HOMEBREW Digest #594 Tue 12 March 1991

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


Contents:
  Micros in St. Louis (chip upsal)
  frozen wyeast (chip upsal)
  yeast & sassafrass (Joe Uknalis)
  sassafras in beer (Terry Noe)
  Extract Efficiency, a Matter of Semantics (Todd Enders - WD0BCI )
  Re: Ooops -- I put Wyeast in the freezer! (Chris Shenton)
  Cider (Rick Myers)
  Re:  Beer bottles and carboys (John DeCarlo)
  Mail Order Prices (John DeCarlo)
  Re: keeping fermenters cool (John DeCarlo)
  Capping champagne bottles ("DRCV06::GRAHAM")
  Missing issues (DARROW)
  India Pale Ale (Ken Johnson)
  Re:  Barleywine bottles (John DeCarlo)
  What about tea beer? (Paul L. Kelly)
  Campden vs yeast (Dieter Muller)
  Still more info on the Wholesale Homebrew Club (S94TAYLO)
  1990 Recipe for Craig (Norm Hardy)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 11 Mar 91 06:02:52 EST From: chip upsal <70731.3556 at compuserve.com> Subject: Micros in St. Louis In HBD Doug Roberts ask about A micro in St. Louis. As far as i know there in none yet. Dave Miller is romered to wanting to start some type of brewery there. The law was only recently changed in MO regarding small brewing operations so not much has happened yet. The only Micro in the state is near or in KC. If you have any inclination of visiting the big boys of brewing Budwiser, don't. There brew house is closed for remodeling until 1991. Chip "In heaven they have no beer, that is why we drink it here..." Return to table of contents
Date: 11 Mar 91 06:44:10 EST From: chip upsal <70731.3556 at compuserve.com> Subject: frozen wyeast Chris Sheton: >Any thoughts on it's chances for survival? it was only in for eight hours, >but felt frozen solid when I moved it to the fridge. I have heard of Wyeast freexing in transport and still beeing viable. give it a try. Chip Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 08:44:03 EST From: Joe Uknalis <UKNALIS at VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU> Subject: yeast & sassafrass replies to hbd 593... I've been able to culture live yeasts from samples that have been frozen in liquid nitrogen for 2 hours... Sassafrass root has a compound in it (I forget it's name) which causes cancer (Doesn't everything nowadays...) BUT I've seen sassafrass extract (for making tea) which has the nasty ingredient removed ($2/10oz). Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 7:22:20 PST From: Terry Noe <terry at hpsadlu.hp.com> Subject: sassafras in beer Full-Name: Terry Noe >Has anyone had experience using sassafras in beer. I was >originally going to try making a raspberry stout, but the only >berries that I've come across in my area have sugar added -- >they're also not very cheap, and adding 3 pounds or so would start >getting a little costly. > >One of our local grocery stores has fresh sliced sassafras root, >but I'm unsure of how potent an additive it would be in a stout. >It comes in a 2oz bag and smells very nice (plus it's a dirt cheap >$0.49). In _TCJoHB_, Papazian mentions the use of licorice root, >but unfortunately he doesn't give a measurement by weight. He just >says use a 4 to 6 inch piece of root. Any info appreciated. > > Thanks, > > Eric I gave this a try a few months ago. I used about one oz. of sassafras bark, since I could not find any sassafras root around where I live. I made a light ale, with about 4 lbs of light malt extract and three lbs of honey. I added half the bark to the boil. Unsatisfied with this, I then made a tea with the other 1/2 oz and warm water, and added this to my primary. Unfortunately, I'm not very happy with the results. The resultant beer tastes mainly like tree bark! It smells more or less like what I had hoped it would, but the taste is bitter and strange enough to make drinking this more work than pleasure. I should have used less, clearly, but I'm not sure that even a small amount would have been an improvement over no sassafras bark at all. Maybe sassafras root would work better than the bark; if you try it I hope you'll post your results. I've thought about trying a little root beer extract in something like a stout. Has anyone out there ever tried this before? Terry Noe terry at hpsadlu.hp.com Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 09:30:13 -0600 From: Todd Enders - WD0BCI <enders at