HOMEBREW Digest #1489 Mon 01 August 1994

Digest #1488 Digest #1490


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


Contents:
  Infusion Mash Outline (part II) (Kelvin Kapteyn)
  Re:using licorice stick (MATTD)
  STOP THE DREADED VACATION PROGRAM (warning: flame!) ("Roger Deschner  ")
  An answer, and lack of skunk (cg0scs)
  CMorris Observations (Mark Garetz)
  Re: IBU's (Tel +44 784 443167)
  Using Licorce Sticks (Chris Strickland)
  German Lesson (Jim Grady)
  nano-review on bacterial contaminants (Thomas Junier)
  5 Liter Mini Kegs with Bung Refills (Chris Strickland)
  Update on Comparison Between Wyeast British and London ESB Yeasts (Mark Peacock)
  1994 Dixie Cup Announcement (/R=SISO01/R=AM/U=slamb/FFN=SLAMB/)
  Agar/Yeast Propagation (Spencer.W.Thomas)
  How do I get digest #1487 (EASCHN01)
  Malto-Dextrin (Douglas R. Jones)
  Hydrometer Corrections (Aaron Shaw)
  Grant's and Fritz's beers (Jeff Frane)
  Alt, Scotland (/R=HERLVX/R=AM/U=KLIGERMAN/FFN=KLIGERMAN/)
  Re:Wine Barrels (Jim Grady)
  Lazy way to reuse yeast ("Harrington, Stephen J")
  Thanks for overcarbonation advice (huffmand)
  Hop Utilization (George J Fix)
  rubber messages (Andrew Patrick)
  Re: Anchor Steam recipe (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
  RE: Anchor Steam beer recipe request (Philip DiFalco)
  Learning Tastes in Beer (Logan Dent)
  Cold Box Paint (Lowell Hart)
  Canned beer (Henry E Kilpatrick)
  Want to Visit Anchor (Phil Brushaber)
  Attenuation (JohnNewYrk)

****************************************************************** ** NOTE: There will be no digest administration from July 27 ** through August 7. PLEASE be patient when requesting changes ** or cancellations. ****************************************************************** Send articles for __publication_only__ to homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com (Articles are published in the order they are received.) Send UNSUBSCRIBE and all other requests, ie, address change, etc., to homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com, BUT PLEASE NOTE that if you subscribed via the BITNET listserver (BEER-L at UA1VM.UA.EDU), then you MUST unsubscribe the same way! If your account is being deleted, please be courteous and unsubscribe first. FAQs, archives and other files are available via anonymous ftp from sierra.stanford.edu. (Those without ftp access may retrieve files via mail from listserv at sierra.stanford.edu. Send HELP as the body of a message to that address to receive listserver instructions.) Please don't send me requests for back issues - you will be silently ignored. For "Cat's Meow" information, send mail to lutzen at novell.physics.umr.edu
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 28 Jul 1994 23:42:00 -0400 From: Kelvin Kapteyn <kelvink at mtu.edu> Subject: Infusion Mash Outline (part II) - -----------------------------(begin part II)------------------------ Optional: add heat, or 1 cup water per pound of boiling water per pound of grain to bring temp to 170 (to 175) deg. F for 10 min. Sparge with 2 quarts water (165-175 deg. F) per pound of grain. -sparging should take 1 1/2 to 2 hours for maximum extraction. Less time won't hurt anything, but you will leave some sugars in the grain. * note: your recipe might call for a higher starch conversion (saccharifica- tion) temperature. To adjust this to a higher conversion temperature, I will suggest that you add heat after the protein rest to bring the temperature up by the same number of degrees your conversion temperature is above 150 deg. F (Stir while you do this.) [(conversion temp.) - 28 deg. F = (temp. before adding hot water)]. Alternately, you can add a little more boiling water to raise the temperature a little more. Keep a little cold water handy in case you overshoot your target temperature. It takes only a small amount of cold water to drop the temperature a couple of degrees. Three Step Infusion Mash: Mash in with 1 quart of water (131 deg. F) per pound of grain. -stabilize at 122 deg. F mix and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes (protein rest to develop yeast nutrients and to reduce proteins that might contribute to chill haze in your beer.) Add 1/2 quart of water (200 deg F) per pound of grain. (could try 1 1/2 cup boiling water) -stabilize at 149-150 deg. F and hold for 15 min. (First starch conversion rest.) Add heat or about 3/4 cup water (boiling) per pound of grain. -stabilize at 158 deg. F for 15 min. This should complete conversion, but an iodine test will verify this if desired. Optional: add heat, or 1 cup water per pound of boiling water per pound of grain to bring temp to 170 (to 175) deg. F for 10 min. Sparge with 2 quarts water (165-175 deg. F) per pound of grain. -sparging should take 1 1/2 to 2 hours for maximum extraction. Less time won't hurt anything, but you will leave some sugars in the grain. Comments on Above Procedures: It is a good idea to use preboiled water, i.e. water that has been brought to a boil then let rest overnight until it cools to room temperature, then siphon it off from the calcium carbonate deposit and the film on the surface. This will get rid of chlorine, oxygen, and most of the temporary hardness Houghton water has (and some other areas). It is also a good idea to check your mash ph. Optimum ph for both alpha and beta amylase to be active is 5.2-5.3. Anything from 5.0 to 5.5 should be OK. In most