HOMEBREW Digest #4596 Thu 02 September 2004


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Contents:
  Throbbing Yeast ("Jack & Viv Wallick")
  When to plant hops / Homebrewers in vic Heidelberg, Germany ("Sasha von_Rottweil")
  BJCP  2004 style guideline spreadsheet. (Bill VanZante)
  RE:How to succeed in microland ("Rogers, Mike")
  Re: Batch vs. Fly Sparging (cboyer)
  Brass and Beer ("Eric R. Theiner")
  re:  Batch vs Fly Sparging (hollen)
  Re: propane burner problem (Jeff Renner)
  Re: Beetles & Yeast/Color (Jeff Renner)
  Attacking SPAM ("Pat Babcock")
  Candi sugar = invert sugar? (Denny Conn)
  Re: Batch vs Fly Sparging (Denny Conn)
  Re: grape vs. corn sugars (Jeff Renner)
  Wheat Beer Club-Only Competition ("Gary Glass")
  How to succeed in microland / business (brewinfool)
  Warning Gary Spykman! ("Alan McKay")
  corn vs grape sugar ("Alan McKay")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2004 20:15:19 -0600 From: "Jack & Viv Wallick" <jvwallick at earthlink.net> Subject: Throbbing Yeast This may be of interest to brewers and other yeast aficionados out there. An article in the latest edition of Science Magazine reports that the cell walls of metabolizing yeast cells expand and contract thousands of times per second. Using the cantilever of an atomic force microscope resting on the cell surface and measuring displacement by reflecting a laser off the cantilever, researchers at UCLA found displacements averaging 6 nanometers (3 nm amplitude) occurring at a rate of around one kilohertz (1000/second). The phenomenon had apparently not previously been observed or reported. The motion was determined to be characteristic of the contractile proteins found in flagella and cilia found in numerous microbes. One postulated purpose of the movement was as a pump, to assist in the transfer of nutrients and metabolites into and out of the cell. The article is in the 20 August 2004 issue of Science, Number 5687, Volume 305, pages 1147 to 1150. Jack Wallick Brewsters Yeast Colorado Springs, CO Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 10:11:23 +0000 From: "Sasha von_Rottweil" <sasharina at hotmail.com> Subject: When to plant hops / Homebrewers in vic Heidelberg, Germany Hi, I have recently obtained some roots of various hop plants a month back. After planting them in pots I now have hop vines between 12" to 24". The vines are still growing strongly and there are several new shoots coming up next to the original vines. Should I plant the hops now or let them hibernate in the pots during the winter and plant them next spring? Also, are there any homebrewers in the Heidelberg, Germany region? Thanks, Marty Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 02:31:46 -0700 (PDT) From: Bill VanZante <vanzantewm at yahoo.com> Subject: BJCP 2004 style guideline spreadsheet. I was looking over the new 2004 BJCP style guidelines and thought it would be more useful tome to have the information in Excel. This would allow sorting y gravities, IBU, yadda, yadda... Any of you BJCP'ers have the 2004 guideline converted to excel or other spreadsheet format that you would be willing to share? Thanks in advance! Bill VanZante Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 08:09:15 -0400 From: "Rogers, Mike" <mike.rogers at eds.com> Subject: RE:How to succeed in microland William Menzl asks: >Here in Michigan, we have experienced quite a few openings and closing >of Microbreweries and Brew pubs. Why.... Spencer Replies: >In a brewpub, at least 50% of your sales must be from food. I thought I should note that the correct percentage is 25%, and it should be noted that it is from any non-alcoholic items... Below is the full Brew Pub permit description which is available at the Michigan Licensed Occupations Page http://www.michigan.gov/careers/0,1607,7-170--60358--,00.html <http://www.michigan.gov/careers/0,1607,7-170--60358--,00.html> Michigan Manufacturer & Wholesalers Section License & Permit Types Brewpub - License issued by the Commission to manufacturer up to 5,000 barrels of beer annually. A Brewpub must also hold an on-premises license (Class C, Tavern, AHotel, B-Hotel or Resort) issued by the Commission. A Brewpub must operate a full service restaurant with at least 25% gross sales from non-alcoholic items. Brewpubs may sell beer they manufacturer to consumers only for either on-premises consumption or for take-out. Brewpubs may not sell beer they manufacture to wholesalers or retailers. A person may have interest in up to three Brewpubs with the total combined production of all locations not to exceed 5,000 barrels per year. An investigation by the Commission's Enforcement Division is required along with local law enforcement approval and local governing body approval. Annual license fee is $100.00. I personally would start on a smaller scale. A 3bbl system, for example, can brew a whole lot of good brew, even for distribution - see Dragonmead. Some of the Michigan failures have been a result of over extending their initial investments, thus requiring immediate significant/continuous returns to keep up with start up payouts. Mike Rogers Cass River Homebrewers Frankenmuth, Mi. www.hbd.org/cassriverhomebrewers <www.hbd.org/cassriverhomebrewers> Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 09:05:05 -0400 (EDT) From: cboyer at ausoleil.org Subject: Re: Batch vs. Fly Sparging Eric Lande asks about batch versus fly (continuous) sparging: > I have read in the past that batch sparging will boost extract > efficiency because...