HOMEBREW Digest #3130 Tue 07 September 1999

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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
		Many thanks to the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers of 
		Livonia, Michigan for sponsoring the Homebrew Digest.
				URL: http://www.oeonline.com


Contents:
  bigger fridge & holes (fridge)
  Zebra Lager (Dan Listermann)
  RE:pumpkin ale recipe (Bob Sheck)
  ethyl hexanoate ("Arnold Chickenshorts")
  RE: Fullers ESB ("Campbell, Paul R SSI-TSEA-A")
  Headspace v. Headspace O2 (CLOAKSTONE)
  HBD Palexperiment (Louis Bonham)
  Legality of Homebrewing/post doctoral ("John Stegenga")
  Air Volumes in Headspace (Dan Listermann)
  Future of The Experimental Brewer (Louis Bonham)
  You've Got to Fight for Your Right! (Mark_Ohrstrom/Humphrey_Products)
  Volumetric measurement ("Eric R. Theiner")
  CF Chillers again ("Eric R. Theiner")
  Soybeans ("Eric R. Theiner")
  No CO2 Mini Keg ("Eric R. Theiner")
  HBD and Sophistry (Rod Prather)
  Millenium flame wars!  Everyone pile on! (also fridges) ("Sean Richens")
  Re: Legality of homebrewing (Jeff Renner)
  adjusting water (AKGOURMET)
  HBDPAE (John Varady)
  Say Yes To... ("Rick Wood")
  re: carboy volume markers ("C.D. Pritchard")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 19:40:54 -0400 From: fridge at kalamazoo.net Subject: bigger fridge & holes Greetings folks, In HBD#3128, Thomas Hamann wants to increase the size of his beer fridge and asks for a formula to determine how big a volume he can add without exceeding the compressor's cooling capacity. A compressor's data sheet will give its capacity in BTU's/hr under a prescribed set of operating conditions. An analysis of the fridge's heat load (volume, heat transfer resistance value for the cabinet materials, inside/outside temperature differential, air leaks etc) will determine what surplus cooling capacity (if any) exists. The heat load of any added cabinet plus the fridge's original heat load must not exceed the compressor's capacity for an extended period or the fridge won't be able to cool to the desired setpoint. Experimentation by myself and others I have corresponded with has shown that a typical US fridge in an ambient temperature of 75 degF or so can usually cool twice its original volume - assuming a minimum of 2" rigid foam insulation and air-tight joints and gasketing. Some have reported success with larger volumes. In the same HBD, Dave Thomson asks about drilling the side of his fridge for C02 lines. If no coils are mounted on the back of the fridge, look underneath the cabinet. You'll probably find a small finned condenser coil with a fan that blows air across it when the compressor runs. Most fridges built in the last 15 years are built this way. The refrigeration lines usually run from the compressor through the condenser and up the center of the fridge's back to the evaporator. There are usually no lines or wires in the cabinet sides. There are no guarantees however! The repair shop gave good advice when it said to drill a small hole first. Insert a piece of bent coat-hanger wire or something similar into the hole and feel inside with for anything in the area to be drilled (Please do this with the fridge unplugged!). If the area is clear, drill the holes to the final size. Seal around the C02 lines with silicone or a rubber grommet, etc to prevent heat loss and moisture buildup in the insulation. Hope this helps! - ---------------------------------------------- Forrest Duddles - FridgeGuy in Kalamazoo fridge at kalamazoo.net Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 21:54:23 -0400 From: Dan Listermann <72723.1707 at compuserve.com> Subject: Zebra Lager Pete Calinski (PCalinski at iname.com) writes about Zebra lager beer: <Well, I'm not sure about FESB but have you ever tried the Zebra "Classic Lager Beer". It has the most intense caramel flavor I have ever tasted. I talked to a person who said he is the grandson of 80+ year old Virginia "Grandma" Decker. He said she still oversees the brewing. He also said they use no artificial flavoring. Just lots of caramel malt. They also use the same yeast that Schmitt's beer uses (or is it used; is Schmitt's still around?). He said they ferment at temperatures in the 80s F. They have a web site (that I have never visited) at www.zebrabeer.com. Their label mentions "Madcap Craftbrew & Bottleworks" Longview, TX.