HOMEBREW Digest #526 Fri 26 October 1990

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


Contents:
  Re: How to obtain bottles? (William Mayne)
  Leistad yeast book (Kim Mills)
  tea taste (Geoffrey Sherwood)
  Gushers? EMDE? ... An idea (mike_schrempp)
  Re: How to obtain bottles??? (Dan Needham)
  Warming Winter Wort (Andy McBrearty)
  Bottles... (Walter Gude)
  Getting One's Mitts On Bottles (Marc San Soucie)
  Re: How to obtain bottles??? (Steve Dempsey)
  How to get bottles (Rick Noah Zucker)
  This Is A Test (Chris Brown)
  Ale Yeast for "Lager" Recipes? (Marc Rouleau)
  still too much sugar (stevef)
  New Participant (Rad Equipment)
  cool weather fermentations (JEEPSRUS)
  Distillation ("Eric Roe")
  Art's Brewing Supplies (Jim Griggers)
  Specific heat? (Bill Crick)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 09:08:37 -0400 >From: William Mayne <mayne at nu.cs.fsu.edu> Subject: Re: How to obtain bottles? Keith Abbey writes: > Has anyone come up with some creative ways of obtaining >bottles? I just don't drink enough beer to get the amount of bottles >I need. How has everyone else done it? How have I drank that much beer? Persistence! :-) Seriously, though. Here are a few suggestions: (1) Hunt around for a glass recycling bin. It is usually okay to take bottles from them. I stocked up on bottles after just a few visits to the recycling bin at my local food coop. Monday is the best time to check. (2) If you can find a local liquor store or bar which sells beer in returnable bottles you can usually buy cases of empties for the deposit value. They usually don't keep them around long, so you may need to call and arrange for them to save you some or tell you when to come by ahead of the collection truck. You may even be a able to get a bar or restaurant which serves imported beers to save you some of those bottles. (3) A great labor saving substitute for 12 oz. recapable glass bottles is one or two liter plastic soft drink bottles. They work for bottling home brew and since you don't need so many of them you save a lot of bottle cleaning time. Caveat: Since these of mostly clear you should keep them in a dark place to protect the beer from light. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 09:13:26 -0400 >From: kim at nova.npac.syr.edu (Kim Mills) Subject: Leistad yeast book I'm looking for a place to buy a book on yeast culturing (described in Dave Miller's book) Leistad, Roger. Yeast Culturing for the Homebrewer. Spencer, Iowa. Leistad Services. 1983. Thanks for any leads, Kim Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 08:37:29 PDT >From: sherwood at adobe.com (Geoffrey Sherwood) Subject: tea taste I am an extract brewer (with specialty malt adjuncts). Most of my brewing has been done using English extracts (Munton & Fison mostly, but various other kits as well). Our local homebrew store sells Alexander Light and Amber extract in bulk. The last batch I made from it had a very pronounced 'tea' aroma and taste. A friend of mine who is also a brewer had the same experience. I used 1 pound of crystal malt which I removed at 170F, 6 lb extract, and 1 lb corn sugar. I hopped with 2 oz mixed cascade and halletauer hops. I have made MANY batches with a similar recipe without ever experiencing this (never with American extracts, though). The aroma was strong at the end of the boil, and I tasted it in the cooled wort (the keg is not drinking yet, but I expect it there as well). We first noticed this in Dave's brew. The batch was undercarbonated at the time and tasted almost exactly like iced tea. Has anyone experienced this? My suspicion would be the extract, but I have read many praises of Alexander's malts in this list. geoff sherwood (Anybody know where I can get Munton and Fison extracts in bulk? They make the best I have used - IMHO, of course) Return to table of contents
Date: 25 Oct 90 07:39 -0800 >From: mike_schrempp%29 at hp4200.desk.hp.com Subject: Gushers? EMDE? ... An idea I just got a copy of Miller's book and have been casually reading it while a batch is fermenting in the tub. Something he said about yeast, plus what's happening to my beer got me thinking about gushers and EDME yeast. I don't have the book, so I can't quote it, but in duscussing ale yeast versus lager yeast, Miller said that some ale yeasts end up acting like bottom fermenters ("no yeast pancake on the top" or something like that). At about this time, I racked my beer (an ale using whitbread dry yeast). Before racking I had 1 bubble per minute, and since racking I haven't seen one bubble. I also never saw a "yeast pancake". I have no experience with lager yeasts, but if ale yeast is working from the bottom, and then it gets thrown out with the trub after racking, is there enough yeast left in suspension to continue the fermentation of the complex sugars? Maybe priming with corn sugar (glucose) jump starts the process, then the yeast can continue the fermentation of those complex sugars and WHAM! gushers. So, a question for the gusher