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


Contents:
  Hop Rhizomes (Rick Myers)
  Norman Conquest Strong Ale (John Mellby)
  Re:  Homebrew Digest #363 (February 22, 1990) (Paul Perlmutter x2549)
  Re: Calories in Beer ("MISVX1::HABERMAND")
  Hopped Extracts ("Allen J. Hainer")
  Refrigerators and Yeast (Norm Hardy)


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Date: Thu, 22 Feb 90 9:27:45 MST
From: Rick Myers <cos.hp.com!hpctdpe!rcm at hp-lsd>
Subject: Hop Rhizomes
Full-Name: Rick Myers

Pete Soper mentioned two places where hop rhizomes could be obtained,
Freshops and Marysville Oast.   I ordered some from Nichols Garden Nursery
this year.  They have Cascade, Tettnanger, and Willamette, for $3.45 each
or 4 for $12.95.

Nichols Garden Nursery
1190 North Pacific Highway
Albany, Oregon 97321
(503) 928-9280
(503) 967-8406 FAX

- --
Rick
rcm at hpctdpe.hp.com

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Date: Thu, 22 Feb 90 10:18:22 CST
From: jmellby at ngstl1.csc.ti.com (John Mellby)
Subject: Norman Conquest Strong Ale

I brewed my lastest beer last night.  It is to be called
Norman Conquest Ale.  (Anyone who cannot guess the original
gravity should hang your head and take two steps backward.)

Unfortunately, during the brewing, I was the Saxons!
I already related how I tried and failed to start yeast from
SN Bigfoot Ale.  I gave up for this batch and used some MEV
liquid yeast.  The recipe so far:

1 package mev 013 high temp Ale yeast (started two days ahead
	and added to a quart of sterile wort 3 hrs beforehand.
2 tsp gypsum
3/4 lb crystal (brought just to a boil in 1 quart water,
	then the water was added to the main wort)
1 can American Light malt syrup
1 can Coopers Bitter Ale Kit
1 can Coopers Draugth Ale Kit
1 lb amber malt powder
2 oz Northern Brewer (added 10 minutes into boil)
2 oz Willmetter (added 30 minutes into boil)

O.K. I see some puzzled looks out there!  The Norman Conquest
was in 1066, and the Normans beat the Saxons.  I say I
was the Saxons because this was the most troubling and messy
brew yet!  Besides the first yeast failing, the crystal malt
boiled over, the main kettle boiled over, and when I divided it
into two kettles, the smaller kettle boiled also (you would
think I would learn, wouldn't you?)

I had ready 2 gallons of boiled and cooled water, so the
temperature was down under 80 very quickly.  I added the
yeast at about 79 degrees.  This morning it hadn't started
to ferment yet.

What I want to know is, how does the wort know exactly when
my back it turned, so it can instantly boil over?  I never
see it start to raise, but I turn to the sink for ONE SECOND
and when I turn around, the stove is covered with molten
wort!

Wish me luck on this one!

John R. Mellby
Texas Instruments (had nothing to do with this!)
jmellby at ngstl1.ti.com
(214)517-5370 (h)		(214)343-7585 (w)

******************************************************************
* "Short of hearing the patter of rain on the window of a shared *
* bedroom on a Sunday morning, there is nothing more pleasurable *
* than the sight of drenched people shaking out their raincoats  *
* as they enter the haven of a pub."                             *
*                                   -- Michael Jackson           *
******************************************************************

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Date: Thu, 22 Feb 90 09:48:06 mst
From: Paul Perlmutter x2549 <paul at hppaul.hp.com>
Subject: Re:  Homebrew Digest #363 (February 22, 1990)
Full-Name: Paul Perlmutter x2549


Some books talk about "dry hopping".  In particular,  Line's book
suggests dry hopping for numerous recipes.  By "dry hopping" we
mean putting fresh hops into cool wort - either in the primary
fermenter or secondary fermenter.  I find this curious, since
fresh organic material is bound to introduce undesirable bacteria
and / or yeasts!  How do brewers get away with this?  From Line's
book,  I do believe that brewers dry-hop regularly.  What are the
implications of this?

