HOMEBREW Digest #1370 Fri 11 March 1994

Digest #1369 Digest #1371


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


Contents:
  Info on beer in Sydney (COCKERHAM_SANDRA_L)
  IBUs (again) (GNT_TOX_)
  ICE (ambroser)
  Hop (head) space (Jim Sims)
  Boiling hops without malt. (Gerald_Wirtz)
  Homebrew supplies / Cream stout recipe ("Evans, Chris")
  ups (I'd rather die in a hurricane - then live and miss the storm)
  microwave caps (/R=HERLVX/R=AM/U=KLIGERMAN/FFN=KLIGERMAN/)
  Ice brew & Alc. % Labelling (Chris Pencis)
  Extract effeciency (Corby Bacco)
  re: Clear Beer when kegging (Benjamin Woodliff)
  Hops Comments - (long, sorry) ("Palmer.John")
  Non-Alcoholic Beer ("Palmer.John")
  The Beer That Made Idaho Famous (Part 2 of 2) (STROUD)
  Beginner Chico Yeast Question (Jack Skeels)
  Exotic Brews (Anthony Johnston)
  Recipe: Cat Claw Wheat ("Glen A. Wagnecz, X6616")
  Recipe Needed for a Molson Clone ("Glen A. Wagnecz, X6616")
  What style is a "Kaiser"?? (Jon Higby)
  Toronto beer scene ("Thomas J. Ramsey")
  Unsuscribe (Habeeb.Mohammad)
  Pallpark IBUs (dmorey)
  Shipping Bottles: what's the fuss? (evanms)
  Brewing Water (Joe Johnson)
  Intro and Wort Chilling (Joe Johnson)
  Sanitation (Joe Johnson)
  Commercial Chocolate Beer (Kurt)
  Root Beer Recipe (Don Rudolph)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 08:11:57 -0500 (EST) From: COCKERHAM_SANDRA_L at Lilly.com Subject: Info on beer in Sydney Howdy, Can someone send me private e-mail regarding places to buy beer in Sydney in the area near the Opera House? My little sister will be there in a couple of weeks and I am sending her on a beer hunt! :) Looking for beers like Redback Wheat beer (things you can't get here). Thanks in advance! Sandy C. (cockerham at lilly.com) From: COCKERHAM SANDRA L (MCVAX0::RX31852) To: VMS MAIL ADDRESSEE (IN::"homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com") Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 08:22 EST From: <GNT_TOX_%ALLOY.BITNET at PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU> Subject: IBUs (again) Sheesh! I have to start proofing my posts! What I was trying to say yesterday was that the IBU formula in the HOPS.FAQ file and in Papazian's book give me completely different numbers as to how much hops I need to add to get a specific IBU value in my beer. Who's right? Am I doing something wrong? Another question. I canned some starter cultures for the first time yesterday, and they came out really cloudy. Is this normal? And lastly. I've been reading the recipies in TNCJOHB. They give hops in oz. and HBU units. Are the HBU units supposed to be the final bittering of the beer or the amount of hops to throw into the boil? Knowing utilization is not 100%, these values would be completely different. Andy Pastuszak Philadelphia, PA INTERNET: GNT_TOX_%ALLOY.BITNET at PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU BITNET: GNT_TOX_ at ALLOY.BITNET Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 08:30:11 -0500 From: ambroser at apollo.dml.georgetown.edu Subject: ICE >"Dana S. Cummings" <dcumming at moose.uvm.edu> >WROTE: > >I hate to complain but isn't there somewhere else for the discussion of >highly commercial, gimmicky mega-brews. MHO :) VERY CORRECT! Ice beer is "great beer, with no aftertaste!". %% at $^ at $#!! Aftertaste is the reason why you drink beer! You want to taste it! Next thing you know, someone will start talking about that "alcoholic Perrier" drink called ZIMA! Ooops! Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 08:41:27 EST From: sims at scra.org (Jim Sims) Subject: Hop (head) space The best area in my yard for growing hops (based on all the good stuff here) seems to be along a E-W 4-foot high chainlink fence. Will the (lack of) height of the fence be a problem? Or will the vines just grow (or be easily trained) along the fence horizontally rather than vertically? thanks, jim Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 8:44 EST From: Gerald_Wirtz at vos.stratus.com Subject: Boiling hops without malt. Is it possible to boil hops alone without any malts, then adding the strained hop/oil/liquid to the wort? I want to boil the hops for an hour in a smaller container alongside my shorter boil time wort. Thanks - Gerald Wirtz - Stratus Computer Return to table of contents
Date: 10 Mar 1994 07:54:26 U From: "Evans, Chris" <chris.evans at spmail.jsc.nasa.gov> Subject: Homebrew supplies / Cream stout recipe Howdy! I have a couple of questions for everyone out there. First, I'll be moving to Massachusetts (Concord area to be exact) this spring. Where is the nearest good source for homebrewing supplies? I'd prefer to stay outside of Boston if possible ;-) Second, I'd really like to brew a cream stout close to Sam Adams Cream Stout. This isn't meant to start a Sam Adams bashing thread, I just happen to really like this beer. Anyway, if anyone has any recipes, preferably extract/specialty grain based, I'd really appreciate hearing from you. I'll post a recap of what I receive. Thanks in advance, Christopher Evans Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 09:51:54 -0500 (EST) From: I'd rather die in a hurricane - then live and miss the storm Subject: ups UPS