HOMEBREW Digest #1415 Wed 04 May 1994
Digest #1414
Digest #1416
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Metals usage in Brewing ("Palmer.John")
A/B vs SA (LLAPV)
Anti-homebrew ads, courtesy of A-B ("J. Andrew Patrick")
Chest Freezer Taps (Glenn Raudins)
More info on HydraPure Valves ("Palmer.John")
Testing beer for toxic nasties (tims)
Can't tell if fermentation is through (Daniel Neil Roberts)
Re: #SAVING WATER WITH A WORT CHILLER (repiii)
separate beer digests -- Just say NO! (Jack Skeels)
Recipe request for Courage (Kevin Mceachern)
Ascii Art (npyle)
Heineken recipe request (Roger Grow)
Hunter Airstat (Bill Rust)
All grain question/Beer-related activities in Boston (GONTAREK)
Extract Kit HBU's ("Little, David")
Wyeast Hangover (Rich Larsen)
homebrew volumes, mothers, dry yeast... (Jeff Frane)
Sparkling cider, kegging (Corby Bacco)
Spices/light protection/newbies go gonzo (Jeff Benjamin)
Chemistry/Spices (Reid Graham)
Pete's Wicked Ale/Just a new guy (Jeffrey S Walls)
Thermostat for heat & cool (Bob Jones)
Conserve Water while cooling. (rnarvaez)
Appropriate yeast for Barleywine? (TATTERSH)
Conserve Water while cooling. (rnarvaez)
spruce beer recipes? (FIGURAP)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2 May 1994 13:36:41 U
From: "Palmer.John" <palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com>
Subject: Metals usage in Brewing
Hello Group,
In response to yesterdays post by Terry for welding/Joining info and other
current issues concerning our brewing metals, I offer the following
compilation on zymurgical metallurgy.
*Steel*
The stainless steel most used for Food related applications is an austenitic
stainless, 304. 304 is non-magnetic, weldable, and used extensively for kegs.
The stainless used for Good pots (like Vollrath) is usually also 304. Other
stainless kitchen stuff, like utensils and some pots, will be ferritic
stainless,
which does not have Nickel in it (or not much) and is less acid-neutral.
What makes a steel Stainless?
The alloying addition of Chromium (and Nickel) create a significant
percentage of those atoms at the surface, where they form tenacious oxides
which seal the surface and prevent further oxidation. Anodizing Aluminum
alloys is the same idea, creating a solid aluminum oxide barrier to further
corrosion. Anodized (black) aluminum cookware, (Magnalite, Calphalon) is
acid neutral / acidic food resistant, like stainless steel, because of this
heavy
oxide layer. Plain (bright) aluminum cookware does not have the degree of
surface oxides necessary to prevent reaction with acids.
*Brass*
Brass is an alloy of Copper and Zinc with some lead thrown in for
machinability. The lead percentage varies, but for the common brass alloys
found in hardware stores, it is 7% or less. Lead is entirely soluble in
Copper. Therefore it does not have a high propensity for leaching out of
brass. Jack Scmidling posted yesterday about the lab results on beer made
with his Easy Masher (tm) system which is indeed a worst case scenario for
wort exposure to brass, because his practice is to let the hot wort remain in
contact with the brass fittings for several hours before chilling and then he
ferments the beer in the same vessel. Most users of the EM would be
boiling, chilling and transferring the wort to another fermentation vessel, so
their beer would not be in contact with the brass for more than a few hours
at most. Be that as it may, the Lab results showed that the Tap Water was 6
PPB, and the beer was less than 10 PPB. The beer may have been equal to 6,
but resolution prevented determining this. The EPA limit is 15 PPB. While
only one data point, it does support my original thought that brass in the
wort should not be a problem.
*Joining of Steel and Brass/Copper*
Stainless steel can be welded, but it must be done under an inert gas
atmosphere. The most reliable method for welding stainless is the Tungsten
Inert Gas (TIG) aka. GTAW and Helio-Arc. Because 300 series stainless
steels are prone to High Temperature Embrittlement and Sensitization, the
welder must be careful not to apply too much heat for too long during
welding. An experienced stainless steel TIG welder will know how to
produce a good weld without overheating it. Overheating causes
precipitation of the chromium atoms away from the grain boundaries to
form carbides. The formation of these carbides results in localized corrosion
and rapid cracking. I have also heard of this cracking happening to a
brewer who had his Cajun Cooker propane burner too hot on his stainless
boiling pot.
Soldering/Brazing of Stainless steel to Brass also works. Solder or brazing
rod containing Lead or Cadmium should never be used. Both surfaces to be
joined must be cleaned and fluxed for best results. Silver solders work well
for joining Brass and stainless. Of course, it is best to mount the fittings
away from the heat source, typically on the side of the keg or pot.
Silver based brazing alloys are lower melting than Copper/Zinc brazing
alloys, so the silver based are the more practical choice for
Do-it-yourselfers.
Again, make sure the filler alloy does not contain cadmium.
