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


Contents:
  Ultimate Fermenters/Cold Break/$1 CP Bottle Fillers (Kinney Baughman)
  poppets... (abaucom)
  WYEAST #1007 Anyone,Anyone! ("Joseph E. Santos")
  Boiling clorox (Kinney Baughman)
  Leaky Valves (Dean Pulsifer)
  RE:weizen (Jim Busch)
  Brown scum (SnowMS_at_CNTORSSA)
  Dry Hopping ("Roger Grow")
  Re: AHA guidelines (PatrickM50)
  UNSUCSCRIBE ("Burns*, Bill WA")
  Canning wort (Delano Dugarm EDITS 36478)
  Re: AOB Style guide (Spencer.W.Thomas)
  Tubing/ ("Fleming, Kirk R., Capt")
  1995 AHA Guidelines (Shawn Steele)
  Iodophors and drip drying (Pierre Jelenc)
  Mash Yield/Fermentability Experiments (Rob Reed)
  Sodium percarbonate sanitizing (Philip Gravel)
  Beer Formula Calculator 1.0 (Carlo Fusco)
  New Club need your help (DAVID DOUGLAS STRAIN)
  Differences between bottles and minikegs ("David H. Thomas")
  Anacortes Brewing CO./San Jaun Brewing (Jeff Wade)
  Spirit of Free Beer Homebrew Competition (Delano Dugarm EDITS 36478)
  Scaling Up Recipes (Jeff Bonner)
  inquiry (Mark Lee)
  Chlorine Crystals (sic) ("Palmer.John")
  RIMS info and sources (Chris Barnhart)
  AOB styles CHART w/SGs and IBUs (00bkpickeril)
  TSP vs Cu (usfmchql)
  request information (ELIZABETH  MCCLELLAN)



******************************************************************
* NEW POLICY NOTE: Due to the incredible volume of bouncing mail,
* I am going to have to start removing addresses from the list
* that cause ongoing problems. In particular, if your mailbox
* is full or your account over quota, and this results in bounced
* mail, your address will be removed from the list after a few days.
* 
* If you use a 'vacation' program, please be sure that it only
* sends a automated reply to homebrew-request *once*. If I get
* more than one, then I'll delete your address from the list.
******************************************************************
 
Send articles for __publication_only__ to homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
  (Articles are published in the order they are received.)
Send UNSUBSCRIBE and all other requests, ie, address change, etc.,
  to homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com, BUT PLEASE NOTE that if
  you subscribed via the BITNET listserver (BEER-L at UA1VM.UA.EDU),
  then you MUST unsubscribe the same way! 
If your account is being deleted, please be courteous and unsubscribe first.
Please don't send me requests for back issues - you will be silently ignored.
For "Cat's Meow" information, send mail to lutzen at novell.physics.umr.edu
ARCHIVES:
  An archive of previous issues of this digest, as well as other beer
  related information can be accessed via anonymous ftp at
  ftp.stanford.edu.  Use ftp to log in as anonymous and give your full
  e-mail address as the password, look under the directory
  /pub/clubs/homebrew/beer directory.  AFS users can find it under
  /afs/ir.stanford.edu/ftp/pub/clubs/homebrew/beer.  If you do not have
  ftp capability you may access the files via e-mail using the ftpmail
  service at gatekeeper.dec.com.  For information about this service,
  send an e-mail message to ftpmail at gatekeeper.dec.com with the word
  "help" (without the quotes) in the body of the message.


----------------------------------------------------------------------


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 00:19:36 -0400 (EDT)
From: Kinney Baughman <BAUGHMANKR at conrad.appstate.edu>
Subject: Ultimate Fermenters/Cold Break/$1 CP Bottle Fillers

Will Self raises some interesting ideas about fermenters. My original idea 
for a "bottomless" fermenter in the early 80's had many of the features 
Will describes.  Plain old economics reared its ugly head when I took my 
original design to a plastics manufacturer.  So back to the drawing board 
where the next go 'round in the prototype "lab" resulted in the BrewCap.  
As I explained to Will offline, the BrewCap isn't the perfect solution.  
But it *is* a $13.95 solution!!  And with a little attention to detail, 
satisfies the essential requirements of harvesting yeast and eliminating 
racking from the fermentation process. 

>I have tried the inverted carboy method using the brewcap, and the fatal
>flaw, I think, is that the shoulders are not steep enough and the yeast
>will not slide down them to the bottom.  (I even tried pushing a stainless
>steel scrubber into the brew and then moving it around with a strong
>magnet to remove yeast from the shoulders.)  Also I personally feel that
>the brewcap system is a lot of danged trouble.

As much as I'd rather let this comment pass, I just can't let people think 
the BrewCap is fatally flawed because of Will's experience.  I agree that 
the carboy shape is not ideal when it comes to the settling of the yeast.  
If I had any influence over the Mexican carboy manufacturers, I'd have had 
them remold their product years ago!!  But the BrewCap works in spite of it 
still.  The key is to twist the carboy back and forth *every* day.  (The 
instructions emphasize this, BTW.)  You can't wait until the yeast drops 
out of solution at the secondary stage.  If you do, stuff collects on the 
carboy shoulders, sticks, and interferes (though hardly obstructs) the 
desired settling of the yeast.  By following this technique, the yeast 
falls quite easily into the carboy neck where it falls into the yeast 
collection hose and is easily removed. 

I guess you can say the BrewCap is "a lot of danged trouble".  But, to me, 
the convenience of harvesting yeast directly from the fermenter, the 
elimination of racking to secondaries and priming tanks and the resultant 
cleaning of those vessels makes it worth it turning upside down once or 
twice (depending on whether you bottle or keg). 