people are always supposed to ask whats in the package and what it's value is To be sure its packed right and in case it's damaged and they have to pay for it Just give a real general reply Call the beer Food They just want something on the form they don't really care whats in the box Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 09:38:21 -0500 (EST) From: /R=HERLVX/R=AM/U=KLIGERMAN/FFN=KLIGERMAN/ at mr.rtpnc.epa.gov Subject: microwave caps There is no problem microwaving bottle caps as long as they are under a few inches of wate. I haven't done experiments to see what is the optimal or minimal depth but as long as there is no arching between the caps and microwave, you have know problem. Andy Kligerman Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 9:28:36 CST From: chips at coleslaw.me.utexas.edu (Chris Pencis) Subject: Ice brew & Alc. % Labelling I happened to notice something the other day while I was trying to find something paletable in Miller Light Ice (it tasted, IMNSHO, like an aluminum flavored club soda with a little bit of hops) - The can had quite prominently on the side, 5.5% Alc. Now, does this strike anyone as new, or have I just never, ever, noticed alcohol percentage labelling on any other beers produced or sold in the states? I know all about the og labelling and such used in England and on the Continent (thanks to MJ), however I thought that such labelling was outlawed in the states so as to prevent some shmucks (like myself in college) from buying the strongest beers just to get sloshed quickly. Can anyone shed any light on a possible legislation change here, is this a Texas thing (I wouldn't be suprised), has Miller got a special permit for this, whats up? If this is new legislation, I look forward to seeing a little more info on the bottles of my favorite beers. Chris |Chris Pencis-chips at coleslaw.me.utexas.edu-Blue Devil Transplant| |University of Texas at Austin-Robotics Research Group-Go DUKE! | Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 08:32:33 MST From: bacco at md.fsl.noaa.gov (Corby Bacco) Subject: Extract effeciency Greetings, I've been having some problems with extract efficiency. My last batch was a variation of 'Isar Weizen' from _German Wheat Beer_ by Eric Warner. My brew used 8 lbs Wheat (German) and 3 lbs Pale Ale malt (American) and yeilded around 6.25 gals. Now if I plug this info into the extractf program I got out of the archives it gives this output (just for kicks I also checked it against the numbers given in the recipe): My beer (6.25 gals) Recipe (5 gals) - ------------------- --------------- SG at 59.00 F: 1.040 (corrected) SG at 59.00 F: 1.055 (corrected) Expected Expected Grain Pounds Yield Grain Pounds Yield - ---------------------------- ---------------------------- WHEAT 8.0000 39.0000 WHEAT 5.1300 39.0000 PALE ALE 3.0000 36.0000 PALE ALE 2.4000 36.0000 Total SG points: 420.0000 Total SG points: 286.4700 Total lbs grain: 11.0000 Total lbs grain: 7.5300 Expected points: 38.18 Expected points: 38.04 Actual points: 22.73 Actual points: 36.52 Extraction efficiency: 59.52% Extraction efficiency: 96.00% Now then mine is pretty poor alright and his seems very unrealistic. So what gives? Is the program off? Is the recipe as written unattainable? Both? At any rate my extract eff. is low. I checked the P.H. at dough in and it was ~5.5 (used P.H. papers). Oh BTW, mash procedure was step infusion, with rests at 122 (1/2 hour), 147 (1/2 hour), and 160 (till conversion, checked via iodine test), mashout at 170. Sparged with ~6 gals at 180, last gal sparged was S.G. 1.010 (temp corrected). I've had this low extract problem with all my all-grain beers (about 8 to date) and finally decided to ask for help :) Ideas? Many thanks. -Corby (in Boulder) Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 09:45:55 CST From: bjw at techsun1.cray.com (Benjamin Woodliff) Subject: re: Clear Beer when kegging In HBD #1369, Steve Zabarnick sez: > I've had trouble obtaining clear beer for the batches that I have kegged > (in 5 gal Cornelius kegs). <stuff deleted> > keg? All of my bottled beers have been crystal clear, so I don't think it > is due to my mashing and brewing procedure. BTW, I always force carbonate > in the keg. Maybe some help. I had the identical problem and it was driving me CRAZY! I also determined that C-kegs that I'd primed for natural carbonation served non-cloudy beer, so there was something my method of forced carbonation was doing to cause the haze. In this case, what I had started doing was to inadvertently oxygenate the beer during the kegging process. Prior to filling an empty keg, it's recommended to gently run a volumn of C02 into it with the keg lid left unsealed. The CO2 will sink, and the O2 will be forced out the top and thereby purged. The reason to do this is so that the beer picks up no oxygen during the tranfer from the fermentation vessel to the keg. You also want it so that the filled keg contains nothing but CO2 in the head space. At that stage, you're safe to agitate and force carbonate the beer. What I had done led to a certain amount of unpurged air in the head space or in solution with the beer as it was siphoned in. How much I'm not sure but apparently enough