HOMEBREW Digest #1426 Wed 18 May 1994
Digest #1425
Digest #1427
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Old Ale/Strong Ale Recipe Req. (Jim Posey)
Mills (Bob Fawcett)
What about more COMMON yeasts? (Rick Miller)
more raw (really raw) oats ("Daniel F McConnell")
Re: Charlie bashing (Mike Zentner)
"Big" all grain stout ("Andrew Mikesell, System Administrator")
Re: Beer tasting (Jason Goldman)
Edinburgh pubs to check out (17-May-1994 0907 -0400)
Mills/siphons/carbonation (Jim Busch)
Alternatives to Hops (Ian Ogilvie)
Flaked Maize clarified, heh heh (Jeff Frane)
BrewPubs in Orlando? ("JLOPEZ at HW1")
Re: #2(2) Homebrew Digest #14... (Pblshr)
Re:The uses of "Malta Goya" (Richard Kasperowski)
Alternatives to Hops (Ian Ogilvie)
"Common" problem? (claytonj)
Microbrewies Nationwide address/phone list (Pace) <a-lisap at microsoft.com>
Oats (jim_curl)
Re: Glatt mills (Dion Hollenbeck)
cereal brew (Gregg Tennefoss)
Step Mashing Questions ("Palmer.John")
BrewBags - who produces them? (Eran Navoth)
Oregon Beer Festival /Thanks ("Hale, John")
Spruce Sludge (Gregg Tennefoss)
sweet aftertaste, how? (Don Jackson)
zima or bud = headache (Jason Sloan)
Re: *Wyeast* 3068 ("Glen A. Wagnecz, X6616")
pH meters and adjustments for temperature (Jay Lonner)
Maize (Bill Sadvary)
Wormwood... (Yeebot)
Re: pub paraphernalia (LeRoy S. Strohl)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 01:11:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jim Posey <dodger at quack.kfu.com>
Subject: Old Ale/Strong Ale Recipe Req.
Aye, Mates...
I'm trying to track down a successful partial-mash extract
recipe for an Old Ale/Strong Ale. My bike riding buddies and
I would appreciate a post of this style. If you have a recipe
that you're most proud of, please, do the Digest a favor and
post it publicly.
Thanks,
Dodger "making extract beers and having a darn good time" Posey
dodger at quack.kfu.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 07:46:24 EDT
From: Bob Fawcett <bobf at gulfaero.com>
Subject: Mills
Allen Ford asked
> I am currently setting up to motorize the Glatt. Although the
> manufacturer states that motorizing the mill will void the warranty,
> he claims that I should be able to run it at or below 300 rpm. How
> does this compare to the warranty and recommended speeds for the
> Maltmill?
I got a MaltMill yesterday and the enclosed literature has a similar
warranty disclaimer. There was no mention of a recommended speed since
Jack doesn't recommend motorizing the mill.
The crush of the new knurled rollers is great.
Bob Fawcett
bobf at gulfaero.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 06:11:51 -0500 (CDT)
From: rick at discus.mil.wi.us (Rick Miller)
Subject: What about more COMMON yeasts?
I'm new to the list (and to the Usenet homebrew news-scene as well), though
I've done a little Mead and a couple micro-batches of Dandelion wine...
The folks brewing beer seem to know best about *YEAST*, so I thought I'd
ask here:
Why all the fancy yeast?
With all the hubbub about virtues and pitfalls of different yeasts, I'm
almost ashamed to admit that the only yeast *I've* ever used was Red Star
Dry Active Yeast from the baking section of the nearest grocery. Are these
named-and-numbered yeasts really that much better?
{By Whom,Where,How} are different strains of yeast developed/found/isolated?
And what about wild yeast? How would I start out, if I didn't have any
place to buy yeast from? (Just curious, for historical interest.)
If the answers would read too much like an advanced course in microbiology,
I'll understand if you decide to blow these questions off. Still, there
had to have been reliable means of doing this for brewers centuries ago to
brew decent beer... and they didn't know microbiology.
(BTW: The baking yeast I've used is a bottom yeast, in case you wondered.)
Best wishes,
<rick at discus.mil.wi.us> Rick Miller
Return to table of contents
Date: 17 May 1994 08:21:26 -0400
From: "Daniel F McConnell" <Daniel.F.McConnell at med.umich.edu>
Subject: more raw (really raw) oats
Subject: more raw (really raw) oats
Jeff B. admits that he uses Quaker Oats. Good. Now I'm looking for
another confession. Has anyone used horse feed in brewing? I was in
my sister's barn the other day and naturally walked over to the grains.
There was cracked corn, raw oats and sweet feed. Cracked corn sells
for $.05/lb (no wonder the majors use the stuff). Raw oats have a large
amount of husk that should help in sparging. Sweet feed contains
various grains, molasses (?) and who knows what else-anyway it tasted
good, sweet and the horses love it. I am reasonably convinced that these
grains are 100% consumable, some of these horse owners seem to love
their animals better than their children.
I suppose that the oats are the most useful (after cooking of course).
Anyone had any experience? I may try it in my next wit or lambik. Hey!
maybe this is a new way to get that Lambic horseyness!
