HOMEBREW Digest #1469 Thu 07 July 1994

Digest #1468 Digest #1470


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


Contents:
  'Brewing Techniques' (Simon W. Bedwell)
  Brewing at work (David Allison 225-5764)
  Hop Boil Durations (VABoyce1)
  headspace/overcarbonation the pressure builds... (pittock)
  RE: Q's: Bottling kegged beer. (Tel +44 784 443167)
  Homebrew Digest #1465 (Ju (John Dodson)
  Homebrew Digest #1465 (July 02, 1994) (the other white meat)
  filtering (William Nichols)
  Lagering in Cornelius Keg (RobertS735)
  Brewpubs in  Irvine Cal ("Lee A. Menegoni")
  carbonation & headspace (Spencer.W.Thomas)
  Burners (Derek Bowen)
  GW Malts (Don Put)
  Dr. Lewis/Pale vs. Dark Beer (Steve Robinson)
  Carbonation vs. Headspace (JRT1)
  Re: When repling (John Taylor)
  St. Pats Kegs (Ken Schroeder)
  Vanilla porter (Tad Deshler)
  Warm weather brewing (U-E68882-John Bloomberg)
  More answers please ("John Faulks, Martin Marietta, 8*255-3959")
  Evaporation adjustments (Terri Terfinko)
  Re: yeast culturing, recipes etc (Jeff Frane)
  Cleaning stovetops (Conan-the-Librarian)
  Rubber bottomed kegs (Kelly Jones)
  stovetop cleaning (Btalk)
  Forced kettle ventilation (Bob Jones)
  Brewing Malt -vs- Dairy Malt (Lee Bertagnolli)
  American Alt (Chuck Wettergreen)
  Using freezer for fermentation (Lincoln Perry)
  Replying to HBD (JEFF GUILLET)
  Sludge in my wort (jmd)
  HOPS-AAU measurement (Greg Fisk)
  filters (Jack Schmidling)
  newbie Questions (Ben Piela)
  Non-alcholic malt beverage (jassmine s safier)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 05 Jul 1994 08:09:01 GMT From: Simon_W._Bedwell at metro.mactel.org (Simon W. Bedwell) Subject: 'Brewing Techniques' I have a problem. I'd like to subscribe to 'Brewing Techniques' magazine, but I've only got their toll-free 800 number. Why is that a problem you ask? Well, I live in the UK and we can't call US 800 numbers from here. So...can anyone email me an address or non-800 number for 'Brewing Techniques'? Also, while I'm on the subject of being zymurgically challenged by living in the UK, can anyone recommend US homebrew suppliers who are prepared to export to the UK; I'm mostly interested in (small) equipment/accessories. Thanks. - -- **************************************************************************** MacTel Metro - Europes largest Mac specific BBS This message was created from a user account on a FirstClass(tm) BBS. The views expressed in this posting those of the individual author only. Send mail to this user at either :- INTERNET:User_Name at metro.mactel.org [use underline] between first FIDONET:User.Name at f202.n254.z2.fidonet.org [use fullstop ] & last names **************************************************************************** Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 05 Jul 1994 18:04:00 -0800 (PST) From: David Allison 225-5764 <ALLISON.DAVID at A1GW.GENE.COM> Subject: Brewing at work Brewing at work... I work at a very progressive (re: fun) company which has weekly small gatherings where beer (and softdrinks) are consumed. Unfortunately the only beer that is served is the typical large commercial Budmilloors type (IMO crap beer -- Sorry Dr. Lewis). These usually have small turnouts (gee - I wonder why?) Every 4 to 6 weeks we have a large get together (theme-type), sponsered by one of the Companys'Departments, where we get microbrew (Yeah!!!) if the sponsoring Department wants a good turnout. Once a year we have a company-wide Homebrew competition (_big_ turnout) sponsored by our Fermentation Dept.(makes sense). A few of us "fun" people have approached our Human Resource Dept. regarding supplying the weekly gatherings with homebrew that is employee brewed. The company would finance the ingredients and the equipment, and we would supply the labor. They have been receptive to the idea. This leads to many questions -- Initially, the beer would be brewed off-premise and brought to work by the brewers. However, we were wondering what issues would have to be addressed if we wanted to brew on-premise [Note: we are not concerned with liability issues of drunk employees since they already supply beer at these gatherings and the company supplies a taxi cab for employees who may imbibe too much (very frowned upon -- most are mature enough not to get carried away). SINCE THIS IS A UNIQUE SITUATION, WE DECIDED TO ASK THE COLLECTIVE HBD WISDOM ON THE ISSUES THAT WILL COME UP AND WHAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF. For reference: 1) the company is in California 2) this beer is not sold -- only given away 3) in the future produce more than 200 gallons per year may be produced here at work, but not by the brewing individuals in their households 4) what kind of licenses would be required for a company to produce beer to be given away to their employees -- agencies to contact? We are interested in comments on issues that we may not have foreseen, but please do not guess at answers to these issues since it would only cloud the situation (like the current thread on headspace carbonation) If this were a business to sell beer to the public this would be clear cut, but I have a feeling that lawmakers may not have thought of this type of event occuring -- any help? Private email OK TIA - David (allison2 at gene.com) Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 05 Jul 94 21:59:07 EDT From: VABoyce1 at aol.com Subject: Hop Boil Durations Hop Characteristics Imparted by Different Boil Durations. 