Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
HOMEBREW Digest #4391
HOMEBREW Digest #4391 Tue 04 November 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:
RE: Why I stopped Brewing (Michael Hartsock)
Winning with extract... (Bev Blackwood II)
Re: Rehydrating dry yeast?? ("Drew Avis")
Re: DCL rehydration (Brian Lundeen)
RE: Beer in Philly area ("Houseman, David L")
Why I stopped brewing - Cost part of the question (Lee Ellman)
RE: toasting crsytal malt (Paul Shick)
Re: Why I Stopped Brewing ("Steven S.")
RE: Split Rock 2003 HB Competition ("Houseman, David L")
Extract/Why I Brew (rickdude02)
Re: Why I stopped Brewing: (Mark Kempisty)
Thanks to All! (Tim Spencer)
Grain Beetles & DE ("Doug Hurst")
St. Sabastiaan's Microbrewery (R.A.)" <rbarrett@ford.com>
Re: Beer in the Philly area ("Richard S. Sloan")
Re: Why I stopped Brewing (Robert Sandefer)
Re: Why I stopped Brewing ("Christopher Clair")
Re: Rehydrating dry yeast?? ("Rob Dewhirst")
Teach A Friend To Homebrew Day ("Gary Glass")
Fridge Question ("Jay Spies")
Dextrin Malt (Tim & Cindy Howe)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* The HBD Logo Store is now open! *
* http://www.hbd.org/store.html *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* 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. Note that the Digest now
automagically protects your address, so spam-proofing is a waste of
your time, anyway :^)
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.
JANITORS on duty: Pat Babcock and Spencer Thomas (janitor@hbd.org)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 06:27:09 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Hartsock <xd_haze at yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: Why I stopped Brewing
Many people have chimed in on this topic, but given
that I have a different perspective, I figured I'd
throw in my two cents.
I think it can be more economical to brew your own,
and it is party the reason why I do it. I have all
the equipment I need right now to continue to make
good homebrewed beer indefinitely for about $10-$12
for five gallons (all-grain). That's the economy of
the final product.
The hobby is a different story, since it is one of my
hobbies, I keep improving my system, making my
kegorator work and look better, and automating things
as I can. Naturally, this costs money, but It is a
choice I make as I have the extra money. But it is
not the beer itself that costs so much extra. I often
do crank out mass quanties of good cheap beer for
special events, and always have my staples on tap
(stout and APA)
Take my other hobby, fishing. I could continue to
fish the rest of my life for about $3 in bait (plus
licenses and minor maintinence like hooks and line).
But how many fishermen/women quit here? It is a
matter of enjoyment... new rods, better reels... etc,
but no one complains about the rising cost of fish
fries.
If you're looking for cheap, good beer, buy a a cheap
turkey fryer and propane tank, a couple of free five
gallon buckets, bottles from the recycling company,
hardware store tubing, and your in business. You can
get good kits with good yeast included for $20.
If you're looking for a hobby, welcome to the fold.
Good beer is one h#ll of a perk.
michael
Columbia, MO
=====
"May those who love us, love us.
And those that don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he doesn't turn their hearts,
may he turn their ankles
So we'll know them
by their limping."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 08:48:53 -0600
From: Bev Blackwood II <bdb2 at bdb2.com>
Subject: Winning with extract...
Tim asked...
> My main question: Can anyone relate an experience brewing an extract
> that produced great results?
Not from personal experience, but from firsthand knowledge of the beer
& brewer...
One of the members of the Foam Rangers produced a winning English Pale
Ale from extract that not only took 1st place at the largest single
site homebrew competition (Dixie Cup) but subsequently took 1st at MCAB
V that year, where the best of the best compete head to head.
Extract can not only produce good beer, it can produce award winning
beer.
-BDB2
Bev D. Blackwood II
http://www.bdb2.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 09:52:17 -0500
From: "Drew Avis" <andrew_avis at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Rehydrating dry yeast??