>I would like to have a valve at the bottom of the fermenter and attach
>a collection jar below.  Here is my fondest hope:  That I could leave
>the valve open at pitching time and that any trub that I have got into
>my fermenter would settle into the collecting jar during the lag phase
>and could be removed.  

I'll get on my soapbox on this one so please forgive me.  (And this has 
nothing to do with the BrewCap).  Of all the things to worry about in the 
making of beer, I don't understand why some brewers get so bent out of 
shape over their beer resting on a little cold break in the fermenter?  
I'm the first to admit one shouldn't take hot break over into the 
fermenter.  (See my Zymurgy article of a couple of years ago for all the 
gory details.)  But the jury is out as to whether cold break has any 
deleterious effect on the flavor of beer.  My reading of the literature 
indicates it has no effect whatsoever on the more robust flavored beers.  
Period.  As for more delicate beers,  there "seems to be more possibility 
of having unacceptable sulphury aroma and taste" in beers where cold trub 
had not been removed "during the course of successive fermentations".  
(_Malting and Brewing Science, pp. 523-524).  

OK.  I admit the phrase "during the course of successive fermentations" is 
vague.  But I've always presumed they were referring to breweries where 
beers are being repitched successively.  If so, for those of us who tend to 
use fresh cultures each time, then the effects of cold trub on the flavor 
of beer is insignificant. 

In the same paragraph the authors state:  "The overall impression from 
other studies is that the presence of cold trub may stimulate the rate of 
fermentation, possibly by providing nuclei for carbon dioxide release..."
This is good.  This is not something to avoid.

As the years have gone by, I've tried to eliminate unnecessary steps from 
my brewing process.  Though I may be wrong and surely welcome debate to the 
contrary, I fall down on the side of the fence that says letting cold break 
settle and racking to the "real" fermenter 12 or so hours later is a waste 
of time.  In fact, it's asking for trouble.

Guess that ought to get a rise out of a few people!  :-)

Getting back to the matter at hand...

>You can see that one of my big aims is to totally eliminate racking.  I
>would want to send the beer straight from the fermenter into soda kegs.

I've been doing that for 11 years, Will!   :-)

On a less proprietary note:

Roger reposted Darren's $1 counter pressure filler idea.  A great gadget.  
We've used it at Tumbleweed for over a year now.  Just one *very* important 
point that wasn't mentioned in the original post.  It's imperative you 
prefill the bottles with CO2 before filling them with beer else you'll have 
oxidized beer in a month or so.  Even still, I wouldn't want them to sit 
around for several months if they've been bottled using this device.  I 
think it's better to go the bottle conditioning route if you plan on 
"laying a bottle down" for a while. 

Cheers ya'll,
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Kinney Baughman                      |      Beer is my business and
  baughmankr at conrad.appstate.edu       |      I'm late for work.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 7:07:11 EST
From: abaucom at fester.swales.com
Subject: poppets...


Stupid question...How does one remove the poppet from a pin-lock corny
keg?  It looks like the valve should unscrew but I have put a fair force
on it and nothing...I am afraid of shearing it off (sounds painful!).

tia,
 -Andrew

- ------
Andrew W. Baucom, abaucom at fester.swales.com

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 07:50:13 -0500 (EST)
From: "Joseph E. Santos" <jesantos at WPI.EDU>
Subject: WYEAST #1007 Anyone,Anyone!


	Fellow Brewers,

	I have just started an Oktoberfest using Wyeast #1007 (German ale 
yeast). I have never used this yeast before and have a few questions. I 
have noticed a slight sulphery odor in the fermenting blowoff. I have 
heard this is common with some lager yeasts but I have never heard of it 
in an ale yeast. Also, there seems to be high flocculation in the 
primary. I am interested to know if these are the normal characteristics 
of Wyeast 1007 and what the final characteristics will be in the brew 
(due to the yeast only). 
*****************************
	I have another product related question. In the process of 
gathering ingredients for this recipe I came across a new product (at 
least at the supply shop I frequent). It's called "Morgan's Blend Malt 
Extract" it is a pre blended extract of specialty grains. It comes in a 
2.2# can. Has anyone had any experience using this.
	TIA
	DR J (Just another happy homebrewer!)

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 09:06:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: Kinney Baughman <BAUGHMANKR at conrad.appstate.edu>
Subject: Boiling clorox

Pier Dutcher mentioned boiling clorox in his post about "cheep pumps".

This reminds me of a question I've been wanting to ask.  I'm almost 
positive that boiling clorox ruins its sterilization properties.  I've 
heard that this causes it to degenerate into some kind of harmless salt.

I'm no chemist so my question goes out to those who are.  I mentioned this 
to a friend in the past and he asked why, then, do people use clorox in hot 
water in their washing machines?

Second.  Assuming hot water does destroy clorox, how much contact time does 
the trick?  I ask this because a couple of times I've had problems with 
clorophenols at the Tumbleweed brewery.  I've eliminated it by doing 30 
minute to 1 hour boiling water soaks in our fermenters.  (We use HD 
polyethelene drums.  Why?  Economics.)  

Bringing 4 bbls. of water to a boil on brew day in the brewing kettle is 
a big pain so we are in the process of changing our sterilization program. 
I intend on using perasetic acid once a month to ensure absolute
sterilization of our barrels.  Then I plan on following that with a routine
iodophor soak the rest of the month to maintain sterility.  Both of these
solutions rinse well with smaller amounts of boiling water. 

But I still wonder whether how much into the overkill zone I've been with 
the 30 minute boiling water soaks on the old plan.

Wow!  Two posts in two days.  Just like the old days!!

Cheers!