DanMcC
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 07:54:39 -0500
From: Mike Zentner <zentner at ecn.purdue.edu>
Subject: Re: Charlie bashing
Jim Doyle wrote:
>Am I the only one who was surprised at the negative tone which richard
>childers' response to Papazian's announcement carried?
I was not. In fact, I'll go you one further. There are a few people
on the digest who only want to see the things they want to see, and
berate the rest of the world when they see something they don't want to
see, claiming it wastes their precious time.
I for one, would like to see more commercial posts on the digest,
especially those that offer some truly new product, ie, Jack
Schmidlings Maltmill when it first came out, because I'd rather hear it
straight from the source than waiting however many months it takes to
get into print...it's just plain faster and more convenient.
Furthermore, I feel that the number of entrepreneurs on the net who
would take advantage of this would be far fewer in number than the
number of whiners who complain every time someone posts something they
don't like, and therefore waste a much smaller fraction of these
important peoples time...like I'm doing now. I don't market any
commercial brewing goods, and I'm still willing to say I'd like to see
more innovative advertising on this digest in place of inane
complaints.
Mike Zentner - who, as always, will send free wort chiller plans online
to anyone who asks (counterflow, that is).
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 07:22:42 -700 MST
From: "Andrew Mikesell, System Administrator" <AMIKESEL at sembilan.hsc.colorado.edu>
Subject: "Big" all grain stout
Well folks, I've had excellent success with this recipe and thought I
would share. I wanted to create a "big" stout, with lots of body and
heavy on the "charred" flavor and lots of mouthy feel to it.
Ingredients:
8 lbs American 2 row
1 lb English Chocolate
1 lb English Black Patent
1 lb English Crystal - 90 Lov
Infusion mash at 145 F for 1 hour
2 oz Fin Goldings boiling
2 oz Halluertau (sp?) boiling
3 tps gypsum
Wyeast Irish Lager 1024 (I think...sorry, can't remember the
Wyeast number. I know it was the Irish lager though.)
1/4 tsp. Irish Red Moss (old habits die hard)
2 week ferment
Aged about 4 weeks
Results:
OG: 1.10
FG: 1.014
I noticed in Cats Meow a similar recipie, but it had about 1/2 the
lbs. of specialty grains, none of which were the "English"
variety, whatever "English" means. This brew's results I found
were excellent - although not entirely perfected because of the
fermentation temp (65 F). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Andy
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 7:34:43 MDT
From: Jason Goldman <jason at bluestar.cnd.hp.com>
Subject: Re: Beer tasting
"pratte" <PRATTE at GG.csc.peachnet.edu> writes about beer tasting events:
> My question to the HBD is: Where do these servers come from? They
> seemed to be representing the microbrewery they were serving, but I
> can't believe that they would send people out who were so
> unknowledgable. If they were, I would recommend to any microbrewers
> who are listening to check out your people more closely.
>
Actually, at almost all of the beer tasting events I've ever been
involved with, the organizers get people from where ever they can. To
put it in perspective, for the Colorado Brewer's Fest (which is held
here in Fort Collins, CO), they need about 400 servers. The local
homebrew club has about 60 people involved. Even if you add in the
number of people in the Denver and Boulder clubs, it's not enough to
cover that. The breweries usually have nothing to do with the
organizing of the event. They may have someone available to answer
questions, but they never arrange for their own servers.
Each year, as some of the same people work the event, they learn more.
I'm not sure what a better solution would be. Even if the event
organizers put together a training class for servers (remember that most
of the organizers don't know much about beer either), you can't cram a
thorough history of brewing and beer styles into an hour or two and
expect it to stick.
Jason
jason at bluestar.cnd.hp.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 09:11:39 EDT
From: 17-May-1994 0907 -0400 <ferguson at zendia.enet.dec.com>
Subject: Edinburgh pubs to check out
>Date: Mon, 16 May 1994 16:38:59 -0400
>From: fleck at newton.franklincoll.edu
>Subject: Advice on pubs to visit in England/Scotland
>
>I will be visiting England and Scotland in mid June and am wondering if
>anyone knows of any good pubs I should visit in the following cities: London,
>Canterbury, York, Edinburgh, Fife, St. Andrews and Glasgow.
I was in Edinburgh last November. Excellent city, probably the best I saw
while in England/Scotland for 15 days. There is a brick street, mainly for
walkers, that has lots of good places to check out. On that street, there
is a small brewpub. They do extract only and produce a good product (IMO).
I had a tour there - friendly folks, heavy scottish accent though. Go check
them out - sorry I forget the name, someone in here might know the name!
Also in Edinburgh, is Scottish-Newcastle. Check out their tour too - it is a
huge brewery, ala budweiser, but the folks are very friendly. You'll enjoy
the aroma in Edinburgh - beer brewing (from the S-N brewery).
I'd go back to England in a moment's notice - a great place to tour around
and savoir many delicious pints of brew.
jc
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 09:54:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jim Busch <busch at daacdev1.stx.com>
Subject: Mills/siphons/carbonation
Glen writes:
>
> I use the "high/low" method. By this I mean that I attempt to
> saturate at a high temperature and then come down to pouring temperature.
