HOMEBREW Digest #1676 Fri 10 March 1995
Digest #1675
Digest #1677
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Priming, sugar vs. malt? (Dave Coombs)
World Cup of Beer (David Klein)
DME vs. dextrose priming/extract yields/"lost" carbonation (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
Yeast Washing (A. J. deLange)
Yeast in Septic/Celis/Mead (Glenn E Matthies)
Wheat Extraction Rates (Aaron Shaw)
More on Extract Yield and Mash Out (Dr. Timothy J. Dalton)
Maple and Dry-hopping ("Timothy P. Laatsch)
Re: Counterflow chiller (TomF775202)
Re:DWC Pils (TomF775202)
Re: Assesment of AHA (TomF775202)
Re: used chiller (TomF775202)
Re: RIMS (TomF775202)
Re: Hop Family Tree (Aidan Heerdegen)
Beer Bread Recipe (Henson W.C.(Bill))
Smoking grain (Michael L Montgomery +1 708 979 4132)
Floreffe Belgial Ale (Michael L Montgomery +1 708 979 4132)
Return of the Thermal Barrier: Boiling Chlorox - Buzz Off, Kirk! (usfmchql)
Re: Canning question results (Allan Rubinoff)
Mini-Kegs & CO2 (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
Jurassic Brews rp (Tim Fields)
Well chlorination (Btalk)
Dry Hopping: pellets Vs whole ("Keith Royster")
BU Procedures ("Daniel S McConnell")
Community College Homebrewing Classes (L M Sabo)
Re: Morris Mashing (was RIMS) (Brian J Walter (Brewing Chemist))
Canning wort & botulism (Jeff Benjamin)
Something for St Padraig (VIALEGGIO)
CORONA recipe found (Johnny B. Andrews)
lime /a RIMS by any other name.../more RIMS stuff (Eamonn McKernan)
United Utensils (Fred Waltman)
brewing position open (BTEditor)
Quick note on Stainless ("Palmer.John")
To pitch or not to pitch (Don Rudolph)
******************************************************************
* 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: Tue, 07 Mar 95 18:35:00 -0500
From: Dave Coombs <coombs at cme.nist.gov>
Subject: Re: Priming, sugar vs. malt?
Joseph_Fleming_at_GSA-2P__2 at ccgate1.gsa.gov asks about using sugar
to prime. Someone else will have to comment on priming with gyle,
but I usually use DME. However, I've used corn sugar in the past
and cane sugar when I've run out of DME. I can't taste the
difference. Malt seems to take a little longer to carbonate.
However, I have a friend who's stongly allergic to corn. Allergies
are probably the only strong argument I can conceive for avoiding
any particular sugar.
Think about it: you're priming with 1/4 pound of sugar after you
ferment with 6-10 # of malt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dave Coombs david.coombs at nist.gov
National Institute of Standards & Technology Tel: (301) 975-2865
Intelligent Systems Division FAX: (301) 990-9688
Building 220 Room B-124 recep: (301) 975-3441
Gaithersburg MD 20899 USA http://isd.cme.nist.gov/staff/coombs/
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 15:33:08 -0800 (PST)
From: David Klein <klein at physics.Berkeley.EDU>
Subject: World Cup of Beer
Just a brief note to reming you all that the deadline for the 1st annual
World Cup of Beer is fast approaching (it is March 15th, finals are the
26th).
All is shaping up for an excellent fun competition, with great judging
(many local judges, professional brewers, and the like (including Michael
Lewis from Davis)). We are also expecting a great party which will
provide a chance to share homebrew, and chat with the judges and other
participants.
If you never got the origninal information (or lost it) email me
(klein at physics.berkeley.edu) for more info. We also have a mosiac page.