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Kinney Baughman                      |      Beer is my business and
  baughmankr at conrad.appstate.edu       |      I'm late for work.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Return to table of contents


Date:  1 Mar 95  9:33:09 EST
From: Dean Pulsifer <aic8882 at lexmark.com>
Subject: Leaky Valves

  I finally get to contribute rather than just learn.  I went through several 
leaky valves before I hit upon the solution.  I removed the valve, wrapped it 
with teflon tape and reinserted.  It has not leaked since.

Dean A. Pulsifer -- Pulsifer at aol.com (preferred) Work is for work and Home is 
for brewing
AIC8882 at lexmark.com

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 09:44:00 -0500 (EST)
From: Jim Busch <busch at eosdev2.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: RE:weizen

Jeff asks:

<6 lbs. 6-row Lager Malt (Munich?  German?  Bavarian?)
<9 Lbs. Wheat Malt

You can use 6 row lager malt, but US 2 row works too.  I prefer to 
use continental Pils malt, though.

<I was planning on a 60-90 minute 125F protein rest
<a 60 minute rest at 152F
<a 30 minute rest at 158F
<a 170F mash-out

You might want to read Warners Wheat book, available from the AoB.
When using this much wheat, a decoction is pretty much mandatory.  Even
when using a 50/50% mix, this is one of the few styles that really
benefits from a dough in around 105-110F.  This temp will help adjust
the pH, reduce gums and beta glucans through the action of beta glucanase
and also liberate ferrulic acid bound to pentosans.  Warner lists the
optimum for this is 111F and 5.7 pH (pg 72, German Wheat Beer).  The
importance of liberating ferrulic acid is that this has been shown to
be a key precursor to the 4-vinyl guaiacol, which is responsible for
the characteristic phenols in weizens. 

60-90 minutes at protein temp is kinda overkill.  Id suggest a dough
in at 105F, rest for 10-15 minutes, then add heat to pass through to
122F. Hold there for 30 min, then raise to 152F for 60 min, then 
170 to mash off.  This would be an example of the upward step mash. If
you want to do a low temp and high temp rest, Id say rest 15 mins at
145 to maximize beta amylase activity, then push it to 158F to maximize
alpha amylase activity.  

For a decoction:  Id suggest a dough in at 105F, rest for 10-15 minutes, 
then add heat to pass through to 122F. Hold there for 20 min, pull 1/3rd
thick decoction.  Raise this to saacharification, hold 15-30 mins, then
boil it for 20 mins.  Combine the two mashes and hold at saacharification
until conversion is complete.  Then mash off.

A beta glucan rest (and decoction mashing) will make lautering weizens 
easier.

<For hops, I was planning a 60 minute boil with Tettnang, and using some
<Saaz at the end for nose.

Traditional weizens have no finish hops, nothing less than 20 minutes
to the end of the boil.

< For fermentation, I was planning on 14 days at 45F in primary,

You better do this at 60F or higher, or risk sluggish ferment and/or 
low ester and phenol production.  

Jim Busch
busch at mews.gsfc.nasa.gov

"DE HOPPEDUIVEL DRINKT MET ZWIER 'T GEZONDE BLOND HOPPEBIER!"

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 95 10:10:40 EST
From: SnowMS_at_CNTORSSA at CCIP.PERKIN-ELMER.COM
Subject: Brown scum


     Eamonn make a remark about the brown scum on the wall. Well I hate to 
     admit it but my wife is right, it is from the beer. Now I don't know 
     what it is! I don't think it is sugar, a rule of thumb for steam 
     distillation is greater than 1mm vapour pressure at 100C. I could not 
     find the vapour pressure for glucose(C6H12O6) but glycerol(C3H8O3) is 
     1mm at 125C and the relationship is nonlinear. In addition if it was 
     sugar and purified by steam distillation it would light in colour. I 
     would guess the material is the volatile components in the hops and 
     malt, maybe materials such as furfural and other compounds that can 
     polymerize to form the scum you are talking about. Anyone with other 
     ideas?
     
     Miles in the Maritimes

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 08:15:42 -0700
From: "Roger Grow" <grow at sumatra.mcae.stortek.com>
Subject: Dry Hopping

In HBD #1668 Rob Becker asks about forgotten hops;

Rob,
        It has been my experience that dry hopping produces good results,
but is a pain in the tush. What I have started doing is adding a "hop tea"
with my priming sugar instead.
        Put the hops in a mesh bag, and add to boiling water (2 cups?) for
the same amount of time you should have boiled them with the wort, then
add them to your bottling vessel with your priming sugar(boiled seperately).
        The first few times I tried this, I boiled my hops (in a bag) WITH
my priming sugar. Bad idea. The hops and the gause bag absorbed some of the
priming solution and wouldnt give it back (greedy buggers). I prime lightly
anyway, so I had a couple (slightly) under carbonated batches. I guess you
could add your priming sugar to the hop tea AFTER you have removed the hops,
just dont boil it too much longer, or you could loose some aroma (havent
tried this one, YMMV).
        This procedure also works good to pep up a beer that you decide is
under hopped at bottling time.

Hope this helps,
	Roger



Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 10:31:54 -0500
From: PatrickM50 at aol.com
Subject: Re: AHA guidelines

Domenick Venezia writes:

<<<<<<<<
I had the AOB (AHA) 1995 style guide e-mailed to me by accessing their
email server (info at aob.org, "styles" as the message body) and there are 
no specific gravity ranges quoted for any of the styles.  What gives?
>>>>>>>

I also got the style guide and noticed that there were not only no specific
gravity ranges, but also no IBU or SRM ranges either. Just descriptions of
the styles.  Could it be they have been reading the latest IBU thread and
figured they'd solve the IBU style matching problem by just not publishing
the range anymore??!! ;-O  Or maybe there is another list somewhere with our
*beloved* numbers.  I'll email aob and let the HBD know what I find.  To be
continued . . .