to do harm. With oxygen still in the keg, as pressure was applied the unwelcome O2 was forced into suspension along with the C02. Oxygen in a finished beer produces conditions favorable for the development of haze and it also dramatically reduces shelf-life. You likely will not see this condition happen to bottled beer so readily. Where the head space of most bottle conditioned beers probably contains some amount of O2, there is no reason to agitate the bottle or to unnaturally force any gas into suspension. Otherwise, I've never found the need to introduce finings into an ale that's been given a reasonable period of time to mature. I suspect the reason finings are often used in traditional Brit ales is to allow these beers to be served crystal clear even though they are often very young when the first pints are pulled. Ben Woodliff Return to table of contents
Date: 10 Mar 1994 08:17:16 U From: "Palmer.John" <palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com> Subject: Hops Comments - (long, sorry) Good Morning Group, While I am no Hops expert, (yes, yes, thanks for all the agreement), I thought I would comment on Andy's plea for correct formulas. Andy, at this time, research indicates that we are not sure there are any. We do have several approximations, of varying complexity, and time will probably show that Schrodinger was the closest. Regarding the Hops FAQ, Norm told me he would be on vacation this week and is not available for comment. Those formulas are a good approximation, and there are others that have been posted by several HBD members. I use my own tweaked version of Rager and Utilization tables. They seem to work consistently for me. I would have liked to take up Glenn Tinseth on his experiment, but I just have the HP15C. ;) Here are some of my formulas, I apologize for length, but upon reflection, figured some of the new brewers might appreciate it. It is from a file which I wrote for a friend a while back. *THE ALPHA ACID UNIT The AAU is simply defined as the percentage of Alpha Acids multiplied by the amount used in ounces. For example, 1.5 oz of Perle hops (7.5% Alpha Acids) would be equal to 11.25 AAUs. If recipe specifies an amount of AAUs, the amount of any Hop variety to be used may be calculated. Usage of AAUs tends to assume a one hour boil as standard. But, 11 AAUs in a Pilsener is very different than 11 AAUs in a Stout. The gravity of the beer makes a big difference in the perceived bitterness of the final beer. This is where use of the IBU is needed. *THE INTERNATIONAL BITTERNESS UNIT The IBU is based upon utilization of the Hop oils, specifically the Alpha Acids. The Alpha Acids are isomerised into the wort during the boil at a rate dependent on time. This rate has been shown to decrease with time, peaking as it approaches 30 percent after boiling times of greater than one hour. Hops also contain other aromatic oils which are lighter and boil off more quickly. To incorporate these Finishing compounds to the beer, some Hops should be added during the last 15 minutes of the boil or utilized by Dry Hopping. Dry Hopping does not isomerize the Alpha Acids, so it does not contribute to the overall Bitterness character, but does give a nice hop smell and taste. The equations expressed below take into account the change in Utilization rate with time and make use of the influence of wort gravity to that rate. NOTE: The constant 7489 is for US units; for grams and liters, use a constant of 1000. An IBU can be expressed by the equation: IBU = (Wt * %Alpha * %Util * 7489) / (VT * AG) Where Wt is the amount of Hops in ounces, Percents are decimals, VT is the total recipe volume, and AG is the Adjusted Gravity. *THE ADJUSTED GRAVITY The Original Gravity (OG) needs to be adjusted if it is greater than or equal to 1.05. Rager gives the example that if the OG for a 5 gallon recipe is 1.048, but he's only boiling 2.5 gallons, then his apparent boil gravity is 1.096, or twice the OG. (That's twice the 0.048 part) Therefore, the 1.05 condition needs to be met for partial boils. This is done with the following equations. We need to multiply the degrees of extract by the volume ratio to adjust for the boil, then apply a factor of five if the GB is greater than 1.05. (VT is total vol., VB is Boil vol., GB is Boil Gravity) GB = ((VT/VB) * (OG - 1)) + 1 If GB is greater than 1.05, Then: AG = 1 + (5 * (GB - 1.05)) Otherwise, AG = GB. *THE UTILIZATION RATE* Rager originally published Utilization numbers in the Zymurgy Special Issue on Hops and Beer. These figures have been critiqued for lack of references and being too optimistic. Mark Garetz of Hoptech has published other Utilization numbers based on information from Gail Nickerson of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at Oregon State University. She has published many studies on Hops to the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists. Garetz's utilization numbers take into account the effect of the yeast scrubbing out the isomerized Alpha Acids and other Hop compounds during fermentation. This factor is expressed in terms of the relative flocculation rate of the yeast being used. The faster the yeast settle out, the less time for them to scrub out the hop