Jim asks about rehydrating DCL yeasts. DCL does seem to recommend
re-hydration, though not necessarily in water:
<http://www.dclyeast.co.uk/DCL_Main/main_brewing/craftbrew/craftbrew_directi
on.htm>
Note that they recommend even the lagers be pitched warmer than 20C.
I always (ok, almost always) rehydrate the lager strains in water. S04, T58
and K97, I just sprinkle onto the wort, and the stuff takes off - especially
the S04. It could be nicknamed "monster yeast". However, I'm certainly
pitching a very large amount to make up for any yeast dieoff from osmotic
shock. Since the MoB buys DCL yeast in bulk periodically, we get very fresh
stuff, which probably also makes a difference.
Drew Avis ~ Ottawa, Ontario
- --
http://www.strangebrew.ca
"I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and
nailing a fresh load of tadpoles to the old board of his. Then he'd spin it
round and round, like a wheel of fortune, and no matter where it stopped
he'd yell out, 'Tadpoles! Tadpoles is a winner!' We all thought he was
crazy. But then we had some growing up to do. "
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 08:54:45 -0600
From: Brian Lundeen <BLundeen at rrc.mb.ca>
Subject: Re: DCL rehydration
> Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2003 08:48:07 -0500
> From: "jim" <jimswms at cox.net>
> Subject: Rehydrating dry yeast??
>
> I heard a rumor that DCL (safale/saflager) does not recommend
> rehydrating their dried yeasts.
An ugly rumour, Jim and one that needs to be set straight.
This comes right from the DCL web site:
Rehydration Instructions
1. Add the dried yeast to approximately 10 times its own weight in water or
wort at:
27C +/- 3C for Safbrew and Safale
23C +/- 3C for Saflager
After a 15-30 minute rest, maintain a gentle stirring for another 30
minutes. Pitch into FV.
2. Alternatively, progressively sprinkle the dried yeast into the FV
providing that the temperature of the wort is above 20C. After a 15-30
minute rest, mix the wort using aeration.
Back to me: I interpret this to mean, here's what you SHOULD do, but if you
happen to be one of that segment of the home fermenting population that
unfathomably seems too stupid to follow simple rehydration instructions, you
can also get away with not doing it. IOW, they base their instruction set on
the lowest common denominator, and recognize that NOT rehydrating is better
than killing or maiming your little friends.
Dried yeast work better when properly rehydrated. Enough to make a
noticeable difference? I think that depends on your wort and fermentation
conditions. A normal gravity ale will probably do just fine with sprinkling.
As you get bigger and/or colder, seriously consider rehydrating and
acclimatizing the yeast to its intended home by gradual introduction of wort
into the yeast suspension till it gets down to within 10 degrees or so of
the wort.
Cheers
Brian, still trying to thaw out in frigid Winnipeg after a weekend of grape
crushing and pressing
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 09:19:26 -0500
From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman at unisys.com>
Subject: RE: Beer in Philly area
John,
Given that you are in Newark, DE then you really have to go to Iron Hill.
They have a places in Newark, Wilmington, West Chester and Media in PA.
Independence brewing is in Philly. I suggest getting in touch with George
Hummel at Home Sweet Homebrew in Philly since he's the purveyor of news for
the beer scene in the area. And Beer Philadelphia may is dead since Jim
Anderson moved to Scotland. Here's Jim's last missive:
This week at Beer Philadelphia we're ululating over:
BEER PHILADELPHIA R.I.P.
Huh? How much more dead could this old horse get, you may ask.
Plenty -- it's not that we're getting out of the beer business, it's just
that
after 20 years we're packing our bags and setting up shop outside of
Philadelphia.
Way outside.
As of April 1, we will be moving permanently to the Highlands of
Scotland to operate the Royal Hotel in Fortrose, just outside of
Inverness.
No kidding!
Surrounded by tricky golf courses, 3000-year-old stone structures and
real ale breweries, we'll be a few steps from the beach and a short drive
to Loch Ness, Inverness Airport and the famed Whisky Trail. We'll have
a restaurant, two cozy real-ale pubs and plenty of rooms, so come on
up and visit us!
