HOMEBREW Digest #1688 Fri 24 March 1995
Digest #1687
Digest #1689
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Stuck at 1020 (Jonathan Ward)
Digest experts read!!!!!! ("Lee C. Bussy")
ON the air, WHEAT (Jack Schmidling)
Growing Hops and determining AA (TPuskar)
Re: Internet Brewing Resources... (Mark A. Stevens)
Reno Brewpubs (Jeff Nielsen/Atlanta)
Dry hopping / Phenolic fans / M&F Malt (Keith Frank)
HELP ACCESS ARCHIVE VIA FTPMAIL (Glen_Baldridge)
Flaked Wheat/ Racking from kettle ("Drink up lad. There's no bones in it!")
GA Brewpubs/Mead/Artic ("pratte")
Re: Orange Peel (Spencer.W.Thomas)
Awesome Marijuana Beer Recipe! (MnMGuy)
Re: Tax treatment of hard cider (Spencer.W.Thomas)
Pressure brewing (MnMGuy)
RE: Saison Ale-recipe and notes (Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna)
moving hops (RONALD DWELLE)
Growing hops ("v.f. daveikis")
Fifth Annual March Mashfest _Results_ (Brian J Walter (Brewing Chemist))
Re: The Fermentap Review (Mark Prazer)
Minor correction to Clasic Am. Pilsner style (Jeff Renner)
Re: Vented Boils, Desert Hops, Roasted Barley (Nic Herriges)
maibock recipe? ("MICHAEL L. TEED")
Fermtap looks cool! (Matthew J. Harper)
cancel subscription ("Tonkyn, John C")
Brewing Study in Belgium (michael j dix)
Pre-Prohibition Lager (Yeastbud)
Internet beer resources (Philip Gravel)
Cooler Mashout ("Robert W. Mech")
Racking (Gregory J Egle)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 06:47:54 -0500 (EST)
From: Jonathan Ward <JWARD at delphi.com>
Subject: Stuck at 1020
HBDers
I'm a year into homebrewing and I have an embarassingly simple problem.
Stuck fermentation. I have been at 1020 for the last week and a half, and
am nearing the end of my rope.
Details: Pale ale, OG around 1050. Pitched a second generation Chico Ale
(worked the first time) and had a good two day's worth of fermentation.
Oh, wort was 6 or so lbs dry malt extract, 1 lb crystal malt. After two
weeks, I repitched with rehydrated dry ale yeast and shook pretty vigously
in a lame attempt to reaerate (although I know adding air at this point
isn't a great idea). After minimal bubbling for a week, there has been no
real change. The beer has been at about 70F the whole time.
Theories:
1) Both yeasts were bad. Unlikely.
2) Lots of unfermentables in wort, so 1020 is right FG. Can't believe
that. I used M&F light.
3) Not enough air in wort. This seems reasonably likely, since I get
impatient with shaking carboys. But it hasn't happened before. I know
liquid yeasts need a lot of oxygen (and second generations even more so) so
this is my suspicion.
But enough theories. What should I do? Thinking that I had cured the
problem, I dry hopped the beer after introducing the dry yeast. And I don't
mind the taste of it (flat and warm). So should I just keg? Or rerack, add
yeast nutrients, more yeast and wait some more? (And if I do option 2,
should I try to aerate through sloppy racking and a little carboy shaking?
E-mailed opinions will be great. I will do whatever gets the most votes,
and report the results if I get more than 10 opinions.
Thanks.
Jonathan Ward
Chicago, IL
[JWard at delphi.com]
P.S. -- Has anyone tried Blue Ridge Lager by micro Rainbow Ridge Brewing Co.
Slick blue bottles, no adjuncts, employee ownership and a '93 GABF gold. I
have never tasted a better Bud/Coors/Miller clone, and certainly not as
expensive. Maybe it's too subtle for my hops-driven palate, but I won't
spend another $6 on that again.
`[1;34;42mRainbow V 1.12 for Delphi - Test Drive
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 07:11:55 +0000
From: "Lee C. Bussy" <leeb at southwind.net>
Subject: Digest experts read!!!!!!
I'm looking for an elusive thing called an Un-digester.
I know some have the ability to chop up the digest into individual
messages and this would be very handy for me and assist in answering
some of the posts that I might be able to help with.
TIA
...Oh, BTW, Beer beer beer beer beer beer beer. There, on track
again!
- --
-Lee Bussy | The 4 Basic Foodgroups.... |
leeb at southwind.net | Salt, Fat, Beer & Women! |
Wichita, Kansas | http://www.southwind.net/~leeb |
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 07:14 CST
From: arf at mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
Subject: ON the air, WHEAT
Our move to the country is now complete and the first trial run of the new
brewery is in the "lagering room". The MM factory is back on line in its new
3000 sq ft home.
