HOMEBREW Digest #1532 Wed 21 September 1994

Digest #1531 Digest #1533


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


Contents:
  Instant Diacetyl? / Outdoor boiling (David Draper)
  NY Beerfest 2 (Jim Keesler)
  Dane on the track again (Morten Hansen)
  Re: Pubs Names (Matt Townsend)
  chinook (Roger Lepine)
  kegging... (abaucom)
  Hops arbor and Brewhaha (Al Gaspar)
  Demer-what? ("Jim Webb")
  Smithwick's (20-Sep-1994 0914 -0400)
  RE: HopTech fruit extracts ("Robert C. Santore")
  RE: Celis and Miller (Jim Busch)
  Hop Plants ??? ("KFONS Q/T INV CNTRL .. 7814")
  Meaning of racking (COX003)
  Origins of MEADE (FSAC-FCD) <dward at PICA.ARMY.MIL>
  Re: demer-what? (Tel +44 784 443167)
  Re: what is Racking ? (Tel +44 784 443167)
  cutting down hop bines (Chuck E. Mryglot)
  anal requirement (Ulick Stafford)
  RIMS ("Joe Stone")
  Demerara sugar (Matthew Sendbuehler)
  Demmerara Sugar [sp????] (Vanek)
  Liquid Yeast Question... (Bob Bessette)
  Celis sellout? No way. (Ethan Mason)
  E-flasks, carboy handles, Wyeast 3068, Zapap tuns (MHANSEN)
  Yeast re-use / Yeast FAQ (Glenn Anderson)
  Delirium tremons (Domenick Venezia)
  Guest brew at home / SS racking canes (npyle)
  Raleigh NC Brewpubs (DBLAKE1037)
  Moving hops (Tim McNerney)
  Recipe Request: Swan Lager (Michael Adams)
  Portland / Oregon Brew/Wine/Food Recommemdation Request (Miu Wang)
  Racking Off (in public! 8-O  ) (COYOTE)
  Time/temp program (KWH)
  3rd Annual Minnesota Brewfest. ("Jim Ellingson")
  Plastic Carboys/red beer/stuck? ferment (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
  re-bottling question (Kelvin Kapteyn)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 17:45:24 +1000 (EST) From: David Draper <David.Draper at mq.edu.au> Subject: Instant Diacetyl? / Outdoor boiling Dear Friends, I am at the end of a recent batch of Steam(tm) beer, and have encountered something odd. Three of my last bottles have an overwhelming diacetyl note--it tastes like buttered popcorn. All the rest of the bottles tasted fine--in fact, this is one of the (if not THE) best beers I have made. Of the final four bottles, only one did not have this (I am drinking it as I write this). One of these bottles was only about 3/4 full because it was the last one to be filled (good to the last drop!), but the other two were from elsewhere, and one of these I know for sure was among the first 6-8 bottles, because it was in a 750 ml bottle that I had intended to enter in one of our club's frequent, informal competitions (good thing I didn't in the end, comp day was just too nice for me to convince my wife that I should be in the pub instead of on the beach with her!), and I always fill the big ones first for no particular reason. An important point here is that I have been steadily depleting this batch and have not encountered this flavor until just a couple days ago, and I don't drink the bottles in the order they were filled! I am perfectly willing to accept that there was some problem in the bottle-cleansing stage, but what could cause such an intense diacetyl flavor to develop after about 40 days in the bottle (assuming that the onset was sudden)? Here are the specifics: Partial mash, single infusion at 65C for 90 min, mashout at 77C for 10. 3 kg 2-row, 250 gr 80L crystal, 50 gr each flaked barley & wheat malt, 1.4 kg light extract syrup, 35 gr 6.8% Northern Brewer pellets 60 min, 25 gr more 10 min, 25 gr more 2 min. Wyeast 2112, OG 1045, FG 1014. Bottles are sanitized with a weak bleach solution and rinsed immediately before filling. Thanks for any insights. A couple posters in #1530 asked about the potential post-boil dangers of outdoor boiling. Seems the obvious solution is to cut small openings around the edge of the pot lid where the chiller tubing enters & exits the pot. In this way the lid can still sit nicely on top. The next step in my evolution is to move onto the balcony for full boils etc, and this is what I will do. Cheers, Dave in Sydney - -- "Life's a bitch, but at least there's homebrew" ---Norm Pyle ****************************************************************************** David S. Draper, School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 Sydney, Australia. email: david.draper at mq.edu.au fax: +61-2-850-8428 ....I'm not from here, I just live here.... Return to table of contents
Date: 19 Sep 94 22:24:25 EDT From: Jim Keesler <74021.376 at compuserve.com> Subject: NY Beerfest 2 I do not know if this has been posted yet, but I am falling behind in reading the HBD and yet had to comment on the NY Beerfest 2. After attending last years Beerfest, I was looking forward to an interesting day tasting and talking beer. And after reading in the Ale Street News that the Port-O-John problem was going to be taken care of this year (1/2 hour waits for relief last year), I thought it would be perfect. Boy, was I wrong. The scheduled start time was 12:00 noon. My party and I arrived at about 11:30 and there were about 200 people ahead of us - more than last year, but nothing to worry about. However, when the gates opened at noon, it took us 20 minutes just to get in, and there was a very long line behind us. This problem went on all day, as friends of mine told me of 45 minute waiting as late as 1:30. Unfortuneately, by 1:30, all was chaos. The two tents were wall to wall people and there was absolutely no way to talk to any of the people pouring the beers. As it was probably the last hot, humid day we will see in New York this year, it is amazing that no