HOMEBREW Digest #1340 Wed 02 February 1994
Digest #1339
Digest #1341
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Cafe' Pacifica/Sankt Gallen Brewery (Lowell Hart)
Samuel Adams move over... (Steven Tollefsrud)
Beer in Oak Casks-NOT (Steven Tollefsrud)
Vermont's finest ("Dana S. Cummings")
Weizen:Pitch Temp vs. Fermentation Temp?????? (Stuart Mennitt)
Fat in Homebrew? ("when the cold winds blow, it'll ease your mind 01-Feb-1994 0908 -0500")
Re: Calorie program correction (bickham)
Cannabis (Spencer.W.Thomas)
Laaglander (WKODAMA)
Re: Checker pH Meter (Dion Hollenbeck)
Keg bottling/Special B/Leftovers (npyle)
Re: Spent grain (VIALEGGIO)
Imperial Stout yeast? (Alexander J Ramos)
good windows softwarefor homebrewing/tracking?? (Murray Knudson)
Spent Grain and Beer Festivals FAQ (Alan_Marshall)
bleach vs. B-Brite ("Brian Shewchuk")
Info on Laaglander Dry Malt Extracts. (lyons)
Info on Laaglander Dry Malt Extracts ... CORRECTION! (lyons)
Stout (THOPKINS)
Data Sheet - Canada Malt 2 Row (GANDE)
Sanitization (astrausa/G=Steve/S=Dragon/O=astra_usa_inc/OU1=ASTRA1)
The Sierra HBD Archives (how to). ("Stephen Hansen")
Raisin extract (x-4378)" <Simpson at po2.rb.unisys.com>
Stanford machine up (Mike Dix)
Cask Conditioning: 1st Report (COYOTE)
Culturing: SOLID vs. Liquid (COYOTE)
Culturing: SOLID vs. Liquid. part 2 (COYOTE)
Laaglander DME (korz)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 00:49:17 PST
From: lhart at caticsuf.CSUFresno.EDU (Lowell Hart)
Subject: Cafe' Pacifica/Sankt Gallen Brewery
This last weekend four representatives of the San Joaquin WORThogs,
locally world-reknown homebrew club, made a pilgrimage to Anchor
Brewing Company for the California Homebrew Club of the Year
banquet and general pissup. (No, it wasn't us, the San Andreas Malts
won, but Anchor invites reps.from other clubs to pay homage) A good
time was had by all.I'm sure they were fishing them out of the sewers
for days afterwards.
In true Hog fashion, we hit San Andreas in Hollister (great fun, and
they even let us taste the woodruff ale) on the way up, then Gordon
Birsch on the Embarcadero in the City (pant, pant, drool...Lookit
the system! Check out this beer!.) We then made the mistake of
going to Cafe' Pacifica on Bush in the Financial District. Now, I
had heard from my bro-in-law (Hi, Edson!) that this was owned by a
Japanese gentleman who,upon failing to get microbreweries into
Tokyo due to powerful opposition, set up this wonderful (looking)
micro plant as part of a dim sum restaurant. It seems to have a
different name then the cafe', namely Sankt Gallen, after an 8th century
monastery in Switzerland. The little brochure tells usall about this
in a convincing manner. We each ordered a sampler, about 10 oz. each
of the pale, amber, and dark ales, to the tune of $4.50 . Not a bad deal,
we thought out loud. Until we tried some. The pale was old and overhopped
(I always wondered what that "cardboard" description was all about, now
I know), the amber was husky, astringent (we practiced our tongue-stuck-out
tasting technique here) and infected. The dark was the least offensive, but
had a wei dark-malt nose, like I was sniffing the mash of a big ol'
dark beer, with the edominant flavor of molasses. Irritating.
Does anybody know the story on this place? It's so pretty, with copper
clad fermenters and lotsa tile and stainless, but the beers were
undrinkable. Que lastima! It's weird when you go to drink in a commercial
place and realize that you could brew better stuff on a bad day. The
best way I can get the experience across is to say that our normally
rather mean group left $18 worth of beer unquaffed on the bar, not
including tip.
After Anchor (somehow we were still walking) we hit Toronado, a great little
joint with 25+ taps, 50+ different bottles, and 200+ people in an area about
the size of my apartment. Besides good beer, it was heartening to see things
like two very attractive young ladies ordering a 750ml Kriek and drinking it out
of thistle glasses. There is hope for the future of America.
Lowell Hart
Raketenflugplatz, Fresno
lhart at caticsuf.csufresno.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 12:00:39 +0100
From: steve_t at fleurie.inria.fr (Steven Tollefsrud)
Subject: Samuel Adams move over...
Well, we may as well throw all of our brewing equipment into
the nearest dumpster: the English have come out with (drum roll)...
The Beer Machine!!