60 min. +20-40 min. 10-15 min. up to 5 min Dry Bitterness Primary Some Little Little Little Flavor Some Primary Some Little Lots Back Aroma Little Little Primary Some Lots Front Aroma Little Little Some Primary Primary Key: Primary-The most significant contribution made by this duration. Lots-This boil duration adds a significant amount of this characteristic. Some-A noticible, but relatively minor contribution by this boil duration. Little-Little or no contribution made by this boil duration. This hop character boil duration chart is taken from the Rocky Mountain Brews, May/June From an artical by Keith Wanless.I found it to be very helpful, as I like my beer rather hoppy in most cases. This is pretty basic and probably foolproof. You'll still need to figure out your HBU's and amount of hops yourself to meet your style criteria, but if you know when and in what amounts that you need, or like to experience hop character in your beer, then try out some different durations. I'd also add though, that the amount of your boil has something to do with the amount of your hop bittering character exctraction. Maybe someone out there knows the amount of liquid needed to utilize all of the oils in, say 1 oz. of XXAlpha hops? HopHopHopHopHoppinggoodbrews Todd Boyce Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 18:49:11 +1000 From: pittock at rsbs8.anu.edu.au Subject: headspace/overcarbonation the pressure builds... In HBD #1468 Suurballe [suurb at farallon.com] wrote: [snip!] >One possibility is this: it has been posted here that at equilibrium there >is more gas per unit volume in the beer than in the headspace. That makes my >statement ,"After carbonation, the half-full bottle will have half its gas in >the headspace and half in the beer" wrong, but it still doesn't explain >overcarbonation. If ALL the carbonation in the half-full bottle were in the >beer and NONE in the headspace, then the carbonation of the two bottles would >be the same. There just isn't enough CO2 to overcarbonate, because there >wasn't enough sugar to begin with. And the premise is ridiculous (no >carbonation in the headspace) so this doesn't explain the overcarbonation. Before trying to shed some light on the questions raised, there may be a vital piece of the puzzle that's been missed by all (Gee how I love a sweeping statement!). The low-fill bottle may have the differing amounts of CO2 than the high (or 'normal') fill bottle - IT DEPENDS HOW YOU PRIME. Those who prime in individual bottles & DON'T COMPENSATE FOR LOW-FILL, those who DO COMPENSATE, & those who PRIME IN THEIR BOTTLING BUCKET. I present to you a can of worms... Is it possible that people who have different experiences with under/over/normal carb., also have different priming styles? Back to Suurballe's questions: >I'm confused by this whole thing, so maybe you could answer two question's: >1) How was the over-carbonation of a low-fill bottle perceived? I can see that at a given headspace pressure there is more gas to escape from a larger headspace, possibly giving the impression: "Gee, that's alot of gas!". But I perceive over-carb. as excessive foaming in the bottle as it's opened, & likewise when pouring. >2) How can it be that there is more CO2 per unit volume in beer than in the >headspace? How much more is there? I really shouldn't attempt this one, given that I've previously displayed my lack of a firm grip on pressure vs. amounts vs. solubility (Thanks Cushing Hamlen for pointing that out!) But I will say this: CO2 - very soluble? |\___/\___ ___________ Chris Pittock 06)2495099 | o \ /No-one saw \ pittock at rsbs0.anu.edu.au | -------- /\ me do it../ PO Box 475 Canberra City | _________/ \_________/ ACT 2601 Australia. |/ Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 10:18:05 +0000 From: Brian Gowland <B.Gowland at rhbnc.ac.uk> (Tel +44 784 443167) Subject: RE: Q's: Bottling kegged beer. - -----Multi-Part-Message-Level-1-1-19019 In HBD 1468, Jack Skeels <0004310587 at mcimail.com> writes: > > [Snip] > > 1) I have some beer left in a Sanke keg that I would like to bottle. It > is at 10-12 PSI. How do I bottle this? Do I add a little priming sugar, > or might I overcarbonate and then bottle? I would say that there is a risk of exploding bottles if you prime. It sounds like this is the end of a matured batch as you say you have some beer "left in a keg" and so priming should be unneccessary anyway. Brian - -----Multi-Part-Message-Level-1-1-19019 | | | Brian Gowland Computer Centre | Microcomputer Support Analyst Royal Holloway | University of London | B.Gowland at rhbnc.ac.uk Egham | Tel: (0784) 443167 Surrey | Fax: (0784) 434348 TW20 0EX | | - -----Multi-Part-Message-Level-1-1-19019-- Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 94 22:32:00 -0700 From: john.dodson at cantina.com (John Dodson) Subject: Homebrew Digest #1465 (Ju To Dan Hayes. This is the first time I've answered messages in the digest... so hopefully this will make it (no big deal if it does not). > 1. Is the 5 gallon cooler adequate, or do you outgrow it and wish you > had bought the 10 gallon size? I just started all-grain brewing with a Gott setup. I bought the 10 