HOMEBREW Digest #1429 Sat 21 May 1994

Digest #1428 Digest #1430


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


Contents:
  Some newbie questions (DARREN TYSON)
  Hmmm...... (Mitch Pirtle)
  Lager still fermenting (MELOTH MICHAEL S)
  Two Liter Ceramic Top Bottles (COMBESWM)
  Re: Spruce/Ginger/Herb Additives & Grape Nuts (gahaasx0)
  Fermentation Temps (perkins)
  Hand-to-mouth/infected Steam?/B-Brite Sanitizer?/Fermentability+Temp (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
  Mead article/Fancy yeasts?/ideal crush/AHA conf. schedule (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
  belgium ales (David Kreinheder)
  NDN:Homebrew Digest #1428 (May 20, 1994) (network_manager)
  Force carbonating (Pat Anderson)
  Mead article - help (John DeCarlo              x7116          )
  Re: Low T ale ferments (bickham)
  BrewTek Yeasties (and a recipe) (Al Folsom)
  Fridge Thermostats (Steve Hodgdon)
  Sucking siphons (S29033)
  Ayinger -- how?? (Spencer.W.Thomas)
  Maltmill vs Wheat Malt (kesicki)
  women in brewing (BTEditor)
  Beer as food, head retention, blowoff (Nancy.Renner)
  AHA conference schedule (Bob Jones)
  Re: keg pressure gauge (Jeff Nielsen/Atlanta)
  Brewpubs (alan l causey)
  maltmill throughput... (Robert F. Dougherty)
  Comments on malt mills (Allen Ford)
  digital thermometer (Bryan L. Gros)
  Growing Hops - What kind? (Annie Fetter)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 19 May 1994 13:37:53 -0600 (CST) From: DARREN TYSON <TYSONDR at SLUVCA.SLU.EDU> Subject: Some newbie questions Greetings brewmeisters, I am preparing to brew my first batch of lager and have a few questions to ask. First, in Papazian's book he states that malt syrup contains 20% H2O, so I have concluded that 1 lb of malt syrup is equivalent to about 13 oz of dry malt extract. Is this correct? Would it be better to convert recipes using SG contributions (much more of a pain to calculate)? Second, I live in St. Louis, and right now the temp has been near 80 F lately. My basement is cooler but it still stays above 70 F for most of the day. Being a graduate student I don't have much money to spend on an expensive cooling system for fermentation. I think a fan would help decrease the temperature a little, but can anyone recommend a cheap alternative to cool my primary (a 6L glass carboy). Would it be better if I did my primary fermentation at work where I could put the carboy in a 10 F cold room? Should I just brew in my basement, relax, and have a homebrew? BTW, I am planning on using a California lager yeast. Also, can anyone direct me to a procedure for sporulating and drying yeast? (I have access to all the necessary lab equipment at work.) Lastly, I would appreciate suggestions as to whether a blow-off tube (into a bottle of bleach water) can be used throughout the entire fermentation process, or if it would be better to switch to an airlock after the fermantation slows. I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge about the art of brewing that the more experienced brewers share with us newbies! It is a wonderful thing to be able to communicate with hundreds (thousands?) of homebrewers and their respective experiences with brewing. Long live the internet! Darren Tyson tysondr at sluvca.slu.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 19 May 94 11:42:06 PDT From: Mitch Pirtle <mitchp at sequent.com> Subject: Hmmm...... 1). Ok, to make it short - I am currently brewing a batch of cherry stout (from "Cat's Meow II") that is acting a bit funny. When I put a bottle in the fridge (2 hours) the beer seems to lose all carbonation. When I opened one at room temperature, it immediately gushed out for about 1 second, then stopped. Without having to post a great deal of data, does this sound like anything that can be remedied? 2). I became pathetically addicted to Hale's Irish (stout?), only to discover LATER that it was a seasonal brew. Does anyone have anything that comes close? 3). I would like to try liquid yeast (pre-packaged) but so far the opinion is "Well, every now & then you'll get a dud." So I have been getting yeast from the people who make Pike Place ales/stouts. I know I will be needing different types of yeast in the future - any advice with brands vs. homecultures? Comments/flames/anything gladly accepted. Pat, I'd like to buy a clue. - -- Mitch Pirtle "Old mother Hubbard went down to the cupboard to fetch her poor doggie a bone. On her way to the cupboard, "MY HOMEBREW'S UNCOVERED!!!" And now Spot is looking for a new home...." Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 19 May 1994 13:26:55 -0600 (MDT) From: MELOTH MICHAEL S <meloth at spot.Colorado.EDU> Subject: Lager still fermenting I inadvertantly came across an ad in my local paper selling refridgerators for $100. When I called, it turned out they were very large ones (4.5 feet tall) and all quite new. They were being sold by a motel that was remodeling all their rooms (hint, hint, for all of you looking for fridge bargins). I sprung for one (and an external themostat) and brewed my first lager. The problem? It's been in the fridge for 2 weeks but apparently it's still fermenting. At least the air lock bubbles every 30-40 seconds. I know that the colder the environment, the longer the fermentation, but is it a problem that it is taking so long? I racked the wort after about a week because so much trub settled to the bottom but stuff continues to settle. Am I risking off-flavors because the wort has been sitting on the yeast so so long? Will it ever stop fermenting? Has it developed a life of its own? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Michael S. Meloth Phone: 303-492-5204 University of Colorado FAX: 303-492-7090 Campus Box 249 Internet: meloth at spot.colorado.edu Boulder, CO 80309 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 19 May 1994 16:13:17 -0500 (EST) From: COMBESWM <combeswm at acq.osd.mil> Subject: Two Liter Ceramic Top Bottles Always looking for the best way to bottle/keg my homebrew, I recently converted to 5-liter mini-kegs, splitting my batches between the mini-kegs and bottles, depending on the style of beer. Recently, a friend returned from Belgium with a two-liter ceramic top refillable bottle from a Belgian brew-pub (DOMUS Huisbrouwerij, Leuven, Belgium) The next best thing to trying the delicious micro-brewed amber ale was admiring the bottle. Not three days from this discovery, I found the same bottles at the Baltimore Brewing Co. in Baltimore, MD ($6.50 fill/refill, $12 bottle deposit). Does anyone out there know how to get these bottles without paying for a local brew-pubs logo or travelling to Belgium? Also, my next batch of beer is going to be the honey lager from Papazian's KJOHB, but I'll be using maple tree sap instead of water (My parents froze some and brought it for me from Vermont for this purpose). Does anyone have any suggestions or comments. Thanx, Bill Combes, Alexandria VA (combeswm at acq.osd.mil) Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 19 May 94 14:16:32 mdt From: gahaasx0 at ccmail.wcc.com Subject: Re: Spruce/Ginger/Herb Additives & Grape Nuts I've questions for any&all that've made spiced brews using ginger, spruce, herbs, etc.... & a lesser comment on GRAPE NUTS. Based on my and friends' experience with ginger brews, I have a theory that not only is control of the measure (weight or volume) of a spicing additive important in avoiding unwelcome excess flavorings, but also the control of SURFACE AREA of that additive in contact with the wort. Can anyone provide data to test/support my theory? For all those who've made spruce beer, did you use finely chopped spruce bits? Puree? Separate Needles off tips? Whole tips? How much did you use, by weight &/or by volume? Iyho, was your brew overspiced? Spiced right? Underspiced? In making the ginger brews I've enjoyed, I've cut 2oz. by weight ginger roots into slices between 1/4" and 1/8 ". Fellow ginger brewers tell me they cut their 2 oz root into slices much thinner, and get a less satisfactory, overly spiced brew. I believe the thinner you slice a 2oz ginger root, the more root surface area will be in contact with the wort, thereby imparting more and more ginger flavor. I'm guessing that using a potato peeler to inundate the wort with several square inches (feet?) of paper thin slices of ginger would result in a much stronger (perhaps annoying?) ginger flavored beer. Conversely, I guess that if you don't cut the root at all, and plunk a whole 2oz root into the brewpot, you would get a very lightly (perhaps imperceptibly?) spiced brew. Although I've made very tasty and enjoyable brews from ginger, I am looking to soon try my hand at a spruce brew using ...gasp!.. liquid spruce essence. I will go very light on the spruce essence indeed based on all the discourse on spruce beer a la pinesol. If anyone has advice on collecting/cleaning/cutting real spruce and or juniper berries (or tips?), that would be appreciated as well....although I'm not sure of the supply of fresh non-pesticide treated spruce & juniper in the Houston area. AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ... GRAPE NUTS..... Do y'all think we can find more information on brewing GRAPE NUTS in some of the Wine digests? BA-doom-boom-BOOM :-) But seriously folks, the labeling on the box states that no preservatives are used, and that it is made from wheat and malted barley.... could be an interesting brew..... REAL CRUNCHY like. It might even be good to add a bit of dairy-derived sweeteners (e.g. lactose albeit non-fermentable so I hear) in the formulation. Anybody have info on adding such to their brews - cereal, grain, extract, or otherwise? I've heard SAMS Wholesale Club sells Grape Nuts in 4lb boxes, although I don't know for what price. Thanks for the BW. Greg. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 19 May 94 17:04:39 EDT From: perkins at zippy.ho.att.com Subject: Fermentation Temps Fellow HBDers-- I have something of a newbie question. In reading the various sources on brewing procedures, esp. the yeast FAQ, one of the first things I noticed was that various strains of yeast have suggested fermentation temps (i.e., temp range for ale vs. temp range for lager) and optimum temps (e.g., Wyeast American Ale at 68F). I recently stuck a Fermometer(tm) on my primary fermenter, and one of the first things I noticed was that the ambient temp is one thing, but the temp inside the fermenter is something else---several degrees higher. First, let me say that it's no great surprise to me that fermentation generates heat. 8{) However, this raises the question of "optimum" temp. My assumption, now, is that it's the temp of the fermenting wort, and not the ambient temp that I should be monitoring if I want fermentation to occur near the optimum for the given yeast. Have I missed something, or am I on the right track here? Cheers, Mark perkins at zippy.ho.att.com Return to table of contents