*Galvanic Corrosion*
In the acidic wort environment, some rate of galvanic corrosion will occur.
The most anodic metals will corrode preferentially to those that are more
cathodic. The galvanic series is:
(Most Anodic)
Magnesium
Zinc
Aluminum
Cadmium
Plain Steel/Iron
Lead
Tin
Brass
Copper
Silver Solder
Stainless Steel
Silver
Titanium
Carbon
Gold
Platinum
(Most Cathodic)
Net experience has shown that the corrosion rate between Stainless and
Brass/Copper at the homebrewing level, has not been significant. While
there has been some corrosion taking place ie. copper wort chiller
brightening, the rate is small.
If anyone has any specific questions, you are always welcome to email me.
Brazing is not one of my specialties, nor are Copper alloys, but I will look
up as much as I can. There are a few of you whom our server doesn't like or
vice versa (Dion, Dennis), but hopefully that can get fixed.
palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com OR
palmer#d#john.ssd-hb_#l#15&22#r# at ssdgwy.mdc.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Monday, 2 May 94 15:47:49 CST
From: LLAPV at utxdp.dp.utexas.edu
Subject: A/B vs SA
Howdy, y'all,
I've just caught up on the last few days of HBD, & I noticed something quite
interesting. One post mentions an Anheuser-Busch ad that basically trashes
homebrewing, while another reviews Samuel Adams Triple Bock. So why is it that
no one out there makes _any_ response to the A/B ad, but people start flocking
to trash SA? Should A/B be forgiven for making us look like backwoods
moonshiners, while Mr. Koch is still considered evil manifested? Some people
were trashing the Triple Bock & hadn't even tried it yet! (Yes, sherry, port, &
madeira notes are acceptable in heavy beers, BTW).
Yes, I'll admit that Koch's marketing techniques & constant litigation habits
are reprehensible, but no different that A/B's. At least Koch is introducing
this country to some beer styles that haven't been brewed on a large scale
ever, while A/B calls our stuff swill. Who's the real bad guy out there?
An aside: has anybody out there used dewberries, loganberries, or boysen-
berries? It's the season, & I've got my hands on some dewberries, & was
thinking of making a Dewberry Dunkleweissen.
Peace&brewing,
Alan of Austin
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 15:15:29 -0500 (CDT)
From: "J. Andrew Patrick" <andnator at Mercury.mcs.com>
Subject: Anti-homebrew ads, courtesy of A-B
JEFF M. MICHALSKI <michalski_jm at rophys.wustl.edu> writes:
> Is AB becoming so paranoid that no one will find their
> products satisfying that they have to stoop to such a low
> level as to take swipes at homebrewers? I don't think any
> homebrewer in his right mind would try to pass his superior
> home brewed beer off as an insipid bud.
Well put. Users of my BBS Network have recently been expressing quite
a bit of outrage over A-B's recent ads which seek to disparage homebrewers.
I have summarized the debate (not that there is much debate - everyone is
AGREES that these are infuriatingly inane ads!) in the lead story in the
most recent HBU BBS Network E-News. It is much too long to reproduce here.
Send me private e-mail if you would like a copy.
|Sysop | Andrew Patrick | Founder|
|Home Brew Univ| AHA/HWBTA Recognized Beer Judge |Home Brew Univ|
|Midwest BBS | SW Brewing News Correspondent | Southwest BBS|
|(708)705-7263 |Internet:andnator at mercury.mcs.com| (713)923-6418|
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 May 94 13:51:01 -0700
From: raudins at elan2.coryphaeus.com (Glenn Raudins)
Subject: Chest Freezer Taps
Thanks to all, for the responses to putting taps on a chest freezer. It seems
that only one person has actually drilled through the side of their freezer
(between the coils) to place a tap through. The rest have placed tower taps on
top of the freezer. The tower taps are nicer taps but you must provide more
clearance from the wall for the lid with the taps on it. There you have it.
Glenn
raudins at Elan2.coryphaeus.com
Return to table of contents
Date: 2 May 1994 14:20:05 U
From: "Palmer.John" <palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com>
Subject: More info on HydraPure Valves
Hello Group,
I talked with Jim Davis-Plumbing Valve Product Manager of Nibco. The HydraPure
lead-free brass valves and fittings are not currently being actively
distributed. And the company is not interested in mail order. So, the
recommended course of action is to call up your local plumbing supplies
distributer and tell them you would like to purchase these products. As Nibco
is interested in developing a market for these lead-free parts, they are eager
for distributers to request them. Most types of parts are available for
purchase by retailers. They have 90s, Ts, Unions, Couplings, Gate Valves, Stop
Valves, Angle Sillcocks, Boiler Drains, but the Ball Valve (1/4 turn) (#585-70
HP) that all of us want to use is not yet available in the 1/2 inch size. Doh!
