HOMEBREW Digest #402 Thu 19 April 1990

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


Contents:
  Re: light extract to get dark beer (dw)
  2nd Annual Dallas-Denver Beer Run Trip Report (John Mellby)
  Bottling, Color Perception, etc. (Enders)
  Tartan (boubez)
  Man-eating elephants (Mike Fertsch)
  Input requested (CRF)
  Primary Fermentation (John DeCarlo)
  Re: blow-off method (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
  Re: blow-off method (Paul Brownlow)
  liquid yeast (Bill Crick)
  Double Diamond (Brian Glendenning)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 18 Apr 90 08:43:29 EDT (Wednesday) From: dw <Wegeng.Henr at Xerox.COM> Subject: Re: light extract to get dark beer Paul L. Kelly asks: >Another question regarding bulk extracts: someone recently said that one can >achieve better quality on dark beers by using light extract, and darkening the >wort with specialty grains. What grains (and in what amounts) should I use >to duplicate, say, John Bull unhopped dark with light extract? Recall that all-grain brewers start with malted barley, and then add speciality grains and other stuff to achieve the beer characteristics that they desire. As an extract brewer you can duplicate this to some degree by adapting all-grain recipes. For example, if you want to make a stout start with a all-grain recipe for stout (that you trust), then subsitute light malt extract syrup for an equal amount of malted barley. The amounts of speciality grains should remain the same. Now brew as if you had started out with an extract recipe (from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, for example). You'll probably have to experiment on a few batches (varying the amount of extract syrup to subsitute for one pound of malted barley) before you get optimum results. You'll never achieve as good results as you would by mashing, but you'll definitely learn more about the characteristics of the ingredients that you use, which will help you formulate your own recipes. /Don Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 08:34:33 CDT From: jmellby at ngstl1.csc.ti.com (John Mellby) Subject: 2nd Annual Dallas-Denver Beer Run Trip Report The Great 2nd Annual Colorado Beer Run Starring Roy Mengot and Tim McGrath Directed by John R. Mellby Special Effects Roy Mengot Scribe John R. Mellby Color Commentary Roy Mengot and Tim McGrath Historical Inspiration Tom Greer The winter being over, our thoughts naturally turned to beer. (O.K. beer was the second thing our thoughts turned to.) The remains of the 1st Dallas to Colorado Beer Run had long since been consumed, so it was obviously time for a another trip to the nearest very good beer store. Now there are some good beer stores in the Dallas area (Mr. G's in Plano), but Texas' stupid laws are so restrictive that many beers cannot be distributed here. Thus we typically take advantage of any trip to bring back quality beers which cannot be found in Texas. Preparation: Special thanks go out to Cher Feinstein, Rob Gardner, and Rick Myers who responded promptly to queries about where to go for beer in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder. With their help the decision was made to go to Denver, with a list of good stores, and Old Chicago and the Wynkoop as good bars. Last year the trip was made cross-country through Amarillo, on mostly 2-4 lane highways. This year they attempted to go due North into Kansas then turn West, which would keep them on freeways. As it turned out, this route was almost 100 miles longer, and yet was 1-1.5 hours shorter! Roy (What, me plan?) Mengot executed his usual planning function, which consists of sitting with a beer in hand and saying "Let's do it!" Trip Report: Driving - When one begins such an epic journey, a goal must drive the travelers to endure the hardships of the trip. In our case, that goal was good beer and lots of it. There were indeed hardships. Kansas for instance. Eastern Colordo for another. Oklahoma is Nirvanna in comparison. We often commented as we looked out on great vistas of near flat nothing that at least some plowed land or a telephone pole gave some indication that someone