one passed out from the heat. They certainly did not pass out from the beer. Shortly after 3:00, the Samuel Adams booth ran out of beer. And by 4:00, better than half (probably almost 75%) of the booths had no beer and people were scrounging for what was left. I could go on, but it would only be more griping. My main complaint is this: Last year I would estimate attendance at 4000. Promoters had said in the ASN that if ticket sales went over 5000, there would be two sessions. Well, apparently advance ticket sales may not have exceeded 5000, but it seems that they must have sold that many at the door. The fact that the brewers/distributors ran out of beer so early only goes to show that no one expected the number of people present. This can only be the fault of the organizers, who allowed ticket sales at the door and never again made mention of the secong session. They must have had an inkling of the attendance numbers, as this Beerfest was much more heavily promoted on the local radio stations and in the newspapers. All right, I've said my piece, as rambling and uncoherent as it is. Thanks for your patience. Does anyone know how to contact Steve Hindy or any of the other organizers? Perhaps if enough people express their discontent now, changes can be made that will allow us to enjoy Beerfest 3. Otherwise, I would have to believe that the Beerfest will die a quick death due to too many unhappy customers. Thanks again for your patience and the bandwidth. Regards, Jim Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 12:13:03 +0200 From: Morten Hansen <mhan at control.auc.dk> Subject: Dane on the track again To whom it might concern, After 10 weeks of inactivity, I`m now back in the Digest. My new address is : Morten Hansen Skovvej 21 2. th. 9400 Noerresundby Denmark Email : MHan at control.auc.dk Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 11:44:34 GMT From: Matt Townsend <WHCMT at cf.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Pubs Names Thanks to Cushin Hamlen for the article on British pub names, there are many unusual named pubs throughout the UK and many have a long history as the article suggests. In many cases pubs still stand on their original site, some going back hundreds of years. One unfortunate occurance is that many pubs are having their names changed from their old ones to new more marketable ones by the men in suits. Some examples are The Crown - now The Slug and Lettuce. The Blue Bell - now the Goat Major. The Old George - now Walter Mitty's And another new pub called the Newt and Cucumber. These names have no history and probably arise from a large book of advertising executive's 1000 and 1 new names for pubs. In Wales we have several ancient pubs, most notably The Blue Anchor at Aberthaw which has been on that site for several hundred years. Within the Cardiff area there are many historic named pubs: The Ty-Yn-Y-Pwll Inn, Three Horseshoes, Forester's Arms, The Black Lion..... Preserve us from the likes of The Yellow Kangeroo, for the sake of history plus telling the wife I'm just off down the Black Lion is much better than I'm just off to the yellow Kangeroo ! Happy supping Matthew J Townsend Townsend at Cardiff.ac.uk Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 7:47:38 EDT From: Roger Lepine <lepine at hpanrd.an.hp.com> Subject: chinook hi all; anybody out there know of any brewery that uses chinook and/or willamette hops in their beer? thanks roger l. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 7:53:40 EDT From: abaucom at fester.swales.com Subject: kegging... I've tapped my first corny keg (filled with Weizen) and it is flat. Initially the beer comes out looking carbonated but It is just an agitation foam because when the head dies down, the beer is flat. Question: What CO2 pressure/time-length is needed to artificially carbonate 5 gallons O'beer? (the keg is refrigerated, the CO2 is not, and the beer was primed with ~1 cup malt extract for several weeks and had pressure when I initially tapped it) TIA, Andrew PS...the beer tastes great...just flat... - ------ Andrew W. Baucom, abaucom at fester.swales.com Settle down, Beavis... Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 07:06:29 CDT From: Al Gaspar <gaspar at STL-17SIMA.ARMY.MIL> Subject: Hops arbor and Brewhaha Trying to save a little bandwidth and put these two questions together... First, my wife wants to shade one side of a slab that we have at the back of our house. I suggested hops ;-). She said fine! I know I have seen it in beer gardens grown for shade. Can I get away with a six to eight foot trellis? The lenght of the area I would be trying to cover is about 15 feet, how many plants should I figure? Should I plant now for plants in the spring or can I wait? Second, I was looking at the Brewhaha program that was posted at the archive site. It has an option under File to load the Cat's Meow. However, it uses Microsoft Access format (*.mdb). How can I get the Cat's Meow into this format? Do I have to wait for the next release of Brewhaha? Thanks for the help. Cheers-- Al - -- Al Gaspar <gaspar at stl-17sima.army.mil> USAMC SIMA, ATTN: AMXSI-TTC, 1222 Spruce St., St. Louis, MO 63103-2834 COMMERCIAL: (314) 331-4354 AUTOVON: 555-4354 relay1.uu.net!stl-17sima.army.mil!gaspar Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 13:51:01 -0400 From: "Jim Webb" <webb_j at sudhqc.ndm.gov.on.ca> Subject: Demer-what? [This message is converted from WPS-PLUS to ASCII] RONALD DWELLE writes: >My father-in-law was in England on