For a peek at the operation, click here:
http://www.beerphiladelphia.com/jep/att_1.htm
As for the future of Beer Philadelphia, I'll be maintaining the Website,
enhancing it with lots of new and old beer writings, and adding brand-
new tasting notes from our adopted home.
If you want to have a last drink together, come join us at one of these
two gatherings:
- -- Wednesday March 19 at Fergie's Pub in Philadelphia from 7:30-
9:30pm.
http://www.fergies.com
- -- Saturday March 22 at Split thy Brooklyn Skull 4 from 2-6pm
http://www.beerphiladelphia.com/events/skulb_03.htm
See you there!
Yur pal --
- -- jim anderson
Dave Houseman
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 09:08:38 -0500
From: Lee Ellman <lee.ellman at cityofyonkers.com>
Subject: Why I stopped brewing - Cost part of the question
I went fishing yesterday. Caught a nice bass with my
son and his best friend. Unit cost of the fish fillet we had?
$200 a pound! Maybe more depending on how I expense
all of my fishing gear, boat, car, etc. it took me to get
to the lake to catch the little fillets! Was it worth the
cost for the afternoon's fishing with a couple of good
kids? Was it a good hobby dollar spent? Of course
it was.
I think the same about my brewing. I am pretty new to
brewing - just a couple of years - and am still in the
gee whiz stage. I continue to be amazed that I can get good
taste, bubbles, and a nice head all in my little kitchen with
just a few pieces of equipment.
With any hobby I think you need to consider the amount of
enjoyment you get out of it over the long haul. I enjoy fishing
and brewing even when I am not on the water or drinking a beer.
The time I spend thinking about the next fishing trip or what
beer I am going to make next weekend has to be included in
the calculus! On that basis I get hours of enjoyment out of my
hobbies making the cost pennies a thought rather than dollars
per bottle or per fish caught.
Relax! Have the beer of your choice.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2003 08:49:08 -0500
From: Paul Shick <shick at jcu.edu>
Subject: RE: toasting crsytal malt
Hi all,
Andy Bailey asks about toasting a light crystal
malt to get a darker one. Andy, this works quite well.
In fact, you can make your own crystal malt, toasting it
to the exact darkness you want, starting with pils or pale
ale malt. See the archives for posts from Dan Listermann
on how to do this.
Many folks have written in over the years about how
age adversely affects the falvor of crystal malts, far more
than base malts. I agree wholeheartedly. An easy "cure" for
older crystal and roasted malts is to bake them in the oven
for about 10 minutes at 300-350F, which seems to be about the
right amount of heat and time to "freshen" them up, without
adding too much more roast character. This is now my standard
procedure, whenever making a beer with anything darker than
about 30L grains in it. The reroasted grains seem to bring
more to the beer than larger quantities of older grains, without
adding any more "bite". Give it a try.
Paul Shick
Cleveland Hts, Ohio
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 08:56:41 -0500 (EST)
From: "Steven S." <steven at 403forbidden.net>
Subject: Re: Why I Stopped Brewing
I think the better question is why you start in the first place. Sadly
this year i've been on a bit of a brewing hiatus. With the purchase of a
new house, other activities intrude. When I lived in an apartment I didn't
have to take time to paint trim, mow lawn, or build out a brewery in the
basement.
So Why I Started Brewing?
1) It is cheaper, until you get the equipment habit.
2) I can brew beer I can't buy in Georgia
3) I can brew beer that is better than most of what I can buy
4) Pride in production, there IS a nice feeling when your friends like
your homebrew better than store bought.
5) A Kegerator just looks b*tchin
6) Fresh hops just smell good
7) Fermentation is just a facinating process
8) There is nothing quite like explaining a mysterious sticky spot on the
kitchen floor to SWMBO. "No I didn't spill any wort!"
9) Homebrew makes excellent xmas, birthday and wedding gifts which they
will appreciate more than a store bought trinket.
and finally
10) With four 5 gallon kegs full of beer I can survive any distaster that
might strike with the exception of running out of CO2. Who needs food
when you have beer?