The brewery is in its own 500 sq ft mini barn and it really is fun to have
everything in its place instead of having to set things up each time I brew.
The EASYSPARGER is now history because of water complications and I have the
sparge water heater in the loft and it is gravity fed to the mash tun right
below. The mash tun is gravity fed to the boiler and the chilled wort from
the boiler is pumped to the fermenter in the fridge.
I had a few unplanned problems with either too much or not enough hot water
on the first run but I think I have it figured out for the next. The good
news is that the well water seems to make fine beer. I still have not been
able to locate my pH meter but the mash proceeded as normal with the usual
extract yield of 33 pts and the beer tastes normal. The water is very hard
and has a strong sulphur smell but it dissipates within an hour if just left
out and immediately upon boiling.
I got 60 lbs of wheat for $5 from a farmer down the road and 25 lbs of corn
from another for a beer so it's tough to stick to the Reinhightsgbot
tradition with that kind of stuff around. The last batch had two lbs of corn
and I am going to try wheat in the next, which brings me to.....
>From: kr_roberson at ccmail.pnl.gov
>I have a MaltMill (tm, etc, etc) that I use for grinding, and I wanted
to relate my experience with raw wheat so far. I've made two white
beers with 50% raw wheat, the first with hard red and the second
with soft white. Boys and girls when they say hard as in "hard red"
they are not kidding. I was grinding with a drill motor and the ol
MM would seize up if ANY backed up in the rollers. No loading up the
hopper on this stuff. I had to unload the hopper several times before
I was done. Major pain. Pouring it in slowly in a very thin stream
did the trick......
I have done a bit of experimenting on wheat and pretty much agree with your
comments. The MM was designed to crush malt and what ever you can do with
raw grain should be considered a bonus. Even the MMII with a 1 hp motor can
only take wheat at about 10% of the rate for malt. Here is one place where
an adjustable mill can speed things up as you can run the wheat through wide
open much faster and a second pass at the nominal setting full tilt. I
milled 15 lbs that way and then ran it through the Corona to make flour and
it worked very well. Just for reference, the Corona is no picknic either on
wheat and it has to be run through several times to get good flour (for
bread).
Question? Does raw wheat need to be pre-boiled like corn to gelatinize it?
If not, why not?
js
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 08:33:35 -0500
From: TPuskar at aol.com
Subject: Growing Hops and determining AA
I'm thinking of growing my own hops but was wondering how I would determine
alpha acid content. I saw the recent posts regarding spectrophotometric
analysis, but like my liquid nitrogen tank and autoclave, my UV-Vis spec is
out for repairs.<G> Many of you guys out there are associated with
universities and commercial labs and have easy access to analytical
capabilities. How 'bout us *really* homebrewers who have to make due with
classic kitchen chemistry. How can we determine AA? Is there a lab
somewhere where I could send dried hop flowers and have AA determined? How
stable will the content be if stored properly (in freezer?). Has anyone out
there in Central NJ (Monmouth, Ocean cty) tried growing their own hops? Does
our soil, ran, etc support hop growing?
TIA
Tom Puskar
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 08:36:32 -0500
From: stevens at stsci.edu (Mark A. Stevens)
Subject: Re: Internet Brewing Resources...
In HBD 1687, Patrick Babcock (usfmchql at ibmmail.com) asked for
a compilation of network resources dealing with brewing.
There are some of these compilations available through the world
wide web. The most exhaustive is probably the World Wide Web
Virtual Library: Beer and Brewing page, maintained by John Locke.
John's done an excellent job of exhaustively searching out
brewing resources on the net and creating a usable index of
them. The URL is:
http://www.mindspring.com/~jlock/wwwbeer.html
Spencer Thomas also has a quite exhaustive list on his beer page.
The URL is:
http://guraldi.itn.med.umich.edu/Beer/
On the Brewery site (of which I am one of several maintainers), there
is a list of Online resources that we feel are very close to the
subject of homebrewing. We're not as exhaustive as John or Spencer
because we limit our links to only those resources that deal with
homebrewing as opposed to beer appreciation in general, and we
limit it to sites offering useful information that doesn't duplicate
what we, or Spencer, or other sites already provide. Our URL is:
http://alpha.rollanet.org/Online.html
Hope this helps.
Cheers!
- ---Mark Stevens
stevens at stsci.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: 23 Mar 95 09:05:02 EST
From: Jeff Nielsen/Atlanta <70273.574 at compuserve.com>
Subject: Reno Brewpubs
I'll be laying over in Reno, Nevada next week, and I'd like to visit a local
brewpub if Reno has any. I've already looked in the publist, and didn't see any
listings for Reno. I'll be staying in a downtown hotel and I don't have access
to a car.
