HOMEBREW Digest #1162 Tue 15 June 1993

Digest #1161 Digest #1163


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


Contents:
  headaches (John Pedlow)
  Baird's Malt - data (Geoff Cooper)
  Priming ingredients (FSAC-FCD) <dward at PICA.ARMY.MIL>
  Priming ingredients (FSAC-FCD) <dward at PICA.ARMY.MIL>
  Boston/Stamford Brewpubs? (Philip J Difalco)
  Fuller ESB maize (was Miller Lite...) (jay marshall)
  Dogbolter(R) (Joseph Gareri)
  Hop, Barley, and the Ale'ers... (John Adams)
  Hop Utilization ("Bob Jones")
  re twist-offs (Chip Hitchcock)
  home/commercial brew and hangovers (Chip Hitchcock)
  brewpubs - Portland, IBS list (jay marshall)
   (John Fitzgerald)
  Re: Iodophor & Belgium headaches (Jim Busch)
  sanitizers part 2 (donald oconnor)
  Siphon starters, headaches ("Roger Deschner  ")
  Re:CO2, Cherries & B vitamins (Jim Busch)
  Commercial Beer side effects (Norm Pyle)
  BrewPubs in Boca Raton, Florida (greenbay)
  Iodophors Again? (Jim Liddil)
  Re: stuffed up head from industrial beers (Bob Clark)
  More help with tapping systems? (Bill Newcomb)
  Re: sanitizers part 2 (Richard Stueven)
  Cornelius keg fittings (Eric Wade)
  yeah, but... (BadAssAstronomer)
  Starting a siphon (Tom Barstow - Sun BOS Software)
  solstice and wild yeasts (Sandy Cockerham)
  Hops Strawberrys and extracts (RON)
  Re: sanitizers and SS (Kelly Jones)
  All Grain Systems (Brian M. Vandewettering)
  Hop Utilization (again???) (Glenn Tinseth)
  excellent mead yeast (Mark A Fryling)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 05:05:27 EDT From: John Pedlow <TKSJOHN at UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU> Subject: headaches NOT about post-overindulgence happenings. NOT scientific, either. During the past 10 years, at 2 social functions, Michelob was the only beer available. On both occasions about 45 minutes after beginning the first Mic I developed a "pounding" headache. Met a Budweiser rep. Mentioned foregoing to him and also explained regular Bud did not promote headaches. Bud-man said only difference between Bud & Mic is the hops: Mic uses imported hops and Bud uses domestic. I am an allergy sufferer (became ill on beer during desensitization treatments 20 years ago and MD suggested switching to ale --- which treated me just fine). Maybe some headaches are related to allergy to something in the brew... but, maybe not... none of the preceding passes any scientific test. John Pedlow Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1993 12:14:02 +0000 From: G.A.Cooper at qmw.ac.uk (Geoff Cooper) Subject: Baird's Malt - data Many HBDers have mentioned that they use Baird's Malt and have asked for info on it. I am one of the more fortunate on this list in being able to drive to the maltings at Witham in Essex and buy a few sacks nice and fresh. When last there I asked for some information, which I now share (extracts of) with you. "Hugh Baird & Sons Ltd. has been producing quality malt since 1823." "To ensure even modification and consistency ... we use only the finest 2-row barley specially selected..." "Production units for our white (unroasted) malts are based on the universally acknowledged Saladin system." UNROASTED MALTS At Witham (they also have a maltings in Pentcaitland near Edinburgh, Scotland) they produce 5 unroasted malts, namely: Pale Ale, Premium Pilsen, Standard Pilsen, Stout, and Wheat. Analysis: [ composite symbol ^o used to denote degrees ] Pale Premium Stnd Stout Wheat Pilsen Pilsen Moisture: (%) max 3.0 4.5 4.5 4.0 5.5 Extract: Dry (L^o/Kg) min 307 307 305 305 310 Total Nitrogen: (%) max 1.65 1.65 1.70 1.65 2.20 Colour: (^oEBC) 4-6 2-3 3-3.5 2-4 2-5 S.N.R: (%) 36-42 35-40 36-41 36-40 36-45 Distatic Activity (^oL) min 45 60 60 50 70 Does anyone know the conversion for extract from L^o/Kg to units most of us will relate to? What prcisely is S.N.R? And what is this significance of the figures under Diastatic Activity? If in the UK you buy a 'generic' lager malt and it is from Baird's, you will be getting the Standard Pilsen. SPECIAL MALTS "Our Roast House is one of the largest and most up-to-date in the world. ... Modern roasting cylinders are used ...." CARAMALT (Carastan) [ Note that Carapils is a trade mark in the UK and cannot be used commercially, but colloquially is used to to define product a) ] Colour: a) 20 - 30 ) b) 35 - 45 ) ^oEBC by IOB method c) 50 - 70 ) "These materials are manufactured from germinating malt. ... transferred to a roasting cylinder and heated to 65^oC for one hour. ... then raised to 150^oC for varying periods. .. This produces a material which, after cooling, has a glazed internal appearance, pale brown colour and caramel/toffe-like flavour." CRYSTAL MALT, also kown as Caramel Malt Colour: ^oEBC by IOB method a) 100 - 120 b) 140 - 160 c) 180 - 210 d) 230 - 260 e) 375 - 425 "The method of manufacture is basically the same as for Caramalt, using the same starting material with longer and higher temperature roasting." AMBER MALT, also known as Brown Malt Colour 100 - 140 ^oEBC by IOB method "This material is produced by roasting kilned malt...," CHOLATE MALT Colour 900 - 1100 ^oEBC by IOB method "This is produced by roasting kilned malt. ..." ROASTED MALT, also know as Black Malt, Farbmalz. Colour 1100 - 1300 ^oEBC by IOB method "This is manufactured from kilned malt by roasting at temperatures up to 250^oC ..." ROAST BARLEY (When exported is described as Roast Material) Colour 1100 - 1300 ^oEBC by IOB method "This is manufactured from barley by roasting at temperatures up to 250^oC. .." You will see that this also answers the question about what Baird's mean when they package a product labelled "Roast Material". I hope that is of help to some, and I expect explanatory notes from those who can interpret that lot in homebrew terms better than I can. Happy brewing Geoff Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 8:35:11 EDT From: "Darren L. Ward" (FSAC-FCD) <dward at PICA.ARMY.MIL> Subject: Priming ingredients Has anyone ever primed with confectioners sugar? If yes, is 4.5 oz. > the proper amount (ie. typical corn sugar amount). Is table sugar an appropriate primer? I've read that priming with a malt extract produces a smaller bubble, similar to a stout bubble, how does the processing of sugar effect the quality of the carbonate that results? Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 8:35:11 EDT From: "Darren L. Ward" (FSAC-FCD) <dward at PICA.ARMY.MIL> Subject: Priming ingredients Has anyone ever primed with confectioners sugar? If yes, is 4.5 oz. > the proper amount (ie. typical corn sugar amount). Is table sugar an appropriate primer? I've read that priming with a malt extract produces a smaller bubble, similar to a stout bubble, how does the processing of sugar effect the quality of the carbonate that results? Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 08:32:11 -0400 From: Philip J Difalco <sxupjd at anubis.fnma.COM> Subject: Boston/Stamford Brewpubs? I'll be in Boston, MA. for a week, and around Stamford, CT. for another. I'd like some recommendations of Brewpubs in those areas. Thanks. { For those destined for Las Vegas, NV. - I recommend the Holy Cow Casino Cafe & Brewpub - great beers (a Pale Ale, Wheat Beer, Red Ale and a Stoudt $2.75/pint, $1.75/10oz glass), great food (relatively inexpensive). } - --- email: sxupjd at fnma.com (NeXT Mail Okay) Philip DiFalco, Senior Analyst, Advanced Technology FannieMae, 3900 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 22016 (202)752-2812 Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 09:20:10 CDT From: jay marshall <marshall at pat.mdc.com> Subject: Fuller ESB maize (was Miller Lite...) George, In HBD 1158 you made mention of Fullers adding flaked maize to their ESB. I like the ESB I get on tap very much, and was taken aback when I tasted the bottled version - it was much stronger and really tasted quite different. My question is, since you've evidently been to the source, which is closer to the product served at the brewery, the U.S. tap or the U.S. bottled? Also, I got a recipe for a Fuller ESB clone from Rick Melkor (thanks Rick) that goes as follows: 10# 2-row 1/2# crystal, 60L - 90L 1/2# carapils 1# brown sugar, 60 minutes 2 oz Fuggles, 60 minutes .5 oz Kent Golding, 30 minutes .5 oz Kent Golding, 5 minutes 1.5 oz Kent Golding, dry hopped in secondary Yweast London Ale (1028) yeast OG: 1048 FG: 1012 The resulting beer was very good, but not quite there (compared to the tap version, which I prefer). The flaked maize would obviously change the taste a bit - can you recommend the quantity to use? Any other comments on the grain or hop bill would also be appreciated. thanks very much, - -- Jay marshall at pat.mdc.com Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 10:26:52 -0400 From: jpgareri at acs.bu.edu (Joseph Gareri) Subject: Dogbolter(R) I was recently given a Dogbolter(R) kit as a present. I'm not a fan of kits, but I'm not inclined to throw something out either. Has anyone had any experience with either this kit or the commercial product? The kit says it originated in 1979 when David Bruce first opened the GOOSE AND FIRKIN in Southwark UK. It is supposed to be brewed to an OG of 1060. I am hesitant to use the yeast packet that came with the kit, but I'm not sure what I should replace it with. Also, the instructions say to add 2 1/2 lb. white sugar along with the extract. This seems like a lot of cane sugar for the amount of malt. I'm guessing the can is 3.3lb. Any help? They classify Dogbolter(R) as a "strong ale". Joe Gareri Boston, MA Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 08:29:50 -0600 From: John Adams <j_adams at hpfcjca.sde.hp.com> Subject: Hop, Barley, and the Ale'ers... I am a member of the "Hop, Barley, and the Ale'rs." The club president is John Bates and meetings are at 7:00pm at the University Inn in Boulder on the 4th Tuesday of every Month. It's a GREAT club. Being situated in Boulder (the home of the AHA) and Colorado (the brewing capital of the world) we have some of the very best home and commerical brewing experts in the club. Hope to see you at the June 22 meeting! John Adams Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1993 07:32:15 -0700 (PDT) From: "Bob Jones" <bjones at novax.llnl.gov> Subject: Hop Utilization In the previous digest Mark paraphrased me as follows... >Bob Jones writes that he doesn't believe that yeast affects >hop utilization, and would rather see the calculation split >into two.. I did not say "I don't believe you", I