FYI, the cost of these parts is a significantly higher because of the small
amount produced and lack of market. A Boiler Drain valve (with the round
handle? you turn several times to open, like your outside faucet) costs either
$5.85 or $8.40 for the 1/2 inch 74 HP or 64 HP, respectively. In the
illustration, the 74 HP is shown oriented horizontally, the 64 HP vertically,
but otherwise they look exactly the same.
Andy Rooney Moment: Have you ever noticed that we apparently don't have a
common-usage word for these outdoor faucet round handles? Its just,
"Go turn on/off The Water." I sat here for minutes wondering how I was going to
describe what kind of valve I am talking about. The above was my best rocket
scientist answer.
They do have Kitchen and Bathroom faucets available, in case anyone is
interested.
-John Palmer palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com OR
palmer#d#john.ssd-hb_#l#15&22#r# at ssdgwy.mdc.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 02 May 94 17:22:38 -0700
From: tims at ssl.Berkeley.EDU
Subject: Testing beer for toxic nasties
Hello,
Yesterday, JS posted something about getting
his beer tested in a lab for lead, brass levels, to
set upper limits on easymasher contributions. I am
in california. Does anyone know of a lab or company
around here that would do this for a reasonable price?
thanks,
Tim Sasseen
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 19:09:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: neilr at netcom.com (Daniel Neil Roberts)
Subject: Can't tell if fermentation is through
Specifics:
malt: 3lbs Amber, 3lbs Light malt
grains: 1/2lb roasted C40, 1/2lb C40, 1lb C60, boiled 30 min
boiling hops: 1 Cascade, 1/2oz. ?? (lost label) hops
Finishing hops: 1/2 oz. ??? hops
yeast: 2 packages ale yeast
1 tsp. gypsum (to harden water)
I brewed this beer last Saturday night (April 23). In the primary
fermentation carboy I got fairly active fermentation for the first
3 days, then it
subsided as the temperature in my closet fell below 65F. I placed the
carboy near a radiator and got two more days worth of regular bubbles
in the airlock. It stopped bubbling completely, and my partner and I
were afraid we had done some damage to the yeast by pitching it when
the wort was still near 100F. We made another 1.5qt batch of wort and,
after chilling it to 70 and letting the yeast work on it for a couple
hours, we poured it off in the batch in questions. On Sat. 4/29 I could
see no activity,
even when the carboy was near a radiator. I planned to rack it to
another carboy, but have had trouble getting my hands on one. I will
finally be able to tomorrow. My original s.g. was about 56, it is currently
reading 29. The stuff tastes fine, but I thought I should be looking
for an ending sg or around 12 to 10.
Questions: Do I risk getting a contamination in the beer if there is
no observable fermentation? Is there anyway to restart it, or is is
possibly still working even though I can't see it? What ending gravity
should I be looking for? Was the added small batch of wort a bad idea?
Thanks for your suggestions. I have found HBD to be the best resource
out there and always interesting to browse.
- --
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Neil Roberts neilr at netcom.com
Child Health Systems,Inc. 1909 S. Highland #100C Lombard, IL 60148
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 02 May 94 22:07:19 EDT
From: repiii at aol.com
Subject: Re: #SAVING WATER WITH A WORT CHILLER
This has bugged me too, just on principles, it does waste a lot of water. I
don't know how your friend moves water but if he uses a pump maybe he could
recycle it back to the holding tank. If the tank is large, as it probally is
being a water supply, then it should be able to take the heat without too
much temperature rise. You don't have to throw the water away.
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 May 94 21:14 EST
From: Jack Skeels <0004310587 at mcimail.com>
Subject: separate beer digests -- Just say NO!
As an extract brewer who has recently moved to partial mashes, I would like
to lodge a strong vote against this idea. Sure there is a lot of stuff to
go through every day, but 95% percent of it applies to you, whether you
realize it or not!
Jack Skeels
JSKEELS at MCIMAIL.COM
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 23:14:00 -0400
From: kevin.mceachern at canrem.com (Kevin Mceachern)
Subject: Recipe request for Courage
While in England last fall I had the pleasure to imbibe in a wonderful
bitter called Courage, which I noted was available at many pubs all over
the island. Just recently I have started to brew at home using a Coopers
extract kit for bitter. Soon I may like to try and recapture the
enjoyment to be had from a pint of Courage (without the airfare). If
anyone could help find a recipe for Courage it would be much
appreciated.
-Thanks,
Kevin (internet: kevin.mceachern at canrem.com)
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 May 94 16:23:11 MDT
From: npyle at n33.ecae.stortek.com
Subject: Ascii Art
I made this great (MHO) ascii drawing of the business end of my homebrewery,
and I thought it'd be worth sharing. It is a tower system; the drawback to
this is that the hot liquor tank sits up quite high, which has its safety
problems, but it is pretty stable. I've seen a nice version of this made
from a steel tree-like support system, but mine is based on what was on hand
(a refrigerator and some lumber). John Palmer suggested I mention the
cost of the various components, but so much of it was custom made for the
cost of homebrew, it's little tough to say. The biggest cost was the labor
for building all this stuff, but when its a hobby labor doesn't count, right?