Return to table of contents


Date: 1 Mar 1995 10:35:44 U
From: "Burns*, Bill WA" <burns at pharos-tech.com>
Subject: UNSUCSCRIBE

UNSUCSCRIBE
___________________________________________________________________________=
____
To: Multiple recipients of list BEER-L
From: Posting Address Only - No Requests on Wed, Mar 1, 1995 3:58 AM
Subject: Homebrew Digest #1668 (March 01, 1995)
Enclosure: Homebrew Digest #1668 (March 01

Text too big (>32K). See enclosure.

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 14:35:00 -0500 (EST)
From: Delano Dugarm EDITS 36478 <ADUGARM at worldbank.org>
Subject: Canning wort

Kirk Harralson writes: 

>The idea of canning starter wort in quart-sized mason jars, as
>described in a few books and here on the digest, really appeals to 
>me.... [discussion of pressure canning vs. hot water bath deleted]  I 
>talked to some people who claim they have canned various low-acid 
>vegetables for years without using pressure methods, and everything 
>was fine.  

I've had this argument for years with members of my family about 
low-acid foods, and for me it gets down to this:  Pressure canning 
kills almost everything, hot water bath doesn't.  Sure, pressure 
canning takes a lot longer (waiting for the pressure in the canner to 
go down), and requires special equipment.  (A pressure canner big 
enough for 5 quart jars costs about $70 in the DC area.)  On the other 
hand, one of the best ways to get botulism is from home-canned, 
low-acid food.  "Putting Foods By," another good book on canning, has 
interesting statistics from the CDC Mortality and Morbidity Reports on 
this issue.  Plus, exploding mason jars lead to big clean up problems 
and anger from spouses.   

I pressure can my starters because I can easily borrow the pressure 
canner and it's worth the extra time for my peace of mind. Your 
Morbidity May Vary, of course. 

Delano DuGarm
adugarm at worldbank.org


Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 11:11:44 EST
From: Spencer.W.Thomas at med.umich.edu
Subject: Re: AOB Style guide

Domenick Venezia wrote about AOB Style guide: 
 > I had the AOB (AHA) 1995 style guide e-mailed to me by accessing their
 > email server (info at aob.org, "styles" as the message body) and there are 
 > no specific gravity ranges quoted for any of the styles.

For some reason I've never understood, the AHA lists the "numbers" in
a separate chart.  On their WWW page, it is listed as "coming soon".

=S

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 95 09:27:00 MST
From: "Fleming, Kirk R., Capt" <FLEMINGKR at afmcfafb.fafb.af.mil>
Subject: Tubing/


RE: HBD #1668

>From: "Becker, Robert" <beckerr at cclink.tfn.com>
>Subject: Hydrometer Calibration...

I recently received a catalog from a thermometer/hydrometer manufacturer
and all their hydrometers, precision, ASTM and certified included, are of
the paper-in-glass type.  I don't know *for a fact*, but I would expect
distilled water from the market at 60F would measure 1.000 to within the
limits of resolution of your hydrometer.  I wouldn't make any assumptions
about the density of any other material, unless it were a lab reagent.

In addition, based on a third-order polynomial to correct SG for 
temperature,
I concluded corrections for temperatures in the 50-80F range are not
significant. But, we recently acquired a replacement glass hydrometer jar
that is so close to the size of the hydrometer itself that, with high
viscosity worts, I feel it is seriously dampening the hyrdrometer motion and
reduces my trust that the thing is indeed floating.  I noticed one 
commercial
brewer using a large (1 1/4" OD) piece of copper tubing mounted on a base
for its hyrdometer jar--it allows plenty of room for the instrument,
transfers heat well to get the sample down as quickly as possible, doesn't
break, and looks very industrial.  You have to be careful about parallax.

>From: Jeff_Wolf_at_Penril-Eng at smtplink.penril.com
>Subject: Recipe for Fuller's Ales

Never heard of the Cat's Meow CDROM--really don't think it exists; please
correct me tho.  Anyway, Cat's Meow III at http://alpha.rollanet.org has
at least two recipes which claim to emulate Fuller's, and each contains
some additional information regarding what is known/not known about this
beer's incorporation of specific hops.  See Jim Busch's as an example.
CM III has about six or so bitters recipes--under Pale Ale category (?).
BTW, your system manager must just go insane with those usernames! :-)

>From: Domenick
>Subject: AOB Style guide

The 1994 Guidelines at The Brewery (http://alpha.rollanet.org) contains
the OG ranges for all the beers, but also contains a hotlink to a table
of the same information--this is a hotlink to a single file that can of
course be downloaded to your local client.  I am in the process of doing
the update to the 1995 Guidelines and will be done this weekend.  The
file should be posted real soon now, along with the 1995 Guidelines
themselves.

One thing that I noticed about the 1994-to-1995 delta is that in nearly
every style the recommended diacetyl levels have been reduced--phrase
changes from "Low diacetyl OK" have in most cases changed to "No diacetyl".
Experienced beer canoyziers please comment on why.  This seems like a
unilateral *definition* of beer styles, rather than a reflection of actual
beer styles as defined by commercial practice--OR, do the 1995 Guidelines
simply reflect more accurately what is actually tasted in real products?

>From:klo at fluent.com (Kirk L. Oseid)
>Subject: High Temperature, Low Pressure Hose

The vinyl tubing you can buy at any hardware store (crystal clear) is rated 
to 140F, but we've used it with a pump to move 180F wort.  It's cheap and
would work fine for your gravity feed setup.  I don't like it because at
operating temperature it has no mechanical strength, it stains, and it does
not get along well with long exposure to chlorine bleach solution.  Its
redeeming quality is availability and cost.  I have not verified that it
contributes taste.