business and got invited to a home of a homebrewer for supper and had the best beer he'd ever had in his life (he said). He told the host his son-in-law was a brewer, and the host wrote down the receipe to give to me. The recipe looks like a pretty normal light ale, but it has one ingredient I don't know--"demerara." (not too confident about the spelling). The receipe calls for one pound of it. Charlie P doesn't use the word and my dictionary says it's a river in Guyana. ? Demera sugar is a thick, coarse-grained very dark brown sugar. I've seen it in my local grocery stores - right next to the 'yellow sugar' and 'dark brown sugar'. I've also seen it in most bulk food stores. If you can't find it in your area, you could probably substitute a mixture of dark brown sugar and blackstrap molasses. How about posting the recipe for the rest of us to see? Jim Webb webbj at gov.on.ca Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 09:18:17 EDT From: 20-Sep-1994 0914 -0400 <ferguson at zendia.enet.dec.com> Subject: Smithwick's First off, just to set the record, Smithwick's is pronounced as SmiTHicks, the "TH" is pronounced like the "TH" in "this" anyways, Smithwicks is pretty much a normal plain ale. kinda like sam adams boston ale, although not nearly as hoppy and a bit more light. when i was in ireland (3 times), i usually enjoy a pint or two or three. there's nothing _that_ special about it. i think this would closely approximate it: 5 gal: 7# 2-row 3/4# crystal, 40L 1/2 oz hops boil 1/2 oz hops finish. maybe even 6# of 2-row since irish beers tend to be low in alc, in the 3-4% range. jc Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 09:35:00 -0400 (EDT) From: "Robert C. Santore" <rsantore at mailbox.syr.edu> Subject: RE: HopTech fruit extracts On Tue, 20 Sep 1994, From: MARK CASTLEMAN <mwcastle at ouray.Denver.Colorado.EDU> > I am considering making a dark rasberry ale for Christmas. Has > anyone used HopTech's concentrated fruit extracts? How well did they > work? Any important caveats? I've had some experience with the peach and cherry extracts. I think they produce decent beers, but if you are used to real fruit beers you'll be dissapointed. I brew about one or two fruit beers a year and always use real fruit. I bought a bottle of extract out of curiousity, and then another bottle was given to me. The peach extract has a minor chalky flavor that I find objectionable. The cherry extract is reminiscint of cough syrup and/or hard candy. There is no doubt that beers made with these will have an identifiable fruit flavor. One advantage is you can vary the intensity of the flavor since the extracts are added at bottling. A little experimentation on bottling day will let you know how much you want to add, or if you want to add any at all. But in my opinion they are so far from the real thing that I won't be trying them again. Bob Santore Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering rsantore at mailbox.syr.edu Syracuse University Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 09:58:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Jim Busch <busch at daacdev1.stx.com> Subject: RE: Celis and Miller Andy writes: > Subject: Celis > > I would hate to be classified as a gossiper or a > portent of ill omens, so I will ask this as a question and > not state it as a fact. Over the week-end I was told by two > completely different, and reasonably reliable, sources that > Pierre Celis has just recently sold his Austin operation to > Miller. Not to worry! From what Ive heard, its just a distribution agreement, just like A/B distributes Old Dominion products, Miller's distributers will help to ensure the Celis products are handled with respect. Now before everyone jumps on this arrangement let me say that when A/B took over distribution of Old Dominion's beers in VA, sales soared, since the quality beer is on every shelf next to a A/B product. Sometimes, the big guys can be of help to a buisness that is at the right production level. Good brewing, Jim Busch Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 08:53:03 -0500 (CDT) From: "KFONS Q/T INV CNTRL .. 7814" <KFONS at china.qgraph.com> Subject: Hop Plants ??? I recently ordered some hop plants, however, I am unsure exactly what type of hops they may be. The scientific name is Humulus Lupulus Aureus. What are they? Are they good for brewing? If not, where is a good place to buy hop plants (mail order)? Kevin Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 10:03:03 -0400 (EDT) From: COX003 at WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU Subject: Meaning of racking Don't worry you probalby(i hope) get flammed for your question about the meaning of the word racking. Its simple the process of transf (sorry)transfering your wort from your primary fermantation vessel to a second fermantation vessel after the bubling in the air lock has subsided to about once a minute. This allows more sediment to fall out, and results in a smaller sediment deposit on the bottom of the fermentation vessel. Which in turn lets you siphon more beer, of a clearer quality, into your bottles. It really will cut down on many off flavors and the yeast deposit in your bottles will probably shrink a bunch also. It becomes a neccisity with all grains. I hope this helped some. If not feel free to write private e-mail cox003 at wcsub.ctstateu.edu . I am not by any means an expert but will help all i can!! Relax - Enjoy a homebrew... Aaron Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 10:01:35 EDT From: "Darren L. Ward" (FSAC-FCD) <dward at PICA.ARMY.MIL> Subject: Origins of MEADE I'm interested on looking up the origins of MEADE. Is there any reference material out there that is readily available, any old postings in someones private email library? Thank you for any help. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 15:15:43 +0000 From: Brian Gowland <B.Gowland at rhbnc.ac.uk> (Tel +44 784 443167) Subject: Re: demer-what? In HBD 1931, dweller at GVSU.EDU (RONALD DWELLE) wrote: > > My father-in-law was in England on business and got invited to... > ... and the host wrote down the receipe... but it has one ingredient > I don't know--"demerara." > Demerara sugar is a form of brown cane sugar (granulated) but I don't know what makes it different from brown sugar in general. The best description I've had so far is that it is not as soft as many of the soft brown sugars and maybe slightly sweeter. I would suggest that experimenting with various brown sugars would probably be the best approach. Depending on the other ingredients, it is possible that the demerara doesn't introduce much in the way of flavour compounds but many UK homebrewers use brown cane sugars in preference to white cane sugars to ease the guilt about using sugar at all. Cheers, Brian Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 15:25:53 +0000 From: Brian Gowland <B.Gowland at rhbnc.ac.uk> (Tel +44 784 443167) Subject: Re: what is Racking ? In HBD 1531, MFOR8178 at URIACC.URI.EDU wrote: > [Stuff cut] > Anyway, I dont want to bore you with my drivel, just wondering what Racking > means. In short - Racking means transferring a liquid to a clean vessel in order to leave sediment, trub and other undesirable nasties behind. It is usually achieved by syphoning and is done by winemakers and beermakers at different times during the relevant processes. Cheers, Brian Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 10:47:45 EDT From: cem at cadre.com (Chuck E. Mryglot) Subject: cutting down hop bines Now that I have harvested all of my hops for this year, should I cut the bines down now or wait until late fall when the leaves have fallen off..... or doesn't it matter. ChuckM Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 10:42:05 -0500 (EST) From: ulick at ulix.rad.nd.edu (Ulick Stafford) Subject: anal requirement Why to competition entry forms always have this this idiotic anal rule? Each entry must consist of three plain green or brown bottles, 10 to 14 oz. Each entry must be accompanied by a competition entry form and proper payment. Entries must be identified with a competition label secured with a rubber band. Entries should not have raised glass or silk screened marks. Marks on bottle caps should be blackened out. What is wrong with clear bottles, big bottles, Bass bottles, overrun caps? While it is understandable that the nationals have standards to lend an aura, this is hardly the case for a competition in Podunk, NY, or whereever. And I know the judges are just as anal, because one once made a big stink about my 'clear violation' sending a bottle with raised lettering. Yet another reasaon not to pay people to drink my beer. __________________________________________________________________________ 'Heineken!?! ... F#$% that s at &* ... | Ulick Stafford, Dept of Chem. Eng. Pabst Blue Ribbon!' | Notre Dame IN 46556 http://ulix.rad.nd.edu/Ulick.html | Ulick.Stafford at nd.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 08:12:34 PDT From: "Joe Stone" <JSTONE at SJEVM5.VNET.IBM.COM> Subject: RIMS I am looking for different ways to "plumb" a three-vessel, three-burner RIMS. I would especially be interested in information detailing the Brew Magic: placement of valves; orientation of magnetic drive recirculating pump; ... It is my understanding that the Brew Magic utilizes three gas burners and an electric heating element for precise temperature control (+- 0.1 degree F) in the recirculating path. The water/wort appear to be plumbed to a box containing the pump, heating element and electronics. The Brew Magic positions the sparge vessel and the mash vessel in the same plane. I assume, with the use of valves, the pump (in addition to recirculating) is used to transfer sparge water to the grain bed. Wort is apparently gravity fed into the boiling vessel. The other option is to have the mash vessel and the boiling vessel in the same plane. Sparge water is gravity fed and the pump would transfer wort from the mash vessel to the boiling vessel. Currently, I use the latter setup, moving a hose between the mash vessel and the boiling vessel. I'm looking for something more permanent into which I can incorporate a heating element in the near future. I'd appreciate any information you can provide. Thanks. Joe Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 11:51:37 +0059 (EDT) From: Matthew Sendbuehler <sendbu at mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca> Subject: Demerara sugar Someone asks about demerara sugar, which is apparently the secret ingredient for a pale ale his father-in-law sampled in England. Demerara is a cane sugar, hard to find and whenever I have, ridiculously expensive. But it is indeed a great adjunct for a pale ale, and (I just checked) it's named after the place in Guyana where it's made. If you can, try to track down the real thing. My local supermarket has some "Demerara-style" sugar, which I suspect means that like other 'ordinary' brown sugars it's just refined sugar that's had some molasses added back. Maybe a health food store would be the best place to look for the real stuff? I'm sorry, it's been so long since I've seen any that I can't describe the flavor, but look for large (1-2 mm) clear crystals of a light golden colour. Mmmmmm. This brings back memories of a simple pale ale recipe that I used to make. Not being a full-mash brewer, but also not being crazy about syrups (especially pre-hopped ones), this one seemed a happy medium. It's from old memory, so if you try it use your good judgement and experience to correct for my aging neurons (and please report on results!). 