It's address is
http://www.talamasca.com/bam/wcb/
Have fun,
David Klein
Organizer, 1995 World Cup of Beer
Return to table of contents
Date: 7 Mar 95 15:06:00 -0600
From: korz at iepubj.att.com (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
Subject: DME vs. dextrose priming/extract yields/"lost" carbonation
Joe writes:
> I've seen several recipes listing high-quality ingredients but then
> use sugar to prime. My natural inclination is to stick with
> Reinheitsgebot, at least when not brewing a "specialty" or "flavored"
> beer. Can someone quantify the advantages and disadvantages of using
> sugar over malt?
This is one of my favorite topics. Malt extract contains protein and corn
sugar does not. If you do use DME to prime, I suggest you boil it well
and force-chill it (just like a small batch of beer) to settle the cold
break. Pour off the priming solution, but don't add the break. After
several experiments, I've convinced myself that the "ring around the collar"
in my DME-primed bottles was actually protein and NOT an infection. Switching
back to corn sugar eliminated the ring along with the need to force-chill the
primings. 1/3- to 1-cup of corn sugar is not going to alter the flavour of
a 5 gallon batch of beer. There's just not enough there to make a difference.
Some have reported that priming with extract gives finer bubbles. I have
not noticed a difference personally, but Dave Miller claims that it takes
some time for the produced CO2 to dissolve in the beer (or something like
that). Perhaps it's the fact that it takes longer for DME-primed beers to
carbonate that makes the DME-primed beers appear to have finer carbonation.
***
Ralph writes:
> Now, the hook: Has anyone out there seen a FAQ or the like citing OG for
>specific brands of extracts?
Sure. The second to last issue of Zyumurgy had an article on this. They
actually tested something like 20 different extracts. I believe it was
the Winter `95 issue.
****
There were two posts about flat or inconsistent carbonation.
My question is: Did you boil the bottlecaps to sanitize? This could be
the problem. Smartcaps (PureSeal) bottlecaps lose their ability to
absorb oxygen if you boil them, but boiling *regular* caps can damage the
plastic liners which can lead to leaking. If you did not boil the caps,
perhaps your capper is not adjusted correctly and is not crimping the
caps on far enough. Finally, were these plastic-lined or cork-lined caps?
If they were cork-lined, I would be surprised if they *didn't* leak.
Al.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 16:35:53 -0500
From: ajdel at interramp.com (A. J. deLange)
Subject: Yeast Washing
PGILLMAN at POMONA.EDU asks about references on washing yeast.
Hough, Briggs, Stevens and Young, "Malting and Brewing Science", Chapman
and Hall, London,1982 discuss this on p767 of Vol II, They state that the
pH should never fall below 2.8.
Broderic, H.M. ,Ed. "The Practical Brewer", Master Brewers Association of
America, Madison, WI 1977 covers washing on p216-217. pHs from 2.2 - 2.8
are mentioned with contact times reduced at lower pH. A warning is given
that chemical washing "..represents a drastic measure which may affect the
yeast and its brewing performance."
DeClerk, J "A Textbook of Brewing", Chapman and Hall, London, 1957 briefly
mentions washing with a 1:1000 solution of phosphoric acid to kill lactic
infection (Vol I, p 405).
Hardwick, W.A., Ed. "Handbook of Brewing", Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York,
1995 has the most thorough treatment of the four references and also
mentions a range of pHs from 2 - 2.8 with contact times varying. See pp
193-194. They mention that there is debate as to whether washing is a good
idea or not but feel that it is OK if properly carried out.
AJ
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 20:24:42 -0500
From: au075 at freenet.buffalo.edu (Glenn E Matthies)
Subject: Yeast in Septic/Celis/Mead
Charles Deaton asked about the impact of yeast on his septic tank.
Years ago when a septic tank was "slow", people would
drop a cake of bakers yeast in to get the action going again.
The brewers yeast you are dumping down your drain should be doing
the same. Most ot the chemicals that go down the drain are
harmful to the bacteria at work in the septic tank (detergents etc
The yeast dumping practice is probally beneficial. And no, your
septic tank will not explode because of it.
Someone (not sure who) posed the question why would Pierre sell-
out to Miller. Answer:$$$ He sold out to Interbrew didn't he?