gal. so I would have no regrets. <g> Actually, I wanted the flexibility to someday brew a 10 gallon batch... which I think is possible in a 10 gallon Gott. Gott also makes a 7 gallon. Buy either the 7 or the 10. I paid $39 for the 10 gallon at Builders Square and will soon buy the 7 gallon for holding sparge water. > 2. Is the cooler easy to retrofit with a spigot? > 3. False bottom or Phalse bottom? I've even read that a folding > steamer basket works well. What do you think? Very easy for me (born lazy). I simply bought an EM (easymasher) from Jack S., I removed (unscrewed) the Gott cooler spigot, I forced a 3.5 rubber stopper on the EM by removing the SS screen, pushing on the stopper and then replacing the screen. To install, just stick the stopper in from the inside. So.. for a little over $60 and about 5 minutes of work I feel I have a deluxe 'cooler' mash/lauter tun. I read about this setup here in HBD. It works well and I am very pleased with the results. ... john.dodson at cantina.com ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.11 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 1994 06:08:53 -0400 From: the other white meat <falafel at titan.ucs.umass.edu> Subject: Homebrew Digest #1465 (July 02, 1994) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 1994 06:55:09 From: (William Nichols) Subject: filtering Hello all- Without starting up a discussion that I'm sure most don't want to see again, I know that there is a treatise in the archives but I don't have access to them as I only have an e-mail acnt. Somebody probably has this information locally, could you send it to me? thanks in advance Bill <bnichols at mlab.win.net> Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 94 09:25:03 EDT From: RobertS735 at aol.com Subject: Lagering in Cornelius Keg I need a little help in the procedure for doing a Lager- in a Cornelius Keg. I am an experienced ale brewer using partial mashes- but as the summer temperatures reach a point where my A/C will not keep me comfortably in-range, my thoughts turn to a lager. I need an outline of the process for doing a primary in the Stainless keg- as the glass carboy is too large for my beer fridge. Is this the process- and please offer corrections... Prepare wort according to normal methods- begin primary ferment using lager yeast in "normal, i.e., room temperatures- about 75 F, after a day or so- transfer to fridge temps. after fermentation slows to a stop- lager for several weeks more- then bottle/keg as normal- using residual yeast in suspension- at room temps again for a week or two- then cool for drinking-- what did I miss? Questions? how to deal with blowoff if I use a Cornelius keg? do I rack to secondary after the initial room temp starting period? or what? how long will the fermentation take at fridge temps- call it 40 degrees? what else? thanks Bob Stovall RobertS735 at aol.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 10:05:08 EDT From: "Lee A. Menegoni" <lmenegoni at nectech.com> Subject: Brewpubs in Irvine Cal I will be on a business trip July 17 to 20th in Irvine Cal, I will be staying near John Wayne airport. Could someone suggest some decent brewpubs or restaurants in the Irvine area. I will also be in the Palm SPrings area for a couple days and would appreciate suggestions for that area too. I don't have FTP access so I can't get at the FAQ's if this is indeed covered there. Lee Menegoni Lmenegoni at nectech.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 10:17:16 EDT From: Spencer.W.Thomas at med.umich.edu Subject: carbonation & headspace I've been thinking about this issue. I agree that it seems unlikely that a larger headspace actually causes higher carbonation levels. But there must be something about it that causes the PERCEPTION of higher carbonation. Here's a couple of possibilities: 1. Louder PFFFFFT when opening the bottle. With a larger headspace, there's MORE gas under pressure, so more gas will escape in the initial rush when you lift the cap. The gas that's in solution comes out more slowly, and doesn't even start until the pressure is relieved. With zero headspace, you'll get no pffft. With a big headspace, you'll get a lot. Anecdotal evidence: I opened a bottle of beer last night that was filled essentially to the brim. Very small pfft. But when I poured it, I got a huge head (it was a wheat beer). Interestingly, I didn't get the "gushing" that I'd observed in bottles with a lower fill. Which leads to: 2. Somehow, the gas rushing out in the initial PFFFFFFFFT from a large headspace disturbs the beer so that more bubbles form in the bottle, before you start pouring. In extreme cases, this can lead to "gushing". In any case, as a head forms in the bottle, you get the impression of a highly carbonated beer. When opening an almost full bottle, this disturbance of the beer is minimized, and little or no "gushing" occurs. =Spencer in Ann Arbor, MI Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 10:35:56 -0400 From: derek at bex.com (Derek Bowen) Subject: Burners Has anyone ever used a propane or natural gas BBQ as a cooker? Is the heat capacity way too low/too high? I guess when doing it outside one must be careful to be in the shade or risk facing skunky beer. I suspect the breakdown of the hops in sunlight we be accelerated at the higher temperature. Am