> I have to laugh. I personally know Ginny and Carl Decker of the "Grandma Decker" fame. They are good friends of my in-laws. I will be sure that she gets a copy of the above. I haven't seen her since Zebra was introduced, but she never expressed any interest in brewing when I have seen her. Carl is a retired stationary engineer who had worked at various breweries. My mother-in-law tells me that the recipe is supposed to have been Ginny's grandmother's and she tells me that Ginny has accompanied her grandsons to brew secessions at the contract brewery ( Evansville ). It appears that it is now brewed in Texas. I don't necessarily get caramel flavor in Zebra's beers, but they are awfully proud of the diacetyl ( butterscotch) flavors that their beers have. it is overpowering. They told me that is what makes their beers unique and I tend to believe them. YUCK! Dan Listermann dan at listermann.com 72723.1707 at compuserve.com Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1999 21:24:47 -0400 From: Bob Sheck <bsheck at skantech.net> Subject: RE:pumpkin ale recipe Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 21:00:17 -0600 From: hal <hwarrick at springnet1.com> Hal- et al: has anyone tried mashing the cooked pumpkin in with the main mash? I would think you could get some extra starch conversion going this-a-ways. Bob Sheck bsheck, me-sheck, abednigo! Greenville, NC email:bsheck at skantech.net or see us at: http://www.skantech.net/bsheck/ (252)830-1833 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 02:49:48 PDT From: "Arnold Chickenshorts" <achickenshorts at hotmail.com> Subject: ethyl hexanoate I really was sincere in my apology to AJ. I never intended to even annoy him. The issue here is ethyl hexanoate. Not banana beer, not lychee beer, not which text book is the ultimate source of knowledge. Text books become out of date very quickly. All have some errors. Time exposes these. Although beer made from unhopped wort contains ethyl hexanoate, the addition of hops greatly affects the concentration of this compound. The effect is large and generally greater than the contribution from other sources. The Murakami paper is not the only study which supports these statements. I have prepared a website for those intested which contains a copy of this paper: http://members.tripod.com/arnold-c/murakimi.html Judging from the rather vitriolic and personal attacks from AJ and others, I have come to the conclusion that this is an extremely unfriendly place, and one I wish to spend no more time in. Goodbye. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 15:09:30 +0200 From: "Campbell, Paul R SSI-TSEA-A" <Paul.R.Campbell at is.shell.com> Subject: RE: Fullers ESB In HBD #3129 Jeff thought me confused: >You are confusing *barley* varieties and *malt* types. You can more or >less malt any variety of barley to any type of malt, although high protein >types may not make very good ale or continental-type lager malts. I don't >know the details of those malting varieties of barley. Check American >Malting Barley Association, Inc. links >http://www.ambainc.org/linx/index.htm or Master Brewers Association of the >Americas http://www.mbaa.com/ and you might be able to track down details. >I can't find it in my bookmarks, but I think there is also a British >Malters Assn. or something like it. There is a host of such information at http://www.breworld.com Just because a pilsner-like malt is "made" using a particular barley variety (in this case Chariot) doesn't of course mean that a pale malt couldn't also be derived from this same barley variety. Mea culpa. I was using the logic that Triumph is used for Mild Malt, Maris Otter for Pale Malt....... somewhat flawed. I can't think of ever seeing a catalog which specified which variety was used for the lager malt, nor have I ever seen a choice, apart from the generic terms Lager Malt and Pilsner Malt. The info on it being used as a pilsner malt came from a chap at EDME when talking about their premium kits (back in August 1998 on the uk-homebrew list): "The extract in Master Brewer kits is 100% Maris Otter (ale & porter) & Chariot (pilsner)."; James Hibbins - EDME Other than for marketing purposes, I have no idea why they wouldn't just use a single variety - if indeed it could be malted for use in both extracts? I have found one other reference to chariot but it doesn't answer my question. Golden Promise (The Caledonian Brewing Co. Ltd.) is an organic beer, and the malt is from organically grown chariot barley. That, at least, is one more data point. It's an ale, but then there's no reason I can think of not to use lager malt to make an ale.... is there? The reverse does not hold true if you're concerned about light colour, though. The question I guess still remains unanswered. Is chariot barley malted as a pale ale malt? Perhaps I'll never know...... possibly it doesn't really matter. >BTW, after some further reading I'm pretty well convinced that caramel >doesn't add any flavor. In deference to millions of years of evolution I think I'll have to use my taste buds, instead of my eyeballs, for this one....... ;^) I'll let you all know! P.S. anyone know what