HOMEBREW Digest #4262 Wed 04 June 2003


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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  Lallemand Scholarship-Links ("Rob Moline")
  re: The future of Homebrewing ("Chad Stevens")
  Jethro's Best Mill ("Rob Moline")
  Kegging Carbonation Problem ("nils hedglin")
  Re: Mash Temp Measurement (Tim Cook)
  QDs (Alan McKay)
  Re: The future of Homebrewing ("Hanlon, Steve")
  Columbus, OH Brewpubs? (Travis Dahl KE4VYZ)
  Temperature measurement ("A.J. deLange")
  RE:  Mash Temp Measurement (Bill Tobler)
  re: Mash Temp Measurement (R.A.)" <rbarrett at ford.com>
  RE: Future of homebrewing ("Pete Calinski")
  Re: Starch testing (Demonick)
  maltmill ("Dave Burley")
  Re: my previous post (Brian Lundeen)
  Stepping lightly and other inquiries ("Ben Rodman")
  Re: Long term future of Homebrewing (NO Spam)
  58,000 btu's ("Mark Kellums")
  RE: Food Grade Quick Disconnects ("Leonard, Phil")
  RE: Beer Heaven! ("Jeremy Lenzendorf")
  high alc, drugs, plambic (Jim Liddil)
  Party Pig carbonation ("Patricia Beckwith")
  re: Starch testing (Michael Owings)
  Fw: Brettanomyces/Dekkera ("Chad Stevens")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 23:44:02 -0500 From: "Rob Moline" <jethrogump at mchsi.com> Subject: Lallemand Scholarship-Links Folks, It has been pointed out to me that I might make more explicit the methods for joining the AHA, (a required step) and getting the chance to go to "Beer Heaven!" So here goes! You are invited to attend "Beer Heaven!" The Siebel Institute! The Siebel Institute, the oldest and most revered brewing academy in the U.S., is "Beer Heaven," especially for the winner of the Lallemand Scholarship! The Scholarship sends one member of the American Homebrewer's Association to Beer Heaven for a Concise Course, paying all course fees, and adding a one thousand dollar stipend for travel and accomodation to the benefit of the winner. Even professional brewers have joined the AHA just to enter the drawing! Talk about a prize! Home brewers can exponentially improve their skills, and professional brewers can consolidate their expertise, but no matter the level of competence one brings to this course....it all gets better after attending the Siebel Institute! BUT, TIME IS RUNNING OUT......... Online entries will be accepted until June 6th....after that only attendees at the NHC Chicago will have one final opportunity to enter the drawing. Bottom line, for a shot at the best brewing education one could imagine..... at no cost to you, now or ever...(except for your AHA/AOB membership) send in your entries, or join the AHA to submit your entry into the drawing! What's more, the winner will be announced on June 21st! Within a month, you could be planning to attend "Beer Heaven!" To join the AHA for your shot at "Beer Heaven," go to.... http://www.store.beertown.org/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=6&cat=American+Ho mebrewers+Assoc To enter the drawing, go to...... http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/scholarship.html Sorry, I thought all could be explained by my .sig line. But make no mistake, this is a serious brewing education, and you with a better chance of winning than any lottery you have ever played!!! Cheers! Rob Moline AHA/AOB Lallemand Court Avenue Brewing Company "Have You Been To Beer Heaven??" Go to http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/scholarship.html for further info!" - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.484 / Virus Database: 282 - Release Date: 5/27/2003 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 22:01:29 -0700 From: "Chad Stevens" <zuvaruvi at cox.net> Subject: re: The future of Homebrewing To attempt to predict the future is folly. That having been said...I'll bite. Marketing research suggests that consumers make purchases based on good taste, good health, and convenience. A product which possesses all three characteristics is said to have achieved the "holy trinity." There appears to be an unabated appetite for convenience foods (which are good tasting and good for you). As time goes on, consumers will see shopping and cooking as increasingly dull, low priority activities. Note that I've been talking about consumers. We are not consumers. We are homebrewers. For any trend, there is a counter-trend. While consumers are spending more and more for faster, cheaper, easier food, more money was spent on kitchen appliances over the last decade than at any other time in history. But again, conspicuous