(Half barrel keg with top cut out, pizza
pan with wood handle added for a lid)
__________________
| | .-.
| HOT LIQUOR TANK | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| |~| <--Translucent tube
| | | | so I can see water
| | | | level. Also, has
| | | | a backing plate with
| | | | markings (every 1/2
| | | | gallon)
| | | | Simple oval loop manifold
| | | | with small holes drilled
| |_| |_.____ _____ to sprinkle sparge water
| ._____.____(X)_____\ over mash/lauter tun
|__________________| \ \\__________________________
^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ Valve \_._._._._._._._._._._._._.)
'-------++++-------` 40 qt. Rectangular Cooler
/ ________________ \ _______________________________
/_/ Dual Burner \_\ | |
(propane fired - approx. 15K BTU) | MASH/LAUTER TUN |
(sits on top of beer fridge) | |
| Fork shaped copper pipe |
| manifold (use your |
| imagination) |
________________|..___________________________ |
/ __________(X)__../--------------------------- |
/ / / |_______________________________|
__/_/__ / (sitting on upper level of two-level
10 gallon SS | | Valve wooden bench)
cream can with | |
SS lid (wood | |
handle added) | |
/ \
/ KETTLE \
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Custom burner/ | |
tripod stand, | | Garden hose and 3/8 copper
designed around| | (approximately 30 feet)
the cream can |-------------|__ ____________________________________
\ |_____________|__(X)---------(--------------------------)
The element \ | ^^^^^^ | \ (COUNTER-FLOW WORT CHILLER-)
inside this | |____| | Valve ,--------------------------)
burner was | burner | ,,--------------------------)
recycled from | (inside) | ,, (sitting on lower level of
an old water |_____________| ,, two-level wooden bench)
heater, and // || \\ | |
converted to // || \\ .--' `--.
propane // || \\ / \
(approx. // || \\ / 7 gallon \
40K BTU) // || \\| carboy |
// || \| |
// || | PRIMARY |
// || | FERMENTER |
// || | |
// || | |
// || |_____________|
(sitting on floor) (sitting on floor)
Cheers,
Norm
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 May 94 15:27:22 -0700
From: grow at sumatra.mcae.stortek.com (Roger Grow)
Subject: Heineken recipe request
Hi all,
I'm looking for an all grain (or extract, we'll wing it) recipe
for Heineken.
On a related note, how often is The Cats Meow updated? I couldn't
find a Hineybrew clone in my copy, but its 6 months old. Just curious.
Thanks in advance,
Roger
(grow at sumatra.mcae.stortek.com)
Remember, you don't have to drink homebrew to have a good time,
you can freeze the stuff and eat it on a stick!
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 2 May 94 22:02:00 -0640
From: bill.rust at travel.com (Bill Rust)
Subject: Hunter Airstat
Fe>Where can the Hunter Airstat be purchased these days and what is the best
Fe>price? I know their discontinued, but I figured there probably are a few
Fe>left out there somewhere.
Fe>
Fe>Bob Jones
I live in Illinois near St. Louis. I found a couple of Airstats at a store
called HQ, Home Quarters Wharehouse. They were having a clearance sale and I
got them for $17.50 as recently as last week. I found thme by calling about 5
lighting and/or air conditioner supply places. If you don't have an HQ, try
calling a few electrical supply places. I have also seen them advertised in
homebrewer supply stores (in Zymurgy) for as high as $60.
RE Joan Donahue's idea for splitting the Digest... PLEASE DON'T!!! I'm a
long time extract brewer who is getting ready to make try his hand at mashing.
The HBD has wealth of experienced tips and encouragement to do so.
If your Internet reading is such a drag, might I suggest putting on some
soothing music, getting those troubling thoughts out of your mind, and opening
a craft-brewed beverage (read that as RELAX, DON'T WORRY, HAVE A HOMEBREW!)
Salut.
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| If all be true that I do think, | BILL RUST |
| There are five reasons we should drink: | Systems Analyst |
| Good wine - a friend - or being dry - | |
| Or lest we should be by and by - | --=_=-- |
| Or any other reason why. | |
| | |
| HENRY ALDRICH 1647-1710 | Shiloh, IL |
| Five Reasons for Drinking | bill.rust at travel.com |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
- ---
~ SPEED 1.40 [NR] ~
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 7:58:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: GONTAREK at FCRFV1.NCIFCRF.GOV
Subject: All grain question/Beer-related activities in Boston
Hello everyone out there in homebrew land! With several years of extract-
brewing under my belt, I am getting enough nerve to brew my first batch
using all grain. This weekend I visited the Frederick Brewing Company
in Frederick, MD, and I guess you could say that I was inspired. Anyway,
I am sorry for the grain-newbie question, but I am confused about something:
I was always under the assumption that crystal malt was to be steeped
and not boiled so as not to release harsh tannins. But Papazian's
all-grain recipes state to mash the crystal along with the other grains.