was in the area, and then we speculated on why. Even for a holiday weekend (Easter) we set the cruise control for 70 and, between Denver and Dallas, only "broke" cruise 5 times. Put a couple TOW's, a SAM launcher and a machinegun on top of all the grain elevators in Kansas, and no force on Earth could take that place. Now when we rolled into Denver, the world improved a million percent. We plotted the locations of beer stores and the Wyncoop Brewing company and strategically selected a Motel (Motel 6). The first stop was an Old Chicago (3 of 'em in Denver) where we found 25 tap beers and about 100 bottle beers. I sampled some draft Sam Adams, Boulder Porter and Watney's Cream Stout. All were excellent and they have great deep dish pizza, pasta and calzones. Well worth a visit. The next morning we hit the Wine Company. It's a deceptively small store in a large shopping center but had a large selection of the kinds of beers we were looking for. They just didn't have very much of each type. As I recorded the beer name and price of what Tim pulled off the shelves, the manager happened in and saw us building a small wall of beer and asked his clerk if we were Federal Agents or something? No, breath easy. Next we went to Bonnie Brae, just North of I-25 on University. They have an equally large selection with generally greater quantities (until we got there). The two stores complemented each other well and we cleaned them both out of several brands such as Thomas Hardy and Samiclaus and others they were just low on. Bonnie Brae has shopping carts which helped and prices were reasonable. By now we had some 15 cases in my little Sunbird Stationwagon and "Little Car" was not pleased. The altitude robbed power and the rear shocks had little play left. Undaunted, we went to the Wyncoop brew pub. We stopped there briefly the night before (Friday at 6:30 pm) and found it to be Yuppie Happy Hour Heaven, stuffed to the rafters with young professionals in suspenders and nice dresses, eyeing each other and two deep at the bar, raising the noise level to that of a carrier flight deck. Saturday at 11am, we had half of the 100 feet of bar to ourselves and got a sampler of Wilderness Wheat, Jed Fest beer, their IPA, St. Charles ESB, Marks Mild and Sagebrush Stout. All were excellent and, in general, better than some of the California brew pub beer I've tried. They do not have C02 driven taps; they have have the English pull-pump handles! The difference in the freshness of the beer and the carbonation behavior were astounding and the closest thing to English Real Ale in this country. They sell the beer in gallon boxes for takeout but plan on drinking it fast. It loses a bit as it travels. We picked up 3 gallons to go. They're right across the street from Union Station in Denver and are soon opening a jazz pub in the basement area. They have a dinner area upstairs. This place is good! Beer Summary: 351 bottles of beer plus 3 gallons of Wynkoop ale, some $600 worth. 51 different kinds were brought back (43 of them are not distributed in Texas). 6 Aegean 12 Anchor Christmas Ale 12 Ballard Bitter 6 Berghof Lager 12 Berghof Bock 2 Berghof Dark 12 Boulder Pale Ale 14 Boulder Porter 2 Boulder Stout 4 Big Foot Ale (Sierra Nevada) 6 Castlemaine 12 Celebrator 6 Changlee 6 Cold SPrings Export 6 EKU Kulminator 4 Fischer Bitter 3 Fischer Amber 2 Franziskus 9 Garten Brau Bock 1 Genesee 12 Horse Ale 3 Goudenband 4 Ivanhoe Ale (Saxon Brewery, Chico) 6 John Bull 1 Julius Echter Hefe-Weissen 6 Kessler Bock 12 Kessler Lorelei 5 Kessler Winter 7 Liefmanns Kriek 4 Liefmanns Framboise 4 Liefmanns Peche 6 Liefmanns Gueze Lambic 4 Mackeson's Stout 12 Maes Pils 1 Maharaja 1 Paulnaer Munchener #1 4 Pete's Gold Coast Lager 6 Pete's Pacific Lager 6 Pete's Pacific Dry 12 Pete's Wicked Ale 6 Ranier Ale 12 Red Hook ESB 38 Samuel Adams Lager 12 Samuel Adams Dopplebock 4 Samiclaus Light 4 Samiclaus Dark 4 Saranac 1888 10 St. Stan's Alt 3 St. Sixtus Abbey Ale 6 Telluride 16 Thomas hardy Ale 6 Ze'le' Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 09:15:01 -0500 From: Enders <enders at plains.NoDak.edu> Subject: Bottling, Color Perception, etc. Well, I