I way out in left field on this one or what? I can't believe that I am the only person to have ever asked this question? I must agree that so many responses would be better made public for all to learn from the wisdom of the HBD. Many questions posted are ones which I have often asked myself but never posted. Public replies would be very welcome in these circumstances. TIA Derek Bowen Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 07:50:05 -0700 From: Don Put <dput at csulb.edu> Subject: GW Malts >From: Richard B. Webb <rbw1271 at appenine.ca.boeing.com> >Subject: This bud malt's for you Richard writes: <Some good info on GW malt snipped> >If you have GW malt that is individulally bagged, then it has gone >through another set of hands, as GW is not in the business of fooling >around with bagged malt. There is a GW malting facility in Los Angeles, actually it's in one of the industrial suburbs (I think it may be Vernon), and they sell directly to homebrewers every Wednesday. You have to place and order on Tuesday, and the minimum order is 100lbs, then you pick it up on Wednesday in a container supplied by you. Last time I checked, it was $0.23/lb. I believe it's a two-row variety, but I'm not sure which one. Also, I'm not sure if it's the same as they supply to Bud, or one of their other products. I've never used it (I'm kinda stuck on the Belgian stuff myself), but I know a lot of local homebrewers who do; they seem to like it just fine. don dput at csulb.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 10:54:45 EDT From: Steve Robinson <Steve.Robinson at analog.com> Subject: Dr. Lewis/Pale vs. Dark Beer Norm "npyle at hp7013.ecae.stortek.com" writes: >Re: Dr. Lewis, Mark O'Conner writes: > >>1) He instructed us to first master the "pale beer" and use that as a base >>to create higher gravity and darker colored brews with adjuncts. He > >This strikes me as absolutely backwards because flaws are oh-so-evident in >paler beers. Why would a beginning brewer want to brew something that will >probably be obviously flawed? I'd recommend something with some machismo, so >even if it isn't good, you can woof about how it is only for real men, etc. >etc. All seriousness aside, I'd recommend the opposite route than that of >Dr. Lewis. I believe flaws are the point here. If you can make good pale beer, you can make good beer in any style. I think most beginners recognize that they are beginners, and that some experience is necessary to perfect the technique. I think we insult their intelligence when we recommend that they "brew a dark beer because it will hide the mistakes." The same hurdle must be jumped when switching to all-grain brewing. It takes a few batches to get it right, and most of us recognize this and are willing to push through it. And most of the recommendations I have heard for people starting to mash are along the lines of "stick with a pale ale until you get it right, then branch out." Why do we give one set of advice to more advanced brewers, but admonish beginners with "relax, don't worry, you can't screw this up totally" homilies from the School of Sloppy Beermaking? Just my $0.02. -Steve Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 8:10:39 PDT From: JRT1%WPC%DCPP at bangate.pge.com Subject: Carbonation vs. Headspace In HBD #1468, Dave Suurballe writes: > A low-fill makes more noise when you open it, > because there is a lot more gas that has to > escape. I think a natural reaction to the bigger > hiss is to assume that this bottle is way gassier. I agree with the premise, I normally leave about 2" of head space in my bottles and now leave 1" or less. It APPEARS my beer is less carbonated *when opening* because of the less amount of "hiss" given off...but the actual carbonation seen/tasted appears to be the same. I would also like to offer another explanation (*if* lower fills are more carbonated), that is: the extra amount of oxygen available in the void is used by the yeast to continue living a little longer, thus giving off a little more carbon dioxide...makes sense to me. Good luck...JRT at PGE.COM Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 09:15:47 -0600 From: taylor12 at llnl.gov (John Taylor) Subject: Re: When repling >Date: Tue, 05 Jul 1994 10:04:50 -0400 (EDT) >From: RAYMUN at delphi.com >Subject: When repling ying , reply to HBD, not privately >Hi all, I've been following the HBD for a while now and have noticed >something that upsets me. I have noticed that when people ask >questions about brewing or anything that relates to brewing in that >matter "YOU" people reply to that message "PRIVATELY". >PRIVATELY meaning you send the reply to the guy who asked the >question! WHY NOT SEND THE ANSWER TO HBD!!!???? Other people might >want to know the answer too, you know! Me being one of them. <snip> I would like to second RAYMUN at delphi.com comments about more answers to questions being sent to the HBD. I too have looked for answers to questions in back issues only to find the questions. John Taylor Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 08:18:20 PDT From: kens at lan.nsc.com (Ken Schroeder) Subject: St. Pats Kegs On the subject of St. Pats kegs. I purchased six of them. One does not seal due to dents and folds in opening and is completely unuseable. Another keg has a leaky "out" valve and