HOMEBREW Digest #1723 Fri 05 May 1995

Digest #1722 Digest #1724


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


Contents:
  Req: Netherlands Style Brown Beer Recipe ("Clay D. Hopperdietzel")
  stainless airstone (Charles Wettergreen)
  Re: Stainless Air Stones?? (djt2)
  Stainless stel airstone (John W. Carpenter)
  Microwaves are a no-no/advertising (Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna)
  RE: SS airstones (Jim Dipalma)
  Beer with dinner (VLIEG BRIAN S)
  Sankey Keg Fermenters ("Frazier.Jim")
  RE: Hop plant identificaiton (Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna)
  Re: SS airstones (Mark E. Thompson)
  Growing Hops and calculating %Alpha Acids ("Michael J. LeLaurin, IR/BRC, 245-7880")
  Growing Hops / Skunks / Weinhard's Red (Norman Pyle)
  RE:   Aluminum stockpots (Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna)
  RE:  Cooking with Honey (Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna)
  Dark Grains ("Thomas W. Ausfeld")
  how long can I leave my starter? (Larry Barras)
  Suds 4.0 (Greg Holton)
  trub and off-flavors in beer (charles epp)
  RE HBD 1716, 1721 ("Dave Bradley::IC742::6-2556")
  Calculate feeling my skunky mouth? (Russell Mast)
  Plato -> SG (Jeorg Houck)
  Freezer Temperature Control - Help (Andrew McGowan )
  Exploding Kegs (PHIL RUSSO)
  Free Bottles and Superb (Glenn Raudins)
  Beer Balls + new recipe (PHIL RUSSO)
  Stainless Steel Airstones ("Jonathan Kalmes")
  Re: Stainless Steel Airstones (Rotorex)
  Gout (Larry Meyer)
  Hops (Jason K. Sloan)
  mini pub brewing system (Com/Sinc19 Gagetown)
  stainless airstone ("Harold R. Wood")
  Mercury poisening (Lee Bollard)
  Cork finishing bottles (Troy Downing)
  Yeast Questions (DLANICEK)
  Mash schedule questions/Grain roasting questions (Mike Dowd)
  Poor Head Retention (Bonjour)
  1056 Ferment temp. ("Lee A. Menegoni")
  Cleveland (spencer)
  Boil Time/ Dope ("Paul Stokely")
  BJCP NE Database ("Kieran O'Connor")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 08:03:02 -0500 (CDT) From: "Clay D. Hopperdietzel" <hoppy at appsmiths.com> Subject: Req: Netherlands Style Brown Beer Recipe Fellow Brewers, Another lurker leaps forth. A friend of mine who moved to the Netherlands is returning in July for a visit. It seems that he has grown rather fond of something he refers to as "Brown Beer", which is made by Heineken. This seems to be some local adaptation of a Belgian style, but from his descriptions, he seems to be drinking something considerably different than Belgian Bruin. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this style, or has a reciepe for making something similar -- preferably all grain. TIA, =============================================================================== Clay D. Hopperdietzel hoppy at appsmiths.com AppSmiths, Inc. Voice (713) 578-0154 Fax (713) 578-6182 15915 Katy Fwy, Suite 470 Where do *I* Want to Go Today? Houston, Texas 77094 FreeBSD! Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 95 08:13 CDT From: chuckmw at mcs.com (Charles Wettergreen) Subject: stainless airstone To: homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com Kirk Oseid (klo at fluent.com) asked: HH> Is the stainless steel airstone a figment of someones imagination? American Science & Surplus sells a stainless and chrome-plated copper "diffuser" for $1.00. It looks like a sintered stainless airstone, but after a few times blasting O2 through it, the coating on the sintered part comes off and it looks like copper underneath. It works well and cleans easily. Cheers, Chuck /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/* Chuck Wettergreen One beer at a sitting is OK. Two beers, maybe. Chuckmw at mcs.com But anything beyond that number goes over the Geneva, Illinois line of recreational drinking. Ann Landers /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/**/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/**/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/* * RM 1.3 * Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 09:59:00 -0400 From: djt2 at po.cwru.edu Subject: Re: Stainless Air Stones?? Kirk asks about SS air stones. I swear I saw these recently in the American Science Surplus catalog [(708) 982-0870] but they're not listed in the latest catalog I have. On the other hand, I recently purchased some airstones for the lab at a pet store made of fused glass beads, for a buck or two each. We need to be able to autoclave the airstone and tubing. Glass should have all the advantages you're looking for in SS. Be careful, since the common plastic airstones resemble the glass ones well. Dennis Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 95 10:14:34 EDT From: jwc at med.unc.edu (John W. Carpenter) Subject: Stainless stel airstone In HBD 1721 Kirk wanted to know a source for stainless steel airstones. A company called RAININ has them. They are called inlet filters for an HPLC. They are 7/8 inch in diameter X 1 1/2 inch long 10 micron 316 stainless steel, and have a 1/16 inch OD stem for slip-fit connection to a standard 1/8 inch OD tube. Cat. # A-311, $42.00. This is made to filter solvents before HPLC, but should work as an aerator too. No connection, blah, blah, blah. Rainin's # is 800-472-4646. -- John Carpenter Chapel Hill, NC jwc at med.unc.