people, did you rack of the trub and have your fermentation stop? Also did you prime with corn sugar or wort? Since I'll be bottling next week, I may try a couple of bottles without any priming, and see what happens. Hoping to see Old Faithful only in Yellowstone, Mike Schrempp Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 09:43:15 pdt >From: Dan Needham <dann at hpsadlb.hp.com> Subject: Re: How to obtain bottles??? Full-Name: Dan Needham In HBD #525 Kieth abbey asks ... > Has anyone come up with some creative ways of obtaining > bottles? I just don't drink enough beer to get the amount of bottles > I need. How has everyone else done it? Any tips or hints would > be greatly appreciated. I have found a couple of good sources of sparkling wine bottles. These take a crown cap, and are a good size (A pair of beer mugs full!). Restaurants that serve champagne brunches and weddings are good sources for bottles by the case. Be aware that some of the Spanish sparkling wines have a larger lip that does not take a standard crown cap. Happy Brewing!! Dan Needham dann at hpsad.hp.com Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 10:32:00 edt >From: Andy McBrearty <sdrc!gcandy at uunet.UU.NET> Subject: Warming Winter Wort In HOMEBREW Digest #524 Dave Durkin writes: >When I was living in England, I had a problem brewing in the winter... > (rest of article deleted) > I just wanted to offer a (possibly simpler) solution: Rather than submerging the aquarium heater into the fermenting wort (and run a risk of contamination ;-), how about using the same carboy-in-a-water-bath setup that has been mentioned before in this Digest (summer topics). It was designed to keep the wort cool during the hot months, but by putting the aquarium heater in the water bath, you can regulate the bath temperature and you avoid any special cuttings or setup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Andy McBrearty uunet!sdrc!gcandy Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 12:07:56 CDT >From: whg at fenchurch.wustl.edu (Walter Gude) Subject: Bottles... When I started homebrewing I just went down to my favorite bar which sells beer in long neck bottles and asked the nice man it he'd sell me a case or 3 of empties. They evidently pay about 2 cents per bottle and 12 cents for the carton deposit. So for $1.00 per case they sold me all the bottles I wanted. And I got some really study cartons to carry them in. Walter Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 10:33:33 PDT >From: marcs at SLC.COM (Marc San Soucie) Subject: Getting One's Mitts On Bottles Keith Abbey asks: > Has anyone come up with some creative ways of obtaining bottles? I just don't > drink enough beer to get the amount of bottles I need. How has everyone else > done it? Any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated. A common problem among those of us who brew far more than we can drink, but the solution offers itself within the problem statement. You brew more than you drink, therefore there is beer in excess. You have buddies with the opposite problem, no? Who drink more than they brew? So you sidle up late into a drinking session and offer to exchange full bottles for empties. The inebriated one mulls this over for an instant, calculating the relative net worth of his empties and your fulls, and keels over from the blinding stupidity of your gesture. The next morning, sporting a wicked corn-beer hangover, he deposits seventeen cases of Lone Star long-necks in your garage, and drives away a moment later with a case of homebrewskies. He chuckles at his luck, while you moan at the thought of cleaning the butts out of all those bottles. But entropy has been pushed back for a brief glorious moment, and the net happiness of the world has been increased. Marc San Soucie The John Smallbrewers Portland, Oregon marcs at slc.com Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 11:41:44 MST >From: Steve Dempsey <steved at longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu> Subject: Re: How to obtain bottles??? In HBD#525 exile at Corp.Sun.COM (Keith Abbey - TSE) writes: > Has anyone come up with some creative ways of obtaining > bottles? I just don't drink enough beer to get the amount of > bottles I need. How has everyone else done it? Go down to the friendly neighborhood beer store and ask them to bring out some pre-emptied returnable bottles. They'll charge you the normal rent of $0/case and deposit of about $2/case. But you neither have to pay for the beer nor drink it :-). Get an extra case or so and return the damaged/worn/very_filthy ones after sorting through them. Then comes the fun and exciting chore of cleaning. I'm sure you know what to do next. -Steve Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 11:07:56 -0700 >From: noah at cs.washington.edu (Rick Noah Zucker) Subject: How to get bottles >From: exile at Corp.Sun.COM (Keith Abbey - TSE) >Subject: How to obtain bottles??? > > Has anyone come up with some creative ways of obtaining bottles? >I just don't drink enough beer to get the amount of bottles I need. How >has everyone else done it? Any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated. A couple of ideas: 1) I got a lot of my bottles from a friend who posted something on our departmental newsgroup asking people to bring him bottles. Ask people at work to help you out if it is that sort of place. 