it's thread arrangement does not match any of the other kegs I have. The valve will have to be rebuilt before the keg is useable. One of the kegs is so dented on the bottom it will be a very hard keg to clean. Another keg's "rubber" bottom is comming off and will have to be repaired before long. Out of six kegs, two are in reasonable shape (after cleaning like all other kegs I have ever purchased). I will not speak for others, but for me, it would have been cheaper to look for the $25-$30 kegs I can find around here. I do not recommend St. Pats to anyone. Ken Schroeder Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 08:19:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Tad Deshler <tdeshler at u.washington.edu> Subject: Vanilla porter > I am getting ready to brew a porter and I thought a might add some > vanilla to it. I'll be using 2 can amber malt extract, some black patent > malt and chocolate malt and cascade and tettnanger hops. (Incidentally, > if the batch turns out well, I can post the actual recipe). My question > is, has anybody successfully used vanilla extract in a beer like this? > How much should I add? > > Also, I have burned my boiling kettle rather badly. Does anybody know a > good cleaning method for a stainless steel kettle? I have been using a > copper scouring pad, but the black stuff is not coming off. > > Thanks. > Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 11:41:29 EDT From: U-E68882-John Bloomberg <bloomberg_john at ae.ge.com> Subject: Warm weather brewing First of all I would like to thank everyone for the reponse to my question on warm temperature brewing. Here is a summary of the tips: Keep the fermenter cool in a water bath (w/ or w/o ice) and drape a towel around the carboy to take advantage of evaporative cooling. (I'm embarrassed I didn't think of this.) Once you get to your desired temperature it is very difficult to get that much thermal mass to swing in temperature. Use a yeast that performs well at the higher temps. Brew something that is commonly made at a higher temp. and has characteristics not easily overcome by a small ammount of the potential off flavors at these temps. Thanks lots. John Bloomberg bloomber at c0368.ae.ge.com Mechanical Design Engineer GE Aircraft Engines (513) 552-5127 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 11:47:24 -0400 (EDT) From: "John Faulks, Martin Marietta, 8*255-3959" <FAULKS at bng.ge.com> Subject: More answers please I would like to amplify a note from yesterday re the number of private email answers. For example, there are a number of requests for good beer places in this or that location. OK, so private email is good for saving bandwidth, but I suggest that as a courtesy, the questioner should post some highlight summary. The same approach should be used when asking for help/fixes/cures. Please post a summary of what worked for you. Some HBDers do it now and I find those postings the most useful. My 2 brews worth John Faulks faulks at bng.ge.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 12:01:38 EDT From: terfintt at ttown.apci.com (Terri Terfinko) Subject: Evaporation adjustments When I brew a 5 gallon batch I try to start my boil with 6.5 gallons to allow for the evaporation during boil. When I calculate recipes and extraction points for all grain batches, should I use the 6.5 or 5 gallon number? I just brewed a pale ale with 9 pounds of grain and a SG of 1.050 After the boil, I had 5 gallons of wort. I calculated my extraction points at either 50/9/5 =27 points or 50/9/6.5 = 36 points. Any advice on these calculations would be appreciated. Terry Terfinko - terfintt at ttown.apci.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 09:08:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeff Frane <gummitch at teleport.com> Subject: Re: yeast culturing, recipes etc Todd Taylor writes: > > I know this subject has gone around before here but I decided to try and > culture my own yeast so I have some questions about it: > 1. How is it done? > 2. Can I buy a starter from my homebrew shop? or where do I get a starter? > 3. How much do I use for fermenting? > 4. Does the liquid yeast make the beer taste better? > > Sorry but when the subject came up before in the digest I was not > interested enough to capture it all............... > Most, if not all, of your questions are (or should be) addressed in the yeast FAQ. Question #1, in particular, requires a lot more space to answer than is available here. Get the FAQ, read it, and then ask any questions that remain. ========================================================== Norm Pyle writes: > Re: Dr. Lewis, Mark O'Conner writes: > > >1) He instructed us to first master the "pale beer" and use that as a base > >to create higher gravity and darker colored brews with adjuncts. He > > This strikes me as absolutely backwards because flaws are oh-so-evident in > paler beers. Why would a beginning brewer want to brew something that will > probably be obviously flawed? I'd recommend something with some machismo, so > even if it isn't good, you can woof about how it is only for real men, etc. > etc. All seriousness aside, I'd recommend the opposite route than that of > Dr. Lewis. > This is one of the rare instances in which I agree with Dr. Lewis, and it has long been my own advice. I think it's much