HOMEBREW Digest #3709 Wed 15 August 2001

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Contents:
  Brussels Bier Circus ("Likovuori Kari")
  Spent Grain and Hops in the compost pile (Zurekbrau)
  Re: Composting spent grain (gsferg)
  RE:  Composting spent grain (Peter Torgrimson)
  Re: Ball-lock vs. Pin Lock Kegging (stencil)
  Composting spent grain (LJ Vitt)
  composting grains, etc. ("Alan Meeker")
  Re: Green Hops (Joel Plutchak)
  Re: Composting spent grain (Joel Plutchak)
  composting spent grain ("Joseph Marsh")
  RE: Composting spent grain ("Laborde, Ronald")
  corny kegging ("Alan McKay")
  Composting spent grain ("Peter Fantasia")
  compost - yes! ("Alan McKay")
  combining different yeast strains ("Peter Fantasia")
  Beir Circus or Beir Tempel? (mohrstrom)
  RE: composting spent grain ("May, Jeff")
  Subject: Composting spent grain ("Charlie Walker")
  1st Time All-Grain Questions ("Hedglin, Nils A")
  Re: Oktoberfest food question (john.mcgowan)
  Re: composting spent grains & hops ("Bret Morrow")
  gelatin in 2ndary ("Bret Morrow")
  combining different yeast strains (stihlerunits)
  RE: Fob (David Edge)
  Safbrew T 58 Yeast? ("Alan McKay")
  places to go in Dallas ("Sedam, Marc")
  cleaning lines ("Sedam, Marc")
  Sour Mash Berliner Weisse (mohrstrom)
  Cloned Pilsner, at last! ("George Krafcisin")
  question on Son of a Fermentation Chiller ("Alan McKay")
  re: Ball-lock vs. Pin Lock Kegging ("Mark Tumarkin")
  FOB (Spencer W Thomas)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 Aug 2001 12:24:00 +0300 From: "Likovuori Kari" <kari.likovuori at pt2.tempo.mol.fi> Subject: Brussels Bier Circus >Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 07:00:39 -0700 (PDT) >From: LJ Vitt <lvitt4 at yahoo.com> >>Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 18:43:23 >>From: "matt dinges" <matt_dinges at hotmail.com> >>Subject: Brussels Bier Circus >> >>This is in response to Leo's listing of places in Brussels. Leo: you >>list bier circus as a bottle shop. When were you there? I was there in >>1998 and it was far from a bottle shop. It was a bar with a few hundred >>different belgian beers and a limited food menu. This was the only beer bar I >>visited in Brussels, went there three nights in a row. Great Place, the owner >>was very friendly and gave me info on other similiar places in other towns. > > I was in Brussels in May this year. > I could have confused names, but I think I have it right. > > - Leo As Matt wrote Le Beer Circus is maybe the best beer cafe in Brussels and has been since 1983. (others: Moeder Lambic, Atelier, La Porte Noire, see in finnish language (sorry!) http://beer.tml.hut.fi/Ankara/Belgia/Brysseli.html) Leo, you might confuse it to La Beer Tempel at the very center of Brussels, which is a quite nice beer shop. The best shop is Beer Mania (Bieres Artisanales) at Ch. Wavre. See the above link. -=Kari=- Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 08:09:26 EDT From: Zurekbrau at aol.com Subject: Spent Grain and Hops in the compost pile >So my question is can I compost my spent grain and >perhaps my spent hops? >Jeff May jeff.may at attws.com I put spent grain and hops into my compost pile and have not had any problems. Infact the pile gets very active when I add them. Rich Zurek Carpenterville IL Zurekbrau at aol.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 08:25:15 -0400 From: gsferg at clary.gwi.net Subject: Re: Composting spent grain Hi Jeff- > Everything I read about compost piles says that you are only supposed to add > raw vegetable matter, never cooked. But then they say used coffee grounds > are great for your pile. So my question is can I compost my spent grain and > perhaps my spent hops? Your compost heap will love spent grains and hops- and it'll add a touch of class to your pile! Just make sure you spread it around and mix in with it a comparable volume of other organic stuff- leaves, grass clippings, some dirt, etc., so as to give the beasties that do the voodoo they do something to work with. Martha Stewart might disagree however. An organic farmer/friend of mine picked up a dump truck load of spoiled Menhaden (fish) used for baiting lobster traps and managed to compost it nicely. I guess if you can compost rotten fish, spent grain can't be any worse :) George- - -- George S. Fergusson <gsferg at clary.gwi.net> Oracle DBA, Programmer, Humorist PGP Key: http://clary.gwi.net/gsferg/gsferg at clary.asc - -------------- I am a man, I can change, if I have to, I guess. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 06:02:34 -0700 From: Peter Torgrimson <petertorgrimson at prodigy.net> Subject: RE: Composting spent grain May, Jeff<jeff.may at attws.com> writes, >> So my question is can I compost my spent grain and perhaps my spent hops? I do it all the time, both the grain and coffee grounds. I have never noticed any problems, but I never really looked either. Those items represent a very small part of my compost pile. Peter Torgrimson Worts Of Wisdom Homebrewers Mountain View, CA Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:03:06 -0400 From: stencil <stencil at bcn.net> Subject: Re: Ball-lock vs. Pin Lock Kegging On Tue, 14 Aug 2001 00:10:18 -0400, "Bissell, Todd S" <tbissell at spawar.navy.mil> wrote in Homebrew Digest #3708 (August 14, 2001) >------------------------------ > what I am curious about is >if it is feasible/possible to convert my fittings to what everybody else >that I know is using...? Are there any Ball-Lock to Pin-Lock adaptors >floating around anywhere, or would converting my kegs to Pin-Lock be too >much trouble (or just plain impossible)? > You can and occasionally will disassemble the fittings for cleaning and repairs and can get replacement parts for either species; your local HB shop is the most diplomatic source but of course there's lots on the Web. In my limited experience the keg fittings tend to be more expensive than the hose fittings. Since you're going to need a few cross- connect lines anyway, for pushing cleaning and sanitizing solutions from keg to keg, I'd advise you to make up a couple of pin-gas/ ball-product and p-p/b-g jumpers, so you can transfer to and from friends' kegs, or to a borrower for club shows. FWIW, a spritz bottle of cheap NEX vodka is handy at connecting time. stencil sends RKBA! Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 06:23:47 -0700 (PDT) From: LJ Vitt <lvitt4 at yahoo.com> Subject: Composting spent grain >Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 13:52:08 -0700 >From: "May, Jeff" <jeff.may at attws.com> >Subject: Composting spent grain >Everything I read about compost piles says that you are only supposed >to add >raw vegetable matter, never cooked. But then they say used coffee >grounds >are great for your pile. So my question is can I compost my spent Lgrain and >perhaps my spent hops? >Jeff May jeff.may at attws.com Jeff, I have regularily put spent grains in the compost pile. It decomposes faster than most items in the pile. - Leo Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:36:26 -0400 From: "Alan Meeker" <ameeker at mail.jhmi.edu> Subject: composting grains, etc. Jeff, I've been composting all my beer-related wastes for the last few years, including: the spent grains, trub, and leftover yeast/beer/hops after rackings and bottlings. My compost pile loves it all - no problems. In fact, as a biologist, I cannot imagine why anyone would advise limiting the compost to only uncooked vegetable matter. Did they give any rationale for this bizarre claim? -Alan Meeker Baltimore, MD Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:08:57 -0500 (CDT) From: Joel Plutchak <plutchak at ncsa.uiuc.edu> Subject: Re: Green Hops In HBD #3708, Jeff Hertz asked: >Just wondering if anyone has any opinions one way or the other >about using green or fresh hops. I've got a lovely bunch of >Cascades growing that are almost ready to pick and am thinking >about using some as finishing hops. I know in Fishers' book on >growing hops, they have a recipe using them, but I wanted to see >what others experiences are. I know it will give a "grassy" flavor I've done this twice. Once to see what it was like, and another time to see if the first time was a fluke or not. A few months later I tasted Grant's Fresh Hop Ale. All three beers had what was to me an unpleasant chlorophy/herb/grass character. I'm done with that particular experiment. It's also worth explicitly pointing out that there are at least a few commercial ales that use fresh, undried hops, so somebody must like the stuff. >There's nothing like the sight of hops growing in your own backyard! Yup! Even non-beer-drinkers I know are intrigued by the simple concept that hops are a real plant and not some sort of flavoring chemical concocted in a factory in St. Louis. ;-) Joel Plutchak <plutchak at uiuc.edu> Unable to think up any pithy descriptions in East-Central Illinois Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:17:43 -0500 (CDT) From: Joel Plutchak <plutchak at ncsa.uiuc.edu> Subject: Re: Composting spent grain In HBD #3708, Jeff May asked: >So my question is can I compost my spent grain and perhaps my spent hops? In a word, yes. I do it, and the only consideration is that I have found I have to be a bit careful about moisture content and lack of oxygen or it turns into one really nasty-smelling heap. Spring and summer I keep a bale of hay around to mix in, plus I turn it often after adding a fresh plop of grain/hops. In the fall there are usually plenty of dried leaves to help keep it dry and varied. I even saw one gardening show that said adding beer yeast to the compost heap was beneficial, so you can even dump the yeast dregs from your fermenter on the heap (though my caveat re: moisture holds). One (to me) minor consideration is that hops are reportedly toxic to certain breeds of dogs (e.g., greyhounds), and spent hops are sweet enough that dogs have been known to chow down on them. If you have sight hounds in your neighborhood who are likely to be running loose and getting into your compost heap you may want to consider leaving the hops out of the compost. Joel Plutchak Still running sans caffeine this AM in East-Central Illinois Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:18:31 -0500 From: "Joseph Marsh" <josephmarsh62 at hotmail.com> Subject: composting spent grain You can easily compost your spent grains. One VERY important point... Make sure you mix them well with the other stuff. I used to pour my grains directly on my garden but if they get kicked or busted up in any way the smell is truly horrendous. Joe Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:20:22 -0500 From: "Laborde, Ronald" <rlabor at lsuhsc.edu> Subject: RE: Composting spent grain >From: "May, Jeff" <jeff.may at attws.com> > >... So my question is can I compost my spent grain and perhaps my spent hops? Absolutely, the grains are just dumped onto the pile then mixed in as well as you can with the pile's contents. I have done this many times, and the grain acts like kindling wood on a fire. If you use more than 10 or so pounds of grain, you will probably get that awful smell for a few days from the bacteria in the grain. No problem (well, the neighbors haven't complained and every time I see one, I hand over a homebrew through the fence), after a couple days the smell is gone, and when you fork over the pile you find smoke! This dude is a-rockin. Just keep turning the pile and soon you will have some good compost. The grains disappear in a week or so and you have some good looking compost. One thing to be aware of, is that the grains may have a low PH, and you could check the PH of the compost and add some lime to get it back to neutral if needed. Never checked myself, but would like to someday. Last time I put the hops in also, but this time the pile did not get hot, and I tink hops are not so good to put in. Ron La Borde Ronald La Borde - Metairie, Louisiana - rlabor at lsuhsc.edu http://hbd.org/rlaborde Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:38:26 -0400 (EDT) From: "Alan McKay" <amckay at ottawa.com> Subject: corny kegging Todd, Let me introduce you to the kegging section of my homepage : http://www.bodensatz.com/homebrew/kegging/corny.html As for adaptors, there are none that I know of and from my experience if you remove the fittings from the kegs they are not interchangable. >From my CO2 tank I have both a ball-lock and a pin-lock fitting in case a friend with ball lock wants to bring a keg to one of my parties. Perhaps you can encourage your friends to do the same. cheers, -Alan - -- "Brewers make wort. Yeast makes beer." - Dave Miller http://www.bodensatz.com/ What's a Bodensatz? http://www.bodensatz.com/bodensatz.html Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:38:44 -0400 From: "Peter Fantasia" <fantasiapeter at hotmail.com> Subject: Composting spent grain Jeff, You can compost anything except rocks. Most people say not to compost meat, bones or fat because it attracts animals. I've been composting for many years and I add my spent grain and cooked corn cobs, spent hops etc... A good rule of thumb is "anything vegetable in origin; no animal products or by-products". PS: Your garden will thank you. Pete "You can make wine from anything except a stone". C.J.J.Berry Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:42:38 -0400 (EDT) From: "Alan McKay" <amckay at