I met an English guy at a pub last night who had just come over
to France from the UK and was talking about a new contraption
now available on the English market which works on the
same principle as soft drink dispensors. On one side of the
machine is an input for carbonated water; on the other side there
is an input for a beer-concentrate syrup cartridge (there is even
a choice between Pale Ale, Bitter, Porter, or Stout). The concentrate
is some sort of mix of alcohol, malt extract, hop extract, and the
famous English E# chemical flavorings. You simply push a button
and, voila, out comes instant beer!!
Oops! STAMPEDE!!
Steve Tollefsrud
VALBONNE, France
e-mail: steve_t at fleurie.compass.fr
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 11:36:56 +0100
From: steve_t at fleurie.inria.fr (Steven Tollefsrud)
Subject: Beer in Oak Casks-NOT
Recently, "J. Hunter Heinlen" <STBLEZA at grove.iup.edu> wrote:
> Does anyone have good sources for aging in oak casks (or fermenting
> in them, for that matter). I recently acquired one at an acution,
> and wish to put it into good use. I do, actually, have access to
> books with info on using oak casks, but they were written in the late
> late 16th/ early 17th centuries, and I'm wishing something a bit more
> up to date.
WHY?!
Storing wine in oak casks is good. Storing beer in oak casks would be bad.
The reason Bordeaux wine producers store wine in oak barrels for a couple
of years is to contribute TANNINS to the wine which make the wine age
better. In beermaking, we do everything we can to avoid extracting bitter
tannins from the grain husks, so why defeat the purpose by putting the beer
in oak??
Steve Tollefsrud
VALBONNE, France
e-mail: steve_t at fleurie.compass.fr
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 1994 07:45:33 -0500 (EST)
From: "Dana S. Cummings" <dcumming at moose.uvm.edu>
Subject: Vermont's finest
I was unaware of Mountain Brewers curtailing their out of state distribution.
What of the rumors that they are searching for a new location with
intention of doubling their capacity? This was reported in the local(BTV)
paper some time ago. Also rumored for the Green Mt. St. is a new brewpub
in the Queen City.
Regarding NE/Mid-Atlantic brew festivals. In September the brewers of
Vermont get together to sponsor a fabulous event at the Sugarbush ski
resort. I have attended both years and have been very impressed with
the representation of regional beers. Some of the big boys try to get in
on the market but they always look so lonely. It's a long time to wait
but well worth it.
Return to table of contents
Date: 1 Feb 94 08:12 EST
From: smennitt at oasys.dt.navy.mil (Stuart Mennitt)
Subject: Weizen:Pitch Temp vs. Fermentation Temp??????
Howdy beer nuts,
I've just got done reading the "German Wheat Beer" volume of the
Classic Beer Styles series and had one question, at least.
The author mentions all of the classic weizen brewers in Bavaria
use a rule of thumb: the pitching and fermentation temperatures must
add up to 50 degrees C (I think). He said a common combination was
to pitch at 59F and ferment at 64F.
Anyone care to comment on the logic of cooling below fermentation
temperature to pitch and then raising it up some? I don't get it.
Also, I'm considering making a weizenbock using 6.6lb Ireks all-wheat
LME + 3.3 lbs Ireks light (barley) LME + some hops + Wyeast's new wheat
strain. Any additional suggestions on brewing and kegging this welcome.
- --____________________________________________________
] Stu Mennitt smennitt at oasys.dt.navy.mil [
] NavSurfWarCen, CarderockDiv Bethesda, Maryland [
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- -------
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 09:08:45 EST
From: "when the cold winds blow, it'll ease your mind 01-Feb-1994 0908 -0500" <ferguson at zendia.enet.dec.com>
Subject: Fat in Homebrew?
Is there FAT in homebrew? If so, where does it come from? I'd be interested
in an entire nutritional breakdown of your typical homebrew.
JC
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 1994 09:24:01 -0500 (EST)
From: bickham at msc.cornell.edu
Subject: Re: Calorie program correction
<ferguson at zendia.enet.dec.com> writes:
>
>Subject: Calorie program: what is the unit of measure? Plus, a bug..
>
> Thanks for posting the calorie counter program. Couple of things. First
> off, what is the unit of measure? per 12 oz?
Thanks for pointing this out - the calories are for 12 oz. measures. A
sample of the output is listed below:
Calories (in 12 oz.)