the SRM of Cross & Blackwell's gravy browning is? EBC anyone?? %^) Regards, Paul Campbell Aberdeen e-mail: Paul.R.Campbell at is.shell.com Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 10:20:49 EDT From: CLOAKSTONE at aol.com Subject: Headspace v. Headspace O2 Hi folks - a small point re: headspace air. Allan Meeker wrote: ..."it seems to me that most commercial bottled beers I've seen have /at least/ a 5 ml headspace..." This is likely true. However, headspace is distinguished from headspace air. I can't speak for commercial practice at all breweries, but where I work I run a Zahm & Nagel at the end of each day, and our benchmark for headspace air is .5 ml or less. Normally we obtain .25-.35 ml. I would be curious to see what Boston Brewing, Flying Fish, etc., obtains, but I would venture to say that they would freak if their samples showed a consistent 5 ml of air! For those who don't know what a Zahm & Nagel does: It is an instrument which uses NaOH's (Caustic soda) ability to scavenge CO2 to determine free air in bottled beer headspace. One shakes the hell out of a given bottle and releases the gas into a sampling vial full of caustic - the caustic eats the CO2, and the remaining amount, which is air, is read in mm. It also determines (roughly) the volumes of dissolved CO2 in the beer, by pressure and temperature. A nifty little thing. cheers - Paul Smith Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 09:30:08 -0500 From: Louis Bonham <lkbonham at hypercon.com> Subject: HBD Palexperiment Hi folks: Alan Meeker has a few comments about the HBD Palexperiment: > I've just read the BT articles on the HBD Palexperiment > run by Louis Bonham. This was one of the best designed > and executed brewing experiments I've yet seen - kudos > Louis! First, I can't take credit for this. Principal credit for this experiment goes to John Varady and the other Palexperiment participants. John came up with the idea, got the raw materials out to everyone (major undertaking, this), found a participant to set up a website, etc., etc., etc. The participants did the experiment -- I just did the lab work and wrote up the results. And as noted in my column, there's no way I could have done the labwork on that many beers in any sort of consistent fashion without the help of the crew of local homebrewers. > This is an example of the kind of articles I for one will > miss given the demise of BT. See below -- I've done a separate post on this. > I do have a couple of quick questions for Louis, or anyone > else out there who'd care to chime in. > > 1) Concerning IBU measurements: The ASBC method that you > made use of involves > extraction into an organic solvent and then measuring the > absorbance at 275 nm. I'll bet that a LOT of organic > compounds, particularly aromatics, present in beer will > absorb well at 275. Therefore, how reliable will an IBU > measurement be when done using this method? [snip] All I can say here is that, imperfect as it might be, this *is* the industry standard method of assaying IBU's. It's been approved by the ASBC (the EBC also uses a similar method), and these folks have forgotten more about analytical chemistry than I'll ever know. If you're interested in the very gory details of how they approved it, I suggest getting a copy of the 1967 & 1968 ASBC Subcommittee Reports on Determination of Isohumulones in Beer -- it probably addresses Alan's concerns. > Another conclusion this might impact is in trying to > compare measured IBUs with those predicted by the popular > IBU prediction formulas. What do you think? Well, I actually did this. See the discussion at pp. 22-23 in the Jan-Feb 1999 issue. For me, however, the most important point is not so much that one formula worked "better" than another, but that that the range of results illustrate the inherent limitations of using *any* IBU estimating formulae. Once you get a couple of your bees tested, you can tweak a formula and make it a decently accurate estimator of IBU's for *your* system. Until you do, however, any IBU calculator is just a rough guesstimate. (And, BTW, I'll have my lab set up at the Dixie Cup on October 23, and will be doing IBU, headspace air, and other measurements for a small fee ($5 / test; proceeds go to the Dixie Cup fund). It'll be a good chance for some of y'all to bring your beer and get it checked.) > 2) Headspace air: In the section on headspace air volume > Louis states that "...commercial operations generally view > 1 ml of headspace air in a standard 12-oz bottle as an > absolute maximum. (with modern bottling lines, headspace > air levels of 0.15ml aer commonplace)." This seems to go > against my > experiences - one ml is a fairly small volume (for those > of you who are metric-challanged 5 ml is about one > teaspoon) and