more useful to get a grasp of the brewing process by making simple beers (pale malt and a tad of caramel) than beers filled with lots of different malts, adjuncts, whatever. It's (1) easier; (2) varying the recipe by changing the caramel malt, or the base malt or the hops allows the brewer to see how each of those variables works; (3) it is, as noted, more transparent, thus allowing the brewer to see what's going on (including flaws); (4) it serves as the base for all other beers. Frankly, if you can't make a simple pale ale you don't understand the process. Isn't it better to learn that process than to pretend you understand it, while covering up your mistakes? ======================================================== Tom Lyons writes: > > I have been afforded the opportunity to receive a large amount of > brown sugar, as in several hundred pounds, for free. > > Can anyone tell me if there is a reasonable use for massive > quantities of brown sugar? What would be the outcome of using > this product to constitute, say, 50% of the fermentables in > a batch of beer? What styles of beer might benefit from a > (smaller) dose of brown sugar in their recipe? > 50% is way too much, but at levels around 10-20% in certain British styles would be well worth exploring. Of course, the *kind* of brown sugar is important, at least according to British texts. The critical factors are the unfermentables, which can make or break the beer depending on how tasty they are. One catch: the only way to tell is to brew with the sugar. -Jeff Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 05:47:56 -0700 From: pascal at netcom.com (Conan-the-Librarian) Subject: Cleaning stovetops "Date: Tue, 05 Jul 94 13:13 From: KWH at roadnet.ups.com (KWH) Subject: Stovetops, syrups "Sometime during brewing last weekend, I scorched my stovetop beyond recognition in the area between the two burners that my 33qt pot sets on. I tried a few different cleaners on it - 409, softscrub, etc., but it didn't budge. I looked through the index of old digests and got a few suggestions, including using oven cleaner or baking soda. Does anybody have any foolproof methods that could get me out of the dog house? " Steel wool works great. Specifically, steel wool that is impregnated with soap. Naturally, one will worry about scratching the stove. Without seeing the stove, I cannot comment, but, in general, stoves have what's referred to as a "baked enamel" surface, which is resistent to very high temperatures, and also resistant to scratching. As with all things, there is a limit. 'Unbreakable toys are useful for breaking other toys', and all that. Clearly the stuff can be scratched by a determined party, with a hammer or a screwdriver. However, the soap, along with some hot water, provides an excellent lubri- -cant which facilitates abrasion, without erosion of the baked enamelling. Don't forget the elbow grease. (-: - -- richard Law : The science of assigning responsibility. Politics : The art of _distributing_ responsibility. richard childers san francisco, california pascal at netcom.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 11:15:40 -0600 From: Kelly Jones <k-jones at ee.utah.edu> Subject: Rubber bottomed kegs In HBD 1468, John P. Curcio <jpc at philabs.Philips.COM> asks about converting rubber-bottomed kegs to kettles. I have done this; believe me it is no fun. The rubber is attached to the keg bottom with an industrial strength glue that resisted my every attempt to pry it off. In the end, I found the only thing that worked on the glue was intense heat. Although its a bit environmentally unfriendly, the way to do it is to take the keg out somewhere where no one is going to call the fire department on you, and set the bottom of the keg on fire using a torch, etc. Be sure the keg is vented so that pressure doesn't build up, and keep some baking soda, water, or a fire extinguisher on hand to control the fire. Before too long, the flaming rubber can be gently pried off the keg bottom using a pole. But you didn't hear this from me. Kelly Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 94 13:36:15 EDT From: Btalk at aol.com Subject: stovetop cleaning Kirk asks for advice... If you have scorched boil over on your stove, try an abrasive cleanser. I've used Comet. A couple sessions of soak and scrub usually does it. If you have somehow managed to scorch the finish on your stove, the finish must not have been that durable to begin with. You didn't paint the stove, did you? If it is a problem with the original stove finish, maybe you can get the manufacturer to replace the stove top gratis. Or get a replacement stove top from your local appliance parts place, unless you are beginning to like the dog house. After a while its not so bad;) Good luck, Bob Talkiewicz<Btalk at aol.com> Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 1994 12:04:57 +0900 From: bjones at novax.llnl.gov (Bob Jones) Subject: Forced kettle ventilation Does anyone out there in HBD land use forced kettle ventilation? This would be something like a fan and a vent hood to remove steam/vapor above the kettle during the boil. I am requesting this info for Micah, he has seen some interesting effects when using forced ventilation, and is looking for other brewers to see if they experience similar characteristics. I'll not