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

Contents:
  Boston Ale (pri=8 Marc San Soucie ms 019-890 x76723)
  Aluminum pots (Michael Bergman)
  Old Faithful (Tom Hotchkiss)
  specific gravity measurement problem (GARSKE)
  Homebrew Digest #162 (May 28, 1989) (Paul Placeway)

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Date: 30 May 89 17:36:55 EDT (Tue)
From: hplabs!decvax!wang!mds (pri=8 Marc San Soucie ms 019-890 x76723)
Subject: Boston Ale

More more news from the Boston area brewing scene. Recently I was in Cambridge
to hear Carla Bley and Steve Swallow play their Duets at the Regattabar,
expecting to down Harpoon draughts all evening, a pleasant enough way to
while away the time. The Regattabar, in keeping with its policy of keeping with
its clientele, has recently started serving the Boston Beer Company's new
Boston Ale, also known (incorrectly) as Sam Adams Ale. I couldn't turn down
the opportunity, nor, I found, could I turn down a repeat of the opportunity,
nor a repeat of the repeat. Simply put, Boston Ale is one of the best beers
I've ever drunk in the U.S., with all of the lovely hops character that makes
Harpoon so tasty, and all of the malt flavor that I've wished Harpoon had.
Really now, anyone who can make a beer this good can't be all bad. Give this
one a try if you see it somewhere.

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Date: Tue, 30 May 89 10:27:03 edt
From: bergman at m2c.org (Michael Bergman)
Subject: Aluminum pots

I would say not to cook anything acidic in an aluminum pot.  I would
imagine that would include most worts--and since you're keeping it at
high temperature for a relatively long time, I don't think it matters
whether its "highly" acidic or just "mildly" acidic--it won't eat
through the pot, but it'll get far enough to pick up a flavor.

Documentation:  I have witnessed the effects of a mild acid (tomato
paste) left in an aluminum pot overnight (don't think of it as losing
a pot--think of it as gaining a sieve...)  I have also noticed that
aluminum has a distinct taste.

Around here, one can frequently pick up inexpensive 5-7 gallon
enamelled pots intended for canning or juicing or steaming.  The local
surplus/salvage place has them frequently for about 5-6 bucks.  These
are cheap, thin pots that will not stand up to any abuse, but if you
treat them well they will get you going and keep you going for a
reasonable amount of time.  Stainless pots, new, go for somewhere in
the $60-$100 range at the restaraunt supply places, but can sometimes
be found cheap at auctions and tag sales.

--mike bergman

(w)  75 North Drive, Westborough, MA  01581, USA +1 (508) 870-0312
UUCP: harvard!m2c!bergman    INTERNET:   bergman at m2c.org         

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Date: Wed, 31 May 89 9:02:20 MDT
From: Tom Hotchkiss <trh at hpestrh>
Subject: Old Faithful

I have an interesting problem, and I was wondering if any of you out there
in brewland might have an explination.  About 3 months ago, I brewed a
batch of dark brown ale using all grain.  I did a step mash on my stove
and a 2 stage fermentation (no dry hopping).  Shortly after bottling, the
ale was fantastic although slightly over carbonated.  Now that it has
aged some, it has progressed from slightly over carbonated to a home
version of Old Faithful.  For example, I can pour one of these things as
carefully as possible into a liter mug and have the mug overflow with
foam after pouring 10oz or less.  Last night, I popped one and foam rose
out of the bottle for more than 10 minutes.  WTF?

Now, I have read in many places that infections can cause geyser like
action.  In this case however, once the foaming subsides, the brew smells
and tastes wonderful, in fact it's one of my best.  Also, I have consumed
a significant amount of this "Geyser Brown Ale" with no ill effects.
Anyone had any similar experiences?  Should I cease consuming the grog
lest I turn into a newt?

A couple more notes.  I carried out the saccrification step at 158 degrees
to produce a full bodied, sweet beer (this worked).  Also, I left the ale
in the secondary for 4 weeks, which I assumed was long enough.  Perhaps in
this case I should have let is sit longer before bottling?

T. Hotchkiss

(I don't know the full path for my mailbox, but it ends with trh at hpestrh)

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Date: Wed, 31 May 89 14:42:04 EDT
From: "Allen J. Hainer" <ajhainer at violet.waterloo.edu>

I started a batch of bitter about a week ago.  Yesterday I racked it
into the secondary, but when I tasted it, it wasn't nearly as bitter
as I would like.  Would it be possible to boil some hops and add them
to the wort next time I rack the beer?  Has anyone tried this or know
of a reason why it would not work?  Will the beer take longer to
clear?  Any comments would be appreciated.

-Al       ajhainer at violet.waterloo.edu

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Date: Wed, 31 May 89 20:10 EDT
From: GARSKE at ECS.UMASS.EDU
Subject: specific gravity measurement problem

	Gordon  Hester  wrote in Digest #165  that he had  accidentally  
measured the S.G.  of  only 2 gallons of wort.  Since  water has an S.G.
of 1.000 ( it is, in fact, the reference for the specific gravity scale)
multiplying the S.G. obtained for the 2 gallons by 0.4  is exactly the 
correction needed for the S.G. of the 5 gallon batch. This  of course
assumes that the wort is thermodynamically ideal.
	BTW, I am really enjoying reading the digest, and am learning lots.
					Cheers.
						Martha Garske

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Date: Wed, 31 May 89 16:38:26 EDT
From: Paul Placeway <paul at cis.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Homebrew Digest #162 (May 28, 1989)

  As for aluminium, while the link has been rumoured for years, only recently
  has data been available showing a correlation with high brain levels of 
  aluminium and senile dementia/alzheimer's, and the legal machinery moves
  slowly and laboriously.   

  a.e.mossberg - aem at mthvax.miami.edu - aem at miavax.SPAN - aem at umiami.BITNET 

Correlation != Causation.  Is there any data that indicates that
increased aluminum intake leads to increased levels of aluminum in the
brain?  Until there is hard data demonstrating this, the legal
machinery has every reason to move slowly.

(I'm not specifically advocating aluminum, I just havn't seen any
_real_ proof yet.)

		-- Paul Placeway
		   Ohio State Computer Science
		   paul at cis.ohio-state.edu

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End of HOMEBREW Digest #166, 06/01/89

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