HOMEBREW Digest #1543 Tue 04 October 1994

Digest #1542 Digest #1544


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


Contents:
  INBOX Message (See Below) (Mailer.MC1)
  Re: Semi-open fermentation (Tel +44 784 443167)
  Wyeast #1214 Belgian Abbey ("William F. Cook")
  Where have you been? (Schwab_Bryan)
  Re: AHA Homebrew Comps. (wegeng.XKeys)
  First year reflections (Scott Josef Gd 1999 Bukofsky)
  Caramel in brewing (KWH)
  scotch/scottish ale (DamitaC834)
  RE: Wort O2 (Jim Busch)
  Shiner Bock (Eugene Sonn)
  O2 filters, CO2 leaks and Pseudo beer engines (Bob Jones)
  Fridges and Kegs ("Terence McGravey {91942}")
  Campden Tablets (David Holsclaw)
  Stout Bout:  The Truth (Martin Lodahl)
  Cream Ale Yeast(s)/Phloating Phalse Bottom (Bill Rust)
  Dr. Fix's Mash Sched. ("Russ Brodeur" )
  announcing spooky brew review ("Babinec, Tony")
  Irish Moss Goofup (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
  posts of regional appeal (uswlsrap)
  Anal Competition Rules (Steve Robinson)
  Arlington Tx. Homebrew Club (darling_ge)
  Raspberry Beer (Jeff Stampes)
  Shiner Bock (Jeff Stampes)
  Brewing Shiner Bock (Allen Ford)
  Comments on Priming Primer--really! (David Draper)
  BIG Cider request (Ken Sager)
  RE: Bottle Filler Problem... (keith.prader)

****************************************************************** * NEW POLICY NOTE: Due to the incredible volume of bouncing mail, * I am going to have to start removing addresses from the list * that cause ongoing problems. In particular, if your mailbox * is full or your account over quota, and this results in bounced * mail, your address will be removed from the list after a few days. * * If you use a 'vacation' program, please be sure that it only * sends a automated reply to homebrew-request *once*. If I get * more than one, then I'll delete your address from the list. ****************************************************************** Send articles for __publication_only__ to homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com (Articles are published in the order they are received.) Send UNSUBSCRIBE and all other requests, ie, address change, etc., to homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com, BUT PLEASE NOTE that if you subscribed via the BITNET listserver (BEER-L at UA1VM.UA.EDU), then you MUST unsubscribe the same way! If your account is being deleted, please be courteous and unsubscribe first. FAQs, archives and other files are available via anonymous ftp from sierra.stanford.edu. (Those without ftp access may retrieve files via mail from listserv at sierra.stanford.edu. Send HELP as the body of a message to that address to receive listserver instructions.) Please don't send me requests for back issues - you will be silently ignored. For "Cat's Meow" information, send mail to lutzen at novell.physics.umr.edu
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 3 Oct 94 02:27:34 U From: Mailer.MC1 at hesdmail.mmm.com Subject: INBOX Message (See Below) InBox Message Type: Error InBox Message Subject: Undeliverable message InBox Message Text Follows: Message not delivered to 'MC2' (Disk full) - ------------------------- Original Message Follows ------------------------- Message too large (greater than 30000 bytes). See enclosure! - ------------------------- RFC822 Header Follows ------------------------- Received: by hesdmail with SMTP/TCP;3 Oct 94 02:26:06 U Received: from pigseye.mmm.com by mmm ( 3M/SERC - 4.1/BDR-1.0) idAA02996; Mon, 3 Oct 94 02:38:08 CDT Errors-To: homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com Received: by pigseye.mmm.com (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA10550; Mon, 3 Oct 94 02:32:00 CDT Errors-To: homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com Errors-To: homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com Received: from hpfcrdg.fc.hp.com by hpfcla.fc.hp.com with SMTP (1.37.109.4/15.5+IOS 3.20) id AA19024; Mon, 3 Oct 94 01:22:18 -0600 Received: by hpfcmi.fc.hp.com (1.36.108.4/15.5+IOS 3.22) id AA00351; Mon, 3 Oct 1994 01:00:52 -0600 Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 01:00:52 -0600 Message-Id: <9410030700.AA00351 at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com> To: homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com From: homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com (Request Address Only - No Articles) Reply-To: homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com (Posting Address Only - No Requests) Errors-To: homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com Precedence: bulk Subject: Homebrew Digest #1542 (October 03, 1994) Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 10:27:42 +0000 From: Brian Gowland <B.Gowland at rhbnc.ac.uk> (Tel +44 784 443167) Subject: Re: Semi-open fermentation In HBD 1540, Allan Rubinoff <rubinoff at BBN.COM> wrote: > > [Stuff cut] > > So, I'm thinking of using the following procedure: > - After pitching the yeast, attach stopper and airlock. > - When krausen starts to build up, remove stopper and airlock, leaving > carboy open. > - After krausen begins to die down, reattach stopper and airlock. > I figure it's OK for the carboy to be open during high krausen, because > the wort is well protected by the CO2 being blown off. > Although there are many who would disagree with exposing fermenting beer to the atmosphere, I will simply say the following and leave you to make up your own mind... The traditional way of fermenting ale/beer in Britain is to use top working yeasts and to leave the fermenting vessel open to the air. Once the yeast head has built up, it will protect the fermenting beer from the atmosphere. I ferment in 5-gallon plastic fermenting buckets/bins and lay the lid loosely on the bin until the yeast head forms. Once this has formed, I remove the lid until fermentation starts slowing down and the yeast head subsides. At this point I lay the lid loosely on the bin again until FG is reached. It can actually be detrimental to deprive the yeast head of contact with air. Even if you use a bottom working yeast, as long as you get a yeast head that is thick enough to cover the surface, the practice should still be acceptable. If you are worried about spiders and other beasties then by all means, cover the top with something like a mesh cloth. Cheers, Brian Return to table of contents