Am I missing something? Please don't get mad at me for the (stupid?)
question, but I can't seem to find the answer. Thanks in advance. Please
e-mail me directly.
Also, I will be in Boston for a wedding on Memorial Day weekend,
and I'd like to take in a few beer-related sights, sounds, and tastes.
I have lists of Boston brewpubs/breweries, etc., but I would appreciate any
recommendations you have so I can narrow the scope of my adventures. Any
advice on where to go would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the help. BTW, I highly recommend a visit to the Frederick
Brewing Company for those living in MD, DC,PA, and VA!
Rick Gontarek
gontarek at ncifcrf.gov
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 May 94 09:06:00 PDT
From: "Little, David" <davidl at div317.t185.saic.com>
Subject: Extract Kit HBU's
I know I'm not going crazy but I'm sure in the past couple of months I have
seen a chart listing the HBU's of extract kits. I can't find it now though.
I have a couple of cans of hopped extract and I'd like to get an idea of how
hopped these extracts are so that I can make adjustments in the brewing
process to reach the desired bitterness and aroma. Has anyone else seen this
chart (or anything like it) and can point me toward it?
Thanks
David Little
Internet: david.little-1 at cpmx.saic.com
CIS: 72133,1056
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 08:42:00 -0500 (CDT)
From: Rich Larsen <richl at access1.speedway.net>
Subject: Wyeast Hangover
In HBD1412 dipalma at sky.com (Jim Dipalma) Writes
> I brewed a strong Scotch ale with this yeast(1728) recently. The beer was
>fermented at 60-62F, and racked to secondary 8 days after pitching, so I don't
>think fusel alcohols should be an issue. This past Tuesday, the 26th, I
>kegged the beer. I ended up with slightly over 5 gallons, for after filling
>the keg, there was enough beer left over to fill a large glass, about 10
>ounces or so. Since I hate to waste homebrew, I drank it. Hey, even flat,
>green homebrew from the fermenter is infinitely better than BudMilloors.
>This 10 ounces was the only beer I consumed that evening.
> Next day, I experienced a similar effect to what Rich reported, I was
>kind of out of it all morning. I had a terrible time concentrating at work.
>I did not experience any bad aftertaste. I had recently recovered from
>a severe headcold, so I attributed the feeling to being run down, didn't
>pay it too much attention at the time. Reading Rich's post has makes me
>wonder about this, anyone else that's used this yeast experience this?
Perhaps it is the yeast itself. The effect went away after about a week
more in the keg. In short the yeast settled out. I would suspect that the
concentration of the yeast in suspension from your "secondary" sample, would
be as high or higher than my impatient tapping of the keg.
Then Coyote Writes :
>But really- Hops are know to induce sleep. You can drink a hop tea, or stuff
>a pillow with hops to help insomnia- I mean to reduce, eliminate...make sleep!
It may be that the higher concentration of hop components in young beer may
cause the effect also? I really don't think it would have enough influence
to maintain over through most of the next day. Also more commonly higher
hopped beers would cause this problem.
Character test:
!"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>? at ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}~
=> Rich
Rich Larsen (708) 388-3514
The Blind Dog Brewery "HomeBrewPub", Midlothian, IL
(Not a commercial establishment)
"I never drink... Wine." Bela Lugosi as Dracula
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 07:02:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: gummitch at teleport.com (Jeff Frane)
Subject: homebrew volumes, mothers, dry yeast...
Julio Rojas wrote:
> Hello Folks,
> I just found this homebrew usergroup on the Internet and I'm hoping that
> someone out there can help me quantify the size of the domestic(U.S.)
> homebrew market.
>
> Anybody out have suggestions concerning where I might be able to get that
> type of information? I have received some of the market research results
> that ZYMURGY conducts, but this hasn't helped me quantify the size of the
> market. Especially the growth of "newbie" brewers. I've working on a gradua
> school project and running out of time...hopefully someone out there on the
> Net has some suggestions.
>
The problem is that, although there are a lot of Zymurgy subscribers and
a lot of people writing about brewing on the Internet, in reality only
12 of them actually make beer. The rest of them are too busy building
recirculating mash systems and figuring ways to measure their alpha
acids to the fourth place to brew. Hence, the market is tiny.
Chuck Wettergreen wrote (in panic):
> I returned about four hours later expecting to find full active
> fermentation in effect. The blowoff tube was blowing CO2, but when I
> uncovered the carboy there was no cap of foam. There was only a
> thin (approximately 1/4") layer of "cheesy" brown looking stuff on
> top. [snip]
>
> Half of these pieces re-formed a cap on top of the wort and half
> fell to the bottom. This stuff looks like cheese curd. It looks like
> the stuff you see when you pour lemon juice in milk.
>
> There were no abnormal smells. There was no yeast floculant.
>
> This morning I looked at it again. Normal fermentation. Capped by 3"
> of foam with the cheesy stuff on top. Smells ok, minimal
> floculation. Blowing CO2, about once every 3 seconds, out a 1 1/4"
> blowoff tube.