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 95 10:27:04 EST From: Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna at relay.com Subject: Microwaves are a no-no/advertising RE the recent thread about using microwave ovens for sanitizing, I went to my personal Oracle (my wife the microbiologist). Microwaves apparently have little effect on many of the critters one would be attempting to kill. That is the short version and was enough for me to not use them. Perhaps some brewing microbiologists will chime in? My own take on this is: yes microwaves will boil water and if the critters are in the water they should die painfully, but I would not bet MY beer on it. From my own experience, I seem to recall that microwaves agitate water/liquids, and this is what actually does the cooking (or sanitizing). I do not think they will kill molds, spores, fungus, or other critters that might not have a high water content, or if they can it would take a LONG time. Brewing microbiologists note: The above is my take on what "my oracle" said. If I misinterpreted, please correct me - but please no flames! RE the recent thread about what has been termed advertising on the HBD: I agree that blatant advertising (and blanket mail list postings) should be avoided. However, I do not have a problem with someone including their company name and a brief description of their service in an email footer. I need brewing supplies, and I might like to purchase from an HBD contributor over another provider. I also note the recent posting of 800 numbers for suppliers. That could be termed advertising, but I certainly was not offended by it. Tim Fields Timf at relay.com Relay Technology, Inc., SQL/DS Division Vienna, VA, USA Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 95 10:31:14 EDT From: dipalma at sky.com (Jim Dipalma) Subject: RE: SS airstones Hi All, In HBD#1721, Kirk L. Oseid asks: >Is the stainless steel airstone a figment of someones imagination? No, I own three of them, they are quite real. >Can anyone quote me a source of such a device? I got mine from Brewer's Resource, (800)827-3983. Usual disclaimer, no commercial affiliation. I just got them last week and haven't used them yet, so I can't even claim to be a satisifed customer. ************************************************** My contribution to the "Is my beer ruined" FAQ: A few days ago, I posted regarding a 3068 fermentation gone ballistic. Last night, after ten days of fermentation, the krausen had fallen so I racked the beer to secondary and tasted a sample. A little too estery for my tastes, and still a bit sweet, but *not infected*. So, the next time there's krausen spewing through your airlock, there's no need to worry and send an "is my beer ruined" post. Switch to some sort of blowoff system and let it erupt. IMHO, as long as stuff is being expelled from the fermenter, the beer is not likely to pick up an infection. I used a couple of unsanitized plastic bags to collect the blowoff, and didn't have a problem. When the krausen begins to subside, replace the blowoff system with an airlock. Rack the beer when the krausen falls, and taste a sample, it'll probably be OK. Cheers, Jim dipalma at sky.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 95 10:39:05 EDT From: VLIEG BRIAN S <vliegbri at hvcc.edu> Subject: Beer with dinner Greetings, After long term lurking on the HBD, I would like to come out of hiding with an unusual request of the collective. My friend and I have been tossing around an idea of hosting a dinner that would focus on beer. We would like to link specific types of beer with specific parts of a meal much like one would with wine. At this point we are planning to go with a German dinner (the woman who watches my children caters for a German Hall) and would like any input on German styles of beer that might often be used before a meal, during a meal and after a meal. We also are interested if there are any traditional combinations between specific dishes and beer. Since we are planning this in the next few weeks, we will not be able to brew the desired beers but, if it goes well, we will probably do it again. TIA, Private Email fine. Brian Vlieg Return to table of contents
Date: 3 May 1995 09:48:09 U From: "Frazier.Jim" <frazier at ssdgwy.mdc.com> Subject: Sankey Keg Fermenters I've come across a source for stainless Sankey kegs and was wondering what experiences people have had using them for fermenters. I would like to start with 5 gal. batches and move to 10 gal. if it works out. I figure I can find a big enough stopper to accept a blow-off tube or airlock. The two I had in mind are Miller (tm) with the threaded valve, one for a primary, the other for a secondary. Are there any problems besides 1) not being able to SEE the beer, and 2) cleaning (sanitation shouldn't be a problem with iodophor). The advantages of NEVER EVER worrying about glass grenades is tempting. Private e-mail is OK: frazier at ssdgwy.mdc.com TIA - Jim Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 95 10:53:03 EST From: Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna at relay.com Subject: RE: Hop plant identificaiton In HBD 1721, STEVE GRIMMER <S18312SG at umassd.edu asks re identifying hops: >Anyroad, is there any way to get a clue as to the strain I've >got growing? My current strategy is to simply brew a small batch and >try them out as the aroma and see what happens. All suggestions >appreciated. I suggest your local public library. See if they have a book with pictures or descriptions you can compare with your plants. Could you also put some hops in a sealed jar with hot water for a time and just smell them? For fresh spices like basil, I can get a pretty good aroma test by rolling/crushing them in my hands. In any