compounds. One way to describe this effect is to note the manner in which bottled beer mellows as it ages. The remaining active yeast gradually scrubs the harsh edge out of the bitterness profile. Additionally, it has been argued that boil times of less than 10 minutes do not allow significant isomerization of the Alpha Acids to take place. It has also been argued that boil time greater than 50-60 minutes do not accomplish any more utilization. Here are revised Utilization numbers previously published by Mark Garetz. Boil Time Rager Avg Yeast Fast Yeast Slow Yeast <5 min 5% 0% 0% 0% 6-10 6 0 0 0 11-15 8 1 1 1 16-20 10 4 5 3 21-25 12 6 7 5 26-30 15 11 13 9 31-35 19 13 16 11 36-40 23 16 19 13 41-45 27 19 23 15 46-50 28 20 24 16 >50 30 21 25 17 The homebrewer has two choices: a) use the Rager numbers like 90% of homebrewers do, or b) use Garetz/Nickerson numbers which may be more real. Its up to you. The difference is not great. Final Note: Glenn Tinseth noted yesterday that boil times of greater than an hour have been shown to contribute to Utilization. I consider him to be more knowledgable than myself, so will take his word for it. But, I limit my boils to an hour as a matter of time management anyway. I would be greatly interested to get Utilization data for 60 to 90 minutes though, more data is always good. Thanks, John Palmer MDA-SSD M&P palmer#d#john at ssdgwy.mdc.com Return to table of contents
Date: 10 Mar 1994 08:24:19 U From: "Palmer.John" <palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com> Subject: Non-Alcoholic Beer Just one more quick note, Several people in the last couple weeks have asked how to brew Non-alcoholic beer. Several months ago, Jack Schmidling posted his method, which I thought was well done. I have been expecting him to repost it, but he must be busy cranking out Malt Mills. Email him at arf at genesis.mcs.com for the file. Jack if you read this, you may want to contact Stephen Hansen at Sierra to add it to the archives, I think it has wide appeal. -John Return to table of contents
Date: 10 Mar 1994 10:44:48 -0500 (EST) From: STROUD%GAIA at leia.polaroid.com Subject: The Beer That Made Idaho Famous (Part 2 of 2) The is the second half of the article that was taken from the April 1987 issue of the Foam Ranger's Brewsletter Urquell *************** The Beer That Made Idaho Famous or How I Mash Potatoes by Cary Jensen Part 2 Maintain the temperature of the mash using whatever methods you currently use until all of the starches have been converted to sugars. Lately this has taken me between 30 and 45 minutes. Use an iodine test to determine when this conversion is complete. Sparge as you would do with any other all grain beer, discarding the spent potatoes, no matter how strong an urge for cooked, shredded potato you develop during the mashing procedure. The recipe I have included below, for those who are ready to take the plunge, requires the use of malt extract in addition to grains. If you wish to make 'Spud' from scratch, replace the 3 pounds of extract with 4-5 pounds of additional malted grains. Meister Potato Brau (for 5 gallons) 5 pounds 6-row domestic barley malt, crushed 2.5 pound grade A Idaho potatoes (washed and grated) 3 pounds M&F pale unhopped malt extract 1/3 oz Burton salts 1 tsp. Irish Moss 1.25 oz Hallertauer leaf hops 1 oz Cascade leaf hops ale yeast sugar (or whatever) for priming Mash the grains and potatoes as described above, adding the Burton salts to the grains in the first step of the two-step mash. When conversion is complete, sparge with 170 F water. Bring the collected liquor (and additional water to give ~6 gallons volume) to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the extract (if used) then return to the stove. Once boiling resumes, add the Hallertauer hops. Boil for a half hour, then add half the Cascade hops and the Irish Moss. Boil for an additional half hour, add the remaining Cascade hops and remove from the heat. Let the wort sit for a couple of minutes to let the finishing hops steep. If you have the means, achieve a quick cold break with your favorite method. This is fairly important for a clear potato beer since a good deal of proteins are present in the wort. I suggest a two-stage fermentation since the aforementioned proteins will produce a sizable amount of sediment at the bottom of your primary fermenter. Rack into a secondary fermenter when active fermentation subsides. Bottle after another 4 to 12 days, adding your priming material at this time. Wait a couple of weeks, then enjoy! One or two caveats are in order here. First, contrary to Charlie Papazian's description, beer made from potatoes does have a unique character. Although this may derive from the fact that I do not peel the little spuds before I shred them, I seriously doubt it. After having made 3 batches of the stuff over a several year period, I have come to notice a distinctly 'potato' aroma and taste. I'm not implying that this sensation is unpleasant, just that it exists. Secondly, when serving your end result to the unsuspecting do not, I repeat, DO NOT, tell them what is in it until they say 'Gosh, this is great!!'