Question: Does anyone have the address to "The Mead Lovers Digest"?
I know its out there but I don't know where. TIA
- --
Glenn-on-the-Locks
Lockport, NY
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 20:18:36 -0500
From: ar568 at freenet.carleton.ca (Aaron Shaw)
Subject: Wheat Extraction Rates
Greetings!
I was wondering about the extraction rates of malted
wheat. Can I expect to get the same amount of sugars from
wheat as I would from malted barley? Does any one know how
many points/ pound/ gallon that I should expect from using
malted wheat?
Any information on the above will be greatly appreciated.
- --
"Come my lad, and drink some beer!"
Aaron Shaw
Ottawa, Canada
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 21:29:39 -0500
From: tjd at tiac.net (Dr. Timothy J. Dalton)
Subject: More on Extract Yield and Mash Out
I looked up a reference on my earlier statement on mash extract and
temperature. The following is from Malting & Brewing Science, Vol I. Pg.
328
"The sparge temperature is often as high as can be achieved without
extracting any unconvertd starch from the goods, usually around 77C
(170F). This means that the temperature of goods, which falls slightly
during the stand period, gradually rises to above 74C (165F) by the end
of the sparge. The efficiency of extraction is enhanced by the increase
in temperature because both viscosity of the wort is reduced and the
rate of diffusion of dissolved substances from within the grist
particles is enhanced."
Tim
Dr. Timothy J. Dalton Boston, MA
(tjd at tiac.net, tjd at well.sf.ca.us, tjdalton at mit.edu,
dalton at subpac.enet.dec.com)
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 07 Mar 1995 21:39:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Timothy P. Laatsch <LAATSCH at kbs.msu.edu>" <LAATSCH at kbs.msu.edu>
Subject: Maple and Dry-hopping
Hello HBDers,
You all deserve a pat on the back for the stimulating discussion lately. I
only wish I could contribute something equally interesting, but instead I
have a couple questions.
Maple: 'Tis the season in Michigan for collecting the sweet runnings....from
the Maple trees. My questions are: 1. How should the direct sap be processed
for use in brewing (I've never made maple syrup) and 2. How much should be used?
Dry-hopping: I want to dry-hop a pale ale in the secondary for additional
aroma. I only have pelleted hops in my arsenal. Previously I've microwaved
the hop pellets briefly to sanitize and just added them free to the
secondary. The resulting aroma was very nice, but the hops were a bit
problematic when racking. This time I thought I would use a weighted muslin
bag, but I would like to pick the collective brain regarding sanitation.
Does microwaving sanitize effectively and does it drive off desirable oils?
I want to avoid boiling if at all possible---would pasteurizing (as with fruit)
sanitize without driving off aromatics? Am I paranoid and should I just drop
them in with reckless abandon?
Thanks for any info! Brew on, brethren (and brewsters).
Bones
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Timothy P. Laatsch
Graduate Student in Microbial Ecology/Bioremediation
Michigan State University / W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Kalamazoo, MI
laatsch at kbs.msu.edu
"...and your face looked like somethin' death brought with him
in his suitcase..."----WZ
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 21:50:13 -0500
From: TomF775202 at aol.com
Subject: Re: Counterflow chiller
The PVC type is less efficient due to the flow over a bulk of tubing as
apposed to a full length, yet the pvc is nice and compact. The time
difference is probably insignificant in the longrun.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 21:50:03 -0500
From: TomF775202 at aol.com
Subject: Re:DWC Pils
I just recently bought 100 lbs of this malt. I have made a Pilsner and a
Marzen with it. For both I used a single step infusion mash (even though
this is not considered kosher). My grivities were about 2 points lower than I
normaly get with the briess 2-row.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 21:52:00 -0500
From: TomF775202 at aol.com
Subject: Re: Assesment of AHA
Two things I can say about AHA publications is that they are all very
worthwhile but don't by them from the AHA. A good example is that I paid$
9.95 for the Home brewers Companion through the AHA, yet I also had to pay
$3.00 postage. That comes to $12.95. My local homebrew shops had it for
$11.00 (the list price) and one had it for $9.00.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 21:52:04 -0500
From: TomF775202 at aol.com
Subject: Re: used chiller
Don't buy a "cheap Mill" get a Schmidlings malt mill ($135.00).
