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


Contents:
  Re: Yet more discussion of glass vs. plastic carboys (Chris Shenton)
  bottling time (iwtio!korz)
  Re: Homebrew Digest #312 (November 29, 1989)  (Todd Koumrian)


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Date: Wed, 20 Dec 89 10:43:24 est
From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Re: Yet more discussion of glass vs. plastic carboys

(Mark Stevens) writes:
> There's been quite a bit of speculation lately about the relative merits
> of plastic and glass carboys.  While glass carboys are heavier and can
> break, there does seem to be some evidence that they will produce a
> better beer.
>
> Of course it could also be that experienced brewers just tend to favor
> glass, and that the statistical difference is caused more by differences
> in experience than in material differences. :*)

I'm using plastic for primary (~3 days), glass for secondary. I'm a bit
leery of going all-glass, as a couple of my super-heavy (OG > 1.060)
batches have blown the lid off my primary; it's a tight fit getting the lid
on, so pressure must be intense. I now hook up a blow-off tube -- rather
than a fermentation lock -- for the primary, and I've *still* gotten
blow-up.  The beers have (fortunately) ended up tasting fine, so I don't
think it's wild yeast partying-down...

With this kind of pressure, I'd worry about glass shrapnel from a carboy
primary. Any thoughts? Ideas why heavy brews blow up? Thanks.

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Date: Wed, 20 Dec 89 10:08:19 mst
From: att!iwtio!korz at hplabs.HP.COM
Subject: bottling time

>If one bottles too soon, one gets glass grenades.  What happens if one
>bottles too late?  
>
>- Ted

Ted--
The only risk of bottling too late is yeast autolysis (the cell walls of
the dead yeast begin to break down).  Your beer will always have dead and
dormant yeast in it, but the idea is to reduce the amount of dead yeast.
I use two stage fermentation because I never know when I will get around
to bottling.  I keep the (green) ALE in the primary till the kraeusen
falls + 1 day (~3-4 days), then in the secondary till the beer clears
(no longer looks like chocolate milk) or until I'm good and ready (whichever
comes last) (~1 - 2 weeks), and then in bottles for 10 days to two weeks
before taste-testing.  Please note this is for ALES - lagers would require
refridgeration, which I am mot set up to do at this time so I don't have a
method yet.
Al.



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Date: Wed, 20 Dec 89 11:47:07 est
From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov>

I'd really love to do an Oatmeal Stout, a la Sam Smith's. I tried once and
failed miserably. I'm currently using extract + specialty grains, and tried
to do a mini-mash on the Oatmeal. Loser!

Anyone have any recipes? Is this possible for an extractor? I'm planning
on taking the all-grain plunge (yech -- what a mess! :-) and an Oatmeal
Stout would be just the motivation I need. 

TIA!
_______________________________________________________________________________
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

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Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1989 21:00:29 PST
From: Todd Koumrian <todd at NISC.SRI.COM>
Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #312 (November 29, 1989) 

Please add me to your subscription list.  The mailbox to use
is todd at nisc.sri.com.  Thanks!

Todd

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End of HOMEBREW Digest #328, 12/21/89
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