HOMEBREW Digest #2008 Thu 11 April 1996

[Prev HBD] [Index] [Next HBD] [Back]


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


Contents:
  Message from LISKAY at CARVM3 (CARVM3)
  Hefenweisen (russ tjepkema)
  Water Analysis ("Joseph G. Spears")
  Barley flakes ("Braam Greyling")
  Washington DC/Williamsburg VA (Cherisse Gardner)
  Canning Wort (Fred Hardy)
  First Partial Mash / Water Analysis ("Stephen Palmer")
  Sodium Hydrox for bottles (Joe Rolfe)
  sparge worthy spigot/water analysis (Ray Robert)
  Sleep Deprivation Humor ("Olson, Greger J - CI/911-2")
  Digital scale (Ian Smith)
  Distinctive Foods / Dead Skunk In the Middle of My Beer / Is My Beer Ruined? (KennyEddy)
  HELP! Hop sources & malting (UTC -04:00)" <rich.byrnes at e-mail.com>
  The Abita Brewery ("Goodale, Daniel CPT 4ID DISCOM")
  3 Tier Brewery Design ("Kenneth D. Joseph")
  Re: water ananysis (Btalk)
  Calcium Gluconate - any ideas? (Paul Sovcik)
  Fiber in Beer?? (usbscrhc)
  which yeast/ferment temp. ("FINLEY, BARRY CURTIS")
  seirra nevada bigfoot (MJT15)
  how to adjust O.G. (Tim Martin)
  Sodium Hydroxide Sanitation (Hugh Graham)
  Wyeast 1968/Oak in IPAs (again) (Algis R Korzonas)
  new horizons (Wallinger)
  Fermentaption Contraption (Larry Davids)
  Re:new brewer/old topic? ("Ray Cooper")

****************************************************************** * 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. ****************************************************************** ################################################################# # # YET ANOTHER NEW FEDERAL REGULATION: if you are UNSUBSCRIBING from the # digest, please make sure you send your request to the same service # provider that you sent your subscription request!!! I am now receiving # many unsubscribe requests that do not match any address on my mailing # list, and effective immediately I will be silently deleting such # requests. # ################################################################# NOTE NEW HOMEBREW ADDRESS hpfcmgw! Send articles for __publication_only__ to homebrew at hpfcmgw.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@ hpfcmgw.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. Please don't send me requests for back issues - you will be silently ignored. For "Cat's Meow" information, send mail to lutzen at alpha.rollanet.org ARCHIVES: An archive of previous issues of this digest, as well as other beer related information can be accessed via anonymous ftp at ftp.stanford.edu. Use ftp to log in as anonymous and give your full e-mail address as the password, look under the directory /pub/clubs/homebrew/beer directory. AFS users can find it under /afs/ir.stanford.edu/ftp/pub/clubs/homebrew/beer. If you do not have ftp capability you may access the files via e-mail using the ftpmail service at gatekeeper.dec.com. For information about this service, send an e-mail message to ftpmail at gatekeeper.dec.com with the word "help" (without the quotes) in the body of the message.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Apr 1996 05:05:31 From: CARVM3 at vnet.IBM.COM Subject: Message from LISKAY at CARVM3 Giving up OV/VM, moved to Lotus Notes. Please send all future correspondence to LISKAY at RTPNOTES The mail you sent has been transferred to LISKAY at CARY. This message was sent by the SAFE automatic machine: do not reply. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 06:52:57 -0400 From: russ tjepkema <russtj at edgenet.net> Subject: Hefenweisen I was traveling last week and had the opprtunity to taste Widmer Hefenweisen. I usually don't enjoy this style, but this one I really liked. I wonder if anyone has any clone recipes? TIA russ Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 07:59:05 -0500 From: "Joseph G. Spears" <aquashed at Interpath.com> Subject: Water Analysis There are a number of companies that offer complete water analysis. I have used one extremely successfully and they offer an option to test for pesticides as well. It is important to note that there is a difference between compliance testing for legal requirements and the testing that I would order. In some cases the government specifies the testing required and the method to be used. This is often much more laborious than modern methods--and no more accurate. Thus the high cost of compliance testing. For more information on testing or treatment contact the Water Quality Association. Thanks. Joe Spears, CWS-V, CI Phone: 704-459-2426 Certified Water Specialist FAX: 704-453-7617 Aqua Shed 3474 Duck Pond Drive Conover, NC 28613-9458 aquashed at interpath.