*************
I'm having trouble attaining the appropriate final gravities since I switched
to using Cornelious kegs as fermenters. For example, my pale ales (1.045-1.055
O.G.) finish in the 1.020-1.022 range. My latest brew was a stout (1.078 O.G.)
that finished at 1.034! Yeast used in my pale ales were Wyeast 1968 Special
London and Wyeast 1056 American Ale. The stout was fermented with Wyeast 1084
Irish Ale. Yes, I made starters, pitching one to two quarts. These are
all-grain brews; aeration with a venturi tube during racking from the boiling
kettle to soda keg. I've read here in the past that the geometry of these kegs
aren't really optimum. Do I need to do something more elaborate with aeration?
I really like the convenience of using these 5 gallon kegs as fermenters. Can
anyone out there help me with my poor attenuation problem?
Jeff Nielsen
Sweat Mountain Brewing Co.
Marietta, GA
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 08:44:59 -0600
From: keithfrank at dow.com (Keith Frank)
Subject: Dry hopping / Phenolic fans / M&F Malt
********** from Bruce DeBolt ***************
1. Dry Hopping
There have been a few more notes about siphoning problems
from a dry hopped secondary using pellets. I've encountered
no problems by using a nylon grain bag (from any homebrew
store), tied off at the end of the racking cane with a
plastic twist tie. The whole thing is sanitized in iodophor
solution and shaken before plunging in the secondary. This
gives you lots of surface area and "folds". While it flows
a little slower than the cane alone, it hasn't come close to
clogging yet. May work better than the nylon hose
technique which I haven't tried yet.
I just made my first "grassy" flavored beer from dry
hopping. It was a Redhook ESB clone posted by Michael Lloyd
on Jan. 11, which called for 1 oz. of Tettnanger dry hopped
in the secondary. I've used Tettnanger in a brown ale
before without this problem, also Cascade and Liberty in
other styles with no problems. It's been in the bottle for
one month, and the grassiness seems to be fading slightly.
The hops were pellets, a '93 U.S. crop which had been in my
freezer in a polypropylene screw top container (St. Pat's)
for about 6-7 months.
I checked Miller, Papazian, De Clerk, and Garetz for
insight. The Garetz book was the only one with any information on this
problem. He states that grassiness will fade with
time. I know from experience this is true with bitterness and aroma.
Someone on the digest, I think Al Korzonas, stated recently
that certain hops are known for giving a grassy flavor.
Forgive my inability to search past digests as I only have access
through Keith Frank's good graces and don't want to burden
him too much. My questions:
1. Is "grassiness" due to hop variety, age, amount, or a combination of
factors?
2. Will this tend to fade with time?
3. Any direct experiences with U.S. Tettnanger?
4. Garetz states, on page 192, that if you dry hop you should also use
finishing hops (late boil addition) and while it is OK to use finishing hops
without dry hopping, it generally is not OK the other way around. Any
comments on this? I've not noticed any problems dry hopping without
finishing hops.
2. Phenolic Flavor Lovers
Dave Draper's post not too long ago about making American
Wheat Beers (he doesn't like phenolics) and Jim Busch's
reply (yuk!) made me wonder where these preferences come
from. I'm in Dave's camp, can't stand the phenolics.
When I was in elementary school back in the sixties we used
to get a certain brand of paste in plastic tubs with a stiff
brush in the middle of it. Some kids used to eat the paste,
others didn't. The classes were clearly divided along these
lines. I've been told it had phenol in it, it certainly
smelled like it if memory serves me correctly. I was one of
the non-eaters. So - are the phenolic flavor lovers former
paste eaters?
3. M&F Malt - The quality of this malt has been mentioned
many times but I can't find it for sale locally or in
Zymurgy or Brewing Techniques, maybe I've missed something
in an ad. Where can I buy the grain?
TIA,
Bruce DeBolt
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 09:10:38 PST
From: Glen_Baldridge at ccmail.medicus.com
Subject: HELP ACCESS ARCHIVE VIA FTPMAIL
I am trying (unsuccessfully) to get archive information using ftpmail
through ftpmail at gatekeeper.dec.com (via CC:Mail). I have tried
several times to get various items out, but with the same result: I
recieve a "message recieved" note saying my request will be processed,
and then after several days, nothing.
Below is a message I sent to ftpmail at gatekeeper.dec.com to try to get
the readme.ftp file:
connect
get README.ftp
quit
What am I doing wrong? What should the commands be to get an index of
the brew articles? Do I need my id somewhere in the connect string?
Private or public e-mail is fine. If private, I'll post solution once
I get it right.
TIA,
Glen Baldridge (glen_baldridge at ccmail.medicus.com)
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 09:57:07 EST
From: "Drink up lad. There's no bones in it!" <johnm at giant.IntraNet.com>
Subject: Flaked Wheat/ Racking from kettle
I've seen a number of people suggest substituting flaked wheat for unmalted
wheat. Is this a pound for pound substitution?