event, I would brew the batch - how can you loose? Tim Fields Timf at relay.com Relay Technology, Inc., SQL/DS Division Vienna, VA, USA Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 95 7:53:42 PDT From: Mark E. Thompson <markt at hptal04.cup.hp.com> Subject: Re: SS airstones Full-Name: Mark E. Thompson Kirk L. Oseid writes: > Brewers: > > I visited a fairly large pet store this past weekend and asked > if they had a stainless steel airstone, which I intended to use > as a wort aerator. They had never heard of such a device, and > noted that most saltwater fish enthusiasts use an airstone made > of "limewood," which has a suitable permeability. > > Is the stainless steel airstone a figment of someones imagination? No. > > Can anyone quote me a source of such a device? from: "http://guraldi.itn.med.umich.edu/Beer/beer-suppliers.html" Brewers Resource P.O. Box 507 Woodland Hills CA 91365 818-887-3282 I got one after debating the $13 price tag. It's good, you can sterelize it by baking. Soon i'll have it attached to a copper wand so i can back the whole aeration line. Mark Thompson markt at cup.hp.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 95 09:35:25 -0500 From: "Michael J. LeLaurin, IR/BRC, 245-7880" <lelaurin at shell.com> Subject: Growing Hops and calculating %Alpha Acids Hello, I have just planted 5 kinds of hops. From a hop.faq I ftp'd from somewhere, they all appear to be of the aroma variety although in recent years they have started to gain a following in the homebrew community for bittering as well. I have a couple of questions...: 1.) The planting instructions indicated that if the hops were of different variety I needed to plant the rizomes ~5 ft. apart. If they were of the same variety, plant ~3 ft apart. Why? Cross pollenation possibilities? 2.)I hear that the vines (bines?) can grow to ~30 ft. How much room side-to-side do the plants need? I did not have the proper space available to get 3 ft between plants. 3.) Is there no way for me to be able to determine by my self or by sending a sample to someone, the AA%? The hops are: cascade, fuggles, tettnang, hallertauer, and willamette. Thanx................ *= Michael J. LeLaurin *= Interpretation Research *= Shell EP Technology Co. *= net: lelaurin at shell.com - -------------------------------------------------------------------- when i die, i'd like to go peacefully. in my sleep. like my grandfather. not screaming, like the passengers in his car... Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 95 9:07:31 MDT From: Norman Pyle <npyle at hp7013.ecae.StorTek.COM> Subject: Growing Hops / Skunks / Weinhard's Red EricHale at aol.com wrote: >I'm sure this has discussed at great lengths. But can anyone direct me to a >FAQ (or other appropriate information) for growing your own hops. The Hops FAQ contains a primer on growing hops. It is in the archives. ** Paul from Morris, IL wrote: >If I am very careful in brewing, bottling and storage will my beer develop a >skunky odor or taste in 5 minutes or so if I pour it in a crystal clear mug >and take it outside to drink? I'd really not like to have to guzzle a great >lager or even an ale in 10 minutes to avoid a skunky taste and I really don't >want to live in my basement to enjoy a brew. Beer will skunk in minutes at full sun, no question. It certainly is affected by how much sun, the altitude, etc. but I've seen it happen dramatically. In the fall, I like to bring a beer out with me when I rake leaves. If I leaves (!) the beer in the sun, it skunks long before I finish it, like in 5-10 minutes, and this of course can cause me to never finish it. The simple solution is to place the beer in the shade while drinking it. ** Glenn Matthies asks about Weinhard's Red. I drink this beer on occasion, and enjoy it. It has malt flavor, hops, basically the things you would expect in a beer. It isn't going to win out over your favorite homebrew, but it is not at all like the mega-breweries' so-called beer. Norm Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 95 11:06:15 EST From: Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna at relay.com Subject: RE: Aluminum stockpots In HBD 1721, Rob Emenecker <robe at cadmus.com asks re aluminum stockpots: >So what is wrong with using aluminum pots I was once told that some correlation has been established between the level of aluminum in one's system and Altzheimer's disease. I believe that aluminum can leach out of the pot into food (in particular with acidic foods), and I assume this applies to brewing. I DO NOT KNOW if this correlation is fact, but it has kept me from using aluminum for most cooking, including brewing. I also have a concern about off-flavors that might be imparted to the beer (note beer in cans vs bottles and the leaching effect mentioned above) but this is also subjective on my part. Tim Fields Timf at relay.com Relay Technology, Inc., SQL/DS Division Vienna, VA, USA Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 95 11:11:38 EST From: Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna at relay.com Subject: RE: Cooking with Honey In HBD 1721, Shaine_Bodnar at NOTES.YMP.GOV says relates the following story re brewing with honey: >From what I could get from the discussion we had, > she said that cooking with honey is harmful. She has been an avid > believer in Ayurveda, which is an Indian (from India, not Native >America) > Nutritional belief. From what she said it seems as though the chemical > structure of the honey is broken down and what results is considered > toxic to the human body... > ...Now my question: Has anyone else heard of this, and if so what is >the > scientific evidence for such a belief, or is my colleague a few fries > short of a Happy Meal? I do not have a clue, but I am curious. I would only note that "belief" in many instances requires faith...perhaps your friend can point you to some ("scientific") literature? Tim Fields Timf at relay.com Relay Technology, Inc., SQL/DS Division Vienna, VA, USA Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 11:50:42 EST5EDT From: "Thomas W. Ausfeld" <TOM at sp1.dhmc.dartmouth.edu> Subject: Dark Grains I'm looking for a concensus to the follow question? Q - Do I add dark grains (black patent, chocolate, etc.) at dough in or just before mash out? (and why) Private response is fine, I'll post the results. TIA Tom Ausfeld (TOM at SP1.dhmc.dartmouth.edu) Newbury, Vermont Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 10:53:39 -0500 From: larry at merakusa.com (Larry Barras) Subject: how long can I leave my starter? Hmmm, fully intending to brew one weekend, I bought ingredients and a WyYeast packet (the bohemian lager). I popped the packet, and made a .5 gallon starter after it swelled. The starter never showed any tremendous activity, but it did smell beer like. Unfortunately, I had to postpone my brew session. I stuck the whole starter jar in fridge. Now a few weeks later, I am wondering if the starter is still good. Should I just refresh it with a another quart or two of fresh starter wort? Or maybe I should make a fresh starter? Any thoughts? Larry Barras Merak Projects, Inc. (713) 850-1633 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 12:09:05 -0500 (EDT) From: greg at kgn.ibm.com (Greg Holton) Subject: Suds 4.0 I recently tried Suds 4.0 and had a very unpleasant experience with it. After entering several recipes, I tried to print one. I got an error that it couldn't load the font (wouldn't tell me which one) and crashed. Now the recipe database is corrupted and basically none of the functions work. I couldn't coax it to tell me what font it's trying to use or how to change it. I tried email-ing the author and didn't get a response. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 11:02:52 -0500 (EST) From: charles epp <cepp at indiana.edu> Subject: trub and off-flavors in beer Question: I have a pale ale that tasted fine (even great) for the first month and a half -- lots of hop character and hop aroma. Then it began to transform. First, for about two weeks, it developed a diacetyl flavor (sort of butterscotchy), which began to mask the hops. Now that flavor seems to have transformed into an unpleasant, rough bitterness that masks almost all of the hop character. What is the source of this? The batch was all-grain, mashed at 156 Fahr. in an infusion mash, cooled by an infusion coil wort-cooler, down to 70 Fahr. within about 15 minutes. One suggestion somebody gave me was that I allowed too much of the trub into the fermentation carboy (this is true -- I poured the wort straight in, and just tried to reserve the trub in the boil pot, but wasn't entirely successful). Will trub affect the flavor this much? Or would using too hot sparge water do it? I don't think the problem is bacteria, because there are no other signs of it (no ring in neck of bottle, no increase in carbonation, no strings in the beer, etc.). Any suggestions? Thanks. Chuck Epp (cepp at indiana.edu) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 1995 11:30:05 -0500 (EST) From: "Dave Bradley::IC742::6-2556" <BRADLEY_DAVID_A at Lilly.com> Subject: RE HBD 1716, 1721 Rob Emenecker asks about my post for info in HBD #1716 re aluminum pots. I received two responses, one person having used an Al pot for 15 years with no noticeable flavors (that he can remember :-)! The other message asked to hear the results. There you go, and sorry I didn't post any ?summary? earlier, Rob and Co. I felt comfortable going with Al based on logic and on the data in the Jan/Feb BT article. I've got a new $60 Al boil pot now, and new propane cooker! All I need is some malt, hops and yeast :-). You can bet you'll hear from me if the pot _DOES_ affect flavor! One _IMPORTANT_ point for those buying new Al pots: BOIL SOME WATER IN IT A COUPLE TIMES BEFORE BREWING!!! I did this to see how long my stove would need to heat 8 gal to boiling (3hrs), and there was a milky surface film on the water! I cleaned again, and repeated the test: the water looked dandy the second time around. Wouldn't want that crap in my BEER though!!!! THANKS!!!! db in Indy From: BRADLEY DAVID A (MCVAX0::RC65036) To: VMS MAIL ADDRESSEE (IN::"homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com") cc: BRADLEY DAVID A (MCVAX0::RC65036) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 11:38:55 -0500 From: Russell Mast <rmast at fnbc.com> Subject: Calculate feeling my skunky mouth? > From: Gordon.Mckeever at jpl.nasa.gov > Subject: calculating O.G. > I had a brain fart and dumped my yeast in at >150F ... much to my surprise, > the airlock was bubbling merrily away, so the opportunity for getting > an OG was gone. Were I you, I'd be more concerned with infection than gravity. There's a pretty good chance that your yeast WAS killed, and the stuff fermenting your beer isn't your yeast. Miller's book (TC-Hanbook-OHB) lists some typical rates. From mostly extract, it should be pretty straightforward. > From: LBRISTOL at SYSUBMC.BMC.COM > Subject: Gravity contribution for heavily roasted grains > > Which brings me to a