Steven St.Laurent :: www.403forbidden.net
[580.2,181.4] Rennerian :: steven at 403forbidden.net
Beer, it does so much but asks so little!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 08:39:56 -0500
From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman at unisys.com>
Subject: RE: Split Rock 2003 HB Competition
Last call for the Split Rock Homebrew Competition on November 22nd, 9am
promptly, at the Split Rock Resort in the Poconos of Pennsylvania in
conjunction with their annual Micro Brew Festival. Judging will be on
Saturday AM, November 22nd. Entry fees, $5, will go to the Make-A-Wish
Foundation. This is a sanctioned competition and will use the standard
BJCP/AHA style guidelines judging all beer, mead and cider styles. Entries
should be shipped to The Resort at Split Rock, One Lake Drive, Lake Harmony,
PA 18624, Attention: Shelly Kalins Lutz, for receipt from November 12 to
November 19. Two (2) brown or green bottles with no markings are required;
please no glue or tape on the bottles -- just secure bottle identification
with rubber bands. Any standard 8.5x11 entry forms identifying the brewer
and the appropriate entry category/subcategory are acceptable. Any standard
homebrew competition entry and bottle identification forms are acceptable.
Judges and Stewards will be needed and they should contact me or Shelly
Kalins Lutz [srinfo at splitrockresort.com] to secure a position. Judges and
Stewards may hand carry their entries if they pre-register with payment and
show up at least 1/2 hour early. Checks should be made out to The Resort At
Split Rock. Judges will receive an entry to the beer festival or entry to
the beer dinner for their efforts and need to indicate which they wish when
they commit to participate. The BOS winner will receive a complementary
weekend for two at next year's Split Rock Beer Fest. But just entering
makes you a winner for helping a good cause. More information will be
available at the Split Rock web site
(http://www.splitrockresort.com/gba_homebrew.html).
David Houseman
Competition Organizer
david.houseman at verizon.net
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 10:09:07 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: rickdude02 at earthlink.net
Subject: Extract/Why I Brew
I think Tim is getting way more on this topic than he ever
expected... And now my own $0.02:
I started brewing for the same reason as Tim-- there were
no good brews available in Memphis about 12 years ago.
I had mixed results with extract and pretty quickly made
the jump to all-grain.
Then, after moving to NC, I hooked up with a bunch of
other brewers via the homebrew club. Brewing then
became much more a function of being social and sharing
skills than it was trying to make beers that I'd never seen
before.
And now, having two young sons, my own brewing reasons
seem to have changed again. Although I enjoy hanging
out with the guys when brewing is going on, I really
don't have the time that I once did. Time to return to
extracts-- and I learned something that I'd been hearing
about for a while: The quality of extracts is soooo much
better than it once was!
I am certainly brewing for reasons of economy now, but
I also actually enjoy my own beer more than a number
of other commercial beers out there. Most recently I
brewed a 15 gallon batch using extract, hops, a small
amount of specialty malt, and dry yeast. (I know many
HBD'ers are gagging at the thought of dry yeast, but it
works well for me, and since I never know when I'll get
2 hours to brew, it's really the best thing to have around.)
I think the cost of that batch was about $50 - $60.
Obviously it was no-frills, and I keg (thank God!) so I don't
have the expense of bottlecaps, but that works out to
around $8 a case on the high end for beer that I prefer.
Rick Theiner
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2003 10:40:54 -0500
From: Mark Kempisty <mskhbd at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Why I stopped Brewing:
Time Spencer notes that he stopped brewing based upon what it costs him
to brew two cases verses just buying six packs of his favorite micros.
I have been asked many times why I homebrew and besides for the joy of
creating the brew, the other part is cost, well kind of...
Tim says six packs cost him $5 to $6, that's $20 to $25 for a case.
Since I live in Pennsylvania I have to go to an establishment licensed
to serve alcohol by the drink to get a six pack (a bar normally). The
ones around me don't have extensive selections and they all charge a
premium. More like $7 a six pack for micro brews. Beverage
distributors are better and a case of micro brew is around $18. So two
cases are $36.