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 14:44:30 +200 From: "Braam Greyling" <ACG at knersus.nanoteq.co.za> Subject: Barley flakes Hi beerboys (oops! and beergirls) I am going to brew my 4th all grain batch soon. I got some barley flakes from the guy who supply me with grain. I am not sure what quantities I should use. I also have some wheat malt, chocolate malt crystal malt and Cara-Vienna malt. I only do infusion mash. All my malts are fully modified, I think ! What quantities of the flakes should I use ? What effect will it have on my beer ? How will it influence the taste, body, colour and head ? Can I use it with infusion mash ? I brew 5 gallon batches. Thanks ! Braam Greyling Design Engineer Nanoteq (Pty) Ltd tel. +27 (12) 665-1338 - ---- 24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case ---- - ---- coincidence ????? ---- Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 08:55:08 -0400 (EDT) From: Cherisse Gardner <cgardner at nova.umuc.edu> Subject: Washington DC/Williamsburg VA On Wed, 10 Apr 1996 beer-l-request@ UA1VM.UA.EDU wrote: > Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 07:50:59 -0400 > From: Bob McCowan <bob.mccowan at cfrp.varian.com> > Subject: Washington DC/Williamsburg VA > > We're heading to Williamsburg and DC in a couple of weeks and I'd like > advice on good micros and brewpubs to try. Greetings and welcome to my stomping grounds! I was born and raised in Wmsbg and am currently residing in DC. Your best bet is to get your hands on an issue of Barley Corn, a free monthly (I think) newspaper about beer, brewing, and microbreweries and crafthouses of the east. It will provide the most complete listing of the many establishments and events in this area. If you can't get it wherever you are, send a private e-mail with an address to which I can send an issue. I'll be happy to. If the weather turns warm on your trip, drop by the King's Arm's Tavern in the historic area for a frosty pitcher of Lieberscheiner Ale out in the garden under the trellises for a truly pleasant afternoon. You must not overlook Legend Brewing Co. in Richmond, Va. on your way from DC, about 50 miles before you get to Wmsbg. The owner and head brewer, Tom Martin, is a childhood friend of mine and makes beer so good it'll spoil you! Brewing runs in his family and he has finally realized his 15-20 yr. dream to be a brewer too. Tell him I sent ya! Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 09:01:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Fred Hardy <fcmbh at access.digex.net> Subject: Canning Wort I can 1 cup, 1 pint and 1 qt. jars of sterile wort for using as starter. I have been doing this for years with excellent results. Everything I know about it I learned from "Yeast Culturing for the Homebrewer," by Roger Leistad - G.W. Kent Inc., 1983. This little handbook is available at most homebrew shops for about $4.00. I also use the information in the book to make agar medium for capturing commercial yeast strains for subsequent use. Leistad's text is, IMO, a brewing classic worth many time its cover price. Cheers, Fred ============================================================================== We must invent the future, else it will | <Fred Hardy> happen to us and we will not like it. | [Stafford Beer, "Platform for Change"] | email: fcmbh at access.digex.net Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 09:42:13 EDT From: "Stephen Palmer" <uscgsynd at ibmmail.com> Subject: First Partial Mash / Water Analysis Greetings Collective, I posted recently about my first partial mash, a Brown Ale from Miller's TCHOHB. I just wanted to comment, that even with the errors I'd made during the mash, and sparge, that this is my best beer yet. It has been bottled only one week, but is very good, if a little flat.... On to new things! In preperation for doing an All-Grain in the near future, I requested a water analisis from my Utility District, (MUD-7 in Katy, TX) which they readily supplied at no cost. However, all ION counts are in MG/L rather than the PPM that Miller describes in his book. How do I convert between the two? For those who are more chemist than I, here is the analysis. (Spelling errors are mine, I'm reading this from what appears to be a 50th generation photocopy) Calcium 51 MG/L Chloride 52 MG/L Fluoride 0.2 MG/L Magnesium 6 MG/L Nitrate (As N) 0.19 