Someone was asking about expereinces racking from the kettle. I have been
doing it with a copper scrubby over the racking cane. I use a short length of
tubing leading to the funnel with strainer on top of the carboy. This catches
some additional junk as well as provides some aeration as the wort drops
throught the screen.
John McCafferty
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 10:27:48 EST
From: "pratte" <PRATTE at GG.csc.peachnet.edu>
Subject: GA Brewpubs/Mead/Artic
1. I haven't seen a post on this yet, but for all Georgians, the
brewpub law PASSED. After the governor signs the law (Zell should),
brewpubs will be legal come July 1. Thank goodness we'll have them
in time for the Olympics.
2. For Stephen Tinsley: I'm not sure what's wrong with your mead,
but don't bet on it being finished in just a month (like Papazian
says). I've only made one batch (SG 1.087), but it took over 4
months to complete fermentation. That seems to be in line with the
experience of others I've talked to about it.
3. For Hunter: There were several post on the Artic misspelling
several months back. The reason for it is so that they can't be sued
in some states for misadvertising (The beer is not brewed in the
Arctic nor is there a style of beer called Arctic.). It may be
cynical to say so, but in the future, we will probably just start
spelling it that way (Note how many people spell light "lite" after
Miller came out with their beer.).
John
________________________________________________________________
Dr. John M. Pratte pratte at gg.csc.peachnet.edu
Clayton State College Office (404)961-3674
Morrow, GA 30260 Fax (404)961-3700
________________________________________________________________
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 11:09:20 EST
From: Spencer.W.Thomas at med.umich.edu
Subject: Re: Orange Peel
Aaron Shaw wrote about Orange Peel:
> do not use oranges that are "orange", because they
> have been dyed for appearance.
As far as I know, this is not true. Do you have real evidence to back
up this statement? The color of an orange depends on the temperature
at which it matures. The colder it is (within limits :-), the oranger
the orange, the thicker its skin, and the more sour it tastes.
(Obviously, variation between varieties affects these factors, too.)
Oranges grown in very hot climates never turn orange. Oranges grown
in colder places (e.g., California) do.
=Spencer Thomas in Ann Arbor, MI
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 11:18:22 -0500
From: MnMGuy at aol.com
Subject: Awesome Marijuana Beer Recipe!
Aw, hell. I forgot it....
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 11:31:07 EST
From: Spencer.W.Thomas at med.umich.edu
Subject: Re: Tax treatment of hard cider
Here's the bill. Bert Grant should be happy.
104th CONGRESS
1st Session
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify the excise
tax treatment of hard apple cider.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 14 (legislative day, January 30), 1995
Mr. Leahy (for himself and Mr. Jeffords) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Finance
A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify the excise
tax treatment of hard apple cider.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CLARIFICATION OF TAX TREATMENT OF HARD APPLE CIDER.
(a) Hard Apple Cider Containing Not More Than 7 Percent Alcohol
Taxed as Beer: Subsection (a) of section 5052 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to definitions) is amended to read
as follows:
`(a) Beer: For purposes of this chapter (except when used with
reference to distilling or distilling material)--
`(1) In general: The term `beer' means beer, ale, porter,
stout, and other similar fermented beverages (including sake or
similar products) of any name or description containing
one-half of 1 percent or more of alcohol by volume brewed or
produced from malt, wholly or in part, or from any substitute
therefor.
`(2) Hard apple cider: The term `beer' includes a beverage--
`(A) derived wholly (except for sugar, water, or added
alcohol) from apples containing at least one-half of 1
percent and not more than 7 percent of alcohol by volume, and
`(B) produced by a person who produces more than 100,000
wine gallons of such beverage during the calendar year.'.
(b) Conforming Amendment: Subsection (a) of section 5041 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to imposition and rate of
tax) is amended by striking `wine)' and inserting `wine, but not
including hard apple cider described in section 5052(a)(2))'.
(c) Effective Date: The amendments made by this section shall
apply on and after the date of enactment of this Act.
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 11:37:03 -0500
From: MnMGuy at aol.com
Subject: Pressure brewing
I had a brewing science fiction idea while in bottle washing Zen last night:
This idea came from two sources: First, the "brew in a bag" concept where
the wort (mixture, whatever) ferments in a sealed bag and thus carbonates
itself in primary. Second, Charlie's entry in his Companion book about the
brewer in Arizona who submerged his fermenter in his pool to keep it cool.
Wouldn't the submerged beer be partially carbonated at ground (sea) level?
What if we fermented beer at a depth of ninety feet (which is a pressure
level of 3 atmospheres)? As long as there was an air (water?) lock to
equalize pressure within the fermenter, wouldn't the result be fermented,
carbonated beer?