ottawa.com> Subject: compost - yes! Yes, you can. Spent grain breaks down incredibly quickly, and tends to stink the high-heavens in the few days it takes to break down, but it does produce exceptionally good compost. In fact, mushroom growers love to take the spent grain from small breweries to grow their mushrooms on the compost. cheers, -Alan - -- "Brewers make wort. Yeast makes beer." - Dave Miller http://www.bodensatz.com/ What's a Bodensatz? http://www.bodensatz.com/bodensatz.html Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:42:42 -0400 From: "Peter Fantasia" <fantasiapeter at hotmail.com> Subject: combining different yeast strains Darrell, As long as you don't combine the Irish and the English yeast strains you should be alright... Pete Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 12:06:37 -0400 From: mohrstrom at humphrey-products.com Subject: Beir Circus or Beir Tempel? >> >Subject: Brussels Bier Circus >> I was in Brussels in May this year. >> I could have confused names, but I think I have it right. >> - Leo Might Leo be thinking of Bier Tempel, near the Grande Place? Mark in Kalamazoo Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:39:56 -0700 From: "May, Jeff" <jeff.may at attws.com> Subject: RE: composting spent grain WOW! Thanks for all the responses. I've actually had this questions posted on some other forums for a couple weeks now with no response. I threw this posting up on my way out of work last night and had 12 responses waiting for me this morning! I guess this is the forum for me. Now I have the wonderful task of trying to read up on years and years of archives. The unanimous decision is YES, you can compost just about anything from brewing, including grain, hops, yeast, trub, old beer, etc. Just make sure you follow good composting practices like aerate, water, and protect from critters, both domestic and wild. Jeff May Mayzerbrau Nano Brew Snohomish, WA jeff.may at attws.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 11:49:18 -0500 From: "Charlie Walker" <charlybill at prodigy.net> Subject: Subject: Composting spent grain <Everything I read about compost piles says that you are only supposed to add raw vegetable matter, never cooked. But then they say used coffee grounds are great for your pile. So my question is can I compost my spent grain and perhaps my spent hops?> I have never heard that you weren't supposed to add cooked matter into your compost pile. I add anything organic, all scraps whether raw or cooked, especially my spent grain. Works for me! Charlie Lancaster, Tx NTHB Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:50:00 -0700 From: "Hedglin, Nils A" <nils.a.hedglin at intel.com> Subject: 1st Time All-Grain Questions > Hi, > I finally got around to putting my mash/lauter tun together last night > (Hobby Beverage Equipment http://www.minibrew.com/products/prod03.html) & > I have a few questions. I only have a 5 gal brew pot, so I can't do a > full 5 gallon batch right now. I was thinking of doing 2 2.5 gal batches > since I could handle the 3 gal of collected wort after the sparge. > Unfortunately, that won't work either. > From what I understand, you're supposed to use 1 quart of water for > every pound of grain for the mash in. The recipe I'm using calls for 9.5 > pounds, so 4.75 quarts for a half batch, just over 1 gal. My mash tun's > holds about 1 gal under the false bottom, so the grain won't hardly get > wet at all. Any idea of the affect if I fill the tun up to the false > bottom & then add the 4.75 quarts to be able to mix it with the grain? I > figure this be a problem for any batch, since I'd effectively loose 1 gal > of water under the false bottom. Also, I built a sparge arm out of PVC pipe & the PVC cement stuff. I know it's rated for potable water pipes, but all that purple primer & blue glue freaks me out when I think about using it my brewing process. I tried cleaning the pipes out before I put them together, but is there any suggestions on how I can try to clean any mold release or other icky stuff now that they're together? I was planning on running hot water through it for a while & also soaking it in sanitizer. > Finally, I was thinking about getting one of the cylindrical Igloo > coolers to use as a hot liquor tank. Is there some sort of standard > conversion process to replace the Igloo spigot to allow a ball valve? > Since I'm wanting to do this brewing next Sunday, it has to be something > Home Depot & I can do