let the cat out of the bag just yet, and will let him publish his data at a later time. Happy brewing through Hi-tech, Bob Jones bjones at novax.llnl.gov Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 14:11:09 -0700 (CDT) From: Lee Bertagnolli <bertagno at eagle.sangamon.edu> Subject: Brewing Malt -vs- Dairy Malt What is the difference between the malt extract powder we use in our hobby and the "malt" powder that Dairy Queen and other ice cream novelty vendors put into their "malts?" **************************************************************************** * Lee Bertagnolli bertagno at sangamon.edu * * Sangamon State University "Seville der dago, towsin bus essinarow." * * Springfield, Illinois "Nojo, demmit trux, summit cowsin, summit dux!" * **************************************************************************** Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 07:31:00 -0600 From: chuck.wettergreen at aquila.com (Chuck Wettergreen) Subject: American Alt Recently my beer-distributor neighbor brought around a new beer for me to taste: Schmaltz's Alt. Schmaltz's Alt, "A dark German style ale", is brewed by August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, MN. The bottle label is forest green and tan/cream and says, " In 1993 a new style of Schell beer was born to commemorate the loss of one of our founders." Centered on the label is an old-time picture of an early (19th century) brewer sitting on a wooden keg. The beer is clear with a dark copper color. It has medium carbonation and a very sweet malty aroma. There is no hop aroma. The head is brown and does not last long. The initial flavor is sweet malt with little hop flavor. The hop bitterness nicely balances the maltiness of the beer; I would estimate that the beer is about 20 IBU's. There is a silght black or chocolate malt bitterness at the finish. This is not a heavy beer in spite of the strong sweet malty flavors. I'd guess that it started in the 1.050 range. I compared this beer to M. Jackson's alt descriptions in _Beer_Companion_ and found many similarities. I do not think that the beer is selling very well, probably because the schmatzy label makes people think that this is a novelty beer; it isn't. My neighbor says that it retails in the $15/case range. Cheers! Chuck My BBS' software refuses to recognize HBD so any questions MUST be E-mailed. * RM 1.3 00946 * Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 13:50:47 PDT From: Lincoln Perry <lperry at adoc.xerox.com> Subject: Using freezer for fermentation I've just gotten a chest freezer which I intend to use for lagering and for maintaining finished kegs at dispensing temperature. I'm using a Hunter Air-Stat controller which maintains temperature by turning the power on and off. I'd also like to use the freezer to regulate fermentation at around 65 to 70 F. during the hot summer months (the freezer is in the garage where it the air temperature can easily get above 90). My question is whether using the Air-Stat to maintain temperatures near 70 will do any damage to the freezer, since it will be operating so far from its design point. For instance, will it cycle excessively. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone with experience in using a freezer in this way. Thanks, Link Perry Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 17:10:00 GMT From: jeff.guillet at lcabin.com (JEFF GUILLET) Subject: Replying to HBD RAYMUN at delphi.com said: H>Hi all, I've been following the HBD for a while now and have noticed H> H>something that upsets me. I have noticed that when people ask H> H>questions about brewing or anything that relates to brewing in that H> H>matter "YOU" people reply to that message "PRIVATELY". H> H>PRIVATELY meaning you send the reply to the guy who asked the H> H>question! WHY NOT SEND THE ANSWER TO HBD!!!???? Other people might H> H>want to know the answer too, you know! Me being one of them. I agree with Raymun but I can see a problem with this, too. When someone posts a "Help! My fermentation's stuck!" question, the HBD could quickly be loaded up with so many answers that other issues would not be seen for days. One solution is that if someone has an answer that they don't think is worth posting to everyone, go and post it privately. Then when the person who posted the question has an adequate number of supplies they should summarize and post the answers to the HBD. This type of editing should save space and give concise answers. Another solution is to post a "yeah, me too" message to the person who posted the original question and ask them to send you their responses. This works for me, but it won't solve Raymun's threading problem. H>I have ALL 1460+ issues of HBD so i'm not missing a thing. Except perhaps software that doesn't allow for single spacing. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jeff Guillet - San Francisco, CA - <j.guillet at lcabin.com> Official Beer Taster for the 1996 Olympic Games =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -- SPEED 1.40 [NR]: Evaluation day 63... Return to table of contents
