HOMEBREW Digest #3774 Tue 30 October 2001


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Contents:
  Lager yeast ("Gene")
  er: Rye pils update ("Stephen Alexander")
  airlocks (Ant Hayes)
  FW: George Fix news ("Richard Todd")
  Re: Dog biscuit recipe? ("RJ")
  mash mixer ("the freeman's")
  Air Locks ("Daniel Gurzynski")
  Life =? Dream (Was Airlocks) (Jeff Renner)
  J-B Weld ("Tom & Shirley Klepfer")
  Re:Pubs/places to visit in London? ("Pete Calinski")
  Spent grain dog treats ("Drew Avis")
  hydrometer measurements ("Sedam, Marc")
  Pumpkin Honey Porter ("Steven Parfitt")
  Pumpkin barleywine?? (Phil Wilcox)
  Thoughts on Vermont Brews (Alexandre Enkerli)
  Beer in London (David Harsh)
  Fruit flavors & Noirot extract? ("Richard Dulany")
  Re: mash mixer motor (stencil)
  Draft tower parts (IndSys, SalemVA)" <Douglas.Moyer at indsys.ge.com>
  Lost fermentables, no break (Greg Remake)
  News article on AABG (Jeff Renner)
  pubs in London (Jeff & Ellen)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 23:13:26 -0600 From: "Gene" <gcollins at geotec.net> Subject: Lager yeast Hello all and thanks for the help in the past. My question concerns when to make temperature reductions when using lager yeast. The directions on the White Labs yeast vial label says to reduce the temperature when fermentation starts. In the summer issue of Zymurgy, in "Ask Dr. White" (White Labs Advertisement) Chris says to allow to ferment for two or three days at 70-75 degrees, then start lowering the temperature. Which one should I believe and does this mean at high krausen? Gene Collins Broken Arrow, OK Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 02:22:39 -0500 From: "Stephen Alexander" <steve-alexander at att.net> Subject: er: Rye pils update Joel Halpine writes ... >5 gallons of a Rye Try: > >6 lbs British Pale Ale >2 lbs flaked Rye >8 oz Crystal (40L) [...] > >I igloo mash, so I followed the recommendation of using flaked rye. Mashed >around 150 for about an 1.5 hrs, and then infused to 155 or so for another >30 or so min. Stickiest mash I have ever encountered. Rye is sticky, but rIce hulls can cure that problem if needed. You're at 23+% and raw rye which is a lot of rye flavor. >I am having problems getting that British malt to convert >completely. I can't make a good guess about the source of the problem. Most British PA malts will convert if you get 'em damp and look at them cross-eyed. Which malt you are having problems with ? How's the mash pH ? >First, let me say I do not like rye. However, I really like it. It has a >rye aroma. [...] --seems kinda spicy, crisp, almost citrus orange. Rye grain flavor is definitely crisp and spicy, vaguely similar tho' not as assertive as and more complex than mint. Some nice grainy flavors there too - tho' often some bad phenolic ones. Jeff Renner - master of most habits alcoholic - will suggest you try a straight rye whiskey to get a good image of that spicy flavor. >If I could, I >would like to lighten the color more just to fit a pils profile, but I do >not have access to lighter crystal. [..] That's a different and interesting direction Joel. Most rye beers I've had are dark and malty else weizen-like.. The Paulaner I had on draught had a huge slightly pink head and was along the lines of a dunkel. Some rye beers have a good hit of 4vinyl-guiaicol - the weizenbeer clovey-spicy flavor, which works very well with rye flavor. For a pils-rye I'd try around 12% of grist. Pils is a delicate style and 23% rye is not a delicate effect. If you can't get light crystal you could make it yourself from pale malt (see HBD archives). I'd also suggest you avoid pale-ale malt for any sort of pils. PA malt is kilned at much higher temps and this adds more color and toasty flavors and reduced amounts of low-temp enzymes. >I would and will happily brew it again either as is, or try an ale yeast. >If I figure out how to drop my final gravity, [...] You're at (1-16/53) 70% attenuation. With the long low temp mash I'm surprised you didn't fare better. It's not generally needed, but you could perform a cereal mash with all the rye flakes and a little pils malt This would allow access to the rye starch early in the full mash and prevent the possibility of a big starch leak when you step above 150F. These late starch releases are more significant with raw grains and tend to producing more dextrins & lower attenuation. == >A side question: Recent topics on the HBD include modified malts. It seems >I recently saw something about Weisseheimer (sp?) pils grain being >appropriate for brewing without the protein rest. Many of you seem to have >access to updated data on modification of malts. Where do you get that? Getting good malts specs is difficult. You can find a few on