HOMEBREW Digest #672 Wed 03 July 1991

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


Contents:
  Auto Reply from Watch_Mail for 29-JUN-1991 00:00 to 8-JUL-1991 00:00 (Steve Beal ZK02-3/N23 381-2071  02-Jul-1991 0332)
   (John DeCarlo)
  Re:  Extracts vs. Kits (John DeCarlo)
  _zymurgy_ magazine (John DeCarlo)
  Cat's Meow (Michael Zentner)
  Help---trip tips (Michael Zentner)
  Rob B's Canada Posting  (hersh)
  Re: REAL fruit juice (Mark Sandrock)
  Peristaltic pumps (BREIN)
  Hops used in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Keith Winter)
  Re: Water Treatment for Lagers (John Polstra)
  cheap brew (hitchhiker)
  Possible Aphid cure. ("DRCV06::GRAHAM")
  Re: Homebrew Digest #671 (July 02, 1991) (bobc at wings.Eng - Bob Clark)
  Wort Aeration notes... (Kurt Swanson)
  Annoying subscription requests... (Kurt Swanson)

Send submissions to homebrew%hpfcmi at hplabs.hp.com Send requests to homebrew-request%hpfcmi at hplabs.hp.com [Please do not send me requests for back issues] Archives are available from netlib at mthvax.cs.miami.edu
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 00:30:37 PDT From: Steve Beal ZK02-3/N23 381-2071 02-Jul-1991 0332 <beal at tle.enet.dec.com> Subject: Auto Reply from Watch_Mail for 29-JUN-1991 00:00 to 8-JUL-1991 00:00 I'll be away until July 10th. If you have any questions or problems, please contact Deb Robison (TLE::ROBISON) or Peter Karam (TLE::KARAM). Steve Return to table of contents
Date: Tuesday, 2 Jul 1991 07:16:56 EDT From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: >From: Joe Kendall <SYSHJK%GSU.EDU at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> >Subject: 1/2 batches >2 homebrew kits in one 5 gallon batch of beer. I think this >was recommended in "Joy of Homebrewing". It seems to me what >one changes by putting in 2 cans of "good stuff" instead of one, >is the ratio of "good stuff" to water. Can one accomplish the >same thing by putting in one brew kit and half the normal amount >of water. I hope so. Well, what you really get is improving the ratio of "good stuff" (i.e., malt) to "bad stuff" (i.e., sugar). By eliminating the sugar from your recipe, you get a more full-bodied and better tasting brew (IMHO) (certainly it will be "maltier" :-) ). Yes, you can brew a 2.5 to 3 gallon batch with one can. In fact, that kind of approach is now showing up on the kit directions. The latest _zymurgy_ had a review of a kit designed for 3 gallons that said just use the can and don't add any sugar. Good going, I say. The fewer kits that advocate using sugar the better. Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org) Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: Tuesday, 2 Jul 1991 07:18:19 EDT From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: Re: Extracts vs. Kits >Treating water with Burton Salts: >If you're brewing with extracts, forget the water salts. The >extracts already contain all the minerals and salts that you >will need for that beer. If you're making an all-grain beer, >it's better to get your water tested at your local water plant >or give them a call for the ion content of the water if you're >already on their system. Adjust your water according to beer >you're trying to make. In general, soft water for lagers. Hard >water for English type ales. >Kinney Baughman | Beer is my business and >baughmankr at conrad.appstate.edu | I'm late for work. Well, It is worth a minor note here that there is a *big* difference (IMHO) between using a "kit" and using malt extract. A "kit" is usually in a can and is formulated to make a certain type of beer, often containing the hops as well. Many of us who brew with extract only buy light malt extract and add additional grains to achieve the pale ale, stout, whatever. I can heartily recommend this method and haven't bought a "kit" in over a year. But it does make it more important to condition your water, though all I have ever used is gypsum. Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org) Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: Tuesday, 2 Jul 1991 07:19:43 EDT From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: _zymurgy_ magazine Hello, Has anyone compiled an electronic index of _zymurgy_ magazine articles? John "Or do I have to do it myself?" DeCarlo Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org) Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 09:55:18 -0500 From: zentner at ecn.purdue.edu (Michael Zentner) Subject: Cat's Meow First, Brian Bliss replies to someone else: >Yes. The authors to "uuencode" the file after they compress it >(not vice-versa!), and stick it somewhere where we can ftp it. >This is standard stuff for files with special characters in them, >such as raster images, or the output from "compress". If you ftp'd the files with binary set and they uncompressed, the reason you're getting a U instead of ' is not because of the ftp link. You do not have to uuencode something to use ftp. As one of the authors explained to me, he had a similar problem because of the printer connection to his computer not supporting the "higher" bits, or something like that. The character ' is not represented in ascii in the postscript file. Apparently, the printer is only getting part of the information. If you're as dumb as me :-) and tried to vi the file to put a manual feed instruction (it looked like the "book" was formatted for printing out on two sided pages) in there and then wrote the file, you'll also find that vi strips non-ascii characters and replaces ' with U. I have fixed this problem and gotten it to print out two sided, though, for anyone interested and willing to sit next to the printer feeding in pages. Mike Zentner zentner at ecn.purdue.