. Only then is it safe to reveal your dark secret. If they say 'Blechhh, what is this sh__', tell them that you found the recipe in Uncle Bubba's old work jeans after he passed away and that you promise never to make it again. Tell them anything but the truth. Average people tend to fly into a violent rage if they think that you have given them 'spoiled' potato beer. In fact, though, I think that you will be pleasantly surprised by your beers made with potatoes. I have, and so have others. My first potato beer, Meister Potato Brau, was awarded a bronze certificate in the AHA Nationals in the Pilsner category in 1985 and a 3rd place in the Dixie Cup in the Novelty Beer Category (even though it was, gulp, 18 months old). My most recent attempt, Spud, took second place in the Specialty Beer category of the Foam Rangers 1987 Club Competition. So try it, you'll like it. In fact, take it one step further and make a Potato Stout or a Sweet Potato Stout for that matter. Try a Green Potato Beer for St. Patrick's Day (use green food coloring, not green potatoes!). Why not try adding dried potato flakes to your already steeping mash? (I have indeed considered this interesting twist. Obviously, though, you would not add 2 pounds of flakes since that would be enough to make mashed potatoes for the entire Houston Astros Baseball team - including seconds. Try a couple of cups and see where that gets you. Be aware, however, that some consider this suggestion blasphemy; you are already walking on thin ice using fresh potatoes)? But most of all, remember: potato beer is good for whatever ales you! Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 12:21 EST From: Jack Skeels <0004310587 at mcimail.com> Subject: Beginner Chico Yeast Question Greetings, Oh Collective Consciousness on the Net. I realize that the answer might be RDWHAHB, but.... I'v had a fermentation going in a batch of extract-based SNPA clone. I used the SNPA yeast, and have had a good fermentation for over 10 days! But the head (krauesen) still hasn't gone away. My questions: 1) Is everything okay? 2) Should I keep on waiting until the kraeusen falls back in before I rack? 3) Is this long of a fermentation good or bad, or what? I realize that this is not a crisis, but I would really like to understand what's going on.... Thanks much, and good brews to all, Jack Skeels JSKEELS at MCIMAIL.COM Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 11:05:03 CST From: Anthony Johnston <anthony at chemsun.chem.umn.edu> Subject: Exotic Brews Following the current thread on unusual alcolholic beverages from around the world, here is a paraphrased anecdote that appeared in a recent Chemical and Engineering News (January something or other): It seems that in the Seychelles Islands, a visiting physician was puzzled by an epidemic among the locals of various fractured bones and contusions. Most puzzlingly was that the patients would not talk about how they acquired their injuries. After winning the trust of some of the local folk, the doctor eventually learned that these patients were "moonshiners" of a certain degree. The Seychelles have a very high tax on alcohol, so to get around this, the locals ferment coconut milk, while it is still in the coconut attached to the tree. (The article did not go into specifics, but one could imagine boring a hole into a coconut and pitching in some source of yeast.) The moonshiners would then return after a week or so and suck the alcohol out of the coconut, and every so often fall on the way back down. The local police are hip to this, but unless the hapless tree climber incriminates themself, they cannot do anything about it. Makes me glad that my beers are in my basement, I just can't get much lower than that. :) Anthony Johnston Better Beer through (an understanding of) Chemistry Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 13:08:00 EST From: "Glen A. Wagnecz, X6616" <wagnecz at PICA.ARMY.MIL> Subject: Recipe: Cat Claw Wheat Here's a recipe for a wheat beer I brewed recently. It has a golden orange color and a nice tang to it. Enjoy. Cat Claw Wheat* 15 pounds of wheat malt 10 pounds of pale 6-row malt 1.5 oz. of fresh '93 cascade whole hops 0.75 oz. of fresh '93 tettnanger whole hops 3/4 # Laaglander light DME Wyeast #3056 1. Make a starter with the 3/4 # of DME and 1 gallon of water. Boil down to 3/4 of a gallon and cool with an airlock in place. Pitch a _well puffed_ pack of 3056. Let this go for two days. 2. Preheat the mash chest with a quart or two of boiling water. Empty preheat water and mash in the grains with about 5 gallons of 140 F. to hit a protein rest around 122 F. After about ten minutes, withdraw 4 quarts of liquor from the bottom of the mash, bring to a boil, and add back to the mash. (This was to hold temp., you might not have to). 3. After another ten minutes (20 minutes total protein rest), use about 4-5 gallons of boiling water to hit around 155 F. Hold for 45 minutes. Additional boiling water can be used if necessary, but should be avoided if possible. (I like to hold the extra H20 for sparge if I can). You can also withdraw a gallon at a time, bring to a boil, and return it to the mash (2-3 times max.) to hold temp. (Yes, I know that I'm over the 1 qrt./#grain recommendation...) 