maltsters and HB shop web sites, and can request a copy from your malt supplier. BT magazine published a guide in 1997 with lots of specs. The problem is that usually you get generic specs rather than lot test specs. Maltsters are good at reproducing results within some range, but given all the possible sources of variation .... I spoke w/ Mary Ann Gruber of Breiss once about rye malt and she indicated it was a real headache to malt. For Weissheimer start at http://www.weissheimer.de/enghome.htm You'll find a generic spec for Weissheimer munich malt at 40-48 Kolbach. I don't think Weissheimer is significantly different from most other European maltsters. I've seen DWC pils malt specs at 45 Kolbach and their Munich at 50 (!!), Weyermann and Durst a bit over 40 for pils, Crisp pils malt is 40%. Breiss pils malt is listed at 37% SNR% which is quite low by comparison. Cargill(was Schereier) is the only website I'm aware of looks up lot specs on-line. See http://www.specialtymalts.com/tech_center/lot_analysis.html Cargill sells their own malt (was Schreier) and is involved with Crisp, DWC (till December), Gilbertson and Meussdorfer malt products. Cargill/Schreier 2-row pils malt specs at 50%STN (yow !!). ( See Weyermann's for a description of their rye malts (but few specs) http://www.weyermann.de/englisch/frames_nn.cfm ) >Also, until I manage that, what base grains should I use or avoid with my >brewing setup. I have always avoided pils grains, as they seem to require >protein rests that my current set up doesn't allow. SNR% or Kolbach is not the only factor involved in deciding on a protein rest, but it's a primary one. You probably should dispense with a full protein rest of any malt with an SNR% or Kolbach over 40 and some under 40. Modern high production malts, even from Germany, are made for infusion mashing. You may want a short temp rest to handle haze, but you don't want a real protein degradation rest. A 45-50C(or perhaps -55C) rest will kill the body & head of most pils malts. If the raw rye flakes need a beta-glucanase or protein rest in this range (and it may esp at 23%) then consider a separate cereal mash of the rye + a little pils malt - easily accomplished on a stovetop. -S Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 09:57:49 +0200 From: Ant Hayes <Ant.Hayes at FifthQuadrant.co.za> Subject: airlocks There have been a few arguments raised against airlocks. My fermentation set up (http://www.geocities.com/anthayes/glenbrewery.html) was criticised by a pro for having insufficient back pressure to properly ferment a lager. He recommended about 20 kPa to reduce ester production. Perhaps ales need an airlock less. Ant Hayes Johannesburg; RSA Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 06:45:38 -0500 From: "Richard Todd" <rtodd at ipass.net> Subject: FW: George Fix news The following message was forward on behalf of Brian Cole - Many of you saw my email last week stating that George has cancer and was undergoing chemo and radiation therapy. He wrote yesterday to say that tests show the treatments are working and the cancer is in remission. That's great news! You can write to George and Laurie at: 117 Ashley Road Clemson, SC 29631 Brian Cole Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 07:50:03 -0500 From: "RJ" <wortsup at metrocast.net> Subject: Re: Dog biscuit recipe? "Lou King" <lking at pobox.com> wrote: "I'm making my first all grain batch today. I have a vague recollection that there have been recipes published to make dog biscuits with the spent grain. However, I looked back through the HBD archives and wasn't able to find anything along these lines, so I don't know where I might have heard this. While any response will be too late for today's batch, I'm still interested in recycling and giving my dogs a cheap treat. Any ideas?" Lou, Check out this link.... http://www.silcom.com/~noster/dogbis.html Of course, you'll have to dry you spent grains in the oven or a dehydrator, but this should give you a good starting point. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 07:25:37 -0600 From: "the freeman's" <potsus at bellsouth.net> Subject: mash mixer A dimmer suitable for reducing an electric motor would cost 10 times what the new motor did. It is better to start off with a small gear reduction unit up front. I have tried several speeds and finally settled on around 6-10 RPM with a lot of torque availability. Any faster and you run the risk of pulling air down into the mash bed. This is not a milk shake we're making, but simply trying to keep the mash bed heat consistant. Even then I found that placing a pin in the rim of the support plate to keep the whole thing from turning was needed. The motor I used was a fractional horsepower low RPM AC/DC unit and I