Final Gravity
O.G. 1.006 1.008 1.010 1.012 1.014 1.016 1.018 1.020 1.022 1.024
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.040 129.5 130.5 131.5 132.4 133.4 134.4 135.4 136.3 137.3 138.3
1.042 136.0 136.9 137.9 138.9 139.9 140.8 141.8 142.8 143.8 144.7
1.044 142.4 143.4 144.4 145.3 146.3 147.3 148.3 149.2 150.2 151.2
1.046 148.9 149.9 150.8 151.8 152.8 153.8 154.7 155.7 156.7 157.7
1.048 155.4 156.3 157.3 158.3 159.2 160.2 161.2 162.2 163.1 164.1
1.050 161.8 162.8 163.8 164.7 165.7 166.7 167.7 168.6 169.6 170.6
1.052 168.3 169.3 170.3 171.2 172.2 173.2 174.1 175.1 176.1 177.1
1.054 174.8 175.8 176.7 177.7 178.7 179.7 180.6 181.6 182.6 183.5
1.056 181.3 182.3 183.2 184.2 185.2 186.1 187.1 188.1 189.0 190.0
1.058 187.8 188.8 189.7 190.7 191.7 192.6 193.6 194.6 195.5 196.5
1.060 194.3 195.3 196.2 197.2 198.2 199.1 200.1 201.1 202.0 203.0
The limits can be changed as desired, and the percent alcohol and percent
of the calories from alcohol are produced in a similar format.
> Second, those " in the write statements were barfed back by our VAX Fortran
> compiler - I change 'em all to single quotes (') and it worked fine.
Hmm, worked fine on our UNIX system ;-) But as you found, it doesn't take
much programming knowledge to adapt it to any Fortran compiler, and for
that matter, translating to C.
Scott "Looking for bottles so I can brew again" Bickham
- --
========================================================================
Scott Bickham
bickham at msc.cornell.edu
=========================================================================
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 09:53:09 EST
From: Spencer.W.Thomas at med.umich.edu
Subject: Cannabis
Just FYI: Cannabis and Hops are about as closely related as humans and
monkeys. No real reason to think one would substitute for the other.
=S
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 1994 10:08:22 -0500
From: WKODAMA at aba.com
Subject: Laaglander
In #1339, Bill King writes:
> Does anyone out there have any comments on the various
> Laaglander dried extracts?
I had a three batch in a row problem with stuck ferments. I was
only getting down to around 1.020 to 1.030, where I usually end
at around 1.009 to 1.013. The only thing all three batches had
in common were the use of Laaglander light DME (I usually use
Munton & Fison). This can hardly be classified as conclusive
evidence, however; it's more of an anecdotal "data point." In
general, though, always use the lightest extract you can get and
use specialty grains to provide character and color for your
beer. I personally find DME to be vastly superior to syrup in
terms of ease of use.
Wesman
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 07:38:38 PST
From: hollen at megatek.com (Dion Hollenbeck)
Subject: Re: Checker pH Meter
>>>>> "Steve" == steevd <steevd at aol.com> writes:
Steve> Has anyone bought one of those Checker brand pH meters advertised
Steve> in Zymurgy? They seem like an incredible value at less than 40
Steve> bucks, considering they have a double offset and a resolution of
Steve> 0.01 pH units. What I'm really trying to find out is: are they
Steve> relatively sturdy; are they accurate to within at least 0.1 pH
Steve> units; do they hold their calibration well? Any comments will be
Steve> appreciated.
No, but I have been investigating pH meters thoroughly. All the
reasonably priced meters are not temperature corrected. You need to
calibrate them at the temperature you will be taking the measurement.
I talked to Williams Brewing Supplies and theirs are not temp
corrected. The picture in Zymurgy looks identical to the picture in
the Williams catalog. I have the Cole-Parmer Scientific supply
catalog and you don't get temp corrected meters until you get over
$150 or so. And then, they will only work up to 150F or so.
One thing to look out for is that you must figure calibration solution
in your pricing. Without reference calibration, a pH meter may be
useless. Also, you don't know how long the electrode will last. This
is usually the weak spot on a cheap meter. Also, many meters require
that to last, you must store the electrode immersed in buffer solution
to keep is saturated. This stuff is not cheap either.
I am not an expert, just a thorough investigator. It would be nice to
hear from someone in the university scientific community who has daily
use knowledge.
Dion Hollenbeck (619)455-5590x2814 Email: hollen at megatek.com
Staff Software Engineer megatek!hollen at uunet.uu.net
Megatek Corporation, San Diego, California ucsd!megatek!hollen
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 8:53:16 MST
From: npyle at n33.stortek.com
Subject: Keg bottling/Special B/Leftovers
I have created a method for bottling from a keg which is nearly as good as CP
bottling. It is really quite simple and works very well for small numbers of
bottles. First, sanitize the bottles and cool them. Next, bleed off almost
all of the pressure in the keg, down to a pound or two of pressure (of course
the beer has been previously carbonated, etc.). Now, just dispense your beer
into a bottle, holding the bottle above the keg level. If the flow is too
slow, lower the bottle and the fill will speed up. This works well for a few
bottles to bring to a party, etc. With more than about 6 bottles, the flow
will stop and you will need to add a little pressure again to get going.
This method provides almost no foaming, thus very little lost carbonation. I
fill the bottles as high as possible. This means the beer doesn't have to
give up much dissolved CO2 to pressurize the head space, and there is less
chance for oxygen to do much damage. I haven't kept beer bottled this way
for more than a couple of days, but I doubt there would be any oxidation
symptoms for weeks.