(I don't remember the exact reason ....) My experience says the opposite: you need to add a bit more grains to get the same number of points if you use batch rather than fly sparging. John Palmer has a set of calculations for the increase in grains and the run rates of a two-sparge batch sparge in his dead-tree edition of "How to Brew." The benefits of batch sparging are 1) ease and simplicity -- you do not have to closely monitor your water:grain level and equilibrate your flow of sparge water in to wort out. Secondly (and this is my opinion, YMMV) pH problems and astringency are all but eliminated using the batch sparge method. Given the large water volume, you are not trying to rinse out the last molecules of sugar from near-spent grains. Third, batch sparging shortens the brewing day, and that's always nice too, especially when you have a wife tapping her toes with a Honey-Do list in her hands. [Last time I brewed, my wife did that, and she had a homebrew in the other hand! ;-) ] There are proponents of no sparge brewing as well, and that requires even more grains than does batch sparging. They say that it is the secret of some prize winning homebrews because it (supposedly) yields a richer malt flavor. It requires even less time than a batch sparge, but at the expense of efficiency and thus cost. Interestingly, it seems that old-style brewing several centuries back were no-sparge. You run across descriptions of "first runnings" for high gravity beers and the elites, "second runnings" in the middle of the point ranng and finally "third runnings" of low(er) gravity brews for the peasants. From all I can see, this was no-sparge brewing done batch-style. Fly sparging is a good thing (tm) too, but it requires more care and attention. Most commercial brewers use the continuous sparging method, because they are naturally concerned with getting the highest scale of economy possible. As homebrewers, we are not so concerned with that, because our batches are small(relatively) and the extra grains needed for batch or no sparge operations is generally minimal. That, and you need to remember that their brewing operations are far more optimized than are ours, and that they do this on a daily or near-daily basis. For me, the difference is less than $5/US. In most fly sparging instructions, there is a section that deals with monitoring pH and ending the sparge when the pH goes up and thus starts extracting from the husks of the grains. Batch sparging seemingly eliminates this, at least for me. A great explanation of the three with the calculations is in "How to Brew" but also download the errata because there was an ommission regarding the batch sparging procedure. Cheers, and good brewing, Charles http://www.homebrewhelp.com > did). I've now seen at least two references, over the last week or so on > the HBD, to fly sparging being more efficient. At the risk of starting a > fight between the proponents of both methods, can someone give me a good > explanation comparing and contrasting the two? Thanks for the help. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 9:05:36 -0500 From: "Eric R. Theiner" <rickdude at tds.net> Subject: Brass and Beer The question was posed as to whether or not it is acceptable for brass to contact beer, being a fluid with a pH below 6.0. It appears that this is true. I don't know if faucets are chromed on the inside, though. If they are, they should be fine, but according to the US Food Code citing below, brass is not okay for beer to contact. 4-101.14 Copper, Use Limitation.