it seems to me that most commercial bottled > beers I've seen have /at least/ a 5 ml headspace. [snip] Alan is confusing the headspace *volume* (which is, indeed, usually 10mls or so) with level of headspace *air* -- a term which refers to all the non-CO2 gas in the headspace. (Recall that the Z&N test uses a caustic solution to absorb all the CO2 in the headspace, and measures what's left over.) IOW, if you had a theoretically perfect bottling line, in which the gas in the headspace was 100% CO2, the headspace air level would be 0 even though the headspace volume was 10ml. The trick with any bottling operation is to make sure that the headspace is as close to 100% CO2 as possible -- whether by triple evacuation or just capping on foam. LKB Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 10:26:58 -0400 From: "John Stegenga" <bigjohns at mindspring.com> Subject: Legality of Homebrewing/post doctoral In HBD 3129, Alan writes: >Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 14:34:28 -0400 (EDT) >From: ALAN KEITH MEEKER <ameeker at welch.jhu.edu> >Subject: Legality of homebrewing > >I'm still sifting through a stack of BT magazines. > >In the Jan 1997 issue there is a map of the U.S. showing the legal status of >homebrewing for each state. > >By this map there are 12 states where homebrewing was illegal and 7 states >where the laws are "unclear." > >Since this time I know that at least Tenn. has legalized homebrewing but what >about the other states? This is an important issue for me as I am looking >about for places to postdoc and the thought of ending up in a state that >disallows my favorite hobby will weigh heavilly in my decision! > > -Alan Meeker Alan- In Georgia we've a couple of good colleges (Emory, Georgia Tech) here in the Atlanta Metro, and some great home brew stores too. The "state" limit is 50gal/adult per year, but unless you're bottling and selling it on the corner you are not likely to bump into any trouble. I moved to Atlanta in 1987 from chicago and never looked back! I've been back to Chicago 2 times in the last 12 years and all I really miss is the FOOD! Damn do they make great food up there...*sigh*. There are decent restraunts here, but you can't buy a Pizza. Good brewpubs here too, and a couple micro brews (Atlanta brewing and Dogwood). Any questions, just ask! John Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 10:32:06 -0400 From: Dan Listermann <72723.1707 at compuserve.com> Subject: Air Volumes in Headspace Alan Meeker ( ameeker at welch.jhu.edu) asks about air volumes in the head space of bottled beer. The air volumes measured is amount of "air" in the headspace as opposed to CO2. IOW there may be any number of ml of gas in the headspace, but only a small portion of that is composed of the gas mixture called "air." I suppose that it is possible to have 5 ml of headspace and measure no "air" at all if the bottle was filled under ideal circumstances. Dan Listermann dan at listermann.com 72723.1707 at compuserve.com Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 09:41:17 -0500 From: Louis Bonham <lkbonham at hypercon.com> Subject: Future of The Experimental Brewer In response to Alan's comments and some other correspondence I've received, let me take this opportunity to say that I wish Stephen and the gang all the best -- it was great fun and I'll miss working with them. Hopefully, another publisher will pick BT up and let me continue the column. If not, I intend to continue The Experimental Brewer as a feature on the HBD website; probably in a format that sets out not only prior articles and "how-to" stuff on brewing lab techniques (including stuff like videomicroscopy that BT thought was a little too obscure for a column piece), but also the various experiments I (and, hopefully, others) have in progress. These will be on things like Clinitest, alcohol determination techniques, no-sparge brewing, IBU formulae, FWH, etc., and will lay out the methodology being employed (with constructive criticism and suggestions from real scientists and knowledgable amateurs strongly encouraged) and the raw data collected to date. The point will be to facilitate folks who are interested in participating being able to download the approved "recipe" for an experiment and the exact data to be collected (and how it should be collected). They can then do the experiment (and in the process perhaps learn a bit about the techniques employed), and then share their data. This hopefully will let us to leverage the power of the internet and the HBD collective to get enough good data that we can draw some intelligent and meaningful conclusions. If you have any comments, lemme know. LKB Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 11:18:47 -0400 From: Mark_Ohrstrom/Humphrey_Products at humphreypc.com