**
Aaron asks:
>Could the red be from the Special B?
Yes. My American "brown" ale used Special B and it is a beautiful deep
copper color. That is the only special malt in the grain bill, so I know it
is the contributor in my case. I'm sure the sugar had some effect but not as
much as the SB.
**
Ronald Dwelle asks:
>What do you do with the spent (left-over) grain?
Well, mine goes into the compost heap, but I guess you don't have one. It
makes a good mulch for flower beds, etc. In Boulder, I regularly see it used
in the city park flower beds, etc. The birds love it.
Cheers,
Norm
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 1994 11:16:02 -0500 (EST)
From: VIALEGGIO at ccmail.sunysb.edu
Subject: Re: Spent grain
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5475
Victor Ialeggio
Music
516 632-7239
01-Feb-1994 11:09am EDT
FROM: VIALEGGIO
TO: Remote Addressee ( _homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com )
Subject: Re: Spent grain
Ron Dweller asked What to do with spent grain,
in lieu of slopping pigs? Compost, compost. Grow
onions in it come spring, buy some
nice sharp cheddar -- and your beer makes a
Trinity. They will be very happy to inhabit
your body & soul together. vialeggio at ccmail.sunysb.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 1994 12:13:49 -0500
From: Alexander J Ramos <geotex at eecs.umich.edu>
Subject: Imperial Stout yeast?
Greetings!
I am preparing to brew an Imperial Stout with OG of about 1.100 or so.
I have some questions about which yeast I should use. I am planning to
use a Wyeast American Ale (22 oz.) starter. Here are my questions:
1) Does anyone have experience using this yeast for a high gravity
brew? I am assuming that a 22oz. starting will be enough to allow
a complete ferment. Should I increase this amount?
2) In general, how will I know if the Ale yeast has done its job
completely? If the gravity settles down to 1.030 or so, how
will I know if I should pitch some champaign yeast to finish it
off?
3) If I pitch champaign yeast after the ale yeast, how will that
affect the final product? Is it possible to get too much attenuation
with an alcohol tolerant yeast?
The yeast.faq has a small amount of info on fermenting high gravity
brews, but I am unsure if I am on the right track, or not.
Please e-mail or post respnses.
PS === On a different note, does anyone have a good idea how to take a
SG reading when my beer is in a glass carboy? I haven't thought
of a good way to do it yet minimizing contact with beer.
Thanks
Alex
geotex at engin.umich.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 09:28:09 PST
From: Murray Knudson <murrayk at microsoft.com>
Subject: good windows softwarefor homebrewing/tracking??
I was wondering if there were any recommendations on good Windows based
brewing
software. I have seen the earlier version of Brewers Workshop, which
didn't seem bad, however some of the functionality did seem a little
compromised.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
thanks
murray knudson
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 1994 12:36 EDT
From: Alan_Marshall <AK200032 at Sol.YorkU.CA>
Subject: Spent Grain and Beer Festivals FAQ
In HBD 1339:
dweller at GVSU.EDU (RONALD DWELLE), writes
> For you experienced all-grainers (from someone just 3 batches into the
> procedure): What do you do with the spent (left-over) grain? Books say
> the biggies sell it as cattle fodder, but I've got no pigs. Throw it
> in the garbage? Seems like such a waste.
Where I live, our soil is hard clay. I would mix it into my garden or
at least into the composter. Its full of stuff that breaks up the
clay. You could also add a couple of spoonfuls to your morning bowl
of porridge! :-) (Actually, my morning porridge recipe: 1 tbsp of
Carastan malt, 2 tbsp 3 minute oatmeal, and water. 3minutes in the
microwave at High. Great for regularity!)
Also, Timothy Staiano <tstaiano at ultrix.ramapo.edu>, writes:
> Also, if anyone could keep me updated on local and/or regional beer
> festivals in the mid-Atlantic/North East region that would be great.
Last year, I maintained the Beer Festivals FAQ that was posted to
alt.beer regularly, and occasionally in r.c.b. I recently reposted it
to alt.beer and requested updates so that I can get started on the
1994 edition. The 1993 Festival FAQ is available by email request
from me (ak200032 at sol.yorku.ca). I will post the 1994 FAQ to the
appropriate newsgroups (alt.beer, r.c.b and if it is created
red.food.drinf.beer) once I have the information. In HBD, I will
only post a announcement and pointer.
Alan Marshall (sig omitted to shrink the HBD!)
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 12:58 EST
From: "Brian Shewchuk" <BMS8 at PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Subject: bleach vs. B-Brite
Up until now, I've been using a bleach solution to do all sanitizing. I
just got some B-Brite to try, because I was getting tired of the fumes.
My question is if B-Brite has the same sanitizing (antimicrobial) capability
as chlorine bleach. Can I use it for the same things and in the same manner
as with bleach?