Kirk R Fleming
 -flemingkr at afmcfafb.fafb.af.mil

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 09:14:16 -0700
From: Shawn Steele <shawn at aob.org>
Subject: 1995 AHA Guidelines

> I had the AOB (AHA) 1995 style guide e-mailed to me by accessing their
> email server (info at aob.org, "styles" as the message body) and there are 
> no specific gravity ranges quoted for any of the styles.  What gives?
> Is this an attempt to define away the "big beer" out-of-style problem
> so eloquently described by Spencer Thomas in the most recent issue of 
> Zymurgy (letters)?  Is this part of the AHA/BJCP conspiracy?  Have 
> aliens infiltrated the AHA in an attempt to bring down western 
> civilization through confusion of beer styles?  The TRUTH is out there,
> but where?

Yes, there are specific gravity ranges, etc. in the 1995 style guide.  Due to
the size of the tables, I have had difficulty figuring out how to put them on a
relativly narrow 80-column screen.  I hope to post a 100-column version by the
end of the week, but it won't be pretty if you can't get it onto a wide screen
(or print it in a smaller font.)

> Gary Bell asks:
> >Someone mentioned the 1995 style guidelines.  Are they posted anywhere
> >for downloading?
> 
> They may already be posted--I don't know where.  I just completed the
> guidelines last night in HTML format, and need to go over some of the
> value-added data originally started by Spencer.  I should be donw with
> the proofreading today.  As soon as I can coordinate with Lutzen and
> Stevens of The Brewery Web page, expect to see the Guidelines there.
> Kirk R Fleming
>  -flemingkr at afmcfafb.fafb.af.mil
>  -BEER: It's not just for breakfast anymore.

The guidelines (except the table) already exist in the AOB's area of The
Brewery, and also at the AOB's web site at http://www.aob.org/aob/aob.html.  I
intend to post the table to the web site soon.  (Hopefully by the time this
message is distributed.)  The rules themselves should also appear at the web
site shortly.

 - shawn

P.S.  Feel free to comment on how well our web site & the info at aob.org e-mail
work for YOU.

Shawn Steele
Information Systems Administrator     (303) 447-0816 x 118   (voice)
Association of Brewers                (303) 447-2825         (fax)
736 Pearl Street                      shawn at aob.org          (e-mail)
PO Box 1679                           info at aob.org           (aob info)
Boulder, CO  80306-1679               http://www.aob.org/aob (www web)

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 11:40:09 EST
From: Pierre Jelenc <pcj1 at columbia.edu>
Subject: Iodophors and drip drying

In HBD #1668, Tony McCauley -- afmccaul at ilstu.edu asks:

> I need a method that will not require the surface (carboy, etc) to be
> drip dried.  Iodaphor is an option, but my understanding (limited) is that
> iodaphor treated surfaces will need to be dry in order to ensure the
> iodaphor is gone. 

"Drip dry" means that you let all the drops fall out, as much as 
possible. It does *not* mean that the surface should be dry. Any residual 
iodine will react instantaneously with organic components of the wort and 
will be gone by the time the yeast is pitched.

Incidentally, the word is spelled "iodOphor". It is the same connecting 
"o" as in "a Sino-Japanese venture" or "Anglo-Indian" or "Bromo-Seltzer".

Pierre

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 11:42:20 -0500 (EST)
From: Rob Reed <rhreed at icdc.delcoelect.com>
Subject: Mash Yield/Fermentability Experiments

I have conducted some experiments on mash extract yield and fermentability
as a followup to some work Dr. Fix reported on in Aug. 94 in HBD.  I thank 
Dr. Fix for inspiration for this work and also for technical assistance 
in setting up the experiments and interpreting my results.  I ran the 
experiments to determine the effects of the 40/60/70C mash program on yield
and fermentability in my homebrewery.  While I don't consider the results 
definitive in the realm of mashing grains, I do think they provide useful 
data on the effects of low temperature (40C/105F) mash rests and 
manipulating fermentability via 140F/158F mash rests.
  
  
**  Mash Yield Experiment  **
  
The following experimental mashes were conducted to determine the effects 
on extract efficiency in an infusion mash with the following options:
a) 30 minute rest at 105F 'beta-glucanase/liquification of amylases' 
b) 15 minute rest at 165-170F 'Mash-out'
   
The following conditions were used for all experiments:
   
o Softened carbonate well water boiled 20 min. with 1.5 tsp. CaSO4 / 5 gal. 
  to reduce carbonate/bicarbonate hardness. Used for mash and sparge.
o HDM Belgian Pale Ale malt - 2# grist per mash crushed w/ fixed roller 
  JSP grain mill 
o Total mash water = 1.25qts./lb. grist
o Sparge water = 165-170F / 1.4-1.5qts./lb. grist
o Total sweet wort runoff = 5-6qts. (2.5-3.0 qts./lb.) 
o Sparge time = 10 min. to gather 5-6qts. runoff
o Lautering/Sparging conducted in 5gal. Gott cooler w/ false bottom
o Mash pH 5.3 - 5.5 
  
  
1)Mash-in  at  155F - hold for 60 min.
  'One-Step Infusion' extract efficiency = 55% = 1.024 s.g./lb. in 1 gal.  
  
2)Mash-in  at  155F - hold for 60 min - boost to 165-170 F - hold 15 min.
  grist doughed in at mash water rate of 1.25 qts./lb. grist - external 
  heat boost to 165-170F
  'Step Infusion_MO'  extract efficiency = 64% = 1.028 s.g./lb. in 1 gal. 
  