myself. > Thanks, > Nils Hedglin > Sacramento, CA Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 13:28:12 -0400 From: john.mcgowan at us.abb.com Subject: Re: Oktoberfest food question Alan McKay wrote: So who has been to Oktoberfest and can tell me what types of foods we should look at serving at our party? Well Alan, you'll be surprised to learn that you can probably make many of those special Oktoberfest items with things you can find at your local Lablaws! I've only been to O'fest 5 times (or maybe six?) but here are some things you'll find there. (In most cases I've left off the German name, except where a literal translation just won't do.) First the obvious and widely known: Weisswurst with _sweet_ mustard and _never_ after 1200 noon Pretzels -- the big ones of course Roasted half-chicken (an absolute requirement) Then the Lesser known: Shaved radishes with salt Kasebrot: "Pretzel bread" with melted cheese on top that has been allowed to cool Wurstbrot: Same as above but replace the cheese with chopped sausage Smoked salmon with onions on a hard roll Mackrel speared with a stick (length-wise) and shoved into a smoking fire (head down) and smoked until cooked. You'll find this rather odorous offering outside the Pschorrbrau tent if I recall After these fine foods and a few Masse, I recommend going for that real Oktoberfest treat by taking a few rides on one of the many rollercoasters (or if you prefer -- the Scrambler)! The authenticity you can create by replicating this experience will surely impress your guests to no end, so perhaps you could consider renting one for your party! The next day, I recommend weissbier. Ohne zitrone. (ie, No lemon!) John McGowan Princeton NJ Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:38:30 From: "Bret Morrow" <bretmorrow at hotmail.com> Subject: Re: composting spent grains & hops Greetings, Jeff asked about composting spent grains/hops since they are 'cooked.' I always compost my spent hops along with the hot break from the boil--not problems yet--they rot just fine. I no longer put my grain on the compost pile--although when I did it rotted just fine too--just a lot slower. I have found that if I pitch spent grains onto the snow covered garden all winter then dig them in to the soil in the spring I get great drainage and aeration of the soil. To me, this seems as important as neutrients--although my New England soil may be prone to compaction. Cheers, Bret Morrow, Hamden, CT Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:55:28 From: "Bret Morrow" <bretmorrow at hotmail.com> Subject: gelatin in 2ndary Greetings, A bit ago (1 month?) Jeff R. posted as a kinda side comment that he always adds gelatin to his 2ndary. This is something that I had done for years, being a 'Dave Line' trianed brewer, but I stopped it thinking it unnecessary as it 'only brought down the yeast.' I recently had to treat a batch of beer with polyclar to clear a stubborn haze and now remember well how polyclar seems to remove some of the nice taste components, too. I understand that polyclar and gelatin act though distinct mechanisms affecting polyphenols and haze-forming proteins, respectively. My Question is: Has anyone noticed a deterimental effect on taste with gelatin? Cheers, Bret Morrow Hamden, CT (named after the English Lord Hampden by someone who couldn't spell) Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:08:28 -0800 (AKDT) From: stihlerunits at mosquitonet.com Subject: combining different yeast strains Darrell wrote: >I suppose that one should pay attention to relative similarities in: > >attenuation > >preferred temperature range > >style preferences > >What else is worth thinking about when trying to combine different >liquid yeasts? > Another thing to consider which is related to attenuation is the relative flocculation characteristics of the two yeasts. If one combines a highly flocculant yeast strain with one that has low flocculation then Combining a highly flocculant yeast strain with one tends to have low floccuation may result in latter one being effectively removed from active fermentation by the flocculation of other strain. As a result, you may not obtain the attenuation you are expecting. Cheers, Scott Stihler Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 18:57:15 +0100 From: David Edge <badger at sett.u-net.com> Subject: RE: Fob The erudite Dennis Lewis confesses: I think I'm the culprit who started the 'fob' discussion... and goes on to say: I also