consumerism in the form of trophy kitchens is more an indication of the symbolic significance food has taken on for many people. As the notion of real people making real food becomes more and more scarce, the symbolic significance of food preparation becomes increasingly valuable taking on the quality of a ritualistic fetish. The trophy kitchen being the ritualistic object of this ritualistic fetish. But this pathology is antithetical to what drives us homebrewers. We rail against the trend toward convenience in an entirely different manner. Taking process into our own hands, we control the product from conception to consumption. We read, we tinker, we play with grains and adjuncts, and even grow and malt our own. We culture our own yeast. We grow hops on the patio cover. We don't perform these tasks because we are control freaks. Control freaks don't go out and talk to their favorite cascade plant (not that I'd do something like that). We are elitists. At the same time the rest of the world is devolving to a state at which Macaroni and Cheese is outside the culinary abilities of most twenty-something's, we know how to make beer. We control the elements, have mastered the alchemy, possess the knowledge that other mere mortals don't begin to aspire to. We are gods! And in the future, as the rest of the world is fretting over "how much longer is it going to take" their "Home Meal Replacement" to be prepared at the drive through cuisine emporium, an ever growing number of homebrewers will peak, with great pride, at the pellicle that has been forming over the last six months on the brew in the carboy in the downstairs shower.... We may not be able to see the future of homebrew with brilliant clarity, but it is certainly a bright future we look forward to. Chad Stevens QUAFF San Diego Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 00:04:53 -0500 From: "Rob Moline" <jethrogump at mchsi.com> Subject: Jethro's Best Mill Jethro's Best Mill >From: "Hofmann, Chris" <Chris.Hofmann at camtronics.com> >Subject: best malt mill?? >Birthday is coming up and the wife has asked me what I want. ."Need a malt mill", I answered. >."Which one?" she asked >Chris Hofmann Has to be the Automatic, by the Automatic Company of Pender, Nebraska. They sold the design to Lynne O'Connor of St. Pat's some time ago, and while I have been told there have been some degradations in quality since, I simply don't believe it. Why would one degrade excellence? It's a brilliant mill, adjustable, sturdy and consistent. Check out the St. Pat's site for further info.....I also use an Automatic mill at Court Avenue Brewing Company, but this one is a wee bit larger and has a 5 hp motor driving it! Cheers! Gump "Have You Been To Beer Heaven??" Go to http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/scholarship.html for further info!" - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.484 / Virus Database: 282 - Release Date: 5/27/2003 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 22:16:28 -0700 From: "nils hedglin" <nils0 at pacbell.net> Subject: Kegging Carbonation Problem Hi, I'm trying kegging for the 1st time & having some trouble with the carbonation. After racking the wort into the keg, I attach the CO2 & set it to 20 psi. I then leave it in the frig for about a week. Both batches I've done this with have been all head when poured. The beer settles out after a few minutes, but it looks like Guinness with the fine bubbles cascading down the side of the glass while it does it. Once it's done settling, it still has a big, thick, creamy head & very little carbonation. While pouring, I've tried leaving it at 20 psi & turning it down to 10 psi. I get the same results as described got both settings. If I completely releasing the pressure turn the gas off, I get a full glass of beer with little head, but still low carbonation. I am using the 3/16" beer out line as suggested by St Pat's, but am only using about 8-10" of it if that makes a difference. I also set the system up once with about 4' of 1/4" for the beer out & had the same result. My gas in line is 1/4 " or maybe 3/8". Any ideas or suggestions on what I should try? Thanks, Nils Hedglin Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 16:12:00 +1000 From: Tim Cook <Tim.Cook at Sun.COM> Subject: Re: Mash Temp Measurement On Tue, 2003-06-03 at 04:51, Shawn E Lupold, Ph.D wrote: > How does everyone go about measuring their mash temps? I just had this discussion with a couple of fellow brewers last night at a homebrew club meeting. I