You can make an immersion chiller for under $30.00 or a counter flow for
under $50.00.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 21:52:08 -0500
From: TomF775202 at aol.com
Subject: Re: RIMS
Somewhere along the line I must have missed somthing, but what the hell is a
RIMS system?
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 95 19:33:52 EST
From: Aidan Heerdegen <aidan at rschp2.anu.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Hop Family Tree
Brian Gowland wrote:
| In HBD 1673, dhvanvalkenburg at CCGATE.HAC.COM wrote:
| > As far as I can tell all hops originated from one of two lines; either
| > Fuggles or Hallertauer-Mittelfrueh. The following is a first draft
| > showing those two families of hops.
|
| In "Home Brewing - The CAMRA Guide", Graham Wheeler states that
| although there was once an actual Goldings strain, these days the term
| Goldings actually refers to a "class" of hops rather than any one strain
| and he suggests that the original Goldings strain has long since disappeared.
Where do the NZ varieties fit in? e.g. Sticklebract, Super
Alpha and Green Bullet?
Later
Aidan
- --
e-mail: aidan at rschp2.anu.edu.au
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 07:37:25 -0500
From: awchrd2 at peabody.sct.ucarb.com (Henson W.C.(Bill))
Subject: Beer Bread Recipe
HBD'ers,
Please pardon the slight waste of a small amount of bw. This recipe=
is 99%
foolproof. If your oven gets hot, you just about can't screw it up.
"Beer Bread"
3 tbl sugar
3 cups flour
12 oz. beer
Bake at 350=B0F for 45 min.(YMMV)
The sugar can be varied to taste and style of beer used. ANY STYLE=
of beer
can be used. Makes really great bread.
Always lurking,
awchrd2 at peabody.sct.ucarb.com (Henson W.C.(Bill))
Return to table of contents
Date: 7 Mar 95 07:49:00 -0600
From: mlm01 at intgp1.att.com (Michael L Montgomery +1 708 979 4132)
Subject: Smoking grain
Could someone please give me your suggestions on smoking grain
for a Rauchbier. I'd like to know how much of the grain bill
to smoke and where to get beechwood for the smoking. I was
planning on smoking the grain in my Weber grill. How long
should the grain be smoked? Which yeast should I use? Any and
all suggestions will be appreciated.
Mike Montgomery
mlm01 at intgp1.att.com
Return to table of contents
Date: 8 Mar 95 07:25:00 -0600
From: mlm01 at intgp1.att.com (Michael L Montgomery +1 708 979 4132)
Subject: Floreffe Belgial Ale
Has anyone heard of this Belgian Ale (Floreffe). They have a
Blonde Ale and a Double. The bottle is 11.2 oz. I've never seen
this ale before, is it any good? How much does it usually go
for$$$. Thanks for any response.
Mike Montgomery
mlm01 at intgp1.att.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 1995 08:36:22 EST
From: usfmchql at ibmmail.com
Subject: Return of the Thermal Barrier: Boiling Chlorox - Buzz Off, Kirk!
In HBD 1674...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THERMAL BARRIER Cross at your own risk -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=> Kirk R. Flemming plays the historian to show us all how the boiling
chlorox thread began...
Well, Kirk, anyone looking back could have seen the same information without
wasting bandwidth. If you'll note, in your own post, Pier's joke resulted in a
VALID question from Kinney Baughman. As you wrote, he said _'This_reminds_me_
_of_a_question_I'VE_BEEN_WANTING_TO_ASK.'_
Though not interested in boiling chlorox, I derived some very useful
information from the resulting thread. Particularly in Phil Gravel's reply.