Anybody know how many psi one atmosphere is? What psi is carbonated beer?
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 11:48:12 EST
From: Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna at RELAY.COM
Subject: RE: Saison Ale-recipe and notes
John McCafferty asks:
>Can anyone out there recommend a WYEAST strain for brewing a Saison
>ale?
>Should I be looking at the belgian Abbey 1214? or the Belgain White
>beer
>3944? Any other strains ? Anyone have a recipe(all grain) they would
>like to
>share? Anyone have some notes on the flavor profile for this style?
>TIA.
I assume you are looking for a recipe similar to Saison DuPont - If
not - sorry :)
If so, the following recipe and info comes via BURP.
Tim Fields
Timf at relay.com
>Jeff Frane's Splendid Strong Ale
>GUMMITCH at TELEPORT.COM
>
>DeWolf-Cosyns pilsner malt 9 pounds
>DeWolf-Cosyns aromatic malt 0.6 pounds
>DeWolf-Cosyns caramunich 1 pound
>Flaked maize 1 pound
>Light candy sugar 1.5 pounds
>
>BC Goldings 1 oz boiled for 15 mins
>Mt Hood 1 oz boiled for 15 minutes
>Saaz 0.25 oz boiled for 60 minutes
>
>Made 5.75 gallons at 1.062
>
>Mash in the malts (not the maize) at 98F in 3.5 gallons water and
adjust pH.
> Raise to
>120F and hold for 30 minutes. Raise to 153, add maize, and hold
until
> conversion (about
>45 minutes). Raise to 175 for 15 minutes for mashout.
>
>Add sugar to kettle and boil for 90 minutes. At 1/2 tablespoon
rehydrated Iris
> moss to
>boil for 75 minutes.
>
>Ferment with Wyeast White (#1994), prime with 1 cup corn sugar.
NOTES follow:
>Brewing Belgian Beers (#5): Strong ales
>
>Description:
>
> 1.062-1.120, 6-12% ABV, 16-30 IBU, 3.5-20 SRM
> Pale to dark brown. Low hop bitterness and aroma ok, should
blend with
> other flavors.
> Medium to high esters in flavor and aroma. Phenols ok. Often
highly
> aromatic. Spices or
> orange ok. Strength evident, but alchohol flavor subdued or
absent.
> Medium to full body,
> sometimes with a high terminal gravity. Medium to high
carbonation. No
> roasted flavors
> or diacetyl.
>
>Belgian strong ale recipes are usually formulated to show off yeast
character,
> with all other
>ingredients playing a supporting role. The flavor may be subtly
complex, but
> should not be
>crowded. Body is comparatively light for beers of this strength, due
to use of
> brewing adjuncts or
>of pilsner malt only. High carbonation also helps; these beers
should feel lik
> mousse on the
>palate and have an impressive head. The best examples may be
noticeably strong
> but still have no
>alchohol flavor. Flemish examples tend toward higher terminal
gravities
> (1.025-1.050), while
>Walloon versions are usually more attenuated.
------
>Brewing method:
>
>Yeast choice is absolutely crucial, as the yeast will provide the
foundation
> flavors for the beer and
>all other ingredients should be added to support or accentuate them.
As with
> all beers of this
>strength, high pitching rates and agressive aeration are necessary.
> Fermentation temperatures
>should be cool (below 65F) to avoid creation of headache-causing
fusels.
>
>Infusion or step mashing techniques are standard procedure. Most
commercial
> versions use
>pilsner malt as a base, but many also use substantial quantities of
sugar or
> flaked corn as an
>adjunct. Caramel, Munich and toasted malts are often used in small
quantities;
> roasted malts are
>sometimes used in very small amounts for coloring only. All classic
hop
> varieties are common,
>but are used in small and judicious quantities. Sugars are added in
the kettle
> as are spices. Many
>spices have delicate aromas and should be boiled for just a few
minutes, if at
> all. Common
>choices are bitter or sweet orange peel, coriander, vanilla, and
anise.
>
>Extract brewers will do fine in this category. Start with pale
extract, adding
> judicious quantities
>of caramel malts and sugar (1-2 pounds) to the kettle. The secret is
to choose
> the right yeast and
>to keep your ferment as clean as possible.
>
>Priming should be about 7/8 (125 grams) for five gallons. Addition
of fresh
> yeast at
>bottling should assist with carbonation; a 1-pint starter is
sufficient.
>
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 12:39:31 EST
From: dweller at GVSU.EDU (RONALD DWELLE)
Subject: moving hops
I want to move my hop bines, to get more sun. I'm assuming that I can
just dig them up and move chunks of root to a new location. Any
problems with that?
Ron Dwelle (dweller at gvsu.edu)
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:54:25 -0500 (EST)
From: "v.f. daveikis" <vdaveiki at julian.uwo.ca>
Subject: Growing hops
Hi folks!