Date: 03 Oct 94 08:35:43 EDT From: "William F. Cook" <71533.2750 at compuserve.com> Subject: Wyeast #1214 Belgian Abbey I used the Wyeast Belgian Abbey strain for the first time this weekend, and would like to see if anyone else has had the same results. I pitched the bulging package into a 1-qt starter in a 1-gal jug on Friday night. It had a 1" head on Saturday morning. Saturday night it bubbled up through the airlock (that's 3 quarts of krausen). I pitched into 5.5 gal of wort (OG 1.078) in a 7-gal carboy at 4:30 pm Sunday, and by 9:00 was getting blow-off. By this morning, it had filled the blow-off vessel and was spilling onto the floor. Is this typical for this strain? Temp in my apartment was about 64F. Bill Cook HydroComp, Inc. Team Dennis Conner Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 07:37:00 CST From: Schwab_Bryan at lanmail.ncsc.navy.mil Subject: Where have you been? So, where have you been as of late?, the past several mornings there have been no morning HBD, and the mornings are getting more and more difficult to handle! I need my HBD to start the day!! Bryan {Schwab_Bryan at LANMAIL.NCSC.NAVY.MIL}:DDN:NAVY Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 06:51:36 PDT From: wegeng.XKeys at xerox.com Subject: Re: AHA Homebrew Comps. In HBD #1542 David Allison writes: >On another note... I receive my issue of Zymurgy a month after my local >homebrew shops get theirs. Should I bother to send my membership money to >the AHA? I'm wondering... One month later seems excessive, but the general trend is for stores to receive magazines before mail subscriptions are delivered. I often find the latest editions of Newsweek, Backpacker, and Outside in the stores before I have received my copy through the mail. My mailed copy of Zymurgy usually arrives a week or so later than the local homebrew shop. I`m sure that many people have experiences that are different than mine, sometimes better and sometimes worse. A better question is: what`s the best way to resolve issues with the AHA? I don`t know whether David has discussed his problems directly with the AHA, either via telphone, email, FAX, or hardcopy. I suggest, though, that direct correspondence is probably more effective in the long run than a broadcast message via the HBD. /Don Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 09:54:28 -0400 (EDT) From: Scott Josef Gd 1999 Bukofsky <sjb8052 at minerva.cis.yale.edu> Subject: First year reflections I am in the process of celebrating my first year of extract-based brewing, and I thought that I would share my thoughts on what improved my beer the most. Hopefully, others may benefit in some small way. In no particular order: 1) Liquid yeast. There is always a lot of talk whether liquid yeast is worth a little extra trouble. The answer is YES!! Although good beer can be made with dried yeast, I feel that the range of flavors provided by the liquid strains gives great flexibility. Flavors produced by the yeast are very important in the final product, second only to hops and malt. Additionally, it is easier to make a beer "true to style" by selecting the proper yeast. Try making a pale ale with dried yeast and then compare the same product made with Wyeast London. IMHO, the choice is clear. 2) Hop schedule. In my first 1/2 dozen or so beers, I simply added one addition of bittering hops at the start of the boil, and another at the end for finishing. While the beer turned out well, it was lacking something in the "roundness" of flavor. I have found that several additions of hops throughout the boil make a big difference in the final product. If different hops are used as well, a great complexity of flavor can be achieved. Also, I feel that leaf hops have better flavor and aroma characteristics than pellets. 3) Don't do too much too fast. In my early brewing excitement, I brewed a wild variety of styles. I was feeling very creative, so I tried spiced ales, white beers, etc. I produced good beer, but I was missing a sense of how each ingredient affected the whole. Lately, I have stuck to one style (pale ale), and changed different factors in each batch. By experimenting with different varieties of hops and malt within the same style, I have a better feel for how to construct the type of beer I want within some logical framework. Hope this helps someone. Of course, all opinions are my own, and should be taken as such. -Scott Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 94 10:00 From: KWH at roadnet.ups.com (KWH) Subject: Caramel in brewing This weekend, I made my first attempt at adding homemade carmelized sugar to a recipe. Needless to say, there will never, ever be a second attempt. I read a few of my wife's cookbooks about making caramel, and it sounded pretty simple. What they did not say, and what could be the most important