2) Seattle has curbside recycling. On Thursday nights I can go out and get bottles from my neighbor's recycling bins. The 65 year old woman across the street from me drinks a lot of champagne. It works out really well. 3) I have a friend who occasionally asks a local restaurant to save a day's worth or bottles for him. 4) If you don't have curbside recycling, you still might try going to a recycling center. If you live in a state with a bottle bill, you could pay $0.05/bottle. What's really annoying is how many micros use bottles with threaded caps. Of course I don't buy too much microbrew since I started brewing (just bottled my sixth batch) except for Sierra Nevada (to culture the yeast). Rick Zucker Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 14:45:15 EDT >From: Chris Brown <CBO at CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu> Subject: This Is A Test Sorry to waste the bandwidth, but I just got added to the list and I wanted to make sure I can post. I'm waiting for my first digest with baited breath. Toapher Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 1990 15:25:16 EDT >From: Marc Rouleau <mer6g at virginia.edu> Subject: Ale Yeast for "Lager" Recipes? I have a couple of ale yeasts from Wyeast (one English, one German -- I don't have the numbers handy), and I'd like to make something akin to Papazian's Rocky Raccoon Lager. What do y'all think? I'll be fermenting and storing this brew at 60-75 degrees. In general, how will using ale yeast where lager yeast is called for change the outcome of a recipe? Is lager yeast mainly important for its ability to ferment at low temperatures or are there other factors as well? -- Marc Rouleau Return to table of contents
Date: 25 Oct 90 12:33:55 PDT >From: stevef at sidd.SanDiego.NCR.COM Subject: still too much sugar Just to finish my story on corn sugar in the wort, my Amber Light came out tasting pretty good but a little tart. It makes a good thirst quencher--certainly better than Bud, etc. I doubt, though, if I ever use corn sugar again except for the priming. On another topic, I'd like to try approximating a Bass Ale. Does anyone have a good starting point for me, recipe-wise? -steve f - --------- stevef at sidd.sandiego.ncr.com Return to table of contents
Date: 25 Oct 90 13:56:07 >From: Rad Equipment <Rad_Equipment at rad-mac1.ucsf.EDU> Subject: New Participant Subject: Time:12:23 PM OFFICE MEMO New Participant Date:10/25/90 Greetings all! I have been reading the HBD for the past year, somewhat sporadically, via local BBS and CI$. Finally I am able to subscribe directly through a new mail link established by my department's LAN. I thought I'd introduce myself by way of my first message to the HBD: I am Russ Wigglesworth, a San Andreas Malt (and Boston Wort Processor). I have been fairly active in the CI$ Forum since it began and know some of you from there. I also met some of you in Oakland in June. I am, to borrow Chuck Cox's phrase, just another "overpaid and underworked techno-weenie" at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. I am a novice brewer and long time consumer of fine beers who is always interested in learning something new. I make no claims at expertise, however like the rest of you, I have my opinions. I look forward to exchanging views via the Digest. Some comments about the recent AHA/BJCP discussions: First of all, I strongly suggest that all comments be forwarded to the powers that be (as it were) at the AHA. I hear much valid criticism of the AHA and its events from homebrewers around the country, most of which never reaches those who should be aware of it. I agree with Chuck Cox that the AHA is an organization with the potential to democratically serve ALL homebrewers. And, that the change must be initiated from within by brewers who will participate in the process. The same holds for the BJCP and the National Competition. Active membership and frequent communication are key in tailoring any group. If you are a BJCP judge and you see problems, say so to the people in charge. If you are not part of the BJCP because of specific reasons or complaints, make them known as well so that they can be addressed. I can say from my own experience that the AHA is making an effort to correct the poor organization of the National First Rounds by regionalizing them and planning well in advance for the anticipated 2000 entries. Plans are in the works to attract more judges to these regional 1st rounds and to set guidelines for the judging so that there is (positive) consistency between the three regions. I also believe that the AHA could be doing more to find and address comments and criticisms like those which appear here and at the various clubs around the nation. The CI$ Forum does not get as much of this type of discussion as the HBD. I don't know what can be done to change this outside of continuing to pass along any such dialogs and hope that they make some impression. It would be nice if at least one of the members of the Board of Advisors was a participant here. If possible, a copy of the comments referred to in HBD 525 should be forwarded to the Advisors. Chuck, since you have access to Bill Murphy, perhaps you could do it (if you don't already!). Anyhow, I tend to get on a soapbox from time to time and I guess now is one of those times. With luck I have not offended anyone. I look forward to your replies. RW... Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 10:57:45 PDT >From: robertn at fm1.intel.com (JEEPSRUS) Subject: cool weather fermentations David S. Brown writes... <When I was touring a Portland Microbrewery I found the fermentation <room was refregerated, though they make ales. The Brewmaster replied <that the fermentation vessels were well insulated, and the act of <fermentation and the insulation was enough to keep the temperature <correct. He added that when fermentation was complete, the beer would <slowly cool to the temperature of the refrigerate room giving them a <controlled storage environment. In the interest of lower energy bills, I kept my house very cool last winter. This did make things tuff when it came time to brew. So, I simply wrapped my primary with a very heavy blanket. It fermented away just as happy as could be. In fact, on of my best beers was fermented in this manner. One item I saw in the instructions for one of my first beers was interesting. It consisted of a lagre wooden box and a thermastat controlled light. In small areas, youd be suprised at the amount of heat a 60 watt light bulb gives off. As a matter as a fact, that's what I've done for my dogs at times. I'd take my drop-light from the garage and hang it in the dog house. Presto, a warm happy dog! <I definitely don't need this now, it tends to be warm all year <around, here in CA. But, I thought, if I ever return to cold <climates, I would try it out. Make a trip to Sacramento this January, when it gets into the mid twenties. I've been around colder places, but that's still a might bit chilly :-) <Maybe you could use one of those <blankets they use to wrap water heaters. Try the army-navy surplus store. Pick up one of those heavy wool blankets. That'd probably work great, and be fairly cheap. Those water heater blankets usually have fiberglass insulation. You dont wat that stuff near where you brew your beer. RobertN robertn at fm1.intel.com Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 19:10 EDT >From: "Eric Roe" <KXR11 at PSUVM.PSU.EDU> Subject: Distillation In recent HBD's I've noticed some discussion on why Uncle Sam doesn't want his citizens distilling their own spirits. I remembering reading a book about bootlegging and recall two good reasons. First of course is money. Taxes on a spirits amount to some serious bucks for the feds. Secondly is a health reason. Apparently bootleggers would use old lead pipes (from radiators, etc.) to do the distillation. This, of course, caused lead poisoning. Eric Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 90 22:10:29 EDT >From: Jim Griggers <brew at ncrmud.Columbia.NCR.COM> Subject: Art's Brewing Supplies Michael Metheny asked me to send him information on Art's Brewing Supply. Since I am having trouble sending mail to him, and maybe other people are interested in Pepsi kegs for $25 +$2 +shipping, I will post this to the HBD. Here is the info you requested: Art's Brewing Supplies 640 So. 250 West Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 801 533-8029 Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday 12noon till 6pm Mountain Time Cards: Visa and Mastercard I have no interest in Art's other than I was satisfied with the two kegs I ordered from them. PS: (note to Pete Soper) Pete, I have gotten every mail message that you have sent me, but I am having no luck at all getting a message to you at encore.com . I am going to send you a note by US. Mail if all else fails. Your mail traveled this path: ncrmud!ncrcae!ncrlnk! relay.cs.net!encore.encore.com!maxzilla.encore.com!soper Note that uunet does not talk to hubcap, since mail to hubcap!uunet gets bounced. Jim Griggers (brew at ncrmud.Columbia.NCR.COM) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 1990 17:52:13 -0400 >From: hplabs!ames!gatech!bnr-vpa!bnr-rsc!crick (Bill Crick) Subject: Specific heat? Anyone know the specific heat of malted barley? Metric units preferred IE: joules/g deg K, but even BTU/ lbs deg F would be OK as long as its in British pounds, BTU, and Deg F ;-) When is a gallon not a gallon? Whan the ounces are different ! at #$%%&*#&#^ at Bill Crick Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #526, 10/26/90 ************************************* -------
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