3)Mash-in  at  105F (0.75 qts. water/lb. grist) - hold 30 min. - boiling 
  water boost (0.5 qt./lb. grist) + external heat to 155F - hold 60 min.
  'Step Infusion_BG'   extract efficiency = 68% = 1.030 s.g./lb. in 1 gal.  
  
4)Mash-in  at  105F (0.75 qts. water/lb. grist) - hold 30 min. - boiling 
  water boost (0.5 qt./lb. grist) + external heat to 155F - hold 60 min.
  external heat infusion to 165-170F - hold 15 min.
  'Step Infusion_BG_MO' extract efficiency = 71% = 1.031 s.g./lb. in 1 gal.
  			
  
Conclusions:
 o In this experiment, a 30 min. rest at 105F was more effective in 
   increasing yield than a 15 min. 165-170F mashout rest.
 o In this experiment, when a 30 min. rest at 105F was employed, only 
   a minor increase in yield was obtained with a 15 min. 165-170F mashout
   rest.  
  
  
**  Fermentability Experiment  **
  
Several experimental mashes were conducted to evaluate the effects on 
fermentability of 140F/40C rests of 0 min, 15 min., and 30 min. using 
a 40/60/70/75 mash program.
  
Details of this experiment are as follows:
o Mash conditions from Extract Efficiency experiment were used
o A large amount of M&F dried yeast (2 grams /qt.) was pitched to insure 
  complete fermentation
o 20 oz. experimental worts were fermented for 3 days at 66-68F in 
  Korbel (squat) champagne bottles.
  
Worts from the following three mashes were fermented:
  
Mash Rest Temp.105F/40C	140F/60C	158F/70C	167F/75C
Fermentability
High		30 min.	30 min.		30 min.		15 min.
Medium		30 min.	15 min.		45 min.		15 min
Low		30 min.	-		50 min.		15 min
  
Fermentation results are summarized below:
  
Fementability	Original Gravity	Final Gravity	Apparent Attenuation
High		1.052			1.017		67%
Medium		1.054			1.019		65%
Low		1.050			1.019		62%
  
  
Conclusions: Fermentability Experiment
  
o Apparent attenuation trend matched expectations. 
o Apparent attenuation could be further increased by a 45-60 min. rest at 
  140F prior to the boost to 158F.
o Apparent attenuation can be decreased through the addition of specialty 
  malts such as dextrin or crystal malt.
  
  
 
 Rob Reed 
  
- -------------------------------------------------------------------

Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 28 Feb 95 23:19 CST
From: pgravel at mcs.com (Philip Gravel)
Subject: Sodium percarbonate sanitizing

===> BrewBeerd at aol.com asks about sodium percarbonate:

>I would be interested in a having the professional chemists and
>biologists among us discuss this. It's been a LONG time since I had my
>college chemistry courses, but I recall the PER indicates one more
>oxidation state (additional oxygen molecule) over the carbonate. It
>makes sense that sodium percarbonate Na2CO4 in aqueous solution would
>react to give off the oxygen as a gas more readily than would sodium
>carbonate Na2CO3. Both leave HCO3- and OH- in solution.  Strongly
>basic.  (Hydrogen peroxide in H2O decomposes to H2O and [1/2]O2, so
>H2O2 in solution w/sodium carbonate as a result of using sodium
>percarbonate is unlikely.)

You're correct about the "per" in a chemical name.  Essentially,
peroxides are similar to hydrogen peroxide.  Sodium carbonate doesn't
give off oxygen so sodium percarbonate would have to give off more.
Actually, I would expect sodium percarbonate to be more a stable
peroxide (give off oxygen less readily) than hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide and other peroxides can decompose to give off oxygen
gas.  This is often catalyzed by transition metals such as iron.
However, this is not the mechanism (forming oxygen gas) by which they
exert their sanitizing effects.  Like chlorine in chlorine bleach
(sodium hypochlorite), oxygen in peroxides is in an chemically
unstable, oxidized state.  As such, bleach and peroxides are oxidizing
agent.  Peroxides can, in principle, cause the same kinds of reactions
with organic materials as chlorine bleach does and similarly interfere
with and stop metabolic processes.

Unlike peroxides, bleach doesn't readily undergo decomposition to give
off chlorine gas.  Hope this helps.

- -- 
Phil
_____________________________________________________________
Philip Gravel                                 pgravel at mcs.com

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 12:24:54 -0500
From: Carlo Fusco <fusco at io.org>
Subject: Beer Formula Calculator 1.0

Hello Brewers,

I finally did it. You can get a copy of my MS-Excel spreadsheet Beer
Formula Calculator from the HBD Archives.

This spread sheet was designed using Excel 4.0 for the Mac, but it can
be used by both Mac and Dos based machines since Excel saves its
documents in a format that can be read by both platforms. I have
uploaded two versions, a binhex file for Mac users and a zip file for
Dos users. See the readme.txt file for more info on the spreadsheet.

Right now, you can find it in:
ftp.stanford.edu/pub/clubs/homebrew/submissions

Stephen will probably move them in the next day or two and I am sure he
will post to tell everyone where they have been moved to.

Cheers
Carlo

- --
Carlo Fusco   Aurora, Ontario, Canada       Certified Beer Judge (BJCP)
              fusco at io.org                  Canadian Amateur Brewers
              ab779 at freenet.toronto.on.ca   Association Board Member

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 10:52:02 -0700
From: DAVID DOUGLAS STRAIN <STRAINDD at vortex.t-bird.edu>
Subject: New Club need your help

The Brewmeisters Club needs some assistance.