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 10:01:53 -0500 From: zentner at ecn.purdue.edu (Michael Zentner) Subject: Help---trip tips Lynn (my wife) and I are going to be travelling to Europe this fall (post-Oktoberfest) and would like any suggestions on brew related and/or other fun things to do. The intended route is something like the following: Barcelona for 4 days Through France quickly, maybe 2 days with a stop in a wine area Belgium 4-7 days Southern Germany area for 1-1.5 weeks. Please send any suggestions on Breweries, pubs, places to stay, unique restaurants, tourist attractions, etc... that any of you are familiar with. Thanks for any advice to anyone who can provide it. Mike Zentner zentner at ecn.purdue.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 02 Jul 91 11:32:04 EDT From: hersh at expo.lcs.mit.edu Subject: Rob B's Canada Posting Wait Rob, don't go away just yet, you can't post something so long and informative on Canadian beers and then go away without answering a few follow-up questions. Specifically when you quote alcohol contents, are you doign it by Volume (what the rest of the world uses) or by Weight (what we fools in the US use). When you call something a mind numbing 5% (assuming it's by volume) that's the equivalent of ~4.2% which is not very different from many US beers. Of course if you've already adjusted to US for the sake of the posting and just forgot to mention it, then to quote Emily Latella, "Oh never mind...." - JaH Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 10:57:16 CDT From: Mark Sandrock <sandrock at aries.scs.uiuc.edu> Subject: Re: REAL fruit juice > From: bliss at csrd.uiuc.edu (Brian Bliss) > > > From: sandrock at aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Mark Sandrock) > > > > artificial sweetener, right!" I say, "Fruit juice, the REAL thing!" > > The hard part is finding a brand whose major ingredient isn't > corn sweetener... (Even if it is, I still prefer it to coke) It's true. Many of the prepared fruit juices say "100% natural", and, if you read the fine print, "10% fruit juice". As I understand it, one could sell sawdust and call it 100% natural, so that phrase is exquisitely meaningless. High fructose corn syrup is not a "naturally" occuring substance to my knowledge. A little more "truth in advertising" would be wonderful, including listing of ingredients on ALL products intended for human con- sumption. (And animal consumption for that matter!) - -- BITNET: sandrock at uiucscs Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Internet: sandrock at aries.scs.uiuc.edu Chemical Sciences Computing Services Voice: 217-244-0561 505 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1991 10:37:36 PDT From: BREIN at dsfvax.jpl.nasa.gov Subject: Peristaltic pumps Has anyone considered using a peristaltic pump to move their worts between containers during chilling, racking, and bottling? These simple pumps are used in medical applications like heart-lung machines because of their gentle action. It would be nice not to have to raise and lower heavy containers full of wort, and perhaps do away altogether with the frustrations of siphoning. What say? Barry Rein BREIN at gpvax.jpl.nasa.gov Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 10:53:52 PDT From: winter at cirrus.com (Keith Winter) Subject: Hops used in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale In HBD #? (I forgot the number :-(), Ken Ellinwood writes: >Does anyone know what varieties and proportions of hops are used >to brew Sierra Nevada PaA friend and I are interested in >brewing a copy-cat version. Thanks in advance, I was at the Sierra Nevada brewery last month for a tour. At the end, the tour guide showed me the brewsheet they use for the Pale Ale (I took notes, of course). I don't have them here so I can't give all the details, however I do remember the type of hops used. For bittering, they use an "experimental high-alpha Cascade" and for steep they use regular Cascade. No one there was completely familiar with the process (it was Saturday) so I couldn't get any real information on the experimental Cascade (like, what is the alpha analysis). For what it's worth... Keith Winter at Cirrus Logic, Inc. (winter at cirrus) Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 12:01:07 PDT From: polstra!jdp at uunet.UU.NET (John Polstra) Subject: Re: Water Treatment for Lagers In HBD #671, I wrote: > By the way, 125 ppm of CaSO4 adds 29 ppm of calcium to the water, while > 250 ppm of CaSO4 adds 58 ppm of calcium. That's not quite right. Actually 125 ppm of *gypsum* adds 29 ppm of calcium to the water, while 250 ppm of *gypsum* adds 58 ppm of calcium. Gypsum is calcium sulphate dihydrate, or CaSO4 * 2H2O. In the article I was referring to, the author said he added X amount of "CaSO4". I don't know whether he was using gypsum, or really using the anhydrous form of calcium sulphate. 