MG/L Sodium 39 MG/L Sulfate 12 MG/L Total Hardness/CACO3 154 MG/L PH 7.9 Oil.Conduct(UMHOS/CM) 508 Tot. Alka. as CACO3 150 MG/L Bicarbonate 183 MG/L Carbonate 0 MG/L Dissolved Solids 253 MG/L P. Alkalinity /CACO3 0 MG/L Arsenic < 0.010 MG/L Barium 0.165 MG/L Cadium < 0.005 MG/L Chromium < 0.02 MG/L Copper 0.08 MG/L Iron < 0.02 MG/L Lead < 0.0200 MG/L Manganese < 0.02 MG/L Mercury < 0.0002 MG/L Selenium 0.012 MG/L Silver < 0.010 MG/L Zinc < 0.02 MG/L I plan on brewing a wide range of Ales including Brown, Stout, Light American, IPA, Weisse etc... Any comments on how this water should be treated will be appreciated. Private E-Mail is Fine... Thanks in Advance! Stephen L. Palmer uscgsynd at ibmmail.com - Columbia Gulf, Houston TX elrond at helix.xiii.com - Home Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 10:06:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Joe Rolfe <onbc at shore.net> Subject: Sodium Hydrox for bottles nir asked about the level of caustic in bottle washing operations: the big breweries that rewash use alot about 3%. this is at a relative low temperature about 160F or so. the higher the temp the less caustic you can use but the glass can be thermally shocked (watch the next bottling if bottle conditioning). we rewash the 1/2 gallon growlers at 175 to 180 with about a 1-2% caustic for 5 minutes. good impingment on the interior surface and the neck are required (A/B quotes a 7ft/sec as good cleaning impingment). so to get this - a higher speed pump with a large inlet and smaller outlet (2" in 1" or so outlet 3450 rpm and a few horses should do it). we built a jig outs copper (dont tell the fda;) to clean 24 at a shot and use a 3hp 3450 pump. the nozzels need work but washes very well and quickly. not a lot of fun tho.....nir - hows the brewery doing? Joe Rolfe -VP/Brewer Ould Newbury Brewing Company, Inc 50 Parker Street, Newburyport MA onbc at shore.net and www.shore.net/~onbc/oldnbury/ontop.htm Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 10:21:00 PDT From: Ray Robert <RayRobert at bah.com> Subject: sparge worthy spigot/water analysis Hello Brew Collective! I have two hopefully simple problems I need some help with: 1. I use my bottling bucket to hold my sparge water. You know the type white hdpe bucket with standard plastic spigot. The problem I have is that is leaks like a sieve when I put hot sparge water in it. I've gone through 5 of these in the last year and a half. The cost is not an issue (they are only about 3 bucks) but trying to sparge and clean up 170 degree water off the kitchen floor is not fun. Any recommendations as to a solution for this. I would like to maintain the same arrangement. 2. Had a request for any brewers in the Fairfax VA area: How is the water in this area and does it require treatment. I hope to avoid a nut roll with the local water authority (much like the recent experiences on the HBD). Also any recommended homebrew stores in the area would be a help Any help would be greatly appreciated. Robert Ray <rayrobert at bah.com> Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 08:18:00 PDT From: "Olson, Greger J - CI/911-2" <gjolson at bpa.gov> Subject: Sleep Deprivation Humor What is the best style to brew after the birth of a new child? An I.P(ee).A(ll-night.)? A Barleyw(h)ine? An Outmeal S(p)out? A Midnight Ale? I've got waaaay too much time to think of these. (Generally between 12-5 A.M.) The best (worst?) pun will go in the fermenter and on the label (with suitable clipart). BTW, as another data point, my Dopplebock did not carbonate after bottling. Probably the yeast flocculated due to rapid temperature changes. Had to add yeast to the bottles & recap. -- Sleepless in Oregon -- Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 08:54:46 -0600 (MDT) From: Ian Smith <rela!isrs at netcom.com> Subject: Digital scale Does anyone know of a source for a digital scale suitable for weighing fractions of ounces (grams) for hops and salts etc but also able to weigh up to 10 lbs of grain for mashing ? A scale with a range of 1g - 5000g (or 0.1 oz to 10 lbs) would be ideal. Cheers ! Ian Smith isrs at rela.uucp.netcom.