HOMEBREW Digest #3843 Sat 19 January 2002


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Contents:
  Dark Malt Additions (Scott Morgan - Sun On-Line Telesales Representative)
  Water Analysis (AJ)
  COLD Steeping roast grains (Tony Barnsley)
  Re: Whirlygigs are silly, Stepping up 'pitchable' tubes (Jay\) Reeves" <jay666 at bellsouth.net>
  dark grains (leavitdg)
  Spinning wheels got to go round! (Pat Babcock)
  re: Counter Pressure Bottle Filler (Ed Jones)
  silica gel redux (Marc Sedam)
  Re: Sister Star of the Sun ("Joel Plutchak")
  soda taste in kegs ("Joseph Marsh")
  Re: Grain Mill Feedback Requested (Mark Kempisty)
  First All Grain Attempt, Dark Malt Mashing Proceedures and Sparge Arms ("Dan Listermann")
  Counter Pressure Bottle Filler ("Pannicke, Glen A.")
  FW: Mash PH Reactions (Tony Barnsley)
  re, Malting Barley Seed (John Palmer)
  Phil's sparger, revisited ("Bob Hewitt")
  Re: Grain Mill Feedback Requested (Dan.Stedman)
  RE: Listerman's Mashing Instructions (Brian Levetzow)
  Brown Malt proportions in porter? (Adam Holmes)
  Phil's Sparge Arms ("George Krafcisin")
  I wish I never bought... ("Brian M Dotlich")
  Brewing Techniques -- don't get swindled ("KKrist")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 17:02:06 +1100 (EST) From: Scott Morgan - Sun On-Line Telesales Representative <Scott.Morgan at Sun.COM> Subject: Dark Malt Additions >What?? I have never heard of adding dark malts to the mash anytime >other than with the rest of the grist. What's the point of adding them >late? Also I was under the impression that I get some extraction out of >dark malts, provided I have enough enzymes from my primary malt. > >Could someone please enlighten me. > >Thanks, > >Doug Hurst >Chicago, IL Doug, I'll be hoping that I can Drag Dave Lamotte or Wes Smith out of the woodwork here. In my converstions with Dave the otherday he mentioned a method of soaking RB over night in air temp water and then adding to the sparge. This helps decrease any harshness and solves one of my all time problems with Dark beers, a hole in the flavour profile you can drive a truck thru. But, I'll let Dave or Wes explain to hedge any mis-info Scotty Brewing in forgotten Renean Co-ordinates but not far enough away from F&%$# Lat C*^&* Long Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 10:15:52 +0100 From: AJ <ajd at zai.com> Subject: Water Analysis For Jim Cuny RE water calcium 45 to 50, cloride 4.6 to 5.2, magnesium 28, sodium 9.7 to 10, ph 7.7 to 7.8, sulfate 13 alkalinity 212 to 240, hardness 220 to 240 mg/L: Water contains two kinds of ions. Those that set the pH of the mash and thus indirectly influence the flavor of the beer and "stylistic" ions that directly affect flavor. This water has lots of the former and very little of the latter. The biggest "problem" with this water is the high level of alkalinity at up to 240 ppm (as calcium carbonate we assume) and only 240 ppm hardness to offset it leaving a residual alkalinity of about 180 ppm. This is a bunch and will either have to be reduced by boiling (with calcium supplementation first i.e. addition of gypsum and/or calcium chloride) or lime treatment or offset by the addition of large amounts of gypsum and/or use of a large proportion of dark malts. If succesfully decarbonated this water can be used for a variety of beers. If not decarbonated it will be limited to dark beers. Its low sulfate content means that hops flavors will be muted and mellow i.e. noble hops can be used with it but only, practically speaking, if decarbonated as the beers that use this kind of hopping are usually made with pale malts which won't go to proper mash pH with this water if the bicarb isn't removed. Converesely, additional sulfate is required for authentic hops flavor of the type associated with British ales but this generally works out well because a water like this is usually dosed with gypsum either in the mash tun so the calcium can counteract the alkalinity or as an aid to decarbonation by boiling. The sulfate comes along with the gypsum as frosting on the cake. If the water is decarbonated by lime treatment some gypsum (or epsom salts) will be needed to raise the sulfate level for beers which want the assertive hop character. Some calcium chloride would be a good idea with this water both to raise calcium and add some roundness to beers brewed with it. A. J. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 10:44:36 -0000 From: Tony Barnsley <tony.barnsley at blackpool.gov.uk> Subject: COLD Steeping roast grains Hi all, The UK Homebrew discussion list is AWOL at the moment, we have not yet heard anything from our host as to why! Makes me wish I'd decided to host it 'privately' like the HBD :< Anyway on to brewing related topics. It appears that it will still be some time before Carafa Special Malts make an appearance here in the UK. Given the fact that we are now linked to Europe via a big tunnel it should be easier for us to get European malts than you in the US, but it doesn't seem to be the case!! I have been intending to brew a Schwarzbier and a version of Old peculier using Carafa III to reduce the roast grain flavour that people have told me is present in my Old Peculier Clone. Well if that's not going to be possible I need another plan! I saw some discussion here about Cold steeping and would like some ideas about how to go about it. I was planning on using 500g of Carafa III in 5 US Gallons for the Schwarzbier, and 400g in 10 gallons of Old Peculier, Both replace either Black Malt or Roast Barley. I suppose I could always add the dark malts late on in the sparge to reduce the roast flavours that carry through to the final beer. Any other ideas/suggestions? - -- Wassail! The Scurrilous Aleman (ICQ 46254361) Schwarzbad Lager Brauerei, Blackpool, Lancs, UK Rennerian Coordinates (I'm Not Lost! I'm A Man, I don't ask for directions) UK HOMEBREW - A Forum on Home Brewing in the UK Managed by home brewers for home brewers This message has been scanned by F-Secure Anti-Virus for Microsoft Exchange as part of the Council's e-mail and internet policy. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 06:13:13 -0600 From: "James \(Jay\) Reeves" <jay666 at bellsouth.net> Subject: Re: Whirlygigs are silly, Stepping up 'pitchable' tubes Gene asks about his sparge arm not spinning, to which he doesn't really get an answer. It should move relatively easy. Mine will spin with very little flow. I use a 3/8" ID tubing connected to it, and just barely crack the ball valve on the hot liquor tank. I get about a 0.5qts/min flow out of the mash tun and try to match that with the sparge rate to maintain a constant level of water in the tun. If that arm hangs vertical, you should be able to give it a flip and it'll spin forever (well, maybe not "forever"). If it doesn't I'd say send 'er back. Then Christopher T. Ivey sez "Are Gene and I the only ones who have experienced this symptom?". Mines about 4 or 5 yrs old. Maybe they're built different now. Dave Riedel asks about tube yeast & stepping it up. My experience has been that if it's a month or two old, I find shorter lag times if I pitch the tube into a pint of weak wort (1030) either late the night before the brew day, or early the A.M. of the brew day - seems to "wake up" the yeast. Otherwise, I get lag times of 12+ hours by just pitching the tube alone. If it's more than a few months old, I step it up to a pint, then half gallon before using it. When I tried pitching just the tube that was that old, I had lag times of 24hr or slightly more. I'm sure the viability of yeast that old isn't all that great, so you probably need to build 'em back up. I've not had much luck with these "pitchable tubes", so they really haven't impressed me as to their benefits of being able to pitch directly. -Jay Reeves Huntsville, AL Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 07:44:21 -0500 (EST) From: leavitdg at plattsburgh.edu Subject: dark grains not capable of enlightening...but I have spoken to a good brewer at a pub who suggested waiting with the roasted barley, ie not placing in the mash, but instead adding it to the lauter-tun. I have tried and think that he is correct, that is , that it renders less harsh flavor...if that is what one wants... ..Darrell Plattsburgh, NY [545.7, 72.3] Apparent Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 08:01:28 -0500 (EST) From: Pat Babcock <pbabcock at hbd.org> Subject: Spinning wheels got to go round! Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager... Gene asks why his sparge arm is not spinning: o Check that all holes are free. If they are not, pull the little rubber bungs from the ends and rinse with a fast-moving stream of water. o Make sure the vertical shaft is vertical! A slight tilt will subject it to additional frictional forces, slowing or stopping it (this is usually the cause of mine not spinning...) - -- - God bless America! Pat Babcock in SE Michigan pbabcock at hbd.org Home Brew Digest Janitor janitor@hbd.org HBD Web Site http://hbd.org The Home Brew Page http://hbd.org/pbabcock [18, 92.1] Rennerian "The monster's back, isn't it?" - Kim Babcock after I emerged from my yeast lab Saturday Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 09:00:15 -0500 (EST) From: Ed Jones <ejones at ironacres.com> Subject: re: Counter Pressure Bottle Filler I recently purchased my first CP filler from www.hoptech.com. It's an easy operation with it's brass 3-way ball valve for gas in and liquid in and it's 'automatic' bleeder valve. I don't have any troubles bottling and capping by myself. I think the hoses they supply are a little on the short side, but all-in-all I'm happy with the purchase. - -- Ed Jones - Columbus, Ohio U.S.A - [163.8, 159.4] [B, D] Rennerian "When I was sufficiently recovered to be permitted to take nourishment, I felt the most extraordinary desire for a glass of Guinness...I am confident that it contributed more than anything else to my recovery." - written by a wounded officer after Battle of Waterloo, 1815 Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 09:42:38 -0500 From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam at unc.edu> Subject: silica gel redux Uhhhh...just to clarify. Don't add silica gel TO your malt extract. It usually comes packed in little tiny bags that come in electronics, shoe boxes, etc. I just re-read my post and wanted to make sure there was no confusion. Another great way to prevent DME from caking is to make a giant batch of starter wort and heat- or pressure-can it. Buy a case of quart Ball jars. Add 3lbs DME to 3 gallons of water. Dissolve, boil for 10 mins, then pressure can. Stores indefinitely and is amazingly convenient. I need some priming sugar tonight...grab 2 quarts of starter wort, dump, bottle/keg. Badda bing! - -- Marc Sedam Chapel Hill, NC Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 15:02:59 +0000 From: "Joel Plutchak" <plutchak at hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Sister Star of the Sun Just wanted to chime in on the question about the potential for beer that's undrinkable using Dave Brockington's "Sister Star of the Sun" recipe. If he had a dollar (make that a Euro these days) for everyone who's wondered that he would be rolling in Grolsch. If he had a Euro for every time somebody used the recipe he'd be quite well off. Bottom line is to just brew it! Unless you're a lupophobe you'll enjoy it. I'm personally brewing "My Sister the Devil" Monday-- a blend of Sister Star and my understanding of the ingredients used in Victory's Hop Devil. Jason Henning writes: >The Maris Otter malt is a keystone ingredient. [...] >Maris Otter might not clear as well as other malts... I had some problems with a bag of Beeston's Maris Otter wrt clarity, but so far have had nice clear brews using this season's Maris Otter from Crisp Maltings. Otherwise I agree about using a good flavorful malt; I've used Dewolf-Cosyns Pale to good effect with Sister Star. Joel Plutchak Brewing in the Boneyards of East-central Illinois [275.4, 238.2] Apparent Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 10:05:27 -0500 From: "Joseph Marsh" <josephmarsh62 at hotmail.com> Subject: soda taste in kegs Your best bet is to replace the O-rings and seals in the poppet valves and clean the keg with hot PBW followed with a good hot rinse. Then sniff the keg after it's had some time to build up any oder. After it's been sealed overnight eg. If it still has an oder repeat the cleaning. The O-rings and seals won't have picked up enough oder to cause any grief. The big thing is the rubber O-rings and seals. I've never been able to get them free of the soda smell. Good luck, Joe Somewhere south rennearian Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 10:22:51 -0500 From: Mark Kempisty <kempisty at pav.research.panasonic.com> Subject: Re: Grain Mill Feedback Requested Rod Tussing asks about grain mill recommendations... FIRE IN THE HOLE! - -- Take care, Mark Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 10:17:58 -0500 From: "Dan Listermann" <dan at listermann.com> Subject: First All Grain Attempt, Dark Malt Mashing Proceedures and Sparge Arms My first all grain attempt was with a Zapap lauter tun. I did a step mash per Papazian. It did not turn out very well. Why exactly, 13 years later, escapes me at the moment. So, being male, I decided that I needed to put more effort into the process so I did a triple decoction per Noonan in a misguided effort to "do it right." The beer was only drinkable. I