Now a typical batch I brew runs me $20 to $25 for ingredients. (Expect
for a sack of grain, I buy all my supplies locally.) So for the beers I
like, I'm saving $11 to $16. But, I'm not factoring in the cost of
propane for the cooker or my time. Propane alone narrows the gap by $3
or so and if I factored in my time, I'd give up the hobby because no way
am I coming out ahead.
But, that's what it is, a hobby. You do it for personal enrichment and
if you just happen to be able to turn it into a career, all the more
power to you.
Brew-on
Mark
Richboro, PA
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 07:47:57 -0800 (PST)
From: Tim Spencer <spencer_tim at yahoo.com>
Subject: Thanks to All!
All I can say is *WOW*! I received many replies, both
here and by email on my Why I Stopped Brewing post
in HBD 4389. Thanks to all - I really appreciate it!
I received may great tips on purchasing extract and
was pointed to 2-3 online shops where I can get decent
kits in the $25 range. Much better than I expected.
Many suggested giving all-grain a go; and I may, but,
before I do, I want to try an extract batch or two
using the three main tips I received.
1. Use DME as opposed to liquid extract.
2. Use liquid yeast (I know many of you told me dry
is just as good these days, so I may try that next).
3. Use fresh extract in bulk if you use liquid - much
fresher than canned extract.
As I found a shop near me in Annapolis, MD that sells
liquid in bulk, I may give them a try. Looks like you
got me hooked again-will report back on results.
Thanks all!
Tim Spencer
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2003 11:47:45 -0600
From: "Doug Hurst" <dougbeer2000 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Grain Beetles & DE
Dave Burley wrote:
"I sincerely doubt if diatomaceous earth will kill any grain beetles, but
would
like to see some documented proof."
Here's a link to a study which was done in Canada with Rusty Grain Beetles
in Barley where they applied a DE mixture called Protect-It.
"Using the probe pitfall traps, there was a 95% or greater decrease in the
total number of insects caught in the Protect-ItTM treated barley, compared
to the untreated barley, for all sampling dates."
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/research/ardi/projects/98-063.html
Here's a link to a PDF document of a study done at KSU on two species of
Flour Beetles.
http://bru.gmprc.ksu.edu/pdf/713_EcEn_93.526.pdf
Doug Hurst
Chicago, IL
[197.5, 264.8] Apparent Rennerian
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 12:56:50 -0500
From: "Barrett, Bob (R.A.)" <rbarrett at ford.com>
Subject: St. Sabastiaan's Microbrewery
Last week I asked if anyone had been to the new microbrewery
in Springhill, Florida. Manny from Clearwater, Florida responded
on October 30 with a very nice write up. We stopped twice on
Friday, October 31. First for just beers and a short tour and
then later that night for dinner and more beer.
Manny's descriptions of the beer are excellent and I agree
with him on everyone. I would also add that the 1731 Dark
has a very pleasant caramel flavor and is slightly sweet.
Novice light - light golden lager similar to Stella about 3.5% ABV
Spring hill blond - unfiltered ale similar to Leffe Blond about 5% ABV
1731 dark - double style with a light malt flavor about 5.5% ABV
Food was excellent along with the service. The only think I was
not able to do was get a sample of their yeast. Maybe next
time. Very much worth a visit. The 4th beer, a specialty, has
not been brewed yet. The brewers did not know what it would
be, but suspected something for Christmas.
We make the beer we drink!!
Bob Barrett
Ann Arbor, MI
(2.8, 103.6) Rennerian
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 10:22:24 -0800
From: "Richard S. Sloan" <rssloan at household.com>
Subject: Re: Beer in the Philly area
john biggins asked:
>>Hey guys...just moved to Newark, DE and was wondering
>>what the good places to get beer, particularly micros & brewpubs.
If you are looking for bars, pubs, beer stores, home brew stores, etc., in
a particular city, check the beerfly section at beeradvocate.com
http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/
I always check it before heading to a town on business or vacation to make
sure I know where to go for good beer.