Date: 6 Jul 94 20:56:00 GMT From: jmd at mtunh.att.com Subject: Sludge in my wort OK so it's not sludge but it looks like it. Here's my problem: After I'm done boiling my extract based wort for about an hour, I filter the wort into the fermenter. Since I started using my new funnel with the built in filter, it clogs 9 or 10 times per 5 gallon batch. The filter is fairly small and the "clog" is a very fine impenetrable goop. I have to stop pooring, rinse the filter and continue. Besides the annoyance of this process I don't like chancing contamination so often. Other information: I use both bittering and hop pellots, the latter added in the last 5 minutes of boil. I cool the wort before filtering I add grains(in bag) until just before the water boils What is this stuff I'm filtering out and is it something I want to keep or get rid of? Do I need a no filter, a different filter, or a prefilter? Any other clues or suggestions. BTW, I loved the boil over submission. I'm thinking about hanging it up in my kitchen so my wife can view my spills with the proper perspective! Jeff Donnelly jmd at mtunh.lincroftnj.ncr.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 16:10:43 -0600 (MDT) From: Greg Fisk <gregf at corona.med.utah.edu> Subject: HOPS-AAU measurement Help- I have lots of hops growing (8 varieties) but I have no idea how bitter they are. I have access to standard lab equipment and chemicals. If anyone has a protocol to determine the AAUs for hops please either post it or send by e-mail (gregf at corona.med.utah.edu) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 22:12 CDT From: arf at genesis.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling) Subject: filters >From: STROUD%GAIA at leia.polaroid.com >So, Jack, it would appear that if you are filtering your beer through a '0.5 micron' filter and getting a product that is not totally clear and devoid of all yeast, then something is amiss, either technique or filter size - most likely the filter size. Not sure whether you are agreeing with me or taking a poke. Clearly from everything I have written, including the cliche "all microns are not equal", objective readers will conclude that it is the filter that is at "fault". I put fault in quotes because even an expensive filter has an efficiency spec and will leak a certain amount of over size stuff. Better filters simply meet their specs more closely. I really think we have beaten this one to death and don't seem to be making much progress. >From: Don Put <dput at csulb.edu> > Besides, I have to beat js to the market with my motor/paddle assembly ;-) Too late! Just sold the first MIXMASHER (tm). I liked it so well that I bought the prototype. Seriously, I used it again this morning and I got something else for that museum,.. right next to the false bottom.... it's called a mixing spoon. js Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 19:28:15 EDT From: ben at fcmc.com (Ben Piela) Subject: newbie Questions Hello homebrew experts! I have a couple of questions regarding my experiences with homebrewing. I have just bottled my second batch, a summer type lighter colored ale, dry hopped with Cascade hop pellets. I, being the beginner that I am, used light malt extract (John Bull unhopped) in the cans, Cascade hop pellets, Irish Moss, Munton Dry Ale Yeast, water, etc. I also bought one of those 5 gal glass carboys for use during secondary fermentation. Now comes question number 1. The first time I brewed, I used hop plugs and put them in the boil in hop bags. This time I just threw the pellets in and I got a ton of sediment in my bucket when I went to rack it to the secondary. The sediment seemed to be pure hop sludge!! I used the Irish Moss so that my beer could be as clear as possible, but it seems like it was a waste of time because of all the suspended hops in the mix. I then dryhopped my last remaining ounce of hop pellets in the secondary and being the glutton for punishment that I am, I again noticed a substantial amount of hop sediment at bottling time. Should I have used the hop bags for the pellets also? Second topic - my lame first batch. Actually it wasn't that lame in the beginning. It was a darker beer and I primed it with the standard 3/4 cup corn sugar. When it was two weeks in the bottle, I tried some and it was ok. I thought that it was good for a first attempt and my friends that homebrew agreed. Alas, as time went on, the beer became very carbonated. Large soda-sized bubbles... it was horrible. I had about a six pack left over when I started the boil for my second batch and I noticed that one had exploded!!! I opened another bottle and I witnessed an extraordinary geyser affect about 1 foot high out of the bottle! What happenend here? What can I do to prevent this in the future? Any and all replys will be greatly appreciated. I look forward to the days of all grain brewing, but I feel I need to "master" the basic methods first. Thanks much, Ben Piela ben at fcmc.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 23:03:10 -0600 (MDT) From: jassmine s safier <safier at unm.edu> Subject: Non-alcholic malt beverage I would like information on how to brew a non-alcoholic drink made in Israel but not available in U.S. called "Nesher malt." It looks like a dark beer, has a nice body, tastes slightly sweet, and is known as "mother's beer" because it nourishes. They probably brew it to a certain point and then stop the fermentation and pasteurize it, but I don't know for sure. Thanks for any help. Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1469, 07/07/94