will repeat my suggestion that the calculations and measurements be seperated and give an example of why. If we assume this yeast flocculation vs hop IBU effect exists and we combine the two in a table or calculation, and later realize the phase of the moon effects the yeast side of the equation, then all the hop work is out the window. By keeping the effects seperate it allows each to be used, verified, updated, investigated, and argued independently. That's just plain old good scientific reasearch. Bob Jones Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 10:34:00 EDT From: cjh at diaspar.HQ.Ileaf.COM (Chip Hitchcock) Subject: re twist-offs twist-off caps are said to be put on by something more complicated than a simple crown capper; the argument (which I find plausible from comparing the bottles) is that an affordable capper can't be sure of making a reliable seal around the threads of a twist-top bottle. It's possible this is a momily---but good bottles aren't that hard to find (bar bottles of any of the major brands, Sam Adams bottles, ...). I suspect that it's more important to have a bottle with a tall collar (the secondary line of glass around the neck, below the lip that the cap wraps around), so the capper can get a solid grip; the cap certainly \looks/ more secure in these cases. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 10:48:52 EDT From: cjh at diaspar.HQ.Ileaf.COM (Chip Hitchcock) Subject: home/commercial brew and hangovers johng at adx.la.ca.us suggests that homebrew may be less dehydrating than commercial beers; I don't think this is likely. My understanding (from long-ago physiology) is that alcohol is a diuretic; i.e. it causes the kidneys to increase their net extraction of water from the bloodstream (so Bob Shaw was qualitatively right when he observed that you piss five pints for every four you drink). My very rough guess is that the average homebrew is, if anything, \more/ alcoholic than the average commercial beer in this country. My vague recollection is that standard commercial beers are ~4% w/w (~5%v/v) alcohol; homebrewers do light fruit beers, milds, and ordinary bitters which are ~4%v/v, but they also do lots of ESB's, IPA's, {,doppel,trippel}bocks, imperial stouts, bieres de garde, Belgians, ... all of which run over 5%v/v, sometimes much higher. Certainly dehydration plays a part in hangovers; if you've binged one of the better protections is aspirin and lots of water \before/ you crash. But I don't think it connects to lack of hangover in homebrews. Yeast may be part of the effect, since B vitamins are commonly claimed to be effective against hangovers; I don't know whether any sound research has been done on this. But how much yeast is still in suspension in homebrew, especially in kegged beers? And has anyone noticed a difference in hangovers between factory beers (aka American light, aka American swill) and commercial beers with yeast in them (Belgians, Sierra Nevada, ...)? More important, is anyone on this list willing to drink enough factory beer to test? Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 10:22:58 CDT From: jay marshall <marshall at pat.mdc.com> Subject: brewpubs - Portland, IBS list I've got a friend going to Portland soon who would like to know about brewpubs in that area. I would appreciate it if someone would email some info to me. On a related note, in Oct 1991 Greg Pryzby made a full list of brewpubs and micros available. He had keyed it in from a March 1991 list from the Institute for Brewing Studies. Is there an updated list available? thanks, - -- Jay marshall at pat.mdc.com Return to table of contents
Date: 11 Jun 93 07:42:00 PST From: John Fitzgerald <johnf at ccgate.SanDiegoCA.NCR.COM> Subject: Let me start off by thanking the HBD'ers that responded to me about the beer fest in Temecula, CA, and all of the SS keg info. This digest sure is a great source of information! With the recent talk about fruit beers, especially peaches, I thought I'd mention a 1 gallon experiment batch from last season. I added about 1.75 lbs. to the primary of a generic light lager, with fairly good results. The result is a decent beer with a nice peachy aroma, and somewhat of a fruity taste, but my palate has trouble distinguishing it as a peach flavor. What I did learn from this experiment was: 1. it is worth doing again (and I will as soon as I can harvest my mother-in-law's tree!) - 5 gallons if I get enough peaches 2. I won't put the peaches in the blender this year (what a mess trying to strain/siphon). I've heard that slicing the fruit thin enough should be sufficient for the yeast to get to the good stuff. 3. I will probably add more peaches this time (2 lbs/gal minimum?), and probably rack the beer onto them after primary fermentation subsides. 4. I have a lot more learning/experimenting to do. On another note, I have a sufficient supply of 5 gallon cornelius tanks, but am having trouble finding a good source for used 3 gallons kegs. Local shops sell new ones for an outrageous amount, and I am told used ones are scarce. I have heard on this digest that BCI (Bev Con International?) is a good source, but I've given my name & address at least 3 times now to the nice person on the phone, but have never gotten a catalog from them. Is there anybody out there that might be in the reverse situation, that wouldn't mind trading a 3 gallon keg for a 5 gallon keg, for the cost of shipping? oogy wa-wa, (for those of you who do not speak Zulu, you'll have to go the 'Brick' in the D.C. area for some good beer & a translation (great place, a beer drinker's candy store)) John Fitzgerald. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 11:35:09 EDT From: Jim Busch <busch at daacdev1.stx.com> Subject: Re: Iodophor & Belgium headaches I'm back from beer hunting and wanted to comment on a few items in the last digest. In the last digest: Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1993 22:56:11 -0500 From: donald oconnor <oconnor at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> Subject: sanitizers part 2 <5. Cost and availability Household bleach costs about $1/gallon. Iodophor is typically about $10 per liter. Bleach has 5 times as much sanitizing strength ounce for ounce. Therefore, bleach is about 200 times cheaper than iodophor. Brewery cost is closer to $25 per large jug (1-2 gallons?) or about 25 times as expensive (I cant remember how big the jug is). This is not to dispute the retail price, but it does differ by a degree of magnitude. <6. Personal safety Both oxidizers will kill cells including yours and mine. Both should be handled carefully. But bleach is a stronger oxidant so a little more dangerous on this point. More importantly though is the caustic nature of full strength bleach. This poses a more serious risk, particularly to eyes. Iodophor is a safer product than household bleach. I think this has been covered before: My container of Diversity Iodophor indicates irreversable eye damage. With respect to the corrosive nature of Chlorine on SS I would like to point out that many homebrewers are not fortunate enough to be using 304 (or better) SS. When I began brewing years ago, I bought several 16 qt SS pots from a local catalog store. These are the cheap korean products with riveted handles. The rivets are aluminum. At one point I used one of these pots as a blowoff recepticle with a splash of chlorine in the water. As the blowoff tube deposited trub and beer into the solution, the pH dropped and the bubble layer actually corroded straight through the SS in several pin holes. Now this may not be an issue with 304 SS but it certainly occurred in a very short period with cheaper SS. On another topic: From: "Roger Deschner " <U52983 at UICVM.UIC.EDU> Subject: Siphon starters, headaches <WORSE HEADACHES--------------LESS HEADACHES <Heavier, Darker Beers Lighter, Clearer Beers <Factory Made Beers Naturally Brewed Beers <Adjuncts All-Malt <Fire Brewed Steam-Heated Brew Kettles <Fermentation By-products Blow-off tube used <Had a headache already Didn't have a headache already <Yeah sure. Some of these may have a secondary effect. However, we are <kidding ourselves if we ignore the primary cause of beer headaches: <More total alcohol Less total alcohol in a session in a session In general you are correct. I can personnaly note that some brewers like Rochefort do not conform to this rule. Just last Friday I had the pleasure of consuming too many Rochefort 10's at 11.3% ABV, as well as other high alcohol Belgium beers. Much to my delight there was not headache in the AM, just a well deserved cobweb effect. Just a data point that the Belgiums do something different. Good brewing, Jim Busch Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 11:54:06 EDT From: Jim Busch <busch at daacdev1.stx.com> Subject: Re:CO2, Cherries & B vitamins More comments on the last digest: Re: B vitamin benefits of botle conditioned beers. While it is true that one consumes vitamin B in these beers, I was under the impression that the alcohol also strips the body of these same nutrients, negating the positive effects. Does anyone know if this is true? Re: CO2 tanks in fridge. What I have found is a problem with the tank in the fridge is the corrosive nature of the moisture in the fridge rusting and damaging the tank and regulator. For this reason all of my beer fridges have the CO2 line running through the side of the fridge. It is quite easy to buy CO2 tubing to fit the drill bit size and just push the tube through the drill hole. Its also well worth investing in the regulator cage to protect the regulator when the dog decides to chew through the Co2 line. With respect to fruit additions to beer: Phil Seitz and I toured Liefmans brewery on June 2nd. We are compiling a detailed record of the trip and observations that will be forthcoming but FYI: the Liefmans Kriek contains 13 kilos of cherries into 100 Litres of beer. For the metric impared, this is the equivelent of 28.6 Lbs per 26.4 gallons. Now this may or may not be applicable to the homebrewer mortals since I also believe it sits on the cherries for several years (Phil ,correct me if I am wrong here). Good brewing & I'll post a review of the Stoudts Festival on Monday, Jim Busch Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 08:32:53 MDT From: pyle at intellistor.com (Norm Pyle) Subject: Commercial Beer side effects Derrick Pohl writes about getting stuffed up from commercial beer, in addition to headaches. I have found this to be true as well, although I forgot about the effect since I started drinking only good beer. Sorry, I don't have any great theories but Al's seems as good as any I've heard. BTW, Derrick the double blind test won't work very well. Do you think you won't be able to tell the difference between, say, a Ballard Bitter and a Coors Extra Bland? Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 11:16:56 CDT From: greenbay at vnet.IBM.COM Subject: BrewPubs in Boca Raton, Florida Hey, could anybody tell me if there are any good brew pubs in Boca Raton? I might be going there early next week for business and would be interested in checking them out if I have the time. Please send me private e-mail on Monday as I don't know if I'll be able to check this stuff on Tuesday. Thank you very much, Bob Crowley (greenbay at vnet.ibm.com) Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1993 9:30:02 -0700 (MST) From: JLIDDIL at AZCC.Arizona.EDU (Jim Liddil) Subject: Iodophors Again? % George Writes % Date: Thu, 10 Jun 93 10:08:52 -0500 % From: gjfix at utamat.uta.edu (George J Fix) % Accord II was designed for breweries. The version in most homebrew % shops (the one containing the detergent instead of phosphoric acid) % was designed for dairies. It is true Accord II is used in brweries but according to the technical rep for Diversity (George you know who he is) says that Accord II is made with a surfactant (detergent to the non-scientist) just like all iodophors. It also contains an excess of surfactant (detergent) to make sure all the iodine is bound up prperly and that there is not an excess of free iodine. It also contains phosphoric acid, but this is not for complexing the iodine. The technical rep went on to tell me that Accord II has the possibility to cause problems with head retention just as any product containing surfactants (detergent) does. The question is how much detergent can you tolerate before decreases in head retention become a problem. And Don writes % The type of iodophor containing phosphoric acid was designed to be used % for the dairy industry, not the beer industry. I have to disagree. I think a more correct statement is that the acid containing iodophors are designed for commercial industrial use and not home use. But the formulations usually contain 20% acid so by the time they are diluted out the amount of acid is small. % Furthermore, it's my % understanding that it is used commercially in 140-160 F water. The ability of iodine to kill microorganisms is enhanced at higher temperatures and you can do this at home for steel but not plastics if you don not want them stained. % These iodophors pose no corrosive threat at any % concentration. But iodine can cause skin irritation in some individuals. And if absorbed through an open wound can lead to decreased thyroid function. Jim Liddil Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 09:17:51 PDT From: Bob.Clark at Eng.Sun.COM (Bob Clark) Subject: Re: stuffed up head from industrial beers A friend of mine believes that he has an allergy to grains, and it is something from grains in beer that causes his head to stuff up. My homebrew gave him a real dose of congestion. Bob C. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 93 18:12:10 PDT From: nuke at reed.edu (Bill Newcomb) Subject: More help with tapping systems? Cisco Writes: > Believe it or not there is some logic to all this and your elevation > from sea level must also be taken into consideration. Is there some sort of reference for this sort of thing? How can I make these calculations for my own personal system (which is really pretty boring: lame little plastic nozzle, pvc tubes I can change, good regulator, Cornelius (ball lock) keg)? It sounds as though a great deal of thought has gone into this, and I would like to be able to tap that (ouch!). Thanks in advance... Bill (p.s., I'm near sea level) - -- Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1993 09:54:15 -0700 From: Richard Stueven <gak at wrs.com> Subject: Re: sanitizers part 2 >From: donald oconnor <oconnor at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> > >And remember, you need less than 1 teaspoon of bleach in the >entire 5 gallon keg to get the same level of sanitation that iodophor >provides at its recommended dose. Eh? When I started brewing, it was a half-cup per five gallons. Then it was one ounce per five gallons. Now it's one teaspoon per five gallons. Pretty soon, I'll get complete sanitation simply by waving the bleach bottle around in the brewery! (The Homeopathic Approach) Seriously, what's the scoop? Erm...half-scoop? have fun gak Richard Stueven, Castro Valley CA gak & gerry's garage, brewpub and hockey haven Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1993 10:34:38 -0700 (PDT) From: Eric Wade <ericwade at CLASS.ORG> Subject: Cornelius keg fittings I think I am finally getting to the point where I can no longer put off going to a kegging system. I asked Santa for a set up last Xmas but I must not have been a good enough boy. My question relates to the merits of the ball-lock vs. pin-lock fittings. Does anyone have an opinion (gad, what an open ended question that could turn out to be) on which system is better and why? Are used kegs more readily available in one type over the other? I understand the kegs can be converted from pin to ball and vice versa, true? Eric Wade <ericwade at class.org> If you like, please respond by private e-mail. If I get enough response I'll summarize for the HBD. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1993 12:35:00 -0500 (CDT) From: BadAssAstronomer <STOREY at fender.msfc.nasa.gov> Subject: yeah, but... Roger says: >HEADACHES: Many theories have been espoused: > >WORSE HEADACHES--------------LESS HEADACHES > >Heavier, Darker Beers Lighter, Clearer Beers >Factory Made Beers Naturally Brewed Beers >Adjuncts All-Malt >Fire Brewed Steam-Heated Brew Kettles >Fermentation By-products Blow-off tube used >Had a headache already Didn't have a headache already > >Yeah sure. Some of these may have a secondary effect. However, we are >kidding ourselves if we ignore the primary cause of beer headaches: > >More total alcohol Less total alcohol > in a session in a session > >Remembering that the amount of alcohol in beer, especially homebrew, can >vary widely, moderation will reliably reduce headaches better than any >other method. Quit kidding. I think this was assumed. I know it was by me. My comment, perhaps more clearly stated, was that in *small* amounts, commercial brew is more likely to yield headaches than homebrew. I was thinking quantities of 2 or less beers. scott Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 13:34:50 EDT From: Tom.Barstow at East.Sun.COM (Tom Barstow - Sun BOS Software) Subject: Starting a siphon Bart Thielges asks: >> 4) I realize that sterility is very important. All of the procedures >> that I've read mention that during racking, a siphon should >> be used to transfer the fermented wort. However, I have >> yet to figure out how to start a siphon without getting my >> mouth on the end of the hose. One procedure even specified >> "suck on the open end of the hose until you get a mouthfull >> of beer." Even though I brush twice a day, I still worry that >> I might contaminate through this contact. Is there any way to >> start a siphon without risking the contamination ? Or am I >> just being too paranoid ? Will my batch be ruined ? And how >> do you know that the light in the fridge goes out when you close >> the door ? I bought a plastic stopcock that I use as my mouthpiece when starting a siphon. Sanitize both it and the siphon hose, stick the stopcock into the hose, open the valve, elevate the end of the hose, and suck. When the beer is within a few inches of the end of the tube, close the valve. Kink the hose near the end, remove the contaminated stopcock from the still-sanitized hose, and plunge the end of the hose in the target container. Works very well. Tom Return to table of contents
Date: 11 Jun 1993 13:21:28 -0500 (EST) From: Sandy Cockerham <COCKERHAM_SANDRA_L at Lilly.com> Subject: solstice and wild yeasts I recall reading somewhere that the almanac talks about the summer solstice being a bad time to start a batch of beer. As I faintly remember, it has something to do with lots of wild yeasts wafting through the breeze. The time listed was about a week following. Since that date is coming very shortly (June 21 or 22, I think), can anyone who is "up" on this kind of topic elaborate ? Sandy C. From: COCKERHAM SANDRA L (MCVAX0::RX31852) To: VMS MAIL ADDRESSEE (IN::"homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com") Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 14:56 From: RON.admin at admin.creol.ucf.edu (RON) Subject: Hops Strawberrys and extracts I have some questions I would like to put to your learned readership. I am currently residing in Central Florida. I am interested in trying to grow some of my own hops. Has anyone out there had any experience growing hops this far south? Where can I get hop rhizomes? Are there some heat resistant varieties that may have a better chance of surviving? Is there some recommended reading material available on the cultivation of hops? I've read the last couple of issues of HBD(I've only just become aware of it's existence) and the articles on strawberry brews stuck out as I have just bottled a batch of strawberry ale. I added my mashed strawberries during the last ten minutes of the boil. If you add the strawberry to the cooled wort I agree you will enhance the strawberry flavoring but aren't you also taking a chance on adding any wild strains of yeast into the wort as well? As to Bart Thielges inquiry about inexpensive malt extracts, I buy pure malt unhopped extract in 3 lb. cans for $6.25 ea(you must buy by the case, 12 cans for $75 shipping incl). I get it from a company called Specialty Products Inc. located in Chapel Hill, S Carolina. If he wants more specific information he can e-mail me. ron at admin.creol.ucf.