cases, with preboiled Houghton water, I have had a satisfac- tory ph. If you need to adjust the ph down, use Gypsum (the most common case). If you need to adjust the ph up, use baking soda (sparingly, usually only happens if you have a large proportion of very dark grains, such as for a dark stout). If you are trying to make a light beer with soft water, such as for a Bohemian pilsner, you might have trouble with a slightly high ph. In this case, you will not want to use Gypsum, because Gypsum increases the hardness (calcium) in the water. In this case, use an acid rest at the begin- ning of the mash. I have also had success using small amounts (1/4 tsp for the first try) of acid blend. Phosphoric acid has also been recommended, but I have no experience with this. If this is causing you to worry too much, don't do it! Things will probably work fine anyway. Acid rest: for an acid rest, mash in with 1/2 quart water (115 deg. F) per pound of grain. -stabilize at 95 - 100 deg. F and hold for 1 hour. This should drop the ph by.2 to.3. Add 1/2 quart water (146 deg. F) per pound of grain -stabilize at 122 deg. F for 10 to 20 minutes as before, and continue with infusion mash as before. Some authors (Miller) recommend doing a protein rest at 131 deg. F instead of 122 deg. F. The goal of this temperature change is to convert more of the proteins that are responsible for head retention in your beer. If you are interested in this you can try it. I usually do a compromise and rest starting at 126 deg. F, and I let the temperature drop to 120 deg. F over about a 1/2 to 1 hour period by leaving the pan on the stove with no heat being added. I can't honestly say I can tell any difference though. A side benefit to this might be a lower tendency toward a chill haze, but I don't have enough experience to say for sure. Fix claims that with good quality pilsner or pale ale malts a protein rest is not necessary. I usually use the above formulas as a guideline. I tend to aim for a tempera- ture slightly under what I actually want, then add a little more heat or hot water to get where I want. It is safer (in my opinion) to miss slightly on the cool side than on the too warm side, because enzymes are denatured (deac- tivated) at higher temperatures more quickly. This is not meant to be the "last word" on mashing, just some suggestions and personal opinions. You will also notice a variation in opinion between books/authors. Let me know how this works out for you, and if I should make any corrections. Kelvin Kapteyn kelvink at mtu.edu Cheers!, and have fun with your mashing! Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 1994 18:21:04 -0600 (MDT) From: MATTD at UWYO.EDU Subject: Re:using licorice stick I just recently made Goat Scrotum Ale with baking chocolate and about 3 inches of brewing licorice. I added it at the beginning of the boil and I'm glad I did. It took the licorice quite a while to dissolve (30 min) even though I squished into small flat pieces once it was soft. It gave a nice complimenting taste to the chocolate. Matt Dickey University of Wyoming mattd at uwyo.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 1994 11:53:10 CDT From: "Roger Deschner " <U52983 at UICVM.UIC.EDU> Subject: STOP THE DREADED VACATION PROGRAM (warning: flame!) ********* DO NOT ********* run "the vacation program", unless you first unsubscribe from HBD and any other list you're on. This is EXTREME bad manners! We don't want to waste an EXTREME amount of bandwidth on your itenerary and other drivel which is fascinating to only a very small number, and which has nothing to do with beer. And worse yet we get this snowballing reposting of the entire HBD back to HBD! (flame off. Beer back on.) And now we're getting Westmalle Trippel at better Chicago Area liquor stores! Who needs a vacation? =============== "Civilization was CAUSED by beer." ===================== Roger Deschner University of Illinois at Chicago R.Deschner at uic.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 10:49:00 +0100 (BST) From: cg0scs <G.A.Cooper at greenwich.ac.uk> Subject: An answer, and lack of skunk Jeremy Bergsman (jeremybb at leland.stanford.edu) asks: >Thanks for the Durden Park >amber/brown malt info. Is that 25 color of carapils an EBC rating? Yes: To be precise the descriptor "carapils" isn't used in the trade in the UK, as it is a registered trade name. It is the palest of the available 'carastan' or crystal malts - normally only available direct from the maltster as few homebrew suppliers have heard of it. - ----------- And at a talk given by the Development Brewer of Courage, (Courage are now marketing 'Fosters Ice' beer in clear bottles) I discovered that they don't get light stuck problems and skunk because they don't use hops directly. They use tetrahydroisohumulone which is a reduced beta acid. I bet you're glad I told you that :-) Geoff Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 94 18:04:21 PDT From: Mark Garetz <mgaretz at hoptech.com> Subject: CMorris Observations Date: Wed, 27 Jul 94 10:38:56 PDT From: cmorris at orv.mitre.org Subject: M. Garetz and Hop Utilization I would like to thank Mark Garetz for his contribution to the literature available to the homebrewer. His book "Using Hops" is an excellent reference on a broad spectrum of questions concerning hops and brewing. My question for the net is to ask if anyone has started using the "Boil-time utilization" numbers that