Date: 19 May 94 21:22:00 GMT From: korz at iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583) Subject: Hand-to-mouth/infected Steam?/B-Brite Sanitizer?/Fermentability+Temp Jim writes: >Before the wort is fermented, one needs to be very careful whith anything >that contacts the wort. When dealing with bacteria free still beer, the >risks are drastically reduced. I just hold my hand (freshly sanitized >from cleaning too many kegs) over the end of the siphon and suck the >hand instead of the hose. No big deal. I'll bet the "freshly sanitized from cleaning too many kegs" is an important part of this working for you. Considering the amount of crevices in the skin, it still sounds too risky to me. Virtually every beginning biology lab course, even in high school, has the same 1st experiment: pour two plates of nutrient agar; put a thumbprint in one; wet a Q-tip with saliva and glom it into the other plate. You don't have to work for a biotech giant like AT&T to see the difference: the thumbprint plate has an order of magnitude more growth than the saliva plate. Just as you wrote, Jim, the risk is considerably lower after fermentation (when sugar levels are low, alcohol has been produced and there is little O2 for aerobes), but the risk is non-zero whether you use your hand or mouth (or boiled/cooled water for that matter) to start your siphon. I just choose to minimize the risk of infection at all points in the process and urge all brewers to do the same. It's not that much more difficult and my time and money are in too limited a supply to waste on infected beer. ******* Joe writes about a foamy Steam-style beer... I'll just quote the parts key to my thoughts: > The wort was aerated twice >(half and 3/4 full) by covering the opening with sanitized plastic wrap and >shaking until the carboy is full of foam. The yeast was pitched at 68 degF >and fermentation was at 54 degF for 10 days primary and 13 days secondary. >worry. When I bottled (3/4 cup corn sugar) the beer tasted strangely sweet >and a bit green. I can't think of any other flavor but strange to describe >it, not bad but strange, and not what I expected. After a month in the bottle >the beer was clear and the green flavor went away the carbonation and body was >good but the strange sweetness was still there. Now after 4 months, the beer >foams uncontrollably with large bubbles when poured into a glass, the body is >a little thinner, the flavor is about the same and there is a cloudy >precipitate that does not compact in the bottom of the bottles. The foaming >only occurs when the beer is poured. Now for the $10,000 question. > > ????? INFECTION ????? I suspect that the problem my be that you possibly chilled too quickly and perhaps fermented a bit too cold. Subsequently, the beer did not finish completely (green beer flavor -- could it have been acetaldehyde... a green- apple-like aroma/flavor?) and that you bottled too early. When chilling from 68F down to 54F, you want to make sure you don't do it too quickly (I've read 2F per day, but I think that's excessive -- I do 5F per day) or the yeast will get shocked resulting in a slower-than-normal ferment and higher finishing gravities. I think that 58-62F is a better temperature range for the primary and secondary ferment temperatures for a California Common. There is a chance also that it may be an infection, but the "green beer" flavor leads me to the bottled-too-soon theory. >One other question, is B-brite a cleaner, sanitizer, or both? I think in >Miller's book, he says it is a cleaner but my Homebrew store says it is a good >sanitizer. It is a good sanitizer. Both B-Brite and One Step are sanitizers, but the proper government paperwork has not yet gone-through so they could label them as sanitizers. Soon. ******** John writes: >under-modified or unmalted grains (like Oats) AND that Alpha and Beta Amylase >enzymes work backwards to rising temperature. What I mean is that Alpha works >on breaking large sugar chains and likes higher mash temps (158F), while Beta >takes those shorter sugars and breaks those up into smaller more fermentable >sugars, but likes temps of around 140 although the Mash needs to be at least >149F for the starches to gelatinize so that the enzymes can work on them. It's not so much that beta amylase "likes" 140F, it's more like beta amylase "hates" 155F and above. At the lower end of the saccharification range, both amylases work together to make lots of small, fermentable sugars, where as if you do saccharification at the high end ot the range, after a short while most of the beta amylase is denatured, leaving only the alpha which cannot break all the bonds on it's own. Thus, more dextrins, less fermentability. >So, It would SEEM that the most fermentable Mash (Oats and Protein Rest aside) >would result from starting with a thicker mash to protect the enzymes (more >data from Miller) at a higher temp, say 156-8F and letting that cool, ie >un-insulated keg, over the hour to 150F or less before sparging to get the best >fermability profile out of the mash. Not quite. To get the most fermentable wort, take the mash to 148F and hold it there... adding a *little* heat if needed, or make a jacket for the mash tun out of insulation and slip it over the tun when not heating. To get a very unfermentable wort, i.e. chewy, sweet beer, take the mash to 158F and hold it there. Note also that, just as most reactions, saccharification at cooler temps will take longer than at warmer temps. Al. Return to table of contents