Thanks in advance,
Brian Shewchuk
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 12:36:45 EST
From: lyons%adc3 at swlvx2.msd.ray.com
Subject: Info on Laaglander Dry Malt Extracts.
Bill writes in HBD #1339:
> Greetings:
> Does anyone out there have any comments on the various Laaglander dried
> extracts?
I've brewed with Laaglander on several occasions. The most important
thing to note is that Laaglander contains more unfermentable sugars
than most other extracts. For example, I typically get approximately
78% apparent attenuation with many syrups & M&F DME. However, I have
consistently gotten 55% AA with Laaglander DME. If you like to design
a beer with a specific OG & FG in mind, then this information is very
helpful. Note, that corn sugar has an AA of 100%. With this information
I have been able to create beers that have the identical OG & FG from a
combination of corn sugar and Laaglander that I have gotten from 100%
Laaglander DME. If you brew to target a desired OG & FG, then you can
reach your objectives more economically with Laaglander & corn sugar than
you can with 100% M&F DME.
Chris Lyons
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 12:51:38 EST
From: lyons%adc3 at swlvx2.msd.ray.com
Subject: Info on Laaglander Dry Malt Extracts ... CORRECTION!
Note: the earlier message incorrectly had Laaglander in a spot
that M&F should have appeared. Sorry for any confusion.
Bill writes in HBD #1339:
> Greetings:
> Does anyone out there have any comments on the various Laaglander dried
> extracts?
I've brewed with Laaglander on several occasions. The most important
thing to note is that Laaglander contains more unfermentable sugars
than most other extracts. For example, I typically get approximately
78% apparent attenuation with many syrups & M&F DME. However, I have
consistently gotten 55% AA with Laaglander DME. If you like to design
a beer with a specific OG & FG in mind, then this information is very
helpful. Note, that corn sugar has an AA of 100%. With this information
I have been able to create beers that have the identical OG & FG from a
combination of corn sugar and Laaglander that I have gotten from 100%
M&F DME. If you brew to target a desired OG & FG, then you can
reach your objectives more economically with Laaglander & corn sugar than
you can with 100% M&F DME.
Chris Lyons
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 94 12:52
From: THOPKINS at klaven.tci.com (THOPKINS)
Subject: Stout
Do you know of any kits or recipes for making Stout at home? I
love the stuff, but can't afford it. I will appreciate any
leads. Thanks!
Return to table of contents
Date: 1 Feb 94 19:05:05 GMT
From: GANDE at slims.attmail.com
Subject: Data Sheet - Canada Malt 2 Row
I bought a 50 KG sack of 2 row from Canada Malting today and received
the 1994 Data Sheet for it. If anyone is interested here's the
low-down:
Analysis date: January 11, 1994
Blend: 80% Harrington, 20% Manley
Moisture: 3.9
Ext F As is: 78.5
Ext F Dry: 81.7
Ext C As is: 77.2
Ext C Dry: 80.3
F/C: 1.4
Color 1.76
DP: 120
AA: 50.9
Malt Prot: 10.91
Wort Prot: 4.99
S/T: 45.7
FAN: 225
Assortment: 7/64: 65.9, 6/64: 25.9, 5/64: 6.7
Thrus: 1.5
I'm not sure what many of these statistics mean, if anyone would care
to comment, or indicate the relevance of any of these numbers to
brewing, please do.
I will be obtaining the Data sheets on the other malts from Canada
Malting shortly and will post them as I receive them.
...Glenn
+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Internet: gande at slims.attmail.com| "640K ought to |
| Glenn Anderson | be enough for |
| Manager, Telecom. Facilities | anybody." |
| Sun Life of Canada |-Bill Gates, 1981|
+----------------------------------+-----------------+
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Date: 31 Jan 94 23:00:33 GMT
From: astrausa/G=Steve/S=Dragon/O=astra_usa_inc/OU1=ASTRA1 at mhs.attmail.com
Subject: Sanitization
I am new to the internet, so let me introduce myself. I am Steve
Dragon and live in Worcester, MA. I have been brewing for about four
years (you know how you can lose track) and all-grain for over two of
them.
My question concerns the use of ONE STEP by ID Carlson. I have been
using BEE BRIGHT to sanitize my plastic and SS, and bleach for the
glass carboys. BEE BRIGHT requires rinsing, but ONE STEP does not! I
have never had any infections using BEE BRIGHT and rinsing, but you
never can tell when an infection will come in through the city water
supply. Has anyone out there used ONE STEP?
Bee & Beer forever,
Steve Dragon
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 94 12:32:14 -0800
From: "Stephen Hansen" <hansen at gloworm.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: The Sierra HBD Archives (how to).
There have been several postings lately about how to get files from
the Homebrew Archives on Sierra so I thought I'd re-post some instructions.
If you can use ftp (the preferred method) you should connect to
Sierra.Stanford.EDU (internet address 36.2.0.98) and log in as either
"anonymous" or "ftp" using your e-mail address as the password.
