HOMEBREW Digest #5235 Sun 30 September 2007


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Contents:
  RE: Effect of dissolved extract on volume ("Bill Pierce")
  10th Annual Hoppy Halloween Challenge ("Susan Ruud")
  Split Rock Homebrew Competition ("Al Hazan")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:51:05 -0400 From: "Bill Pierce" <BillPierce at aol.com> Subject: RE: Effect of dissolved extract on volume Thanks for the replies to my question about the increase in wort volume due to the dissolved extract. As A.J. deLange points out, the errors in the assumptions used for wort volume calculations cancel each other out to some extent. Moreover, he is correct that most of us plan for a wort of x volume at y gravity and sparge until we achieve the desired pre-boil volume. Assuming a consistent extract efficiency, this typically allows an accuracy within about 0.002 (2 gravity points) in achieving the target gravity. I wouldn't call the error insignificant, however, at least potentially. If I plug one of my recipes (10 gallons of 1.051 O.G. robust porter) into ProMash, it calculates I will require 16.45 gallons of water, including 9.87 gallons for sparging. The calculated pre-boil target volume is 13.51 gallons (so far as I can tell, adjusted for neither the dissolved extract nor the expansion due to the increase in temperature) and the target gravity is 1.0437. On the other hand, my spreadsheet calculates 15.74 gallons of cold water needed, 9.16 gallons of it for sparging. The calculated pre-boil target volume is 13.40 gallons (adjusted for both the dissolved extract and the expansion due to temperature) and the target gravity is 1.0443. Should I trust the ProMash calculations and sparge until the mash is drained (I agree this is not such a good idea, but some brewers do exactly that), the actual pre-boil volume (adjusted for both temperature and the dissolved extract, which ProMash apparently does not do) would be 14.12 gallons and the gravity would be 1.0418. A volume error of 0.8 gallons and a gravity error of 2.5 extract points are greater than I am aiming for in my brewing. Now because I (and many other prudent brewers) typically sparge only until reaching the target pre-boil volume, the effects of the errors are less pronounced. Should I rely on the pre-boil volume calculated by ProMash in the example above, the actual pre-boil gravity according to my calculations would be 1.0434 rather than the target of 1.0443. The difference of 0.9 extract points is due to the sugars remaining in the small volume of water not quite completely drained from the grain. This is within the margin of error I normally consider acceptable. In the past, before I discovered that the software apparently does not account for the increase in volume due to the dissolved extract, I merely fudged by adjusting the presumed extract efficiency down a percent or two and increasing the amount of base malt by half a pound. So you're right that the error is not a huge one and it's mitigated by the manner in which many of us brew. But why not strive for accuracy and avoid fudging the results when it's possible to do so? Furthermore, some of us like to tinker under the hood in an attempt to explain what is really happening. Anyway, this proves my suspicion about the difference in both gravity and volume between adding x mass of extract to y volume of water, and wort that is y volume with x mass of dissolved extract. As for Nick Turbov's question as to whether the volume increase is real, I did a very brief experiment at home with table sugar and distilled water. While I have a lab balance with an accuracy of 0.1 gram, I am only able to measure volume to an accuracy of a little less than 5 ml (I lack a good graduated cylinder). I dissolved 100 grams of sucrose in as close as I could measure to 1 liter of distilled water. The temperature for all of the items was that of my kitchen (72 F at the time). There was indeed an increase in the volume of a little more than 60 ml, again as close as I could measure. This seems very much in line with the volume increase of 61.4 ml for each 100 grams of dissolved sucrose I quoted in my original post. At any rate, it provides sufficient confirmation for the effect. Brew on! Bill Pierce Cellar Door Homebrewery Burlington, Ontario BillPierce (at) aol (dot) com Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:35:20 -0500 From: "Susan Ruud" <susan.ruud at ndsu.edu> Subject: 10th Annual Hoppy Halloween Challenge We would like to invite you to enter and judge at the 10th annual Hoppy Halloween Challenge. In keeping with the seasonal theme of Halloween, entries will be accepted from October 1st to October 13th (Scary! Are you scared yet?). To make entering the Hoppy Halloween Challenge as easy as possible, we have on-line registration this year. Complete details can be found at: http://www.prairiehomebrewers.org/hoppyhalloween.htm Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:21:26 -0400 From: "Al Hazan" <hazan at ptd.net> Subject: Split Rock Homebrew Competition This is the second announcement for the Homebrew Competition to be held on Saturday, November 17th, at the Split Rock Resort in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. This competition is held in conjunction with their annual Micro Brew Festival. This is a sanctioned competition judging all beer, mead and cider styles. Entries should be shipped to the Resort at Split Rock, One Lake Drive, Lake Harmony, PA 18624, and Attention: Shelly Kalins Lutz, for receipt from November 3rd to November 15th. Entry fees of $5 per entry will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. By simply entering, you will be helping this charitable organization help others. Checks should be made out to The Resort at Split Rock. Two (2) brown or green bottles with no markings are required. Please use rubber bands to attach bottle labels. No tape please. Any standard entry forms identifying the brewer and the appropriate entry category/subcategory are acceptable. The 2004 BJCP Style Guidelines will be used for this competition. Get this from the BJCP web site at www.bjcp.org. Judges are very, very much needed and they should contact me to secure a position. Judges and Stewards can hand carry their entries if they pre-register with payment. All judges and stewards are required to be present by 8:30 so we can get started promptly at 9am. Judges will receive an entry to the beer festival or entry to the beer dinner for their efforts and need to indicate which they wish when they commit to participate. The BOS winner will receive a complementary weekend for two at next year's Split Rock Beer Fest as well. More information will be available at the Split Rock web site: http://www.splitrockresort.com/beerfest/. Or contact them at: spevents at splitrockresort.com. Al Hazan Competition Organizer hazan at ptd.net Return to table of contents
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