HOMEBREW Digest #1374 Thu 17 March 1994

Digest #1373 Digest #1375


	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor


Contents:
  re: Broken bottle when capping! (Dick Dunn)
  Mint Mead? or Beer? (Jim Sims)
  Thomas Hardy Clone (all-grain) (Stephen P Klump)
  Home Kegging System (rprice)
  Hop Utilization and High Gravity Boil (GNT_TOX_)
  Re: How many shoots? ("Edward F. Loewenstein")
  single vs 2 stage fermentation (Shawn M Landry)
  I can't believe they're not IBUs (Darren Aaberge)
  post, part 1/1 (Gregg Tennefoss)
  re: Busted while Bottling... ("Glen A. Wagnecz, X6616")
  Priming with dried malt extract ("PETER WILLIAMS")
  RE:MASHING (greg.demkowicz)
  Thanks....I crave for more information. (EVERSTEN)
  My weizenbier (GNT_TOX_)
  Norm Pyle's Questions (Mark Garetz)
  Further "Ice Beer" Ruminations. (Ash Baker)
  Re:  Broken bottle when capping! (mgerard)
  extract recipes/beginner Q's/Stuck ferment? (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
  info and subscription (pyroarts)
  Maple Syrup/Sap In Beer (Shafer, George N.)
  Do deer eat hop plants? (Dru Sutton)
  AHA Style Guidelines Online? (npyle)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 Mar 94 23:53:28 MST (Tue) From: rcd at raven.eklektix.com (Dick Dunn) Subject: re: Broken bottle when capping! Thomas Aylesworth writes about a capping problem: > ...on the third to last > bottle, the neck broke in my capper!... So it sounds like most of the bottles worked OK; this is in favor of the capper being OK. > half refillable bar bottles and half non-refillable microbrew bottles > (Sam Adams, Celis, Dominion, etc.). The one that broke was one of > the non-refillables. Also, my capper is one of the double-lever kinds. The double-lever capper does grab the neck; a floor model doesn't do that so it's easier on the bottle. Still, the double-lever doesn't pull all that hard. > I was just starting to become convinced that the non-refillable brown > long necks were just as good as the others, especially after reading > it in a Zymurgy article in the current issue, but now I'm not so sure. The best you'll get is anecdotal evidence, of course...but FWIW, all the evidence I've gathered (self and brewfriends) says the non-returnable longnecks work fine. > Does anyone out there agree with me that it was probably the bottle? Yes, but that's still not an indictment of that *style* of bottle, more likely only the particular bottle. Remember that even commercial breweries have an occasional broken bottle--very rare, of course, but it does happen. Possibilities: Bottle was misshapen or weak to start with. Bottle had been whacked enough to start a crack. If your capper has metal jaws without the plastic inset on the neck-gripper, check to see if you've built up a burr around the jaws. I found it happens with mine after a few hundred cappings, and it needs to be dressed a bit. A machinist's scraper, burnisher, or (with care) half-round file will let you knock off the burr and chamfer it slightly. It only needs a tiny bit. - --- Dick Dunn rcd at eklektix.com -or- raven!rcd Boulder, Colorado USA ...Mr Natural says, "Get the right tool for the job!" Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 08:15:25 EST From: sims at scra.org (Jim Sims) Subject: Mint Mead? or Beer? The local grocery has freah mint leaves. I _love_ mint and am wondering about brewing a mint mead. Any ideas on how much mint to use per gallon of water/lb of mead? I usually boil the water, etc for 10-15 minutes, remove from heat, add the honey and let it steep 20 minutes before chilling and pitching yeast. I'm imagining i'd add the mint leaves along with the honey. Any easy way to sanitize the leaves? I'm guessing i'd treat them like fruit i've added to the secondary - rinse with NAmeta-bi-sulfite, or whatever that stuff is in Campden tabs.... thanks, jim Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 9:08:45 EST From: Stephen P Klump <sklump at magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> Subject: Thomas Hardy Clone (all-grain) Howdy all, In response to Troy Downing`s request for Thomas Hardy's ale, I will give my recipie. The distinction of TH`s is that "pineapple-ester" flavour that is found nowhere else. My recipie does give that aroma... For a 3 gallon batch: 15 lbs pale-ale malt (M&F from England) 2 lbs lt brown sugar Hops: Chinook for boil ca 