Subject: You've Got to Fight for Your Right! Mike continues the discussion of the Brave New Brewery, and carries the scenario to its logical (and probable) conclusion: >>> Crying collusion and conspiracy, this fringe element reputedly hosts secret "brew-ins" where members homebrew arcane beer styles using traditional methods. Homebrewing having been outlawed in all 51 states by 2005, state law enforcement officials and BATF agents have dedicated small task forces to seeking out these scofflaws. <<< After the Corporate-Governmental Entities force the declaration of a State of Emergency following the crash of their industrial breweries in Y2K mayhem, they will continue to co-opt our precious freedoms. With this latest, and most insidious, assault on the long-held principle that A Man's Home is His Castle (and his brewery), it is now time for all brewer/patriots to join the clarion call of freedom: The First Michigan Homebrewer's Militia. Once only spoken of in whispers late at night around the KLOB Pig Roast bonfire, we have joined two great Michigan traditions -- brewing, and the citizen militia. Realizing that our Potato Cannon competition was the nucleus for our Artillery Detachment, The First Michigan stands ready to ward off all such threats from the "jack-booted thugs". If YOU are a right-thinking American, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us -- mash paddle in hand, spud gun at the ready. They can only take our homebrew from us when they peel our cold, dead fingers from the glass ... For Freedom, Mark in Kalamazoo (Still researching edifying quotation for insertion here) Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 10:46:28 -0700 From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com> Subject: Volumetric measurement >From Dave Mercer: >What really surprised me was that the measuring marks on my one and two-liter Pyrex Erlenmeyer lab flasks were even more inaccurate (again measuring short).< Doesn't surprise me at all. The graduations on beakers are generally approximate, and get even less accurate as the size goes up-- I never even look at the scaling on a beaker larger than 500 ml. If you're willing to spend the money and want great accuracy, invest in an array of graduated cylinders, or at least get one 1l cylinder. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 11:37:47 -0700 From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com> Subject: CF Chillers again Bill Pierce states after a thorough cleaning of his chiller: > the only thing I could see was a slight greenish cast to the PBW solution< I don't think that's due to hops, Bill. Anytime I see green coming out of a copper tubing, I think oxidized and dissolved copper. I wish I was still at my old job so I could ask you to send me a sample for the purpose of determining copper content, but that's pretty tough to do with my current employment. You could boil water and run it through and taste it (after cooling, of course) because a high level of copper will impart a metallic taste as a down&dirty check. Rick Theiner Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 11:41:08 -0700 From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com> Subject: Soybeans A posting on soybeans has brought about this post-- Glyn Crossno, a fellow brewer on this list, and I fell into discussions on soybean brews. He had some flaked soy and I am interested in brewing without barley (I have a gluten intolerant cousin). Glyn brewed up a batch and kindly sampled me a couple of bottles and it was very good and very intriguing. I'm dying to try my hand at this, but short of tofu, there is just no good soy source in my area. Does anyone have ideas on where I can get my hand on soy, flaked or otherwise? Rick Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 11:46:28 -0700 From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com> Subject: No CO2 Mini Keg Julio in Athens writes: > This gadget fits inside the bung (tap) but then you are supposed to turn the mini upside down. This gadget has four little legs and a spout that comes out of the bottom of the mini (once turned upside down) and dispense beer just as you would dispense water out of a cooler.