still used the speed control compatible with that type of motor. Both items were supplied by Grainger as follows: Motor - 2Z797 AC/DC right angle gearmotor Speed Control - 4X796 pics as follows: http://www.mirageport.com/potsus/mashmixer/Drivemotor2.jpg http://www.mirageport.com/potsus/mashmixer/Mixerinplace.jpg http://www.mirageport.com/potsus/mashmixer/mixer%20mountedontun.jpg http://www.mirageport.com/potsus/mashmixer/mixeronfalsebottom.jpg Hope this helps. Bill Freeman aka Elder Rat K P Brewery - home of "the perfesser" Birmingham, AL Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 09:01:10 -0500 From: "Daniel Gurzynski" <daniel at buffnet.net> Subject: Air Locks I am really surprised that such a simple thing causes so much concern. IMHO if they are used right they do the job they were meant to do, keep nasties out of the brew and let CO2 out. My concern over people fighting over this is new brewers out there reading this, not spending the exhorbitant $2 for one and having a bad experience with infections immediately. People who have done many batches have good technique down. You know when to disturb beer and when not to bother it. Just the same it is good to stress maybe what some would think of excessive technique to start so you can learn what is needed and what is not. I have found nothing more discouraging than having to pour out 5 gallons of what might have been great beer due to an infection a little better technique could have prevented. Just my $.02 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 09:09:59 -0500 From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner at mediaone.net> Subject: Life =? Dream (Was Airlocks) "Dr. Pivo" <dp at pivo.w.se> waxed philosophical: >Verily, it can be found in the Vedic writings: "Life is but a dream." > >For those not fortunate enough to be versed in Oriental philosophy and >religion, and would like to view this quote within the Hindu classic >without having to research it yourselves, you will find it in the >passage just after "Row, row, row your boat..." Actually, it is just after "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily." But you shouldn't take the Doc's glib citation of a single fragment of these ancient wisdoms as the final word on this important subject. Further delving into these ancient writings brings this alternative wording (below) from other original sources, which puts a different twist on things. Not "Life IS BUT a dream" but rather "Life COULD be a dream." I'm sure you can see the staggering ramifications of this subtle difference on the use of airlocks. Of course, as is typical of these kinds of ancient writings, they were originally oral, not written, and are in verse form reflecting that they were sung for easier memorization as they were passed down through the generations. Sadly, the melodies are lost, but one could easily imagine an appropriate tune. There is a drawing that accompanies one ancient copy of these verses that depicts a group of four male singers, no doubt priests, who are wearing what is apparently a ritualistic short hair style. The hair on the tops of their heads is long enough to have been apparently waxed and brushed back so as to stand straight up. Authorities differ on the proper translation of certain words and phrases from the ancient Sanskrit texts, so they have been left in their original. One phrase, "Sh - Boom," is agreed by all authorities to have the meaning "Life Could Be A Dream." Because of its central importance, the original is included in parentheses. Of course, lacking diacritical marks in ASCII, we are forced to render the first word without a vowel. If you master the meaning of this ancient paean, you will possess the wisdom of the ages. And it will help you to make better beer. If none of this makes any sense, then you weren't around in the fifties, and you never wore a crew cut. Jeff /\/\/\/\/\ Sh - Boom (Life Could Be A Dream) Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom) If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom) If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love Life could be a dream, sweetheart (Hello, hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again) Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom) If only all my precious plans would come true (sh-boom) If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you Life could be a dream, sweetheart Now every time I look at you Something is on my mind (dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-duh) If you do what I want you to Baby, we'd be so fine! Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom) If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom) If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love Life could be a dream, sweetheart Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da, sh-boom! Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da, sh-boom! Every time I look at you Somethin' is on my mind If you do what I want you to Baby, we'd be so fine! Life could be a dream If I could take you up in paradise up above If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love Life could be a dream, sweetheart (Hello hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again) boom sh-boom Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang (sh-boom) Ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay Life could be a dream Life could be a dream, sweetheart! Life could be a dream If only all my precious plans would come true If you would let me spend my whole life loving you Life could be a dream, sweetheart (dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom) (dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom) (dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom) Sweetheart!! - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at mediaone.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 08:11:33 -0600 From: "Tom & Shirley Klepfer" <lee-thomas at indian-creek.net> Subject: J-B Weld To my knowledge, J-B Weld is a plastic resin glue, epoxy or polyester. Due to its strength and stability, I'd say epoxy. It would certainly bond two dissimilar metals, at room temperatures, as long as the surfaces were clean and slightly roughened. BUT, being a thermal glue, epoxy softens at higher temperatures, most likely making it worthless at mashing temps. As for being food safe....quien sabe? Again, probably at room temps, but not with heat. Thomas Klepfer Homebrewer and Adhesive Expert Somewhere wayyy Southwest of Jeff Renner Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 09:36:52 -0500 From: "Pete Calinski" <pcalinski at iname.com> Subject: Re:Pubs/places to visit in London? I was in London a few years ago but only for over night. Couldn't do much tasting. However, I was using a guide book by Rick Steves. He described a pub crawl using one of the "tube" routes. I don't have the book anymore but I'll try to describe it from memory. There is one tube route that runs in a circle in central London. The object is to drink a pint at every stop. Supposedly, you have a limited time to make the circuit and it has to be during rush hour if I remember right. There may be other conditions. Seems to me you get your name posted somewhere or something. wish I could remember more of the details. Pete Calinski East Amherst NY Near Buffalo NY *********************************************************** *My goal: * Go through life and never drink the same beer twice. * (As long as it doesn't mean I have to skip a beer.) *********************************************************** Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 10:05:24 -0500 From: "Drew Avis" <andrew_avis at hotmail.com> Subject: Spent grain dog treats Lou King asks about spent grain dog cookies. I posted a recipe on the HBD a few years ago: http://hbd.org/hbd/archive/2645.html#2645-23 I also have a peanut butter dog bone recipe that I've adapted w/ spent grains that I'll look up & post later. All my dog bone recipes are adapted from a book on cooking treats for your dog (ah, the things child-free people find to spend their time on, eh?), so if you can find one, just start playing w/ substituting flour w/ spent grain, and reducing the liquid. The usal caveats: don't give your dog spent hops! And: I can't be held personally responsible for the noticeable results the added fibre may have on your dog. Drew Avis, Merrickville, Ontario [694.5km, 56.4] Rennerian (been waiting to use my new coordinates!) Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 10:31:14 -0500 From: "Sedam, Marc" <marc_sedam at unc.edu> Subject: hydrometer measurements Hey all, Having a brain cramp. When the hydrometer reads 1.046 (or any number...) for unfermented wort, that means that there are 46g of sugar per liter of water...right? If not, what does it mean? I need to calculate for speise. -Marc - -- RED CROSS DISASTER RELIEF FUND http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html Marc Sedam Chapel Hill, NC 27599-4105 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 10:35:05 -0500 From: "Steven Parfitt" <the_gimp98 at hotmail.com> Subject: Pumpkin Honey Porter I went to MAXTON this weekend with a bunch of frineds for the East Coast Timing Association races (Land speed record type) and I took a small keg of my Pumpkin Honey Porter. (We are a support group for the "Mistery EVO" that now holds the Land speed record for P/PG 1000CC class at 143.1MPH) The beer was mashed with the contents of a 12# Pumpkin which had been de-seeded, baked