Mark recommends. Based on my experience (and biases), Mark's numbers for hop utilization in the boil are quite low. Further, many other references seem to be at odds with or contradict Mark's numbers. For example, the table below lists the results computed with a spreadsheet that replicates the hop calculations as discussed in George and Laurie Fix's book on Vienna beers. The calculations are based on a typical Vienna with a brewlength of 18.9 liters, Target OE of 13 P, and Target IBU of 25 (mg/L). This "typical" beer assumed three hop additions with 60, 30, and 15 minute boil times and alpha-acid fractions of 0.04, 0.05, and 0.03 respectively. Given these brew specs., the only parameter allowed to vary in the spreadsheet was the boil-time utilization values - which were taken from the authors indicated in the column headings of the table. Note that for Garetz's numbers I did one calculation with CA = 1 so that "boil-time only" results could be compared with the other author's numbers. In the third column (where CA was not assumed to be equal to 1), the adjustment factors included are the Gravity Factor (GF), Hop Rate (HF), and the Temperature Factor (TF). Fix Rager Garetz Garetz w/CF =1 Total Hops [g] 63.80 70.9 209.7 182.7 Total Hops [oz] 2.25 2.5 7.4 6.4 The question I must raise here is that while the Rager and Fix utilization rates might not have been optimal - is it possible that they were off by a factor of 200% to 220% ??? C. Morris has some observations concerning the utilization numbers as presented in my book, citing major differences in the hops amounts called for in George and Laurie's book "Vienna". Without reprinting the whole post, C. hits the nail on the head about the real differences in the following: >Observation: Where Mark's boil time numbers have a significant impact >on hop weight calculations are in the additions with 0-15 min. boil >times. It is "commonly" accepted that these late additions are done to >enhance the hop aromatic content of the beer - aromatics that are >evaporated off with longer boil times. The bulk of the literature prior >to Mark's book however, has assumed that "some" isomerization still >takes place at these shorter boil times. Fix for example, assumes a 10% >utilization rate and Rager assumes an 8% rate for additions with 15 min. >boil duration. If one chooses (as the Fix's suggest in some of their >recipes) to have 15% of the total iso-alpha acids in a beer be >contributed by the 15 min. addition, it is not hard to show that their >addition must increased by 360% - if one uses Mark's utilization >numbers. For a Vienna I suggest this will result in a hop nose >completely out of character for the style. The major weight differences come from the late hop addition. But lets put this in perspective. 15% of the iso-alphas of 25 IBUs is 3.75 IBUs - not much and slightly above the threshold of a detectable difference (and a little more above the % error of a measurable difference). So if one makes the assumption (as Jackie and George do) that you get 8-10% utilization from a 15 minute boil, and then it turns out you don't (and really get less) the effect on the resulting beer will be minimal. Where the problem lies is if you assume a realistic utilization % for the 15 minute addition (as I recommend) and then really try to get 15% of your iso contribution from that addition, you are going to need a lot of hops! So, C. is right, that amount of hops that late would definitely be too hoppy for a Vienna (but wouldn't make a significantly more bitter beer than if you used the amounts calculated by Rager or Fix, in my opinion). This points up the fact that what is "right" and "what works" can sometimes appear to be the same. But as C. has shown, it can also get us into trouble if we change our assumption about "what's right" without thinking about why "what we thought was right" also worked. In this case, an assumption about high % utilization for short boils appears to work because the consequences if it doesn't work are minimal. But now changing the % utilization assumption to a low one will also work if all we take into account is bitterness, but obviously falls apart on the hop character/aroma side, and the consequences are now disasterous. So I appear to have recommended how to make a disasterous Vienna. What has really happened is we have taken some of the assumptions about how to hop a beer from one source and some from another (but not all from either) and hoped they would still work. Sorry. If you take George's recommendation on getting 15% of your IBUs from a 15 minute addition and then my assumption on how to get there, you're going to be in trouble. But if you follow all of George's advice, you'll be OK. OTOH, if you follow all of my advice (specifically, don't try to get any bitterness from late additions - pg. 154) then the beer would also turn out fine. Mark Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 12:24:30 +0000 From: Brian Gowland <B.Gowland at rhbnc.ac.uk> (Tel +44 784 443167) Subject: Re: IBU's In HBD 1488 djones at iex.com (Douglas R. Jones) writes: > OK. Maybe a silly question maybe not. But what exactly is an > IBU besides some measure of the hoppiness of beer. My second > batch came out at 22.5 and my 3rd batch at 13. What do these > numbers mean? IBU stands for International Bittering Unit (also known as EBU in Europe) and is a gauge of the bitterness of a beer NOT the hoppiness