< This sounds like how the commercial mini-kegs used to work-- tap them, turn them upside down, dispense until back pressure wouldn't allow it, then put a hole in the keg to allow the beer to flow again. So check the fine print-- if you have to put a hole in the keg, don't buy it, but if it has some way to "burp" the keg, then fine. Rick Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 10:02:27 -0500 From: Rod Prather <rodpr at iquest.net> Subject: HBD and Sophistry AJ wrote in a tyrade to Chickenshorts. > These beers are very clean so we are not talking about > ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate or amyl acetate but rather > > pleasant, complex, berry- like esters. In particular > > I remember lychee because I've never tasted lychee in > > beer before or since. > > Arnold's assertion that material obtained from brewing texts must, for > that reason alone, be wrong is sheer sophistry. > You are complaining about Arnold's discrediting of "Sheer Sophistry". I don't normally slam dunk and "attitude", AJ, BUT...... The purpose of this group is to communicate ideas. Using lychee to describe a flavor IS sophistry and unnecessary sophistry at that. I have never seen lychee in any beer judging descriptions either AHA or BJCP. Perhaps only 1 in 500 (if that many) North Americans have ever tasted a fresh lychee so using the term to describe a flavor is next to worthless in this forum. It communicates nothing except to say you know what a lychee tastes like. You could have as easily said melon/berry to descibe the flavor. By the way, for those who don't know, lychees are a delicate fruit that grows in southeast asia and the asian tropics. It has a very short shelf live and doesn't transport well. You can buy them canned but the delicate flavors are lost. It has a semi hard skin that is easily removed and reveals a white, soft, melon like fruit about and inch and a half in diameter with a single central seed. The flavor, though unique, is best described as melon with grape/beery like overtones. Come to think of it, I've never tasted lychee in a beer either. I don't think I have ever tasted melon/berry either. Incidently, I found most of your article very interresting.. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 13:39:20 -0500 From: "Sean Richens" <srichens at sprint.ca> Subject: Millenium flame wars! Everyone pile on! (also fridges) In #3129 an innocent party gets lightly toasted for being in a hurry with his millenium beer, and another just *subtly* makes his point about having 16 months to go. Which is fine, but all your friends are going to be looking at you this coming New Year's asking where your special brew is. Actually, given that the event being commemorated took place somewhere between 6 and 4 BCE, the time to start your millenial beer was 1995. Hey, even the Pope is starting the big party this coming December, so just go with the flow. Sean Richens Winnipeg Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 15:29:55 -0400 From: Jeff Renner <nerenner at umich.edu> Subject: Re: Legality of homebrewing ALAN KEITH MEEKER <<ameeker at welch.jhu.edu> wrote: >Since this time I know that at least Tenn. has legalized homebrewing but what >about the other states? This is an important issue for me as I am looking >about for places to postdoc and the thought of ending up in a state that >disallows my favorite hobby will weigh heavilly in my decision! Not only has Michigan legalized since that time (1997), but we have an especially nice feature - we may give away as gifts up to 20 gallons per year. This means that there isn't even a technical prohibition against taking it to parties, etc. It helped having a homebrewing state representative. Rex Halfpenny of Michigan Beer Guide was a constant force pushing this enlightened legislation. So come to Ann Arbor, Alan. We've got great lawas, AABG is an active club good brewpubs and micros in SE Michigan (a new German lager micro about to open in Ann ARbor). Oh, and there are fine life sciences programs at the UofM. Jeff -=-=-=-=- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, c/o nerenner at umich.edu "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 15:55:46 EDT From: AKGOURMET at aol.com Subject: adjusting water Here's a question for the water guys. On my last couple of all grain batches I've adjusted the mash and sparge water according to The Water Treatment Calculator v.3.0. (great program by the way) My tap water is: Ca 48 SO4 27 carb 46 hardness 82 alkalinity 38 pH 7 I'm adding 3.2 grams CaCO3 (chalk) and 11.8 grams Gypsum to 11 gallons. I've noticed that after I drain the sparge kettle and my brew kettle that there's a layer of white powder on the sides and bottom. My question is -- am I getting the full effect of the water treatment or am I wasting gypsum and chalk? Have I reached the saturation point of the water, or am I not getting the powder dissolved enough? Thanks for your help. Bill Wright Juneau, Alaska Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 18:19:33 -0400 From: John Varady <rust1d at usa.net> Subject: HBDPAE >I've just read the BT articles on the HBD Palexperiment run by Louis Bonham. >This was one of the best designed and executed brewing experiments I've yet >seen - kudos Louis! >This is an example of the kind of articles I for one will miss given the >demise of BT. >The experimental design was