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 16:16:18 -0600 From: Kelly Jones <k-jones at ee.utah.edu> Subject: Re: sanitizers and SS The only thing worse than a lack of information is a plethora of misinformation. A recent posting contained some misinformation regarding sanitizers and corrosion. Although I am not an expert in these subjects, I would like to clear up some of the more obvious errors: In HBD #1161, donald oconnor <oconnor at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> says: >Chlorine by itself is really not the issue with respect to reaction >with 304 stainless. Chlorine (and its dissociation products) ARE the problem. The relative concentrations of these species are determined in part by pH. >If it were, then iodine would also be a problem >because the chemistry of the two is so similar. Similar, but by no means identical. >It is the alkalinity (high pH) of bleach that poses the problem. It is NOT the alkalinity that is the problem. SS is relatively inert in caustic solutions (I believe many breweries and other food processing plants use concentrated NaOH to clean/sterilize their SS equipment.) > Alkaline solutions are caustic, i.e., corrosive. For example, lye or soda ash (sodium hydroxide) in water are caustic. Caustic is not a synonym for corrosive. >(stuff deleted, pretty much accurate) >If the solution is diluted, the >hydroxide concentration drops concomitantly with the pH and the >solution becomes less and less caustic, eventually to the point >where it poses no problem. For example, lye will burn your skin but >if you dilute it sufficiently it will not. In the case of aqueous >sodium hypochlorite with 304 stainless, it's simply a matter of >dilution. One must be careful when gauging the effects of dilution on pH. Many complex solutions (including bleach, and wort) are "buffered", thus dilution will not necessarily change the pH significantly. >(more stuff deleted) >How about repeated use? The arithmetic would seem to be pretty >simple. Since laboratory tests show no effect with a single use, >let's put an appropriate number on it: ZERO. Let's do the test 1 >billion times (lots of beer). The total effect is then > ZERO times 1 Billion equals ??? I'll leave this as a >homework assignment:-) This type of math, however simple, is very dangerous. No material has a corrosion rate of ZERO in any solution. It may be so small as to be unmeasurable, but it is not zero. Thus, the correct math would be: (something very small) times (something very big (1 Billion?)) equals (something which is NOT zero, and may in fact be quite appreciable) >Some who condemn bleach use an iodophor which contains phosphoric >acid. Phosphoric acid will react with 304 stainless. (My >laboratory tests have confirmed this.) I have seen several references that indicate that phosphoric acid is corrosive to SS only at high (>40%?) concentrations. I am guessing that the concentration of phosphoric acid in Iodophors is much lower than this (I may be wrong.) >This is due to the acidity (pH again). It is NOT due to the pH, but the chemical species involved!! >i hope this clears up some of the confusion and lays to rest some of >the needless worry. Please note that I agree with (what I believe is) don's bottom line: household bleach, when used at low concentrations, will not harm SS. Contrary to what don states, I have heard (sorry, I can't remember where) that hypochlorite in a HIGH ph (alkaline) solution is SAFER for SS. Most municipal water supplies are alkaline, this may explain why bleach in muni water solutions are OK on stainless. I have used 1 tsp in 5 gallons water with a 10 minute contact time to sterilize my Cornelius kegs for several years now, and have observed no pitting or other form of corrosion. Perhaps it would be a good idea for posters to this forum to include (1) Their relevant education, training, experience, etc., and/or (2) References for their assertions. In this spirit, I will state that my formal education includes a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 1985 Information on Chlorine chemistry may be found in: Chlorine, its manufacture, properties, and uses, JS Sconce, Ed. 1962 Information on corrosion of stainless steel: Corrosion of Stainless Steels, AJ Sedriks, 1979 Corrosion Engineering, Fontana & Greene, 1967 (Geez... sorry I wrote so much!) Kelly Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1993 16:57:00 -0700 (PDT) From: bmv at plaza.ds.adp.com (Brian M. Vandewettering) Subject: All Grain Systems I'm trying to gather as much info as I can on all grain brewing systems before putting my own system together. I've read several books on the subject but haven't come to a decision on the following items: + Boiling Kettle - what are the disadvantages of cutting up an old keg? Is a false bottom neccessary? For a 15 gallon capacity (10 gallon beer batch) what should I look for in material thickness and other features. + Propane burner - Is 35K BTU's big enough? How long to heat 12 gallons of wort? + Wort Chillers - Right now I'm using a homemade immersion type. What are the advantages of the other style? + Thermometers - Where do you find thermometers that are accurate to +/- 2 degrees? + Refrigeration/Fermenting - Idealy one would build a walk-in or two. How do persons of ordinary means accomodate large numbers of fermenters and kegs? Thanks, -Brian - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Vandewettering (ADP Dealer Services R&D) Portland, OR bmv at plaza.ds.adp.com - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 93 1:36:20 PDT From: tinsethg at ucs.orst.edu (Glenn Tinseth) Subject: Hop Utilization (again???) Sorry to beat a cheesy hop into the compost, but here are my two cents on the subject. Bob Jones