If the login fails it is probably because you mistyped anonymous or
didn't use an email address with a " at " in it as the password.
Once you do get logged in you should first set the transfer type to
"binary" since text file will transfer just fine in binary mode but
non-text files will not. This is usually done with the "type binary"
command though sometimes just "binary" will do.
After this you can use the "dir" or "ls" commands to see what files
and directories (folders) are available. The "cd xxx" command moves you
to the specified (xxx) directory and "cd .." moves you up out of the
current directory.
The "get xxx" command will get the specified (xxx) file. If the file
is compressed (i.e. has a .Z suffixed to its name) then you will need
a version of the compress program to uncompress it (you can find it in
the /pub/sources directory). Alternatively, if you "get" the file
without the .Z suffix the ftp server will uncompress it for you before
sending it.
For those of you without ftp access there is the listserver. The
listserver allows you get files from the archives via e-mail. Since
most archive files are rather large you will probably get them in
multiple messages of about 65 KByte each.
Each mail message has two main parts, the header and the body. The
header is defined as all lines from the beginning to the first blank
line. The body starts at the first non-blank line after the header
and goes to the end. The listserver only looks at the body for its
commands (i.e. the subject is ignored). Don't worry about case as
everything is mapped to lower case.
Here are the three commands that you will need:
help - get a help message about how to use the listserver.
index homebrew - get the list of files available from the homebrew archive.
get homebrew xxx - get file xxx from the homebrew archive.
Some brain-damaged mail programs insert one or more lines between the
message header and the user's text. Since the listserver spits out an
error message and gives up as soon as it sees something that is does not
recognize this is guaranteed not to work (sorry about that Chief).
My appologies for the length of this post but I hope that is will cut
down on "how do I get" messages, for a while at least.
Here's some info from the January ftp summary.
Transfer Totals include the '/pub/homebrew' section only.
TOTALS FOR SUMMARY PERIOD Sat Jan 1 1994 TO Mon Jan 31 1994
Files Transmitted During Summary Period 39,930
Bytes Transmitted During Summary Period 1,827,598,335
Average Files Transmitted Daily 1,288
Average Bytes Transmitted Daily 58,954,785
Usage is doubling every 3 or 4 months.
Stephen Hansen
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Stephen E. Hansen - hansen at sierra.Stanford.EDU | "The church is near,
Electrical Engineering Computer Facility | but the road is icy.
Applied Electronics Laboratory, Room 218 | The bar is far away,
Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4055 | but I will walk carefully."
Phone: +1-415-723-1058 Fax: +1-415-723-1294 | -- Russian Proverb
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Date: Tue, 01 Feb 94 12:33:00 PST
From: "SIMPSON, Mark (x-4378)" <Simpson at po2.rb.unisys.com>
Subject: Raisin extract
Hey Brewpeople!!
A friend of mine is brewing a wine concoction which uses raisins, herbs and
a bunch of sugar. She wanted to substitute more raisins for the sugar. Is
there anyone who has the extract potential of the standard grocery-variety
raisin (i.e. degrees per pound per gallon)???
Thanks,
Mark
simpson at rb.unisys.com
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Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 13:02:41 "PST
From: Mike Dix <mdix at dcssc.sj.hp.com>
Subject: Stanford machine up
Today (Tuesday, Feb 1), my mailbox filled with my sierra.stanford.edu
listserver requests. So whatever was wrong, is OK now.
Mike Dix
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Date: Tue, 01 Feb 1994 14:00:08 -0600 (MDT)
From: COYOTE <SLK6P at cc.usu.edu>
Subject: Cask Conditioning: 1st Report
Well, we did it. Cracked the cask. Drank of it's will.
Sat Night was the "tapping party" of the oak cask my tenant/neighbor's dad
found in a barn. It holds 5 gal.s, and was originally from Hofbrau,
judging by that fact it says so -carved on the back.
It was a fun experience overall. It was a learning experience, not yet
perfected. The beer was intented to by an IPA, but due to an unwanted
infection (ugh! bitter dregs.) the plan changed to a Vienna. It was
primed with a full 3/4 cup sugar after the secondary, and casked.
Conditioning was only 1 week at about 55 deg F. Not long enough.
I think it actually would be better to prime with 1/2 cup, and condition
for 3 weeks at the same temp.
The beer was fine. Light, somewhat hazy. Not very heady- even with a
"splashy" pour. It was said to definitely have an "oaky" flavor.
It almost seemed sour-ish to me, but other brewfriends didn't think so.
I think it needed a hoppier, and perhaps stronger beer, with more
carbonation. This one started almost flat, and went fully flat. BUT
everyone drank it anyway. THe cask was empty in an hour or two. (time????)
Good thing there were stouts and bitters on tap. Now I have 4 kegs and a
cask to re-fill. Fun party.
It will be fun to really learn the nuances of cask-conditioning.