>
Out of curiosity, did you use any Irish Moss in the boil? I have been
consistently getting ferments that look much like this with the
combination of Belgian malts and IM. Is the wort itself clear? Mine
is, even during fermentation. But the first time I saw all this weird
glop in the wort I panicked, too. It seems, however, to be normal. The
Belgian malts are very high in lipids and I suspect that you are getting
what you *should* be getting. Let's see how the beer turns out.
Bill Sutton writes:
>
> The other change brings me to the second topic. I had always used the kit
> yeast before, and this was the first time I used a purchased yeast. After
> bottling this batch, I made a yorkshire bitter with the kit yeast and
> once again seemed to have lackluster fermentation (this time stopping at
> an SG of 1.022!). Why are the kit yeasts (I say kit yeast, but it is just
> the standard M&F dry yeast) so lousy?
>
You have no idea how long those kits have been sitting around, and how
long the dry yeast has been sitting there at room temperature (or
worse). The stuff simply will not last forever. The reason you're
seeing lackluster fermentations is that the yeast is mostly dead.
> I like using dry yeast, it is much more convenient and easier to pitch.
> Are there any other good dry yeasts I should check into? I have the yeast
> of Zymurgy, but time has passed since then.
>
I've done some reasonable test beers using the new Red Star ale yeast.
It's extremely vigorous and hasn't produced any off-flavors. On the
other hand, I would no more use dry yeast in a beer that I loved than I
would serve my homemade Pat Prik King Mu with Uncle Ben's rice.
Don writes:
> Subject: Where Do You Ferment Ales?
>
>
> I got to thinking about this over the weekend, when I realized that the air
> temperature in my basement was a bit too cold for the ale yeast that I intend
> to pitch in a brown ale that I had just finished boiling. I ended up placing
> the fermenters in my upstairs bathroom, where the temperatures are better for
> the yeast, but the wort will be exposed to more sun light. A quick review of
> my brewing library revealed very little on this topic.
>
If you have a basement you are miles ahead of the game. For temperature
control, get a sturdy rubber trashcan (clean!), put in your fermenter,
add water to the trashcan (enough so the fermenter doesn't float!) and
suspend an aquarium heater in the water (I float it on a piece of
styrofoam). These heaters are extremely accurate and will allow you to
hold fermentation temperature right where you want it.
- --Jeff
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 May 94 09:33:08 -0600
From: Corby Bacco <bacco at md.fsl.noaa.gov>
Subject: Sparkling cider, kegging
Greetings all,
I just bottled up a batch of (soon to be) sparkling cider.
Most of the bottles are sealed with corks (I had a bunch
of old Chimay bottles around) and the book I have on wine making
("The Art of Making Wine" or something like that, a rather
basic book) says to stand the bottles up. Now everything
else I've read says that corks must be wet in order to seal
properly which would mean I better lay them down. So, anyone
out there with experience corking carbonated beverages who
would like to comment?
Thanks,
Corby (in Boulder)
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 May 94 9:48:40 MDT
From: Jeff Benjamin <benji at hpfcbug.fc.hp.com>
Subject: Spices/light protection/newbies go gonzo
> I`m particularly interested in how much effort goes into
> controlling temperature, exposure to light
As far as light goes, I either a) wrap the carboy in an old towel, or b)
cut a hole in the bottom of a large paper grocery-type bag and place the
bag over the carboy (the airlock or blowoff tube sticks out through the
hole). Not completely light-proof, but probably effective enough unless
your carboy is sitting in direct sunlight.
> One article had a sidebar which listed all sorts of spices
> that have been (commonly?) used in beer, such as allspice,
> pepper, bay leaves, coriander, etc. etc. but no details.
> What quantities are we talking here? A dash? An ounce? A
> pound? I inquire seriously, cause I'd like to try some
Typically, we're talking small amounts, like a gram or two per gallon
(1/4 to 1/3 oz per 5 gallon batch). I'll often use unground spices as
well, like whole cloves or stick cinnamon. My advice is to start low
until you get a feel for different spices. If you don't add enough, no
harm done -- you still have drinkable beer. If you add to much, you may
end up contributing to the slugs' Xmas party.
On a related note, I have noticed lately that a lot of new brewers are
making unusual beers in their first few batches -- using honey, spices,
superstrong beers, etc. Now, I'll admit I did the same thing; one of my
first all-grain batches was a miserable attempt at a barleywine. We
all want to make something that's not available in stores. I certainly
encourage that.
In 20/20 hindsight, though, it seems like beginners ought to start off
with basic stuff and get down the technique before complicating things.
All this info is confusing enought without adding any complexity. This
is not meant to be a flame (a sure sign I'll get torched :-), but I'm
curious as to everyone's motive (both beginner and expert) for making
strange brews.
- --
Jeff Benjamin benji at fc.hp.com
Hewlett Packard Co. Fort Collins, Colorado
"Midnight shakes the memory as a madman shakes a dead geranium."