> I start by transfering out of the carboys into the 5-gallon keg (at 68 F).
> I apply between 20-25 psi (depending on style) CO2, and shake until I
> can't hear anymore gas going through the regulator (make sure that its very
> quite where you're doing this because the hiss is not very perceptible
> when you get towards the end). I sit in a chair, lay the keg across my
> knees, and alternately raise and lower each leg. It takes about 8-10
> minutes to get to saturation with this agitation. The agitiation is
> critical, without it, you can add _days_ to the cycle.
>
> psi. Put the keg in the fridge (or other cold place) and let sit for
> a good 24 hours. I like to check once or twice to make sure I've
> still got pressure (7-10 psi) during the cooling cycle.
So, what advantage does this have over chilling the beer to 35F, and
applying 25 psi for a shorter duration? Seems like you are just making
yourself work more at higher temps since CO2 is much less soluable in
warmer liquids. If the target is 35F, and X volumes, just get it there
and then apply the proper pressure. And if you have a week or so to
wait, no shaking is required, just hook it up and let it sit around 30
psi.
> Subject: Oats in Beer
>
> A recent "Brewing to Style" article in Brewing Techniques discusses usage
> of Oats in Stout. The author suggest no more than 10% of the grist as Oats,
> he also mentions that steel cut oats need to be boiled prior to mashing to
> gelatinize the starch while "instant" oats have had some processing that
> makes the boiling unnecessary. He suggest use of instant oats as a means
> of simplifying and saving time in the brewing process.
I use 5% raw oats from the health food store and do multiple protein rests
and a single saacharafication when making Wit biers. When I boiled the
adjuncts, bad results happened.
>
Rick writes:
> Subject: RE> Sucking siphons
>
> While I am not a biologist or biochemist, I don't think that I am
> alone in believing that starting a siphon by using your mouth is bad
> idea at any stage of the brewing process. The simple reason for this
> is that prior to fermenting, you are trying to make a happy little
> environment for your yeast -- giving them nutrients, oxygen, and
> temperatures that will encourage them to flourish before they settle
> down to the process of fermenting your wort.
Before the wort is fermented, one needs to be very careful whith anything
that contacts the wort. When dealing with bacteria free still beer, the
risks are drastically reduced. I just hold my hand (freshly sanitized
from cleaning too many kegs) over the end of the siphon and suck the
hand instead of the hose. No big deal.
Ulick writes:
> Require AHA bitch. Talking about advertising in Zymurgy, a local retailer
> who was considering getting into mailorder said that getting an ad in
> Zymurgy takes more than 6 months, and I have noticed that ads are not
> that up to date.
You need to realize the lead time required to publish this mag. Feb was
the deadline for articles to be printed in the Fall issue. Not sure how
close the Ad deadline was to this but there is considerable layout work
required and I doubt the staffing is sufficient to allow faster turnaround
time.
Allen writes:
> I am currently setting up to motorize the Glatt. Although the
> manufacturer states that motorizing the mill will void the warranty,
> he claims that I should be able to run it at or below 300 rpm. How does
> this compare to the warranty and recommended speeds for the Maltmill?
Not sure, but I hooked my maltmill to a 10.5" pulley and the motor to
a 3 " one. Works fine.
Someone with an annoying caps lock key wrote:
>
>
> A TRIP TO A STORE IN DEL MAR GAVE ME THE PRIVILEDGE OF LOOKING AT BOTH OF
> THE ABOVE MILLS. I GOT THE FEELING, IN RETROSPECT, THAT BOTH MILLS WERE
> OLDER VERSIONS. THE GLATT WAS YELLOW WHILE THE MALTMILL HAD THE O-RING
> ON THE CRANK DRIVEN ROLLER TO DRIVE THE OTHER ROLLER. I HAVE SINCE FOUND
OUT THAT GREG GLATT AND JACK SCHMIDLING HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS ON THEIR DESIGN.
> THE MALTMILL HAS NO NEED FOR THE O-RING AND THE GLATT MILL NOW HAS A
> STAINLESS STEEL BODY AND A SCREW-ON HANDLE.
>
> I WROTE A MESSAGE TO JACK FOR SOME MORE INFO ON HIS MILL IN WHICH HE WAS
> VERY TIMELY IN HIS REPLY. HIS RESPONSE SEEMED LIKE A FILE RESPONSE BUT WAS
> VERY INFORMATIVE. THE FIXED MILL WITHOUT ANY OPTIONS IS $99. OPTIONS ARE
> AVAILABLE AT ADDITIONAL COSTS.
I imagine that JS will respond here, but as far as I knew all standard MMs
use Orings to drive the passive roller. Thats why I forked out the extra
money for the gear drive, esp. since I knew I would motorize it and drive
about 7 times the "normal" malt quantities through it. When you look at the
way the prices have increased on the Glatt, I imagine the choice is very close
and availability would seem to favor the MM.
Good brewing,
Jim Busch
"DE HOPPEDUIVEL DRINKT MET ZWIER 'T GEZONDE BLOND HOPPEBIER!"