Can someone please tell me the address of a place where I can get good
hop stock so I can grow my own this year? I would prefer a Canadian
address as I don't know what cross-border shipping of living plant
material-kind of hassles I could recieve ( is there any?).
Thamnks in advance,
Victor Daveikis
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Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 11:07:04 -0700 (MST)
From: walter at lamar.ColoState.EDU (Brian J Walter (Brewing Chemist))
Subject: Fifth Annual March Mashfest _Results_
Fifth Annual March Mashfest Competition Results
(Scoresheets will mail Friday, Prizes soon after)
Judging was 17-18 March 1995 - 142 Entries
Best of Show - John Landreman Belgian Wit
Light Lagers 11 Entries
1st Bryan Dawe Bohemian Pilsner
2nd Dave Shaffer Bohemian Pilsner
3rd Bob Kaufman Dortmund/Export
Amber/Dark Lagers 13 Entries
1st Bryan Dawe Trad. German Bock
2nd Bryan Dawe Vienna
3rd Bob Kaufman Helles Bock
Pale Ales 20 Entries
1st Dave Shaffer English Pale Ale
2nd Keith Schwols American Pale Ale
3rd Mark DeMay India Pale Ale
Brown Ales 16 Entries
1st Matt Nieberger English Brown
2nd Bob Miller Dusseldort Alt
3rd Ken Kroeger English Mild
Porters 8 Entries
1st Dennis Nicks Brown Porter
2nd Bob Kaufman &
Rex Cling Robust Porter
3rd David Sinton Robust Porter
Stout Beers 9 Entries
1st Dan Rabin Sweet Stout
2nd John Leazer Foreign-style
3rd Keith Schwols Classic Dry Stout
Strong Beers 8 Entries
1st Jon & Tom Haux English Old Ale
2nd Dan Rabin Imperial Stout
3rd Mark Groshek Barley Wine
Belgian Beers 11 Entries
1st Chuck Youngflesh
& Chris Ely Dubbel
2nd Bob Kaufman Tripel
3rd David Sinton Belgian Strong
Wheat Beers 11 Entries
1st John Landreman Belgian Wit
2nd Mark Groshek Weizenbock
3rd Robert Poland Weizenbock
Specialty Beers 23 Entries
1st Bob Miller Smoked Porter
2nd Brian Lutz Blueberry Weiss
3rd Fred Frazier Chile Beer
Meads 14 Entries
1st John Carlson Traditional Mead
2nd Rob Sims Raspberry Mead
3rd Keith Schwols Coriander/Orange Peel Mead
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Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 10:21:48 PST
From: prazer at isi.com (Mark Prazer)
Subject: Re: The Fermentap Review
I too bought a Fermentap and am overall satisfied with it. However,
I do offer a few criticisms...
In HBD 1680, Bob Christopher <oldfogy at svpal.org> wrote:
|>
|> As I mentioned before... With 2 "Fermentaps" you can transfer from primary
|> carboy to your secondary carboy in an oxygen-free atmosphere and lose very
|> little of your precious brew.
|>
Correct. But you do NOT need 2 Fermentaps to do this.
Try this method. During active fermentation (in the primary w/ the
Fermentap), sanitize your secondary carboy. Then take the exhaust hose
(the one connected to the racking cane) and put it in the secondary
carboy "filling" it with CO2. When filled (an hour maybe?), pop an
air lock on it and keep it around for the next week when you rack to
it. Then remove the Fermentap from the primary, clean it, put it in
the secondary, invert, etc. I would guesstimate that this method is
over 95% O2 free and about $30 cheaper than buying 2 Fermentaps.
I really don't have a problem if someone wants to do the 2 Fermentap
method. I just didn't appreciate the salesperson on the phone who
kept trying to goad me into buying the 2nd Fermentap. He was convinced
I would _need_ it.
|> The eye-candy of this set-up, is the way it looks sitting majestically on
|> top of its "custom made metal welded stand." (Say that ten times fast) The
|> entire metal stand is coated with a white, hard plastic like finish.
|>
Correct. But hard plastic in contact with my glass carboy or my formica
countertop makes for very slick contact surfaces. A rubberized coating
would have been safer.
(Actually, the stand is one reason I was willing to pay 2x the price
for a Fermentap over a Brewcap. It does look aestically pleasing.)
My last problem with using the Fermentap is temperature control. Here
in California, I use a water bath to keep the carboy cool at least
6 months of the year. I could put the whole inverted caroby w/ stand
in a water bath still, but lifting out every other day to drain trubage
and yeast would become a pain. Not to mention disturbing the sediment.
Anyone else have a good method for keeping it cool?
|>
|> The brochure gives the price at $26.95 for 1 plus $4.00 shipping. If you
|> order 2 at $53.90, they will pay for the postage.
|>
I believe the price is now $29.95 plus $4 shipping.