- T.S. Eliot
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 09:51:18 -0600
From: graham at SEDSystems.ca (Reid Graham)
Subject: Chemistry/Spices
I've decided that I dislike chemistry, or should say I have remembered
why I hated it in highschool all those decades ago. For this past
weekends brew I boiled the brewing water the day before and racked it
off of lots of white crud. This is good I said to my self. However
when I checked the pH of the cooled water I found that it had gone up
from ~8.7 to ~9.4! Am I crazy? do I chuck the pH meter? or does this
make sense to someone out there who dislikes chemistry less than I do?
SPICES. I to would be interested in hearing about experinces with
spices in beer. Particularly, has anyone ever made/consumed a mint
beer?
Reid Graham graham at sedsystems.ca
Return to table of contents
Date: 03 May 94 08:41:54 EDT
From: Jeffrey S Walls <71134.10 at CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Pete's Wicked Ale/Just a new guy
> Date: Tue, 28 Sep 93 16:26:38 PDT
>From: mikel at netlink.nix.com (Mike Lemons)
>Subject: Pete's Wicked Ale Extract Recipe
> Ingredients for 5 gallons:
> 6 lb bag of William's nut brown extract: "includes a blend of
> pale, victory, crystal, chocolate, dextrin, and other malts"
> from Williams Brewing 1-800-759-6025
> 6 oz of crushed chocolate malt. (Lovibond 350)
> 1 1/3 ounce cascade hops.
> 1 cup of corn sugar for priming.
>
> Yeast: "Wyeast American/Chico Ale"
>>Total boiling time: 70 minutes
>Hops added : "Cascade" State: "Whole 1992 4.6%" Amount: 0.95oz Boiled
for:
> 70
> Hops added : "Cascade" State: "Whole 1992 4.6%" Amount: 0.30oz Boiled
for:
> 10
>Initial gravity: 1.043 Final gravity: 1.012
>
> Prepare the chocolate malt in a separate boiling pot containing at least
a
> gallon of water. Add the chocolate malt to cold water. Raise the
> temperature to 170 F. Pour the hot liquid through a strainer into the
main
> brew pot to remove spent grains.
>
> You probably could substitute a simple pale ale extract with some crystal
> malt for the William's nut brown extract.
>
> Tasting Notes: In a side-by-side comparison with Pete's Wicked Ale, the
two
> beers were nearly identical. The homebrew was preferred because the
> roasted-coffee-like flavor component was slightly stronger and much more
> persistent in the homebrew. This was probably due to the freshness of
the
> homebrew. (Who knows how long the Pete's Wicked Ale has been sitting on a
> shelf!)
I too have been looking for a PWA recipe and found this in PALE4.REC on
Compuserve.
For my first batch I have modified this to the following:
6.6 lbs Yellow Dog Malt Extract
6 oz Chocolate Malt
6 oz Crystal Malt 20lv
.65 oz Brewers Gold Hops Pellets ( This from the neck label of a bottle.)
Follow the above recipe.
Yes I'm ambitious (sp?) for my first but I want to make a very special brew
for #1. I'd also like to see any other recipes for PWA.
Any comments on my variation will be appreciated.
BTW, I enjoy the HBD the way it is and learn much from all of you, and THE
ORACLE makes me laugh. You have a great sense of humor (dry like mine)
Jack.
The Coyote also is a great source of wide-eyed child like amazment at this
great hobby. I hope I can be that way after a few triumphs and tragedies.
no sig, just me being me.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 May 1994 09:23:09 +0900
From: bjones at novax.llnl.gov (Bob Jones)
Subject: Thermostat for heat & cool
I got a few requests for the schematic of the temperature control I use. The
following great ascii graphic will amaze you and your friends.
The common or swinger of the thermostat is connected to the AC hot and the
common or swinger of the SPDT switch is connected to the AC neutral. The
heater is a 650 watt glow coil heater that screws into a standard light bulb
socket. I use a ceramic socket for the heater. The thermostat part number is
Grainger 2E834 or Honeywell T6031A1136. The thermostat costs about $30.
Range -30 to 90 deg f and has an 8 ft. capillary tube for remote temperature
sensing.
thermostat heater SPDT switch
o--------/\/\/\/\/\/--------o heat
/ \
S / \ S S=swinger
AC Hot ---|-----o o--------
|
|
o-----------[ frig ]--------o cool |
|
|
AC Neut ---|----------------------------------------------
I mounted the heat/cool switch in a box attached to the bottom of the
thermostat. The frig plugs into an AC receptacle mounted in the box. The
heater is connected via a piece of lamp cord and is located in the frig. I
have an indoor/outdoor thermometer mounted to the side of the frig. This way
I can tell what the inside temp is and judge the ambient temp to decide if
I'm going for the heat or the cool. Be careful when mounting the heater
coil. It floats at 120 VAC even when not used! Don't touch it! Place it in a
safe out of the way place where you can't get to it. Don't forget to use 3
wire gounded recepacles for all wiring. The frig could also float when in
the heat cycle if there was an internal short somewhere. Ground the
thermostat housing and the attached box. If you don't know much about
electronics/electricity, it would be best to find someone that does and buy
them a few beers for some help.