point, is that a boiling, bubbling hot sugar solution will *explode* if you try to pour it into a brewpot which is considerably cooler (approximately 200F). I did not consider that this must have had a very high boiling point -- got busy with other things, etc.. All in all, I guess I was pretty lucky. The molten caramel went all over my kitchen, and I was only seriously burned on one hand. When molten caramel hits you, it sticks, and it does not come off easily. I strongly urge everyone to learn from my stupidity and exercise *extreme* caution if you ever decide to make your own caramel, whether in brewing or cooking. Kirk Harralson kwh at roadnet.ups.com Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 94 10:31:53 EDT From: DamitaC834 at aol.com Subject: scotch/scottish ale Does someone have a good recipe for a strong scottish ale? -- 5 or 6 gallon (grain or extract) Sorry to waste bandwidth w/ this request!! Email is cool. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 11:23:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Jim Busch <busch at daacdev1.stx.com> Subject: RE: Wort O2 Chuck writes: <here's the best place to get an oxygen bottle to use for wort areation? <Can I use standard welding oxygen or do I need to have medical grade O2? <If welding oxygen, do I need to put an in-line filter in? I called several welding shops and bought the cheapest new bottle of welding O2. I use a .2 micron inline filter, the medical disk type. It works very well. You may be able to get away without a filter, bit it is a simple and cheap way to be sure. I have used silica airstones with good results, as well as SS scintered stones. Good brewing, Jim Busch Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 11:34:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Eugene Sonn <eugene at sccs.swarthmore.edu> Subject: Shiner Bock Shiner is _not_ only sold in Austin. Beer stores around Philadelphia have it in stock quite often--even some not so diverse beer stores at that. A few friends of mine from Texas introduced me to the brew and it's one of my favorites for moderately priced beers. Brew Free or Die Eugene eugene at sccs.swarthmore.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 1994 09:09:35 +0900 From: bjones at novax.llnl.gov (Bob Jones) Subject: O2 filters, CO2 leaks and Pseudo beer engines Chuck Wettergreen says, >Where's the best place to get an oxygen bottle to use for wort areation? >Can I use standard welding oxygen or do I need to have medical grade O2? >If welding oxygen, do I need to put an in-line filter in? > >Bob Jones showed pictures (at the AHA Nationals) of his yeast culturing >setup with an oxygen bleed into his yeast culture. Bob, did you run that >into a standard aquarium airstone? > > You must not have attended my talk or you would know the answer to to your question. I use a brass car carbuerator gas filter. Its the little thingy you can but at an auto parts store. I push it into a brass reducer that it soldered onto the end of a copper tube. A friction fit works fine. These stones are sintered(sp) brass and work very well to diffuse O2 into the starter. I do filter the O2 with a .2um filter, but doubt it really is needed. Nothing can live in a pure O2 environment. As for the bubbling through a peroxide medium, I agree with Al, it won't work. A simple cotten plug will work very well. Ask any microbiologist. Seth L. Betaharon comments on my comment, > BJ> When I first started using CO2 on a routine bases, I used a 20# cylinder in BJ> 5 months. I then got in the habit of turning on the CO2 when I needed it and BJ> shuting off the CO2 when not in use. My 20# cylinder lasted about 14 months. BJ> There are always slow leaks somewhere. Get in the habit of turning off the BJ> CO2 when not in use, and you will greatly extend the life of your supply. Oh > Seth>If there is a small leak, as you say there always is, the beer will Seth>eventually go flat if pressure from the tank is not available to make up Seth>for pressure lost through the leak. True enough, however it will take MANY days for the beer to go flat. If you turn on the gas about once a day, you will replenish the gas that was lost. Pseudo Beer Engine, I just finished writing up an article for Zymurgy about my Pseudo Beer Engine. As some of you remember this is a gadget that simulates the English beer engine. The article will appear in the spring Tips and Gadgets column. The photos and diagrams should help those that are interested in making one. Cheers, Bob Jones bjones at novax.llnl.gov Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 12:16:52 EDT From: "Terence McGravey {91942}" <tpm at swl.msd.ray.com> Subject: Fridges and Kegs Thanks to everybody who gave me information on cooling plates : Chris Cooper, Tony Verhulst, John McCaskill Alan Booth and Dennis . When a fridge is used to keep kegs cold and a tap is mounted on a fridge door, does the CO2 cylinder stay inside the fridge also ? When installing a tap on a fridge door is there any precaution taken or certain procedure to prevent the insulation from getting wound around the drill bit ? I've never seen or done this before so please excuse any dumb questions. Thanks in Advance ! Terry McGravey - ------------------------------------------------------ Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 12:01:04 -0500 (CDT) From: dhholscl at rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (David Holsclaw) Subject: Campden Tablets I am looking for some advice on using campden tablets for killing nasties in cider. I have 5 gallons of cider (in a carboy) that I added 