A new club has poped up in Phoenix, AZ and the club is looking for 
guest speakers. The club is well established with over 90 members, 
and meets every Wednesday to not only brew a batch of beer, but to 
discuss special topics. The club is affiliated with Thunderbird-The 
American Graduate School of International Management, and meets on 
campus. 

If anyone in the Phoenix area could assist, please respond to the 
address listed below. We welcome all responses.

David D. Strain - President
Internet: straindd at vortex.t-bird.edu

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 13:03:48 -0500 (EST)
From: "David H. Thomas" <dhthomas at lis.pitt.edu>
Subject: Differences between bottles and minikegs

Recently, I was at a friend's house, trying his new brown ale from a
minikeg. He was eager for the assemblage to taste the brew, as he had
already tasted the brew from bottles and thought it tasted pretty good.
Imagine his (and our) surprise when we cracked open the keg and found it
to be extremely cidery. What's more, when we tasted the bottled portion of
the batch, it didn't have the same cideryness to it. 

The two containers were brewed at the same time; only the storage methods 
were different. Does anyone know if the method of storage can affect the 
final flavor of a brew?

Here are some more points:
  * the minikeg was a 5 liter job (I don't know more specifics)
  * we had problems with the CO2 cartridge to begin with, and the first
    few glasses came out foam only
  * The recipe he used included some corn sugar (I have suggested he use
    all malt in the future), and only 4 lbs of malt

Any help would be welcome!

David Thomas
dhthomas at lis.pitt.edu


Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 10:24:50 -0700
From: jeffpolo at mail.eskimo.com (Jeff Wade)
Subject: Anacortes Brewing CO./San Jaun Brewing

Yes... The Beer Hunter, Jr.,  has  conquered yet 2 more breweries!

The Anacortes Brew house, located in Anacortes, WA gets my thumbs up most
definitely!  A total of 6 beers were offered to me and every last one was
unique for the style, and extremely favorable.

River Otter Porter:
        A dark, rich, full bodied ale.  Chocolate malt flavor dominates
this complex ale.  Very soft and qu affable :)

Pale Ale:
        A light golden ale, with significant maltiness, dry hopped with Mt.
Hood hops.

Flashing Amber Ale:
        Rich copper color, full bodied malt flavor with a balanced
bitterness, slight fruitiness and a *GREAT* Cascade hop finish :)

Seasonal/Specialty-Stout:
        Creamy body with a blended taste of coffee and toffee(balanced).
Clinging head throughout.

LongBoat Lager:
        A deep gold Czech style pilsner.  Four week lagering.  Reminded me
of a lot of the *great* Canadian Pilsners at some of the micro-breweries in
Vancouver, BC.

Scottish Ale:
        Complex, malty, full bodied ale.  Six malts and three hops.  Dry
hopped with Chinook.  If I may, this one reminded me of one of my personal
favorites in the Seattle, WA area named as ESB, by Redhook Brewing Co. :)


        In closing..... "You can burp the freshness of these beers!"
Great menu, and Brewer Paul Wasik has Beer Dinners quite often.

320 Commercial AVE/(360) 293-2444

**San Jaun Brewing Co**  Friday Harbor, WA/I feel would be to my advantage,
to not say anything at all... mabey it was just the weather ??

Internet: Jeffpolo at eskimo.com
OFFICIAL *under-construction* PAGE OF
        HONEY BEE HAMS.
WWW/http://www.eskimo.com/~jeffpolo/
Eskimo North/Bellevue, WA
              '''
             (0 0)
  +----oOO----(_)-----------+
  |   There is NO beer in   |
  | Heaven, that is why we  |
  |  drink and Brew it on   |
  |          Earth!         |
  +------------------oOO----+
            |__|__|
             || ||
            ooO Ooo



Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 16:36:00 -0500 (EST)
From: Delano Dugarm EDITS 36478 <ADUGARM at worldbank.org>
Subject: Spirit of Free Beer Homebrew Competition

The Washington, DC area is hosting a major regional homebrew
competition on May 20, 1995.  The Third Annual Nation's Capital 
"Spirit of Free Beer" Homebrew Competition is sanctioned by the 
HWBTA/BJCP program.  The contest includes 67 beer styles grouped 
into twelve major classes.  Last year's competition drew 243 entries.

As the competition organizer for the Brewers United for Real Potables
(BURP) homebrew club, I am encouraging brewers of all skill levels to
enter their homebrews in this competition.  The Potomac River Brewing
Company has agreed to accommodate cold storage needs and judging will
take place on-site in closed session to avoid mistreatment of
entries.  This competition is an excellent opportunity to have beers
judged in comparison to beers from a wide geographic region and get
quality feedback.  Scoresheets will be *promptly* returned following
judging.  

Although the primary objective of the homebrew competition is to
provide constructive comments on the entries, we are currently in the
process of assembling a full range of prizes to be sponsored by
regional microbreweries, homebrew supply shops, bars, restaurants,
and others.  More than $2000 worth of prizes ($50-$100 gift
certificates for mail order homebrew supplies, sacks of British malt,
a 3l bottle of Corsendonk Pale Ale, etc.) were awarded at last year's
competition. (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each class, plus 1st, 2nd,
3rd place best of show)

The Nation's Capital "Spirit of Free Beer" Homebrew Competition
provides an excellent opportunity for judges participating in the
Beer Judge Certification Program to earn some experience points.  We
expect to exceed the number of entries received at last year's
competition .  We have volunteers willing to provide lodging for
judges staying overnight.  Anyone interested in judging can contact
the Judging Coordinator, Rick Garvin, at rgarvin at btg.com.  