of a beer which normally refers to flavour and aroma. A "mild" beer may have a rating of 20 IBU while a very bitter beer such as a stout or Old ale may be rated at 50-60 IBU. The rating is a complicated issue and depends on hop utilization which refers to how much of the bittering acids are extracted from the hops - it only applies to the bittering hops that are added at the early stages of a boil not to the aroma hops that are added at the end. I think there is a "Hops FAQ" at sierra - get that for more info. One final note - you have added Saaz hops as bittering hops. These are regarded by many people as the worlds finest aroma hops and have medium bittering power. In my opinion it is a waste of Saaz hops to boil the flavour and aroma out of them. It is also expensive if you're after a bitter beer. Cheers, Brian Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 08:21:43 -0400 From: stricklandc at cocoa12.ksc.nasa.gov (Chris Strickland) Subject: Using Licorce Sticks Yes, I'd love to get a copy of your recipe. Sheesh, my mouth is already starting to water. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Chris Strickland | Allin1: stricklandc | | Systems Analyst/Statistician | Email : stricklandc at cocoa12.ksc.nasa.gov | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 8:32:45 EDT From: Jim Grady <grady at hpangrt.an.hp.com> Subject: German Lesson Here is something that I hope you will find interesting and entertaining... I came across this while looking something else up in my "Langenscheidt's" German/English dictionary. A (the?) German phrase for "he is hopeless" or "he is a hopeless case" is "an ihm ist Hopfen und Malz verloren" or translated literally, "Hops and malt are lost on him." Tschuess, - -- Jim Grady grady at hp-mpg.an.hp.com Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 14:33:41 +0200 From: Thomas.Junier at igbm.unil.ch (Thomas Junier) Subject: nano-review on bacterial contaminants Hi all! There has been a lot of talk about bacterial contamination (e.g., Citrobacter) in the recent HBD articles. As a micriobiologist, I had the vanity to believe I might do something useful, so I checked in _The_Microbiology_of_Brewing_, Annual Reviews in Microbiology, (1971), by J. Kleyn and J. Hough, p. 1582. Here's what I collected: During the mashing process, contaminants are thermophilic (i.e., heat-loving) lactic acid bacteria, and these are rare; When the wort cools, contamination is possible by acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and Obesumbacterium, but this is rare; During fermentation, the same as before, but occurs more frequently; During the remaining stages, acetic and lactic acid bacteria, along with Zymomonas, which is rare; Now a few notes about these nasties: Lactic acid bacteria: these bugs (mainly Lactobacillus and Pediococcus) produce lactic acid, ethanol (for which we don't blame them :) ), and (not all strains) diacetyl, which spoils the beer at concentrations as low as 0.2 ppm. Some strains also produce extracellular slime, which is the 'rope' you sometimes find in spoiled beers. Other problems include acidity, off-flavors and yeast flocculation. These bacteria need many compounds for growth, such as amino acids and vitamins, and if the yeasts already ate them all up, the bacteria won't grow. (Maybe this is why a yeast starter is a good thing). They can tolerate quite low pH values (under 4,5 in beer), as a matter of fact, they are sometimes deliberately introduced into the wort for the making of certain types of beer (I'm not sure which, maybe the Belgian white ales) in order to lower the pH. Lactobacilli are present in our mouths. Coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli and Aerobacter aerogenes): These grow quickly in the wort, but don't tolerate pH values under 4.3. They produce off-flavors like the smell of cooked cabbage, or sometimes fruity. Coliforms can be introduced by the washing water, or dirty hands ;) . Acetic acid bacteria (like Acetobacter and Acetomonas): These cause off-flavors, turbidity, acidity (acetic acid, one is used to make vinegar); and can also make 'ropes'. Some even kill the yeast cells. They generally don't need vitamins/amino acids as the lactic acid bacteria do, so they're one of the most frequent cause of contamination. They too are resistant to low pH, but they grow very slowly (if at all) in absence of oxygen. Generally they tend to form a layer on the surface of the wort. I read somewhere that Acetobacter is carried by the fruit fly (Drosophila). Obesumbacterium proteus: This one can *compete* with rapidly growing yeast populations. However, it grows best at pH = 6.0, and hardly under 4.5 (beer pH is 3.5 - 4.5 if I remember well). It causes parnsip smell, prevents lowering of the pH and produces dimethyl sulfide. Important factors are the yeast strain (some are better competitors than others), the original pH of the wort and the rate at which it falls during fermentation. I don't know the source of contamination. Zymomonas anaerobia: A strict anaerobe (oxygen kills it, or at least prevents its growth), but with a high pH range (3.5 - 7.5). Makes ethanol, too, and tolerates higher concentrations than most yeasts. Cannot ferment maltose, however, so it is a major problem only with worts seetened with sucrose/invert sugar. Produces hydrogen sulfide and acetaldehyde as by-products. These are bad-smelling, toxic compounds, the former smelling like rotten eggs. Source of contamination unknown. Concluding remarks: - there was nothing about Citrobacter ;) - (opportunistic) pathogens *can* be found: E. coli ant A. aerogenes - Gram - negatives do grow in beer, e.g. acetic acid bacteria - the article is a bit old (23 years), and it's possible that more is known about this nowadays. Names of the nasties may have changed, too. If you know of a more recent article, please e-mail me. Well, I'm afraid I used up a lot of space, but I hope it might help. Cheers! Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 08:28:11 -0400 From: stricklandc at cocoa12.ksc.nasa.gov (Chris Strickland) Subject: 5 Liter Mini Kegs with Bung Refills I'm going to purchase a 5 liter mini Keg and Tap this weekend just to try it out. Since I'm only getting one mini keg to start with, I'll still be bottling the rest of my beer. Question: How to I go about priming using both methods? Since the keg requires 1/4 cup of corn sugar, while the bottles require 3/4 cup of sugar. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Chris Strickland | Allin1: stricklandc | | Systems Analyst/Statistician | Email : stricklandc at cocoa12.ksc.nasa.gov | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 08:46:12 -400 (EDT) From: Mark Peacock <mpeacock at oeonline.com> Subject: Update on Comparison Between Wyeast British and London ESB Yeasts I bottled my two test batches after two weeks in the secondary. We'll review the numbers after the HBDSummary(tm) of E-mails I received regarding ESB experience: Tom Cannon writes: I've used the yeast twice, once for an IPA last winter, and once for a pale ale which we bottled last week. The winter beer was fermented at about 68 degrees (ambient temp in my kitchen during winter). It took a long time to get going and attenuated from 1060 to 1020 over a period of about two weeks. Word I got on the yeast is that it likes temperatures over 70 degrees. I tried it again on the pale ale with a 1/2 liter starter (total slurry not just yeast cake) and got fermentation within 4 hours at 72 degrees (ambient in my basement during the summer with AC on). The beer attenuated from 1052 to 1010 in 8 days. My conclusions are that it is a good yeast for well attenuated beers for summer brewing. Victor Ialeggio writes of his experience brewing with ESB while running a 2-week music festival: ...give a try at culturing Fullers ESB from the bottle--I've just about drunk up a batch made early June, OG=1052, which had been dosed with 1 qt starter initially from a bottle--fermentation was vigorous after about 6 hours, hit full stride by about 15 hours, and ran right out in a matter of three-four days, after which it went into secondary with some Kent Goldings. The Fullers is, I think, the same or similar to the strains you mentioned in your review and finished slightly (and pleasantly) flowery, perhaps due to the incredible heat wave we had mid-June-- even my basement floor, usually a trusty heat sink, was warm. My thanks to Tom and Victor for those insights. To recap my experiment, I split a pale ale batch into two identical carboys. I pitched Wyeast's #1098 British Ale into one and Wyeast's #1968 London ESB into the other. OG = 1.054. After 3 days in the primary, the British was still burping, but the ESB was quiet (similar to Victor's experience). Room temperature during primary was 68 degrees F. I racked both batches to secondary. SG of British batch = 1.014 while SG of the ESB batch = 1.022. The next morning, the ESB was burping again at about 1 per minute while the British was silent. Two weeks later, I bottled both batches. The SG on *both* batches was 1.008. The temperature range during secondary was 68-72 degrees F. Both batches will bottle-condition for two weeks and then be tasted at my son's first birthday party. I know this is short of the ideal conditioning period, but sometimes science has to give way to the realities of life. I'll post the tasting notes as soon as we clean up the cake. Mark Peacock Birmingham, MI Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 08:08:03 CDT From: /R=SISO01/R=AM/U=slamb/FFN=SLAMB/ at MRSED.JSC.NASA.GOV Subject: 1994 Dixie Cup Announcement The Houston Foam Rangers are pleased to announce that the 11th annual Dixie Cup Homebrew Competition will be held on October 14 and 15 in Houston, Texas. For more information, or to have your name put on the list for the mailing, call the good folks at DeFalco's Home Wine and Beer Stuff Place, 1-800-216-BREW. It is hoped (feared?) that this year's Dixie Cup will garner 800 entries. Anyone interested in assisting in the judging of these beers is encouraged to call the number above. Starting some of the first round judging on the evening of Thursday, 13 October is being considered. A "Beds for Brewers" set-up is possible if enough qualified judges will commit to arriving on Thursday. Any questions about the 1994 Dixie Cup can either be addressed to me via e-mail or called into DeFalco's at the telephone number given above. Sean Lamb Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 10:29:42 EDT From: Spencer.W.Thomas at med.umich.edu Subject: Agar/Yeast Propagation Andrew Patrick writes: >GONTAREK at FCRFV1.NCIFCRF.GOV Writes : >>Regarding yeast culturing for the home brewer: I >>have made some malt/agar plates for growing some yeast, but they >>tend to run. <-snip-> What's the trick? >Try obtaining YM agar. This fortified agar is designed