* (A) Except as specified in (B) of this section, copper and copper alloys such as brass may not be used in contact with a food that has a pH below 6 such as vinegar, fruit juice, or wine or for a fitting or tubing installed between a backflow prevention device and a carbonator. (B) Copper and copper alloys may be used in contact with beer brewing ingredients that have a pH below 6 in the *prefermentation and fermentation* (emphasis mine) steps of a beer brewing operation such as a brewpub or microbrewery. Rick Theiner Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 10:02:13 -0400 (EDT) From: hollen at woodsprite.com Subject: re: Batch vs Fly Sparging I batch sparge and I can verify that batch sparging is less efficient. But so what. I really have to laugh at people who tout their efficiency. So what if they get 80% and I only get 72% extraction. The point is being able to hit a gravity you are shooting for exactly, not how much you can get out of the grain. Jeez, so what if you have to put in two more pounds to hit the same gravity. dion - -- Dion Hollenbeck Email: hollen at woodsprite.com Home Page: http://www.woodsprite.com Brewing Page: http://hbd.org/hollen Toys: '85 4Runner, '86 4x4 PU Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 10:34:38 -0400 From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net> Subject: Re: propane burner problem "quinn meneely" <qmeneely at hotmail.com> writes: >I have a camp chef style propane burner. My problem is that it takes forever >to fire the thing up. I connect it up to the tank turn the valve and press >the button. It seems that all that comes out is whats in the tube before the >regulator, occasionaly it will light but will promply go out. So after >unhooking the tank, opening/unopening valves, kicking, screaming, pleading, >it will start. Any ideas on whats going on, cheap ways to fix it? thanks I'm guessing that you have air in your line and that causes the flame to go out. Here's my hypothesis: There is gas in the hose between the connection and the burner valve that is left there from when you removed the hose from the last time you used it, but then there is air behind it that got there when you connected it. Then there is gas behind this. Perhaps if you just relit it after it went out it would be fine, but if you remove the hose from the tank, you are getting more air into the hose, and the problem repeats itself. Those built-in push button lighters can be finicky. Perhaps a butane grill lighter would work better. That's what I use. The butane long since ran out but the sparker still works, so I just stick it into the burner, turn on the gas and click once or twice. Hope this helps. Jeff - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 10:45:11 -0400 From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net> Subject: Re: Beetles & Yeast/Color Chip Stewart <Chip at stewartsplace.com> in Hagerstown, Maryland wrote: >I occurred to me a good way to treat the barrels that seem to have >powder post beetles would be with CO2. You could probably make an >airtight enclosure around the barrel using sheet plastic and duct tape. > Then fill it with CO2 and suffocate the bugs. Should work and without >any damage to the beer. Clever idea, but I don't think it would work, at least not in any reasonable length of time. I suspect that the CO2 wouldn't penetrate to the tunnels unless it was under pressure. Todd in Idaho wrote that he asked his friend Craig, an Air Force entomologist, who wrote: >Finishing the cask with shellac or some other product would help >prevent any future infestation. It probably won't suffocate the >existing larvae. There is enough air space is the wood for >them to survive. So it sounds like you'd have to displace the air in the wood space with CO2. Jeff - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 11:23:48 -0400 From: "Pat Babcock" <pbabcock at hbd.org> Subject: Attacking SPAM Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager... In an effort to cut down on the amount of SPAM bouncing off of the HBD server, I've created a set of scripts (around wget, sendmail, cron and a makefile, for the curious) which downloads and installs the blacklist from spamlist.org as a criteria for rejecting mail into the HBD server. If you suddenly find yourself unable to receive or submit to the Digest, your address or (more likely) domain appears on this list. If you suddenly stop receiving the HBD (in which case, you're reading this on the web or rec.crafts.brewing...), and then get a 550 error in response to any email into the HBD.ORG domain, go to the FAQ at http://hbd.org and read the "Hey! Why is my mail into the Digest being rejected?!" entry. - -- See ya! Pat Babcock in SE MI pbabcock at hbd.org - -- See ya! Pat Babcock in SE MI pbabcock at hbd.org Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 08:44:44 -0800 From: Denny Conn <denny at projectoneaudio.com> Subject: Candi sugar = invert sugar? In HBD 4595, Chip Stewart writes "In my Belgian style recipes, I use invert sugar, because it is the same as Candi Sugar, which is widely used in Belgian brewing." I have heard this often and searched all over to try to find references to to this, without any luck. I've even checked the website for Brewer's Garden, the most often seen brand of Belgian candi sugar, and they make no mention of it being inverted. In brewing many of my own Belgian style beers, I have just subbed