7 campden tablets to (the package said 1 per gallon, a book said two, I split the difference). The book I was reading said to wait 24 hours and then pitch the yeast. So I waited a day and pitched a 1 quart starter of very active wine yeast. I don't think the yeast survived as I see NO sign of fermentation. Just for kicks I added a mead yeast (after about 3 more days), again NO sign of fermentation. Have I screwed up 5 gallons of cider? How long should I wait after adding campden tablets before pitching yeast. Thanks for any advice you may have. - -- David Holsclaw dhholscl at rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 10:18:04 -0700 (PDT) From: malodah at pbgueuze.scrm2700.PacBell.COM (Martin Lodahl) Subject: Stout Bout: The Truth In HOMEBREW Digest #1542, David Allison aimed some pretty strong accusations at the Gold Country Brewers, the AHA, and me personally: > MONTHS AGO -- I entered a beer, representing my homebrew club, into a AHA > sponsored club-only homebrew competition. More specifically the "Stout > Bout" put on by the Gold Country Brewers. I never received my score sheet. > I don't even think my $5.00 check was cashed (but I am not sure). That should be a pretty good clue right there about the fate of your entry ... > ... When I > called to see if my beer had arrived safely -- I was told that due to the > amount of entries that they did not have that info (????). Clearly, you've never been involved in a contest of any size. It would be possible to do, but would require significantly more (volunteer) manpower than is customarily available. The priority is to assure that all entries are processed quickly and properly. > ... After the > competition, I called to see how my beer did and was told only the 1st, > 2nd, and 3rd place finishers were known and the rest of the results were > sent to the AHA. Exactly. In the AHA Club-Only competitions, the clubs handling the competition itself are serving as unpaid contractors for the AHA, and the mission is to conduct the judging as soon after the entry cutoff date as possible, forwarding all documentation concerned to the AHA _immediately._ We kept nothing, and made copies of nothing. Every scrap of data we had was on its way to Boulder by noon of the day following the judging. > ... Well... now I have waited quite a while for something > sign that my beer had arrived and judged. I now know why my homebrew club > is hesitant to put on any of the AHA competitions. That's certainly a nasty crack. What are you implying? > Martin -- did you ever receive the final results? See above. I compiled the results, and sent them to James. All inquiries should be directed to him. > James Spence (AHA) -- have these results been sent out? I'm sure he'll tell you they were sent long ago. > Did my effort to send my bottles of an excellent stout (IMHO) to a AHA > competition go without any return of information? I guess not. > > Will I ever go through the hassle of entering a beer into an AHA sponsored > club-only competition outside my immediate area? I think not. That decision is, of course, yours to make. But here you've cast a slur upon the AHA and the GCBA, while giving enough information in your own posting to make what happened pretty clear. Ask yourself which is the more likely: That we should receive your entry, deep-six the check and paperwork, and drink your beer (along with all the best-of-show bottles that didn't make BOS); or that your entry should never reach us at all? What was the purpose of your posting this to the HBD? If you were solely concerned with finding out what happened to your entry, private email to me or to James would have accomplished that. Let's face it: you've slandered us without the slightest evidence that we're in any way responsible for your misfortune. I'm very sorry that your entry turned out this way, but you owe us all an apology, David. - Martin = Martin Lodahl Systems Analyst, Capacity Planning Pacific*Bell = = malodah at pacbell.com Sacramento, CA USA 916.972.4821 = = If it's good for ancient Druids runnin' nekkid through the wuids, = = Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me! (Unk.) = Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 10:17:00 -0640 From: bill.rust at travel.com (Bill Rust) Subject: Cream Ale Yeast(s)/Phloating Phalse Bottom Greetings Brewers! I have a couple of posers for the experts... CREAM ALE YEAST(S) I tried my hand at partial mashing again (BTW, the Dortmunder was a (s)mashing success!), this time it's a cream ale. While I was investigating recipes, I came up with a question. In Dave Miller's book, BTWGB, he mentions that true cream ale is made by dividing the wort and fermenting part with a lager yeast, and part with an ale yeast. He then recommends that a simpler method is to use a neutral yeast like WYeast #1056 for the whole batch. Has anyone out there actually tried the former technique, a split fermentation? I'm guessing that it could be done with a pair if 5 gallon carboys, and later racking into one of them. Also, what two yeasts are recommended? I've looked in Papazian's CJOHB (1st ed.), Dave Line's Big Book, and several issues of Zymurgy with no success. PHLOATING PHALSE BOTTOM I noticed when I mixed my grain and strike water, that my Phil's Phalse Bottom wants to float up a bit. This has the irritating effect of letting lots of grain get under the bottom, which subsequently makes sparging a major pain. I tried holding the bottom down with a spoon while adding the strike water, but when I stirred up the mash, it floated again. Does anyone have a clever, HBDish (i.e. INEXPENSIVE) solution for this? Someone recommended marbles or sterile rocks, and I thought of maybe small jars filled with hot water to weight down the phalse bottom? Anyway, your help with these two questions would be appreciated. ----------------------------------------- Sure, drinking kills brain cells, but only THE WEAK ONES! - BERTHA D. BREWS ----------------------------------------- bill.rust at travel.com --- * TRAVEL ONLINE: 81,000 files; 2,500 conferences, 110 game doors. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 13:49:15 EST5EDT From: "Russ Brodeur" <RPB1 at alpha.mrl.psu.edu> Subject: Dr. Fix's Mash Sched. I recently read in the HBD an article by Dr. George Fix, wherein he presented an optimized mash schedule for highly modified malts. In a nutshell, it consists of 1) 104oF/30 min (acid rest?), 2) 140oF/30 min (boil. water add'n.), and 3) heat to 158oF/30 min rest. I have a couple of questions regarding this: 1. Can I assume, because the malt is highly modified, a protein rest at 140oF is all that's necessary, since there should be enough yeast nutrient already present? Will this rest help with head retention and decrease hot & cold break proteins? I have been having trouble getting adequate head retention, with both domestic and DWC malts. 2. Can I go from 140-158oF by adding boiling water, or must I heat the mash (will it get too thin?). My mashing equipment (48 qt picnic cooler) for 10 gal batches makes it difficult to directly heat, and I would have to do a decoction. I also feel it is important to heat slowly, since starch conversion will be ocurring continuously during this process, whereas boiling water addition will heat it immediately, perhaps resulting in insufficient simplification. The schedule outlined by Dr. Fix makes a lot of sense to me, and I would like to try it out; however I'm not quite sure how to attempt it with my equipment limitations. Maybe I could do several mini-decoctions to raise the temp from 140-158oF? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Russ Brodeur Russ Brodeur |^^^^^|\ Research Associate | o |\\ Penn State University | o | || | o |// |___o_|/ +/-+/-+/-+/-+/-+/-+/- Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 94 13:08:00 cdt From: "Babinec, Tony" <tony at spss.com> Subject: announcing spooky brew review Chicago Beer Society announces 1994 Spooky Brew Review This competition is one of only four Midwest competitions that determine the Midwest Brewer of the Year. In addition, we will be presenting large ribbons to the top three finishers, special prizes for the top three best of show beers, novelty awards in special categories and certificates of achievement for every good beer. Here are the details about the competition: Entry Deadline: October 22, 1994 Number of Bottles: Only two bottles per entry need be submitted. Shipping Address: Attention Brewmaster - Spooky Millrose Country Store 55 S. Barrington Road South Barrington, IL 60010 Phone: 708-382-7673 Judging Location: Millrose (take Barrington Road NORTH exit off of I-90) We will be in the upstairs events room, called the Tap Room. Judging Date: Saturday, October 29, 1994 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exact schedule and judging assignments will be determined after the entry deadline. Entry Fee: $5.00 for 1 to 3 entries $4.50 per entry for 4 to 6 beers $4.00 per entry for 7 to 9 beers $3.50 per entry for 10 or more beers Example: If you enter 8 beers, your total entry fee would be 8 X $4 = $32. Got it? Make checks payable to "Chicago Beer Society" Questions: Call Ray Daniels at 312-665-1300, days or evenings. Judges: Judges and stewards are needed for the judging session. Contact the Spooky Brew Judge Director, Tony Babinec at 312-329-3570 to get additional information and to sign-up. Tony's internet id is tony at spss.com. Halloween Homebrew Section - Category 30 The following categories represent some "full moon specials" that we have pulled from the cauldron just in time for this Halloween competition. As with the regular entries, you must submit two bottles and a recipe form. Appropriate prizes will be awarded to the top three in each category. Of course, these beers will not be included in the best of show judging. For this year's spooky categories, we turn to the news for inspiration. The sub-categories will be: a. OJ Chaser: Virtually anyone who doesn't live under a rock knows that OJ is short for "Orenthal James," but for this category we'll just pretend that it really means "orange juice." To enter this category, you give us a beer and your recommendation for a Beer and OJ "cocktail" or chaser combo. (Please attach the mixing or drinking instruction to the beer bottle -- we'll provide the orange juice.) Judges (sans sunglasses) will evaluate the concoctions on various criteria including best use of orange juice and most likely to be consumed in a white Ford Bronco travelling at a slow speed surrounded by fully half of the LAPD. We reserve the right to submit DNA tests for court review. b. Vampire Special: Ever wonder why there is no AHA category for red beers? Well, this is it. The redder the better. Beers will be judged on the usual zymurgistic criteria, but an extra point allocation will be given for "redness." Your recipe form must tell how you made the beer red including the actual ingredients and quantities used. c. "The Sun Has Set on the Series" Commemorative Beers: Are you missing baseball? Or maybe all you are really missing is the beer you used to drink at the ballpark. In this category, we invite you to reminisce about your favorite ballpark