had been doing: - get strike water in HLT up to a few degrees above desired temp - put 2L boiling water into Mash tun to preheat it - wait until water in MT & HLT are at strike water temp - mix 1st half of water with 1st half of grains, repeat with 2nd halves - measure mash and be prepared to correct with boiling or cold water This was the method used by my mentor, and we hit it on the nose first time it was attempted with my equipment. Since then, I have been under, and had to correct while muttering and swearing... So, last night fellow brewer Alex put me onto a different idea, which he has documented at: http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/Articles_Other/AlexT_StrikeTemp.htm The main idea is to put all the strike water into the mash tun, thereby pre-heating it, then dump in all the grain when it drops to the desired temperature. The other main idea is how to calculate strike temp. The basic calculation is: Tstk = Trest x (Vstk + (SHmalt x Wmalt)) - (SHmalt x Wmalt x Tmalt) ------------------------------------------------------------ Vstk Where T, V, SH, W = Temperature, Volume, Specific Heat, Weight stk, rest, malt = strike water, first rest, grist and it is known that SHmalt = 0.4 SHstk = 1.0 (which is thereby left out of the equation) Lastly, if you want to know specifically how I monitor the temperature, I use an electronic thermometer with K-type thermocouples, and they seem to work fine. I have a picture at: http://timcook.members.easyspace.com/Brewery/tn/Thermometer.jpg.html and yes, that 64.4C produced a less dextrinous beer than I wanted :-( Regards, Tim Brewing in Melbourne (not the one in Florida), Victoria (not the one in Canada) - hence the Metric units!!! Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 07:39:05 -0400 From: Alan McKay <amckay at neap.net> Subject: QDs Several guys in our club have these QDs http://plastics.newageindustries.com/snpflxmn.asp made from polysulfone. They work well except that there are crosshairs in the middle, and gunk (whole hops) can get trapped on the crosshairs and clog the line. Nobody has yet been brave enough to cut out the crosshairs to see if all remains in order. cheers, -Alan - -- http://www.bodensatz.com/ The Beer Site Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 07:52:17 -0400 From: "Hanlon, Steve" <SHanlon at dnr.state.md.us> Subject: Re: The future of Homebrewing > What will Homebrewing be like in 2025, 2050, 2100? i am new to homebrewing, but have been wanting to get going off and on for nearly 7 years. i have joined the local homebrew club. as with many clubs, there are the very active members and the not so active members. clubs used to be the source of information for many hobbies, but now that the internet is here, the role of clubs has changed. this will have a direct effect on the future of homebrewing. there are more and more "closet" brews since people can gleam information from a variety of sources without ever leaving their command compound ;) material prices will slowly rise with inflation forcing all but a select few homebrew stores to close up the store fronts. mailorder seems to be the future of obtaining equipment and ingredients. in the next 22 years, there will be a change in the popular styles of home brew - maybe the headaches of lagering will be overcome so many can easily control temps. that would open the hobby in new directions. in 2050, i will not be alive, but i'm certain people will be homebrewing. you can not stop a hobby that has been going strong sinc ethe beginnings of recorded history. the only things that have changed are the ease of production and the invention of the refrigerator. -steve hanlon Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 07:55:06 -0400 (EDT) From: Travis Dahl KE4VYZ <dahlt at umich.edu> Subject: Columbus, OH Brewpubs? I'm going to be In Columbus this Friday night through Saturday afternoon. I'm not sure exactly what my schedule will be, but if I can, I'd like to check out a local establishment or two. Any recommendations? I did try to check pubcrawler.com, but I just got an ugly error message :( -Travis [1.8, 98.3] Apparent Rennerian Ann Arbor, MI Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 12:27:02 +0000 From: "A.J. deLange" <ajdel at cox.net> Subject: Temperature measurement Shawn solicited comments on temperature measurement. It is a bit tricky. Glass thermometers come in full imersion and partial imersion styles and, clearly, for accurate results they need to be imersed to the extent dictated by the