There is also an events section listing fests, dinners, competitions
http://beeradvocate.com/events/calendar.php
Richard Sloan
La Cerveceria Casa Perro
San Diego, CA
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2003 13:52:47 -0500
From: Robert Sandefer <melamor at vzavenue.net>
Subject: Re: Why I stopped Brewing
Several of yesterday's posts responding to Tim's lament seem to try to
suggest that economy is not a reason to homebrew. I find this odd.
To my way of thinking, there are four major reasons someone could choose to
homebrew:
1. To have fun; to enjoy the process (i.e., the person likes to brew)
2. To save some money (My brewing expenses divided by production is about
$0.75 per 12-fl-oz bottle over the last year, and that is cheaper than I
can get any micro.)
3. To make products that are rare in or absent from commercial production
4. To suit one's own tastes; to make beer to please the brewer.
Any one of these is a suitable reason to brew, although I do agree that
having more than one reason will keep a brewer in the hobby better.
Personally, I started because of reasons 3 and 4 and found out about reason
1, but I don't see any harm in keeping an eye on the bottom line.
Anyway, to answer Tim's question:
I can indeed relate favorable experiences in using extract.
I agree with Tim Howe that Munton's dry malt extract is tasty.
I steep Briess specialty grains, use light Munton's dry extract, do
partial-wort boils, and pitch White Labs yeast (sometimes without a
starter; other times from a previous batch's slurry).
My base recipe for robust porter (my favorite) is:
6 lbs Munton's light dme
1 lb 80L crystal malt
.5 lb black patent
3 oz Cascade hops pellets (at 60, 30, and 5 min till end of boil)
White Labs Irish ale yeast (because I like the results)
6 fl oz corn sugar (priming)
This is a delicious recipe imho and I prefer this beer to any and every
commercial porter I have ever tasted.
Great variations include: a ginger ale (by adding 3 oz grated fresh ginger
to the start of the boil) and a raspberry porter (by steeping 5.25 lbs
raspberries at the end of the boil).
Hope this helps.
Robert Sandefer
Arlington, VA
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2003 15:32:00 -0500
From: "Christopher Clair" <buzz at netreach.net>
Subject: Re: Why I stopped Brewing
Tim,
I have yet to switch over to all grain brewing. I have been
doing extract and partial mashes for about 5 years now and
firmly believe that you can make extract beers that stack up
well with all grain. I have produced beers that people have
loved, have won competitions, even qualified for MCAB, all
with extract. You just need to use good, fresh ingredients,
have an understanding of those ingredients, and a good
brewing process (come to think of it, this is good advice
for ANY type of brewing).
Old or poorly stored extract will have negative impact on
your beer. You are also at the mercy of the extract
producer when it comes to fermentables in the extract
(control is a HUGE advantage of all grain).
Even with fresh ingredients you can produce lackluster
beers. A lot of people just grab a kit off the shelf or a
recipe off of a website. There are a lot of mediocre kits
and even more disappointing recipes out there. That is why
I learn about ingredients and design my own, trying to get
all my color from specialty grains and always using unhopped
extract with fresh hops. I pretty much stick to liquid
yeast so I can't comment on dry yeast quality (though I have
had some good ones made from dry at my club).
Finally, process can mean everything when it comes to
quality. You need to understand the whys of brewing to
understand how to improve or what to repeat. Moving to all
grain but still having a bad process will not yield a much
improved product.
Part of being a home brewer is a quest for knowledge. If
you are trying to brew it so you can save some money, than
this is not the hobby for you. But if you brew it, aren't
happy with it, then try to understand why so you can try it
again, then this is something you should try to pick up
again.
Good luck and hope you pick it up again.
Christopher Clair
West Chester, PA
http//hbd.org/buzz
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 16:30:14 -0600
From: "Rob Dewhirst" <rob at hairydogbrewery.com>
Subject: Re: Rehydrating dry yeast??
