HOMEBREW Digest #1690 Mon 27 March 1995

Digest #1689 Digest #1691


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


Contents:
  GA Brewpubs ("BARRON, GRAHAM LARS")
  Lactic Acid Souring of Wits (TMartyn)
  Wine brewing ("Christopher D. Dudley")
  RE: $0.30 Beer Engine (Robert Rybczynski)
  Re: DeWolf-Cosyns Pale Ale Malt and Clarity (Scott Barrett)
  mini-keg (Daniel A. Bochar)
  Valley Mill / Bernoulli vs. Venturi (Geoff Scott)
  aeration of wort/dry-hemping (Carl Etnier)
  M.Jackson Beer Hunter on CD_ROM (EKTSR)
  Boiling answers (PatrickM50)
  honey brews (Jim Graham)
  Dry Hopping/Mittelfrueh Hops (Jeff Hewit)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 25 Mar 95 00:18:54 EST From: "BARRON, GRAHAM LARS" <GBARRON at MUSIC.CC.UGA.EDU> Subject: GA Brewpubs To the cauldron on brewing knowledge, Just for those of you who are interested, here is a little more info on the recent passage of the Georgia Brewpub bill. -it passed 42 - 9, those nine votes against coming from old-time conservative anti-alcohol men -there was much political wrangling over the measure; Miller and the other big guys required that a line be inserted that the brewpubs must offer beers other than their own in bottles or cans; the Senator in control of the bill's fate in the last few days of the session essentially blackmailed the bill's sponsor into voting for his bill in order to get the brewpub bill out of committee - the brewpub bill's sponsor opposed the other bill, but voted for it anyway to assure passage of the brewpub law, and I thank her for it. -as for plans on new brewpubs, the law goes into effect July 1, assuming the governor signs it, and I know of at least one company in Athens, GA (home of the Bulldogs), that is prepared to open on August 1. There is another company in Athens that is also looking to open up. As for Atlanta, I don't know. The first Athens brewpub (Athens Brewing Company) is planning on offering a wheat, a porter, a pilsner, and an ale year-round, plus 2 or 3 seasonal brews. I'm glad to finally see Georgia leaving the stone-age . . . . Graham B. Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 11:15:56 -0500 From: TMartyn at aol.com Subject: Lactic Acid Souring of Wits Re: the current thread on Wit brewing and lactic acid additions; I have a batch of Wit in primary now. My local homebrew supply buddy threw in a jar of lactic acid to my last order without any instruction. I'd like to bring up the acidity in the finished beer, and the recent thread seems to advocate adding 10-15 ml of lactic acid at bottling time. This raises three questions. 1. Can I do this without shocking the yeast remaining in the beer for carbonation? I'd think a sudden change in the pH wouldn't make the fellows happy. Is the net change in pH small enough that this doesn't happen? Does the beer buffer the pH, but allow the *flavor* of the lactic acid addition to come through? 2. The jar of lactic acid isn't labelled. Can I assume that its the 88% conc entration that seems to be the standard? If not, what should I assume? 3. I read in the latest Zymurgy that I should expect a 1-2 month lag for the (paraphrasing) acid flavor to blend into the beer. Feedback/experience? Orange you glad I asked these important questions? TIA Tom Martyn tmartyn at aol.com Brattleboro, VT Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 11:52:18 -0500 (EST) From: "Christopher D. Dudley" <CNDUDLEYC at cscacs.csc.vsc.edu> Subject: Wine brewing Hello yet again! I recieved an antique wine press for this past christmas and I wanted to make some wine using it in the near future. I was wondering if anyone could offer any guidance as to the process, etc. I was also wondering if I could use my wine press for apple cider or other fruit juices without ruining it for wine? It is made of wood, and I don't want to mess it up by getting other fruit juices on it. Thanks! Christopher !*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*! Christopher Dudley----------------------------------------Assistant Vax Manager cndudleyc at cscacs.csc.vsc.edu----------------------------Castleton State College Where in a brook With a hook, Or a lake, Fish we take; There we sit, For a bit, Till we fish entangle. (from The Compleat Angler) !^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^! Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 15:00:31 -0500 From: Robert Rybczynski <robert at umbc.edu> Subject: RE: $0.30 Beer Engine In HBD #1682 Jeff Renner suggested using an oral syringe as a pseudo-beer engine. I have a few laying around the house (one child), so last night I gave it a shot on a lightly carbonated pale ale (homebrew). WOW!!! It worked very well. Gobs of tiny bubbles from a beer that produced little or no head when I poured it. The effect was very similar to the draughts I had on two trips to England (Portsmouth and London). My first attempt with the syringe was with a little too much beer. I was drinking 12 ounces of beer from a pint mug, so nothing spilled over. My brother used less beer in the syringe, but pushed the plunger too hard...froth everywhere! By the time it settled down his mug was overflowing with froth, but contained only a few ounces of liquid. The rest made a trail from my dishwasher, across the kitchen floor, and into the sink. If you use this method, remember that a little beer and pressure go a long way! Robert Rybczynski robert at umbc.