curiosity question I have pondered greatly, but never > come to a satisfactory conclusion. Is there a relationship between the FINAL > gravity of a brew to its thickness, mouth feel, or any of those other words > used to describe this sort of thing? I believe it's also in the Miller book that FG has nothing to do with mouthfeel per se, and that it is strictly a function of protein content. There is a coincidental relationship between level of protein and FG, but the FG, theoretically, only contributes to sweetness. I'd think it would have SOME influence on the slickness of the feel, but not the thickness. I know that I can take two beers with similar FG's that have very different mouthfeels, but they also had different OG's, and so on and so forth. So, yeah, the relationship is probably more of a coincidence, but maybe someone else will have something more intellegent to say. > From: PERSAND at aol.com > Subject: Skunky odor from sunlight > > If I am very careful in brewing, bottling and storage will my beer develop a > skunky odor or taste in 5 minutes or so if I pour it in a crystal clear mug > and take it outside to drink? Nope. Maybe in theory, but never happened to me. (I am very careful until it gets out of the bottle, though...) > This is not criticism just- Let's just have fun! Even if your beer isn't as "good" as mine, if you enjoy yours more than I enjoy mine, you "win". -R Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 11:12:51 -0600 From: Jeorg Houck <jeorg at clinicom.com> Subject: Plato -> SG What is the conversion for Plato to SG? Jeorg Houck Lafayette, CO Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 1995 14:16:07 -0400 From: Andrew McGowan <AMCGOWAN at WPO.HCC.COM> Subject: Freezer Temperature Control - Help I'm a novice brewer in South Carolina who just talked the wife into letting me use the freezer (provided I buy her a new one!!!). My local brew shop only sells a controller that goes down to 40, too hot for some lagers. I've thread searched the HBD and found White Rogers and Grainger models listed. I would appreciate your help in getting the "right" controller. Please include part/model numbers, where it can be bought, phone numbers, etc. I'll summarize and post your replies - email is fine. And a special thanks to John Palmer and David Draper for their getting started and yeast culturing articles - they are better than the 2 books I've got!! Drew McGowan AMCGOWAN at wpo.hcc.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 1995 14:44:57 -0500 (EST) From: PHIL RUSSO <RUSS4036 at splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu> Subject: Exploding Kegs Date sent: 3-MAY-1995 14:38:28 The other night I was watching the news and I saw a tragic story. A few kids on Long Island(my home town) went out in the woods in Lake Ronkonkama (I think) with a keg or two. They were hanging out drinking and they started a nice bon fire. One of the kids got a little too crazy and decided to throw an empty keg on the fire, not realizing that the keg was still sealed and hence-- pressurized. Afew minutes later the whole thing exploded like a bomb. One of the teens was forty feet away when he got hit with a huge metal chunk of the keg. Another piece was found an incredible 250 feet away. Just thought I'd pass on the warning in case no one ever heard of this sort of thing. RUSS4036 at SPLAVA.CC.PLATTSBURGH.EDU PHIL RUSSO ....................DUFF BEER RULES.................... Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 11:48:38 -0700 From: raudins at lightscape.com (Glenn Raudins) Subject: Free Bottles and Superb Re: Free Bottles With the latest move of the household, I have realized that I never unpacked the bottles (bar style longnecks in their brown cases) from the previous move 1.5 years ago. The kegging system has obviously won out. So if there are any brewers in the San Francisco Bay Area who would like to come by and pick up some bottles, send me some e-mail. Though, if Fermentation Frenzy would take them I would leave them there for brewers to pickup. I have about 10 cases to share, all clean with no labels but a little dusty. The case of Orval bottles stays, sorry, Hmmmmmm Re: Superb Gas Grill I have one and think it is great if you are using a SS pot, but don't believe it will work with a converted keg. It is not like the cajun burners, it is relatively flat (approx 8 inches high) and doesn't have legs like the others. There are legs available I believe but they aren't an integral part of its design. If you would like to know any specifics send me some e-mail and I will try to help your decision. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glenn Raudins Phone: (408) 246-1155 Ext. 113 Lightscape Technologies FAX: (408) 246-0255 raudins at lightscape.com - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 1995 15:02:48 -0500 (EST) From: PHIL RUSSO <RUSS4036 at splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu> Subject: Beer Balls + new recipe Date sent: 3-MAY-1995 14:48:36 Well, on my twenty first birthday (Friday) I tapped open the first batch out of my beer ball. Wow......a good working draft system for forty bucks... with the CO2 bulb attatchment it's about sixty. The beer was the hit of my own party. It was even good when we drank the other half Saturday night. On to the recipe.... I tried reproducing Pete's Wicked Red according to the label. I used: 1/2 lb Roasted Barley 1/2 lb Munich 1/2 lb Caramel??? one can of John Bull amber one can of M&F amber 1 oz EKG fresh hops..bittering.. at 60 min to go 1 oz " " " .. " at 30 min to go 1 oz Tettnanger hops.aroma at 10 Min to go I steeped the grains til the boil and then removed. I added the cans of malt extract and boiled for about 60 min...adding the hops as shown above. I forget the OG and FG (I know the people on here love those figures) but it came out a little over 5% alcohol. After it was done fermenting I put it in the beer ball and primed with a little over a half a cup of corn sugar. I threw out the first cup full of yeasty beer but the rest was awesome. Even the Michelob Light drinkers in my house liked it. This was surprising because it came out way darker than the red beer I was trying to recreate. RUSS4036 at SPLAVA.CC.PLATTSBURGH.EDU PHIL RUSSO ........DUFF-- what homebrewers drink when they're not drinking homebrew... Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 95 14:34:43 PDT From: "Jonathan Kalmes" <jkalmes at arcada.com> Subject: Stainless Steel Airstones Kirk writes: >Brewers: Well, not yet, but watching and learning. >I visited a fairly large pet store this past weekend and asked >if they had a stainless steel airstone, which I intended to use >as a wort aerator. They had never heard of such a device, and >noted that most saltwater fish enthusiasts use an airstone made >of "limewood," which has a suitable permeability. Stainless steel is fairly expensive compared to plastic or limewood. Most airstones get clogged pretty quick in aquariums due to detritus, scunge, algea, and other inappropriate stuff. I generally change all the stones in all my tanks once a week. I imagine beer would clog 'em pretty quick too. We use cheap plastic because we can toss 'em. Ever try to clean African Black Algea off anything? Even steel probably wouldn't survive that. >Is the stainless steel airstone a figment of someones imagination? My guess is he was in a state of delirium and needs treatment. >Can anyone quote me a source of such a device? No. HOWEVER... There is a PLASTIC airstone that I happen to have a few of and have never found again that is removable, cleanable, low or high pressured, stain and algea retardent and boilable. (probably stand up pretty well to wort). Obviously it's food grade (not officially) because fish live with it. I don't like it because the bubble are too big, but I have a few and will try to find out where I got them or who makes them. If no luck, respond to me and I'll send ya a few. <JwK> Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 15:34:01 -0400 (EDT) From: Rotorex <rotorex at clark.net> Subject: Re: Stainless Steel Airstones Kirk, I don't think you should be looking for an airstone but a filter. You need to purchase a Rheodyne Inlet Filter. These can be purchased in pore sizes of 2, 5 and 10 microns. These are constructed of a corrosion resistant stainless steel. These filters can be purchased through RAININ 1-800-4-RAININ. Catalog number Description Price 38-6500-2 Inlet Filter, 2 micron, 1/8 inch stem $15.00 38-6500-5 " , 5 " , " " 38-6500-10 " , 10 " , " " There is a $25 minimum order and they do take credit cards. I have no ties with this company, blah, blah, blah. Pete Cooke Frederick, MD Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 1995 16:08:46 -0700 From: Meyer at msscc.med.utah.edu (Larry Meyer) Subject: Gout I hate to continue a minor thread, but Kit "Travels With Chiles" Anderson was only mostly right about gout- - Gout is primarally a renal (kidney) disease (there are other rare causes) - Dietary purines do have only a very slight effect on serum urate but - Alcohol can have a big effect on serum urate. The explanation is that alcohol (or acetaldehyde, the product that makes you feel hung over, not that it's ever happened to me) inhibits the kidneys ability to put out uric acid (probably distal tubular excretion by the weak acid pump for the purists). It was once thought that rich foods and wines were causing gout by their purine load (foods high in DNA like meat, nuts). As this was disproved, the renal mechanism became clearer. Other substances can do this as well, specifically including asperin and HCTZ, a common blood pressure medicine. Consequently, an acute goutty attack can be caused by beer (or asperin), and most would recoment stopping all alcohol for a substancial period following an attack. There are medications which can help, and once under control, most folks with gout can drink some IMHO. If anyone needs more info private e-mail is fine. Good luck if you are so aflicted. Larry Meyer (M.D.) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 17:44:36 -0600 From: bq982 at Freenet.HSC.Colorado.EDU (Jason K. Sloan) Subject: Hops Well, here in SW Missouri it has been raining for something like 39 days and 39 nights. It looks like were going for a new record (biblically speaking) and I had a question about my hop plants. I planted my root cuttings in the highest area of the back yard (this is their first year) but they are still getting soaked. If the water level rises much more their bases will be submerged. They have started to come up anyway but I was wondering if they would eventually rot and die with such high water levels. So far they are only about three inches tall, not the the kind of growth that I had expected. Any info is much appreciated. (Like should I dig them up and put them in pots until the rainy season is over or should I just let them go). Another question: do rabbits eat hops? Something has already removed the top from one of my vines and I suspect the culprit is one of those wascally wabbits. You