> I heard a rumor that DCL (safale/saflager) does not recommend rehydrating
> their dried yeasts. I'm just wondering if this is true, and what everybody
> thinks? I can believe it. there are dry baking yeasts available that do
not
> require rehydration. I plan on using some Safale S04 soon, and would like
to
> hear from others.
This was contrary to everything authoritative I've ever read about using dry
yeast, so I looked at the DCL web site.
Their "Directions for Use" indicate rehydration with water is optional
<http://www.dclyeast.co.uk/DCL_Main/main_brewing/craftbrew_index.htm>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 16:47:41 -0700
From: "Gary Glass" <Gary at aob.org>
Subject: Teach A Friend To Homebrew Day
I hope everyone had a great time on Teach A Friend To Homebrew Day last
Saturday. We had a blast at our site in Boulder, CO where the Fine Living
Network sent a crew down to film us. Look for the show coming in Spring of
2004--hopefully it will help to bring in even more new homebrewers.
Be sure to fill out the remittance form at
www.beertown.org/events/teach/index.html so we can track the success of the
event. Your numbers help us to promote Teach A Friend To Homebrew Day to the
media, which in turn helps us to bring in new homebrewers, which then helps
to keep this hobby going by bringing new customers to the homebrew supply
shops and new members to the homebrew clubs--nice run on, eh?
Thanks for your participation!
Gary
Gary Glass, Project Coordinator
American Homebrewers Association
888-U-CAN-BREW
(303) 447-0816 x 121
gary at aob.org
www.beertown.org
Boulder, CO
[1126.8, 262] Rennerian
- ---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.534 / Virus Database: 329 - Release Date: 10/31/2003
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 18:58:42 -0500
From: "Jay Spies" <jayspies at citywidehomeloans.com>
Subject: Fridge Question
All -
First, thanks for the many replies to my question on SafLAGER dried yeasts -
used them on Sunday to pitch into 10 gallons of North German Pilsner
wort....we'll see how it turns out. Now, on to my question:
I have a dedicated refrigerator for fermentation and for this particular
batch I have it set for 48 degrees. Things seem to be bumping along nicely.
My problem is this: my fridge has a hard time getting down below about 38
degrees for cold conditioning (I use a Ranco controller to cycle the
fridge...) The freezer compartment is for the most part unused during
fermentation (and most other times as well). Since my coolant lines run up
the back of the fridge, would it be problematic to cut a 2" or so hole in
between the freezer and fridge compartments to let the cold freezer air flow
down into the fridge and basically turn the whole thing into a freezer? The
Ranco would prevent freeze-ups (the sensor sits in a thermowell that's
immersed in the wort). When I'm dropping beers to 32 to floc out the yeast
and condition, I could open the hole up, and when I want to keep the fridge
warmer I'd plug it up with a big stopper or something. PVC pipe cut to size
and cemented in place in the hole would keep moisture from getting to the
insulation.....
Any reason anyone can thnk of why this scenario wouldn't work? I'm
basically an idiot on how a refrigerator works, so anyone versed enough in
fridge tech to help me out with some info or to poke holes in my ideas would
be appreciated... Don't want to cut a hole in my refrigerator and then have
to ask the collective "Is My Fridge Ruined?"
TIA,
Jay Spies
Charm City Altobrewery
Baltimore, MD
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2003 22:48:45 -0500
From: Tim & Cindy Howe <howe at execulink.com>
Subject: Dextrin Malt
A few years back (when the Big Brew was the SNPA clone) I needed some
dextrin malt, and the local HBSS sourced some for me. This stuff looked
like rock salt on the inside - crystal malt with no colour - and it made
great beer, for those recipes where you want the sugar but no colour. I
used it in a few recipes.....but, when I went to get more, none was to be
had, and long story short, this shop is now a Walmart. So the question is,
has anyone stumbled across this stuff, know who malts it, and where it can
be purchased? I've tried the carafoam which has been touted as a
replacement for dextrin/carapils but I don't like it nearly as well. Any
help appreciated....
Thanks,
Tim
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #4391, 11/04/03
*************************************
-------
