same variety (multiple lager, British ale, Belgian ale,
wit/hefe yeasts) as DCL. In fact, Lallemand has *reduced* the variety of
dry yeast they offer to the homebrew market.
So my question is: is Danstar/Lallemand planning to develop or release any
new varieties of dry yeast in the near future?
Drew Avis ~ Ottawa, Ontario
- --
http://www.strangebrew.ca
"The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face."
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:53:02 -0400
From: "Dan Listermann" <dan@listermann.com>
Subject: Cidery Flavors, Stale Extract and Sugar
Dr. Cone writes:
<Low nutrients could play a role. Some work that I have done replacing malt
<with 25, 50 and 75% glucose indicates that you can replace a higher level
of
<sugar and still produce a reasonably good beer when you add a rich yeast
<nutrient such as Fermaid K.
I too have made beers with high amounts of sugar just to push the envelope.
The most I attempted was 25% Laaglander DME and 75% cane sugar. While there
was not much to taste, it did not taste cidery. It did not finish as low as
I would have expected for a wort with that much fermentability. I suspect
that this was nutrient related. With that much nutrient free ingredient, I
am not sure that adequate yeast populations were reached. If there is a
next time, I will use some di ammonium phosphate and yeast energizer.
Dan Listermann
Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com
Free shipping for orders greater than $35
and East of the Mighty Miss.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:54:14 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Yeast Stirring
Nate Hall <hallzoo@comcast.net> asks
>Anyone out there utilize a laboratory magnetic stir plate to continuously stir
>their starters while stepping-up? I've heard they increase cell counts, but
>I'd like to know if this is true. Thinking about getting a stir-plate setup,
>is it worth the expense??
This was a thread a year or two back. It is SOP for me, along with
bubbling filtered air through a coarse plastic air "stone." (No need
for fine bubbles, and they foam too much). I use an aquarium pump
and a syringe filter (disk).
It needn't be a big expense if you score one from eBay. I got mine
when my wife's lab threw an old one out that they no longer used due
to new automated procedures.
An interesting side not. Dan McConnell, of the late Yeast Culture
Kit Co., didn't like them because he said the bar would grind up the
yeast against the bottom of the flask (I use a one gallon glass jug).
He used fancy big glass fermenters (5-10 gallons?) with stirrers that
hung down from the neck. But I don't think it's a big problem. Most
of the yeast is in suspension, and I don't see how it could get under
the stir rod.
Since changing to this from just boosting yeast in the jug with no
stirring or aeration, I get much bigger crops of yeast.
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 21:02:28 -0500
From: Jim Bermingham <JBHAM6843@netscape.net>
Subject: Hot
I will respond to the many e-mails received on Hot temperature brewing
after the Dr. Cone's question and answer period. I don't want to take
up too much bandwith at this time.
Jim Bermingham
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:00:09 -0500
From: MOREY Dan <dan.morey@cnh.com>
Subject: Re: Potato Beer
Phil asks about making potato beer:
>This years harvest at the farm was really high. I was thinking of making a
>pre-prohibition polish potato pilsner. Howmany ppg do you think ill get for
>the potato's? any suggestions on mash schedule? Fix 40-50-70-80?
Potatos make a wonderful pre-pro IMO, I definitely prefer it over corn or
maize. Hope you enjoy the results!
Potatos are about 80% water by weight, so you can expect 5-6 pt/gal*lb. I
would use at least 5 lbs for a 5 gallon batch.
As for the mash schedule, I would suggest 60-70-80. A protein rest is not
necessary for the potatos. When brewing with potatos, I stick with infusion
or step infusion mashing. Prepare the potatos by pealing them and then
slice them about 1/4 - 3/8 inch thick. Boil them with the water for your
first infusion. Add the potato water and potato to the mash as you would
with any infusion. As previously mentioned, potatos are about 80% water so
you need to reduce the about of water in your first infusion, otherwise you
will overshoot your temperature. The reduction works out to about 1.5 cups
per pound of potatos or roughly a half gallon for five pounds.
Have fun and hope you enjoy the finished product!
Cheers,
Dan Morey
Club B.A.B.B.L.E. http://hbd.org/babble
[213.1, 271.5] mi
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 10:00:33 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Potato Beer
"Philip J Wilcox" <pjwilcox@cmsenergy.com> writes from Jackson, MI:
>This years harvest at the farm was really high. I was thinking of making a
>pre-prohibition polish potato pilsner. Howmany ppg do you think ill get for
>the potato's? any suggestions on mash schedule? Fix 40-50-70-80?
Check out "The Beer That Made Idaho Famous or How I Mash Potatoes" by
Cary Jensen at http://brewery.org/brewery/library/Potato.html
I tasted a potato beer made by Point Brewery a few years ago for a
potato festival in Wisconsin. Tasted a bit potatoey and earthy. I
wouldn't bother except as a project.