is right in questioning Mark Garetz's publishing of utilization vs boil time data that differs with respect to the flocculant characteristics of the yeast. Yeast effects on overall alpha acid utilization have absolutely nothing to do with boil time. My preliminary data show that although many things affect the overall util % (eg wort gravity, wort pH, kettle geometry, boil temp, divalent cation conc, yeast strain, whether or not the beer is fined, filtered, or lagered, and more), none of these things affect the shape of the utilization curve. The literature and my early data indicate that the isomerization of alpha acids in the boil is a first order reaction. Those of you familiar with kinetics know that this means that Rager's (Eckhardt's?) and Garetz's numbers are just not right as far as the shape of the curve goes. Maybe someone who is *much* better than I at ASCII graphics could post the shape of a first order curve for A -> B. Things like I mentioned above affect the final number (util%-max) and *maybe* the rate constant, but certainly not the order of the reaction. As I mentioned in a previous posting, I hope to have something comprehensive re: hop utilization by the fall and at Bob Jones' urging will publish here first (at least a thumbnail version). Now for an embarassing moment. Due to my lack of UNIX expertise, several catalog requests were lost in the ether. If you sent me mail in the last week please resend it to tinsethg at ucs.orst.edu. I will be on vacation until the 22nd so please be patient. Roy Styan: sorry for the big delay but I will make it worth your while when I return! Please hit me with further util questions (Edwards and Liddil, I got your mail and am working at responses to your questions) and I'll try to help. Glenn Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 93 9:30:34 EDT From: Mark A Fryling <mfryling at magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> Subject: excellent mead yeast Howdy, With all the recent posts on the network regarding summer brewing and specifically the use of summer fruits in brewing, I felt compelled to share some info about the excellent results we've had on our last few batches of mead. In particular I've found that Lalvin 71B-1122 (s. cerevisiae) is a very good yeast for meads and melomels (mead with fruit). The reason I like this stuff so much is that the samples seem to be quite fresh (high apparent percentage of viable cells), the fermentation is active and very quick, and the strain is not overly attenuative so that a slight residual sweetness remains in the finished product (sorry but I dont have numbers on SG and FG). We've now made two batches of a spiced mead (no fruit) and both were completely clear and ready to bottle after spending 1 wk in the primary and only about 3 wks. in the secondary. Other yeasts I have tried (including Red Star Pasteur Champagne, and Eppernay 2) have taken much longer to clear out and have finished a bit dry for my taste. We also experienced very quick (about 5 wks.) clearing on our the one melomel we made using this strain (a Kiwi mead with 8lbs honey and 12lbs crushed kiwi fruit). A strawberry melomel (8-10lbs light honey and 15lbs frozen strawberries picked last weekend) is on the list for tomorrow. Here is the basic spiced mead recipie: "Spicy Lemon-Ginger Mead" 10-15lbs light (clover, orange blossom etc) honey Bring to a boil with 2gal good brewing water 1/4 oz good flavor hops (I like cascade or hollertau) boil 15 min 4 oz grated fresh ginger 1/4 oz good aroma hops (like hollertau, tettnang, or saaz) a strong tea made from 1 oz dried lemongrass, and several (5 or so) bags of your favorite blend (we have used chammomile and constant comment) Add these at the end of the boil and steep for 15 min Cool to ca. 75F and dilute to 5gal Add 1.25 tsp yeast energizer, and 2 pkgs (10g total) of Lalvin S. Cerevisiae rehydrated according to instructions. When completely cleared in secondary, bottle with 3/4c glucose if a sparkling mead is desired Believe it or not, this stuff tastes great after only a month or two in the bottle. It has a mouthfeel thats not unlike a medium sweet champagne, but of course, the flavor is mead all the way. For melomel, I generally cut back to about 8lbs of honey and replace the sugar with 8-15 lbs of crushed fruit. My best results, though done with different yeast, have been with black rasberries (fresh picked then frozen before use), and a combination of peaches and strawberries (yummy). I've heard of different techniques, but we've had good luck and no unwanted innoculations just adding the thawed and crushed fruit to the hot honey wort just at the end of the boil and steeping (read pasturizing) the fruit for 15min. Oh, BTW the spices should also be cut back or deleted all together to let the fruit character come through. If anyone else has experience with this Lalvin S. Cerevisiae I'd like to know about it. Mead is a wonderful drink for all seasons and is easy and inexpensive to make. Cheers, Mark Fryling Dept. of Chemistry Ohio State Univ. <mfryling at magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> "Never let your sense of morality prevent you from doing what's right" Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1162, 06/15/93