can't throw a rock around here without hitting three rabbits on the head and the problem will only get worse as the summer comes along (we have a LARGE garden which keeps the rabbit population pretty high). If rabbits DO have a taste for hops I will just throw up a small fence around the vines. I hadn't heard that rabbits were a problem though, just Japanese beetles and aphids. So, water and rabbits. Do I have anything to worry about? TIA......Jason P.S. Save a headache and send Email to one of the freenet addresses, they work better than other address. - -- Jason Sloan Yo ho ho and a bucket of homebrew! aa3625 at freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu bq982 at freenet.hsc.colorado.edu (or sloan01?jason at cc01.mssc.edu) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 21:21:02 -0300 From: comsin19 at nbnet.nb.ca (Com/Sinc19 Gagetown) Subject: mini pub brewing system 1. Pros and cons of single stage brewing. 2. Should I sterilize my caps and if so how is the best way? I am now brewing John Bull using then single stage method and it seems to come out ok. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 10:44:27 +0000 (WET) From: "Harold R. Wood" <hrwood at uog9.uog.edu> Subject: stainless airstone Kirk L. Oseid asks: >>Is the stainless steel airstone a figment of someone's imagination? Can anyone quote me a source of such a device? Kirk, these are real but I don't know if they are used in the aquarium trade. I use themin the liquid chromatography laboratory. They are described as inlet filters and are used for two basic purposes: 1. to filter the liquid phase before it gets to the pump 2. to sparge liquid phase with inert gas (helium) to rid the liquid phase of oxygen. In the second application they are used precisely as an air (helium) stone. They are rather expensive, but will last for a long time. A Supplier: Supelco Supelco Park Bellefonte, PA 16823-0048 (USA) Phone: 800-247-6628 or 814-359-3441 Cat # Description Cost 5-8267 Inlet filter, 2um, 1/8" tube connection $38.10 5-9277 Inlet filter, 10 um, 1/8" tube connection $24.70 5-8267 is a 2 micrometer filter constructed entirely of SS. 5-9277 is a 10 um filter. 5-9277 would be the better unit for use as an airstone as it would present less resistance for pumping air. However it is constructed with a plastic collar. Rick Wood Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 95 17:40:02 PDT From: Lee Bollard <bollard at spk.hp.com> Subject: Mercury poisening A while back I broke a floating thermometer while measuring the temp of some water I was heating (cold outside + hot water = busted thermometer). The mercury flowed into the water in the kettle. I immediately poured out the water, and the mercury exited the kettle in a nice clump. I continue to use this kettle (Volrath stainless 38qt) for all my brewing. Do I risk mercury poisening? - --- Regards, Lee Bollard bollard at spk.hp.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 21:25:32 -0400 (EDT) From: downing at robocop.NYU.EDU (Troy Downing) Subject: Cork finishing bottles I would like to cork finish some of my beers. I have a whole mess of those large Belgian bottles that use the mushroom shaped corks with the wire cages. Can anyone point me to a supplier that sells a corker that will work with these types of corks? I have a regular wine bottle corker, but it won't work with the mushroom corks... I don't want to use the plastic champagne stoppers. Thanks in advance, -Troy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Troy Downing, Research Scientist (Voice) (212) 998-3208 New York University (FAX) (212) 995-4122 Media Research Lab 715-719 Broadway, Rm 1214 downing at nyu.edu New York, NY 10003-1866 http://found.cs.nyu.edu/downing Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 03 May 1995 21:38:35 -0500 (CDT) From: DLANICEK at GAMMA.IS.TCU.EDU Subject: Yeast Questions Hello fellow brewers, I am new to this list and new to beerbrewing. I have several questions regarding yeast that I am sure you experienced brewers can answer. Please excuse my ignorance... 1. I am using dry yeast and I have read several methods for starting the yeast: a) just throw the yeast into the fermenter straight out of the package, b) mix it in 1 cup of warm water for 30 min., and c) mix it in 1 cup of warm water for 10 min., mix in 1 teaspoon of sugar, and wait for it to churn and foam. Which is the best method? Are any of these methods wrong? 2. What happens if I pitch twice as much yeast as needed? 3. One more question not regarding yeast: Will I totally ruin the fermentation process if I take the airlock off for a brief amount of time after it has started to ferment? Thank you in advance for your words of wisdom. Dan Lanicek Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 01:23:04 -0500 From: mdost3 at vms.cis.pitt.edu (Mike Dowd) Subject: Mash schedule questions/Grain roasting questions I just found Randy Mosher's _The Brewer's Companion_ at a local bookstore that was having a sale, so I picked it up. For the most part, I like the book, but I have some questions. In the section on mashing, Mosher provides a graphic detailing steps involved in infusion mashing. He gives three different procedures: one for light ales, one for high gravity ales, and one for dark ales. The procedures for high gravity and dark ales involve a low mash (a rest in the low 150s F) and a high mash (a longer rest in the high 150s F). Mosher never explains why this procedure should be used or where he got the idea for it. I can see that he is trying