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 11:56:42 -0400 From: KennyEddy at aol.com Subject: Distinctive Foods / Dead Skunk In the Middle of My Beer / Is My Beer Ruined? I really enjoyed Kristine's sharing of the verbage on the label of old malt extract she has. "Distinctive Foods"! HAH! Perhaps this is a kindler and gentler way of writing a disclaimer than the usual "don't blame me if you get in trouble using this" line. ********************* Chris DiIorio (how do you pronounce that, Chris?) asks about "skunky" beers. I suupose there could be any number of things going on but the #1 culprit is usually light. Light-struck hops become "skunky" and this is why beer is best packaged in dark bottles. The hops can be light-struck either before OR after brewing (or both, I suppose), so be sure your hops are stored out of the light (wrap in aluminum foil for light-tightness) and so is your bottled beer. Direct sunlight will skunk hops in short order; flourescent lights supposedly can too but it takes longer. If you are already taking these steps, complain to the store that sold you the skunky hops. **************** Jason Henning says >About the only thing not covered here was how to explain to the wife how spending >$300 on new equipment would make brewing cheaper! But seriously, I thank >you all....This thime next year, I will be brewing in a hermetically sealed, computer- >controled, solar-powered, electronically measured, steam heated, self- >cleaning, robtically mashing, continuous-flow titanium-clad brewhouse! If you can do this for $300 we'd like to learn how! I've got my wife trained to appreciate homebrew and fine imports so as long as I keep the incremental costs down I can get away with "making beer cheaper". As far as your Hop IBU and recipe formulation goes, try this. An "IBU" is supposed to be equivalent to 1 mg/l alpha acid. So you must figure how many mg of AA is getting into how many litres of beer. Each ounce of hops weighs 28.4 grams (28,400 mg), and each gallon of beer is 3.8 litres. The "utilization" is simply the percent of the AA that actually gets into your beer and depends on so many things it's usually a crapshoot, but figure 25% to 30% max for long boils (there are tables and formulae out there to get utilzation figures for shorter boil times). The number of mg AA in hops is 28,400 x ounces x AA%/100. The number of litres is 3.8 * gallons. The mg/l that ends up in your beer is the mg/l times the utilization or mg/l x UTIL%/100. So IBU = mg/l = ((28,400 x oz x AA%/100) / (3.8 x gal) ) x UTIL%/100. This reduces to: ** IBU = 0.75 x OZ x AA% x UTIL% / GALLONS ** One ounce of 5% AA hops in 5 gallons at a utilization of 30% gives IBU = 0.75 x 1 x 5 x 30 / 5 = 22.5 IBU To figure how much grain you need for a given OG, note that a quantity of grain yields a certain number of "potential extract points per pound per gallon" or just "points". This varies for different grains but is around 36 for typical base malt. Specialty grains contribute at lower rates but are often not included at all due to the low percentage they usually represent, but you can toss'em in if you like. So you must first figure how much of this 36 points you're actually gonna get; this is your "efficiency". To complicate things, your "efficiency" might be different for the different grains, but if you figure based on the base malt (assuming it's the bulk of the grain bill), you'll be real close. So if you are getting an 80% efficiency, the base malt at 36 points would yield 36 x 80%/100 = 28.8 points per gallon per pound. To figure the gravity from a given number of pounds in a given number of gallons, take this figure, multiply by the number of pounds, and divide by the gallons: OG (POINTS) = POINTS x EFF%/100 x POUNDS / GAL OG (Spec. Grav) = 1 + POINTS/1000 Example: 10 pounds of 36-point grain in 5 gallons at 80%: OG (POINTS) = 36 x 80/100 x 10 / 5 = 57.6 points OG (SG) = 1 + 57.6/1000 = 1.058 If you have figures for the potential points and efficiencies for each grain in the bill, do this calculation separately and add the resulting points, then lastly convert to SG. This is the ultimate in A-R brewing. Rearranging the equation we can figure the amount of grain needed for a specific OG: POUNDS = (OG(POINTS) x GALLONS) / (POINTS x EFF%/100) If we want a 1.075 OG (75 points) in 5 gallons with 36-point grain and 80% efficiency, POUNDS = (75 x 5) / (36 x 80/100) = 13 pounds This is the 5-gallon FINAL RECIPE gravity; your 6-1/2 gallon BOIL gravity will be lower since it gets more concentrated as it boils off the water. The BOIL gravity is BG(POINTS) = (RECIPE GAL / BOIL GAL) x RECIPE OG(POINTS) BG(SG) = 1 + BG(points)/1000 For the 1.075 OG wort, we'll look for 5/6.5 x 75 = 58 points (1.058 SG) in the boiler just after sparging 6-1/2 gal wort. Remember that most hydrometers are calibrated at 60 degrees F so chill the sparge sample before reading, or consult a correction table. Ken Schwartz KennyEddy at aol.