got a copy of Dave Line's "Big Book of Brewing" and learned the simple joys of single infusion brewing and have only looked back out of academic curiosity. The bottom of my Zapap was the prototype for Phil's Phalse Bottom. When I first started brewing I found that all my efforts to make dark beers produced some very nasty astringencies. I actually made only ( Ironmaster ) extract stouts for a while due to this problem. At a Dayton club meeting George Fix, via telephone, mentioned that adding the dark malts at the sparge would fix this problem. I tried this to great success. I do know of some who seem to have no problem adding dark malts to the mash. The problem I found may be related to Cincinnati's water which is generally excellent for brewing being low in carbonates and moderately high in sulfates. If your sparge arm does not spin freely under about 12" of water pressure, it is defective. We can walk you through the procedure we use to repair them and failing that, you can send it back. We guarantee our products for life. If you have any problems with our products - even if you caused them - just return them for repair or replacement. We only ask that you pay for the inbound shipping, we will pay for the return shipping. Dan Listermann Check out our E-tail site at http://www.listermann.com Take a look at the anti-telemarketer forum. It is my new hobby! Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 11:30:57 -0500 From: "Pannicke, Glen A." <glen_pannicke at merck.com> Subject: Counter Pressure Bottle Filler Erik Nelson asked: > >I am trying to find a good Counter Pressure Bottle Filler to get. If >anyone has any suggestions of where to get one, that would be appreciated >or if someone has a good one that they made, then the instructions and >diagram would also be appreciated. Erik, You will find complete directions for homebrewing your CP bottle filler at this location: http://hbd.org/mtippin/cpfiller.html It is very similar to the one made by Foxx equipment. Marty Tippin gives excellent directions. The tools are simple, two adjustable or box end wrenches, a hack saw or tubing cutter, teflon tape and a drill with a 1/4" bit. Access to a Dremel tool, drill press and propane soldering torch will make life much easier, but you can probably accomplish the task well enough without them. Go to your local home improvement megastore and stare for a few hours at all of the brass pipe fittings in the plumbing section. It was either my sheer ignorance of plumbing or the complete dumbfounding awe of a wall full of manly-type things that made me take that long to find all my pieces. Follow Marty's instructions and you should be fine. Modifications I had to make: 1. Getting the 1/4" stainless tubing was an ordeal. I cheated. A buddy of mine had some stainless tubing that came close to the required diameter from a spent HPLC column. I dumped the column material, cut off the nuts and scrubbed the inside of the tube clean with a brush and a host of solvents and detergents. I know what it was used to test in the past and the worst that could happen is that I grow breasts. At least that would make my wife happy cause I'd have a pair of my own to play with - but that's another thread ;-) Cut the bottle end of the tube at a 45 degree angle to prevent the filler from being plugged by the bottom of your bottle. 2. Forget the nylon hose barbs on the gas and beer in connections if you have flare nuts on your gas and beer tubing. Use 1/4" NPT x 1/4" male flare connections here for quick and easy connections to your tubing. If your filler is all metal, you can sterilize it in the oven or in a pressure cooker without fiddling around with the hoses & worm clamps. 3. Marty says "I had to drill out the inside of the 1/4" Compression fitting with a 1/4" drill bit to allow the tubing to slide through." Doing this may allow for some of the pressure (and beer) to escape where the tube fits through the drilled-out compression fitting. I do not know if it will leak, but as an added precaution I soldered that joint. Soldering SS to brass isn't the easiest thing, but you don't need a strong joint, just one that fills the gaps which allows the pressure to escape. Additionally, if you don't solder this joint, the middle of the filler may rotate around this point and it then becomes a PITA to use. I know that for sure. 4. Also notice the distance between the two tee's in Marty's picture. There is a space. You could substitute copper tubing for the stainless tubing, but it bends too easily and would bend at that point, ruining your filler. If you decide to use copper instead of stainless, just move those compression fittings right next to each other and leave as little of the tubing exposed as possible. I did this even with the SS tubing. 