at 350F, peeled and smashed and cooked with brown sugar and lightly spiced. The OG was 1.092, and the TG was 1.021 (Mashed at 156 for a tradidional sweet porter). The beer was a real hit. Sweet enough to go with the near 9% alcohol. spices were mild and mostly in the background. Several comments included "This would go great with a Steak dinner.". I thought it was too early for the beer as it had only cellard for about three weeks. I still have another 4 gallons in a corny to try again later. I think it will continue to improve over thenext couple of months. Steven, -75 XLCH- Ironhead Nano-Brewery http://thegimp.8k.com Johnson City, TN [422.7, 169.2] Rennerian "Fools you are... who say you like to learn from your mistakes.... I prefer to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid the cost of my own." Otto von Bismarck Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 11:59:46 -0500 From: Phil Wilcox <pjwilcox at cmsenergy.com> Subject: Pumpkin barleywine?? Brian, 1.347 sg would be 347 points per gallon. so your 2 qts is half of that or 173.5 Divided by 5.5 gallons (5 gal of beer + 2qts Syrup) is 31 points, this added to your 50 or so points of beer, is more than most beer yeast like to ferment. So extrapolating down. 86.75 pts in a quart or in 5 gals of wort an additional 17.35 pts 43.75 points is a pint on in 5 gals of wort an additional 8.675 pts But realistically I cant say that sound logical. I think the base number might be off. Lets test that. the formula for conversion is Plato/(258.6-([Plato/258.2]*227.1)}+1 = Specific gravity the Plato for Maple syrup is 66+ depending on producer of the syrup my math says 1.329 Close enough. According to Cornell Sugar Maple Research and Extension program (http://www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/maple/) 67P and higher risks crystalization of the syrup. 2 qts in 5 gal is probubly a bit much not to mention $$$$ as heck. I would try a quart this year and see how it goes. The rest i would use on pancakes;<) Phil Wilcox (90 Deg, 32 miles) Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 12:08:09 -0500 (EST) From: Alexandre Enkerli <aenkerli at indiana.edu> Subject: Thoughts on Vermont Brews Just back from Burlington, VT. Here's a few thoughts on what I drank there. I'm still a beginner at homebrewing and my beer tasting skills are still rudimentary. Just so you know my bias, I like Belgian beers and anything that's high in alcohol, body, and malt taste. The less hop bitterness/aroma, the better. One thing I noticed about Burlington is the availability of micro brews. I've lived in Bloomington, IN for a while and micros weren't that ubiquitous. Another thing is that Burlington water seemed fairly hard. I guess this can have some impact on the local breweries. My overall feeling about the beers I had there was that although they weren't that bitter, a noticeable hop aroma was almost ubiquitous. As I'm no hop-head, this wasn't a major selling point for me. I know hop aroma is an important marker of beerness for a lot of people, but for a malt-head (vs. hop-head), alternatives are valuable. Maybe this hop presence has to do with the fact that non-beer drinks (such as cider) are rather sweet. The first beer I had was Rock Art's Ridge Runner. Is it really supposed to be a Barley Wine? The one I had was more likely a Porter or a very thin Stout. Maybe it was mislabeled? In fact, can someone tell me whether it's a Smoke Porter or is this taste from roasted barley? Second on the list is Shed Brewery's Mountain Ale. This one didn't make such a lasting impression on me. While I was sipping this one, my wife was having a Magic Hat #9 which was more interesting for my tastebuds. Anyone knows if this one is available in Canada? Then we wen't to Noonan's which is a really interesting place. It's great to see a brewpub attracting as many people, of all ages. Something like Montreal's Dieu du ciel. The two VPB brews that I remember most are the IPA and the Trippel. The IPA for it's powerful hop aroma and the Trippel for general character. I had the latter with my meal. On the other hand, it was hoppier than what I'm accustomed to in Belgian-style beers. The last beer I had in Burlington was an Otter Creek pale ale at a pizza parlor. It was surprisingly decent as the other choice on tap was Labatt which lowered my expectations. Sorry for the long post. Alex in Montreal ARC [893.3km, 62.8] Alex Enkerli Ph.D. Candidate Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology Indiana University Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 12:35:00 -0500 From: David Harsh <dharsh at fuse.net> Subject: Beer in London Bill Wible <bill at brewbyyou.net> asks about places to visit in London: There are two mandatory places to go, IMHO. 1. Orange Brewery Located about 2 blocks from Victoria Station at the corner of Pimlico and St. Barnabus. A brewbup with good bitters. I've heard they have gone down hill in recent years, but I'd still stop by. You can get beer for "takeaway" in a plastic growler for a 50p deposit (I didn't return mine, btw - shall we start a thread on "growler crimes"?). 