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 12:33:34 EDT From: "Rich Byrnes USAET(UTC -04:00)" <rich.byrnes at e-mail.com> Subject: HELP! Hop sources & malting Greetings all! As I prepare this months newsletter I wanted to include a listing of reputable rhizome dealers, so if the collective would be kind enough to send me their picks I'll summarize for a future HBD, thanks! Malting; one of our members wants to grow his own barley (and yes he's a farmer that knows how to GROW cereal grains but needs more info on Malting, is there a book that covers malting in detail? Your help is appreciated. Regards,_Rich Byrnes Jr Fermental Order of Renaissance Draughtsmen Hey Pat Babcock, whatever happened to your plaid wearing carboy? Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 11:26:00 PDT From: "Goodale, Daniel CPT 4ID DISCOM" <GoodaleD at hood-03.army.mil> Subject: The Abita Brewery Greetings members of the collective, Last weekend a friend and I took a trip to New Orleans to catch the scene around Easter. On Saturday, we went to Abita Springs to catch the Abita Brewery tour. I can easily get Abita here in Texas and was about all I drank while working in Alabama, so I expected a large professional operation. The place was less organized than I expected. Sacks of malted barley were stacked floor to ceiling along with boxes of bottles, filter substrate, six pack containers, labels, and other brewing paraphernalia. Brian, our tour guide and one of the brewers, lead the tour with a plastic cup of TurboDog in one hand. He gave a competent overview of brewing for the laypeople and fielded more complex questions from the home brewing crowd. Free samples flowed from the tasting room/employee lounge/latrine. All were encouraged to refill at any time during the tour with any of the brewery's fare (and rootbeer for the tykes). A lot of the brewery's equipment was recycled dairy equipment. Their pride and joy was an automatic labeler with eliminated a bottleneck in the line. At the end we were encouraged to wander around the brewery at will if we promised not to "turn anything on." The beer was all excellent, however I was a little disappointed in the TurboDog, it seemed to have a lot more hop aroma when I drank it in Anniston Alabama. My female friend liked it very much (certainly gets points for having a really cool name). I was impressed with their "Red Ale" although I thought it could be a tad more bitter. I also enjoyed their barley wine at their restaurant in town. I think it is called Andigator or something to that effect. Some obscure law prohibits them from bottling it so you have to get it on tap. Also ate a "poor boy" there, I can see why the poor eat them, I tasted it all day. Overall impression was that of a quaint, relaxed small town brewery. A lot of fun. Another beer I encountered in New Orleans was Dixie beer. Looked like a megaswill bottle but with good beer inside. Also liked something called hand grenade beer (available at the Funky Pirate bar). Tasted a little like a bock I brewed once. BTW I'm not associated in any way with the Abita brewing.......Blah..........Blah....... ..Blah........not now nor have ever been a member of the communist party. Daniel W. Goodale Biohazard Brewing Company Sure its gonna kill ya, but who wants to live forever! Return to table of contents
Date: 10 Apr 96 12:59:52 EDT From: "Kenneth D. Joseph" <74651.305 at CompuServe.COM> Subject: 3 Tier Brewery Design I have just acquired (legally) three Sankey's for use in a new three tier brewery. I would love to glean the wisdom of all in design of my new system -- especially in the areas of false bottoms and plumbing for the mash/lauter tun and boiling kettle. If there is a FAQ in addition to Teddy Winstead's paper, or threads from previous HBD's please send me references. Thank's to all who respond. kj Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 13:11:17 -0400 From: Btalk at aol.com Subject: Re: water ananysis The lab guys at my city's water dept were more than helpful in giving me whatever info they had on the water's content. All I had to do was look through the books myself! Since Binghamton, NY gets its water from a river, the amount of certain minerals vary a little depending on how much water is in the river. The only short coming is that the water dept doesn't