6 lbs pale DME 1/2 lb 40L crystal malt steeped until just before boil 1 lb demerara sugar 1 oz Northern Brewer in boil 1/2 oz Cascade to finish 1 tsp gypsum [optional] [epsom salts? can't remember] I believe I was using Edme ale yeast at the time. (For 20 litres/~5 US gallons) If any Southern Ontario readers remember the original Conners Pale Ale, this was a passable knock-off... (I may be underestimating the quantity of Cascade, because that beer's distinguishing feature was a very powerful Cascade nose.) Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:48:11 From: Vanek at aepco.com Subject: Demmerara Sugar [sp????] In response to Ron Dwelle: Demerara sugar is a large crystal, less refined sugar. I'm fairly sure it is sucrose, without all the "brown stuff" removed through refining. Available in the UK--I think the closest I've seen is something that Domino sugar sells in a one lb. box. . . Check your local grocery. Good Luck! Tom Vanek vanek at aepco.com tvanek at aol.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 11:58:29 EDT From: Bob Bessette <bessette at uicc.com> Subject: Liquid Yeast Question... Fellow Brewers, I have another issue which is bothering me a bit. I have been using liquid yeast now for the last 4 batches but I never get a real active fermentation. Recently I read that I should always use a starter with liquid yeast. I haven't done this yet. Should I be doing it and what is the best method of doing a starter? BTW, the beer comes out great but maybe it could be better... Please email me directly... Bob Bessette (future all-grainer...) bessette at uicc.com Systems Analyst Unitrode Integrated Circuits Merrimack, NH 03087 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 11:12:13 -0500 From: Ethan.Mason at ccmail.natinst.com (Ethan Mason) Subject: Celis sellout? No way. After reading yesterdays posting, I feverishly called the brewery. Fortunately, they said that it was untrue, and assured me that it was purely conjecture--probably on the part of Miller is my thinking. Anyway, we can all rest well tonight. More Celis gossip--they are brewing a raspberry beer, which should be out sometime soon. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." -Groucho Marx Ethan Mason Austin, Texas Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 11:23:42 -0600 From: MHANSEN at ctdmc.pmeh.uiowa.edu Subject: E-flasks, carboy handles, Wyeast 3068, Zapap tuns Hey Gang, I have been using an Erlenmeyer flask for some time now with no problems. I heat it with direct flame from a gas stove until boiling and then remove to let it sit for a minute or two. I cover the the flask with a paper towel wetted with alcohol and secure it with a rubber band for the cooling process so no nasties get sucked in. I then immerse it into a sink full of VERY hot water and slowly add cold water and then ice or freezer packs to cool the starter down to room temperature. The whole process takes about 15 minutes. Be careful when using lab glassware though. I made the mistake of believing that all lab glassware is Pyrex/Kimax. I heated a screw top jar using the method described above and after 30 seconds on the stove it shattered sending glass and starter on and under the stove top. What a pain in the kiester to clean! I have those orange carboy handles on each of my carboys (2-5 gallon and 2-3 gallon) and have had no problems with slippage or breakage or anything else. I carry full carboys with them. I find them quite handy. I agree with Glenn mit Heffe's :-) post about Wyeast 3068 and fermentation time. My experience with this yeast leads me to believe that it is slow in the secondary. I brewed an all extract weizen and had a yeast hurricane in the primary which subsided after about 4 days after which I racked to secondary. A small kraeusen developed in the secondary and I bottled after it disappeared (about a week). It seems I should have left it in the secondary for another week. It is fully carbonated with very large bubbles after only a week in the bottle. No gushers though and I have no reason to suspect infection. This is THE true weizen yeast. I have cloves and bananas in my Weizen! I used 3056 previously for an all-grain Dunkelweizenbock but was disappointed. It was tasty for an American style dark strong wheat beer (if the category even exists) but was nothing like Pikantus Dunkelweizenbock which I was aiming for. It would've been had I used 3068. I have made modifications to my Zapap lauter tun similar to the poster who cut off the bottom of the interior bucket to use as a false bottom. However mine is slightly different. The first thing I did was get rid of the interior bucket. I then bought a professional SS flour sifter that measures 2 inches high by 10 1/2 inches in diameter to use as a false bottom that fits VERY snugly in the bottom of my 7.5 gallon plastic fermenter that I use as my lauter tun. I cut the sifter down to an inch with tin snips because I