plains.NoDak.edu> Subject: Extract Efficiency, a Matter of Semantics I see that there's a little mixup as to the way Miller cites extract efficency vs. Noonan. Miller quotes extract efficiency as % of theoretical maximum extract (ca. 35 points/lb/gal for lager malt), whereas Noonan gives the actual percentage of sugars converted/extracted per pound of grain. So, if I'm getting 87-91% efficiency as per Miller, what I am saying is that I'm getting 30-33 points/lb/gal. It might be instructive to compare both systems to obtain a sense of perspective. But from my experience, it should be relatively easy to get 30 points/lb/gal of extract if your mashing procedures (grinding, temp. control, sparging, etc) are correct. Of course, the real issue is: do my procedures make good beer? If so, there is little incentive to change. We are all striving to make good brews, so the comparison of extract efficiency is of some value, at least to see how our mashing compares with others (or with theoretical values). But trying to squeeze the last point or two out of your mash borders on excessive worry :-)! =============================================================================== Todd Enders - WD0BCI ARPA: enders at plains.nodak.edu Computer Center UUCP: ...!uunet!plains!enders Minot State University or: ...!hplabs!hp-lsd!plains!enders Minot, ND 58701 Bitnet: enders at plains "The present would be full of all possible futures, if the past had not already projected a pattern upon it" - Andre' Gide =============================================================================== Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 10:33:54 EST From: Chris Shenton <chris at endgame.gsfc.nasa.gov> Subject: Re: Ooops -- I put Wyeast in the freezer! >>>>> On Friday I said: Me> Any thoughts on it's chances for survival? it was only in for eight hours, Me> but felt frozen solid when I moved it to the fridge. Well, it worked just fine. It was stamped `March', and the pouch puffed up nicely in one day, and a starter culture did it's thing in the time it took to mash and brew a 10 gallon batch of Maibock. [Of course, I'm not gonna tempt fate and *recommend* this :-] Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 8:54:43 MST From: Rick Myers <cos.hp.com!hpctdpe!rcm at hp-lsd> Subject: Cider Full-Name: Rick Myers > From: rtidd at ccels2.mitre.org (Randy Tidd) > Subject: Making Cider > > Mark W. Castleman writes: > > We add 1/2 to 3/4 c of regular sugar to each gallon jug. We have found > > that this gives the tase that we like. More than thins will result in a more > > According to this, you used 3-3/4 to 5 cups of sugar for a 5-gallon batch? > That seems to me to be a lot of sugar, but then again i've never made cider. 1 cup/gallon is a lot of sugar? If I want a strong cider, I will use 3-5 cups PER GALLON of sugar...this usually comes out very dry and alcoholic, but still tastes like apple cider. I only use dextrose (corn), not cane/beet sugar. Rick Return to table of contents
Date: Monday, 11 Mar 1991 11:14:23 EST From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: Re: Beer bottles and carboys >From: William Boyle (CCL-L) <wboyle at PICA.ARMY.MIL> > >I am just getting started brewing, and I have about 3 dozen >bottles. The bottles are from a generic soda, they do not >have screw off caps, they had the standard crown caps. My >question is they are not as heavy as "bar" bottles, can I put >beer in them, and is there a chance they could explode. I haven't had any problems with any soda bottles that don't have the screw-off caps. I have been told that the pressure in american sodas is greater than the pressure the beer should be at when carbonated (i.e., sodas often fizz when you open them, beer should never fizz when you open it). >Also I keep seeing things about a glass secondary (carboys), >I can get plastic ones from water coolers, is there any harm >in using a plastic one? I don't know. However, I have heard that most of these plastic water cooler containers are not "food-grade", since they don't expect to store anything acidic in them (like wort). So stuff could leach out of them. Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org) Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: Monday, 11 Mar 1991 11:17:54 EST From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: Mail Order Prices >From: <S94TAYLO%USUHSB.BITNET at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> > >Many of you out there in HBD-land have wondered about the high >cost of postage. Well, postage worked out to be about 25-30 >cents/pound. Total cost of: >55 lb. unhopped dry malt $115.68 $2.00/lb.!!! This is typical. I looked at three catalogs that sold 55 lb. buckets of dry malt. Prices were from $116 to $123. >6-3.3lb cans M&F syrup $ 42.00 $7.00/can!!! I have gotten 6 lb. packs of extract from Williams for as little as $10, in groups of 6 (on sale, but 11-11.50 isn't unusual). >Specialty grains-5 lb. $ 6.50 Last place I ordered from all their specialty grains were $1.00/lb. >These are DELIVERED prices, actual price. I would like to know >if these AREN'T the best prices around, but they are more than >50% less than most of the retail prices in this area. I think they are better than going to a store and buying one pound or one can of something, but are about average for buying large quantities mail order. On the other hand, if those prices reflect the addition of the shipping costs (55lb at $115 is great if $30 of that is shipping and $85 is basic cost), then you got a great deal. >Stainless Steel Stack Pots (5 gallon cap-$67.00 >Is this a good price? 'cause I really want one.) I have seen 10 gallons ones with copper bottoms for $99 (want to get one for myself some day). Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org) Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: Monday, 11 Mar 1991 11:18:29 EST From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: Re: keeping fermenters cool >From: Dan Strahs <strahs at murex.bioc.aecom.yu.edu> > I would like to brew ales, but I need to find a way to lower > the temperature of the primary about 5 to 10 degrees farenheit. > Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions/information? I read in this digest about draping a wet towel, with ends in a bucket of water, around the carboy. A friend of mine tried it and thinks it works wonderfully in his apartment. Evaporation cools the carboy, as I understand it. Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org) Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: 11 Mar 91 08:39:00 EDT From: "DRCV06::GRAHAM" <graham%drcv06.decnet at drcvax.af.mil> Subject: Capping champagne bottles I just got a case of champagne bottles and want to bottle in them. The normal 28 mm. caps I use on beer bottles do fit, but they don't come down on the sides of the bottle top as snugly as they do on the 12 ox. bottles. My capper, an Italian device whose name I can't remember for my life, says that a set of tongs for 30 mm. caps may be obtained for champagne bottles. Am I going to have to get those different tongs and use 30 mm. caps, or will the caps I have do. I tried a couple and the seal seems to be very tight, just the sides being funny as I just mentioned. Do I have a problem? (Not to worry, though!) Dan Graham Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 13:45 EST From: <DARROW%IUBACS.BITNET at UICVM.uic.edu> Subject: Missing issues Homebrew digests not arriving: #583 #587 Would you please resend them? Thank you. D. D>>-> Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 11:33:47 PST From: kjohnson at argon.berkeley.edu (Ken Johnson) Subject: India Pale Ale I'm teaching a friend of mine how to brew. The second training batch will be an extract India Pale Ale from the CJoHB. I have a question about the amount of gypsum to add. With a recipe for 5 gal of: 7 lb pale malt extract 1 lb crystal malt .5 lb toasted pale malt 2 oz cfj90 aa=~9.8 .5 oz cascade aa=~6.8 (both pellet) gypsum Wyeast London Ale what amount of gypsum would one want to use. East Bay water has less than 10 ppm Ca and all the other good ions, so we're starting out with pilznerish water. I was thinking of adding 2 tsp. of the gypsum. All comments on the IPA brewing and water salt content for specific beer types welcomed. Also, what pH range are we talking about? If it's not in there, how would one easily change the pH? curious, kj Return to table of contents