to use the different temperatures to produce fermentables and unfermentables, but I'm wondering how well it would actually work. So, I was curious whether anyone has used this sort of mash schedule for heavy/dark ales (which are the types of ales I like to make), and if there is any benefit to using this procedure. In addition, all three procedures take at least 2 1/2 hours, and I wondered if there is any benefit to mashing for that long. ******************** Mosher also includes a section on roasting your own grain, which I would be interested to try. However, I'm confused about the colors and lovibond numbers, because it seems that different sources give different numbers. Some list chocolate malt as being around 350 L, while others give it as 500 L, and black malt ranges from 475 to 600 L, depending on the source. Mosher gives one set of numbers in his "grain reference" chart, and different numbers in his "grain roasting" chart. Maybe I'll just go ahead and try, and see what I get, but it would be nice to know what to expect/what to look for. ********************* Any comments and advice would be greatly appreciated. I just recently started brewing from grain (after brewing extract and partial-mash beers for 6 months), and I am still trying to learn everything I can about the wonderful science of brewing. Replies via e-mail are fine Thanks in advance, Mike Michael Dowd "I could be mistaken. Maybe it was another Slippery Slope Research bald-headed jigsaw-puzzle tattooed naked University of Pittsburgh guy I saw." mdost3 at vms.cis.pitt.edu -Fox Mulder Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 7:51:35 -0500 (CDT) From: Bonjour <KRHOVJAK_JD at lvs-emh.lvs.loral.com> Subject: Poor Head Retention I'm the new kid on the block. We started brewing about a year ago and have done about 10 batches, some good, some okay. One problem we have not yet solved is poor head retention, even when using 1+ lb. of crystal or other grains. I heard that you have to have really clean glasses, so we are careful about that, but still no luck. The head will not last more than a few minutes (but the beer seems to be well carbonated). Any suggestions would be appreciated. Personal mail is welcome. John Krhovjak Dallas, TX krhovjak_jd at lvs-emh.lvs.loral.com Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 4 May 95 9:24:26 EDT From: "Lee A. Menegoni" <lmenegoni at nectech.com> Subject: 1056 Ferment temp. In a recent HBD Al K states. " The next 1056 batch I made, stuck. Wyeast really doesn't like temperatures below 63F and will quit early if it encounters them. " I have to disagree, In winter I ferment 1056 batches in my basement at 60-62F with no ill effects. I do pitch a larger quantity of starter slurry into the wort and airate well. I get a vigorous ferment and a normal FG. When fermented at these temps this yeast produces an especially clean tasting and ester free beer. I use the 60-62F ferment to produce a lager like beer using all Pilsner malt and Liberty hops in about 3 weeks. Lee Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 4 May 95 09:56:49 EDT From: spencer at med.umich.edu Subject: Cleveland Oh, no! It's a brewpub request! I'm going to be in Cleveland next week (well, Oberlin, really). Can someone send directions from the Ohio Turnpike (eastbound) to the Great Lakes brewpub. Thanks. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 10:16:53 EDT From: "Paul Stokely" <PSTOKELY at ea.umd.edu> Subject: Boil Time/ Dope Andy Lake asks the >Question of the day: > 1. A friend of my wifes brews his own beer and boils his > wort for only 15 minutes. Why boil for 60 - 90 minutes, if > 15 will do. What are the benefits of a longer boil? A good roiling boil for 15 minutes may be enough to sterilize the wort, but brewers also boil to 1) reduce the wort volume and increase the gravity; 2) completely isomerize hop alpha acids which takes 30 minutes or more. Also a longer boil allows stepped additions of first bittering and then aroma hops; 3) darken the color of their wort and create a (hopefully) slight caramel flavor; and 4) put that expensive Cajun Cookers to good use, dammit! I didn't spend $50 for a measly 15 minute boil! ;) Paul S. in College Park, Maryland Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 10:29:49 -0400 (EDT) From: "Kieran O'Connor" <koconnor at mailbox.syr.edu> Subject: BJCP NE Database Hi If you live in the following areas, I'll be handling the database for the BJCP. ME, VT, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, ON, PQ, NS & foreign. I can answer questions about your status, change your address, etc. I will also handle routine chores like providing labels, etc. for competition organizers. Since a lot of folks on this digest are in the BJCP, I'd like to collect e-mail addresses to add to the records. That way when an organizer asks for a list of area judges, I can provide e-mail addresses along with the labels. If you'd like to add your e-mail address to the database, update it, or check to make sure I have it correct, drop me a note. Please put in the subject header: BJCP NE Database, so I can sort my incoming e-mail. **Please only send me mail if you are a BJCP Judge, those are the only records this database has.** I will not contact you unless I have any problems with your records. Thanks. Kieran ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kieran O'Connor koconnor at mailbox.syr.edu Syracuse, N.Y. USA In vino veritas; in cervesio felicitas. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1723, 05/05/95