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 10:10:07 EDT
From: iogilvie at dmcs.dnd.ca (Ian Ogilvie)
Subject: Alternatives to Hops
I've noticed a couple of postings lately in which people are looking for
alternatives to using hops in their beer (one poor soul being allergic, and one
wishing to use wormwood), and I thought I would pass on a few bits of
information.
I won't talk about wormwood; there have already been a number of responses
to the use of wormwood, the bottom line being DON'T!
With respect to hop alternatives, "ale" was brewed in England with no hops
prior to the 14th century. (It was only after soldiers returning from the
Hundred
Years War demanded the "biere" they had drunk in France, that the British
began to
use Hops). What was used was just about anything, the most frequently
mentioned being
nettles, rosemary, alecost (costmary), and even ground ivy. Some bittering
agents
included balsam, and sage, and or course, we still have recipes for spruce beer
(although most still call for some hops)
The following is an old recipe for Nettle Beer (which I have not tried so
I leave it to the adventurers amongst us).
2 gal young nettles 9 litres
1/4 oz ginger root 10 g
4 lb malt extract 1.8 kg
ale yeast
some blades of mace
a few cloves
4 oz sarsaparilla 100 g
2 gal water 9 litres
1.5 lb sugar 675 g
2 lemons
Method:
Wash young nettle tops and put into a saucepan with water, ginger, malt,
spices, and
sarsaparilla. Boil for 15 minutes. Pour this over the sugar in the primary
fermentor.
Add the juice of the lemons and stir until the sugar is completely
dissolved. Cool to
70 F (20 C), pitch yeast and rack to the secondary after the fermentation
has slowed.
(3-5 days). Secondary for 7-10 days. Prime and bottle as usual.
All of the above notwithstanding, hops provide a unique flavouring and have
preservative qualities, so don't expect to be completely satisfied with the
alternatives if you are a 'hophead'. However, if you DO like a malty brew, try
a few alternatives. (Nettles are reputed to be best in Stouts because they
impart
a slightly salty taste which is found in most full-bodied beers)
Ian Ogilvie iogilvie at dmcs.dnd.ca
iogl.dmcs.dnd.ca (131.136.200.127)
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 07:15:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: gummitch at teleport.com (Jeff Frane)
Subject: Flaked Maize clarified, heh heh
A couple of people have pointed out to me that Al Korzonas may have been
referring to the idea of steeping flaked maize by itself, and that
without the presence of some malt, a starch haze could well result.
This is true, if that's what Al meant. I admit, the idea of infusing
the maize alone never occurred to me. Why would anyone do that?
So, to clarify: for extract beers, do a mini-infusion of grains
(including some malt) and adjuncts rather than boiling them in extract.
You may include small amounts of flaked grains without any problems.
Clear?
- --Jeff
Return to table of contents
Date: 17 May 1994 07:29:07 PST
From: "JLOPEZ at HW1" <HW1.JLOPEZ at HW1.CAHWNET.GOV>
Subject: BrewPubs in Orlando?
If anyone can recommend some good brewpubs/micros/restaurants in the Orlando
area, please let me know. You can E-mail me privately to save bandwidth.
TIA
quit
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Jose Lopez-Alvarez Ph:(916) 739-7709 * HWDC Telecommunicatio
PROFS: JLOPEZ at HW1 Fax:(916) 739-7771 * 1651 Alhambra Blvd. M
INTERNET: hw1.jlopez at hw1.cahwnet.gov * Sacramento, CA 95816
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 10:57:20 EDT
From: Pblshr at aol.com
Subject: Re: #2(2) Homebrew Digest #14...
Re: Charlie Papazian and the Beer Dinner
I don't know who put on the original post -- whether it was Charlie, or
whatever, but I can shed some light on the subject -- hopefully at minimal
waste of bandwidth.
I publish an national magazine for private club managers, and was asked to
help organize a dinner at the Union League Club. I knew that Charlie and his
crew often come into town for the National Restaurant Show, so I called him
and asked him if he would put together the menu with the chef and serve as
MC.
Last week, I found out that there were still a number of places at the dinner
open. I asked the manager's permission to put the word out to the Chicago
Beer Society (normally only members and their guests are allowed) and he
agreed. Whether Charlie or CBS put it in the HBD, I don't know.
This most assuredly NOT a money-making venture. The manager is a great foody
and wine person and just wants to expose his members to the variety of beer.
The club is losing money, even if this is sold out. I saw some empty seats
and thought some real beer folks might want a shot at them. Charlie just
wants to see it succeed.
This just in from the National Restaurant Association Show:
Gosser, a beer brewed in what was formerly East Germany is rolling out with
Shiftsbrau, which seems to be a really chewy dark Munich dunkel and a really
hopped Bavarian lager. Both were well made and (at least at the show) fresh.
Coors is doing seasonals including a wheat and (supposedly) a true Eisbock,
which I'm supposed to sample today.Genessee's microbrew division has come out
with a honey beer which is interesting. Nothing new at the Anchor or Sam
Adams booths, but I'm doing regular quality checks on the Old Foghorn
barleywine ale samples.
