HOMEBREW Digest #5017 Fri 02 June 2006


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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  Re: Traveling with HB ("Greg 'groggy' Lehey")
  Q: Diacetyl rest after transfer? (leavitdg)
  Water Analysis ("A.J deLange")
  RE: Traveling with HB ("Keith Anderson")
  Decent digital thermometer ("Keith Anderson")
  Mash Run-off Issue (gates)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 14:22:48 +0930 From: "Greg 'groggy' Lehey" <grog at lemis.com> Subject: Re: Traveling with HB On Monday, 29 May 2006 at 8:26:39 -0700, Keith Christian wrote: > Hi, > > I am flying to SF this week and I'd like to take some of my beer > with me. Will I have problems bringing it with me in my carry on > baggage? I don't know. There are some strange laws in the USA, but I think they relate to sending beer by mail. I've had bad experience with carrying beer by air, though. I took some from Australia to Finland last October, and though the beer was perfectly clear on departure, it was very cloudy on arrival and took several *weeks* to clear again. I don't know how it tasted, since it didn't clear until after I left. After that experience I haven't tried again. > I am only staying the night and I will not need to bring a large > suit case. I guess I could, if needed. If my experience is typical, you won't be able to enjoy the beer while you're there. Greg - -- Finger grog at lemis.com for PGP public key. See complete headers for address and phone numbers. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2006 05:34:59 -0400 From: leavitdg at plattsburgh.edu Subject: Q: Diacetyl rest after transfer? I got lazy, and wish to transfer a pils, and do the diacetyl rest after the transfer into secondary. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I will re-use the yeast today. Happy Brewing! Darrell Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2006 11:32:33 +0000 From: "A.J deLange" <ajdel at cox.net> Subject: Water Analysis RE Bob Hall's water analysis: Starting at the top - the pH itself is not very informative. A value as high as 7.8 tells us that the water is probably not from a well but rather from a treatment plant which adjusts pH to increase the longevity of its distribution system. The Total Dissolved Solids is exactly that. A sample is evaporated and the residue remaining is weighed. Conductivity is proportional to the amount of dissolved solids and the types of things dissolved because some ions are more "mobile" than others. Neither the TDS or the conductivity are particularly valuable bits of information to the brewer. The cation/anion ratio is the ratio of positive to negative electrical charges measured in the sample. As the sample is obviously neutral the numerator and denominator should be the same. The fact that they are not reflects the omission of some anions and cations (e.g. strontium, nitrate, ammonium, nitrite and phosphates) and errors in measurement. This ratio is a sort of quality control value on the test you paid for. Sodium and potassium levels are low and this is good because those ions, while not particularly beneficial, can spoil flavors and dictate the styles of beer that can be brewed in excess because they cause a salty taste. Where a salty taste is desired supplemental table salt or "co salt" (potassium chloride) can be added. Low nitrate signals that the water is free of agricultural runoff and the low iron number is good because iron lends metallic flavors to beer. The meat for brewers starts with the calcium (43 mg/L) and magnesium (10 mg/L) numbers. The calcium amounts to 43/20 = 2.15 milliequivalents per liter hardness and the magnesium to 10/12.15 = 0.82 for a total of 2.97. Fifty times 2.97 is 148.5 which is (rounded to 149) the total hardness as specified. Calcium hardness of 2.15 mEq/L will "neutralize" 2.15/3.5 = 0.614 mEq/L alkalinity and 0.82 mEq/L magnesium hardness will take car of 0.82/2/3.5 = .117 for a total of 0.731 mEq/L. Multiplied by 50 this is 36.6 ppm as calcium carbonate. The total alkalinity is reported as 98 thus 98-37 = 61 ppm as CaCO3 will not be neutralized. This value is the residual alkalinity. This is not a large value but may lead to higher than desired mash pH for some beers. Note that bicarbonate at 119 mg/L is 119/61 = 1.951 mEq/L which, multiplied by 50, is 97.5 ppm as CaCO3 i.e. the alkalinity. Chloride is practically non existant which means that you may wish to supplement it to get some roundness into your beers. Calcium chloride is the obvious choice here since the extra calcium will combat the residual alkalinity to some extent. The low sulfate value means you can brew beers that use large quantities of noble hops without worry. Converesely, supplementation with calcium sulfate would probably be wanted for most British Ales. A.J. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 11:56:23 -0400 From: "Keith Anderson" <keithxanderson at gmail.com> Subject: RE: Traveling with HB Keith wrote: "I am flying to SF this week and I'd like to take some of my beer with me. Will I have problems bringing it with me in my carry on baggage?" I flew from Newark to SF a few years ago with a few bottles of homebrew in my backpack and had no problems. The bottles weren't labeled either. You could put six bottles in a cardboard six pack micro brew container if you are paranoid and tell anyone who asks that it is XXX beer that you are bringing to your friend in SF. You may have to take your shoes and belt off, run your disposable camera through the X-ray machine, and throw away your lighter but the screeners don't seem interested in booze. You can buy a bottle of bourbon and bring it with you on a plane, why not beer? Keith in Red Bank, NJ Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 11:57:08 -0400 From: "Keith Anderson" <keithxanderson at gmail.com> Subject: Decent digital thermometer Anyone have a recommendation for a decent digital thermometer for measuring water and mash temps? i have had horrible luck with kitchen digital thermometers and refuse to buy another one. Each one works initially and then one day goes haywire with incorrect readings. Since you can't adjust them they are useless and I don't trust that they will stay consistent in their inaccuracy (I've tried that a few times, assume they will always be 20 degrees high). I'm back to using a trusty old analog thermometer but these are slow after getting used to an instant reading. I'm willing to buy another if I know it isn't a disposable piece of junk. Thanks Keith in Red Bank, NJ Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 13:21:51 -0700 From: gates at island.net Subject: Mash Run-off Issue I am fairly new to all grain brewing. I have brewed a pale ale twice in order to refine my brewing process. The first two batches I missed my mark for original gravity and, subsequently, increased my grain bill. The last batch I brewed had a total of 12 lbs of grain and I had considerable trouble lautering. The liquid flowed for a few seconds and then completely stopped. I have searched the digest for stuck mash and most (did not read all) posts suggested slowing run-off. I am using a rubbermaid (Gott style) cooler with a false bottom and was wondering if the weight of the grain bed has anything to do with my troubles? If the weight is the problem, how can I increase the OG without a large grain bill? Am I completely out to lunch? thanks in advance David - ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. Return to table of contents
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