don't like a lot of foundation water. I fit a plastic bulkhead that goes through the sifter to which I attach a 3/8" plastic hose long enough so I don't splash when lautering to the brew pot. I insulate it with a water heater jacket. It also doubles as my bottling bucket - I just remove the false bottom. The best part about it was it was CHEAP. The sifter was $19.99 at Lechter's (a kitchen shop in the Chicago area - no affiliation blah, blah, blah). I am sure you could get one at a place that sells restaraunt kitchen equipment. Sorry this is so long but hopefully it is useful info. Brew on my friends! Mike (michael-d-hansen at uiowa.edu) Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 12:35 WET DST From: gramps at interlog.com (Glenn Anderson) Subject: Yeast re-use / Yeast FAQ I've been re-pitching yeast from the primary for the last 10 batches or so and have noticed that the yeast starts to lose it's ability to floculate after about 3 successive re-pitches. I've noticed this with 1007 and 1056 and was wondering if this was a mutative quality or just due to the fact that my initial pitching volume was larger with each batch. There was no detectable (at least on my behalf) change in the finished beer with 3 re-pitches other than the length of time it took to clear; the 3rd batch generally had to be dosed with PVP to get the yeast out of suspension. I am considering washing the yeast using Dave's recommended procedure in the Yeast FAQ at Sierra, perhaps this will "clear up" my problem. A quick note on the Yeast FAQ, I've noticed that it is considerably out of date, early 1993 I think. I would be glad to update it in both text and HTML for the WWW users if I can collect enough detail from all of you about the new strains available. Email information to: GRAMPS at INTERLOG.COM Glenn Anderson Manager, Telecommunications Facilities, BCS Sun Life Of Canada GANDE at SLIMS.ATTMAIL.COM or GRAMPS at INTERLOG.COM Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 09:39:02 +48000 From: Domenick Venezia <venezia at zgi.com> Subject: Delirium tremons I was recently in Denmark and saw a sign for what I think was a beer named Delirium Tremons. I was so intent on bribing the bartender to let me buy the sign that what it was advertising was secondary to the situation (I'd had a few - quite a few). Anyway he refused, and I never really found out what the story on the product was. Does anyone know what is Delirium Tremons? Domenick Venezia ZymoGenetics, Inc. Seattle, WA venezia at zgi.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 10:31:13 MDT From: npyle at hp7013.ecae.StorTek.COM Subject: Guest brew at home / SS racking canes My recent visit to the local micro uncovered a convenience I hadn't considered until recently. I have a homebrew kegging setup and wanted to have a "guest" beer to go along with my own. I could buy a sanke tap and connect it to my system, but I didn't want to pay the 30 bucks to own one. I asked the local brewery if they would fill a soda keg for me, and they said that it was no problem. He told me to bring it in sanitized and sealed and they'd fill it up for me for the regular price of a 5 gallon keg (it is a 5 gallon corny keg). The disadvantage over renting their keg is that you have to do the cleaning and sanitizing, but at least you don't have to have different kegging hardware for the sanke fittings that come on most commercial beer kegs. ** I personally like the idea of things that last virtually forever, which is why I've gone to an insulated keg mash tun, instead of a Gott tower of power. For the same reason, I've made a SS racking cane, which is indestructible (as long as normal SS precautions are taken). It has the same OD as the plastic canes so the same tubing can be used with it, and I just put the standard plastic orange tip on it as well. The advantages with the SS cane are that you can rack hot liquids without melting, as with the hard plastic canes, and it can be sanitized completely in the oven. If it was to be used to rack hot liquids (I don't use it this way because my brewery design obviates this step), it could easily be outfitted with a compression fitting to attach it to copper tubing or the like. To avoid sanitation issues, I used to throw out my plastic canes about every year or so. I don't have to worry about that anymore. OTOH, the plastic canes are only about $2.50 retail in my area, which is much less than the wholesale cost of materials for a SS unit, so it can't compete with plastic for cost. Yes, this is a commercial of sorts, but I'm not making these things for sale, I'm just considering it. So, would you want one of these, and if so, is it worth, say $15 to you? FYI, it probably can't be made and sold retail for even as low as $10. Just a thought... Cheers, Norm npyle at hp7013.ecae.stortek.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 13:34:30 EDT From: DBLAKE1037 at aol.com Subject: Raleigh NC Brewpubs Howdy, I am sure that there are people out there that get real pissed off when they see requests like these (I sometimes do, too), but here goes. I am going to be travelling to Raleigh-Durham, NC next week and would like to stop at any prewpubs/good bars if any exist there. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and good brewing, Don Blake - Wauconda, IL <dblake1037 at aol.com> Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 10:53:38 +0800 From: tpm at tcis.com (Tim McNerney) Subject: Moving hops Well, it looks like I am going to be moving and I would like to take my hop garden with me. Luckily, I will still have access to the garden, so I do not have to move the hops when I move out. So what I would like to know is when is the best time to move the hop plants? I would assume just before planting season (say sometime in March). Also, any additional information on moving them would be helpful. Thanks. - --Tim McNerney - --tpm at tcis.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 12:37:09 -0500 From: xtalwind at ios.com (Michael Adams) Subject: Recipe Request: Swan Lager Please!!! Will some kind soul please E-Mail or post to rec.crafts.brewing, the recipe for Swan Lager? I drank it on liberty in Perth and Freemantle W.A., and I'd like more but can't find it here. Thanks! Mike - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit America's scenic PRISONS! Ask your representatives why America has the world's highest per capita prison population. $10 billion in planned expansions, coming soon to a neighborhood near you. End the prohibition. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:14:27 PDT From: tmwang at srv.PacBell.COM (Miu Wang) Subject: Portland / Oregon Brew/Wine/Food Recommemdation Request Here's another lazy post :-) I'll be in Portland, Oregon the last week of October and'd love to hear from fellow brew/fine/food freaks about good places to sample the local brews/wimes/ food. In particular, I'd really appreciate tips on where the locals eat and drink (at least the local connoisseurs :-) I'll spend most of a week in downtown Portland, but have set aside one day to tour the wine country, stopping at Domain Drouhin among other wineries. Thanks in advance. ___ (o o) - ---ooO-(_)-Ooo--- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Miu Wang 510-867-6476 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This space provided by permission of the Minister of Disinformation...... :-) Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 10:58:25 -0600 (MDT) From: COYOTE <SLK6P at cc.usu.edu> Subject: Racking Off (in public! 8-O ) Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 13:24 From: KWH at roadnet.ups.com (KWH) Subject: Time/temp program Last month, George Fix posted the following time/temperature program for highly modified malt: > 40C (104F) - 30 mins.- 24 lbs. base malt + 6.5 gals. water > Transition 40 to 60C - add 3 gals. of boiling water - add > adjunct malts at the end as a brake - less than 5 mins. > is needed > Note - I now feel (with Narziss) that the time spent in the > range 45-55C should be keep below 15 mins. if highly > modified malt is used. > 60C (140F) - 30 mins. > Transition 60 to 70C - external heat is needed and this can > be done in 15 mins. > 70C (158F) - 30 mins. Since going all-grain, I have used a single step infusion mash in the mid 150's until conversion. I decided to try this method, and my yield increased almost 13% over what I typically get (Thanks, George!!!) I think that yield is usually overemphasized in discussions -- I just try to be consistent. I currently pay less than .60 a pound for grain, and I will gladly add a few pounds to save an hour. Yet, I was pretty damn happy to break that 30 ppg barrier. However, there are certain disadvantages -- particularly trying to control temperatures on an electric stove. I overshot both transition temps even though I turned the burner completely off before reaching the desired temp. There must be an easier way to do this. Secondly, it added significant time to my already lengthy brew day. The real test will be in about a month when I sample the first bottle. Kirk Harralson kwh at roadnet.ups.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 13:44:03 -0600 (CDT) From: "Jim Ellingson" <jimme at s1.arc.umn.edu> Subject: 3rd Annual Minnesota Brewfest. Greetings, The 3rd Annual Minnesota Brewfest will be held at: Sherlock's Home Brew Pub 1100 Red Circle Drive 612-931-0203 Shady Oak Road and Crosstown (Hwy 62) Minnetonka, MN (SW suburb of Minneapolis) Judging Schedule is as follows: First Round: Saturday, 9/24, 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m. Landmark Brewery Second Round: Firday, 9/30, 6 p.m. Sherlock's Home Final Round: Saturday, 10/1, 9 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Sherlock's Home Best of Show featuring Micheal Jackson and 2 BJCP judges M.C.-ed by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Sunday, 10/2, 3 p.m. Sherlock's Home Saturday events will include brief tours of the Summit and James Page micro-breweries. Micheal Jackson will be hosting a Scotch Tasting at Sherlock's on 10/1, although space is limited. Lovely fall colors and the Mall of America (a.k.a. Huge-dale) may be used to convince significant others to join you on the trip. Sunday events include book signing by Jackson (12-2), displays by Morris-Hanberry, Rahr Malting and other suppliers and the very entertaining best of show judging. Brewing points (pints?) of interest include Sherlock's fine selection of English styles and Boulder Brewing Company's new $3M Rock Bottom Brewery at 9th and Hennepin in downtown Minneapolis. The Landmark Brewery (a.k.a. Minnesota Brewing Company) makes Pig's Eye pilsener and contract brews a variety of products, most notably Pete's Wicked Ale/Lager/Red/Shandy/etc. This is an AHA sanctioned competition with 240+ entries in 14 categories. Interested judges, stewards and apprentices are encouraged to contact me or John DeHarnais (612-227-2216) for further information. Beds for brewers are available. Meals provided (one per flight) for out of town judges. Cheers, Jim Ellingson, Minnesota homeBrewers Association Return to table of contents