recall using 'fob' to describe the foam coming out of the soft spile on a cask. Could have been the CAMRA Guide to Cellarmanship, but it's not handy to check. I don't think so, as I recall Ivor only mentioned 'fobbing' in connection with beer engines. I was puzzled as it was the only word I didn't know that he didn't define, so thanks to those who have contributed here. My dictionary gives the origin as to deceive or cheat, so it is a good word to describe a big head on brim measure glass of ale, as is 'Fobbed Off'. Brewer's Dictionary (of Phrase and Fable!) gives the etymology of that as being directly from the German; it would be nice to think it arose from underfilled glasses. Perhaps I should point out for non-British readers that beer is usually dispensed here in glasses that hold a pint to the brim and unscrupulous landlords try to make as much of that foam as possible. - -- David Edge Signalbox Brewery, Burton-on-Trent, UK Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:45:47 -0400 (EDT) From: "Alan McKay" <amckay at ottawa.com> Subject: Safbrew T 58 Yeast? Folks, I've got a 10g packet of "Safbrew T 58" yeast which I think came in a Brew House kit (www.thebrewhouse.com). Does anyone know what kind of yeast this is? Any details? It's just a plain foil pack with plain lettering. cheers, -Alan - -- "Brewers make wort. Yeast makes beer." - Dave Miller http://www.bodensatz.com/ What's a Bodensatz? http://www.bodensatz.com/bodensatz.html Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:50:30 -0400 From: "Sedam, Marc" <marc_sedam at unc.edu> Subject: places to go in Dallas I'm going to be in Dallas on business from September 13-15. Could anyone please point me in the right direction in terms of the local brewing scene? Looking for brewpubs within easy travel distance from the airport. Cheers! - -- Marc Sedam Chapel Hill, NC Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:56:06 -0400 From: "Sedam, Marc" <marc_sedam at unc.edu> Subject: cleaning lines There has been a bit of traffic on the Digest recently regarding maintenance of serving lines and the importance of cleaning them. I recently noticed a bit of "house character" in all my beers which got me concerned. I cleaned the hell out of the kegs, taking every piece apart, scrubbing, soaking in hot PBW...the works. Didn't seem to help. Then I glanced back at the GAS lines and saw a piece of the main tubing (my CO2 line has several brass tees to fit all the kegs) was cloudy. Further inspection showed some pesky growth in the tube which must have resulted from a backflush of wort through the gas line. Must have come from the combination of force-carbonating and overfilling the kegs. I promptly took apart all of the "gas-in" components of the kegging system, including the adaptors. Saw much growth and ugliness and threw out pieces of the tubing which were mucho disgusting. The "house character" disappeared within a week and my beers taste clean again. Yet another cautionary tale about the care and maintenance of kegs. Cheers! Marc Sedam Chapel Hill, NC Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 18:02:29 -0400 From: mohrstrom at humphrey-products.com Subject: Sour Mash Berliner Weisse Scott asks: > only recipe I have ever seen was in Charlie P's book. > Has anybody out there tasted or brewed a sour mash > recipe? Is it worth the time and effort?" Sour mashing at 99degF (first rest) can be very effective at producing Berliner Weisse (the Ultimate Lawnmower Beer!) The time to reach the right sourness level can vary, probably dependent on the population of Lacto bugs on your malt. Some folks get results in 5-6 hours, but I've gone 36 hours. Came home from Bell's, walked into the kitchen (mashpot in a 100degF oven), and thought for certain the mutt had yarked up something nasty ... I think that Marc Sedam had posted some info a couple of years ago. I think he advocated no-boil, but I found out the hard way to watch the dwell time in the DMS production temp range. I'd go with a short, uncovered boil. Mark in Kalamazoo Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 18:11:07 -0500 From: "George Krafcisin" <gkrafcisin at mindspring.com> Subject: Cloned Pilsner, at last! Thanks to all those citizens who advised me to stick with my Pilsner = Urquell clone brew after what appeared to be a disaster. I had trouble with most of the brewing process, but worst of all was my = cooling coil springing a leak and adding a liter of tap water to my now = cooled wort. I reboiled it, added more hops, cooled it again, pitched = yeast, and hoped for the best. After two weeks, the wort smelled like = sewage. You good folk advised me to be patient, and you were right. = Three and a half months later, I tasted my first bottle, and it's the = best brew I've ever made. Could use a bit more aroma hops, but it's a = clear golden lager with a creamy head, smooth and crisp taste, nice hops = finish. Think I'll try another this winter. George Krafcisin Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 19:18:58 -0400 (EDT) From: "Alan McKay" <amckay at ottawa.com> Subject: question on Son of a Fermentation Chiller Hey folks, A buddy and I are going to build him one of these and I was wondering if anyone has tried it without the baffle and fan. So it is basically just an insulated box for your fermenter, and you put some ice into it to keep it cool. Will the temp get too low? How low will it get? Has anyone tried this? thanks, -Alan p.s. the chiller is at http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer/chiller/chiller.html - -- "Brewers make wort. Yeast makes beer." - Dave Miller http://www.bodensatz.com/ What's a Bodensatz? http://www.bodensatz.com/bodensatz.html Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 19:36:51 -0400 From: "Mark Tumarkin" <mark_t at ix.netcom.com> Subject: re: Ball-lock vs. Pin Lock Kegging Todd, Congratulations on your kegging system purchase, sounds like you've got everything you need. but you wrote: "Are there any Ball-Lock to Pin-Lock adaptors floating around anywhere, or would converting my kegs to Pin-Lock be too much trouble (or just plain impossible)?" No need to do that, the kegs work the same way - just the connectors are different. I have both types of kegs but I'm slowly trading off the pin-locks for ball-locks. I prefer the ball-lock kegs since they usually have a pressure relief valve which most of the pin-lock kegs don't have. I'm trying to get all one type just cause it's simpler not to have to deal with both types of connectors. The only issue will be that you'll to bring your own connectors & picnic tap to events if everyone has the other type. But that's no big deal. For your own use at home that's not an issue. Following are some of my bookmarks links for kegging info. Many of the names will be familiar from the HBD: Alan Richer's Kegging FAQ http://kbs.msu.edu/~laatsch/equipment/keg.faq Stryder's Kegging Instructions http://w3.tvi.cc.nm.us/~austin/keg.html Ron Bach on Kegging Basics http://www.southerndraft.com/9604/Begin.html Kirk Fleming the Joys of Kegging http://www.brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue5.1/fleming.html Dion Hollenbeck on Keg Preparation http://brewery.org/brewery/library/KegCleanDH1095.html Bob James Dispensing from Kegs http://www.brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue1.1/techcomm.html Rob Nelson -- No More Bottles! http://beer.miningco.com/home/drinks/beer/library/weekly/aa051898.htm C.D. Pritchard's Corny Keg Fermenter http://hbd.org/cdp/kegferm.htm Pressure Chart for Forced Carbonation http://brewery.org/brewery/library/CO2charts.html Ken Schwartz' Thoughts on Fridge Conversion http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer/files/fridge.html The Dog's Keg Fridge Conversion http://web2.airmail.net/bcunning/homebrew/kegfridg.htm Mark Tumarkin Gainesville, FL Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 21:56:15 -0400 From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer at engin.umich.edu> Subject: FOB Ok, y'all. You need a bigger dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary has 5 entries for fob: 2 verbs & 3 nouns. Under the 3rd noun, we find the following. I've omitted the bits that are totally irrelevant to beer. (Note that they sneak in a 3rd verb near the bottom!) fob fob, sb.3 a. Froth, foam; dial. ... c. Soap-making. The scum or froth which rises to the top of the semi-liquid soap during a certain process of manufacture. ... Hence fob v.3, to froth or foam. 'fobbing vbl. sb. 1838 Holloway Provinc., Fob, to froth as beer does when poured out quickly. E. Sussex. 1883 Hampsh. Gloss., Fob, to froth as beer. ... 1938 Thorpe's Dict. Appl. Chem. (ed. 4) II. 95/2 Some brewers add only a small proportion of the hops as the copper is filling up-they help to prevent `fobbing'. =Spencer Thomas in Ann Arbor, MI (spencer at umich.edu) Return to table of contents
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