25HBU Fuggles for finish ca 1 oz 2 mins Chinook 1/8 Dry hop Fuggles 1/4 Dry hop The hopping is from memeory as I dont have my notebook with me. (not that it would help either :) Mash: 15 qts water mashin 130 raise to 158 F. Hold for 1.5 h Sparge with 30 qts at 170 F. Add gypsum 1 tsp. Boil FOREVER (about 6 hours) add bittering hops 60 min before end of boil (you have to figure out when that is based on your boiling rate, I had a cloud of fog in my house for 3 days after this boil off) Wort should be 3.5-4 gallons gravity approx 1.130-1.145 Yeast: 1028 wyeast After 7 days, rack into 5 gallon carbouy and pitch champagne yeast let ferment 4-6 days, then rack into 3 gallon carbouy (if you dont have one, flush a 5 gallon with dry ice to remove oxygen Dry hop with hop bag for 2 weeks. remove hop bag, let sit additional month. Bottle: I had very little carbonation - add some champagne yeast when bottling. Use cornsugar to prime 1/3 cup. NOTE: this recipie won 1st prize in the barley wine category at a local competion (scored a 42) and would have won best of show if it had been carbonated (judges' comments) Also, I repeated this recipie using crystal malt instead of br sugar, and it did not have the pineapple flavour :( Howver, I was able to take a SG 1.149 (first batch was without hydrometer) My first batch came out the color of a pale ale, the second was dark brown could have been the crystal...i`ll let you know when I make it a third time... Cheers! Stephen Chemist for Hire | Decadence requires application! Will Recrystalize for Food! | -R J Green ****************************| The average dog is nicer than Klump.2 at osu.edu | the average person. -A Rooney Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 09:13:41 -0500 From: rprice at cbmse.nrl.navy.mil Subject: Home Kegging System Corey Janecky writes How much can I expect to have to spend for a home kegging system. I have tried pony kegs, and the full tap/CO2 setup, the common British Keg system with CO2 bottles and the "party keg" system, with brew king dispenser. I love the party keg system, the size of each container is 5 liters (about a weeks supply of pints for me and the misses, beer bread, steak and ale pie, guests etc.(on average). The entire system to do about 25 liters of brew should run you less then $50.00, if you purchase the cans empty. They fit on the shelf of the reefer and don't take up much more than a bottle of milk. So the other half doesn't get too upset. I prime the kegs with about 3 tablespoons of invert syrup and seem to get a nice finish. I use the small CO2 squibs as the large ones make my ales too high in gas. Taking along homebrew to parties is very easy, and the "kegs" are easy to keep clean. An added bonus here is that you can also buy a range of German Beers in these kegs and they range about $14.00 a keg in our area. I also can picked up the dispensor at our local store and they stock the CO2 squibs. This is cheap, easy to work with, portable for parties, and overall pleasing to the other half for it doesn't get in the way. I only open one keg at a crack, so the others just hang out and age till needed. You can also pruchase the system from American Brewmaster in Raleigh, NC (usual disclaimer). Another advantage is that if you want to try a range of recipie variations you can do so in 5 liter batches, and devote a keg to each without having many problems. I just hate to clean and bottle beer when I can do it easily with a party keg. You can try it out for $15.00 by purchase of a keg, which includes a hand air pump, not the best way but not bad, then if you feel like investing further you simply purchase more cans (full or empty at about $5.00) and the CO2 based dispenser for about $25.00. Happy Kegging ! Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 10:10 EST From: <GNT_TOX_%ALLOY.BITNET at PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU> Subject: Hop Utilization and High Gravity Boil I can see mark Garetz's opinion that the gravity of the boiling wort does not affect alpha acid utilization. The alpha acids in wort are not water soluble, and in thew wort they are isomerized. You have to realize that neither the wort nor the boil isomerize the alpha acids, it's direct heat! Once the alpha acids are isomerized, they are water soluble and go right in. Sure the higher gravity boil has more stuff in it, but the amount utilization lost due to high gravity has got to be very small. If you're that worried about it, cover the brew kettle at the end of the boil and let it sit a good 15 minutes for the rest of the iso-alpha acidsto go into solution. The important thing to remember is that wort gravity does not affect the formation of iso-alpha-acids, the amount of heat does. The only thing that wort gravity will affect is the iso-alpha-acids going into solution, which can be modified by leaving the stuff sit for a while before turning on the wort chiller. Andy Pastuszak Philadelphia, PA Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 09:06:25 CST From: "Edward F. Loewenstein" <SNREDLOW at MIZZOU1.missouri.edu> Subject: Re: How many shoots? Hops, more hops, I truely love this time of year!!! Rich Larsen asked about the number of hop bines to allow to develop during the second year since establishment. FWIW, I am not a commercial hop grower, but I am a research forester and therefore I hope, know something about plants in general. That said, you be the judge of the following advice. More bines = more leaf area; more leaf area = more photosynthate production; photosynthate = stored energy. Plants use their stored energy for three things: 1) respiration (maintenance of existing tissue), 2) growth/storage (shoots and roots), 3) reproduction. As hop growers/homebrewers, we are primarily interested in #3, however, a plant will not invest energy in reproduction (in most cases), if it does not have the necessary resources for #1. In a plant like hops, the storage function is supplied by the root system since the shoots die back to the ground each year. Therefore, until the plant is well established with a vigorous, healthy, large root system, my suggestion is to train each and every bine that appears so long as you can do this without overcrowding (self shading). Once you have a good root system you can then reduce the number of bines you allow to grow so that the stored carbohydrates in the root system are not used for large amounts of vegetative growth, but are utilized for cone production (reproduction). Hope this helps, Ed SNREDLOW at MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 10:25:16 -0500 (EST) From: Shawn M Landry <smlandry at christa.unh.edu> Subject: single vs 2 stage fermentation I've been brewing for about six years and have always used single stage fermentation. With some exceptions, I have been very happy with the beer I've brewed. I now keg my beer using the standard soda kegs and the quality of my brew has improved even more. Some day I want to experiment much more with mashing and other brewing techniques,but right now the small kitchen with wooden floors in my apartment somewhat prevent me from wanting to make a real mess. The single stage fermentation then right into the keg makes little mess and good beer. Can anyone convince me why I should use a double stage fermentation process? Thanks, +=====================================+======================================+ | Shawn Landry | E-Mail:SMLandry at christa.unh.edu | | UNH Recycling Office | Fax: (603) 862-0139 | | Grounds & Roads Dept. | Phone: (603) 862-3100 | | Durham, NH 03824 | | +=====================================+======================================+ Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 08:51 From: DRA.SMTMHS%smtmhs at sharpwa.com (Darren Aaberge) Subject: I can't believe they're not IBUs A while back Norm Pyle had mentioned that Byron Burch gives hop utilization numbers for Dry Hopping (something like 5%). Burch states in his book that he bases his utilization numbers on the method used by the American Society of Brewing Chemists. If I remember right, at the time it was thought that the ASBC measures IBUs and does not calculate them. Anyway, in the book "Scotch Ale" by Greg Noonan it states: Commercial brewers measure the bitterness in the finished beer to avoid inaccuracy introduced by these variables. International Bittering Units (IBUs) measure isomerized alpha acids; Bitterness Units (BUs) measure the total bittering substances, which includes oxidized beta acids. The latter is the method used by the American Society of Brewing Chemists. It is more accurate because it measures the broader spectrum of bittering substances, and thus permits more exact repetition from brew to brew. So, I believe that Burch must be accounting for some amount of oxidized beta acids in the hops used for dry hopping (are oxidized beta acids soluable without being boiled?). Of course, this may be totally useless to homebrewers if we cannot measure the amount of oxidized beta acids in our hops. Any comments? Darren Aaberge Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 94 14:52 EST From: greggt at infi.net (Gregg Tennefoss) Subject: post, part 1/1 #!