Get those fermentation locks bubbling and send us your entries.  If
you would like to recieve an information packet on the Nation's
Capital "Spirit of Free Beer" Homebrew Competition (including full
rules and entry forms), please send private e-mail to me at 
adugarm at worldbank.org or leave your USPS address on my answering 
machine at (703) 516-9659.  Thanks!!

Delano DuGarm
adugarm at worldbank.org


Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 10:32:40 PST
From: Jeff Bonner <t3345 at fel1.nfuel.com>
Subject: Scaling Up Recipes

Fellow Internet Homebrew Surfers-

I have always wondered how one would scale up say a 5 gal. batch to 100 gal.
Is it just a matter of a 1 to 1 ratio or after some point (x gal.) the ratio
changes (.75 to 1).  Also, how does the hop and yeast scale up.

Thanks in advance!
- --
Jeffrey B. Bonner - BWR Nuclear Engineering

Office: (509)375-8741, Rm. 867
email: jbb at fred.nfuel.com (work)
       nukebrewer at aol.com (home)
       

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed,  1 Mar 1995 18:00:00 GMT
From: mark.lee at access.gov (Mark Lee)
Subject: inquiry

I know this group is about homebrew but I was wondering if any readers
in the Boston area would be willing to purchase and send me some Sam
Adams Cranberry Lambic.  In return, I would make a purchase of some
equivalent like Celis Grand Cru (a Belguim brewery here in Austin
Texas).  If interested, contact me by private email.  Thanks.

Return to table of contents


Date: 1 Mar 1995 12:17:12 U
From: "Palmer.John" <palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com>
Subject: Chlorine Crystals (sic)

Eamonn asked:
>There was a recent posting about not letting chlorine solutions dry on
>equipment, because something crystalizes when it dries. Does this ring a bell
>for anyone? Please e-mail me if you remember the digest number please. I
>just read this month's CABA newsletter where it was suggested that brewers
>sanitize their beer bottles whenever they feel like it by soaking in bleach
>water for a day or more. Then letting them dry without rinsing, and covering
>the tops with aluminum foil. Something like Papazian's suggestion in the
>Companion. This seems to be a bad idea if nasty tasting chlorine compounds
>crystalize out. I was hoping to write them a response, but need the reference
>please.

If I am correct, what you are referring to is a post I did a while back on
corrosion of steel as a result of bleach water drying. In that case, when the
water evaporates, the chlorides are concentrated at that spot causing eventual
pinhole corrosion of the steel after repeated wettings. 
I dont know what CABA is, but I like to rinse my chlorine sanitized bottles
with boiled water to prevent chlorophenol tastes in the beer. "Nasty tasting
chlorine compounds crystalizing out" is not accurate. Chlorophenols are formed
after bottling by reactions with the free chlorides and the beer (I think
that's right). Detectable levels of Chlorophenols should not be a problem for
not rinsing, depending on the original concentration, but I do it anyway. I
believe 1 tablespoon per gallon (4 ml/l) is the standard sanitizing
concentration and won't produce detectable levels if the bottles are well
drained.

John J. Palmer - Metallurgist for MDA-SSD M&P
palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com  Huntington Beach, California
Homepage at www.primenet.com/~johnj/

Return to table of contents


Date:     Wed, 1 Mar 95 14:44:32 EST
From: Chris Barnhart <clbarnha at letterkenn-emh1.army.mil>
Subject:  RIMS info and sources

Hi all,

Okay, I'm going to take a shot at building a RIMS.  I've got most
of the details worked out but I'm not real strong in the
electronics department.  Can anyone give me alternatives to
building the Rodney Morris speed and temperature controllers from
scratch?  I don't mind populating a pre-etched circuit board if
these can be obtained anywhere.  I could even etch my own
given the artwork.  I would also like input on how other folks
built thier heat chambers.  Any help much appreciated.

Thanks, Chris

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 15:08:31 -0500 (EST)
From: 00bkpickeril at bsuvc.bsu.edu
Subject: AOB styles CHART w/SGs and IBUs

On Mon, 27 Feb., Domenick Venezia <venezia at zgi.com> said:

>I had the AOB (AHA) 1995 style guide e-mailed to me by accessing their
>email server (info at aob.org, "styles" as the message body) and there are
>no specific gravity ranges quoted for any of the styles.  What gives?
>Is this an attempt to define away the "big beer" out-of-style problem
>so eloquently described by Spencer Thomas in the most recent issue of
>Zymurgy (letters)?  Is this part of the AHA/BJCP conspiracy?  Have
>aliens infiltrated the AHA in an attempt to bring down western
>civilization through confusion of beer styles?  The TRUTH is out there,
>but where?

I emailed for this right after reading the HBD, and got the verbose
description from the mailbot, but then, a few hours later, I got a
very nice chart w/ OG,FG,%alc,IBUs and color from Shawn at aob.org.  If
you did not get this, you might want to try again.

- --Brian Pickerill  <00bkpickeril at bsuvc.bsu.edu> Muncie, Indiana

Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 15:46:26 EST
From: usfmchql at ibmmail.com
Subject: TSP vs Cu                                                        


Here's one for the HBD chemistry/metallurgy thought center:

Will TSP (trisodium phosphate) react with Cu? In either case (yes or no), is
there a safe soaking time? If so, how long? Overnight?

TIA!

Brew on!
Patrick (Pat) G. Babcock
usfmchql at ibmmail.com
(313)33-73657 (V)
(313)59-42328 (F)


Return to table of contents


Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 13:49:02 -0700
From: ELIZABETH MCCLELLAN <1MCCLEEL at UVSC.EDU>
Subject:  request information



Return to table of contents

End of HOMEBREW Digest #1670, 03/03/95