test for all of the minerals/ions that we brewers are interested in. It is better than nothing and the price is right! Later, Bob Talkiewicz, Binghamton, NY <btalk at aol.com> Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 12:00:33 CDT From: Paul Sovcik <U18183 at UICVM.CC.UIC.EDU> Subject: Calcium Gluconate - any ideas? In keeping with the spirit of the water treatment thread.... I have access to all kinds of neat, pharmaceutical grade chemicals that I can have for the taking since they are parenteral products that lose sterility after 24 hours of opening. Occasionally, I can get some calcium chloride, but its much more common for me to get Calcium Gluconate. Any idea what happens to the Gluconate part of the molecule when added to a mash or boil? Seems to me that this is a great way to add calcium to the mash, but even after 4 years of college chemistry, I cant tell what effect gluconate will have on the beer. Anyone care to take a guess? AJ? The solution is a 10% Calcium Gluconate solution, delivering about .5 mEq of calcium per ml. -Paul Paul Sovcik Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 13:51:20 EDT From: usbscrhc at ibmmail.com Subject: Fiber in Beer?? Barley and grains are a good source of fiber. Does anyone know if beer is a source of fiber, too? Or does it get lost somehow in the process....How about homebrew vs. commercial beers? Any healthy people out there know?? Just wondering...Thanks. HMS - Baltimore Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 13:46:26 EST From: "FINLEY, BARRY CURTIS" <BFINLEY at MUSIC.CC.UGA.EDU> Subject: which yeast/ferment temp. I am planning on brewing a continental pilzner, so I bought a kit (I think the name of the kit was something like Mutons gold?). Anyway, the kit came with a packet of dried yeast. I want to know if I would obtain a better product if I used liquid yeast? From what I read on the newsgroup, most people do, in fact, prefer Wyeast over the dried. So, for all of the people that have brewed cnt. pilz's before, what strain of yeast did you use, and how did everthing turn out I also bought 1 oz of Saaz pellets and 1 oz of Saaz plugs to use as flavoring and aroma hops. I plan on using the pellets at 15 min. and the plugs at 5 min., does this sound reasonable (I've never used finishing hops before)? I am trying to obtain a result similar to that of a typical American Pilzner, somewhat like that of Michelob. Any further suggestions on how this can be done? Also, I am curious about the best fermenting temp. for this type of brew. What are the best temps, and what are the highest temps that I could get away with? Thanks in advance, Barry Finley Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 15:22:43 EDT From: MJT15 at infoctr.chrysler.com Subject: seirra nevada bigfoot Since the brewery has decided to limit the distribution of this fine product to some limited western states I look to the collective for help. I was priviliged enough to be able to buy this beer last year, However most of the case remains in the cellar ageing. Comparison to future years production will be impossible at the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild and privately if a '96' case is not procured soon. I'm asking for a favor of a western reader in return for a similar favor. private e-mail please thanks loads mike ***JEEP/TRUCK-RWD TRANSMISSION-CHRYSLER *** * Michael Tomaszewski (313) 956-1660 * * BEER IS LIFE'S BLOOD - M.T. Zymurgist * ******************************************* Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 16:51:55 -0300 From: Tim Martin <TimM at southwest.cc.nc.us> Subject: how to adjust O.G. Hey Neighbors, Would someone out there please help? I would like to reduce the O.G. from .60 to about .45. I would like to do this at priming time. I have about 2.75 gal. of beer in the 'boy now fermenting. I'm thinking of adding a half gal. of sugar/water at bottling but this is only a guess. Can someone send more accurate calculations? With my all grain training wheels still on I am confused why I ended up with such a high O.G. With my last batch I hit the mark of .38 so this time I increase the grain bill with one additional pound of grain. I did over boil a bit and missed my 3 gal. mark, guess I got carried away with my new propane cooker. I ran my grain bill through the Brewmeister and it projected an O.G. of .43. I did substituted a half pound of 60 degree crystal for Vienna on this batch over the last one. One last thing, I