Date: 20 Sep 94 18:44:00 GMT From: korz at iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583) Subject: Plastic Carboys/red beer/stuck? ferment Randy writes: >homebrewer, left me a half dozen plastic carboys. Five of these are the >bottledwater type and one is a Nalgene(tm)-looking thing with a gasketed >screw-on lid. >I think the brand is Sciencecraft or something. All are five gallon, all have >been covered, and none contain(ed) gasoline, paint, motor oil, BudMilob, Zima, >etc. > >What are some possible uses for these things and what sort of caveats apply? >Uses that come to mind are trub settlers, bottling carboys, cooled boiled >tapwater containers, emergency fermenters, etc. > >Just how "bad" is plastic for brewing? Well, I personally feel that plastic is fine for brewing as long as you: 1. don't scratch it while cleaning (places for bacteria to hide from sanitizers), and 2. don't let the finished beer sit around in it too long (because it will oxidize). The bottledwater ones are probaby Polycarbonate and the Nalgene-looking one is probably HDPE. Note that HDPE has been often reported to be highly oxygen-permiable, however, according the the Cole-Parmer catalog plastics section, Polycarbonate is twice as permiable to O2 as HDPE and Polypropylene is 2.5 times as permiable to O2. Before you fret too much, Teflon FEP is 6 times more permiable and PMP (polymethylpentene) is 27 times more permiable than HDPE! Regarding sanitation, the catalog recommends that Clorox NOT be used with Polypropylene, but there is no listing of Polycarbonate in the chemical reactivity chart. In the chemical resistance summary, Polycarbonate is not recommended for bases (like Clorox and, I would, imagine B-Brite/One-Step either which are basically Sodium Carbonate and Hydrogen Peroxide -- and YES they are both sanitizers -- the mfgrs are just waiting for govt approval to label them as such). Both PC and PP can withstand temperatures of up to 275F, so sanitizing with boiling water is a definate possibility. I would imagine that Iodophor would be acceptable as a sanitizing agent for all these plastics, but don't overdo it or the plastics might stain. 12.5 ppm (1/2 oz per 5 gallon) 15 minutes should be enough. Clean without scratching immediately after use and they should be okay. Another alternative would be to go back to the bottled water company and exchange them for glass ones (at least one of the companies around here (Sparkling Spring) let you choose plastic or glass and the deposit for either is only $6.00). ********** Bill wants red beer. I've found that a small amount of Roasted Barley will add a reddish note. ********** Derek writes: I am fairly new to homebrewing and am having a problem with my most recent batch. On 9/11/94 I brewed a honey wheat beer from extract. After a few days, I was getting no activity from my airlock. A layer of foam a few inches thick covered the top of the beer. I decided to Richard responds: >You know what it sounds like, to me ... ? A loose airlock. I've seen it a >dozen times, at least. A tiny, tiny little less-than-perfect seal between >the glass and the rubber, and there goes your basis for building pressure >differentials. >I have found that industrial epoxy cement is the best solution. It makes >an excellent seal, and you can now carry the carboy by the vapor lock, as >an added bonus. < ahem > Seriously, now ... there are three ways to fix it. <snip> I feel that Richard's solutions are overkill. You will never get a perfect seal and I would certainly forget about epoxy. If you are using a plastic pail fermenter, there is quite a bit more leakage from the big seal around the top than from where the airlock goes into the lid. I think that Derek's "problem" may be that the beer fermented out during the second or third night when he wasn't looking. If there is a brown ring around the inside of the fermenter just above the level of the beer, then you missed the main (exciting) portion of the ferment. It's not clear that Derek didn't see activity, actually, he said that *after a couple of days* there was no activity. Depending on the yeast and the size of the starter and whether or not you shocked the yeast, during these summer temperatures (i.e. fermentation in the 70's) it's not surpising to see beer ferment out in 24 hours. All that's left is to wait for the beer to clear (yeast to settle) and then you can go to bottling. Al. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 15:18:35 EDT From: Kelvin Kapteyn <kelvink at mtu.edu> Subject: re-bottling question I have a competition entry submission question that must have come up some- where before. I don't have enough bottles of a certain brew left in the correct size bottles. I do have a few in 0.5L bottles. I am planning to try to transfer some of the beer to 12oz. bottles for the contest. BTW, it was the first place Vienna in the Mich. State Fair comp. (sorry Jeff R. ;-) !) The general plan is to borrow a friend's CO2 tank, purge the cold 12oz. bottles, then gently pour over the cold (~30F) beer out of the 0.5L bottles into the 12oz. bottles and cap. If done gently enough, I think enough CO2 should stay in solution to maintain carbonation. Has anyone tried this or similar? This is a problem that has come up before with other brewers in my club. Cheers, -Kelvin - -- Kelvin Kapteyn (kelvink at mtu.edu) Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1532, 09/21/94