His excellent reply applies equally as well to the 'bucket of bleach'
bottle-soak method and helped answer an on-going argument on another forum
(BTW: Thanks, Phil!) So PLEASE don't assume a thread is useless, and don't
expect everyone else to let it go just because you're bored with it.
Oh, BTW: The digest _HAS_ a historian, thank you very much. It's called the
archives...
Now, look. You've made ME waste bandwidth...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- End Thermal Barrier -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
My, but that pot boiled quickly!
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, 8 Mar 95 09:04:21 EST
From: Allan Rubinoff <rubinoff at BBN.COM>
Subject: Re: Canning question results
In HBD #1674, "Harralson, Kirk" <kwh at news.roadnet.ups.com> writes,
regarding canning wort:
> Some people brought up very good points,
> seemingly contradictary to the arguments for pressure canning. For
> example, wort preparation prior to fermentation is brought only to
> boiling, not 240F, without botulism risk. Does the alcohol level
> prevent this? If it does, then either method for canning wort
> would seem to be acceptable.
This argument doesn't really make sense. The wort prepared for brewing
is fermented almost immediately, unlike the canned wort. During
fermentation, several things happen to make the environment inhospitable
to botulism: alcohol is produced, the amount of sugar decreases, and
the pH drops. Since these things start happening almost immediately,
there's no opportunity for botulism to take hold. In a can of
unfermented wort, none of these things happen, so botulism can survive
and grow. I wouldn't risk it.
-Allan Rubinoff <rubinoff at bbn.com>
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 09:03 EST
From: CSS2 at OAS.PSU.EDU (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
Subject: Mini-Kegs & CO2
I received a 5L mini-keg system (Fass-Frish) from my brother for an X-Mas
present. I finally got around to tapping my first one last weekend. I
experienced the same problem that many folks on the HBD have spoke of; when
using the 8g CO2 cartridges, about half of the gas leaked out before I could
get the cartridge holder on tight enough to stop it. Having to use 3 carts
for one keg did not make me happy :-( So a I called GW Kent in Ann Arbor, MI
to discuss this problem with them. They informed me that the Party Star Deluxe
system that I have (and all of the Party Star taps, I think - except the hand
pump) are designed for use with the 16g CO2 carts. They told me that 8g carts
should only be used as a last resort (my system came with a box of 8g carts.!)
There is apparently a significant difference in the tip of the cart. between
the 16g versus 8g; the 8g being much more prone to leaks.
I took the oppertunity to mention that the PA-based homebrew stores (those in
the Philly area anyway) charge an arm-and-a-leg for the 16g carts. ($13-14 for
a box of ten versus $4.95 for a box of ten 8g carts.)
They gave me that name of a couple of shops in Minnesota that sell the 16g
carts at a reasonable price (I ordered two boxes yesterday at $8.98/10).
If anyone is interested, drop me a note and I'll share the names of those
stores with you.
Hoppy Brewing
Curt
css2 at oas.psu.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 95 09:41:06 EST
From: TIMF at RELAY.RELAY.COM (Tim Fields)
Subject: Jurassic Brews rp
Jeff Hewit comments in his Jurassic Beer note:
>I recently heard about two brews made from old strains of
>yeast. One is called FLAG PORTER, which, according to the
>label, is "fermented with original 1825 yeast salvaged from a
>sunken vessel in the English Channel." This sounds like a neat
>story, but I just finished a bottle, and I'm not real
>impressed. It was OK, but at $4.99 for a 1/2 liter bottle, I
>don't think I'll try it again. The other brew is called NORVIG
>ALE. This is brewed with "yeast obtained from an old farm
>brewery near the village of Bergen, Norway." The label goes on
>to say "Using ancient 'Totem' sticks to preserve the yeast from
>brew to brew, the ale yeast in NORVIG ALE has been passed down
>from generation to generation resulting in a rare tatse of the
>ancient Scandinavian ales of legend."