cane sugar for the candi sugar with fine results. Now, I know those wacky Belgians use a lot of different stuff in their beer, and invert sugar could certainly be one of the things they use. But can anyone point me to any data that candi sugar is inverted? Thanks for any help! ------------------------>Denny Conn Noti OR Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 08:52:18 -0800 From: Denny Conn <denny at projectoneaudio.com> Subject: Re: Batch vs Fly Sparging Eric, in my experience, efficiency is much more related to grain crush and your lauter design than it its to the way you sparge. I've done about 200 batch sparged brews (thanks to a great paper by Ken Schwartz), and taught the method to dozens of brewers. Some have seen their efficiency rise (the most dramatic was a 12 point increase over fly sparging), some have seen their efficiency fall (although usually not by more than a couple points). My own efficiency runs about 83-85% in the kettle and about 73-75% in the fermenter. I feel that's well within the same bounds that most people see from fly sparging. For me, the benefits are a faster brew session that takes less equipment to do, and not having to worry about the SG or pH of my sparge runoff. If you'd like some info about my technique and equipment, see www.hbd.og/cascade/dennybrew. ------------------->Denny Conn Noti OR At 11:55 PM 9/1/04 -0400, Eric R. Lande wrote: >Hi all - I have a question for the collective. I have read in the past >that batch sparging will boost extract efficiency because...(I don't >remember the exact reason and it would take too long to explain if I >did). I've now seen at least two references, over the last week or so on >the HBD, to fly sparging being more efficient. At the risk of starting a >fight between the proponents of both methods, can someone give me a good >explanation comparing and contrasting the two? Thanks for the help. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 15:03:14 -0400 From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net> Subject: Re: grape vs. corn sugars [Thanks to Charles, whom I cc'd originally, for catching an error on my part - I misremembered that 3/4 cup of corn sugar weighs 5 oz./150 grams] Charles <cboyer at ausoleil.org> writes >Corn sugar ... in bottling ... its effect on the beer is >negligible: an ever so slight increase in the percentage of alcohol I don't think the increase in alcohol is quite negligible, or "ever so slight." For typical priming rates, it adds ~0.35% alcohol by volume. For a typical Pilsner, this will be about a 7% increase. Let's say you want to make a 5% abv beer, so you brew it with an OG of 1.050 and FG of 1.013. This gives 5.0% abv (3.9% abv). So 5% of 18.9 liters (5 gallons) of beer means that you have 945 ml alcohol. A typical priming rate (Papazian and others) for five gallons of beer is 3/4 cup, or about 107 grams (I just weighed it). This will ferment out to pretty nearly half CO2 and half alcohol, or 53 grams of alcohol. Since alcohol has a specific gravity of 0.79, this means that you will have added ~67 ml of alcohol (53 g/0.79). Add this to the original 945 ml of alcohol and you get 1012 ml of alcohol, for a new alcohol level of 5.35% abv. This is ~7% more alcohol than you thought you had. How significant this is, I suppose, is a matter of opinion. You won't be able to taste it, but you will be fooling yourself if you think you are drinking a 1.050 OG / 5% beer. It's +/- equivalent to a 1.054 OG / 1.013 FG beer that is artificially carbonated. Of course, it also means that your proudly brewed, all-malt Reinsheitgebot beer is really 7% sugar on the basis of fermentables. === Regarding corn sugar vs. grape sugar - according to several dictionaries, grape sugar is simply dextrose - same as corn sugar. Is anyone selling grape sugar? Jeff - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 15:31:25 -0600 From: "Gary Glass" <Gary at aob.org> Subject: Wheat Beer Club-Only Competition The AHA thanks Steve Cook, Drew Beechum and the Maltose Falcons of Woodland Hills, CA for hosting the Wheat Beer Club-Only Competition held August 27, 2004. This competition covered Category 17, Wheat Beer, of the BJCP style guidelines. This was the first of six competitions in the August to May 2004-2005 cycle, with points going toward the Homebrew Club of the Year trophy. Points are awarded on a twelve-eight-four basis for first, second, and third place in the club-only competitions. First, second, and third places in the first and second rounds of the AHA National Homebrew Competition earn points on a six-four-two basis. Of the 43 entries the winners were: First Place John Eustis of Pagosa Springs, CO Representing the Homebrewing Order of Pagosa Springs with a Bavarian Hefeweizen Second Place Greggory Bergquist of New Bern, NC Representing the Oriental Regional