type. The electronic thermometers do solve this problem as parts of the instrument other than the RTD (or thermister or thermocouple) don't respond to temperature (actually they do but the meter compensates for this if well designed). Of greater concern than the way the instrument reads temperature is the problem of getting uniform mash temperature. This is not easy. It requires that the dough in be very thorough and that mixing be continued throughout the mash process as heat will be lost through the walls and bottom of the mash tun and through the surface exposed to the air while the mash in the center retains it's heat. The fact that you are observing that it takes 20 degress above target to hit target but that there is a reservoir 10 degrees above target at the bottom of the tun suggests that mixing was not complete. It takes a lot of work to get it uniform. OTOH I have suspected from time to time that the hydration reactions may be exothermic but I've never tried to check this out. Should it turn out that this is indeed the case the answer is, again, continued and thorough mixing to spread this hypothetical heat uniformly. It is not uncommon for brewers to report substantial non uniformity of temperature readings in the mash. You've got to try to beat this. Another thing to consider in calculating strike water temperatures is the thermal mass of the mash tun itself. It as well as the grain must be warmed up. Depending on the setup you way wish to pre-rinse the mash tun with strike (or even boiling) water before adding the grain and strike water. ProMash accepts data on mash tun thermal mass to help you make the strike water temperature calculation more accurately. A.J. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 08:06:47 -0500 From: Bill Tobler <wctobler at sbcglobal.net> Subject: RE: Mash Temp Measurement Yesterday, Shawn Lupold from Alexandria, VA stated he was getting inconsistent results in measuring the temperature of his mash, then asked, >Actually, I think it would be helpful if we have a few people discuss >their methods for hitting their target temp and how and when they >measure their mash temp? Boy, there are a lot of variables here. Grain temperature, outside temperature, the temperature of the mash tun (Did you pre-heat it or not?) How well you dough-in. How well is the mash tun insulated? Grist/water ratio. And sometimes the phase of the moon. ;) I learned a long time ago that accurate temperature is very important, and went digital. I have a HERMS system, so I have a thermocouple in the mash and can move it around. In the beginning of the mash, with a good dough-in, (I use a drill and paint mixer) the mash is the same temp throughout. During temp steps, it heats from the top down. Once the mash gets to temp, it evens out pretty well, and I don't worry about it much. Before I insulated the mash tun, I had some temperature problems, but they went away after insulating. Promash is a huge help in hitting mash temperatures right on the nose. I also have a digital thermometer with thermocouple to double check stuff and check the temps of the wort in the fermenter. I still have my old lab grade glass thermometer that I could calibrate with, but I haven't. I'll make a note to do that. <<I understand that these thermometers have a specific depth for measuring <<liquids and that exposing more surface area may give you a false reading.. I've never heard that. When I mashed in a cooler, I adjusted the temperature in the beginning of the mash, closed the lid and just left it for an hour. I think if you don't mix your mash up well when you dough in, you will get inconsistent readings at different levels of the mash. Hitting your mash temperature is just a matter of knowing your system and practice. In my system, using a 1.3 qts/lb ratio, pre-heated insulated mash tun, grains at 80 degrees, I hit 155 degrees F strike temp using 166 degree F strike water. Thank you Promash. I used to be able to figure that out before I used Promash, but not sure I remember how to now. I'm getting dumber the older I get!! (Well, I like to think just lazy. I have a friend who brews, and he won't use a computer. I look at his planing notes, and they make me dizzy.) Bill Tobler Lake Jackson, TX (1129.7, 219.9) Apparent Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 09:10:29 -0400 From: "Barrett, Bob (R.A.)" <rbarrett at ford.com> Subject: re: Mash Temp Measurement Dr. Lupold asks: "How do we measure our mash temperatures?" Kim and I use a 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler with a screw on lid as a mash tun. I use ProMash to calculate my strike water temp. Prior to adding the strike water to the mash tun we preheat the cooler with hot water and then decant it. Our measuring devise is an old 50 series Fluke meter with a general purpose thermocouple probe. This devise has been calibrated with boiling water. Using the Fluke meter and probe we measure the temp of the strike water as it is being heated in the hot liquor tank. When it gets to be about 2 degrees F over the desired strike temp, we start adding the desired amount of strike water to the mash tun. Normally there is a small temperature drop going from the HLT to the mash tun. Then the probe is transferred from the HLT to the mash tun to measure the strike water in the mash tun. When the strike water cools and is one degree F lower than the ProMash calculated temp, we start adding the crushed grain to the mash tun, stirring constantly until the mash is completely mixed and the temp is somewhat constant throughout the mash tun. The one degree F lower than the ProMash calculated temp has just worked really well for us and I don't see the need to change any of the ProMash settings to compensate for it. The probe is then inserted into the middle of the mash to a level that is approximately in the middle of the mash (the top end of the probe is just barely in the mash). The cooler top is then tightened on the cooler with the probe remaining in the mash. The wire on the probe allows the cooler top to be tightened while the probe remains in the mash tun. The Fluke meter is laid on top of the cooler top and we can monitor the mash temp from there. We have been using this method for over two years and are very pleased with the results. The only change we have made is the general purpose probe. Prior to using this probe we were using a thermocouple with only the wire and no probe. The probe seems to be slower getting to the final temp. The wire only was much faster for some reason. We make the beer we drink!! Bob Barrett (2.8, 103.6)Rennerian See everyone in Chicago in a few weeks!!!! Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 09:14:57 -0400 From: "Pete Calinski" <pjcalinski at adelphia.net> Subject: RE: Future of homebrewing Brian Lundeen says "2050: The Beer Pill is the final death blow to brewing of any sort." I say, will it be called, "The Phil Pill"????? Pete Calinski East Amherst NY Near Buffalo NY *********************************************************** *My goal: * Go through life and never drink the same beer twice. * (As long as it doesn't mean I have to skip a beer.) *********************************************************** Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 06:25:44 -0700 From: Demonick <demonick at zgi.com> Subject: Re: Starch testing From: Travis Dahl KE4VYZ <dahlt at umich.edu> >What do people think of using the iodine test for starch conversion? The test works, but has "issues". First is the color of the iodine solution itself. If you use iodophor the amber color is considerable and must be discounted. The iodine will ALWAYS react with some of the particulate material, so it is important to perform the iodine test on liquid only. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to get a liquid sample that does not contain fine particulates. To correctly assess the test a 10x magnifier is very helpful. Look at the color of the liquid and ignore the color of any particles. Domenick Venezia Venezia & Company, LLC Maker of PrimeTab (206) 782-1152 phone (206) 782-6766 fax Seattle, WA demonick at zgi dot com http://www.primetab.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 09:47:11 -0400 From: "Dave Burley" <Dave_Burley at charter.net> Subject: maltmill Brewsters: Chuck Hofman asks for guidelines on a maltmill purchase. Make sure your maltmill is a roller type and has an easily and reproducible, adjustable gap. The ability to motorize it in your case seems important. I use an old drillmotor and a physical disconnect if it gets something it can't mill ( like the odd piece of rubber , metal or whatever) in the malt. I always mill twice. Once coarse and then small to simulate a four roll mill. Makes for excellent sparging and high efficiency carb recovery. This is actually much faster than a single fine milling. You will likely find your initial s.g. go up with your own mill as brewstores typically just mill large. Keep on Brewin' Dave Burley Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 09:52:10 -0500 From: Brian Lundeen <BLundeen at rrc.mb.ca> Subject: Re: my previous post Yesterday I appeared to write: High to their superior intelligence, the machines will solve once and for all the problem of hot side aeration. That nonsensical sentence should have read: High-end models will also include refrigerated dispensing equipment. However, due to their superior intelligence, the machines will solve once and for all the problem of hot side aeration. I added in the hyphen this time in high-end. Does using the word "end" cause some problems with the Digest? Cheers Brian Lundeen Brewing at [819 miles, 313.8 deg] aka Winnipeg Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 09:23:24 -0600 From: "Ben Rodman" <brew-cat at earthlink.net> Subject: Stepping lightly and other inquiries So I'm a false bottomer and moving up to a 1/2 bbl system with insulated mash tun. Question for the pumpers out there... but first, I'm NOT trying to resurrect the temperature-sensor placement thread! : ) I'm largely an infusion-masher, doing the occasional multi-step, and always mashing-out. I've always direct-fired my mash (after dough-in at 1st rest) in the past with great success. Question is: with a pump and a FB, why not gently direct fire the tun and recirculate to do steps? Granted the toy-quotient goes down, and you don't get the cool RIMS/DIMS/HERMS membership card, but are there serious drawbacks? It just seems so easy and less worrisome. Next, what kinds of manifolds do folks like for sparging/mash recirculating? With variable mash heights, what's easiest for sitting on top there? I'm thinking of a multiply-notched upwards-facingTygon or vinyl tube (tee with ring) or perhaps slotted copper ring attached to flexible tubing so it'll just sit/float on top of the grainbed to reduce aeration during recirculation. Any important caveats here? Any reason to not use temp-rated flexible tubing for this? Just seems like copper might be more difficult to pull apart to remove plugging grain bits if they get through, which I'm suspecting they will at some point, and would be heavier and try to sink into the mash without anchoring. Any advice greatly appreciated as I turn up the volume in the fight against McBeer. Cheers! Ben Rodman Brew-cat at earthlink.net Ben Rodman Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 12:47:25 -0400 From: NO Spam <nospam at brewbyyou.net> Subject: Re: Long term future of Homebrewing Paul Mahoney Says: >'The lcoal homebrew supply shop closed several years >ago; now you have to drive 45min.-hour to get decent >supplies, or purchase on the internet. I am a homebrew shop owner myself, as many of you know. I can attest for a fact that the homebrew market is DOWN now. The economy is down, people are insecure, and they aren't spending money as a rule. Couple that with the AWFUL winter we had this year, and the money we all lost to snow in the month of Feb alone, and you can see that things are hard all around. Internet competition is FIERCE, with companies like B3 who buy in bulk and undercut us all, then offer free shipping, too. Many local shops are losing tons of sales to big internet companies, and this isn't going to stop. If the brewers don't support their local shops, the shops don't make money, and yes, they end up going out of business. The hot weather months are coming now - June, July, and August which are the worst months for the homebrew shops, because NOBODY BREWS. The weather is too nice, everybody goes outside or to the shore, etc. This is when alot of shops lose their shirt and go out of business. Winemaking also now accounts for better than half the sales at most shops. >Over the past 5 years the quality and choice of good >microbrews in the local grocery chain (Kroger) has >expanded, so that now you can buy some excellent beers. >That makes it more difficult to devote a day to brewing >(laziness) when you can buy a 6 pack of Rogue or other >fine choices. For those of you don't live in backwards states like PA, I guess this is true. We never have been able to buy beer in a supermarket. I hear they have 3 supermarkets by the And idiots will protest, religious people mostly. I'm not sure if PA will ever get out of the dark ages. >The overwhelming majority of our club membership is male, >and many of us are older (hopefully wiser). I fear that >our younger members will abandon brewing once career, >children and other pursuits become more demanding or >appealing. I think this is true everywhere. I can attest personally that new children and family obligations are the number ONE