>Does anyone know more about these beers? How much is true, and
>how much is pure marketing BS? BTW, neither appears to have
>any yeast sediment to use as a starter for "Jurassic" Homebrew.
Jeff: I tasted both of these recently - actually had to buy them
because the tasting at the local beer store ran out of them. I did not
really care for the taste of either, but I would encourage you to
try the Norvig Ale for yourself. However; taste aside, I really
like the story behind each - hype or not! Bought 'em both based
on that alone - one bottle each. I imagine I will buy at least one
more of the Flag Porter at some point to revisit it and give it a fair
shot.
Tim Fields
Timf at relay.relay.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 10:15:52 -0500
From: Btalk at aol.com
Subject: Well chlorination
Robin Hanson asks about well chlorination.
Here's the routine:
Dump 2 or 3 gallons of Chlorox type down the well.
If the well cap is above ground, just take the top off and dump it in. If the
well cap is not above ground, you should find a vent pipe along side where
the waterline comes in . This vent is often about 1/4 inch diameter or so.
Tape a small funnel onto this and turn on a faucet or two and let them run.
Once the pump kicks on and begins pumping water out of the well, air will get
sucked into the vent line. This is when you pour the Chlorox into the funnel-
so it gets sucked into the well. Take it slowly, this is an easy way to
bleach your clothes (insert voice of experience).
Once the chlorox is in the well, turn on every cold water faucet and let run.
When you smell chlorine at a faucet turn it off(do this at each ). This gets
the chlorine throughout the distribution system. Leave for at least 12 hours,
then run water out of each faucet until the chlorine smell disappears.
If the well was put in properly, you shouldn't have to do this again unless
the casing is cracked and lets surface water run in. Here in New York State,
the recommendation is tohave your well water TESTED every year. This is
bacteria, not chemical.
Your odor problem is mostlikely from something else. Around here, some people
have a nasty sulfur smell in their water. This developed in my mother's well
after 25 years of nice fresh smelling water.
Your local cooperative extension should have some well info so you can learn
about what you have.
Regards,
Bob Talkiewicz, Binghamton, NY <btalk at aol.com>
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 10:31:15 EST
From: "Keith Royster" <N1EA471 at mro.ehnr.state.nc.us>
Subject: Dry Hopping: pellets Vs whole
In HBD#1674 Alan Van Dyke points out the problems with using a hop
tea instead of putting the hops in the (secondary) fermenter.
>The problem with the hop tea is the boiling. The boiling water will
>drive off the very thing you're trying to put into the beer- the
>volatile aroma.
Alan also mentioned in the preceeding paragraph that he uses pellets
instead of whole hops because of conveniences.
>..because they are easier to get into the carboy. No fuss, no muss.
Since Alan is very correct that the point of dry hopping is to put
the aromatics into the beer, I would suggest trying whole hops or
plugs. Have you ever compared the smell of plug hops to pellets?
The plugs smell WONDERFUL! It is my understanding that, while
pellets are fine for their bittering properties, they loose some of
their aroma due to the volitile nature of these aromatics. I'm not
suggesting that you can't use them for flavoring at all, just that
whole hops might be better, conveniece aside.
I am currently waiting for a batch to finish in my primary. I
plan on transfering it into the secondary with 1 oz. of Cascade
plugs weighted down in a muslin grain bag.
+------------------------------+-------------------------+
| Keith Royster | NC-DEHNR / Air Qualtiy |
| Environmental Engineer (EIT) | 919 North Main St. |
| n1ea471 at mro.ehnr.state.nc.us | Mooresville, NC 28115 |
+------------------------------+ Voice: (704) 663-1699 |
| "I think I ran over my | Fax: (704) 663-6040 |
| Dogma with my Karma." | |
+------------------------------+-------------------------+
Return to table of contents
Date: 8 Mar 1995 11:05:33 -0500
From: "Daniel S McConnell" <Daniel.S.McConnell at med.umich.edu>
Subject: BU Procedures
Subject: BU Procedures
Zowie! Did I ever underestimate the number of readers that would
like the BU methods. Here are all three procedures. Spencer will
drop them on his beer page. They have been gleaned from the MoA
(gets around the copywrite) therefore there may be an error or two.
