HOMEBREW Digest #222 Tue 08 August 1989

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

Contents:
  Connecticut Brewers (Joseph Palladino)
  Taking homebrew into Canada (Jonathan Corbet)
  Honey in beer (dw)
  Bottle Question (James Kolasa)
  Re: Steam Beer (Michael Eldredge)
  source for glycerol, aseptic technique henchal at wrair-emh1.army.mil
  re: yeast culturing (Darryl Richman)


---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 6 Aug 89 13:51:09 EDT From: palladin at moore.seas.upenn.edu (Joseph Palladino) Subject: Connecticut Brewers Can anyone recommend any homebrew shops, clubs, brewpubs or liquor stores (I suppose I should now call them "Package Stores") that have a wide selection of beers in the Hartford Connecticut area? I would be very happy to get e-mail and can summarize if there's an interest. I would also be happy to recommend a GREAT homebrew supply shop in Philadelphia if anyone's interested. They do mail orders and have a free catalog. Thanks! Joe Palladino palladin at trincc.bitnet (after August 15) palladin at moore.seas.upenn.edu (before August 15) Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 5 Aug 89 12:57:39 MDT From: corbet at stout.UCAR.EDU (Jonathan Corbet) Subject: Taking homebrew into Canada I'm about to go visit some friends on Montreal, and I would really like to take a few samples of my beer with me. Does anybody out there know what the rules are regarding this sort of thing? Is it legal it all? What are the limits on quantity if it is? Thanks for any help you may have! Jonathan Corbet National Center for Atmospheric Research, Field Observing Facility corbet at stout.ucar.edu Return to table of contents
Date: 7 Aug 89 11:03:55 EDT (Monday) From: dw <Wegeng.Henr at Xerox.COM> Subject: Honey in beer >Does anyone out there have experience with using honey as an adjunct... >I am making a wheat beer and someone suggested adding 2-3 pounds of honey >for a 5.5 gallon batch... My final specific gravity was 1.089!!!... Will >this be any good? Sounds like you're starting to worry, and we all know what homebrewers say about that... I've used honey in small quantities (2 pounds) as an adjunct when I want to produce a lighter style beer. Note that this is in combination with a can of light malt extract syrup (the honey replaces a portion of the malt extract in a typical recipe). I've had very good results with this (and by adding some ginger it's an even better brew!). Note that honey ferments out almost completely, and adds a light subtle flavor that is easily overwhelmed by the malt flavor. A specific gravity of 1.089 is closer to wine than most beers, so you'll probably end up with a beer that contains a lot of alcohol. Dependsing on the other ingredients in the brew, it may turn out quite nice. You may have to let it age for a longer than usual period, however. If it does turn out good, please post the recipe! /Don Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 89 11:38:45 EDT From: James Kolasa <jkolasa at ms.uky.edu> Subject: Bottle Question First of all, thanks to all for the stout recipes. I should be bottling early next week, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Now if I can just convince my friends that Michelob Dry is not a great beer.... My bottling question is this: I live in a small apartment that is not very well heated. When I was brewing last January, I had to ferment/age in my bedroom, the only room I kept warm. I covered the beer to keep it dark, but made no provisions for explosions. Looking back, I've begun to worry about keeping this stuff in a living area. What is an explosion like? Is it violent? Dangerous? I wasn't too troubled because I was using 16 oz. returnables, but should I be concerned for my safety and that of others? What's all this talk about flying shards of glass?!?!?! Also, along the same lines, has anyone used IBC Root Beer bottles? They are five cent returnables in some states. Will they hold up? Thanx, jk James Kolasa 902 P.O.T., Univ. of Ky. Lexington, Ky. 40502-0027 jkolasa at ms.uky.edu {rutgers,uunet}!ukma!jkolasa jkolasa at UKMA.BITNET Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 07 Aug 89 11:03:30 PDT From: dredge at hitchrack.STANFORD.EDU (Michael Eldredge) Subject: Re: Steam Beer -------- > Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 14:35:53 PDT > From: hplabs!rutgers!fluke.com!inc (Gary Benson) > Anyway, right now I'm 24 hours into my first try at a "Steam Beer", and > wanted to check on something I was told...that this type of beer uses lager > yeast, but at ale