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 15:36:01 -0500 From: scott at partech.com (Scott Barrett) Subject: Re: DeWolf-Cosyns Pale Ale Malt and Clarity In HBD #1689, Steve Zabarnick wrote: >If noticed that my beers made from DeWolf-Cosyns Pale Ale Malt tend to have >clarity problems. Other malts I've used with the same process have not >shown this problem (Klages and M&F Pale Ale). I use a single-step infusion >mash at 150-155 F. The initial runnings from the sparge appear quite cloudy >despite significant recirculation. George Fix does not mention clarity >issues for this malt in his BT article on Belgian grains. Have others >encountered this clarity problem? I've had the same experience to some extent. The two beers I've brewed with the DC Pale Ale malt were cloudy. One cleared OK in the secondary, but became cloudy again after dry-hopping. The second was cloudy from the get-go. My procedures didn't differ from other beers, so I'm puzzled too. It's not a chill haze, as it occurs at room temp. I haven't tried fining the second one (it's still in secondary) but I may. Yours in brewing, Scott Barrett Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 17:36:30 -0600 From: Bochar at biochem.purdue.edu (Daniel A. Bochar) Subject: mini-keg Hi, first time poster here and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I am currently interested in purchasing a mini-keg (5L) system. If anyone has used this system, could you please tell me if you thought it was a good investment. Currently, any larger kegging systems are out of the question, so I am hoping that this type of system will satisfy my needs. You can post here or send me email at Bochar at biochem.purdue.edu. Thank you in advance. Daniel A. Bochar Biochem Dept. Purdue University W. Lafayette, IN. 47907 317-494-1606 Bochar at biochem.purdue.edu Have a nice day! Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 17:48:44 -0500 From: gscott at io.org (Geoff Scott) Subject: Valley Mill / Bernoulli vs. Venturi I'm considering buying the new Valley roller mill. Has anyone tried it and if so, how does it look? - ----------- Many of us use a tube with small holes in it to aerate our chilled wort. The fast moving wort creates a lower pressure that draws the air in. Isn't this the Bernoulli effect rather than the Venturi effect as many have referred to it on the digest? A small point but if this is an error I would hate to see it repeated over and over. regards, Geoff Scott gscott at io.org Brewing page http://www.io.org/~gscott Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 13:05:44 +0200 (MET DST) From: Carl Etnier <Carl.Etnier at abc.se> Subject: aeration of wort/dry-hemping Jim Busch says: >< Saturation for O2 in water at around room temperature is ><on the order of 10 ppm. >This is higher than the empirically determined values by Dr. Fix. >It will be in his next book, from what I hear. The saturation curve for water is empirically determined and well known. Fix has determined points on the saturation curve for _wort_ and found it to be significantly lower than for water. The higher the SG, the lower the saturation value. Don Put was kind enough to send me what appears to be a HBD posting from Fix about this, dated last June 9. In any case, it doesn't really affect my main point, that saturation can be achieved in water (or an aqueous solution) with bubbled air. Pure 02 is not required. - ------------------------------ Hunter8439 (?) asks about dry-hemping. Chuck Cox wrote the most thorough treatment I have seen of this, in last year's HBD. His was called "Special Hops" and dated Feb. 2. Seems to me I have seen another recipe somewhere on line--perhaps in Cat's Meow? Carl Etnier Trosa, Sweden Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 08:25:43 -0500 From: EKTSR at aol.com Subject: M.Jackson Beer Hunter on CD_ROM >From the May 1995 issue of MacUser mag.: "The microbrewery revolution has transformed the lowly six-pack into a brew of character and distinction. In the Discovery Channel's Beer Hunter (available in June), beer aficionado and best-selling author Michael Jackson leads you on a quest for the top 24 beers from microbreweries across America. Learn the history of brewing and more through video clips, photographs, and text. It's a great way to belly up to the bar--without risking the beer belly. $50. 800-762-2189 or 317-579-0400" As usual, no affiliation, etc. I'm inclined to get it (loved his book on beers of the world) and will report back. Stan White, ektsr at aol.com P.S. Why are all my magazines in some freaky future time bubble......... Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 12:28:51 -0500 From: PatrickM50 at aol.com Subject: Boiling answers Many thanks to the 5 respondants to my post last week re:boiling terms and practices. Here is the consensus of the responses: Q. How much do you start boiling to end up with 5 gallons? A. Muliply by 1.2 for extract and 1.3 for all-grain (60 minute boils). Multiply by 1.55 for 90 minute boils (all-grain assumed). The numbers all account for evaporation and break being left behind. Q. What does the term "Boil Volume" really refer to? A. Amount of liquid in pot *prior* to start of boil, i.e. initial volume. Q. Do you boil vigorously, gently, or? A. Vigorously, for maximum extraction of alpha acids from hops and greatest formation of hot break. Q. Do you cover or uncover the brewpot? A. Ah, some controversy at last! Three respondants keep it partially covered in order to reduce evaporation and maintain a vigorous boil. The other two completely uncover the pot(s) after reaching boil. Now if I (without asking) add Jim Busch's posted preference to boil uncovered (thanks Jim!), we have a 50/50 split. I believe the use of puny electric stovetop burners is a big factor in needing to keep the pots partially covered in order to keep a boil. But are the negative consequences (not evaporating undesireable volatiles, etc) significant enough that I should buy a 150,000bu propane-fired burner? (I only need *one* more justification! ;-) So. Anyone care to pick up the needle and start sewing this thread? Pat Maloney (PatrickM50 at aol.com) Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 95 16:41:46 PST From: Michael Lloyd <mlloyd at cuix2.pscu.com> To: homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com Subject: (fwd) Apricot ale Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing Path: cuix.pscu.com!cuix.pscu.com!not-for-mail From: mlloyd at cuix.pscu.com (Michael Lloyd) Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing Subject: Apricot ale Date: 26 Mar 1995 16:40:14 -0800 Organization: Computer Users Information Exchange Lines: 28 Message-ID: <3l51he$k2 at cuix2.pscu.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: cuix2.pscu.com X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] I recently attempted to clone Pyramid Apricot Ale. Recipe specifics: 4 lbs. Alexander wheat extract 1.4 lbs. Alexander wheat kicker 4 oz. malto-dextrin 14 IBU domestic Hallertauer (60 minute boil) Wyeast # 1056 liquid yeast 3/4 cup corn sugar 4 oz. apricot essence added to bottling bucket OG of 1038 and FG of 1010. It was bottled on 2/27/95. I just sampled my first bottle. I was disappointed at the relative lack of apricot character. By the way, I used the 'standard' apricot essence that I bought from HopTech but is readily available from a number of different vendors. I tried a side by side comparison with a bottle of Pyramid and noted that the commercial ale had a more pronounced apricot character. Now, I am not looking to make apricot nectar, but I would have hoped for more apricot flavor. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Although the recommended amount of apricot essence is four oz/five gallons, perhaps more is indicated. Does anyone have any ideas about this? If so, please post to the group. Thanks. Michael G. Lloyd mlloyd at cuix.pscu.com Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 21:39:37 -0600 (CST) From: jim at n5ial.mythical.com (Jim Graham) Subject: honey brews After a long time of lurking in the shadows, not having time (or at least, not taking time) to brew, etc., I'm back..... :-) It's getting to be that time of the year again---summer is, for all practical purposes, here, and it's time for nice clean, refreshing brews to take the place of the darker, more full-bodied brews that I love so much in the winter. One of the many store-bought brews that I've found lately is JW Dundee's Honey Brown lager. Now, it isn't brown, by any stretch of the imagination, but it has a wonderful honey flavor. I've brewed several honey brews before, and they've all been among my favorites, but this one has something that I've never gotten---the flavor of honey as it tastes *BEFORE* the sugar ferments away. Does anyone know what they're doing to get that flavor to remain? I'd guess that they're adding a lot of honey at bottling, but since the bottles don't explode, that doesn't seem too likely. I'm not looking to clone this beer, as such, but rather to add that flavor to my own honey brews. If anyone has any suggestions along this line, I'd love to hear them. Thanks, --jim - -- 73 DE N5IAL (/4) MiSTie #49997 < Running Linux 1.0.9 > jim at n5ial.mythical.com ICBM: 30.23N 86.32W || j.graham at ieee.org Packet: --OFFLINE-- (Ft. Walton Beach, FL) E-mail me for information about KAMterm (host mode for Kantronics TNCs). Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 23:01:41 -0500 From: jhewit at freenet.vcu.edu (Jeff Hewit) Subject: Dry Hopping/Mittelfrueh Hops Dry Hopping ************ I just finished bottling my first batch of dry hopped beer. I used pellets, and dropped them directly into the secondary, without a bag. I bottled after 3 weeks, and all the hops appear to have settled to the bottom. I had no problems racking into my bottling bucket, and the brew was very clear. And, it tasted pretty good flat. I can't wait to try it after it's carbonated. Mittelfrueh Hops **************** Last week I received 400 grams (about 14 oz) of Mittlefrueh Hops from the fine folks at Boston Beer Company. This is the variety used in Sam Adam's Boston Lager. It's supposed to be very rare, and very good. I've not seen it in any of the catalogs I have. I've also not seen any recipes that call for it. I plan to use it for flavor/arome/dry hopping. Does anyone have any particular experience with Mittlefrueh that would be worth sharing with the group? - -- Jeff Hewit ****************************************************************************** Eat a live toad first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day. Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1690, 03/27/95