Please point them out.
I volunteer to collect any data should some of you measure your
beer. We can run some stats and make some rational, reality
based choices on BU formulas if enough data becomes available.
Let me know if you're interested.
DanMcC danmcc at umich.edu
- -----------------------------------------------
Hop bitterness in beer (ASBC Method)
(reference: ASBC methods of Analysis, 8th Edition, 1992)
-Transfer 10.0 mL beer to a 50 mL centrifuge tube.
-add 50 uL octyl alcohol, 20 mL isooctane (HPLC grade) and 1 mL 3M HCl .
-shake vigorously for 15 minutes.
-centrifuge to separate the phases.
-read organic phase at 275 nm (1 cm cell) vs blank (20 mL isooctane,
50 uL octyl alcohol).
Notes:
1) isooctane should have an Abs at 275 <0.005.
2) readings should be done ASAP due to decomposiotin by UV light
BU= Abs at 275*50
Example: Abs =0.622 0.622*50= 31.1 BU
=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Alpha and Beta acids in hops: ASBC MoA Method
(reference: ASBC MoA. 8th edition, 1992)
-place 5.000 +/- .001 gr pulverized hops in an extraction bottle and add
100 mL toluene
-shake for 30 min with vigorous agitation
-let stand until clear or centrifuge (preferred)
Dilution A
-dilute 5.0 ml of this extract to 100 mL with methanol.
Dilution B.
-dilute an aliquot of the dilution A with alkaline methanol (0.2 mL 6M
NaOH per 100 mL MeOH) so that the Abs at 325 and 355 falls within
the most accurate range of the instrument.
-Immediatly read diluion B (1 cm) at 275, 325 and 355 vs a toluene blank
that was prepared and diluted in EXACTLY the same manner.
Calculations:
dilution factor, d= (volume dil A x volume dil B)/ (500 x aliq extract
A x aliq dil A)
% alpha acids= d x (-51.56 A355+ 73.79 A325-19.07 A275)
% beta acids= d x (55.57 A355-47.59 A325 + 5.10 A275)
Example:
5 gr hops extracted with 10 mL toluene
5 mL clear extract diluted ot 100 mL with methanol=Dilution A
3 mL Dilution A diluted to 50 mL with alkaline methanol
A355=0.615
A325= 0.596
A275=0.132
d = (100 x 50) / (500 x 5 x 3) = 0.667
alpha = 0.667 x [ -(51.56 x 0.615) + (73.79 x 0.596) - (19.07 x 0.132) = 6.5
beta = 0.667 x [ (55.57 x 0.615) - (47.59 x 0.596) + (5.10 x 0.132) = 4.3
Notes: Hexane may be substituted for toluene
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Alpha and Beta acids in hops by HPLC: ASBC MoA Method
(reference: ASBC MoA. 8th edition, 1992)
detector: capable of 314 nm
column: C18 (they recommend 250x4mm, 5 um ODS, RP18, Nucleosil-5)
Mobile phase: MeOH: H2O: HPO4 (85%) /85:17:0.25 (v/v)
Conditions: isocratic
Flow: 0.8 mL/min
Temp: ambiant
Sample: 10 uL
Method:
- add 20 mL MeOH to 10.0 gr finely ground hops
- add 100 mL diethyl ether
- stopper and shake for 30 min.
- add 40 mL 0.1M HCl
- stopper and shake for 10 min.
- allow to stand for 10 min to separate the phases
- pipette 5.0 mL of the supernate to a 50 mL volumetric flask
- bring to volume (50 mL) with methanol
- filter before injecting (sample is stable 24 hours)
- calculate based on a known calibration standard as follows
Calculations:
Response Factor, RF= [mass of calib extr (gr) x conc of component in
calib extr (%)] / area.