/bin/sh # # This is a self-extracting shell archive of the binary file "post". # Created on Mon Mar 7 14:52:26 EST 1994 by mail-bin, revision 2.1. # # To decode with /bin/sh, remove everything before the /bin/sh and feed # each piece as input to /bin/sh. When all the pieces have been # processed, the archive will automatically concatenate the pieces and # uudecode them to produce post. If successful, it will remove all # uuencoded pieces. Alternatively, the archive(s) may be processed with # no editing by the unshar program. # # If you do not have /bin/sh or unix, you may decode by removing # everthing before/after the lines beginning with the word BEGIN/END, # respectively, in each piece. 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Removing uuencoded pieces. rm $pfile.[0-9]* fi exit 0 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 12:02:58 EST From: "Glen A. Wagnecz, X6616" <wagnecz at PICA.ARMY.MIL> Subject: re: Busted while Bottling... Just thought I'd add to the bottle capper discussion. I have a Bench capper (arbor style), which I chose for the following reasons: 1. I don't like the idea of making what in a worse case scenario can be "point contact loading" on a material like glass. (Wad he say???) The lever cappers that I've seen essential grip the underside of cap area using two semi-circles. Any mismatch or out of round condition on either of these two semi circles (or the bottle for that matter) reduces the maximum contact area from a circle to at worse jsut several points on a circle. The arbor, on the other hand, applies the load across the entire base of the bottle, and reduces the force per unit area (more evenly distributes the load). All else is the same (e.g. the same contact is made on the cap-side of both presses). 2. Dealing with different size bottles is not that bad if approached properly. I use about 80% non-returnables from the town recycling center. You will find that the people who run these centers, as soon as they find out why you want their bottles, are extremely receptive ("Hey, make sure you come back on thursday, that's when we get the most brown!). I've found about four sizes that range from the Hienecken (sp?) as the smallest to the John Courage type (largest). Arrange your bottles by size beforehand! Then if you have to adjust for size by the case, for example, it's not as bad. Mine's easy to adjust anyhow, pull a pin, slide up/slide down, re-lock pin. 3. Bottle quality. I worry (er hum, am concerned) more about the quality of the individual bottle than whether or not its a returnable or not. I will Sh*t-Can any bottle that shows any nick in the cap area, even if its a pinhead-sized spot. ANY DEFECT IS A POTENTIAL STRESS RISER (crack initiation site) and should be discarded. Look for any spot that does not exhibit the smooth glassy appearance of melted glass (telltale is a white dull spot). Hope this helps- Glen Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 13:16:44 AST From: "PETER WILLIAMS" <peter.williams at acadiau.ca> Subject: Priming with dried malt extract I have tried priming with dried malt extract rather than corn sugar in the hope that I would get a more pleasing carbonation. I consulted Papazian's book on the matter and used the amount suggested there. The result was a rather flat beer. I have to admit that I tried this with dried malt extract purchased at the local health food store. 1) Is this type of extract any different than what I would get from my homebrew supplier? 2) Can anybody suggest a suitable amount to try next time? 3) Does priming with malt make a significant difference to the quality of the brew? 4) Any other comments on this are welcome. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 12:33:28 -0500 [EST] From: greg.demkowicz at circellar.com Subject: RE:MASHING Jim writes: >What is the best way to implement a mashing vessel using a 15.5 SS >keg. The three options I am considering are: > > 1) False Stainless Steel bottom > 2) A copper ring that sits in the bottom and has small slits in it. > 3) An "Easy Masher" type installation with a screen. > >I will be using propane type cookers for a heat source and I am concerned >about scorching. Should I not be adding heat to maintain temp or during >mashout ? How do people do step infusion with a propane cooker ? >What is the maximum BTU rating I should look for when buying a cooker, >what is the minimum. For my 15.5 mashing vessel, I used a high speed air grinder to cut a 13-14" hole in the top of the keg. (You can also use a hacksaw blade, but it will take you 4 hours, or bring the keg to a local auto muffler shop, and for $15, they will cut it for you). Do not cut off the keg handles! You will need them to lift the keg! Next, drill a hole in the side of the keg, as close to the bottom as possible. Make the hole suitable for a 1/2" pipe thread, SS, drain pipe. Allow for about 2" of exposed pipe, BOTH inside and outside the keg. Either mig weld in place, or secure with SS nuts, and Teflon washers (welding works best, see the past HBD's for some hints). An easymasher type of screen can be fitted around the piece of pipe on the inside of the keg, and held in place with an all SS hose clamp. Do not use a false bottom (unless you are doing a RIMS setup.) as you will surley scorch the wort on the bottom. If you are doing a RIMS, only a perforated SS plate, at least .0625" thick, and at least .085" holes, for the false bottom. Anything less, including just a SS screen will not support the suction created by the RIMS pump. Magnetic drive pumps, such as the TEEL can be obtained from Grainger as p/n: 1P677 for $81.32. Of course a speed control is also needed You will also have to move the drain pipe to the bottom center, perpendicular to the bottom of the keg, for best results. On the drain pipe outlet, a ball valve w/100% opening works well. You will most likley have to insulate the keg w/the same material used on water heaters (about $6.00 from Home Depot). BE CAREFUL TO AVOID THE FLAME FROM BURNING THE INSULATION!!! Use only low heat. Recirculate the wort for step mashing. An adjustable 160,000 BTU heater works well for boiling, and can be set low enough for Mashing. >When using a false bottom, should you try to minimize the area under >the SS plate by using a plate that rests in the bottom curved portion >of the keg? (I have found some 10" SS dinner plates in a camping store A 14" dia. false bottom will require 1.75 qts. of foundation water. This system has worked well for me, after much trial and error. Standard disclaimers apply. Don't do/use this without experianced supervision! Greg Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 12:21:24 -0500 (CDT) From: EVERSTEN at VAX2.Winona.MSUS.EDU Subject: Thanks....I crave for more information. I'd like to thank everyone for responding to my "how do I get started?" listing. It pleases me to know that home brewers are such a helpful bunch of guys. One thing I'd like to get more info. on is addresses for shops selling supplies (your favorite shop with a helpful guy to sell a first timer a kit). I live in Winona, Minnesota. I'll list my actual home address as well in case there are any capitalist brewer/shop owners who want to jump on the bandwagon. Thanks, Tad Salyards 420 Main Street Winona, Mn 55987 eversten at vax2.winona.msus.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 13:44 EST From: <GNT_TOX_%ALLOY.BITNET at PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU> Subject: My weizenbier I'd like to thank everyone who responded to my question on the low O.G. of my wort. Turns out I didn't mix well at all. Anyway, I need to share my observations on the new Wyeast Bavrian Yeast(the baby without the smack pack.) Boy does baby go. I hooked up a blow off and put it in a 1 liter bottle that has a 4 1/2 diameter. Yesterday there was 1 inch of yeast sediment in the blowoff and the bottle was full! After 4 days I thought the beer would have fallen back down so I took off the blowoff and put on a fermentation lock. 2 hours later the lock was blown off and there was foam all over the floor. Great clove and banana scent! This yeast just keeps on truckin! Anyone have similar experience with this yeast? Andy Pastuszak Philadelphia, PA INTERNET: GNT_TOX_%ALLOY.BITNET at PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU BITNET: GNT_TOX_ at ALLOY.BITNET Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 94 15:05:14 PST From: Mark Garetz <mgaretz at hoptech.com> Subject: Norm Pyle's Questions Norm Pyle asks the next obvious question, paraphrasing, "OK Garetz, if the boil gravity doesn't matter, then why do extract brewers that do partial boils get worse utilization?" The reason lies in the fact that hops are utilized less efficiently at higher hopping rates. When you do a partial boil, your effective hopping rate during the boil is much higher than it would be if you were doing a full boil. An example will make this clearer: If I put 50 grams of 5% alpha hops in 20 liters of wort, I have added 2.5 grams of alpha acids or 2500 milligrams, total. In milligrams per liter (mg/l) that is 125 mg/l of alpha acids (2500/20=125). If I put in the same amount of hops but cut the boil volume in half, I have now doubled my hopping rate to 250 mg/l. And the hops will be utilized less efficiently at 250 mg/l than at 125 mg/l. So even though we are applying a correction for the higher wort gravity (when we use Rager's formula) we are really applying a correction factor for the higher hopping rate. The good news is that the factor Rager chose seems to work for most beers and brewers, even though it works for the wrong reasons. So for full volume boils where the beer has a high SG, the gravity correction does it's job correctly. For partial boils where the gravity will be diluted to normal SGs the factor corrects for the high hopping rate during the boil. It is when these two factors combine (high hopping rate and high SG) that the correction factor should be off the mark. These are my interpretations of the data in the only reference I could find on the subject ("The Losses of Bitter Substances During Fermentation" by Laws, McGuinness and Rennie, published in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Vol. 78, 1972) and the various studies that show poorer utilization as hopping rate increases and applying it to the problem of why Rager's formula works when it shouldn't. I think it was Norm that also questioned the "oxidation" of the iso substances since there is a CO2 blanket there (theoretically). I too thought this was weird, but that's what the paper (above) states. They claimed to have spectroscopic evidence that oxidation was taking place. The explanation may lie in the fact that we are talking about an effect that happens in the first 18 hours of active fermentation, when there would still be a lot of oxygen in the head space and also in the wort itself. This is just conjecture on my part. Norm also questioned if they used open fermenters. I looked and couldn't find any mention of open vs. closed fermenters, but I also might have missed it. I would say a good bet is that they were because they were doing a lot of skimming, sampling and stirring back of the head. Mark Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 14:45:32 EST From: Ash Baker <3AVHB at QUCDN.QUEENSU.CA> Subject: Further "Ice Beer" Ruminations. Lessee... as I understand it, the big breweries are "ice brewing" their beer, that is, lowering the temperature, taking out the ice crystals, and ending up with a beer with more concentrated flavour and alcohol. Even forgetting their blatant lies about having "invented" the process, I wonder if anyone has considered this: THEY'RE ALL BREWED FROM A HIGH-GRAVITY ANYWAY. Sorry about the shouting, but there it is. Labatt's makes a batch from, say, 1073, and gets something with 8% alcohol, by volume. Then they dilute it to 5%, _and then "ice-brew" it back up to 6%_. Am I the only one who suspects that this is a little more trouble than the majors would be willing to go to? If you want a beer with more concentrated (adjunct) flavours and higher alcohol, would you go to the expense of "ice"ing it, after it had been diluted down from a high gravity, or would you just dilute it less and lie to the customer? There's something fishy going on here, folks. Ash Baker (3avhb at qucdn.queensu.ca) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 11:50:09 -0500 From: mgerard at engin.umich.edu Subject: Re: Broken bottle when capping! I have had a refillable 'blow up' after capping. It split down the seam and all the beer leaked out : ( I didnt see it happen but there was no broken glass so I don't think it would pose a real safety threat. Mike Return to table of contents