Tom Finan
(PBLSHR at aol.com)
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 10:14:50 EDT
From: Richard Kasperowski <richk at icad.com>
Subject: Re:The uses of "Malta Goya"
Malta is a very popular soft drink in Latin America (I've heard),
including Puerto Rico (from my experience). It does indeed taste like
carbonated sweet wort; my Puerto Rican mother-in-law likes the taste
of my wort becase it tastes like malta. I have a friend who likes to
make half-and-half malta and beer.
BTW, a "malta" is usually the 12-oz bottle. A "maltita" is a
smaller, usually 6- or 8-oz bottle.
- -- Rich Kasperowski richk at icad.com 617-868-2800x304
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 11:59:21 EDT
From: iogilvie at dmcs.dnd.ca (Ian Ogilvie)
Subject: Alternatives to Hops
I've noticed a couple of postings lately in which people are
looking for alternatives to hops. I thought I would offer a couple of
tidbits.
Prior to the 14th century in England, "ale" was brewed with no
hops It was only after soldiers returning from the Hundred Years War
demanded the "biere" they had drunk in France, that the British began
to use Hops. What WAS used was just about anything, the most frequently
mentioned being nettles, rosemary, alecost (costmary), ground ivy, sage
balsam, and of course spruce.
The following is an old recipe for Nettle Beer (which I have not
tried, so I leave it to the adventurers amongst us).
2 gal young nettles 9 litres
1/4 oz ginger root 10 g
4 lb malt extract 1.8 kg
ale yeast
some blades of mace
a few cloves
4 oz sarsaparilla 100 g
2 gal water 9 litres
1.5 lb sugar 675 g
2 lemons
Method: Wash young nettle tops and put into a saucepan with water,
ginger, malt, spices, and sarsaparilla. Boil for 15 minutes. Pour
this over the sugar in the primary fermentor. Add the juice of the
lemons and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool to
70 F (20 C), pitch yeast and rack to the secondary after the fermentation
has slowed. (3-5 days). Secondary for 7-10 days. Prime and bottle as
usual.
All of the above notwithstanding, hops provide a unique flavouring
and have preservative qualities, so don't expect to be completely
satisfied with the alternatives if you are a 'hophead'. However, if
you DO like a malty brew, try some different spices and herbs. (Nettles
are reputed to be best in Stouts because they also impart
a slightly salty taste which is found in most full-bodied beers)
Ian Ogilvie iogilvie at dmcs.dnd.ca
iogl.dmcs.dnd.ca (131.136.200.127)
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 12:24:02 EDT
From: claytonj at cc.tacom.army.mil
Subject: "Common" problem?
Greetings fellow brewers:
In January I made a batch of "California common" beer using 6.5 lbs Munton &
Fison DME, .75 lb. 60L crystal malt steeped 20 min at 155 degF, 2.5 oz malto-
dextrine, 2 oz Northern Brewer whole hops, 1 tsp Irish moss, and Wyeast 2112.
The yeast made into a 17 oz starter in a 22 oz bottle. The boiled and chilled
(immersion) wort was transferred into the primary fermenter (glass) via
sanitized sauce pan and funnel with a screen. The wort was aerated twice
(half and 3/4 full) by covering the opening with sanitized plastic wrap and
shaking until the carboy is full of foam. The yeast was pitched at 68 degF
and fermentation was at 54 degF for 10 days primary and 13 days secondary.
When pitching, I had to pour very slowly (due to the foam) and the starter ran
along the outside lip of the bottle. I did not flame it or rub it with
alcohol. OG was 1.062 and FG was 1.024.
The primary fermentation was normal but the secondary looked cloudy and had
clumps of foam on the surface. Churning was still visible within the wort.
The previous batch I brewed had a similar look and turned out fine so I didn't
worry. When I bottled (3/4 cup corn sugar) the beer tasted strangely sweet
and a bit green. I can't think of any other flavor but strange to describe
it, not bad but strange, and not what I expected. After a month in the bottle
the beer was clear and the green flavor went away the carbonation and body was
good but the strange sweetness was still there. Now after 4 months, the beer
foams uncontrollably with large bubbles when poured into a glass, the body is
a little thinner, the flavor is about the same and there is a cloudy
precipitate that does not compact in the bottom of the bottles. The foaming
only occurs when the beer is poured. Now for the $10,000 question.
????? INFECTION ?????
I thought that most infections were evident at bottling time. There was
nothing unpleasant about the smell or flavor of the beer. I use chlorine
bleach to sanitize my bottles and B-brite for everything else. I store my
carboys filled with B-brite and have never had any problems with residue. I
brew in the garage and do everything else in my basement. I am careful to
sanitize everything and don't use my mouth to start the siphon ;).
One other question, is B-brite a cleaner, sanitizer, or both? I think in
Miller's book, he says it is a cleaner but my Homebrew store says it is a good
sanitizer.
Thanks for any advice,
Joe Clayton
(claytonj at cc.tacom.army.mil)
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 10:03:03 PDT
From: Lisa Prescutti (Pace) <a-lisap at microsoft.com>
Subject: Microbrewies Nationwide address/phone list
- ----------
From: Lisa Prescutti (Pace)
To: homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
Date: Tuesday, May 17, 1994 9:41AM
I work for a company that is organizing a major microbrew festival here
in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle). Does anyone know where I can
obtain a general solid list of names/addresses/phone #'s of all the
Microbreweries nationwide? I have a list but no addresses or phone numbers.