also incorporated a homemade Phil's sparge arm thing on this batch but I hardly think this increased my extraction so much. What gives, how did I get this high O.G.? TIA Tim Martin Buzzard's Roost Homebrewery "with that strong predatory taste" Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 16:13:47 -0600 (MDT) From: Hugh Graham <hugh at lamar.ColoState.EDU> Subject: Sodium Hydroxide Sanitation In HBD #2007 Nir Navot asks:- > Does anyone know what would be an appropriate concentration of NaOH (sodium > hydroxide) one should be using for cleaning and sanitizing beer bottles? The standard concentration in the biotech industry is 0.1 molar or 4 grams per liter (half an ounce per gallon is close enough). A less concentrate solution (say 0.01 molar) could be used for storage. Just to cover my rear (JTCMA), I note that NaOH is a toxic, hazardous chemical, which is of course why it's commonly known as caustic soda. I suggest we all read the MSDS at http://www.fisher1.com/ , (in full, <http://www.fisher1.com/fb/itv?2..fsc95.1.msf0006.78.2x48...>) and then rinse the bottles well (to neutral pH) before use. Nb. Some plastics and other materials are not chemically resistant to NaOH. IMHO, I think bleach or iodophor is a much friendlier choice for home use.. Hugh Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 11:13:02 CDT From: korz at pubs.ih.att.com (Algis R Korzonas) Subject: Wyeast 1968/Oak in IPAs (again) Walter writes about his experience with Wyeast London ESB #1968: >In the last batch I brewed I agitated my primary (after 3 days) >and secondary (after 4 & 7 days) fermenters by swirling and found the >fermentation rate to increase. My thought was this stuff packs so fast and >so tight that maybe I need to get the yeast back into suspention (the brewer >at Barley's thought I was crazy.) So anyway I forgot to take a final >gravity reading (Duh) but the beer was definatly more atenuated then the >brew before that used the same recipe.. My findings were recently confermed >when I got a copy of the Wyeast yeast profiles pamphlet which says that 1968 >is so flocculant that additional aeration and agitation is needed. The brewer at Barley's should listen to you more -- you have it absolutely right. At The Old Brewery Tadcaster (where they make Samuel Smith's) their yeast is so flocculent they have to use pumps to keep it in suspension. The Wyeast pamphlet is wrong about the aeration. Aeration is not required, just rousing. If you swirl the carboy to get the yeast back into suspension that should be sufficient. As long as you don't remove the airlock, the headspace will be all CO2 and you won't be aerating. Regarding your recipe which contiained an ounce of oak chips, I'd like to point out (again) that the only IPAs to have any oak character are those made by Ballentine's, here in the US. The original English IPAs would not have had any oak character because: 1. they used european oak which takes more than a year to impart any oak character, 2. many of the breweries used pitch-lined casks, and 3. if you were shipping beer to India and never expected to see the cask again, would you use a new cask or one of your well-worn ones? Wineries replace their oak casks frequently because they lose what little oaky character they had with repeated use. At Rodenbach, they disassemble the tuns and scrape a thin layer of wood off to expose fresh wood. There is virtually no oak character in the regular Rodenbach (most of the blend which is made of beer that spends only a year in the tuns) and a significant amount in the Grand Cru which spends three years in the oak tuns. Since the trip around the cape was less than 4 months, I don't think that would be enough time to give the original IPAs to have picked up any oak from the old, well-used casks. Sorry... pet peave. Al. Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL korz at pubs.att.com Copyright 1996 Al Korzonas Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 18:38:26 -0500 From: Wallinger <wawa at datasync.com> Subject: new horizons >From: CHRISTOPHER=20 >Subject: new brewer/old topic? > >Greetings, > >I've been brewing for only 4 short months now using a pre made starter = kit >my father-in-law (and new friend) bought me for Christmas. I've made a >few good batches using malt extracts and specialty grains, but have not >gotten into all grain brewing (I'm waiting for him to start all grain = and >(maybe) buy me the equipment for that too!) IMO, we are all on the learning curve. great to have you aboard, and we = welcome the questions. >I needed bottles so I (ugh!) dumped it, not saving a one. my general advice, which i no doubt picked up on the hbd, is to let any = batch age for awhile before giving up. even if you have to buy more = bottles - they'll come in handy some day :-) >Now I have a similar problem, although this time it is a lager. =20 >I made this batch two weeks ago and, when I went to bottle it, I = noticed >the same skunky odor (and taste) the porter had.