foods. Your entry must include one of these foods (in any form that you desire). Just think of the possibilities: Cotton Candy Cream Ale, Popcorn Pilsner, Hot Dog Helles, Dove Bar Dortmunder . . . Need we say more? d. Scariest Beer: This is becoming our traditional "Spooky Brew" category -- and a perennial favorite. Decorate the bottle, spike the beer with green creepy-crawlies and generally do your best to frighten the judges. A little imagination goes a long way in this category. For All Spooky Categories: Remember that the concoction you put in the bottle must be safe to drink! Judges reserve the right to request proof of potability for any Spooky entry. Such proof is demonstrated when the brewer takes a swig of the beer. If the brewer is not present, judges may choose to disqualify the entry. Prizes First, second, and third place will be awarded in each category to beers receiving 25 or more points. Each of the top three category finishers will receive an award with a rosette and three streamer ribbons. The first place beer from each category will advance to the best of show judging where the top three beers will be selected for special recognition. Each Best of Show winner will receive a special award ribbon and may also receive additional best of show prizes. Rules (and other bothersome details): 1) Entry is open to all homebrewed beers, meads, ciders, and miscellaneous fermented beverages. Facilities used for brewing entries must not be used for commercial production of beer. All brewers who participated in brewing must be listed on entry. 2) All entries must be accompanied by a completed entry form with all recipe details. The organizers may decide not to judge any entry submitted with incomplete paperwork and the entrant's entry fee may be retained by Chicago Beer Society at their discretion. Upon entering this competition, entrants agree to allow (at no cost) publication of recipe by Chicago Beer Society in any publication. Entrant will receive all due credit. 3) All entries must be submitted in brown or green glass beer bottles. Bottles must be between 10 oz and 16 oz in size. Bottles must be free of all labels and distinguishing marks, including raised glass designs. Bottles must be capped with crown caps; no Grolsch-style swing tops will be accepted. Bottle caps must be plain un-colored and un-marked or they must be blacked out with a heavy marker. Two bottles per entry must be submitted, additional bottles shall be consumed by thirsty stewards and greatly appreciated. Entry Bottle Labels must be attached to every bottle with a rubber band, entries that use tape to attach labels will be disqualified. 4) Brewers may not enter more than one beer per subcategory. Other alcoholic beverages may not be added to any entry. 5) Decisions of the judges are final, regardless of how screwed up the score sheet math may look after the fact. No judge shall judge a sub-category in which they have a beer entered. 6) Where ever possible and appropriate, we will "promote" sub-categories to categories to maximize the number of ribbons awarded as long as we have at least six entries per category. Good luck and good brewing. 7) Style descriptions published for the 1994 AHA National Competition shall be used to enter and judge the beers. See zymurgy magazine for details. Spooky Entries should be designated as Category 30. Return to table of contents
Date: 3 Oct 94 20:50:00 GMT From: korz at iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583) Subject: Irish Moss Goofup I wrote: > I weighed 1/8 gram > of refined Irish Moss flakes and found that it's about 1 level > teaspoon. Well, leave it to me to take some perfectly good data and screw it up. What I meant was, that I multiplied 1/8 gram by 18.9 liters (about 5 gallons) and got 2.36 grams. This turns out to be about one level teaspoon of flaked, refined Irish Moss for a 5-gallon batch. Sorry. Al. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 94 17:02:08 EDT From: uswlsrap at ibmmail.COM Subject: posts of regional appeal - -------------------- Mail Item Text Follows ------------------ To: I1010141--IBMMAIL From: Bob Paolino Research Analyst Subject: posts of regional appeal I've noticed in recent digests that some people will begin a post (a question or information) with a defencive preface out of concern for pissing off one coast or the other because the question/information relates to another geographic area. I don't have a problem with someone announcing a festival or competition in California, or asking "where's a good place for beer in (x)?" even though I'm in Wisconsin and there's little prospect of my participating in the event announced. These are legitimate uses for a forum on beer and brewing. If you want to reach brewers online with your announcement/question, this is the place to do it. Every subscriber isn't going to be interested in everything posted, whether for geographic reasons.... or anything else. I personally don't have much interest in the latest Rube Goldberg gadgetry project, for example, but some people are--it's germane to beer/brewing and it might be useful for people who are inclined toward building or buying such things. It belongs, and I'll scroll through quickly if it doesn't interest me. And, who knows, every now and then I might find something that's practical for my simple home brewery. I don't see a need to make an apology before going ahead and doing it anyway. Ask yourself the question before posting and just do it if it's appropriate. No preemptive apology needed. That having been said, I think it is appropriate to