4. Sparge right into the kettle using 7 gallons of 175 F. water. Go right to the boil (that's right, no mashout) and skim off the gray oily foam that comes to the top (subsides after 5-10 minutes). 5. Boil down to 13.5 gallons and add the cascades. Boil for 60 minutes. 6. Turn off heat and add the tettnanger. Let steep for about 15-20 minutes. Run through cooling unit to yield three four- gallon cuts to three 5 gallon fermenters. OG on my last run was 1.056. 7. Pitch 1 qrt. of well mixed starter to each fermenter. Ferment at 70 F. for 2-3 days, until things settle down. Lower temp to 67-68 and ferment for another 11-12 days (total 2 week ferment). I use the brewcap system (except for stouts!) and tap the yeast that settles. Final gravity should be around 1.015 to 1.018. 8. Siphon to keg, chill to 45 F. and C02 at 2.6 volumes (30 psi til it won't take any more, then go to about 17 psi). 9. Bottle and age for at least three weeks. It's good off the keg right at day 0 but improves mucho by day 21! Comments: 1. I'm finding more and more uses for Cascades! 2. It's called "cat claw" wheat because of an incident that occurred while brewing. Both the cat and dog (65#shepard) are allowed to watch the brewing process but are not allowed to cross the line from the den into the workshop area. They normally are content to sit side by side and share the dooorway. For some unknown reason (this batch smelled particularly good??), a fight broke out and the dog bought a mean shot from the cat on the nose. I couldn't call it whining pooch wheat, could I?? 3. Don't fear the high wheat to pale ratio as far as a stuck mash drain. I had no problem whatsoever and even had to slow the drain rate down so as to not sparge too quickly. (I use a 6' X 1/2" slotted coil as my manifold). 4. EXTRACT BASED. I've made a good extract based wheat using the same proportion of hops/time schedule and 3.3 #'s of Northwestern Lq. Extract + 4 #'s of light DME (domestic-Red Bank Brewing). << 5 gallon batch!!! Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 13:11:49 EST From: "Glen A. Wagnecz, X6616" <wagnecz at PICA.ARMY.MIL> Subject: Recipe Needed for a Molson Clone If anyone out there has a good recipe for a Molson Golden Ale clone, I'd be very appreciative if you could send it to me (or better yet, post it!). Doesn't matter if it's extract or all-grain, I'm primarily interested in the hops type, yeast, and specialty grains used. Thanks In Advance- Glen Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 11:37:26 CST From: unisql!jonh at cs.utexas.edu (Jon Higby) Subject: What style is a "Kaiser"?? I tried this one on rec.crafts.brewing, but got no responses. Hope someone in this group can help .... I was in Pittsburg at the Allegheny Brewing Company and had what they called a "Kaiser". It was a lager, cloudy white (like a Celis White), highly carbonated and a good hop flavor (dry hopped or very late boil hops). It was unfiltered and very tasty. It is one of their specialty beers (not available year round). Anyone know what AHA style this would fall into?? Anyone know how to recreate this one?? TIA, Jon / / Austin Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 12:40:19 -0600 (CST) From: "Thomas J. Ramsey" <tjram at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> Subject: Toronto beer scene I won't waste much bandwidth with this, but I'm going to Toronto on Monday, (I must be crazy, there's still ice on the ground there and it was 89F here in Austin last week!) and would appreciate any direct Email info on brewpubs, good regional beers that might not be available here in Texas, and all 'round good beer bars TIA T.J. Ramsey in Austin <tjram at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 13:41:57 -0700 From: Habeeb.Mohammad at m.cc.utah.edu Subject: Unsuscribe Please remove my name from the mailing list. **************************************************************************** ** * "If I'm going to die, * -Yokoshima from * * at least let me die between your breasts!" * Ghost Sweeper Mikami * **************************************************************************** ** * "A life of debauchery, I was born for it!" * -Ataru from Urusei Yatsura * * * Movie 1: Only You * **************************************************************************** ** * "I Just beat the shit out of a deeply * -Bill Pullman from Malice * * disturbed serial rapist." * * **************************************************************************** ** Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 15:35:08 -0600 From: dmorey at iastate.edu Subject: Pallpark IBUs Hello everyone, In HBD #1369, Andy Patuszak asks about IBU calculations. He says he is confused since there is more than one approximation availible. He states that a Table of % utilization and HBU for beer styles would be easier. Andy, these various formulas are each author's attempt to model this very table you speak of. I don't have the formula I use with me or memorized, but if you combine terms, HBU is one of the variables! We must remember that these equation are only a way to approximate IBUs, they are our *best guess*. Find a formula you like and stick with it. For people who don't want to get envolved with IBUs, I suggest a simple APPROXIMATION. It