Brewing Society with a Weizenbock Third Place Patrick Payne of Palm Bay, FL Representing the Space Coast Association for the Advancement of Zymurgy with a Weizenbock Congratulations to all of the winners, and thanks to all of the club representative brewers who entered! Gary Glass, Project Coordinator Association of Brewers 888-U-CAN-BREW (303) 447-0816 x 121 gary at aob.org www.beertown.org The Great American Beer Festival is coming! Plan to be in Denver Sept 30-Oct 2. See www.beertown.org/events/gabf/index.htm for details. - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.735 / Virus Database: 489 - Release Date: 8/6/2004 Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 18:54:23 -0500 From: brewinfool at juno.com Subject: How to succeed in microland / business Well talk about a lurker jumping out suddenly... Spencer states: A brewpub (basically a restaurant that brews its own beer, in Michigan law) has to be a good restaurant. Absolutely! Look at any business plan and its in there. But I know of one example here in WI that is still here 6 years later and is well known for its poor highly priced meals ( but great sandwiches) but serves a great beer selection. Not exactly sure why they are still filling the place most nights, but everyone I talk to says they have the worst Prime Rib ever. I had the worst Fettucini Alfredo ever... by FAR. Best Muffaletta sandwich ever. Nobody has a good comment on the menu food, but the sandwiches are good. But the people still come... WHY? Theres a shortage of good restaurants in the area. Its either sub sandwiches, burgers or here. Spencer states: In a brewpub, at least 50% of your sales must be from food. If you've got a full bar, maybe 50% of your bar proceeds are from beer, and some fraction of that is your own beer and the rest is guest beers. So less than 25% of your revenue is from your beer. You will live or die on your food, not your beer (and intangibles like service and atmosphere). In Madison, WI there is a brewpub near the college campus which got in trouble a few years back because there was some agreement that only half of the sales could come from beer. This brewpub has walls full of awards from national competitions, and only a fraction of the beer business of a brewpub on the other side of the Capitol area downtown, which is further from the college campus. Lesson: Local agreements to obtain licensing may change what is allowed to happen to your profit line, not to mention politics. They eventually came into compliance ( or possibly later renegotiated?) to stop the problem. But only 1/2 mile away, on the other side of downtown, the college kids play in the poolhall that is attached to the brewpub there, and drink away a substantial portion of hard earned money, turning it into big profits. Unusual point, but its there. Like any business, theres a hundred ways to fail, and a fairly narrow path to success, but never underestimate how much a variety of variables can come together to create either success or failure. I just started a business, totally undercapitalized, and was told by those educated in business that we had a slim chance to make it, but due to my knowledge and ability and dedication to make it happen, it has worked out. We have survived the cash flow stage, and now we buy up inventory of those who tried, but did not have either the skills or luck to have made their dream happen. I wish all who try the best, but never underestimate the power of committment and dedication to make things happen. Above all, know who your customer is, and find a way to reach them, But thats enough rambling for now.... Hope I didnt exceed the limit. Mike Teed Republican County, WI, USA Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 20:11:43 -0400 (EDT) From: "Alan McKay" <amckay at neap.net> Subject: Warning Gary Spykman! You are treading on dangerous ground giving Daniel any information on making beer with steam! You are risking the wrath of his wife Andrea, whose first rule is : "Don't give him any ideas!" An engineer with an idea can be a dangerous thing! :-) In seriousness, Daniel has crafted some pretty impressive gadgets and I look forward to what he comes up with in the realm of steam-fired. And I have to say I am very lucky to have a wife who is as understanding of my hobby as Andrea is of his. But I still would never risk breaking Rule #1 !!! - -- http://www.bodensatz.com/ The Beer Site Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 20:18:00 -0400 (EDT) From: "Alan McKay" <amckay at neap.net> Subject: corn vs grape sugar >From what I've seen and tasted, what we in North America call "corn sugar" is the same as what in Germany was called "Traubenzucker" (grape sugar) - -- http://www.bodensatz.com/ The Beer Site Return to table of contents
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