exercise a little self-restraint in responding or posting _long_ items of limited appeal if you know of a better way to target it. Posting competition winners 1st-2nd-3rd for each of 20+ categories in a homebrew competition probably will get some people pissed off. Snailmail the results to the participants, use private email if you have addresses, and/or send it to Zymurgy and regional brewspapers. An inquiry on where to find beer in (x) is appropriate. The _responses_ to those questions, however, probably ought to be by private email to the requester. I, for example, recently asked for recommendations for hopspots in Hartford and places within an easy drive. I don't know of an exclusively Connecticut beer listserv, so I don't think a question on HBD was out of line. But I would hope that a dozen people wouldn't post their recommendations to the digest. I got plenty of replies directly, and that's the way it should work. (I also got messages from others who had seen my question and wanted to know what I learned. I summarised the information and sent it to them. Having my question out there _did_ end up serving a purpose beyond my personal interest. The bulk of the communication took place off the digest, but my inquiry is what got things rolling.) When I reply to a question, it's almost always by private email except if it's part of an ongoing discussion or is likely to be of broader interest. Let a little discretion be your guide. Just my $.02 in favour of a little more tolerance and civility, Bob Paolino Disoriented in Badgerspace Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 17:09:52 EDT From: Steve Robinson <Steve.Robinson at analog.com> Subject: Anal Competition Rules OK, I'm a little late catching up to this discussion (pressing work matters and all that), but I'll risk the flames and pose my question. I have typically bottled my homebrew in Samuel(tm) Adams(tm) Boston(tm) Lager(tm) bottles. Yes, I know that Jim Koch is a marketing sleazeball, but I don't mind drinking the beer to get the bottle. However, these bottles commit the unspeakable sin of having some raised letters around the bottom. Now, I happen to agree with Ulick that thinking anyone is going to recognize their beer from a couple of raised digits on an otherwise perfectly acceptable brown longneck 12-oz. bottle is completely anal, however. . . What do other people use to meet these requirements?? Please, no pointers to Bud longnecks. I'm looking for something that meets the no-raised-letters rule and also passes my I'm-willing-to-drink-it test. Reply by private e-mail, and I'll summarize if there's any interest. TIA, Steve R. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 16:12:34 CDT From: darling_ge at brutus.vought.com Subject: Arlington Tx. Homebrew Club Hi y'all_ My name is Jerry Darling and I have the distinct honor of being the president of the newly reestablished Arlington Homebrewers Club in Arlington Texas. The club has a rich history in the North Texas area, we were on of the founding member clubs of the Bluebonnet. Our new club members are predominatly all extract brewers and are producing fine brews that are freely shared at our meetings. The Arlington club is back from the dead and I extend an invitation to all homebrewers in the North Texas area to drop by a club meeting which is held on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 PM at The Homebrew Headquarters 900 East Copeland in Arlington, Tx. Now on a personal note. I'll soon be spending some extended time in Detroit. I Know nothing about the area and would like a little info to get around with. Any good Brewpubs, restraunts with a wide beer selection, and other points of intrest (US & Canada). I'll be staying in the Auburn Hills area. Thanks in advance & we'll see y'all at the meeting. Jerry Darling // Brew faster than you drink!! // darling_ge at brutus.vought.com Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 12:45:46 MDT From: jeff at neocad.com (Jeff Stampes) Subject: Raspberry Beer Mike Asks: I made a raspberry beer last year. It was basically a belgian ale with 8 pounds of raspberries added at the secondary. The beer came out somewhat sour/bitter from the raspberries with no residual sugar left to balance it out. Have others had more success with raspberries? ******** I have had great success with raspberries! My first recipe was a simple extract recipe that I added berries to. As a matter of fact, it was Papazian's 'Grand Cru in the Garden' with 5 lbs. of berries added in lieu of the orange & spice. As I have recommended before: Add the berries immediately after the biol and allow to steep in hot wort for 5 minutes before racking to the primary. Let the berries go into the primary and strain them off prior to secondary. Using this method, the berries will actually be WHITE when you are done, and all the color will be in the beer. I used the same method to add them to a brown ale for an amazing Raspberry Brown Ale. I've never experienced any bitterness or sourness at all. Good luck! Jeff "I'd rather drink a beer than eat a steer~ Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 12:50:05 MDT From: jeff at neocad.com (Jeff Stampes) Subject: Shiner Bock Scott Pisani writes: On two (relatively) recent trips to Austin, TX, I was lucky enough to try Shiner Bock, a beer made in Shiner, TX by the Spoetzl Brewing Company. It's a real find, but unfortunately only sold in Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth, or so I'm told. I too have had a long love for Shiner . . .