Cheers,
Paul Perlmutter
HP/Ft. Collins and
HP/Bristol, England

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Date: 22 Feb 90 09:00:00 PDT
From: "MISVX1::HABERMAND" <habermand%misvx1.decnet at afal-edwards.af.mil>
Subject: Re: Calories in Beer

I recently purchased Fred Eckhardt's book "The Essentials of Beer Style - A 
Catalog of Classic Beer Styles for Brewers & Beer Enthusiasts".  I haven't
read the entire volume yet, but it seems to be an excellent reference for
defining the different styles of beer and their characteristics with
commercial exaamples.  He gives the starting and ending gravities, alcohol
content, hop level, and color for hundreds of beers.  There are also sections
on beer tasting and beer brewing. 

In the section on low calorie beers, he states that a quick calorie count may 
be made of any beer by multiplying the original extract degrees Plato by 13.5. 
Remember that 4 gravity points is approximatly equal to 1 degree Plato (i.e. 
1.044 OG = 11 deg. Plato.  Fred also goes into detail how to compute original 
and final gravities based on the calorie count, and amounts of carbohydrates 
aaaand protein.  (Evidently low calorie beers put this stuff on the label.)

Going by the book's numbers for OG, Bass Ale has 159 calories, Guinness Extra 
Stout, 178 calories, and Thomas Hardy's Ale, (I wish I had some) 404 calories. 
These are all based on 12 oz. servings.

David


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Date: Thu, 22 Feb 90 12:02:03 EST
From: "Allen J. Hainer" <ajhainer at violet.waterloo.edu>
Subject: Hopped Extracts

   Why can't producers of hopped extracts indicate on their labels the
level of bitterness?  Something as simple as "12 AAUs Bittering Hops"
would not give away the receipe.  Something like "12 AAUs Bullion Hops"
would be even better.

   The unhopped extracts available to me are extremely limited and
expensive, so I am forced to use these hopped extracts.  My only
information about them is through word of mouth and experimentation.

   My current batch is my first disaster due to this poor labeling.  I
used Cooper's Australian "Real Ale" because I had heard that it was
lightly hopped.  I used two cans of it because I don't like to use
corn sugar or the unhopped extracts available to me (DMX was sold out).
Because I like a bitter beer, this is usually not a problem.  This
time I wasn't quite as lucky.

   Along with the 8 AAUs Cascade I added, this beer is almost undrinkable.
I have never tasted anything so bitter (and believe me, I have had my
fun with Bullion!).

   I have since heard that there have been complaints about the level
of bitterness in this extract.  I am not saying this is a bad thing, I like
a bitter beer, but how does one tell one from the other at purchase time?

   Does anyone know what can be done about this?  I'm fed up with trial
and error.

 -al (ajhainer at violet.waterloo.edu)

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Date: Thu, 22 Feb 90 16:21:02 PST
From: hplabs!polstra!norm (Norm Hardy)
Subject: Refrigerators and Yeast

When using a fridge to ferment, I allow the carboy (fermenter) to get visibly
active before putting it into the fridge.  Ideally I have the fridge temp set
to a higher value and then slowly lower it by 2-4 degrees a day until it gets
to 38 or so.  Practically I just shove the fermenter in and let the sucker 
work in the cold.  The lager yeast I use (YBL-2 from Mev and 2007 from Wyeast)
seem not to mind at all.  The primary ferment always takes between 30 and 45
days.

Bottled lagers (for me) take 21-38 days to carbonate at the lower temp, but the
taste is well worth it, believe me.  If you are the type to worry, let the 
bottles sit at 55-60f for a week before refrigerating.  Carbonation will be
more quickly achieved.  I have NEVER had to add more yeast at bottling time.

Norm in Seattle


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End of HOMEBREW Digest #364, 02/23/90
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