bottled my IPA last night (actually I started filling bottles at about 12:30 AM :-). The final gravity was 1.008 (O.G. 1.043) and the color is a good bit lighter than I thought it would be. I think it's difficult to judge the color in the fermenter, as it looked way too dark, even when I siphoned it into the priming bucket. However, the sample in the hydrometer jar looked about on target, and when I poured the sample into a glass to taste, it looked BEAUTIFUL (rich golden color tinged with copper)!!! So, I was a little hasty judging the color of this batch. However, since most of the previous batches were porters and stouts, I guess I had no frame of reference for pale ales (in the fermenter, anyway). This batch is probably the best I have made to date, and since it was my first journey into all-grain brewing, it came out better than I might have anticipated in the beginning. For those who have followed my all-grain epic, here's the recipe (please try this one at home :-) All Grain India Pale Ale (proportions for 2 US gal.) 2.4 # Pale Ale Malt 5 oz. Crystal Malt (80L) 5.5 AAU Flavoring hops (1 oz. of 5.5% alpha Willamette) 0.5 oz Finishing hops (5.5% alpha Willamette) Procedure: Mash in: 132 deg. F (140F strike heat) Mash pH: 5.3 approx. (adjust as necessary with gypsum or carbonate) Boost temp. to 150 deg. F Mash time: 2 Hrs. Mash temp.: 146-152 deg F Mash out: 5 mins at 168 deg. F Sparge: 2.0 gal H2O at 165 deg. F Boil time: 90 mins Hop Schedule: 1 addition, 60 mins from end of boil Finishing hops added 5 mins before end of boil Yeast: Wyeast #1028 London Ale O.G. 1.043 Fermentation temp: 70 deg. F, 6 days in primary, 4 days in secondary F.G. 1.008 If you haven't tried mashing yet, you really should. You CAN start small and grow as equipment and funds permit. Also, by starting small, you don't have a large sum invested in equipment if you decide mashing isn't for you. Anyone with questions can drop me an e-mail, and I'll be happy to try and answer them. Todd Enders ARPA: enders at plains.nodak.edu Computer Center UUCP: ...!uunet!plains!enders Minot State University Bitnet: enders at plains Minot, ND 58701 PS: I neglected to mention that I used 5 qts of water for the mash, and I also discovered that I neglected to add the finishing hops to this batch, so there isn't a lot of hop aroma :^) Oh well, next time!! Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 11:13:42 EDT From: boubez at bass.rutgers.edu Subject: Tartan Dale Veeneman writes: > I was in Glasgow a year ago and fell in love with an ale that >was referred to as "heavy" (always on tap - one brand I remember >was Tartan). Does anyone have a recipe for this type of ale? I've been meaning to ask this for a little while now. I'm in love with Tartan too, and I can't find it here. In Montreal, I used to always go this pub that had it, but it wasn't on sale in liquor stores. Now that I'm in New Jersey, I can't find it in pubs either. Could anyone please let me know if and where I can find it? Also, I would be more than ecstatic if anyone has a recipe for it! Thanks in advance. toufic Toufic Boubez boubez at caip.rutgers.edu - --I'll have a new .signature as soon as I think of one. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 11:14 EDT From: Mike Fertsch <FERTSCH at adc1.adc.ray.com> Subject: Man-eating elephants Arun Welch describes the appetite for elephants in parts of India: > Apparently there are a lot of elephants in the area who like the beer > even more than the humans... Man-eating elephants? It it a good thing they enjoy drinking beer more than they enjoy eating humans! Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 15:03 EST From: CRF at PINE.CIRCA.UFL.EDU Subject: Input requested Hi, All! I'm about ready to try a framboise, and want to offer up my proposed recipe for general comment first. Initially, I plan on a one gallon test batch. I plan on using frozen raspberries which I intend to first puree (for better fermentation of the fruit) and strain before addition. So, if I were making 5 gallons, I was thinking of: 6-7 # light malt extract 1/4 # crystal malt, cracked, steeped, and strained before boiling 2 1/2 cups raspberry puree (primary fermentation) 1 oz boiling hops (Hallertauer, Saaz, Tettnanger) 10 cups raspberry puree (secondary fermentation) For the one gallon test batch: 1 1/4 # light malt extract Couple of tablespoons crystal malt (used as above) 1/2 cup raspberry puree (primary) ~1/5 oz hops (guesstimate) 2 cups raspberry puree (secondary) Please note that I would especially appreciate tips on handling the addition of puree to the secondary. Right now, I'm figuring that I'll sterilize anything I use to add the puree, while taking my chances with the puree itself (rather than heating it up, and risking setting the pectins). Thanks!! Yours in Carbonation, Cher "The first cup of coffee recapitulates phylogeny." -- Anon. ============================================================================= Cheryl Feinstein INTERNET: CRF at PINE.CIRCA.UFL.EDU Univ. of Fla. BITNET: CRF at UFPINE Gainesville, FL Return to table of contents
Date: Wednesday, 18 Apr 1990 15:59:32 EST From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: Primary Fermentation >From: <R_GELINA%UNHH.BITNET at MITVMA.MIT.EDU> (RUSSG) >Subject: blow-off method > >I've been brewing using the open ferment (garbage can) method, with good >results, but I'd like to try a closed ferment (is this the same as the >blow-off?). Papazian says to pitch the yeast in the carbuoy, and then seal >it with a water seal, but then where does the blow-off take place? If you >did'nt seal it but put a blow-off tube instead, when *do* you seal it? Does >the blow-off tube need a water seal (like the end of it underwater in a >blow-off jar) too? You see I have a few questions; any help would be >appreciated. > Russ Gelinas A closed ferment merely means that you keep a cover on the container you ferment in, and the resulting fermentation by-products leave the container by a usually-one-way method. I used to ferment in an open 7 gallon plastic bucket. It had a lid, but I didn't use it. The next easiest step in my case was to drill a hole in the lid, insert a rubber stopper and an air lock, and seal the fermenter. This keeps airborne bacteria away from your fermenting beer, yet lets the CO2 leave the container so that it doesn't blow up. The "blow-off" method is to have a large tube coming out of your fermenter into a bucket of water (so air doesn't go *into* the fermenter). You fill the container up full (using a 5 gallon container for a 5 gallon batch) and all the CO2 and scum and hops and such get blown out of the fermenter. It is more dangerous if something clogs, but can get rid of bitter tastes that would otherwise hang around in your beer. I prefer a large primary fermenter and a 5 gallon secondary, each with airlocks. ARPANET: M14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (or M14051%mwvm at mitre.arpa) Usenet: at ... at !uunet!hadron!blkcat!109!131!John_Decarlo Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 14:19:29 mdt From: hplabs!hp-lsd.cos.hp.com!ihlpl!korz (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583) Subject: Re: blow-off method As one of the strongest supporters of the blow-off method on this digest distribution list, I feel a responsibility to answer Russ' questions. I recommend you use the largest diameter tubing you can figure out a way to attach to the top of the carboy. I have heard of numerous brewers using a tubing close to 2" in diameter, shoved directly into the top of the carboy. I bought a piece of 3/4" O.D. hard plastic tubing and cut myself a 3" long piece. This (with great difficulty) I stuffed into the hole in a rubber stopper that fit the top of the carboy. I had to ream out the hole in the stopper a little also. Next, I pushed on a 5/8" I.D. flexible clear hose (about 3-4 ft. long) onto the hard plastic tubing sticking out of the stopper. To use this apparatus, I pour about 16oz of water into a gallon glass jug, push the stopper onto the top of the carboy, and submerge the other end of the hose in the water in the jug. I usually get about 1/2 gallon or so of blow-off. I don't even bother to switch to a standard airlock until I transfer to the secondary. As an optional suggestion (something which I may soon implement myself), is to use a 6 gallon primary, so I have 5 gallons in my secondary. The I.D. of the 6 gallon carboy mouth may be bigger, so you may want to check this before you buy your stopper. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that I fill the primary to within 2" of the top (topping off with boiled chilled tap water) to get maximum blowoff. It is important to keep the hose clean as the resins and hop particles are impossible to clean out of the hose when they soak in and dry up. I highly recommend this method and I feel that my beer tastes much better since I switched to this method. Al. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 16:00:43 PDT From: paul at susitna.dataio.data-io.com (Paul Brownlow) Subject: Re: blow-off method Russ Gelinas <R_GELINA%UNHH.BITNET at MITVMA.MIT.EDU> wants to use closed fermentation, and asks: >Papazian says to pitch the yeast in the carbuoy, and then seal >it with a water seal, but then where does the blow-off take place? If you >did'nt seal it but put a blow-off tube instead, when *do* you seal it? Does >the blow-off tube need a water seal (like the end of it underwater in a >blow-off jar) too? I use closed fermentation. After I pitch the yeast in the carboy, I place a blowoff tube of 1-1/4" inside diameter (I think) in the carboy; the outside diameter is large enough (1-3/8", I think) to make a tight seal in the throat of the carboy. The other end of the 3-foot blowoff tube is submerged in a 12-quart stock pot which has about a gallon of water in it. The large diameter tube reduces the likelihood that clogging will occur, and the deep pot insures that it won't flood if I get a large amount of blow-off (usually one to three quarts). The "free" end of the blowoff tube must be submerged to create a seal; this minimizes the risk of wort/beer contamination and makes the system a closed fermentation system. The blowoff tube can be replaced with a fermentation lock when the major activity subsides and no more krausen is being projected through the blowoff tube. This usually occurs in 3 to 4 days. - -- Paul Brownlow | "What a waste it is to lose Data I/O Corp. Redmond, WA | one's mind -- or not have ..!uw-beaver!uw-entropy!dataio!paul | a mind. How true it is." paul at data-io.com | -- Dan Quayle Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 1990 16:59:10 -0400 From: bnr-vpa!bnr-rsc!crick at uunet.UU.NET (Bill Crick) Subject: liquid yeast Some comments on the comments on my liquid yeast question. As far as temperature shock, I was careful about this. I moved it from fridge to beer room to basement to kitchen to top of saucer covering cooling starter, leaving it 15-20 minutes in each location. Why so little malt in the starter? This was to promote yeast division rather than alcohol production. I don't remember the threshold, but if the suger content is above a few percent, the yeast tend to produce alcohol rather that reproduce??? I have come to the conclusion, that the stsrter which was just below 100F was just too hot. I did notice though that when I opened the pouch, there was a distinct alcohol smell which suprised me. Evidently, they put a fair amount of suger in the solution in the pouch? Brewius Ergo Sum! Bill Crick Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 22:01:21 EDT From: Brian Glendenning <brian at radio.astro.utoronto.ca> Subject: Double Diamond I would like to try making a beer like "Double Diamond" (a very smooth bitter). Does anyone have a recipe? There is one in Line's "Brewing Beer's Like Those You Buy", but the recipe looks a bit odd. Besides the normal things it calls for 1# of Barley syrup, and 5 Saccharin tablets. Can anyone tell me: a) is Line's recipe, as written, any good, or b) what I should substitute the syrup and saccharin with, or c) are there any other good double diamond (like) recipes. Thanks! Brian - -- Brian Glendenning - Radio astronomy, University of Toronto brian at radio.astro.utoronto.ca utai!radio.astro!brian glendenn at utorphys.bitnet Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #402, 04/19/90 ************************************* -------
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