HOMEBREW Digest #737 Thu 03 October 1991

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


Contents:
  Re: Bottling Beer (joem)
  Non-jellying jelly (lutzen)
  Re: Guinness spelling (John Coughlin)
  spruce soda ("Ihor W. Slabicky")
  Re: Geary's  (nnieuwej)
  A call for recipes  (night)
  Express bottle washing (Dances with Workstations)
  Great Western Malting mail order (larryba)
  Homebrew digest (Michael L. Hall)
  The Composition of Beer (STROUD)
  comments (Daniel L. Krus)
  Cat's Meow (ingr!b11!mspe5!guy)
  Hops extraction and addition to BEER (MEHTA01)
  ARCHIVES... (Dave Rose)
  Small batches? (Kevin J. Slater)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 02 Oct 91 09:03:38 MET From: joem at hpgnd.grenoble.hp.com Subject: Re: Bottling Beer John DeCarlo asks about the foaming up at bottling time: > 3) If I use a bottle filler, with a spring that stops the flow > when pressure is removed, it foams up quite a bit at the > beginning, until it is under the beer. If I just fill from > the tap on the bottling bucket into the bottle, it also tends > to foam up a bit unless I am really careful and use a slow > fill rate. So far, neither of these has resulted in a beer > that is obviously oxidized, but I worry nonetheless (I have > tasted a batch that was oxidized--yuck). Any suggestions? I use a siphon hose and a `bottling wand' (with the spring-loaded gadget you mention). Since the pressure that is seen at the end of the siphon hose depends on how far it is below top of the beer in the bin, here's what I do to avoid the foam: I Raise the bottle and the `wand' when I start filling each bottle. The flow of beer into the bottle is slowed down, and no foam is created. Then, when the level of beer in the bottle covers the bottle filler (spring-loaded part), I lower the bottle and the wand to speed up the flow. Joe "Brewing Beer in Wine Country" McCarthy (Besides felix at vega.laas.fr and pyt at hpgnd, does anyone else in France subscribe to the HBD?) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 91 07:49:29 CDT From: lutzen at phys1.physics.umr.edu (lutzen) Subject: Non-jellying jelly No, this is definitely not a Homebrew Digest topic. But then again, all the talk of Gals in beer commercials isn't either. The answer to your sisters problem is pectin, the lack of. If you add com- mercially availble pectin, Sure-Jell (sp? I'm at work, can't look it up), you will solved this problem. Now, if you want to do it the old-timers way, ya gotta cook that baby for a Loooooong time. I made some apple jelly according to my grandmother's recipe, and I ended up cooking the stuff for about an hour and a half. If a long string hangs down off of the spoon when you lift it from your concoction, it's ready for canning. Don't be surprised if the jelly takes a long time to set up. That particular batch of apple jelly took over two months to harden up. (didn't cook quite long enough, or didn't use enough GREEN apples). But it tasted great as both a syrup and a jelly. :-) Also, some fruits don't have as much pectin as others. Green apples tend to be loaded with it, while Red Ripe apples don't have quite enough. Probably due to the moisture content of the apple. Some friends of mine made crab- apple jelly, and it took no time to set up. As soon as the liquid cooled, you had to scrape to get it off the pans and spoons. With anything, practice makes perfect... Karl Lutzen lutzen at apollo.physics.umr.edu Physics Dept. lutzen at olson.physics.umr.edu University of Missouri - Rolla 314-341-6317 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 91 09:31:24 EDT From: wcsjc at ccs.carleton.ca (John Coughlin) Subject: Re: Guinness spelling In HOMEBREW Digest #736, drunken leprechauns made BREIN at dsfvax.jpl.nasa.gov write: > Remember, Guinness is spelled with double-n double-s. > > Barry Rein Amazing beer-related factoid: The Irish name Guinness means 'one choice'. Of course, we Guinness imbibers all know this implicitly! Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 91 09:36:25 -0400 From: "Ihor W. Slabicky" <iws at sgfb.ssd.ray.com> Subject: spruce soda All this talk of spruce beer reminded me that there is a a spruce SODA available in Canada - I have seen it in stores in the Eastern Townships area of Quebec - Sherbrooke and Magog. I was not very impressed with it - like drinking sweet, carbonated, turpentine :-P ... sorry, but's that's what it tasted like to me. Oddly enough, the only brands that were sold were all store brands, no private companies or big time labels... Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 91 13:55:02 -0400 From: nnieuwej at cub.bowdoin.edu Subject: Re: Geary's IN HBD #736 Jeff Frane asks about Geary's Ale. Brewed and bottled in Portland, ME. It is by far the best beer I've ever had from a microbrewery. Of course I haven't had nearly the range of opportunities that you on the west coast have. I can however recommend staying away from Wild Goose (from one of the Carolinas I believe). Geary's is the perfect 'end of the day, but still just a bit before dinner' kinda beer. Very bitter and hoppy, just like Mom used to make. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 91 08:39:16 -0700 From: night at mapme7.map.tek.com Subject: A call for recipes I have noticed that most recipes posted are ones that the homebrewers have yet to try... They are always a recipe of "what I brewed last night". This disturbs me. I, personally, would not use any of these recipes because the results have yet to be seen. I have nothing against those who post such recipes, it's just that I would much rather make my own. I am proposing a one time method of getting GOOD recipes posted. Would every homebrewer who has brewed at least 10 batches post the recipe of their ONE, and only one, FAVORITE batch? Cheers! Mark Nightingale night at tekig7.MAP.TEK.COM Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 91 15:30:39 EDT From: Dances with Workstations <buchman at marva1.dco.DEC.COM> Subject: Express bottle washing There's been much talk lately about ways to beat the drudgery of sanitizing bottles before brewing. Lately it has been recommended that heat--either by baking in the oven or running the bottles through the DRY cycle of the dishwasher would work. SO I was wondering... Is there any reason that microwaving the bottles for a couple minutes at high power wouldn't do the trick equally well? This would fry the little nasty contaminants directly and not unduly heat the glass ( I would imagine). It would be faster than heating /cooling in the dishwasher or oven, and you wouldn't have to worry about annealing the glass. I'm going to check this out with my biochemist brother and botanist sister, but would appreciate the opinion of the brewing community. Since I rarely cook with microwaves I don't know whether this would do bad things to glass, either. Jim Buchman buchman at marva1.enet.dec.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed Oct 02 09:49:57 1991 From: larryba at microsoft.com Subject: Great Western Malting mail order I called GWM (1-916-824-3888) and got the skinny on their mail order malts: Pale Ale (mainly klages, but not identified as such in case they want to substitute something else) 20lb at $.70/lb ($14.00) + shipping 30lb at $.65/lb ($19.50) 40lb at $.60/lb ($24.00) Shipping to Seattle from Sacramento is $8.35 All specialty malts are $1.00/lb and are from some english supplier. I have used GWM stuff for about a year and have been pleased with the quality and uniformity of their products. At the Brewers Warehouse (seattle) I get a grain card (pre-paid) and the pale ale is $.85/lb and specialties are $1.00/lb. Since the brew shop measures and grinds for me it isn't worth going through the mail. Now, GWM is willing to sell 2000lb pallets for $.30/lb... They allow mixing grains on the pallet - specialties are around $.36 to $.38/lb - all pretty cheap. Shipping to my doorstep would add another $.05/lb - Hmmm. Time to start a brewing coop! Also the guy in Vancover Wa (where the bulk orders would come for me) said the premium pale malt (what we all call klages) is really 55% harrington and 45% klages. Interesting stuff... Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 91 15:05:26 MDT From: mlh at cygnus.ta52.lanl.gov (Michael L. Hall) Subject: Homebrew digest I would like to get my name on ANY homebrew related mailing lists or digests. I am a homebrewer and the editor of our local homebrew club's newsletter. Our club is called the Los Alamos Hill Hoppers and our newsletter is the Suds Times. My Stats are: Dr. Michael L. Hall 505 Oppenheimer Dr., Unit 1302 Los Alamos, NM 87544 email: hall at lanl.gov or mlh at cygnus.ta52.lanl.gov phone: 505-665-4312 (work) Thanks, Mike Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 1991 15:59 EST From: STROUD%GAIA at leia.polaroid.com Subject: The Composition of Beer Thought you all might be interested in this (it's from The Spectrum, Vol. 4, # 2, 1991): The taste and the flavor of beer are determined by the combination of several hundreds of chemical substances. A typical composition of lager beer is represented in the table below. The energy value of 1800 kJ/kg is less than that of fruit juice, wine, or milk. The most important energy contributions in beer are due to ethanol (29 kJ/g) and carbohydrates (16 kJ/g). Beers with a low ethanol content (so-called alcohol free beers)......are not diet drinks unless the concentration of carbohydrates is below 10g/kg. Variations in the amounts of both ethanol and carbohydrates are found. An alcohol-free beer may even contain more carbohydrates than a lager beer, which detracts it from being light. On the other hand, the concentration of carbohydrates in a beer may be low, yet the ethanol content can be elevated. To avoid confusion, one should carefully consult the information on the label. The composition of a typical lager beer (in g/kg) Water 920 Ethanol 40 Carbohydrates 30 Carbon Dioxide 5 Amino acids 1 Potassium 0.490 Phosphorus 0.225 Magnesium 0.105 Hop derivatives 0.035 Calcium 0.035 Sodium 0.030 Vitamin B 0.010 Flavor compounds <0.010 Other components ca 3 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 1991 18:30:57 -0400 (EDT) From: D_KRUS at UNHH.UNH.EDU (Daniel L. Krus) Subject: comments With respect to Nils' and possible Russ' comments on Gritty McDuff's in Portland, ME. I've been to GMcD's 3 times in the last 3 years. Each time I've tried all of their brews. To this date I still have not been able to finish a