temperatures. Is that correct? Are there other things that Yes. That is (at least one of) the definitions of "steam beer". Story being that lagers had become popular in the East, but that the only way to get ice out here was to bring it around the horn. The expense lead some brewers to try lagers without the "refrigeration". A couple of friends and I have been brewing a steam beer for some time now and think we have a very good recipe. It is based on a recipe from another contributor (and liquid yeast proponent) Dave Baer. We've used Red Star Lager Yeast quite successfully. One thing that we do is use a lot of hops -- about 2.5oz Cascade bittering (in three 30 min. additions) and about 0.5 oz Cascade aromatic. We also prime it a little more that usual. Both "changes" have been very well received by those that drink our beers. > differentiate Steam Beer? What kind of fermentation time am I likely to > experience -- like ale or like lager? The primary took off like a shot (Red > Star lager yeast started in 1 cup of wort plus a tablespoon of corn sugar). > better to just forget the carboy and use a single-stage fermentation? The one thing that we've noticed about steam fermentation is that it is very relaxed. The lager yeast working outside its normal temp range, seem to ferment smoothly. Usually, the second day has a fair amount of activity and it has fermented out enough for the 2ndary by the 4th or 5th day. (I FIRMLY believe in 2 stage fermentation, so I would not switch over). Our steams never get a big krausen -- nothing like doing a ale in the summer! It can get up to a couple of inches, but that's it. It exhibits this behavior no matter how we start the yeast (warm water per the packet instructions or sterile wort w/ or w/o hops). Maybe things are a little warm. Steam does like 60-65 degF the best. We did one this spring during a warm week, fermenting at about 70-72 degF and it was mostly finished by the 3rd day! Zoom. Michael Eldredge Return to table of contents
Date: 7 Aug 89 16:32:00 EST From: henchal at wrair-emh1.army.mil Subject: source for glycerol, aseptic technique 1. For those you wanted specific sources for glycerol (glycerine): Carolina Biological Supply Co. 2700 York Road Burlington, NC 27215 (919) 584-0381 This company carries a complete line of common scientific equipment and chemicals. They accept phone orders using Master Charge or Visa. They also have a California branch, but I don't have that address. Thomas Scientific 1-800-345-2103 (Eastern Region) 1-800-345-2102 (Far West Region) This company accepts phone orders using Master Charge or Visa. >From Thomas: glycerol, ACS reagent 500 ml bottle cat# C367-C73 $32.00 2. I don't think that there are any substitutes for good aseptic technique. One can use an alcohol lamp or propane burner to flame the lids of jars, but if you are putting your fingers on the instruments or in the solutions, all bets are off. I consider germacidal lamps to be generally useless and dangerous. They do not penetrate surfaces very well, are a burn hazard because of the UV rays emitted, and are not necessary if some simple rules are followed. To prevent contamination, these simple rules apply: 1. Surfaces and equipment should be clean and free of contamination. 2. Work in an area that is free of drafts and airborne dust or aerosols. 3. Keep your fingers away from the surfaces or solutions you do not want contaminated. 4. When transferring liquids, work quickly. Do not leave jars open to the air for long periods. Please do not let these rules intimidate you. They are easy to apply. I am confident that yeast cultivation can be performed by anyone who wants to learn. Erik A. Henchal <Henchal at WRAIR.ARPA> Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 89 11:58:53 PDT From: Darryl Richman <darryl at ism780c.isc.com> Subject: re: yeast culturing From: <BROWN%MSUKBS.BITNET at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> "How do you ensure sterile transfer of cultures? Does flaming the "lips of the container work well? I have a sort of damp house, which seems to "harbor lots of lactobacilli. Has anyone used those germicidal lamps with any "success? I don't transfer my yeast in the kitchen. I use a bedroom instead. I spray the area pretty heavily with Lysol. I'm not sure if this useful or superstition, but I haven't had any problems. I clean bottle tops and lips with vodka. And I try to make my transfers as quickly as I can. --Darryl Richman Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #222, 08/08/89
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