to grow yeast >and molds while inhibiting bacteria. There is nothing in YM agar that will inhibit bacteria, unless the pH is lowered. YM agar (as well as plain agar and a variety of special media) is available from the Yeast Culture Kit Company (800-742-2110) in small amounts sufficient to pour 20 or so plates. Disclaimer: I am not associated with the YCKC, except as a satisfied customer, and that the proprietor is a friend of mine, who got me interested, and eventually involved in yeast culturing. I hope never to have to buy another tube or packet of yeast again... Now I buy slants, instead. =Spencer in Ann Arbor, MI Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 10:30:47 EDT From: EASCHN01 at ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU Subject: How do I get digest #1487 I apologize for wasting anyone's time and space, but, I had a question distributed in HBD 1486. Unfortunately, I never received #1487. I have tried everyway I can think of to retrieve #1487 to see if anyone answered my query (about which yeast to use im my stout). Are the Homebrew Digests archived? This is the first list I've not been able to use the INDEX command to get a list of files. I have used interactive message and e-mail to send the command to four different addresses and listnames. How do you retrieve a digest? I wanted to search the files anyway some day in the future, so this would be valuable? I've sent the command INDEX HOMEBREW and INDEX BEER-L to their respective listserv nodes and I get nothing. Thanks for any help. Eric Schneider "If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the person who has so much as to be out of danger?" -T.H.Huxley EASCHN01 at ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU or EASCHN01 at ULKYVM.BITNET Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 09:58:40 -0600 From: djones at iex.com (Douglas R. Jones) Subject: Malto-Dextrin I am about to brew my 4th batch. I am in search of body and some sweetness without a ton of extract. Since the general rule of thumb is 8 pounds of extract for 5% alcohol, which translates into more calories than I care to have. So I am using 5 pounds of bulk Pale extract (Alexanders I think), 1 pound 20L Crystal and 8 ounces of Malto-Dextrin. Saaz for bittering and Kent Goldings for the finish. What does the Malto-Dextrin buy me? I am assuming this will build the body and sweetness? Am I headed in the right direction? Thanks, Doug - ------------------------------------------------------------------- 'I am a traveler of | Douglas R. Jones both Time and Space' | IEX Corporation Led Zeppelin | (214)301-1307 | djones at iex.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 11:39:22 -0400 From: ar568 at freenet.carleton.ca (Aaron Shaw) Subject: Hydrometer Corrections In a previous article Mark Bunster inquired about correcting hydrometers at different temperatures. Theses corrections were taken from Home Brewed Beers and Stouts by C.J.J. Berry. Degs.C' Degs.F' Correction 10 50 Subtract 0.6 15 59 Correct 20 68 Add 0.9 25 77 Add 2 30 86 Add 3.4 35 95 Add 5 40 104 Add 6.8 - -- "Come my lad, and drink some beer!" Aaron Shaw Ottawa, Canada Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 08:49:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeff Frane <gummitch at teleport.com> Subject: Grant's and Fritz's beers Pat Hewitt wrote: > > As luck would have it, I tried my first Grant's Scottish Ale > last night and was thoroughly impressed. I recently departed on > a scottish ale impersonation homebrew quest, starting with Traquair > House Ale (Micah Millspaw recipe, OG was 1.125), and noticed the > posting by Chuck Webb for extract Grant's recepies. I'll second > the request, but can we include all-grain suggestions in the responses? > Grant's ale is tasty, granted (although I'm not as impressed as I was in 1984) but it is NOT Scottish and remotedly close. It's a nice, hoppy ale. You ought to be able to get close by judiciously blending domestic 2-row malt, crystal and a tiny bit of black, along with Cascade? hops (probably one another variety blended in). Definitely pellets, if you want to be authentic; Bert Grant worked in the hop business for decades and will use *only* pellets. Todd Wallinger wrote: > > I doubt there was ever a trademark issue with Anchor Steam Beer. A > trademark must be obtained for each country on an individual basis, > and since Anchor Steam is not exported to Singapore it would not > be worth Mr. Maytag's time or money to get a trademark there. > The issue, of course, wasn't Anchor Steam in Singapore, but Anchor Beer in the U.S. It apparently *was* worth Fritz Maytag's time here, where he *would* be concerned about trademark restrictions. Similar, although less clear, battles could be seen in places like the UK, where Budweiser was trying to prevent the marketing of Budvar. Fortunately, the Brits have more sense. In this case, I can understand Maytag's concern. If someone picked up Anchor Beer by mistake, thinking to be trying the famous Anchor Steam, he would certainly *not* gain a customer. - --Jeff Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 12:01:11 -0400 (EDT) From: /R=HERLVX/R=AM/U=KLIGERMAN/FFN=KLIGERMAN/ at mr.rtpnc.epa.gov Subject: Alt, Scotland I wanted to use the collective wisdom, etc. of the HBD fot 2 requests. The first is that I am not able to find a commercial true German Alt in NC and would appreciate it if anyone can give me