beer there. Others may call it beer, I call it swill. As much as I enjoy brewpubs, I won't even consider stopping into GMcD's anymore when I venture to Portland. To Jeff Frane on Geary's Pale Ale: I think Geary's Pale Ale is one of New Englands (possibly America's) finest achievements. No more need be said. Dan |**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:| | Internet: D_KRUS at unhh.unh.edu | Daniel L. Krus | | Compuserve: 71601,365 | Parsons Hall | |-----------------------------------------------| Department of Chemistry | | "A good word is an easy obligation, but not | U of New Hampshire | | to speak ill, requires only our | Durham, New Hampshire 03824 | | silence, which costs us nothing." Tillotson | (603) 862-2521 | |**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:**:| Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 91 17:56:30 CDT From: ingr!ingr!b11!mspe5!guy at uunet.UU.NET Subject: Cat's Meow Where can one get the Cat's Meow recipe book and what format is it in? Thanks! - -- ============================================================================== Guy D. McConnell, Systems Engineer | |"All that is gold does not Intergraph Corp. Mail Stop CR1105 | My | glitter, not all those who Huntsville, AL. 35894-0001 | opinions | wander are lost, the old Computer and Storage Technology | are just | that is strong does not Evaluation Group | exactly | wither, and deep roots are uunet!ingr.com!b11!mspe5!guy | that. | not touched by the frost." (205)730-6289 FAX (205)730-6011 | | J.R.R.T. ============================================================================== Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 1991 19:04:14 -0500 (CDT) From: MEHTA01 at UTSW.SWMED.UTEXAS.EDU Subject: Hops extraction and addition to BEER Hi. Reading HBD#736, i realized that the Vodka/Everclear method of extraction is something i've thought about before and would like to try this time for the weizen i have fermenting. Do i just place hops in vodka for a week and then add vodka (sans hops) to fermenting weizen? Would that work (to give the taste and aroma?) or should i add both vodka and hops to fermenter? Please reply to mehta01 at utsw.swmed.utexas.edu Also, since i mentioned my weizen, i would like to get YHO about WHAT HAPPENED. i did a bad mash, due to overconsumption of homebrew, and ended up protein resting for 8 hours (i just left it overnight) and then the conversion wasn't complete (as shown by the bloody iodine test :-0 ) and then, to top off this great beginning (which i named WUNDER WEIZEN before i started :-) ), i decided to use Bavarian Weizen yeast (Wyeast). The package swelled and the starter activity was a little low (little foam on top) but i pitched. Activity was seen (many bubbles/min.) after 24 hours. Fermentation was carried out at 10-15 C in my fridge. Now, after 1 1/2 weeks there is almost no activity, and the SG dropped to <1. Oh yes, i added some amylase after activity had slowed down, to clear the starch left over from bad mash (see above :-( ). ALso, a slight foam stayed on the top after the initial foamy krauzen had dropped. This is still OK, as i have had more perplexing things happen. The only problem is this pungent smell that came out of the airlock during teh slow activity period (before amylase and after) and most important the beer does NOT SMELL or TASTE ANYTHING like the smell when the WYeast packet was opened, or like a normal WEIZEN. !! ?? Please post YHO, any comments or suggestions, to mehta01 at utsw.swmed.utexas.edu Perplexed. Shreefal Mehta Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 1991 21:53 EDT From: Dave Rose <CHOLM at HUBIO2.HARVARD.EDU> Subject: ARCHIVES... Hello. Does anyone know what's going on with MTHVAX.CS.MIAMI.EDU? They used to allow anonymous FTP's to get HBD archives, but lately I can't get on. Are they out of the archive business? Thanks.... Dave Rose CHOLM at HUBIO2.HARVARD.EDU Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 01 Oct 91 13:01:21 EDT From: sps!system at darth.pgh.pa.us at sps To: homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com From: sps!system at darth.pgh.pa.us (Kevin J. Slater) Subject: Small batches? A friend and I have been discussing the possibility of brewing smaller batches of beer to help speed up our knowlegde aquisition process. You see I'm not a large consumer of beer, but very much enjoy the hobby of making my own. (Not to mention the significant taste/variety advantage over commercial stuff.) I'd like to be able to brew about a 1 case batch at a time. I do only extract and partial grain recipes and mostly want to be able to experiment with different styles. What adjustments to the standard ~ 5 gal recipes would be necessary? Would the standard issue 7 gal plastic primary fermenting vessel be okay for the initial ferment? We figured that a 3 gal glass carboy could be used for the secondary. - - - - - - - + - - - - - - - - + - - - - - - - Kevin J. Slater (sps!system at darth.pgh.pa.us) | Slater Programming Services | Glenshaw, PA 15116-0027 | - - - - - - - + - - - - - - - - + - - - - - - - Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #737, 10/03/91 ************************************* -------
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