(Many long nights crawling through the Blues bars of Sixth Street in Austin consuming nothing but Shiner) . . . and have always been dismayed at my inability to buy it. BUT! It is now available easily in most liquor stores in Colorado, so mayhaps they have opened up more national distribution . . . Don't abandon hope! Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 16:51:22 -0500 (CDT) From: Allen Ford <allen at darwin.sfbr.org> Subject: Brewing Shiner Bock Scott_Pisani at notes.pw.com wrote: >On two (relatively) recent trips to Austin, TX, I was lucky enough to try >Shiner Bock, a beer made in Shiner, TX by the Spoetzl Brewing Company. >It's >a real find, but unfortunately only sold in Austin, San Antonio, and >Dallas-Fort Worth, or so I'm told. >Have any of HBD's Texas subscribers made an attempt at replicating this >beer? If so, I'd be interested in seeing the recipe. Other than flaked >maize, I don't know any of the specific ingredients in the real thing. My >only attempt (from memory) brewed a bock that was unremarkable except >for its 10.5% alchohol content. My recommendation is to brew a mediocre American style pilsner using about 50% adjunct and then add caramel coloring and flavoring at bottling. That's what Spoetzl does! It's ABW is less than 4%. It's not a bock! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Allen L. Ford <allen at darwin.sfbr.org> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-= Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research San Antonio, Texas =-=-= Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 4 Oct 1994 08:13:13 +1000 (EST) From: David Draper <David.Draper at mq.edu.au> Subject: Comments on Priming Primer--really! Dear Friends, a thousand apologies for my blank post in #1542. Once again, native stupidity rears its ugly head. Here is what I meant to post: Dear Friends, got a couple comments on Mark Hibberd's well-done articles on priming in HBD 1540. Overall a very good job, but I wonder about a couple of things. Mark recommends using more or less identical amounts to prime whether one is using glucose/dextrose/corn sugar or cane/brown/Demerara/sucrose sugar. In my experience one should use about 80-85% as much sucrose as one would use of glucose. For example, for an average ale (whatever *that* is), I would suggest about 5.3 grams/litre (g/L) of sucrose but about 6.4 g/L of glucose. I haven't worked out the chemistry of how many volumes of CO2 these should produce; these levels were brought to my attention by Brett Shorten (who, like Jeff Renner, thinks he is his wife's computer :-}), who got them from an Australian brewing mag whose name escapes me this morning. I have been using them for many months now and have done some fairly systematic tests (some readers might recall my anguished pleas for help on flat beers soon after rejoining the digest after coming here to Oz) and these numbers seem to hold up very well. On a related note, Mark indicated it would be advisable, if priming with syrups such as honey, to increase the amount to prime with to account for the water in the syrup. The only syrup I have used to prime with is honey; and I have primed at identical levels I would use for sucrose with excellent results--increasing the amount by 40% would certainly have overcarbonated my honey-primed beers. Finally, a very small nit: Mark puts American beers in the high- carbonation pigeonhole. Although that is basically true for American lagers, most US ales from microbreweries are less carbonated, although moreso than are English ales. Most US readers know this, but for those of us in the rest of the planet, I thought it might be worth pointing out. Cheers, Dave in Sydney - -- "Life's a bitch, but at least there's homebrew" ---Norm Pyle ****************************************************************************** David S. Draper, School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 Sydney, Australia. email: david.draper at mq.edu.au fax: +61-2-850-8428 ....I'm not from here, I just live here.... Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 16:29:43 -0600 (MDT) From: Ken Sager <Ken.Sager at m.cc.utah.edu> Subject: BIG Cider request Howdoo, I know it has been discussed some lately, but I have just been given the task of researching cider making. If anyone has info they can share on brewing large volumes of cider (5 to 500 gallons) or if someone can direct me to somebody who knows something please send private e-mail. Any response will be greatly appreciated. Tanks and have a nice beer. Ken Return to table of contents
Date: 3 Oct 94 16:40:39 -0700 From: keith.prader at wtgw.worldtalk.com Subject: RE: Bottle Filler Problem... Phil Miller Writes... > I own a bottle filler; a 1' plastic tube with an orange contraption > on the bottom that contains a stopping mechanism. ...<cut>.... > it sticks, etc....... I have the same style of gravity filler and it frequently sticks on me also. What I do is bounce it a couple of times on the bottom of the bottle I'm filling to unstick it, ( I love technical terms). I always have another bottle ready to go next to the bottle being filled for the quick yank and put (technical vi terms) in case it does stick. If you hit the top of the bottle your filling and the filler is stuck, even though there may be a small overflow, the displacement of beer by the filler should still leave the bottle at a level that is fine for capping. If your not paying attention to the filling then you are going to get overflow if the thing sticks or not. It shouldn't damage any beer except what is spilled. Burp, Keith Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1543, 10/04/94