the names of some classic bottled German Alts to see if I can get a distributor to get in contact with some of the local stores here. Or better yet would anyone want to send me a commercial German alt in exchange for a fine NC Homebrew!! Seconly, my wife and I are planning a vacation in Scotland in Sept. Could anyone suggest breweries, pubs, etc. to visit? Is the weather acceptable in September in Scotland. E-mail would be fine to save bandwidth. TIA Andy Kligerman (alternate e-mail: homebre973 at aol.com) Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 12:34:44 EDT From: Jim Grady <grady at hpangrt.an.hp.com> Subject: Re:Wine Barrels "Progressive Winemaking" by Peter Acton & Bryan Duncan has info on how to get a used oak barrel ready for home use. If I remember correctly, it involves filling the barrel with water and setting it on its stand for a few days so that the staves absorb the water and seal. It will probably leak at first so it will have to be topped up regularly. When the barrel is water tight again, I think they had you clean it out with a washing soda solution and then a very strong sulphite sol'n. The book should be available at most winemaking supply stores. - -- Jim Grady grady at hp-mpg.an.hp.com Return to table of contents
Date: 29 Jul 1994 10:06:29 -0800 From: "Harrington, Stephen J" <sharrington at msmail4.hac.com> Subject: Lazy way to reuse yeast Is there any reason that one cannot reuse the yeast from the bottom of a bottle of homebrew? Since I always do a starter on my liquid yeast cultures, why not just get the yeast from a previous batch? I know the recommended way is to save the yeast from the bottom of my fermenter, but this seems like alot of work, with a high probability for contamination. It just seems to me that it might be safer to make a starter from the bottom of one of my own beers -- and less work ;^) Any comments would be appreciated. If I get enough response, I will post a summary. BTW, I am going to bottle that 'Jinxed Pils' tonight. I hope I can break the trend I have with this style of beer. One more thing. Any good recipes for a partial mash Oktoberfest? I was planning on using the recipe in Miller's book. I think if I get going on it quickly I can actually have it for October. Thanks, Stephen Harrington Manhattan Beach, CA Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 10:48:30 PST From: huffmand at ccmail.orst.edu Subject: Thanks for overcarbonation advice A quick thanks to those (3) who responded to my question regarding an overcarbonated ale. To summarize the advice I received, it essentially boiled down to, "Shaddap and drink yer beer!" and "Cool it down, then shaddap and drink yer beer!". Thanks again. David Huffman Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 14:04:55 -0500 From: gjfix at utamat.uta.edu (George J Fix) Subject: Hop Utilization C. Morris asks in HBD#1487 about the differences in the utilization figures quoted in the literature. As far as Laurie and my book is concerned the values quoted came from direct measurements of actual brews we did using whole hops. Hop pellets are another story altogether. I have seen ads where labs will do IBU measurements for a reasonable fee. I feel that backing out utilization rates from these measurements is the only way that practical and workable values can be obtained for a specific brewing system. There is considerable evidence (both amateur and commercial) that there is nontrivial differences in utilization that are indeed system dependent. Thus we should not be surprised if our values differ from what another brewer is getting. I am the last one to bash mathematical formulas, but unless the utilization figures used in these formulas are empirically determined the formulas themselves can be next to worthless for practical brewing. George Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 14:02:24 -0500 (CDT) From: Andrew Patrick <andnator at mcs.com> Subject: rubber messages ********* ATTN: RICH LARSEN POSTING NOT ANDREW PATRICK ******** Sorry for the bandwidth... I'll be on vacation for the next <slap> Sorry. HAMMER at esu36.ateng.az.honeywell.COM Unable to reply to your question due to bouncing messages. Please email proper address. => Rich Larsen (708)388-3514 HomeBrew University (708)705-7263 (Lost in Cyberspace) Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 15:07 EDT From: CSS2 at OAS.PSU.EDU (SPEAKER.CURTIS) Subject: Re: Anchor Steam recipe I saw someone posting a request for an extract-based Anchor Steam recipe. This one is from the Cat's Meow...It is a little darker and a little hoppier than Anchor, but otherwise it is a dead ringer: 6.6# John Bull Unhopped Light syrup 0.5# Crystal Malt (I use 40L) 2 oz. Northern Brewer Hops 1 oz. Cascade Hops Wyeast #2112 - California Common Beer Lager Yeast Steep cracked crystal in 1.5 gal. water until water begins to boil; remove grain. Add syrup and 1/3 of N. Brewer hops; boil 20 min. Add another 1/3 N. Brewers; boil 20 min; add remaining N. Brewers; boil 20 min. more. Remove from heat and add Cascade hops; steep for 5-10 minutes. Sparge into enough cold water in primary to make 5 gallons. Pitch yeast when wort is cooled. Ferment 1 week in primary; rack to secondary and ferment to completion. (ferment as cool as possible for smoother beer) Bottle w/ 3/4 c. corn sugar to prime. I made this the first time with Yeast Lab. Amsterdam Lager Yeast (dry) and it turned out very nicely. The second time I used the Wyeast #2112 and the beer was much smoother and cleaner tasting. Hoppy Brewing Curt css2 at oas.psu.