Date: Monday, 11 Mar 1991 15:38:28 EST From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: Re: Barleywine bottles >From: nt at Eng.Sun.COM (Nick Thomas) > I've called all over the West Coast trying >to find some 6 oz bottles for bottling my barleywine, and >can't find any. Does anyone know of a source? The only bottles I have been able to find that are that small are the holiday Coke bottles. It's expensive, though, so unless you have someone who really likes Coke and likes the small bottles, but doesn't mind you using them for beer, it isn't a very good solution. (Note: I just got 583 from the netserver, so that's why the late reply) Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org) Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 16:03:58 EST From: pkel at psych.purdue.edu (Paul L. Kelly) Subject: What about tea beer? Okay, we've all heard about/made/tried beers with coffee in them. I happen to be a tea lover, and I'm wondering if anybody out there has ever made a beer with tea. Just before Christmas this year, I made a rather wonderful liqueur with jasmine tea, and I'm becoming more and more convinced that a beer made with some sort of tea would not at all be a bad idea. Anybody out there have any experience with this? Any ideas as to why it might be a bad idea? And for those of you who want to try out making the Jasmine Tea Liqueur, here's the recipe: 1 pint dark rum 1/2 cup jasmine tea 1 cup sugar syrup Steep the tea in the rum for 24 hours, and remove. Make the sugar syrup by boiling 1 cup of sugar in 1/2 cup of water (it will be VERY thick). When the syrup cools, add to the rum. It's ready to drink immediately. This is a very nice after dinner liqueur, but you may drink it any time you want to. If the tea flavor is too strong, try steeping for a shorter time, cutting down on the amount, etc. Likewise, the amount of sugar may be a bit excessive for many tastes, so experiment. Cheers, Paul Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 18:05:57 MST From: dworkin at habitrail.Solbourne.COM (Dieter Muller) Subject: Campden vs yeast I just finished working my way through the first of the recipes in the ``Making Mead'' book I've got (can't remember the authors -- they're very British, the cover's orange). The part that confuses me is the adding of the Campden tablets. The directions were something to the effect of ``add two Campden tablets, wait 24 hours, then add the yeast.'' The idea, as I understand it, is to kill all the little beasties that managed to wander in while you weren't looking. So why doesn't the yeast die? Especially since they say to add another tablet after each racking. If the theory is that the sulphite settles out, thus not coming into contact with the yeast, it seems like any movement of the fermenter runs a good chance of killing the yeast. I think I'm confused.... Dworkin See you at Al Packer's Legendary Culinary Fast-Food Cannibal Bar and Buffet dworkin at solbourne.com Flamer's Hotline: (303) 678-4624 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 19:08 EST From: <S94TAYLO%USUHSB.BITNET at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> Subject: Still more info on the Wholesale Homebrew Club Well, I said the last message would be THE Final report, but forgot their address and phone number. It is: The Wholesale Homebrew Club 5760 Bird Road Miami, Florida 33155 (305) 667-4266 I also forgot to mention this time that there is a $25 annual membership and that there is a $100 minimum order before postage. See the last issue for examples of the great deals this place offers. Al Taylor Uniformed Services University School of Medicine Bethesda, Maryland s94taylor at usuhsb.bitnet Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 20:33:03 PST From: polstra!norm at uunet.UU.NET (Norm Hardy) Subject: 1990 Recipe for Craig A question about the 2nd place Pale Ale recipe from 1990 - Cascade Pale Ale: It was exactly the same as the previous 1989 best of class winner, but the 1028 yeast attenuated further than planned. I entered it as a British Bitter and a Pale Ale. The Pale Ale got the 2nd place. The Brit Bitter got knocked out in the 1st round. I just bottled this year's "version", the same except for .25 oz Cascade cones in the secondary for dry hopping. Very nice beer, fermented and conditioned in 19 days. It helps to get a proper yeast starter, indeed. Norm Hardy Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #594, 03/12/91 ************************************* -------
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