2. White Horse Pub Located in Parsons Green just off the tube stop at the Wimbledon line. It's a trek if you stay in the central city, but well worth it. Several great beers on hand pumps, every trappist ale available, Anchor Liberty Ale on tap, and lots of locals hanging out drinking bud. If I only had time for one stop, it would be the White Horse. Dave Harsh Cincinnati, OH Bloatarian Brewing League Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 11:31:16 -0700 From: "Richard Dulany" <richarddulany at hotmail.com> Subject: Fruit flavors & Noirot extract? Has anyone ever used a bottle (or 2) of the Noirot extracts to flavor beer? If so, please share your experiences and methods. I'm considering making a black-currant flavored wheat beer with the Noirot "Cassis" extract. Seems like adding the extract during the secondary fermentation stage would work. Ricardo Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 14:05:17 -0500 From: stencil <stencil at bcn.net> Subject: Re: mash mixer motor On Mon, 29 Oct 2001 00:11:00 -0500, in Homebrew Digest #3773 David Passaretti wrote: > >The motor runs at 1750rpm, 115 >v, 6a, and has 1/3 hp. >[ ... ] >Does anyone know if I can use a >dimmer (like the ones for fans) to reduce the speed of >the motor without damaging it. A 6-amp draw sound like a heck of a lot more power than 1/3hp; it would seem likely that the speed controller - dimmer - would be more vulnerable than the motor. > Does anyone have any >thoughts on the ideal speed. I had thought between 30 >and 60 rpm would bve appropriate. It depends on your impeller. A small diameter, shallow pitch propellor will develop less torque than a larger, more aggressively pitched one. Further, mash viscosity will decline as the temperature rises and as imbibement progresses. FWIW I use a variable-speed 3/8-in electric drill (2.7 amp, also calls itself 1/3 hp) to turn a 4-in dia maple impeller that was bandsawed out of a 1x1x4 block - 1 inch of hub, two 1-1/2-in blades, pitched 45 deg. It's mounted as close to the wall of the tun as possible, just off the bottom. At 40C, 90 rpm gives a barely discernable circulation of the entire mash. At 70C, 200 rpm gives a noticeable upwelling and a firm circulation. I use a sealed insulated lid on the tun so oxidation of the agitated mash is not a matter of (deep) concern. I have a replacement outboard-motor prop, cheap plastic, but haven't got around yet to boiling it to see if it wilts. >To reduce the speed >enough with a series of belts seems like it would be >too complicated. I certainly would consider a fixed-ratio system of some sort to take the full-power rpm down to ca 300 or so; else, I believe, you'll have a real stalling problem. As you'd indicated, a fan-motor controller rated at or above 600W should do the job. Just don't run the rig unattended until you're sure the motor isn't going to overheat and melt the lube out of the bearings and into your mash (don't ask me how I know.) stencil sends RKBA! Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 15:38:48 -0500 From: "Moyer, Douglas (IndSys, SalemVA)" <Douglas.Moyer at indsys.ge.com> Subject: Draft tower parts Dearest collective homebrewing mind, I have an older 3 tap brass draft tower (4" diameter) that I bought on eBay recently. I have a couple of problems with it: (1) The elbows are connected to the shanks using a nut with 1/2" threads. (I.e., the nut screws onto the outside of the shank, vs. the inside like my newer chrome tower.) The gland is conical vs. the straight sided ones used on new models. Any ideas where I can buy replacement glands? Also, I would like to get the inside flange, but I can probably rig up something from Lowe's for that. (2) The tower was missing the cap. Micromatic used to sell caps for 4" towers, but has stopped doing so. (Although they still sell 4" towers. I guess no one else ever needed a replacement.) Rapids doesn't sell it either. Any ideas? I've polished up the brass and replaced two chrome faucets with brass, and this puppy is beautiful and almost ready for my new bar. I'd like to cap it off (pun intended). Brew on! Doug Moyer Salem, VA [395.4, 149.1] Rennerian Star City Brewers Guild: http://hbd.org/starcity Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 16:38:29 -0600 From: Greg Remake <gremake at gsbpop.uchicago.edu> Subject: Lost fermentables, no break Hello all, On Saturday I brewed a dry Irish stout