- --
Mark Prazer
Sunnyvale, CA
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Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 13:51:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Jeff Renner <nerenner at umich.edu>
Subject: Minor correction to Clasic Am. Pilsner style
In my previous post on proposed American Classic Pilsner styles, I said:
> I propose two divisions: Pre-prohibition, OG 1.150 - 1.060, 25 - 40 IBU;
> post prohibition, OG 1.044-1.049. 20 - 20 IBU.
^^^^^^^^^^^
I meant, 20 - 30 IBU.
So how does a new style get adopted, anyway? Especially now, with the
AHA/HWBTA split?
Jeff
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Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 10:58:31 -0800
From: nic at analogy.com (Nic Herriges)
Subject: Re: Vented Boils, Desert Hops, Roasted Barley
In HBD 1687 Jim Busch writes:
>You *never* want to cover the actual boil. You need to vent off the
>volatiles. [snip] Lots
>of important kettle reactions going on.
Oh, dear...
I've always assumed that covering the kettle to minimize heat input was
just dandy since, no matter how much heat you put into it, the wort temp
never exceeds 212F. Jim, (or anyone who shares this opinion) could you be
more specific? What types of kettle reactions are going on here, what
sorts of volatiles need to be vented? Why did no one tell me this earlier?
(It seems counter-intuitive, but I'm always willing to learn). Private
post is fine (unless you think there's general interest in this topic).
I'll post a summary to the digest. TIA
>>>>>>>>>>>
Mark Prior writes:
>Does anyone know if it is possible to grow hops in the
>Phoenix area?
Don't know if it's possible. Do know that, at a minimum, you will require
_vast_ amounts of water. Even the Willamette valley is not always wet
enough for these thirsty buggers (and that's saying a lot). In the Valley
of the Sun you may have to drag a hose out to the vines and keep it running
constantly ;-).
Consider trying to grow them outside the traditional growing season by
refrigerating the rhizomes, then planting in the 'winter' (never tried it,
but it's a thought). Your County Extension agent may know about techniques
for growing temperate-climate plants in hostile (relatively and
herbaceously speaking) environments.
Good luck and let us know how you do.
>>>>>>>>>>
On an un-related topic. I've heard that adding very small amounts (grams
per batch) of roasted barley (black) will benefit any style of beer. Once
source says that it reduces oxidation, another (Charlie P.) says that it
improves flavor by reducing polyphenols. Neither source cites any study.
Can anyone verify/contradict these statements? Is this the new magic
ingredient to replace coriander? TIA
Nic Herriges
nic at analogy.com
Portland, OR
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Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 13:16:25 CST
From: "MICHAEL L. TEED" <MS08653 at MSBG.med.ge.com>
Subject: maibock recipe?
.int homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
Last week I asked for assistance with a recipe for a Maibock, and had hoped
for a response. So far not a single recipe has been offered. Does anyone have
a tested recipe that they could share? I could resort to the Cats Meow, but I
had hoped to get a recipe that someone actually tested. PLEASE send recipes!
Mike Teed, ms08653 at msbg.med.ge.com
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Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 13:58:55 EST
From: matth at bedford.progress.COM (Matthew J. Harper)
Subject: Fermtap looks cool!
5 minutes after reading the recent post regarding the Fermtap equipment I was
on the phone with them to get information.
I now have the brochure and have some questions for anyone who uses it or
has used it but decided against it.
1) It obviously negates the idea of doing blow-off during the primary (since
it's only a 3/8" tube). (At least, that neagtes it in my book...)
This being the case, what size primary do you use?
2) How well does the filter filter In areas of yeast capturing and trub
removal?
3) Yeah it's cool & all that, has it really saved you any time & effort?
4) What, based on your use, do you see as the negatives about using it?
Here's a more general question for all:
Does anyone use copper or brass for a racking tube?
-Matth
- --
Matthew J. Harper | Quality Architect | {disclaimer.i}
Progress Software Corp.| | DoD #1149
matth at progress.com | Zymurgitst | Ahhhhh, Bock!
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Date: 23 Mar 1995 16:37:32 -0500
From: "Tonkyn, John C" <tonkyn at ocelot.Rutgers.EDU>
Subject: cancel subscription
Dear HBD:
please cancel my subscription to the homebrew digest. Thanks.
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Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 17:38:19 "PST
From: michael j dix <mdix at dcssc.sj.hp.com>
Subject: Brewing Study in Belgium
Last October, while web-surfing, I found the page for the K.U. Leuven. I
checked it today and it is now considerably cruder, but it still includes
a Master of Malting and Brewing Sciences program. I assume the program is
in English, since a score of 550 on TOEFL is required. The other
prerequisite is a Bachelor/Masters in Ag. Sciences. The course lasts a
year full-time, but half-time study is available.