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 14:21:49 -0400 From: Philip DiFalco <sxupjd at fnma.COM> Subject: RE: Anchor Steam beer recipe request from the Cat's Meow: 7 lbs John Bull plain (unhopped) light malt extract 1/4 - 1/2 lb Crystal Malt 2 oz Northern Brewer hops 1 oz Cascade hops 2 pkgs lager yeast modified as follows: 7 lbs Telefords Ultra-light malt extract (availability) 1 pkg Wyeast California Lager liquid yeast (preference) (other ingredients same) Brewing Instructions: Bring 1 1/2 - 2 gallons water to boil with Crystal Malt. Remove grains at boil. Remove from heat, add malt extract and dissolve. Bring to a boil and add 1 oz N.B. hops. 20 minutes later, add 1 oz N.B. hops. 20 minutes later, add 1 oz Cascade hops. Boil for 10 - 15 more minutes. __________________________________ Total boil time = 50 - 55 minutes. Dump wort into fermenter, add preboiled cold water to top off at 5 gallons. Pitch yeast when temp < 80F. ___________________________________OR_______________________________________ 6 lbs. Northwestern Pale liquid X 1 lbs.. Lagglander Pale dry X 1/2 lbs.. Crystal 40L 1/2 lbs.. Toasted 25L 3 oz. Cascade (whole leaf) 5.5%, 60min (Partial Boil) 1 oz. Cascade (whole leaf) dry hop , one week 1 tsp. gypsum 1tsp Irish Moss Wyeast London start gravity 1.053 end gravity 1.010 - --- email: sxupjd at fnma.com (NeXT Mail Okay) Philip DiFalco, SIS, Systems & Operation Management Development FannieMae, 3900 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016 (202)752-2812 Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 94 14:51:42 MDT From: ldent at crash.Colorado.EDU (Logan Dent) Subject: Learning Tastes in Beer Hello! I am curious about some of the tastes mentioned here. I would like to hear some suggestions on how to get to know the taste of say a phenol, or fusel alcohols. Should one buy a book and beers mentioned in it and work it out? Are brew clubs a good source for this? I don't think that I need the complete knowledge of an experienced judge, but I would like to be able to better describe and critique my beers. Thanks for any help! Logan Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 15:45:12 -0700 From: Lowell Hart <lhart at CATI.CSUFresno.EDU> Subject: Cold Box Paint A friend of mine had a question, and I decided to ask the net. My friend has built a cold box for doing some serious lagering and such. The design details aren't important to the question: What to use to paint the inside of the cold box? It is lined with high-grade plywood (including the floor). He needs a finish that will resist water and clean up easily from the occasional spill. We're assuming that he will need to do an occasional scrubdown with bleachwater to keep the black crud from growing on the walls. The only idea I had was winery paint, which is an enamel that resists alcohol and is required for certain equipment. My experience was painting several tipping grape gondolas with the stuff, but that was over metal. Any ideas? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Cost IS an object, but don't limit your suggestions because of this. Answers in e-mail are fine. Gracias. Lowell Hart San Joaquin WORThogs Raketenflugplatz, Fresno lhart at cati.CSUFresno.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 1994 11:20:20 -0400 (EDT) From: Henry E Kilpatrick <hkilpatr at mason1.gmu.edu> Subject: Canned beer Forget about homebrew for a minute and assume the following: you have been invited to a crab feast that will take place at a pool. No glass is allowed and the situation is such that you must take canned beer if you are to have beer at all (isn't it illegal to drink anything other than beer with crabs in most states? If not, it should be). Which commercial product should you buy? Are there any beers out there in cans that have any flavor & go with crabs? Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 1994 09:45:46 -0700 (PDT) From: Phil Brushaber <pbrush at netcom.com> Subject: Want to Visit Anchor I will be out in the San Francisco area at the end of September. I thought it would be interesting to visit Anchor Brewery. Does anyone know if they give tours? Where are they located? Any brewpubs which I should catch while I am up there? I will also be spending a few days in Napa and Sonoma. Appreaciate any tips by e-mail. Thanks! pbrush at netcom.com Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 94 15:01:56 EDT From: JohnNewYrk at aol.com Subject: Attenuation When is a wort "fully attenuated"?? I always thought that meant when it had fermented out, but in Warner's book on wheat beers he talks about racking a beer when it is fully attenuated -- 48 to 72 hours by his reckoning. I have lag times that long and my primaries usually last about a week. I have a weissbier in it's primary right now, and I've been following one of Warner's recipes, including a decoction mash. It just doesn't feel right to bottle a beer that was in high kraeusen less than 2 days ago. Has anyone else read his book and been likewise confused? I'm going to leave my weissbier in the carboy until it has fermented out and then I'm going to bottle it. I wanted to brew a "classic" weizenbier, but I can't bring myself to follow Warner's instructions. Anyone??? John Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1489, 08/01/94