Date: 19 May 94 21:25:00 GMT From: korz at iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583) Subject: Mead article/Fancy yeasts?/ideal crush/AHA conf. schedule Rick asks about a Mead article. I don't recall the article, but there was a talk given by the owner of Havell's at the 1988 or 1987 (or was it 1986) AHA Conference. You can still get the conference proceedings. Call the AHA/BP at 303-447-0816. ***** Rick writes: > Why all the fancy yeast? In my opinion, because of the wide variety in the flavor of the finished beer that you get when you use different yeasts. If you want more diacetyl (butterscotch flavor/aroma) use Wyeast Irish Ale (#1084), if you want a woody flavor, try Wyeast London Ale (#1028), if you want a malty beer, use Wyeast European Ale (#1338) which is reported to be a true German Alt yeast, if you want to brew something like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, use Wyeast American Ale (#1056)... the list goes on and on. Baker's yeast is cultured specifically for baking, although I've read that acceptable beer has been made from it. There are a number of very good dry beer yeasts available recently (Cooper's, Red Star Ale (the new strain), Nottingham, Windsor, others) which can make beer as good as the liquid yeasts, but again, the beer will vary greatly with the yeast you use. Consider a brewpub like Weinkeller (one in Berwyn, IL, one in Westmont, IL). It is my understanding that they use only one yeast for all their ales and another for all their lagers. In my opinion, all their ales taste alike and all their lagers taste alike. Now consider brewpubs like Mishawaka B.C. or Goose Island. They use a variety of yeasts and thus their beers each have their own character. ******* Dennis writes about his modified coffee grinder crush: >Is it a perfect crush? As good as I've ever seen. The husks are whole, and >*most* of the malt kernels are in 4-6 pieces. There is a little flour, but >mostly when using raw wheat and even then only about 5%. I've never had a >stuck sparge, I think because the malt husks are whole. The integrity of the husks is a good measure of the quality of a malt mill, but it is incorrect to measure the quality by the amount of flour that is produced. There are a number of books (homebrew and professional) that have said that excessive flour causes set mashes. I cannot disagree more strongly. If you dough-in improperly, flour can cause clumping and then balled starch can later be released into the wort, but a set mash... never! Oh, and for those of you that insist on a reference: DeClerq. ****** Norm writes: >Am I the only one who's had too many homebrews and can't figure out the AHA >conference schedule? The talks are repeated multiple times and more than one is going on during each session, but the ad in Zymurgy is not the real "schedule" it's just a rough listing of what's when. When you arrive at the conference, you will get a package which will have the complete *real* schedule and that has always been easy to understand. Al. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 19 May 1994 17:10:00 -0700 From: David Kreinheder <David.Kreinheder at metrokc.gov> Subject: belgium ales - - Mail - - May 19, 1994 5:07pm FROM: David Kreinheder TO: homebrew digest SUBJECT: belgium ales I'm looking for an extract or partial extract recipe for a Belgium white beer ala Celis. I haven't found one in the Cat's Meow. If anyone has a good one please e-mail it to me. Also, an employee at a local homebrew store told me that there was a FAQ sheet for Belgium ales floating around somewhere. She didn't have an internet connection and she couldn't tell me where I might find it. Its not on sierra, so does anyone know if this exists, or is she full of it? Thanks. David Kreinheder kreinhed at mudhoney.metrokc.gov Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 1994 00:48:41 PDT From: network_manager at aldus.com Subject: NDN:Homebrew Digest #1428 (May 20, 1994) Your mail to the Microsoft Mail Server could not be fully delivered! No Valid Addresses! It has been deleted. Error List: Bad 'To:' Address: john.mostrom at MSM-Inter Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 21:05:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Pat Anderson <pata at connected.com> Subject: Force carbonating OK, my question for the day: Force carbonating...thought I was following directions. Clear beer to the Cornelius keg. Chilled. Up to 30 psi, shook for 15 minutes. Now, besides sore arms and blistered palms, I got a keg that would dispense only foam, and foam backflowing through the regulator...Somebody else said "40 psi and 40 shakes." Somebody else said attach the gas line to the liquid side, let the CO2 bubble up from the bottom...My question, is there a text file somewhere that has the (fairly) straight dope on this? Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 94 08:10:10 EST From: John DeCarlo x7116 <jdecarlo at homebrew.mitre.org> Subject: Mead article - help >Rick Zydenbos is looking for an article on the Havell Meadery in a past >issue of Zymurgy. Winter 1984 (Vol 7, #4) New Zealand Honey Mead, by Charlie Papazian Leon Havill's Mazer Meads I don't have the issue, but this is what my notes say about it. John DeCarlo, MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA--My views are my own Fidonet: 1:109/131 Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 1994 08:56:04 -0400 (EDT) From: bickham at msc.cornell.edu Subject: Re: Low T ale ferments Dave in Sydney writes: > Thanks to Spencer Thomas, Andy > Donohue, Chip Hitchcock, and P Brooks. Any errors in my summary below of > their input are undoubtedly mine. > > The consensus is that ales will definitely lose some of their fruitier > notes from fermentation at these temps., and be crisper and cleaner. > I.e., more lager-like and less ale-like. Although Chip suggested that > there should be little effect on malt and hop flavors, P Brooks' > experiences were that the less-active ferments produced less scrubbing of > hop aromatics, so the beers seemed more hopped than they actually were. > Bottom line: no ill effects, just some (subtle?) flavor differences. This is basically true, but you need to know more about the yeast strains to make such a broad statement. If the temperatures are too low throughout the entire fermentation cycle, you won't give the yeast a chance to break down the diacetyl. I know - I've produced copious amounts of diacetyl with both the Wyeast Irish and European ale strins. My dry stout became so bad that I had to dump the last 12 bottles or so, but the alt, though marred by diacetyl, was drinkable to the end. If you want to use and ale yeast, but want to reduce the esters, I recommend a diacetyl rest as some of the lager brewers use. Scott Bickham Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 94 09:24:48 -0400 From: Al Folsom <folsom at fp.com> Subject: BrewTek Yeasties (and a recipe) After quickly being convinced about the superiority of liquid yeast over the dried version, I recently took the next step and tried culturing yeast from a one of the strains sold by BrewTek. I used their CL-160 British Draft Ale, and pitched it into a partial mash old ale which is now busily perking away in the basement. Everything went according to the directions, with the only anomaly I noticed being that the super-wort starter was cloudier than I expected. Aroma and yeast activity were fine, and the odor coming from the primary airlock seems good ;-). Anyway, I admit to a little healthy concern (although no worry) about this process and these yeasts. I had the whole Wyeast procedure down pat, but this is different. Does anyone have any wisdom regarding the BrewTek yeasts they can share? I'm looking for comments on the various strains and their uses, as well as storage, procedure, or other comments. On another note, someone a week or two back was looking for an extract based Porter recipe. I had just bottled the following recipe, and hesitated to give it out without aging and tasting first, but after three weeks (still a little raw) it appears that it is quite nice, a very middle-of-the-road porter: nice flavor, not too heavy. Interestingly, it is essentially a "use the leftovers" recipe. The Northwestern Extracts were available at a great discount from the local homebrew shop when you purchased more than some amount, and all the rest of the ingredients were remainders from previous batches. The name is a testimony to my current employer, which has recently been purchased by a major competitor. FISSURIN' PORTER 3 1/3 lb. Northwestern Gold Extract Syrup 3 1/3 lb. Northwestern Amber Extract Syrup 1 lb. DARK brown sugar 3/4 lb. Crystal Malt (approx 60 deg.) 1/2 lb. Chocolate Malt 9 HBU Bittering hops. boiled 60 minutes. I used: 1/2 oz 4.8% Tettnang pellets 1/2 oz 7.7% N. Brewer pellets 1/2 oz 5.8% Kent Golding pellets 1/2 oz. Hallertauer pellets for 10 minutes Wyeast #1084 Irish Ale Yeast. Starting S.G. 1.052 - Bottling S.G. 1.010 Enjoy, Al Folsom +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Al Folsom | Object Oriented Programming? We've | | Fischer & Porter Co. | been doing that for years... | | folsom at fp.com | | | also uunet!bigmax!folsom | When the customer objects to the way | | KY3T at WA3TSW (Ham) | it works, we go program some more! | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ Return to table of contents
Date: 20 May 94 08:43:00 0300 From: HODGDON at beaupre.MV.COM (Steve Hodgdon) Subject: Fridge Thermostats Brad Raley wrote: >I just recently aquired a beer fridge for my garage (non-frost free) and >I want to add a temperature control. Has anyone used the thermostats that >you plug the fridge into (instead of the ones where you replace the >existing thermostat) and use a probe to determine the interior temperature? I'm new to the HBD, so excuse if this topic has been discussed before, but I stumbled across an even cheaper solution. I bought one of those outlet timers that people plug their lights into when they go away on trips - the kind with a clock dial that you set to go on and off at a specific time. The one I use lets you set the on/off mode in half-hour increments. After experimenting with a variety of time settings, I now can maintain a relatively stable temp of 45-48 degrees in my fridge (I brew lagers primarily) with the device. My settings are ON for a half-hour every two hours (ON 30 minutes/OFF 90 minutes). Should you try this approach, your settings may change depending on the thermostat and efficiency of your fridge, as well as your preferred temp. You should be able to find these timers for around $7-$15 at a hardware or department store. Just make sure you get one with half-hour increments - the common 1-hour timers don't provide enough control (I've tried it). On another note: Does anyone have instructions for fabricating a counter-pressure filler? Steve Hodgdon Return to table of contents