reason (with a bullet) why we lose brewers. Alot of guys already complain that they don't have the time to brew. Add a new child and all that responsibility, and we never see the guy again. Plus, I hear alot of excuses from homebrew club members who don't come out or attend events, even with older children - soccer practice, games, picking the kids up, etc. The answer, obviously, is not to discourage people from having children so they can brew, but to find out WHY these people have such a hard time finding the time to brew. >I believe that we as homebrewers may have peaked. The industry probably peaked in the late 80's. We're on a definite decline now. >It is a small, dedicated fraternity of people, but it >is not easy to expand the base membership. People >brew, but quickly lose interest, once results are not >as expected, and the time commitments become >overwhelming. Again, comments above apply. New kids are the #1 killer of brewers, but increased job responsibilities are also to blame, especially in the current depressed economy. And people aren't spending money when they're worried whether they're going to have a job tomorrow or not. >This hobby is expensive and demanding. The rewards >are great, but often inconsistent (I still make a >batch that is not very good). It is much easier to >buy a decent microbrew from the local grocery chain. Expenses can be cut by doing all grain instead of extract, and making much of your own equipment, as many here have done. Everybody makes a bad batch occasionally, you just hope it doesn't happen TOO often. >In 2050 Pres. Chelsea Clinton's administration bans >beer due to its adverse health effects, and by 2100 we >will have beer tablets: just drop in water and it will >any make style you want. I've said for some time that I believe it is inevitable that the govt will get involved with attacking alcohol at some point. Many of your lawmakers are on record as being in favor of prohibition. And they've laid some great groundwork with the things they've done to tobacco - letting the states sue, passing laws banning smoking, even in outdoor establishment, making the industry pay for anti-smoking ads, etc. And any of you who support what the govt has done to tobacco better keep in mind that tomorrow it can be alcohol, coffee, or anything else the govt says is "bad for you". And right now, we should all be much more worried about the possibility of President Hillary Clinton that the possibility of president Chelsea Clinton! Bill Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 12:51:11 -0500 From: "Mark Kellums" <infidel at springnet1.com> Subject: 58,000 btu's Hello, I'm going to discontinue using my two tiered brew stand and go back to the single cooker. I've spotted a 58,000 btu fish fryer at Wally World sold under the Zebco name manufactured by Charbroil for $29.00. My question is whether or not 58,000 btu's would be adequate for boiling 5 or 10 gallons batches? Thanks very much. Mark Kellums Decatur Il. "I would give absolutely nothing for the theory of Natural Selection, if it requires miraculous additions at any one stage of descent....If I were convinced that I required such additions to the theory of natural selection, I would reject it as rubbish..." Charles Darwin in letter to geologist Charles Lyell Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 12:59:19 -0500 From: "Leonard, Phil" <Phil.Leonard at dsionline.com> Subject: RE: Food Grade Quick Disconnects Foster FST series or Parker BST series are what I use. They are brass but they also have stainless if you want to spend the money. Philip Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 12:56:49 -0500 From: "Jeremy Lenzendorf" <jlenzendorf at progeng.com> Subject: RE: Beer Heaven! Brewers, Just wanted to second Rob Moline's view that the Siebel Institute is "Beer Heaven". As last year's winner I thoroughly enjoyed myself for the two weeks I spent at Siebel. The library covers all subjects I viewed as related to beer and many others that had a connection I didn't realize until attending. The staff is knowledgeable, personable and has no problem spending hours after class in the alumni room enjoying brews and helping students with problems they have encountered in class or brewing at home or work. If this year's class is anything like mine, you'll enjoy spending time comparing notes and critiquing beers with your fellow students. Feel free to take some of your homebrew -- this is one of the best opportunities to get great feedback on your homebrew from brewers and