=20 a skunky odor implies that you have a lightstruck beer. hops form some = nasty smelly compounds when exposed to light. on the other hand, lager = yeasts will generate h2s, which smells like rotten eggs. if the smell is = not skunky, but rather eggy, then wait it out. this 'aroma' will go away = with age. >Since my homebrew store was all out of liquid yeast (less than 8 months >old) I used the dry yeast that came with the Blue Mtn Lager (I can feel >you all cringe) and began what I hoped would be fermentation at 52 deg. = dry yeast is ok, but liquid yeast is better. i've never tried a true = lager with dry lager yeast. my understanding is that most dry lager = yeasts will not ferment at true lager temperatures. (your 52 degrees is = what i consider a true lager temp.) >When no activity occured after 5 days oh oh. plenty of time for the beasties to take over. at 52 degrees, = though, the beasties will be slowed down just like the yeasties. >I asked my (sold out of good liquid yeast) homebrew supplier what he >recommended. He told me to use the old Wyeast he had, but I didn't = trust it. although i have no data to support this, i think i would trust old = wyeast more than old dry yeast, which is what the yeast was that was = under the lid of your can in the kit. >Now, however, I have this odor and taste and, hence, my questions: >What could have caused this?=20 yeast, light, or perhaps autolysis after fermentation. however, it = sounds like there were enough problems before fermentation that = autolysis would not be the culprit >Could it just be the yeast? perhaps Will it go away with time (and get better)? give it a try. if it doesn't, that's another data point >Was it the temperature changes (from 52 to 74 to 54)? naaaaah. >How about all the hops? ditto >Have I harmed the beer by racking it to the other fermenter? >What about oxidation? racking wouldn't give a skunky taste after fermentation. if you racked = after 5 days of no fermentation to add the yeast then you may have = aggravated the beastie/yeastie ratio >Should I just open another homebrew and relax? this always works for me :-) >Any tips on making this work/smell better/etc. are GREATLY appreciated. = I >would also appreciate any advice/strategies keep reading the hbd :-) wade brewing contraband in pascagoula, miss'ippi Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 20:18:15 -0700 From: l.d. at ix.netcom.com (Larry Davids) Subject: Fermentaption Contraption lurking for a few months. All this new HBD information has helped me greatly. I thank you. Now for my query. I've seen Fermentaps advertised in most magazines, but don't know anyone that has used one. Does anyone have any insight as to it's usefullness or it's pitfalls. I think this was asked not too long ago, but I don't remember seeing a reply. Thanks in advance. Larry Davids, Glen Head, NY Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 96 06:28:46 UT From: "Ray Cooper" <Ray_Cooper at msn.com> Subject: Re:new brewer/old topic? The only times I've had that Heineken skunk odor/flavor develop in my homebrew was before I knew better, I allowed the sun to hit my primary fermentor for only about 10 or 15 minutes while transferring to my secondary. Initially, I blamed it on the East Kent Golding hops as it was the first time I used them, but my subsequent batch, using Fuggles, resulted in the same offending odor/flavor. Only then, after very little research, did I come to the conclusion that my "new" racking procedure in the open sunlight was causing this phenomenon. I haven't had a reoccurrance since I started paying attention to the light conditions of my environment. It was suprising how such a short exposure to direct sunlight caused this problem. I ended up throwing these two batches out as I still have never seen any information as to how to get rid of that flavor once it's affected your beer. Good luck solving your light struck beer problem. Ray Cooper Return to table of contents