Thanks!
Lisa
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Date: Tue, 17 May 94 13:21:47 EDT
From: jim_curl at bannet.ptltd.com
Subject: Oats
>You want quick-cooking oats because they have already been partially
>processed, or gelatinized, to make them quick-cooking. This allows you
>to add them directly to the mash without first having to gelatinize
>(boil) them yourself.
Regular "Quaker Oats" style rolled oats are also fine for mashing.
Oats can be obtained as whole "groats", steel-cut, rolled, "quick cooking"
rolled, and as flour. Whole oats and steel-cut oats (groats that have been
cut into little pieces) require cooking in order to gelatinize the starch and
make it available for the enzymes. This adds an extra step to mashing and
possibly a sticky mess to deal with. Whole oats can take an awfully long
time to thoroughly cook as well. Rolled oats have been steamed and passed
through rollers. The steaming softens the grain so that the rolling flattens
instead of breaking them; it also partially gelatinizes the starch. This is
why you can eat rolled oats without cooking (e.g. museli). "Quick cooking"
rolled oats are steel-cut oats that are then steamed and rolled. The only
difference between these and the regular rolled oats is the size. Because
they are smaller, thinner, they cook more quickly. In terms of mashing,
they are really no better than the regular variety since they will be in the
mash-tun for tens of minutes. Oat flour would gelatinize and mash very
nicely, but would probably cause sparging problems.
Jim Curl
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Date: Tue, 17 May 94 10:41:04 PDT
From: hollen at megatek.com (Dion Hollenbeck)
Subject: Re: Glatt mills
>>>>> "Allen" == Allen Ford <allen at darwin.sfbr.org> writes:
Allen> I am currently setting up to motorize the Glatt. Although the
Allen> manufacturer states that motorizing the mill will void the
Allen> warranty, he claims that I should be able to run it at or below
Allen> 300 rpm. How does this compare to the warranty and recommended
Allen> speeds for the Maltmill?
I have already done this and someone may benefit by my approach. I
used a 1/20hp 1750 RPM motor which weighed about 4 lbs. To gear it
down, the motor has a 1.5" pulley and the mill got a 9" pulley which
results in 291.6 RPM. Why Greg has voided a warranty due to
motorization is that if something should wedge the rollers, the gears
will strip since they are just plastic. To solve this problem, I
mounted the motor directly below the mill on a little shelf which is
attached to the stand by a hinge on one side only. The weight of the
motor pulling down the shelf is what acts as a clutch on the V-belt.
If I grab the 9" pulley to simulate jamming the mill, the small pulley
will just spin on the belt. Let loose and it goes again. The weight
of the motor must be sufficient to push down on the V belt enough that
you can have grain between the rollers when stopped, and then turn on
the power and have the torque overcome the inertia. Even with a
1/20hp motor, the reduction ratio provides plenty of torque to do
this, but if you do not have the right amount of weight, you do not
get enough friction on the belt.
dion
Dion Hollenbeck (619)675-4000x2814 Email: hollen at megatek.com
Staff Software Engineer Megatek Corporation, San Diego, California
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Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 14:05:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: greggt at infi.net (Gregg Tennefoss)
Subject: cereal brew
Ok, I'll bite !!
I've been giving a lot of thought to the production of the before mentioned
Capt. Crunch with Crunch Berry Beer. I have formulated the following recipe:
8lb 2row malt
2lb Capt Crunch w/CB
1.5 oz Cascade (maybe Saaz) hops
Wyeast California Lager yeast
Yes I said lager. This should be a fairly "light" brew with the flavor of the
CC comming out.
One question of concern. The sugar added to cereal is the infamous cane sugar.
What affect is this going to have on the taste of such a light beer. Also, I
intend to mash the cereal with the grain.
My wife thinks I'm crazy to even try this. Who knows, maybe the big boys (AB,
Miller,etc) will want the recipe.;-}
Cheers
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Date: 17 May 1994 10:43:10 U
From: "Palmer.John" <palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com>
Subject: Step Mashing Questions
Hi Group,
I have just acquired three Sankey kegs and was thinking of using them to build
a three tiered gravity fed system this summer. I was temporarily blinded by
sheer brewing lust (yep, y'all know what I mean) with regards to the mashing
system potential these three kegs give (Darth Vader and his Death Star have
nothing on three kegs in the hands of a homebrew engineer).
Anyhow, my question boils down to this: How useful is a propane fired,
insulated keg Mash/Lauter tun compared to a cooler? In other words, what will
Step Mashing capability really do for me? Here is my data that lead to these
questions:
While reading Miller for Mashing Chemistry inputs to the Mashing FAQ, (yes, I
started it over the weekend, only a couple months to go...) I noticed that the
Acid Rest is not really used, The Protein Rest is only necessary when using
under-modified or unmalted grains (like Oats) AND that Alpha and Beta Amylase
enzymes work backwards to rising temperature. What I mean is that Alpha works
on breaking large sugar chains and likes higher mash temps (158F), while Beta
takes those shorter sugars and breaks those up into smaller more fermentable
sugars, but likes temps of around 140 although the Mash needs to be at least
149F for the starches to gelatinize so that the enzymes can work on them.
