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


Contents:
  truncated digest (rdg)
  Re: The great label controversy (Michael Eldredge)
  Labels? (Mark Bradakis)
  Now I've done it... (Doug Roberts  at  Los Alamos National Laboratory)
  beer date decoder (Chuck Cox)
  New [L]user question on digest format (Chris Shenton)
  Re: Label Glues (John D. Polstra)
  Brewing versus This Old House (Chris Shenton)
  Smoking beer... (rauch) (Chris Shenton)


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Date: Thu, 02 Nov 89 10:31:44 MST
From: rdg at hpfcmi
Subject: truncated digest
Full-Name: 	Rob Gardner	

Sorry about yesterday's truncated digest. I don't know how or why it happened,
but it happened to everyone. I'm sorry that I could not personally reply to
everyone to asked for the missing articles; It simply would have taken too
much time. Today's digest contains the missing articles. 

Please be patient and understanding if you do not receive some digest. If you
missed one, chances are that you're not the only one who has sent me mail
asking for the missing issue, and each request must be handled individually. I
do not always have a chance to respond to all such requests immediately, and
sometimes not at all. 

On a related subject, I appreciate subscribers spreading the word about the
Homebrew Digest to others, but *please* be careful to give out the correct
address for requesting subscriptions: 
	homebrew-request%hpfcmr at hplabs.hp.com
Mail sent to homebrew%etc at etc gets 'published'.

Thanks,
Rob Gardner, Your Humble Digest Administrator

- ------------------------------

Date: Wed, 01 Nov 89 09:52:44 PST
From: dredge at hitchrack.STANFORD.EDU (Michael Eldredge)
Subject: Re: The great label controversy

 I agree with the sentiment that ``... it was hard enough getting the
 labels off the first time ...''.   I therefore am not interested in
 adding labels to my personal supply of bottles.  However, for gifts,
 etc. labels would be great and I've been following the suggestions
 with great interest.

 But, for simply demarcating one batch/bottling from another, my buddies
 and I have found a simple and very effective method.  After capping,
 we mark the batch number on each *cap* with an indelible marker.  Works
 great, we never confuse batches and there are no messy labels to
 remove for the next round.

 Michael Eldredge
 Stanford IC Lab

- ------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1 Nov 89 14:09:25 -0700
From: mjb%hoosier at cs.utah.edu (Mark Bradakis)
Subject: Labels?

Out of curiosity, why are folks so concerned about removing labels?
Seems to me one could just simply glue a new one over the old if you
need to put a label on a bottle.  We just mark the caps and ignore
labels.

mjb.

- ------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1 Nov 89 16:56:15 MST
From: roberts%studguppy at LANL.GOV (Doug Roberts  at  Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Subject: Now I've done it...

Last night a brewed an all grain batch for the first time. I used Papazian's
Silver Dollar Porter recipe (sort of): 

8# American 6-row (I used Klages)
1# Munich malt
1/2# Crystal (I used 90L)
1/2# Black patent
1/2# Chocolate
1/2# Roasted barley (This is extra: it's not in Papazian's recipe)
1 tsp calcium carbonate (Papazian calls for calcium sulfate [gypsum]
                         I didn't have any)
1 oz Northern Brewers - boiling
1/2 oz Cascades       - boiling
1/2 oz Cascades       - finishing

I used Papazian's temperature-controlled mash procedure, sparged & boiled. 

The start S.G. was 1.051 when I pitched rehydrated Whitbread yeast.

You know what: I suspect the difference in quality between this batch and an
extract batch is going to be equivalent to the difference between fresh-brewed
coffee and instant. The wort had a much better hot & old break then I've ever
had using extracts, and it tasted better, too. 

The problem I always had with extracts was that you never really knew what was
in them. 

I think I'm sold on the concept of mashing your own :-}

- --Doug
================================================================
Douglas Roberts                |
Los Alamos National Laboratory |When choosing between two evils,  
Box 1663, MS F-602             |I always like to try the one 
Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545   |I've never tried before.
(505)667-4569                  |
dzzr at lanl.gov                  |
================================================================

Date: Wed, 1 Nov 89 14:59:06 EST
From: chuck%bose at uunet.UU.NET (Chuck Cox)
Subject: beer date decoder

Fellow beer lovers -

I am sure you have noticed that many beers (domestic & import) date code their
beer by putting notches in the label. Well, here is how to decode *MOST* of
these labels. Some labels appear to use this system but produce bizarre dates,
so use your common sense. 