Date: 20 May 1994 09:04:01 -0400 (EDT) From: S29033%22681 at utrcgw.utc.com Subject: Sucking siphons I agree with Ulick Staffords opinion (an educated one at that) on sucking siphons. I have been homebrewing for the past 4 years and I too use the mouth siphon method - I have never had a problem with it. I think an important thing to remember for those people that worry about 'contamination' is that as long as the proper "infection" is started quickly (pitching yeast - 8oz or more) there is no problem with siphoning by mouth. Also, there are many sources of bacteria in our homebrewing environments that may pose a threat to those sterility mongers out there (other than mouth siphoning that is). In the words of Charlie P., "Relax...Don't worry. Have a homebrew". Lance Stronk UTC, Sikorsky Aircraft Stratford, CT. "I brew, therefore...I have a beer gut" Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 94 10:33:46 EDT From: Spencer.W.Thomas at med.umich.edu Subject: Ayinger -- how?? Ok, does anybody out there know how the heck Ayinger makes those incredibly malty beers? I don't want speculation, I want hard facts. I can speculate as well as the rest of us. If you've been there, or if you have some "inside poop", please let me know. If I get ANY useful responses I'll summarize back to the HBD. =S Return to table of contents
Date: 20 May 1994 10:54:43EST5EDT From: kesicki at psc.psc.scarolina.edu Subject: Maltmill vs Wheat Malt I have received questions from several people regarding how well my JS Maltmill crushes wheat malt, so I thought I would report the data from my first attempt at wort production from wheat. I have the non-adjustable $99 version which was recommended by JS. Here is the result: Grain bill: 5 lb German wheat malt (from Heart's of Orlando, FL) 3 lb 2-row Briess pale malt (normal 154-146 mash with protein rest at 122 deg) Final Wort Volume: 5 gal exactly Specific Gravity: 1.050 (corrected to 60 deg F, actual was 48 at 72 F) Extraction: 31.25 pts*gal/lb grain Bottom Line: The non-adjustable Maltmill does indeed work for the german wheat malt that I used. Other Comments: The sparge was much faster than I had expected. I use a lauter tun constucted from a plactic bucket to which has been fitted an easymash-type system (single copper tube with SS screen wrapped into a tube, the whole thing connected to the plastic spigot). I *used to* use a zapap bucket-in-a-bucket but have found my new method a little easier. Ed Kesicki USC Dept of Chemistry Columbia, SC Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 94 11:14:48 EDT From: BTEditor at aol.com Subject: women in brewing BrewingTechniques is currently researching a story about women and brewing and are trying to locate professional female brewers (brewmasters, brewers, assistance brewers, etc.). We are interested in their insights and input on women in the brewing community; any women interested in contributing to our research for this article are welcome to contact BrewingTechniques. Second, because some have expressed an interest, we may publish a list of professional female brewers (for networking purposes) that includes name, brewery, years of experience, and contact information. Requests for confidentiality will be honored. If you are or know of a professional female brewer, contact us directly by e-mail or phone, bteditor at aol.com or 503/687-2993. Thanks, Stephanie Montell BrewingTechniques bteditor at aol.com. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 94 11:13:16 EDT From: Nancy.Renner at um.cc.umich.edu Subject: Beer as food, head retention, blowoff >From *Jeff* Renner Don Rudolph asks about beer as food. There was an article in zymurgy two or three years back that said basically (paraphrasing from memory): There are many wonderful reasons to drink beer, but, folklore to the contrary, nutrition is not one of them. Beer contains some carbohydrates, a little of the B vitamins, a little protein, few minerals (not even iron in stout; sorry, nursing mothers), virtually no fat (one plus), and rather caloric (7 cal/gr.) and toxic ethanol. For nutrition, you are far better off to have a slice of bread. Sorry. Rich Scotty asks about fermentation temperatures. From my experience, I would say that 66^F is not only acceptable for Am. ale yeast 1056, but ideal. High enough for good rate of fermentation, low enough to minimize fusel production and weird off flavors. Your insulating jacket would help hold in metabolic heat (yes, yeast does produce some). Aren't basements wonderful? I have two insulated corner closets in mine that max out at 66^ in the heat of summer and drop to 48^ in winter, perfect for lager fermentation. Mike Zentner asks about