far superior to the previously published Oregon >Pale Ale experiment in which they let so many variables float that the results >are essentially meaningless (one of the uncontrolled variables was yeast >strain!!). This is an example of the type of articles I won't be missing. The HBD Pale Ale experiment was conceived by myself, and designed by many (60+ people) over the course of several months. Louis offered to write it up in his BT column and generously offered many other services. BT provided an organized tasting of the beers and some free graphic work for a logo which was etched into pint glasses. Many others also kicked in their talents and time by the time the whole thing was completed. You can read about the conception at the BT web site at: http://brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue6.4/varady.html Many thanks go out to those involved. One note, Dave Logsdon at Wyeast donated 47 xl smack packs of his product to our cause. Nice guy if you ask me. Enjoy, John John Varady The HomeBrew Recipe Calculating Program Boneyard Brewing Custom Neon Beer Signs For Home Brewers Glenside, PA Get More Information At: rust1d at usa.net http://www.netaxs.com/~vectorsys/varady Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 09:59:31 +1000 From: "Rick Wood" <thewoods at netpci.com> Subject: Say Yes To... Hello Collective, I must chime in and agree with Miguel de Salas regarding Wyeast. I brew on Guam Island a little speck of the United States in the Western Pacific, a bit north of Australia, a bit east of the Philippines a bit south of Japan and a whole lot west of the US. I use Wyeast because it is the product that travels and stores the best. I have used Wyeast yeasts that have been in storage in my refer for over a year. (I like to use them earlier but sometimes....). I work in a laboratory and have all the equipment needed to store slants or even -90 degree C samples. It is just too much work, in my opinion, to do all this when Wyeast provides such a stable, transportable and storable product in such a wide variety. So I say YES to Wyeast (and a big Thanks as well) and would encourage everyone to say yes to those products that work for them. I am sure that keeping slants and doing recultures is part of the hobby for some and think that is great. For me, I will continue to use Wyeast, and like Miguel, hope too many people don't say no to Wyeast. I appreciate the availability and convenience of the product. I also wanted to thank Bob Sheck for his contribution. I had mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to send a "subscription" contribution to Pat and the HBD and I again put it off. Well, Bobs note struck me and the subscription payment is in the mail. Thanks to Pat Babcock and the Janitors as well as the contributors for such a fine product. Not perfect, mind you, but on balance a great service to the HB community. Rick Wood Brewing on Guam and Saying Yes to Wyeast, AHA, IBS, BYO, BT, CP and George Fix! Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 21:32:24 From: "C.D. Pritchard" <cdp at chattanooga.net> Subject: re: carboy volume markers For indelible markings on glass use etching compound (sold at decent crafts stores), rinse, dry, then color if needed with a Sharpie permanent marker. Dave Thomson <dlt at ici.net> posted: >I am in the process of setting up my extra fridge for kegging. I want to >drill a hole in the side for my co2 line. I call the local repair shop and >they said "well drill a small hole and see what happens" Yeah thanks guys! The repair shop apparently needs some work... business must be slow. Was it a Maytag shop? <g> They are partially right. Kill the power and drill an exploratory hole first with a 1/8" or so drill bit with a stop adjusted so the bit will just barely go through the metal on the fridge exterior. Then poke around inside the hole with a bent piece of music wire. Blunt the end a bit so you don't poke through any wiring insulation and bend the wire as necessary so the entire path of the proposed bigger hole can be explored. If nothing is there, drill away with a bigger bit. Some tips: Rather than just just sticking the CO2 line thru the hole, put a piece of plastic pipe or tubing throught the hole first then route the CO at line through that. This protects the line from cutting by the metal edges of the hole, makes for a better seal and allows for easy CO2 line replacement. Seal the all gaps well- any air leakage will eventually wet the insulation. I use Duct Seal (kinda like a sticky modeling clay- available at HVAC shops). For a more permanent installation, use silicone sealant. c.d. pritchard cdp at chattanooga.net http://chattanooga.net/~cdp/ and http://hbd.org/cdp/ Return to table of contents
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