So, It would SEEM that the most fermentable Mash (Oats and Protein Rest aside)
would result from starting with a thicker mash to protect the enzymes (more
data from Miller) at a higher temp, say 156-8F and letting that cool, ie
un-insulated keg, over the hour to 150F or less before sparging to get the best
fermability profile out of the mash. With this scenario, it becomes apparent
that a Mashout would be needed to get the whole thing fluid again. Of course, a
mash conducted in this manner would have less residual sweetness, because the
beta would have broken down the more complex sugars from the Caramel Malt (if).
I guess it comes down to: What Style would I be trying to Brew?
I am looking for some comments from those of you who use these types of
systems, (Dion, Jim Busch, Jack, et Al). How do you make use of this
capability? Go ahead and post it, I think that this is good HBD material we can
put in the FAQ (along with the fifty thousand responses I have received
regarding Oats; I could grow a Horse! Thanks everyone).
PS. I got the kegs for 10 bucks each at a metal scrap yard, and they are in
really good shape!
John Palmer MDA-SSD M&P palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com OR
palmer#d#john.ssd-hb_#l#15&22#r# at ssdgwy.mdc.com
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Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 12:01:38 -0700
From: Eran Navoth <eran at well.sf.ca.us>
Subject: BrewBags - who produces them?
Do you know who produces those brewbags (The beer kit in a sac)?
If you know or can tell me how to find out please let me know.
Thanks, Nir Navot, Rehovot, Israel.
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Date: 17 May 1994 13:59:39 U
From: "Hale, John" <Hale#m#_John at gmserver.PizzaHut.COM>
Subject: Oregon Beer Festival /Thanks
Can someone give me the dates and contact numbers of the Oregon Beer Festival?
Just a word of thanks from a long time lurker; I've picked up many hints to
improve my beer that I haven't seen in any magazine or book. This really is a
great resource for learning how to make the incremental improvements that can
really improve a beginner's beer. The way I think about it, with as many
people brewing something every weekend, there are many person-years worth of
failures and successes that we all can learn from.
BTW, If you ever find yourself in Kansas City on a Saturday afternoon, take the
brewery tour at Boulevard Brewery; a fantastic experience!
John Hale
Wichita, KS
Hale#m#_John at gmserver.PizzaHut.COM
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Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 14:21:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: greggt at infi.net (Gregg Tennefoss)
Subject: Spruce Sludge
There have been many posts recently about spruce beer and I thought I would add
my two copper disks. I had the pleasure last month of pouring out 2 cases of
the stuff. I was afraid that I would be turned in for dumping toxic waste.
I brewed the concoction from Charlie P's recipe in TCJOHB. I was a little
disapointed as I have heard that it is supposed to be good. I guess I just
don't know the secret. My only sugestion is to go very light on the spruce.
cheers
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Date: Tue, 17 May 94 13:30:00 -0500
From: don.jackson at atlwin.com (Don Jackson)
Subject: sweet aftertaste, how?
I am wondering how to obtain the sweet aftertaste of beers like Jubel
or Orval. I know these beers are complex, I am not trying to duplicate
them, I just want that great finish these beers have! Would I need to
culture Jubel yeast, or are there dry or liquid yeasts that will produce
the desired effect? Thanks!
Don Jackson (don.jackson at atlwin.com)
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Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 15:44:58 -0400
From: aa3625 at freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu (Jason Sloan)
Subject: zima or bud = headache
Hi. It took me a long time to figure out why I could sometimes
have a screaming headache after a night drinking a 6-pack and some
times feel fine after consuming considerably more. I narrowed it
down, finally, and found that after consuming as little as one
Budweiser/bud-light/bud-anything else I would surely wake up with
a screaming headache. I now simply avoid Bud products and have no
problems. Until last week...
Last week I decided that I would finally try a Zima. Not bad if
you like Alka-Seltzer with lime. Guess what. Slamming headache
the next day.
Correct me if I'm wrong: Both Bud and Zima are made with rice
sugar.
This is the only thing that I can find that correlates between
these two products which might be giving me a headache. The
experience really borders on an allergic reaction so I'm curious
if rice is the culprit and if there are any other products which
I should try to avoid.
Ideas? Suggestions?
Thanks, Jason.
- --
Jason Sloan
sloan01?jason at cc01.mssc.edu or aa3625 at freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu
- ---Yo ho ho and a bucket of homebrew...
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Date: Tue, 17 May 94 15:49:57 EDT
From: "Glen A. Wagnecz, X6616" <wagnecz at PICA.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Re: *Wyeast* 3068
Ulick Stafford pointed out to me that in my previous message that I
confused the weihenstephan 338 with the wyeast 3068. Its the second
(wyeast 3068) that I was talking about. This is from the "advanced
brewer's series" (whic I may or may not qualify as!!!).
Another note: this yeast does not feature the usual 2
section packet that is used on the older series (you know, the one's
with the bubble that's a real pain to break...). Just dump
directly into you're starter when it's cooled...