will only get you in the *ballpark*. Also the errors become much greater with boil gravities > 1.050. IBU = 15 * HBU / GALLONS (assumes full volume boil) or HBU = IBU * GALLONS / 15 Again this is just a quick and dirty approximation. Sure there are better ones and more complex, but I use it for quick way to determine how many IBUs in a recipe that is given in HBUs. It is my starting point and it seems to work fine. I do recommend using IBUs since it remains constant for a given style in any volume, HBUs don't. ========================================================================== Dan A. Morey | Wine is proof that God loves us and wants to dmorey at iastate.edu | see us happy. - B. Franklin Agricultural Process | Engineer | The same is true for BEER! - Me ========================================================================== Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 16:03:52 -600 (CST) From: evanms at lcac1.loras.edu Subject: Shipping Bottles: what's the fuss? About this shipping bottles to competitions... take some advice that I learned when I was a teenager in traffic court: when 'da judge asked me if I had had any 'movers' since he put me on court supervision I always said no. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him and it would only mean more work for the court. Same with UPS. If you pack the bottles well (read r. Wigglesworth article in the spring '91 Zymurgy: Packing Your Beers) than there should be no problem. I just told them that I was shipping glassware and it was packed extra good. They just smiled and took my money. Hey, that's what it's all about. . .money. If the bottles burst enroute, just plead ignorance. Relax and have a homebrew. Mark Evans (I got more important things to worry about... like if the Cubs will win opening day) Return to table of contents
Date: 25 Feb 94 11:03:28 -0500 From: Joe.Johnson at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Johnson) Subject: Brewing Water I'd like to share my experiences with brewing water. As described in earlier posts, I have been trying to eliminate chlorine in my brewing water. Since I only boil two gallons of my water I became concerned about the quality of the other three. I used to purchase three one gallon jugs of spring water from the grocery store. This worked quite well, except that I ended up with three large plastic jugs to either recycle or throw away. Just recently I purchased a Brita Water Filter system from the local discounter for about 20-30 dollars. This is a unit with about 2 gallons capacity through which water is poured into and the water then passes a de-ionizing filter. According to a leaflet enclosed with the filter it will do the following: If the influent water has a free available chlorine level of 2.0 ppm it will be reduced to 0.2 ppm. If the influent water contains 860 particle/ml it will be reduced to 17 particles/ml. If the influent water has a temporary hardness (as CaCO3) of 210 ppm it will be reduced to 70 ppm. This is data from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) The most important technical detail for me is the removal of the chlorine. >From a subjective standpoint, the filtered water tastes a lot better than my tap water, so that is a move in the right directions for me. The filters will handle 35 gallons of water before they should be replaced. I'm not concerned with hardness removal because I always use some malt extract in my brewing and I feel that that will provide enough of the necessary minerals unless I'm doing a pale ale. That's all for now. I hope this has been of some value. Next time I will describe how I carry out wort aeration. Return to table of contents
Date: 23 Feb 94 13:07:16 -0500 From: Joe.Johnson at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Johnson) Subject: Intro and Wort Chilling I am writing to you through the No Tarmac brewboard of whom John DeCarlo is the sysop. He is based in Arlington, VA. John is kind enough to provide copies of the HBD for d/l to one and all at no cost. Thanks, John. I'm going to take a moment for self introduction. My brewing experience is of 2 years duration with extract and partial mash extracts. My main goal in brewing is to maximize the time I spend enjoying my homebrew. I enjoy the brewing process and learning about it and its associated activities through HBD, Brewing Techniques and other sources. Simplicity and flexibility are key in brewing. Also, reducing costs. The less the ingredients cost, the more I can brew. I enjoy reading the digest. However, I don't spend much time with the debates on the very fine points of brewing. I think, that I should contribute something here. For those of you who find my posts of value, great. For those of you who don't, just scroll on by. Wort Chilling------------------- I use a 16 qt. SS brewpot. I put in 2 gallons of water and add my malts and boil with hops according to schedule for 60 minutes. At the end of 60 minutes I carefully remove my hop bags and replace the lid. I place my brewpot in my sink along with 4 1 qt ziplock bags. The bags are prepared in advance of brewing by filling them with 1qt of water and freezing them. I fill the sink with water until the brewpot just begins to float. Periodically, I spin the brewpot and change the water in the sink. It takes me about 15 minutes to chill the wort from just below boiling temperature to about 100F even in the Summer. The volume of wort in the brewpot is about 1.8 gallons. I pour three gallons of refrigerated water in my carboy and then add the wort. The temperature of this mixture is about 70F. So in a very clean and rapid fashion I achieve proper wort temperature. This has worked very well for me. I plan to post something on my brewing water next time. Return to table of contents