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:09:39 -0500
From: Brian Lundeen <BLundeen@rrc.mb.ca>
Subject: RE: yeast "Superfood"
Mike Zapolski asks:
> 3) What are the differences between yeast nutrients,
> extracts, hulls, and
> energizers? Is there a product that combines these
> individual items into a single overall yeast "Superfood"?
I'm not Dr. Cone, nor do I play him on TV (gosh, that just gets funnier
every time), but when I saw your question I couldn't resist answering.
The Wine Lab has pretty much exactly what you are looking for. Go to page 18
in their pdf catalog and you will see what I mean.
http://www.thewinelab.com/
Cheers
Brian, in Winnipeg
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 10:33:58 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Intro and wit beer question
John Coppens <john@jcoppens.com> writes from central Argentina:
>Home beer-brewing is, as far as I can determine, almost inexistent in
>Argentina, and, as a result, getting the ingredients and hardware is a
>complicated. The kits mentioned above were brought over from Belgium...
Welcome to HBD and to a great hobby. I started brewing in the early
70's in the US and things were tough then for a homebrewer, but not
like it must be for you now. But at least there is a lot of
information available now.
>So - I have still a pack of malt extract, and it occured to me I could
>combine this with wheat (grain) and produce some kind of wit beer. Can
>anyone suggest a recipe? Is it absolutely necessary to use a special
>yeast?
Witbier is made with raw wheat and barley malt, but the starch in the
wheat must be converted to fermentable sugars by enzymes in barley
malt (the grain). Your malt extract was made from such barley malt,
but the enzymes were destroyed when it was concentrated into a syrup
or dried into a powder. So you will need some enzymes. While you
can add some powdered enzyme (derived from aspergillus fungus), this
is probably not a good idea as it will convert too much of the starch
to fermentables, as well as some of the unfermentable complex sugars
in your malt extract, resulting in a thin, over-attenuated beer.
What is probably better is to stick with malt extract until you are
ready to brew with grain malt, either in a partial mash plus extract
or full mash (no extract). You could make a witbier with a barley
and wheat extract plus the proper spices. Witbier yeast is desirable
but certainly not essential.
I suspect that you would be best off using a mail order supplier,
perhaps here in the States, to get supplies. There has been at least
one other homebrewer on HBD from Argentina, perhaps several, and some
others from other parts of South America. One of them was in the
jungle in Columbia, I think. It is a real challenge, I am sure.
A good online source of information is John Palmer's book "How to
Brew at http://www.howtobrew.com.
Jeff
- --
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner@comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 08:08:47 -0700
From: Kevin Wagner <kevin.wagner@watchmark.com>
Subject: RE: Two-gauge regulator progress report
Calvin Perilloux asks why compressed gas tanks are dangerous and should
be chained or anchored...
When a compressed gas tanks falls, there is a _very_ real danger in the
regulator head being knocked off. This will turn your cylinder into a
ballistic projectile, that is, if it does not explode outright.
Something like this can kill you, even with a smaller tank. Aluminum is
particularly susceptible because, relative to steel, it is quite
brittle.
-Kevin
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 11:27:00 -0400
From: "Jones, Steve (eIS) - Eastman" <stjones@eastman.com>
Subject: RE: Yeast Stirring
Nate Hall asks if using a stir plate is worth the expense.
My answer to that is a resounding YES. I've been using one for over a
year now, and I can grow more yeast slurry now with 1 liter of wort than
I used to grow with a gallon of wort. The savings in DME over a few
years should more than pay for the stir plate I picked up at labx
(www.labx.com).
Here's how I do it:
1. Add 4ml wort to my yeast slant
2. Grow 2 days.
3. Add this to 1 liter of wort on the stir plate and innoculate a new
slant
4. In 24 hours I'll refrigerate it overnight
5. A few hours before it is time to rack my fresh wort into the
fermenters I'll take out the starter and pour off the liquid. I'll run
the first liter of fresh wort from my new batch into the flask and let
it work for a few hours before pitching into the full 10 gallon batch.
I time it so that I usually refrigerate the night before brewday. As for
the newly innoculated slant, I'll let that grow at room temp for 3 or 4
days then refrigerate.
For lagers, I'll repeat steps 3 & 4.
This has worked great for me, and several other club members are now
using this process with great satisfaction.
Steve Jones, Johnson City, TN
State of Franklin Homebrewers (http://hbd.org/franklin)
[421.8 mi, 168.5 deg] AR
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 11:21:46 -0500
From: "Eric Fouch" <airrick147@registerednurses.com>
Subject: Grand Haven Brew Pub
Right at the intersection of Grand Haven and Spring Lake
(US 31 and Savidge Rd.) is the Old Boys Brew Pub.