It just looks neat sitting there in the fermentorium (aka brewroom) in
the basement of the Coyote Brewery (nyuck). I got a tap for it, and
wooden bung from Cellar Homebrew(shameless plug from a happy customer-discl.)
It worked fine, but the bung isn't intented for beer- but wine.
Anyone know of a source for BEER cask items?
It was a true kick to tap the cask. It was corked in the "top" end hole,
and the goal is to bang the wooden tap handle into the hole, knocking
the cork into the cask, and then occasionally releasing the bung on the
side-side to allow the beer to flow. If you've ever seen the BeerHunter
episode in Munich (wasn't it?!) where the mayor taps the BIG cask at a feast
fest. Gets spewed with beer and loves it! Well, maybe next time with a bit
better conditioning! :)
Definitely will try this one twice!!!
But alas - I must wait. My (extract) brewer / cask owner is gonna do
the next one. Good excuse for a party IMHO. :)
PS: Do try this at home!
John (The Coyote) Wyllie SLK6P at cc.usu.edu
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Date: Tue, 01 Feb 1994 14:07:51 -0600 (MDT)
From: COYOTE <SLK6P at cc.usu.edu>
Subject: Culturing: SOLID vs. Liquid
*Editors note: Sorry for the delay. I over-rambled, got bounced, got busy.
Jim had a nice "rebuttal" and statements in responce. But I must ramble
a bit, in my defense- JI and I have already chatted on this, so I'll chop
out some of previous post. JDW aka Coyote
on Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 11:16:40 CST
"John L. Isenhour" <isenhour at lambic.fnal.gov> countered my statements on:
Subject: yeast culturing. Liquid vs. Solid. The debate...:)
JW>>* I would question relying solely on liquid cultures. One major
advantage
>of the use of plates is that you can SEE single colonies. Even with slants
>you are able to get an idea if there is significant/obvious contamination.
JI>I didnt say to use liquid only, I just prefer it. I really doubt that with
typical streaking done in the home that you would steak down to the point
where you could be certain that there was only one cell per growth node.
** Not certain. True. But I did say OBVIOUS contamination, didn't I?
Like black fuzzies all over the plate, red colonies...etc. (foul smell).
>Especially in the summer, even in a hood, you will occasionally get airborn
... snip ... my article on sterile transfer techniques in the Zymurgy yeast
issue, you can avoid potential contamination problems by using liquid.
** Everyone has their own preferences. Granted. Personally I don't like
needles. We have a GC at work, and I like to stay away from that area.
Needles everywhere. Personally I prefer the color display of my propane
torch blasting away in close proximity to my furry head, and face. :)
(hope I never knock it over. Knock on my head!). Again. Preference.
** The other thing that bothered me about your technique is that it is such a
sealed system you have no interaction with the yeast. You can't SEE it, or
SMELL it. I agree, you have a nicely sealed system. I have suffered
airborne problems. But I like to be intimate with my yeast. Call me kinky.
*NOTE: JI Tastes his cultures worts. So he does get into it.
** Personally I think flaming of test tubes does a pretty good job of
keeping nasties out. I close my bedroom door, spray the air around me
desk w/ lysol and lock the dogs out. As long as there is a positive airflow
there isn't much chance for nasties to get in. I wouldn't mind making a
hood like the one you pictured in fig. 2. But I haven't had too much
problem with airbornes. Moisture accumulation in plates is more
troublesome, so I've moved more to slants. I use the lid of the plate as
as shield, for partial protection.
>>Additionally, it is my belief that slants/plates can last longer as a
>stable culture than a liquid culture.
>Plates that undergo temperature changes are going to respire and possibly
suck ... snip ... "talk of methods, etc."
** Now John. This started with us both agreeing plates should be
wrapped. Parafilm works great, Plastic tape'll do the trick too.
(if I didn't agree, I meant to!). So respiration isn't an issue.
I wrap the caps of my screw-cap culture tubes w/ parafilm, too.
** For initial yeast growth yeast need some air. I would content that a
slant tube of yeast will consume air present as well as a liquid tube.
I don't open-reclose slants. When I transfer from a slant- it generally
means I'm on to a starter or new slant. The old one gets pitched.
So I don't have air - introduction. But for multiplication/propogation
you need some at first. Do you aerate your mason jar starters after
autoclaving? Just with the air in the headspace I presume?
>>Due mainly to the fact that the medium is solid, therefore nutrients will
>>diffuse to the culture in a slower fashion
> I am not aware of nutrients diffusing thru chilled agar at any appreciable
rate (I would welcome any citations), most organisms try to grow across
agar to get to nutrients. The so called unfermentables can be utilized, at
much slower rate.
** There are numerous reports/studies of diffusion of various substances
through agar media. It is a gel, not a true solid. If you "really" want
references I'll get you some, but I don't think it's worth the bother.
Substances of all types DO diffuse through agar. Ask your micro friends.
e.g., Antibiotic sensitivity tests depend on diffusion through agar plates.