5. To solve the problems listed in #3 & #4 above, this is what I did: Assemble the stainless tubing to the top tee with the compression fitting and tighten. Assemble the drilled-out 1/4" MPT X 1/4" compression fitting on the top of the bottom tee without the nut in place. Tighten. Place the nut from the drilled-out compression fitting onto the stainless tubing and slide the top tee assembly onto the bottom tee assembly. Thread the compression nut, but do not tighten. Slide the bottom tee up against the top tee as close as they can get. This way you can see where everything will fit together once it is completed and tightened. Note where the stainlessless tubing should meet the area that you drilled out on the compression fitting. You will want to coat that joint with plumbing solder paste flux. Slide the bottom tee down a little and unthread the nut so you can see inside the compression fitting where the stainless tube goes through it. Coat the inside of the compression fitting and the area of the stainless tubing where they will meet with a thin layer of soldering flux. Snip off a few short pieces of lead-free plumbing solder and drop them inside the the open space of the compression fitting that you just fluxed. You don't need to pack the thing with solder, a few pieces will suffice. Slide everything back into place, check that everything is oriented the way you want it and then tighten that compression nut down. Heat that fitting well with a propane torch to melt the solder. You may see some of the solder come out of the top of the nut where the tubing goes in. That's OK and would indicate that you may have a leak-free joint. If you wantto, you could flux and solder the area on the outside as well, but I didn't bother and mine doesn't leak. Assemble the rest of the filler according to Marty's instructions. 6. Connect your pressure relief valve to a length of hose with the other done bottling! My filler works great and it is one of the best hombrewed contraptions I have built so far. But it still requires that I fill bottles - I love my kegs! On another thread: Some have complained about sparge arms not doing the job right. One thing I have found is that hard water will plug those little holes up over time. You will either have to drill them out (I made mine a step larger) or decalcify it with vinegar diluted between 1:3 - 1:4 and scrub with a pipecleaner. Glen A. Pannicke glen at pannicke.net http://www.pannicke.net 75CE 0DED 59E1 55AB 830F 214D 17D7 192D 8384 00DD "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." - President G. W. Bush Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 16:44:27 -0000 From: Tony Barnsley <tony.barnsley at blackpool.gov.uk> Subject: FW: Mash PH Reactions Hi all, Two posts in One day! A record for me :> This was a delayed post to the UK-homebrew list, anyone have any ideas? From: Andrew Smith (I) Subject: Mash PH Reactions Hi This question is posted on behalf of a non net connected customer of my HB retailor The customer came in with a question which I wonder if the chemists here can answer The guy uses Thames Water with a spec pH of 7.9-8.2 but my HB retailor (Richard) measured a sample he bought to the shop as pH 7.66. The guy is treating the liquor with Calcium Sulphate, Magnezium Sulphate and sulphuric acid. The overall effect of all these additions on the liquor before going into mash is to increase the pH to 7.86 (again measured in a sample taken to Richard). When the mash is initially doughed in and a sample taken right at the start of the mash it has a pH of only 4.3 but by the end of the mash is an ideal pH 5.31. I have no information about pH at other points in the mash but the guy is wondering why the mashin pH is so low Is this just due to the fact that the buffering reasctions in the mash that produce Acid are faster than those that produce Alkeline therefore initially producing a low pH which then stabalises after some time? (as I say no interim samples taken) Can anyone explain this and how long it is likely to be into the mash before the pH settles on it's final value - -- Wassail! The Scurrilous Aleman (ICQ 46254361) Schwarzbad Lager Brauerei, Blackpool, Lancs, UK Rennerian Coordinates (I'm Not Lost! I'm A Man, I don't ask for directions) This message has been scanned by F-Secure Anti-Virus for Microsoft Exchange as part of the Council's e-mail and internet policy. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 08:55:49 -0800 From: John Palmer <jjpalmer at gte.net> Subject: re, Malting Barley Seed Steve asks about where to get barley seed to make his own malt. Well, Several years ago I spread a couple handfuls of uncrushed malt on the ground in the garden, raked it in a bit, and was rewarded with a fair amount of growth. But SWMBO said this was taking the hobby a bit far. (After I explained what I was going to do with it and that it involved using the clothes dryer - avoid mentioning this part) Good Luck! John - -- John Palmer jjpalmer at realbeer.com Palmer House Brewery and Smithy http://www.realbeer.com/jjpalmer How To Brew - the online book http://www.howtobrew.com Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 12:39:26 -0500 From: "Bob Hewitt" <rthewitt3 at hotmail.com> Subject: Phil's sparger, revisited I, too, had a spinning problem with a Phil's sparge arm. The solution was to increase the sparge water bucket elevation. I put a hook in my basement ceiling, and hang the bucket there. The Lauter tun is sitting on a 48-quart thermos cooler on the floor, the kettle on the floor. Spin O' Rama. And Zymie, thanks for your highly useful answer to those guy's questions. Bob Hewitt Cincinnati, Ohio In Jeff's old hometown.... Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 11:47:02 -0600 From: Dan.Stedman at PILLSBURY.COM Subject: Re: Grain Mill Feedback Requested Rod wrote: >I have been shopping for a Grain Mill and have narrowed my choices to the >Valley Mill or the Brewtek Mill. Do yourself a favor and check out the Barley Crusher (www.barleycrusher.com). I got one a few months ago after using a JSP MaltMill for a couple of years, and I couldn't be happier with it. Definately well-built and it has the nicest features of the bunch (IMHO). No affiliation, just happy. I can send you pics if you want, since the web site doesn't have more then the one pic on it. BTW - I don't know anything about the BrewTek, but I know some people have had problems with motorizing the Valley. Both the JSP and the BarleyCrusher will have no problem being motorized... Dan in Minnetonka Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 14:07:53 -0500 From: Brian Levetzow <levetzowbt at home.com> Subject: RE: Listerman's Mashing Instructions Doug points out Listermann's Web site statement: >>"Dark malts, such as black patent, chocolate, or roasted barley, don't >>require mashing, so are best lightly cracked and added to the mash just >>before sparging." And Doug inquires: >What?? I have never heard of adding dark malts to the mash anytime >other than with the rest of the grist. What's the point of adding them >late? Also I was under the impression that I get some extraction out of >dark malts, provided I have enough enzymes from my primary malt. > >Could someone please enlighten me. Dan may have already replied by now, but I believe he recommends this method because of the affect the dark malts have on mash pH. Typically, mash pH of my 100% 2-row/munich grists stabilize by themselves around pH 5.2-5.5 without any add'l salts/acids (my tap pH is around 8.4). The add'l dark malts would put that in the high 4s, I bet. - -- +++++++++++++++ Brian Levetzow ~ Laurel, MD [425.7, 118.5] Apparent Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 12:55:08 -0700 (MST) From: Adam Holmes <aaholmes at lamar.ColoState.EDU> Subject: Brown Malt proportions in porter? I've got about 10 pounds of brown malt that just got donated to me. I guess you use this in porter but I'm not sure of proportions to use. Anyone have a good all grain recipe that uses brown malt? Is it used in any styles other than porter? Thanks in advance. Also, Re: stuff you wished you hadn't ever bought: 1. kettles that are too small (less than 7 gallons) 2. digital meat thermometer: I thought I would be able to monitor water or mash temps and have it beep at me when it approaches the target temp. Problem is that the thermometer is off by at least 20 degrees. Wish I had bought sooner: 1. Refractometer: actually I didn't buy it - my friend found it at Salvation Army store for $5 - can you believe it? 2. Kegging Setup Cheers, Adam Holmes Fort Collins, CO Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 14:19:39 -0600 From: "George Krafcisin" <gkrafcisin at mindspring.com> Subject: Phil's Sparge