Good luck,
Bob Jones
bjones at novax.llnl.gov
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 May 1994 12:18:58 -0500
From: rnarvaez at lan.mcl.bdm.com
Subject: Conserve Water while cooling.
Hello,
I have been reading HBD for about 6 months now and have seen
several articles about using a wort chiller for rapid cooling of the wort to
pitching temp. There has been a lot of talk about conserving water while
doing this. I live here in New Mexico and we haven't had much rain in
the past year or so and we are now starting to conserve water. Thus I
had to come up with a way to cool my brew and still be able to
conserve on water usage. I have been able to cool my wort down to
70* F in about 20 mins using only 2 to 3 gallons of water..
I started with a 5 gal plastic container. (doesn't have to be food grade
but does need to be clean). I drilled two holes in the lid about 6 inches
apart. The size of the hole will be dependent on the size of garden hose
you have hooked up to your wort chiller. Next I connected one end of
my wort chiller to a small electric water pump via garden hose.. The
other end of the wort chiller I connected a piece of hose and inserted it
into one of the holes in the lid. (leave enough hose to reach down into
the container about 3" or so) On the intake or feed end of the pump I
connected a piece of hose and inserted it into the other hole in the lid.
(this hose must reach down into the water or at least 1" from the bottom
of the container. I then put two gallons of water into the container. To
keep the water cold I have used large ice chunks made from 1 gallon
milk jugs. I fill the jugs with water freeze. Once frozen, cut and remove
the plastic. One of these chunks of ice will usually do the job. I try not
to use crushed ice because the small pieces might get sucked into the
pump. Place the lid on the container and start the pump.
The first pump I used was the type that you connect to a standard had
drill. These pumps are very inexpensive and work fine but I had to sit
there and hold the drill until the wort was cool. I since purchase a small
water pump for $45.00 that I don't have to monitor.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 May 94 09:45:26 PDT
From: TATTERSH at WSUVM1.CSC.WSU.EDU
Subject: Appropriate yeast for Barleywine?
From: Bob Tattershall_5-7732
Subject: Appropriate yeast for Barleywine?
I am about to attempt my first barleywine. It appears that some pitch just an
Ale yeast, others pitch a Champagne yeast, while even others pitch an Ale
yeast and then later pitch a Champagne yeast in the same batch. What is the
proper procedure? What are the advantages of any one method over the other?
BTW, I am an extract brewer, if that makes a difference in answering this
question.
Replies to tattersh at wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu
Bob Tattershall
Climb Higher!
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 03 May 1994 12:18:58 -0500
From: rnarvaez at lan.mcl.bdm.com
Subject: Conserve Water while cooling.
Hello,
I have been reading HBD for about 6 months now and have seen
several articles about using a wort chiller for rapid cooling of the wort to
pitching temp. There has been a lot of talk about conserving water while
doing this. I live here in New Mexico and we haven't had much rain in
the past year or so and we are now starting to conserve water. Thus I
had to come up with a way to cool my brew and still be able to
conserve on water usage. I have been able to cool my wort down to
70* F in about 20 mins using only 2 to 3 gallons of water..
I started with a 5 gal plastic container. (doesn't have to be food grade
but does need to be clean). I drilled two holes in the lid about 6 inches
apart. The size of the hole will be dependent on the size of garden hose
you have hooked up to your wort chiller. Next I connected one end of
my wort chiller to a small electric water pump via garden hose.. The
other end of the wort chiller I connected a piece of hose and inserted it
into one of the holes in the lid. (leave enough hose to reach down into
the container about 3" or so) On the intake or feed end of the pump I
connected a piece of hose and inserted it into the other hole in the lid.
(this hose must reach down into the water or at least 1" from the bottom
of the container. I then put two gallons of water into the container. To
keep the water cold I have used large ice chunks made from 1 gallon
milk jugs. I fill the jugs with water freeze. Once frozen, cut and remove
the plastic. One of these chunks of ice will usually do the job. I try not
to use crushed ice because the small pieces might get sucked into the
pump. Place the lid on the container and start the pump.
The first pump I used was the type that you connect to a standard had
drill. These pumps are very inexpensive and work fine but I had to sit
there and hold the drill until the wort was cool. I since purchase a small
water pump for $45.00 that I don't have to monitor.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 09:50 PST
From: FIGURAP at axe.humboldt.edu
Subject: spruce beer recipes?
Spring is here and I'd like to brew an all-grain batch using the fresh
growth of Sitka Spruce trees. The trouble is that I'm new to all-grain
brewing, and all the spruce beer recipes in the CatsMeow II and Papazian
are extract based. Does anyone have any good all-grain spruce recipes,
or could anyone help out in apporoximating Papazian's "Kumdis Island
spruce ale"?
Thanks much in advance.
Pete Figura
FIGURAP at AXE.HUMBOLDT.EDU
Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1415, 05/04/94