Date: 16 Mar 94 20:58:00 GMT From: korz at iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583) Subject: extract recipes/beginner Q's/Stuck ferment? Todd writes: >Here are some recipes I just got from my local brew supply store for extract >brewers. I thought readers might like these.. I have not tried all of these >yet myself. These recipes were develop by the owner of the homebrew supply <snip> <recipes deleted to save space> >BECK'S LIGHT >BECK's DARK >BASS ALE >KILLIAN'S RED >PETE'S WICKED ALE >SAM ADAMS >HARP >SARANAC Three comments: 1. Since the %AA of the hops were not listed, the resulting beer could vary quite widely. I suggest that you ask your HB retailer to give the %AA of the hops in the future. 2. Fermentation temperatures are not given. Again, a recipe that made Bass Ale at 68F might make Pete's Wicked Lager at 50F (if the yeast you use can handle it). 3. The strain of yeast is not listed. It is possible, that the beers that were made with these recipes tasted just like the originals, but would taste completely different if a different yeast was used. In my opinion, yeast plays the most important role in the flavor of a beer except for the obvious (additions of black malt to a pale beer, etc.). I urge you to try the same recipe with two different yeasts and see if you don't agree. The difference will be much greater than you think. >Doppelbock > >1 can Ireks Amber >2 cans Unhopped Amber Extract >1 lb Crystal Malt >2 cups Chocolate Malt >1 cup Roasted Barley >4 1/2 oz Hallertau hops >lager yeast > <snip> I'm afraid I must strongly disagree that this will make anything resembling a Doppelbock. The Roasted Barley is completely out of place for this style. I don't think any German breweries would put unmalted barley, roasted or not, in a beer. ********* Jack Boatman writes: >I will be using a 5 gallon carboy, closed w/blow-off, single stage process, >starting with a Coopers real ale kit (3.75#) and an additional 3# of bulk >laegander light (syrup). This "recipe" was suggested by the brew supply store. >I plan to ignore the instructions in the kit since they don't agree with what >I've read and call for lots of white sugar. I do not plan to use any sugar >(except some corn sugar for pitching to bottles). If you add unhopped syrup and do not add additional hops, the hops in the Coopers kit will not provide enough bitterness to make this a balanced beer. The kit works when you add corn sugar (I've tasted it this way and it makes a surprisingly good brew, actually) because the corn sugar will not add any residual sweetness -- just alcohol. >1) What's the best way to store my 3# of bulk malt extract syrup since I won't In the fridge. >2) Does it make much difference how much water is used in the wort considering > that I'll be adding the wort to water anyways? Obviously I'm not going to > try and boil syrup; I'll probably add about 1.5 gallon water - my concern is > how do I make sure that I don't put too much water in the carboy, and then > not have enough room in the carboy for all of the wort. Add some water to the carboy, add the wort and then top up. I suggest that you should pre-boil and then chill your cold water to sanitize it and to boil off chlorine. >3) I know that fermenting is sensitive to temperature, but how senstive? > My basement seems to be about 58 degrees F. Is this too cold? What about > right after after bottling? What about storage? It will be too cold for making an ale. I've never fermented the Coopers yeast that cold and it might actually work, but if you're trying to make ale, then you should ferment between 60 and 70F. >4) How do I get a hydrometer sample out of the carboy? siphon? Should I worry > about SG for my first batch, or should I just let it blow a couple days and > then let it ferment a couple weeks? Yes, siphon or they make something that looks like a glass turkey baster without the bulb -- you sanitize it, dip it in, cover the top with your thumb and then remove your sample. I don't use gravity as my deciding factor when to bottle except for very strong beers, like Barleywine. With a standard gravity beer, I just wait for the airlock to slow to 1 bubble every 2 min and then bottle. If you don't have any wide temperature swings and if you don't have a very low malt beer (i.e. lots of corn