Glen
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Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 12:55:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Jay Lonner <8635660 at NESSIE.CC.WWU.EDU>
Subject: pH meters and adjustments for temperature
I've been looking around for pH meters recently and I have some questions. The
meters that are in my budget that correct for temperature only work up to 120
degrees F, which make them pretty useless for brewing. I want to be able to
dip my meter right into the mash and have done with it. So my question is in
two parts: firstly, any recommendations for pH meters that correct for higher
temperatures? Secondly, is there a chart somewhere that someone can refer me
to that shows how to adjust pH for temperature? I'm thinking of something
along the lines of the SG vs. temp chart at sierra.stanford.edu.
TIA,
Jay.
P.S. Did my first full mash over the weekend and ended up with an extraction
efficiency of 33 pts*gal/lb. The switch to all-grain would not have been
nearly so easy (or successful) without the advice and recommendations of the
members of the HBD. Thanks to all of you for making this forum as helpful and
informative as it is!
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Date: Tue, 17 May 94 16:19:08 est
From: Bill Sadvary <SADVARY at DICKINSON.EDU>
Subject: Maize
I'm plan on making a beer that I would like it to have definite corn taste.
I'm trying to make a beefed-up Stoney's Beer, a light, cheap beer made in
South Western Pa. I'm going to use William's Extra Light Malt extract (which
has a small percentage of corn, if forget the specifics) and will steep in
some flaked maize. My question is; If I want a noticeable corn taste, how
much flaked maize should I steep in and at what Temperature? Unless I'm
convinced otherwise, I would try a pound of maize (maybe two) and would
simply steep it in the wort as I bring it to a boil. Removing it a few
minutes before the boil, of course.
Anyone know what type of hops are used in Stoney's Beer? ..some cheap
American hops probably.
-Bill Sadvary They'll believe anything
Dickinson College if you whisper it.
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Date: Tue, 17 May 94 16:46:53 EDT
From: Yeebot at aol.com
Subject: Wormwood...
Chuck,
Not to dismiss any concerns from fellow brewers but I feel that brewing with
Wormwood would prove interesting and safe if a few precautions are taken.
First off, wormwood is a legal plant and used by many people for everyday
medicinal purposes. From "The Herb Book"> Properties and Uses: Anthelmintic,
antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, febrifuge, stimulant,
stomachic. Wormwood is above all a stomach medicine, being useful for
indigestion, gastric pain, and lack of appetite, as well as the related
problems of heartburn and flatulence! It is also said to be helpful for liver
insufficiency by stimulating liver and gallbladder secretions. Wormwood oil
is a cardiac stimulant and therefore acts, when taken in proper dosages, to
improve blood circulation. Wormwood tea has been recommended to help relieve
pain during labor. The powdered flowering tops have been used to expel
intestinal worms. A fomentation of wormwood tea can be applied externally to
irritations, sprains and bruises. The oil acts as a local anestetic when
applied to relieve pains of rheumatism, neuralgia, and arthritis. CAUTION:
Pure wormwood oil is a strong poison, and excessive use of the plant can also
cause poisoning. With proper dosage, there is little or no danger.<
To make an infusion you would steep 2 tsp. leaves or tops in one cup water
with a proper dosage being a tsp. at a time up to 1/2 cup a day.
So there you have it, what you make will probably be not very good "beer",
though you may have better luck making a type of mead. Since dosage is
important, moderation would definately be the key!
As for Absinthe, I would suspect it's toxicity arose from the concentration
of wormwood oil, a "speedball" reaction with alchohol (in which case beer or
wine would probably not be a good idea), or something with the distillation
process. But I'm not sure, so don't take my word for it. As dangerous as
Abstinthe is supposed to be, it's had a long interesting history. It has been
argued that it was one of the factors that allowed much of French
Impressionist art to happen; rotting the brains of artists like Van Gogh and
Toulose-Lautrec and allowing them to see the world as they did! Sort of like
with some of you and LSD in the 60's, huh?;-) Well, as for me, I think I
could muster the curiosity to try a glass of absinthe if anyone's got a dusty
old bottle of Pernod from 1875. How about you? (Flame proof jacket ON!)
A student of Art and Beer,
Mike
yeebot at aol.com
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Date: Tue, 17 May 94 17:23:01 EDT
From: LeRoy S. Strohl <lstrohl at s850.mwc.edu>
Subject: Re: pub paraphernalia
This is a request for information:
Several years ago I saved an advertisement for a firm called:
English Ale Trappings
P.O. Box 8885
New Fairfield, CT 06812
because they had a nice array of Scottish and Newcastle pub stuff -pint
mugs, mirrors, towels darts, etc.
They have apparently gone out of business as my correspondence has gone
unanswered.
I have just finished my homebrewery/pub and am looking to furnishing it
with British ale collectibles. Does anyone on the HBD know of a source
for this sort of thing. Thanks in advance to direct responses.
- --
***********************************************************
LeRoy Strohl < tel: 703-899-4594 >
Director, Simpson Library < fax: 703-899-4499 >
Mary Washington College
Fredericksburg, VA 2240 < email: lstrohl at s850.mwc.edu >
***********************************************************
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End of HOMEBREW Digest #1426, 05/18/94