I've only been there once or twice, but it is good stuff.
Down state a bit in Holland is New Holland BP and Back
Street B.C.
New Holland does some contract brewing for other pubs in
Grand Rapids, and puts out some good beer.
Check out the Michigan Beer Guide for more good brewpubs:
http://www.michiganbeerguide.com/beerguide.asp
- --
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:46:26 -0400
From: "Mike Eyre" <meyre@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Double the recipe?
I've just recently scaled up to 10 gal. batches from 5 gal. batches..
I've heard that, on a large scale, you can't scale up on a linear rate..
(I.e. going from 5 gal at home to 14 bbl at a pub) But does that count
for a small scale HB thing like this, 5 to 10 gal steps? Most recipes I
run across in books and online are for 5 gal, but now I want 10..
Nit-picking, or no?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:19:05 -0500 (CDT)
From: brewinfo@xnet.com (BrewInfo)
Subject: Dr. Cone, 2003 - Killer Strains
Dr. Cone--
Are there "killer strains" of beer yeast as there are in wine yeasts?
Al.
Homer Glen, IL
www.brewinfo.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:23:59 -0500 (CDT)
From: brewinfo@xnet.com (BrewInfo)
Subject: Dr. Cone, 2003 - Autolysis
Dr. Cone--
The first books I read on homebrewing all talked about the dangers of
autolysis. I have only experienced it in several meads that I made
with wine yeast and that was after two or three years in the *primary*
fermenter on the entire yeast cake.
Were these early homebrewing books overemphasizing the likelihood of
off aromas (rubbery, etc.) and flavours from autolysis, or was it a
bigger problem with yeasts that were of questionable viability and
probably stored, unrefridgerated, for months?
Thanks.
Al.
Homer Glen, IL
www.brewinfo.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:37:46 -0500 (CDT)
From: brewinfo@xnet.com (BrewInfo)
Subject: Dr. Cone, 2003 - Yeast for very high-gravity beers
Dr. Cone--
When making a Barleywine or Doppelbock or Imperial Stout, is it better
to use the entire yeast cake from a previous batch of lower-gravity
beer or is it better to use just part of that yeast cake (half? 1/3?
2/3?) so that there is some growth?
In a related question, I've read that a significant portion of the
esters are produced in the growth phase. Can you confirm or correct
this assertion and comment on whether strong lagers may benefit from
a larger pitching rate for *this* reason?
Thanks.
Al.
Al Korzonas
Homer Glen, IL
www.brewinfo.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:43:40 -0500 (CDT)
From: brewinfo@xnet.com (BrewInfo)
Subject: Dr. Cone - Yeast Density
Dr. Cone--
I've read somewhere (but cannot find it anymore) that yeast will
multiply until they reach a certain density (cells/ml) or exhaust
their supply of sterols, whichever comes first.
But, then I've also read that sterol-deficient yeast (presumably from
underoxygenation at pitching time, right?) will have weak cell
membranes, ultimately resulting in low alcohol tolerance and high
Final Gravities.
These two seem to be contradictory. Which is correct?
Thanks.
(Can you tell I've been saving up these questions for quite some
time? This is the last one for now, I think. Thanks again!)
Al.
Al Korzonas
Homer Glen, IL
www.brewinfo.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 15:20:38 -0400
From: "Gordon Strong" <strongg@voyager.net>
Subject: Competition Announcement: Dayton Beerfest, Sept 13th
Entries are now being accepted for the 8th Dayton (Ohio) Beerfest. The
competition will be held on September 13th; entries are due by September
6th. All details are on our web site:
http://hbd.org/draft/daybeerfest.html. Quick summary: Easy online entry, no
recipe, 2 bottles, $5, any type of bottles including draft packaging, enter
sub-categories as often as you want (only top-scoring is eligible for prize
in a single sub-category). All 1999 BJCP styles accepted including mead and
cider. Nice wooden plaques for category winners (ribbons for 2nd/3rd).
Gordon Strong
Dayton Regional Amateur Fermentation Technologists
strongg@earthlink.net
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 22:06:51 +0200
From: "Lee and Ant Hayes" <anleo@worldonline.co.za>
Subject: Where is Miss Manners when you need her?
Lou King asks, "when is it and is it not appropriate to bring homebrew to a
party?"
It is always appropriate to bring home brew to a party. The more pertinent
question is:
"When is appropriate to let others know that you have brought homebrew to a
party?"
My strategy is to leave my coolbox in the car initially. I then scout out
what is available, usually bland lager of some sort.
I then drink a Coke and strike up a conversation with someone who looks like
s/he might like beer.