If everyone had troff or postscript I could just send you a file to print, but
this a more universal solution. 

On a business-sized card draw 14 lines 1/16" apart in the middle of one of the
long edges, then label them so: 

	+---------------+
	|		|
	|- INDEX	|
	|- 1  \		|
	|- 2   |	|
	|- 4   | day	|
	|- 8   |	|
	|- 16 /		|
	|- 1  \		|
	|- 2   | month	|
	|- 4   |	|
	|- 8  /		|
	|- 1  \		|
	|- 2   | year	|
	|- 4   |	|
	|- 8  /		|
	|		|
	+---------------+

To use this card:
One of the notches in the label will be larger than the rest, line up the
INDEX mark on the card with this notch in the label. The rest of the notches
should line up with some of the marks on the card. Simply total the value of
the notches for the year, month, & day. Only the last digit of the year is
encoded. Voila! You have decoded the date. 

Enjoy.

- - Chuck Cox (...!uunet!bose!chuck) - certified national beer judge

- ------------------------------

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 89 10:29:30 est
From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: New [L]user question on digest format

I just got my first Homebrew Digest. How do I undigestify it? I'm using
emacs/vm and would like to automatically burst the digest into component
messages, so I can file them into appropriate folders (eg: mead, stout,
technique, etc). 

Any advice/suggestions? Thanks in advance.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Internet: chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.10.155)       NASA/GSFC: Code 735
UUCP:     uunet!asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov!chris                  Greenbelt, MD 20771
SPAN:     PITCH::CHRIS (DECNET)                                    301-286-6093
===============================================================================

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 89 08:41:29 PST
From: rutgers!vine.vine.com!polstra!jdp at hplabs.HP.COM (John D. Polstra)
Subject: Re: Label Glues

Everybody's talking about how to attach labels, I guess I might as well throw
in my two cents worth.  I've made labels a few times using a LaserWriter.  I
just used standard issue *removable* labels from the local office supply
store.  (Avery S-3232, 2" X 2" `self-adhesive removable labels'.)  They work
fine.  Just stick them on the bottles, no messing with glue at all.  They pull
off again cleanly and easily, *provided* you don't get them wet. 

- -- John Polstra               jdp at polstra.UUCP
   Polstra & Co., Inc.        
   Seattle, WA                (206) 932-6482

- ------------------------------

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 89 13:59:34 est
From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Brewing versus This Old House

I just moved into an 80 year old house. Water service from the street is via
lead :-( pipes. Anyone experienced with the effects of lead in wort, and/or
filters to remove it? (I'd prefer to avoid the expense of reverse-osmosis units
unless it's unavoidable).

I'm a bit hesitant to brew again until I am sure I can avoid lead-poisoning...
Thanks.

- ------------------------------

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 89 14:01:28 est
From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Smoking beer... (rauch)

On Tue, 3 Oct 89, pms at Sun.COM (Patrick Stirling) asked:
> Has anyone tried brewing a smoked beer? I tried a bottle recently and
> really liked it. I'd be interested in how you smoked - the 'real' way
> or (dare I say it) by adding liquid smoke.  

I did a smoked (rauch) stout once that was rather amusing. I followed
Papazian's advice, mostly, and it was pretty simple:

1. Soak your grains in water for 30-60 minutes.
2. Sprinkle some mesquite or other trendy wood chips on your BBQ coals and
   start the fire as usual.
3. Cover with screen.
4. When fire stabilizes, add your damp grain to the screen.
5. Cover and let smoke for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
6. Brew with your smoked grains as usual.

I used a little propane-fired hibachi/barbecue; I'm sure a Weber Kettle would
be much better. The aluminum porch screen I had started to disintegrate after a
while due to the heat; I suspect brass would be better if you can find it. Some
of my grains close to the fire became carmelized and gunked up the screen;
happily, this didn't seem to adversely affect the taste of the beer.

My beer -- a stout, mind you -- came out so bitchin' smoky, I couldn't drink
it for about 4 months. Even then, it was best with smoked foods or cheeses.
Next time, I'll smoke for less time. I actually smoked for about 45 minutes, so
the 30 above should be about right I think. Lighter-bodied beers may require
even less time. I think experience has a lot to do with this one...

- ------------------------------

End of HOMEBREW Digest #295, 11/03/89

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