Arms Never had a problem with keeping the whirlygig whirling, except when the water level in my hot water tank was just about done. (I keep an Igloo cooler elevated above the mash tun and use gravity feed.) By then, sparging is just about done, anyway. What I've always wondered, though, is whether or not the spray through the air onto the surface of the mash is aerating the sparge water. Aren't we warned not to aerate the hot side? I've never noticed any off flavors from this, but I wonder. Also, sprinkling the sparge water must result in cooling it even further on it's way from the reservoir to the grain. Which means I've got to heat the sparge water even higher to get that 170 F water on the grain. I think I'm just going to make a copper spiral with slots in the bottom and lay it on top of the grain bed. George Krafcisin Glencoe, IL Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 19:13:53 -0500 From: "Brian M Dotlich" <BMDotlich at cs.com> Subject: I wish I never bought... ...Those damn EZ-cap swing top bottles. I bought 6 boxes of them when I first started brewing so that I could avoid buying a bottle capper. I've tried everyting short of giving them away to get rid of them. It seems like they leak off carbonation even when they have new gaskets. And the worst thing is I probably could have gotten a decent bottle capper and a couple of cases sam adams for what I paid for those bottles. Speaking of Sam Adams, is it my immagionation or has Boston Lager gotten lighter in flavor? Brian Dotlich Centerville OH 182.8 186.5 appearent Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 21:37:59 -0500 From: "KKrist" <kkrist at bigfoot.com> Subject: Brewing Techniques -- don't get swindled I received the following email. I'm sending it to warn others. Brewing Techniques cheated a lot of people when the went out-of-business. Now they reappear with the following. BrewingTechniques Announces Back Issues Blow-Out Sale BT contracts with third party to handle liquidation BrewingTechniques is back to life! No, there will be no new issues of the magazine, but the much-sought-after back issues are now available for immediate delivery. BrewingTechniques has contracted with a third party, Consumer's Edge Network, to handle the liquidation of its stock of back issues, magazine binders, and selected memorabilia. The BT website (http://brewingtechniques.com) has been updated to process orders directly to Consumer's Edge Network. For information on issues available, pricing, and package deals and to place orders for immediate fulfillment, see the order page (http://brewingtechniques.com/order_form.html). As always, you can preview contents at the back issues page (http://brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues.html). BrewingTechniques back issues have been in environmentally controlled storage since the day they were produced. They are in mint condition. Perhaps more important is the freshness of their contents. The 37 issues published over the magazine's six-year run constitute one of the most valuable archives of brewing knowledge available, from the rediscovery of history's greatest brewing traditions to breaking new ground with innovative contemporary techniques. BrewingTechniques covered the world of brewing pragmatics and aesthetics like no other magazine. And the information is as relevant today as the day it was released. Order today! If you placed an order with BrewingTechniques over the past two years and didn't hear back, please resubmit your order. With the help of Consumer's Edge Network, we now guarantee that orders will be acknowledged and processed in the most expeditious manner possible. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced in the past. BrewingTechniques is also committed to fulfilling any unmet obligations to past subscribers. If you had a claim for issues not received, please contact Consumer's Edge Network (c.e.n. at netzero.net), who will work to resolve the matter. Thank you for your patience during the past two years of inactivity. A great deal of content is available at the website (see the library at http://brewingtechniques.com/library for a survey of contents). I hope eventually to add all remaining content to the archive at BrewingTechniques.com. I hope BrewingTechniques continues to serve the practical interests of brewers for years to come through its print and online archive. Cheers, Stephen Mallery Publisher Return to table of contents
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