We commiserate about society's poor taste in beer, and then I mention that I
have real beer in my car boot.
It becomes our secret, I fetch my cool box, we crack a good one or two.
When my wife gives me the evil eye, I tell her that it was my new friend's
idea.
Ant Hayes
Gauteng
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 17:04:42 -0500
From: "Doug Hurst" <dougbeer2000@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Potato Beer
Phil Wilcox looked at his large potato harvest then at his brewing equipment
and, like many of us, thought "could I brew with that?" Then he wondered
how many pts/lb/gallon he'll get from them if used in a beer. I don't know
why potato beer isn't more common. I mean, potatoes seem like a perfect
adjunct. Perhaps the low yield per pound is problematic (see below).
My second annual Lammas Potato Beer is currently in the secondary fermenter.
Last year I used four lbs of potatoes and got a subtle potato flavor in a
light ale. This year I upped the ante and put 6lbs in the mash. I shred
the potatoes (with skins intact for more flavor) in a processor, then boil
them for about 15 minutes. They supposedly gelatinize at mash temps but I
felt more comfortable boiling them first. I seem to have good luck with a
two step infusion mash: 20 minutes at 125F and 60 minutes at 150F. The
early taste test (upon transfer to secondary) revealed a pleasing light ale
with a much more pronounced potato flavor than last year's. I'll wait until
it's actually finished before I come to a final decision, but 6lbs may have
imparted a little too much potato flavor.
As for pts/lb/gal the only info I've found was the following web site which
stated:
"One other point to remember is that potatoes are largely water, meaning
that only a small percentage (maybe 10-20%) of the weight you add is
convertible starch. I get ~5-6 pts/lb/gal. from one pound of potatoes. It's
not much."
http://www.geocities.com/willboyne/nosurrender/SpudBrew.html
See also:
http://brewery.org/brewery/library/Potato.html
Hope this helps,
Doug Hurst
Chicago, IL
[197.5, 264.8] Apparent Rennerian
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 17:38:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Alex Hazlett <alexdhaze@yahoo.com>
Subject: Things to see/drink in Denver?
I'm going to be in Denver for a week from Friday,
and I wondered if anyone could suggest beer or
brewing-related places to visit in the Denver area...
- --besides the Coors plant :)--
Thanks for any help,
Alex Hazlett
(Long-time lurker, dropped offlist last year as school
got hectic, just rejoined the list...)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 20:16:52 -0500
From: "the Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty" <mikey@swampgas.com>
Subject: re: yeast stirring
> Anyone out there utilize a laboratory magnetic stir plate
> to continuously stirtheir starters while stepping-up?
> I've heard they increase cell counts, but I'd like to
> know if this is true. Thinking about getting a
> stir-plate setup, is it worth the expense??
I use a stir plate pretty routinely, and have done side-by side quick
and dirty comparisons of cell counts of small startes prepared with
and without stir plates (counts were done via a hemacytometer). Over
the course of the three "experiments" I ran, I found cell counts in
the starters grown on a stir plate to be roughly double starters grown
using the just-swirl-the-flask-when-I-think-about-it method. The
latter got around 60 million cells/ml; the former (stir plate) around
120-125 million cells/ml.
The doubled cell count is definitely worth it for me -- I like to
pitch lagers at close-to-commercial pitching rates -- although I only
paid about $10 for my stir plate from a Canadian scientific surplus
outfit. Check ebay, labx or other auction sites for bargains.
Definitely don't buy one new -- they can be quite expensive.
Hope that helps -- taFkaks
====
Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web:
http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 22:34:12 -0400
From: Ken Schramm <schramk@mail.resa.net>
Subject: Dr. Cone 2003 - Mead query
Dr. Cone, it is a privilege to be able to seek your counsel.
I am curious about mead fermentations. I understand that the low
nutrient content of mead musts necessitate nutrient addition(s) to
insure vigorous and healthy fermentations. I also understand that
staged additions of these nutrients over several days can improve the
performance of the yeast. In certain Lallemand strains, including one of
my favorites, 71B-1122, the reference chart indicates that this strain
has a low tolerance for O2 additions after the initial aeration. Is it
best practice in the case of low O2 tolerance to continue using a staged
introduction of nutrients or to go with a single nutrient load at the
front end?
I am also interesting in knowing what deficiencies in nutrient levels
lead to fusel alcohol production in wine or mead fermentations. Can
specific levels of given free amino acids be tied to production of the
higher alcohols so seemingly common in mead fermentations?
I see you have many brewers seeking your advice, so I will leave more
questions for a later date, if you have the time.
Thanks very much for this valuable service.
Ken Schramm
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End of HOMEBREW Digest #4322, 08/13/03
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