using a 60/30/10 blend of British pale ale, flaked barley and roasted barley. I added a teaspoon of gypsum to the mash, but added no other treatments for my Lake Michigan tap water. I used 1.25 qts/lb of strike water, the mash temperature was 151F followed by a mash out at 170F, mash pH was about 5.1, and I hit my target SG of 1.037 (boiled down to 1.044 OG), all pretty typical. Having read about it here, I collected some of my last runnings and added some whiskey, and enjoyed a very tasty hot cocktail. But I was surprised at how sweet these last runnings tasted, so I checked the gravity of some remaining last runnings. Sure enough, the gravity was 1.030, much higher than I expected, and pH was still about 5.3. Based on what I read in the HBD, I was expecting something much lower, near the heralded 1.010 benchmark. This suggests that there were a lot of unused sugars left in my mash, and I'm wondering if this is typical. It seems like I'm throwing away a lot of unclaimed fermentables, but maybe this result is normal, and I'm hitting all my targets so I'm not sure I care either way. I use an EZ Masher for kettle mashing, and keep the tun filled with sparge water while sparging, taking about an hour to collect six gallons. I've experimented with batch sparging and no sparging, but haven't seen major benefits. Any thoughts about how to leave less fermentables behind, or if I should bother trying? Another odd result was the complete lack of hot break and cold break in the boil. I remember reading something here about acidic wort due to dark grains causing such a problem, but this wort was not unusually acidic. Normally I get gobs of hot and cold break, so I was concerned as to why I saw none and if it would cause fermentation issues. I pitched the wort onto the yeast (WLP004) from a prior Irish Red Ale (a really promising Jeff Renner recipe using cereal mashed corn meal), and had bubbles coming out of the airlock an hour later. It took off like a rocket, peaking in less than 24 hours but is still cooking along, with the usual yeast blizzard churning away in the carboy. So like the lost fermentables, I know the lack of break material isn't optimal, but is it a problem? Any guesses at to why it happened? Cheers! Greg in Chicago Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 20:36:07 -0500 From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner at mediaone.net> Subject: News article on AABG Brewers Our local paper, the Ann Arbor News, did a nice story on the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild today. Some brewers familiar to HBDers were mentioned (including yours truly), and quoted accurately! The whole article is more accurate than most brewing and beer articles in the popular press. Good for the hobby. It's online at http://aa.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20011029abeer1029.frm. Sadly, some great photos of three of the members brewing that were in the paper aren't online. Jeff - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at mediaone.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 22:08:56 -0500 From: Jeff & Ellen <JeffNGladish at ij.net> Subject: pubs in London Bill Wible wrote about a friend traveling to London who may be searching for good beer. By all means get a current copy of the Good Beer Guide, published by CAMRA. I recently bought mine off their nice web site for my October trip to southern England. This book lists pubs that take the care to serve good real ale (cask-conditioned) which are voted in by local CAMRA members. It is updated annually and I've found the descriptions of each pub to be extremely accurate. Whether you are looking for a local where you can bring your dog, a fern bar, or a country inn with a fireplace, you will find it here. If it's too late to purchase on line, I'm sure you can get it at a London book store. Cost is about 12 pounds, but it is worth it. In addition to the pub listings, it lists all of England's independent brewers, and tells which beers won awards both in the current year and in years past. If anyone is interested I compiled an alphabetical listing of Great British Beer Festival winners (taken from the Good Beer Guide) as an easy pocket guide to consult when entering a pub. Email me and I'll send you a copy. In London I enjoyed the White Horse on Parson's Green (SW6) and the Anglesea Arms in South Kensington (SW7), but there are way too many good pubs to list here. Also look for the Cask Marque symbol at the entrance to the pub. They also have free regional guides. Bill, I hope your friends have fun. I sure did. Jeff Gladish, Tampa, Florida (still too worn out from brewing to look my coordinates up again) Return to table of contents
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