>> When liquid yeast media is added to fresh sterile liquid starter and the
temperature is reduced, I've found that they do not tend to exhaust the
media before I utilize the sample.
** Ok. If it works for you- great. I say DO IT.
My personal preference in approach is to keep liquid cultures for
no more than a month. Whereas slants/plates are stored for preferable
no more than 3 months. But 6 month old plates have been re-cultured
with no noticable detriments. For longer than that I'd promote freezing.
More coming in second half. The debate rages on.
Sorry to TNI (those not interested)
- \\\ "Non-flaming" John (The Coyote) Wyllie SLK6P at cc.usu.edu /// -
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 1994 14:11:08 -0600 (MDT)
From: COYOTE <SLK6P at cc.usu.edu>
Subject: Culturing: SOLID vs. Liquid. part 2
...part two... and last of my babbles for a while. :) Happy are you?!
>>In micro labs most cultures are STORED on slants, plates, OR frozen for
^^
>longer term storage. It is rare to store a culture in a liquid medium.
>I have never seen a petrie dish used to store yeast in a freezer. I know of a
lot of cell types grown and stored in liquid, esp if that is their natural
environment.
** John...I never said to freeze plates. That would be silly!
Please don't mince my words. I do that well enough w/o help.
** My main backing comes from experience in micro labs of various sorts.
Cultures were grown up/studied in liquid cultures, but storage was on
solid media for general use, and for secure long-term...frozen at -70.
Some of this work was with MARINE bacteria. Their natural environment
is LIQUID, but once enriched in the lab they were STORED on SOLID media.
Liquids were mostly used for growing large volumes for harvest.
In one lab, where we worked with yeast, we also did not use liquid
cultures for storage. Animal cells are grown and stored in liquid,
but that's not microbiology.
> I dont want the yeast supply guys going outta business, but I so like
to get at least 10 ferments out of a purchased culture.
> I've just found liquid to be better for me.
** I strongly agree. It is to our benefit to keep them in business!
Buy American yeast (just kidding!). Spreading our personal $ is our right.
** Great. Sounds like you have a system that works for you.
Mine is different, not necessarily better, not necessarily worse.
I just like more interaction/observation of my yeast. Preference.
>A small explanation might help:
...(with liberal use of peroxide) ...
** You don't mention the peroxide in your article. This won't work
on all bacteria, and won't be effective against wild yeast or mold.
Rubbing alcohol, or flame is probably better. YMMV.
** Also: You mention a jar of water/fish tank heater for an incubator.
Might I suggest: A low wattage light bulb, and regulator (fridge type can
work) in an insulated box. These are commonly used for home- yogurt
culturing. I think you'll get better air-temp-transfer than the water
method you mention.
>If lambic brewsters can 'store' their cultures in wooden barrels, and even
out in the feilds - I guess anything will work :-)
** Note: This all comes from a guy who has 5 gallons of beer in an oak cask
of unknown origin. (well, someone's barn...But it's originally from Hofbrau).
But hey- I'll try anything twice! I'll be tapping that pup sat night.
I'll let ya all know how it goes.
** Disclaimer: The preceding may have sounded like flames at times.
Please understand IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE. Just heartfelt debate.
I am aware that John wrote an article for the zymurgy special issue.
Good ideas. He is also a beer judge (? I gather from another post?).
So I should respect his opinion. I do. Mine are just different. That's all.
****
** FINALLY: Another serious REQUEST that posters put their e-mail
addresses at the END of their posts. Some things can be dealt w/better
personally than publicly. Also would save bw- which I just abused. Sorry.
But defending an approach is part of what this digest is about.
- \\\ "Non-flaming" John (The Coyote) Wyllie SLK6P at cc.usu.edu /// -
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Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 15:24 CST
From: korz at iepubj.att.com
Subject: Laaglander DME
Bill writes:
>Does anyone out there have any comments on the various Laaglander dried
>extracts?
>I've seen them mentioned in numerous extract recipes, usually the pale (or very
>pale) being recommended for light lagers and pilsners. I've seen the amber and
>the dark in beer shops, though I haven't anything heard about them. Are they
>hopped? Any comments on their use?
Yes. They make a tasty brew, but be warned that Laaglander Dried Malt Extracts
are not very fermentable, meaning that they will leave a high final gravity
and a sweet brew. A recent poster said his beer got stuck at 1030 (sorry,
lost the poster's name). If he used Laaglander, then a 1060 beer really might
finish at 1030. It's really that unfermentable. I use it 1 to 2 pounds in
an otherwise regular batch to add sweetness and body, like in Young's Special
London Ale or McEwan's Scotch Ale. For a really intense sweetness like in
Mackeson's XXX Stout, you need to use Lactose and lots of it.
Laaglander comes hopped and unhopped. Check the label.
Al.
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End of HOMEBREW Digest #1340, 02/02/94