125 ppm of anhydrous calcium sulphate (CaSO4) adds 37 ppm of calcium, while 250 ppm of anhydrous calcium sulphate adds 74 ppm. More than you ever wanted to know about water treatment ... John Polstra polstra!jdp at uunet.uu.net Polstra & Co., Inc. ...!uunet!polstra!jdp Seattle, Washington USA (206) 932-6482 "Self-knowledge is always bad news." -- John Barth Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 02 Jul 91 13:23:51 CDT From: hiker at skyview.bison.mb.ca (hitchhiker) Subject: cheap brew Help! Due to excessive taxation by our lords and masters in government, I find myself seeking cheaper means of obtaining a decent drunk. Send all reasonably drinkable recipes to me, quickly! - --- (hitchhiker) a user of skyview, running waffle 1.64 E-mail: hiker at skyview.bison.mb.ca Compu Team Systems BBS Return to table of contents
Date: 2 Jul 91 16:07:00 EDT From: "DRCV06::GRAHAM" <graham%drcv06.decnet at drcvax.af.mil> Subject: Possible Aphid cure. Norm Hardy asks about the critters munching at his hops. My organic gardening friends and I use this combination: 1/2 gallon white vinegar 1 bulb garlic, all cloves peeled and crushed 1 bottle cayenne pepper Mix it all together and let stand for two weeks. Strain and spray on your garden. I know, it sounds *strong*. It is, don't eat it, just spray it on the hops. It doesn't work for all pests, but it keeps many away, and the rabbits, too. Dan Graham Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 13:38:23 PDT From: Bob.Clark at Eng.Sun.COM (bobc at wings.Eng - Bob Clark) Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #671 (July 02, 1991) From: hersh at expo.lcs.mit.edu Subject: Zymurgy at 3AM, Harvesting Hops Hey folks, I just moved into Steve Stroud's former residence and inherited his hop plants. They have flowers on them, some quite sizeable, and I'm wondering about harvesting them. What should I look for to know when to harvest them?? Any special technique, or is just pulling them off OK?? Will the vines continue to flower throughout the season or do they flower just once?? When they are big, green, and have decreased slighlty in springiness when you squeeze them, it is time to pick them. You will know for sure next time, because when you let them go too long, they turn into a dried out brown. Just pull them off (some people say to squeeze them off with thumb & forefinger). But be gentle, since all of the good stuff is the light, powdery yellow stuff inside. After picking, dry them to gain consistency in your weight measurements (last year, my 12 oz. wet dried down to 3 oz.). The vine you have picked from will not flower again. It can be removed. You should have some fresh vines which are climbing up the existing ones; these will get their own flowers, so effectively you get multiple harvests. Last year, I had three separate harvests off of mine. I haven't heard of a good way of characterizing the alpha of homegrown, so I just use mine for aromatics. Bob C. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 20:50:10 CDT From: kswanson at casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Kurt Swanson) Subject: Wort Aeration notes... Way back when I was taking HS Chemistry, I noticed that the teacher put brass extensions on the faucets, and they had an extra short arm that stuck out horizontally. Each end had "grips" for holding rubber/plastic hose. It turns out that when unconstricted, the extra arm aerated water as it passed. When this was obstructed, the water ran "clear." So, naturally, now I view this as one possible means of aerating wort: rack through the pipe. It should be easy to clean, and it aerates quite non-violently. Also, the teacher at one point turned on the water, let it run down the drain, and hooked a hose between the extra arm, and a bottle of ethanol, which of course, made the alcohol boil at room temp. Thus, we have a new method at allowing those who fear the germs of their mouth to be able to start suction in racking, with little anxiety... My only problem now is: where do I get one of these? Am I going to have to go back to my HS to steal one? - -- Kurt Swanson, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Northwestern University. kswanson at casbah.acns.nwu.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 91 20:55:07 CDT From: kswanson at casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Kurt Swanson) Subject: Annoying subscription requests... I have two suggestions to help alleviate us of all those annoying litte "sign me up" and "unsubscribe me" messages: (Please, Rob, don't unsubscribe me just for saying this...): A: Someone help Rob automate the subscription process. I have seen this work. B: Have evryone who reads the HBD send annoying little "don't send that message to the whole group" messages to everyone who posts them. Comments? - -- Kurt Swanson, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Northwestern University. kswanson at casbah.acns.nwu.edu Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #672, 07/03/91 ************************************* -------
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