staff! And to top it all off, the new fascilities at Goose Island will give you great opportunities for learning and experimenting. But, you can't win a trip to "Beer Heaven" unless you are a member of the AHA. So sign up now, time is running out! And even if you don't win, you get the great benefits of the AHA. See http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/scholarship.html for more information. I'd also be happy to try and answer any questions about the experience, just email me. Jeremy Lenzendorf West Bend, WI Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 13:06:26 -0700 (MST) From: Jim Liddil <jliddil at VMS.ARIZONA.EDU> Subject: high alc, drugs, plambic As Marc sated you can make high alc beer. Make a gallon of wort with extract to 1.200. Add some yeast nutrient (I am lucky to have 10 kilos) and then put it in a 6 gallons bucket. Add a few packages of dry yeast. and run aeartion for a few hours. Let ferment, chill to drop yeast, bttole with fresh yeast. Dpending on the drugs they can effect perception as well as other bodily systems. Sometimes you can compensate, sometimes you can't. The meds I take are such that I can not compensate for the alterations in taste and smell. I quit judging. plambic can be made with stuff from Wyeast. Just don't depend on one batch. Make several and do blending. Jim Liddil North Haven, CT Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 17:03:07 -0500 From: "Patricia Beckwith" <beckwith at gwtc.net> Subject: Party Pig carbonation Hello, I'm a newbie to HBD and really new to beer and homebrew. When I was much younger, in the dark ages, I tried "beer" (read "macroswill") and didn't like it at all (PIBITH). I assumed all beer had the same bad attributes until last January when I got introduced to some JW Dundee's Honey Brown. It wasn't bad, so, the search was on! I did some internet research and have since tried plenty of fine brews. "Maybe I could make this stuff?", I asked. My first try was not good - I did everything wrong! I did save four bottles as some "Here's my first batch - it's awful" samples, and the rest went down the drain. Well, I just got my second try (wheat beer), into a party pig last week. It was my first time using a pig and I messed up and put my corn sugar directly into the pig without first boiling it in water. Will it carbonate anyway? If yes, will it take longer? Do I have an infection to look forward to? I appreciate any feedback you can throw my way. This forum is awesome. Thanks in advance. (Haven't figured out coordinates, yet) Patricia Beckwith Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 18:21:58 -0500 From: Michael Owings <mikey at swampgas.com> Subject: re: Starch testing > On another, more pertinent, note: What do people think of using the > iodine test for starch conversion? (Drop a bit of iodine in a sample of > mash. If it turns black, there's starch present.) Now, I read in (The > Seven Barrel Brewery Handbook?) that it's a little more complicated than > that, but the test doesn't seem to work too well for me. Thoughts? Personally, I haven't done a starch conversion test in years, and really don't much see the point for homebrewers. Assuming you have an accurate thermometer and doughed-in reasonably well, your mash WILL convert given time. Of course YMMV... ==== Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web: http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 20:51:47 -0700 From: "Chad Stevens" <zuvaruvi at cox.net> Subject: Fw: Brettanomyces/Dekkera Not long ago I posted a question asking if genus Dekkera had replaced Brettanomyces. I received a couple of answers (thank you) but the definitive response came in today. I forward this for general consumption: - --------------------- > Dear Mr. Stevens, > > the names Brettanomyces and Dekkera exist in parallel: Dekkera is the name > for the perfect state (forming ascospores), while Brettanomyces can be used > for the anamorphic state with vegetative propagation only. > > Sincerely, > > > Dr. Peter Hoffmann > DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen > Mascheroder Weg 1 B > D-38124 Braunschweig - --------------------------- Had I been thinking I would have realized this was the case. Anamorph/teleomorph relationships are common among little beasties such as these. A search for such relationships can be performed at: http://www.cbs.knaw.nl/databases/anateleo.html Happy yeast hunting, Chad Stevens QUAFF San Diego Return to table of contents
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