Date: 24 Feb 94 13:45:24 -0500 From: Joe.Johnson at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Johnson) Subject: Sanitation Continuing on with my contributions to the HBD, I'm going to describe the methods I use for sanitation. I used to use dilute chlorine bleach solutions in carboys and on equipment. This did not work very well at all. I had a couple of batches which had off flavors which I can only relate to chlorine residue. As everything that I have read, says that chlorine and homebrew don't mix, I've abandoned bleach. I used to use B-Brite and rinse. But, I think rinsing with potable tap water negates the sanitizing effects of the B-Brite. I am now using 70% ethanol. I purchase 190 proof grain alcohol and 80 proof generic vodka at the liquor store and mix the two. According to my calculations this produces an 67.5% ethanol solution. To sanitize a carboy, I pour in 3-4 oz. of alcohol, shake, and let stand. Before I add anything to the carboy, I drain the alcohol into a cup, and then add my wort or fermented beer. This has worked without a hitch so far. The alcohol in the cup can be used to fill an airlock or for sanitizing other equipment. I also bought an 99 cent spray bottle from the K-mart cosmetics department which I keep filled with 70% alcohol as well. It is very convenient for surface sanitizing, especially during yeast manipulations. I recently saw a post from someone on the HBD who suggested that one obtain "denatured" alcohol from a lab for home use. I hope this person meant "UNdenatured" alcohol. The denatured alcohol is rendered unfit for consumption by the addition of toxic or unpalatable chemicals. SDA-23A alcohol contains acetone for example and is used topically for cosmetics, especially, nail polish remover. I think the Merck Index lists all of the grades available. Next time, I'll share my experiences with brewing water. Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 18:04:52 CST From: Kurt <ZU02357 at UABDPO.DPO.UAB.EDU> Subject: Commercial Chocolate Beer In between batches of bottled brew, so I had to stop at the grocery the other evening for a sixpack. While looking for something interesting to try, I came across "Michael Shea's Black & Tan", which is described on the package as a union of porter and lager, brewed with dark chocolate. Well, having read so much about chocolate beers I simply couldn't resist. And, to my suprise, it actually tasted pretty good. So now that my interest in chocolate brews is peaked, I have a question for those of you who have tried it: This beer, brewed with "dark chocolate" was a tad more bitter than I would prefer. Is is possible to brew with milk chocolate instead, and would this taste difference transfer to the finished brew and create a slightly sweeter product? For a 5gal extract batch (with some supplemental grains) what is a reasonable amount of chocolate to begin with? Input from you "sweet tooth" homebrewers would be most appreciated; the more interesting or unusual responses will be summarized and posted. Thanks... Kurt Return to table of contents
Date: 10 Mar 94 19:20:29 EST From: Don Rudolph <76076.612 at CompuServe.COM> Subject: Root Beer Recipe For those of you wanting to make rootbeer, try this one out. I haven't tried it yet, PLEASE let me know how it turns out. (BTW, my first post to the HBD). Recipe courtesy of Compuserve Wine Forum, spikenard description courtesy Grolier's Encyclopedia. INGREDIENTS: 5 qt water 1/4 oz hops 1/2 oz burdock root, dried 1/2 oz yellow dock root, dried 1/2 oz sarsaparilla root, dried 1/2 oz sassafras root, dried 1/2 oz spikenard root, dried* 1 1/2 cup sugar 1/8 tsp yeast, granulated PROCEDURE: Simmer herbs in water for 30 minutes. Add sugar, stir to dissolve, and strain into a crock. Cool to lukewarm, add yeast, and stir well. Cover crock and leave to ferment for about an hour. Bottle and store in a cool place. Makes about one gallon. *The American spikenard, Aralia racemosa, of the ginseng family, Araliaceae, is a plant native to the eastern United States. A decoction of the root was used by Indians for backache, rheumatoid arthritis, and coughing. *** Notes included with the recipe: "Root beer extracts, usually in an amount suitable for five gallons of beverage, are available from Hires, Schilling, and other herb and spice purveyors. These yield a drink that's very close in flavor to commercial root beers. Making your own infusions, however, allows for experimentation and a distinctive 'house' brew. Ours is less sweet than most." Source: The Herb Companion, Aug/Sept 1990. --- Don Rudolph, 76076.612 at CompuServe.COM --- Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1370, 03/11/94