sugar) the yeast should begin, ferment and finish without any problems or intervention from the brewer. ******** Tad writes: >1) Is it possible to brew a fine beer at home (up to my european standards)? Yes, and better too. With experience, homebrewers can brew better beer than many commercial breweries throughout the world. >2) How much would a good kit cost? What would be best for my desires? The Equipment should cost between $35 and $70 depending on how advanced the equipment (plastic or glass? does it have a hydrometer? etc). Ingredients for 5 gallons (48 - 12ounce bottles) should cost between $12 and $30 depending mostly on the amount of malt in the kit. Allgrain batches, by the way, can cost as little as $5 if you buy in bulk, but I suggest you begin with extract. >3) Where do I purchase supplies? Do you have any mail order addresses? Local stores, I feel a better, assuming that the retailer knows something about brewing (there are a lot that don't). There is a mailorder FAQ, I believe. ******** David writes: >courage to start my first batch. I am using a M&F premium kit to >which I have added (per the instructions) 1.5 lbs of Amber DME. >I boiled 2 gallons of wort, then added cold water up to 5 gallons >in the fermentor. After cooling I added to supplied yeast by >sprinkling on top and stiring. >The OG was 46. I ptiched the yeast at 9pm, and by the next >morning, it was really bubbling. Vigorous fermentation continued >for 2 days then slowed down. I tookn SG reading 4 days into the the ferment >I took an SG reading that read a little over 20. This beer should have a FG >of 10. >2 days later the SG is right at 20. Is this beer stuck? Probably not -- the DME you added was probably Laaglander or "Dutch" and these two "brands" of DME have very high levels of unfermentatbles -- i.e. they will give you a high FG. >It is still very dark (it is supposed to be an amber ale). Beer will always look darker in the fermenter. >There is some gunk stuck on the sides of the fermenter (It is a >plastic bucket with an air lock on top). Is this yeast, and if >so does it need to be reincorporated into the wort. I assume it >got there when the krasen (sp?) died down. It is mostly bits of protein, but there is some yeast in there. No, you do not want to re-introduce it to the beer. >If the beer stays at 20, will it be drinkable? It will be a bit on the sweet side. Taste it. If it seems *really* too sweet, then you could add some isomerized hop extract at bottling time to raise the bitterness and balance some of the sweetness. Al. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 16:15:13 EST From: pyroarts at aol.com Subject: info and subscription I would like information on your service and subscription info as well. I would also like to post any recipes I have to your service. Thanks, Jim Stevenson Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 16:22:13 EST From: G.Shafer at mailstop.telesat.ca (Shafer, George N.) Subject: Maple Syrup/Sap In Beer There have been several references to using Maple Sap in beer. One book recommends that you use a least 1 gallon of syrup for a 5 gallon batch. It tried this and it was a little strong. I cut back to 0.5 gallons, which tasted about right to me. To make 1 gallon of maple syrup, takes about 40 gallons of sap. So using 5 gallons of sap to make beer would be the equivalent of about 0.13 gallons of syrup. I suspect the flavour would not be a strong as you might like. ---- g.shafer at mailstop.telesat.ca --- Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 13:04:55 -0800 From: Dru Sutton <dru at homebrew.xilinx.com> Subject: Do deer eat hop plants? I have just moved to an area where the deer roaming freely. I am planning to plant some hops in a sunny open spot. Do the deer enjoy eating the young plants? Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks, Dru Sutton dru at xilinx.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 94 14:41:35 MST From: npyle at n33.stortek.com Subject: AHA Style Guidelines Online? Does anyone have the AHA style guidelines online? If it is long, which I suspect it is, email is definitely preferred. I'm looking for the standard information on each recognized style: OG, IBUs, flavor profiles, color, etc. As always, we thank you for your support. Norm npyle at n33.stortek.com Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1374, 03/17/94