This information can be found in the KU Leuven Gopher under the
International Study heading.
As a general complaint I note that European Ag schools (where brewing seems
to live) are the last people to put their info. on the web.
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Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 01:37:29 -0500
From: Yeastbud at aol.com
Subject: Pre-Prohibition Lager
In HBD #1687 a fine upstanding young American known as Jeff Renner
<nerenner at umich.edu> wrote at great length about his " ***Great Success in
Recreating Classic American Pilsner, a Shamefully Neglected Style!***" . I
too read Dr. Fix's article with great interest and formulated a recipe for a
"corn beer'. I loved it. My thirsty freeloading friends loved it. And I agree
with Jeff that red blooded Americans should learn to love it again. This
recipe is a direct adaptation from the BT article by Dr. Fix. I used Wyeast
Bavarian Lager from a previous batch. Mash schedule = 95 for 15 min., 122 for
30 min., 138 for 15 min., 154 for 45 min., mash out for 15 min. at 164.
Category : American Premium Lager
Method : Full Mash
Starting Gravity : 1.065
Ending Gravity : 1.016
Alcohol content : 6.3%
Recipe Makes : 10.5 gallons
Age Beer : 2 weeks.
Malts:
5.00 lb. Flaked Maize
17.00 lb. Pale Ale
Hops:
1.25 oz. Chinook 13.9% 60 min
2.25 oz. N. Brewer 7.9% 30 min
1.00 oz. Tettnanger 6.2% 15 min
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Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 00:46:58 -0600 (CST)
From: pgravel at mcs.com (Philip Gravel)
Subject: Internet beer resources
===> Patrick G. Babcock asks about Internet brewing resources...
>Is there a compilation of Internet locations dedicated to brewing? I've been
>happily raiding stanford.edu/pub/clubs/homebrew/beer heartily via ftp since
>discovering (how to access) it. But, as I gain its resources, I once again
>look to the horizon in search of *MORE*!!!
>
>If there is no faq file or compilation, I'll accept private e-mail information
>and gleefully compile a faq for future upload to the digest archives. Course,
>if it's pitifully puny, I'll just post a note here on the digest.
If you have access to a the World Wide Web and a Web browser (Mosaic, Air
Mosaic, Netscape), there are a number of resources. Probably the best
starting point is The Brewery home page at http://alpha.rollanet.org/.
It has a reference to Spencer's Beer Page which is another good information
source.
- --
Phil
_____________________________________________________________
Philip Gravel pgravel at mcs.com
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Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 01:05:52 -0600 (CST)
From: "Robert W. Mech" <rwmech at eagle.ais.net>
Subject: Cooler Mashout
Most recently I was having a discussion with a friend of mine concerning
"Cooler" tun method sparge tempratures. Im curious what the HBD
collective has to say about it.
Typicaly, *I* thought that the sparge temprature was to be 170.
Meaning that you want to sustain 170F for the duration of the sparge.
Using the cooler method, in order for you to sparge at that temprature
you either have add a signficant amount of boiling water to raise the
temprature to 170, then continue to add 170F water for the sparge, or
perform a decoction and use that to raise the temprature to 170.
Since alot of people dont perform decoctions, or dont want to, typicaly
Id scratch off that method. Adding extra water to bring the temp up to
170 leaves you with a very watery mash and really no need to add any
sparge water...
So, *MY* alternative when I mash was to sparge with boiling water. That
effectivly rinses my grains and brings it up to 170 fairly quickly since
im removing ~156F water, and adding ~212F water.
This is where I was told that I should *NOT* add boiling water, and just
add 170F water. Now, am I off base here? Discussion of extracted
tannins and such from the mash was the main concerns for using boiling
water. Ive been using this method now for some time with really no
adverse effects in taste.
Does anyone care to share thier experience on sparging with the cooler
method?
TIA
Rob
--
Robert W. Mech | All Grain HomeBrewer. President, Fermentors At Large
Elk Grove, IL. | Author Of "Frugal Brewers Guide To Brewing Aids"
rwmech at ais.net | For More Information:(Sorry, they now charge for my WWW page)
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Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 22:10:53 -0800
From: Gregory J Egle <DSGJE at acad2.alaska.edu>
Subject: Racking
Whenever I rack beer from one carboy to another I run into the
same problem.Right where the hose meets the racking cane, I get
a diminished flow rate. Sometimes just a trickle. It seems like
reason for this is the difference in inside diameter between
the cane and the hose. Does anyone out there know of any racking
tubes for sale that are 1 piece? Or maybe someone has a system
that works well for them that they wouldn't mind sharing. If you
can help me with this drop me a line at dsgje at acad2.alaska.edu
Thanks,
Gregory Egle
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End of HOMEBREW Digest #1688, 03/24/95