head retention in light beers. Try substituting about 15% carapils for pale or pilsner malt. This should help and also give some additional body that may be welcome in a low gravity beer. Chris Strickland asks about nasties in his blowoff tube. I, too, like the blowoff method. I start with an airlock, and as soon as I get a positive pressure, switch to a sanitized blowoff tube into water with a bit of bleach. Should keep nasties out of the beer. I used to put the blowoff tube on immediately, but once had enough negative pressure either through cooling and/or oxygen absorbtion that it pulled bleach water halfway up the 1 inch tube. I pulled the end out of the water, and a bubble rose the entire length of the tube and pushed a few cc of bleach water into the wort. I calculated that it was only a few ppb, but I got chlorophenols bad enough to take to the brewclub meeting as textbook example. Five gallons feeding the septic system critters! I think Miller's method really is just a variation on two stage fermentation. I generally rack when fermentation slows way down, but sometimes haven't got around to it, and have waited a couple of weeks. Not necessarily recommended, but it doesn't seem to be a problem. In yesterday's post, I added an extra "c" to the word protoscope (as in "protein") and got proctoscope (as in, well, you know). And then asked for advice on how to use it. Sheesh! It must have taken restraint HBDers not to tell me. Thanks. Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 1994 08:43:17 +0900 From: bjones at novax.llnl.gov (Bob Jones) Subject: AHA conference schedule I haven't seen the schedule either. I do know that my talks are scheduled for wednesday afternoon. Something like 1:30, 2:30, 3:30. Three talks back to back. Hope this help a few of you attending the conference put the mystery schedule together. Bob Jones bjones at novax.llnl.gov Return to table of contents
Date: 20 May 94 11:38:57 EDT From: Jeff Nielsen/Atlanta <70273.574 at CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: keg pressure gauge Hi all! I'm a long time listener, first time caller- so I hope this works! Regarding Dan Hall's excellent description of putting together a keg pressure gauge (HB 1422): Foxx Equipment Company has taken all the hassle out of it. Call them up at 800-821-2254 and ask for the homebrewer's catalog supplement. Order item number R17D03-103, which they call a "bleeder valve." It looks to me like they've done exactly what Dan describes, for $13.50. I have one, and it works great! Jeff CompuServe 70273,574 Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 94 11:17:36 -0500 From: alan l causey <alc at fiona.umsmed.edu> Subject: Brewpubs Just a quick question...Is it true that my beloved Mississippi is the only state in the U.S of A. to not have establishments that can brew beer on the premises? My significant other and my wife (happen to be the same person) told me this "fact" that she heard from "a reliable source." Private e-mail OK. TIA, BA (Big Al) alc at fiona.umsmed.edu Jackson, MS Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 1994 09:20:20 -0700 From: wolfgang at cats.ucsc.edu (Robert F. Dougherty) Subject: maltmill throughput... In HOMEBREW Digest #1428, Jack quotes Jim: > Date: Wed, 16 Feb 1994 08:48:04 -0500 (EST) > From: Jim Griggers <brew at devine.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM> > Subject: Glatt malt mill > > I would like to get in touch with people that have bought or > used the Glatt malt mill. I am having trouble with grain > feeding properly, and was wondering if this was a universal > problem. The first mills shipped had wide horizontal > grooves. Glatt changed this to a knurled pattern, which > supposedly had a higher throughput. When my mill was new it > worked great, but now grain will not feed unless I apply > pressure on the grain in the feed hopper. > > Jim I have an adjustable maltmill from JSP, and I also noticed decreased throughput. (BTW, my mm has the groved rollers.) I have played with adjustments extensively and even took great pains to get the rollers parallel again. I believe I have isolated the problem, though. It seems that the rollers get a bit crusted with compacted flour and this seems to make them more "slippery" than when they are new. I haven't tried it yet, but I think a wire brush (copper?) would clean up the rollers well and allow them to suck in the grain once more. This may be the same problem which Jim experienced with his glatt. BTW, while I think product announcements are fine, and even allow that representatives should be free to BRIEFLY defend SEVERE misinformation about their products, Jack's post in HBD #1428 was too long and contained too many unnecessary jabs at the competition. What counts as severe misinformation and brievity is a judgement call, but I for one will surely feel free to inform "advertisers" of MY judgements when I feel the need. bob Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 1994 11:50:15 -0500 (CDT) From: Allen Ford <allen at darwin.sfbr.org> Subject: Comments on malt mills Jack S. writes >>From: Allen Ford <allen at darwin.sfbr.org> >> Compared to the earlier version of the Maltmill with longitudinally- grooved rollers, the Glatt mill thruput and crush is superior. > The two are not even in the same ballpark as far as throughput is > concerned. The MM puts out 300 lbs per hour and the Glatt with its > plastic gears can't even be kept running that long without having to > replace broken gears. > Aside from reliability, the most recent published data on the Glatt > puts it at about 60 lbs per hr. > I will concede that there is probably little practical difference in the > crush as that is the reason people use rollers mills but to say the > Glatt is superior is not backed by any tests I know of. I stand by the previous statements I made. I compared the two mills side-by-side using both hand cranking and motorization to power the mills. Several different grains were used. THE MALTMILL DID NOT FEED THE GRAIN THROUGH AS FAST AS THE GLATT MILL DID. I JUDGED THE QUALITY OF THE CRUSH TO BE SUPERIOR WITH THE ADJUSTABLE GLATT MILL. Call me suspicious, but I do not take anyone's (especially product representatives) word as gospel unless I have corroborating evidence. In this limited test, THE GLATT MILL WAS SUPERIOR. >> For me the major selling points of the Glatt mill were: 1)both rollers >> are gear driven so no slippage of a passive roller can occur, > Until one of the plastic gears breaks. > The unique design of the MM makes gears unnecessary. I understand that some people have had this problem. In fact, the manufacturer is quite open about the fact that the plactic gears do have problems at least occassionally and verbally promises to replace them any time they fail, regardless of whether the mill is motorized. I HAVE HAD NO SUCH PROBLEMS. >> 2)the gap between the rollers is adjustable on both ends, allowing the >> rollers to remain parallel at all settings, > That is more perception than a real advantage in actual practice. Agreed. I perceive it to be an advantage and therefore it is. >> and 3)the price was ~$40 cheaper than it nearest competitor, the >> Maltmill. > Not sure where $40 comes from but the MM sells for $99 and will do > everything the Glatt will do, much faster and forever. I called the homebrew supply shop at which I purchased the Glatt mill to be sure my figures were correct. Indeed, I was wrong. I paid $85 for the Glatt mill on a one-time good deal. His price is now $95. For the comparable Maltmill with adjustable rollers and gear drive, the shop owner owner quoted me a price of $180. THIS IS A DIFFERENCE OF $85, not $40. Sorry, next time I'll check my facts more carefully! I am not trying to convince anyone that the Maltmill is a piece of crap. It is not. Neither is the Glatt mill. Both produce crushed malt from which comes excellent beer. If I understand him correctly, Jack has not compared the two products in side-by-side crush tests. In fact, I believe that he stated that he has not even seen the Glatt mill. I HAVE compared them and have reached my conclusions based on these tests, not on what someone else has told me. I resent this forum being used to publish untested, defamatory, and/or misleading statements in a blatant attempt at self-promotion. It is both unethical and unforgivable. I reiterate, I have no connection with any company selling maltmills. My interest is in disseminating what I know to be accurate information and in correcting what I know to be erroneous information so that homebrewers can make informed decisions. Yours in the cause of great homebrew, Allen =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Allen L. Ford <allen at darwin.sfbr.org> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-= Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research San Antonio, Texas =-=-= Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 94 10:00:35 PDT From: bgros at sensitivity.berkeley.edu (Bryan L. Gros) Subject: digital thermometer Has anyone tried making the thermometer that is described in the latest Brewing Techniques? The circuit is described pretty well and the described specs sound great (very fast settling time, accurate to 0.1deg). A friend in the local electronics shop is helping me build one of these. He was amazed at what you can get on a chip these days, like the LED driver. The article did not mention the cost of the parts, unfortunately, but it seems they can all be had for around $35. The DigiKey catalog is hard to find things in, but all the parts are there. Let me know if you have tried constructing this thing and what problems or modifications you made. Also, I'm still looking for any recipes for an Imperial Stout that you liked. Or fermentation advice for such a stout. thanks. - Bryan Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 20 May 1994 13:01:41 -0400 From: annie at forum.swarthmore.edu (Annie Fetter) Subject: Growing Hops - What kind? I just bought a house, and am working on the plantings. I would love to= grow hops, not just for the brewing, but because I think they're cool to= look at. While I know this has been discussed before, I couldn't find it= in the FAQ, and can't keep up with the digest. Can anyone recommend a good= general variety to grow, and where I might get some? I could just dig up= some of my dad's - he doesnt' brew with it, and doesn't have the foggiest= idea what kind it is or where it came from. Would that be awful? Please mail me if you get a chance. I'll try to keep up with the digest for= the next few days, but you never know... Thanks! -Annie Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1429, 05/21/94