Component %= (2 x average sample peak area of component x RF) / mass
of sample
Typical Retention times:
cohumulone 16 min
n- + ad-humulone 19 min
colupulone 27 min
n- + adlupulone 34 min
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 95 09:46:19 -0700
From: lmsabo at mbnoa1.mnet.uswest.com (L M Sabo)
Subject: Community College Homebrewing Classes
In the past I have seen many questions on the HBD regarding homebrewing
classes. I just received a catalog from Arapahoe Community College (ACC) in
South Denver, they now offer two classes in homebrewing. I have no
affiliation with ACC. For those outside of Denver perhaps you could have
your local community college contact ACC for details. In a nutshell, the
first class is Beginning Home Brewing. This class is hands-on and you brew
three beers. Looks like a good overview. The class runs on Tuesdays from
7 - 9 PM for 6 weeks and begins on April 4. The cost is $57. The second class
is Advanced Brewing. In the description this one looks like all-grain, pure
yeast culturing, and brewing equipment type of course. It is also extensive
hands-on. The class runs on Wednesday from 6:30 - 10 PM for 7 weeks and
begins April 26. The cost is $61.
The phone number to register for either of these classes is (303) 797-5722.
_Michael
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 09:56:29 -0700 (MST)
From: walter at lamar.ColoState.EDU (Brian J Walter (Brewing Chemist))
Subject: Re: Morris Mashing (was RIMS)
Will Self wrote:
> Friends, now is our opportunity to put a halt to yet another acronym
> disfiguring our speech and writing. I refer to the term "RIMS".
> Why don't we call it
>
> ******************
> * Morris Mashing *
> ******************
>
> rather than RIMS. Thereby we could give credit where credit is due,
> and we could avoid an ugly term. My understanding is that the system
> was invented my Rodney Morris.
Rodney's
Ingenious
Mashing
System
Credit given where credit due. ;^>
Good Day,
- --bjw
Brian J Walter Chemistry Graduate Student walter at lamar.colostate.edu
RUSH Rocks Best Homebrewer & AHA/HWBTA Beer Judge (Whatever that means ;^>
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 95 10:03:55 MST
From: Jeff Benjamin <benji at hpfcbug.fc.hp.com>
Subject: Canning wort & botulism
Here's a definitive word on canning & botulism. I took this from the
rec.food.preserving FAQ:
"Botulism poisoning is due to ingesting a toxin produced by the anerobic
bacterium _Clostridium botulinum_. Botulism toxin is colorless,
odorless, and tasteless, but a highly potent neurotoxin. ...Symptoms of
botulism toxin poisoning usually occur within 12-36 hrs after ingestion.
They include muscle weakness, slurred speech, blurred vision (all fine
muscle movements); followed by an inability to hold up the head. Death
occurs by respiratory failure. ...Survival depends on the amount of
toxin ingested, and how quickly the victim got treatment. Recovery is
quite slow, taking months.
"Deadly problems can occur in situations where you attempt to preserve
food by creating an *anerobic* state; namely, when you create a vacuum
seal using heat and a 2-piece lid...
"Remember, that despite the bacterium's fearsome reputation, _C.
botulinum_ is still a microbe, and can be killed using a little basic
microbiology. Preserving recipes utilize at least one of these 5 micro-
biological facts, good recipes often use several.
1. _C. botulinum_ bacterium dies at 212 F/ 100 C.
2. _C. botulinum_ spores die at 240 F/ 116 C.
3. Botulism toxin denatures at 185 F/ 85 C.
**(All temperatures must be maintained for least 15 minutes, and
the heat must be consistent throughout the food, fluid, and jar.)**
4. _C. botulinum_ spores cannot hatch in strong acid
solutions of pH 4.6 or below. (Some sources claim pH 4.7.)
5. _C. botulinum_ cannot grow, develop, or multiply
in food with a water content of less than 35%.
"Since the toxin is denatured at 185 F/85 C, if you are concerned
about a canned good the usual procedure is as described in the
above section (to hard boil the contents for 15 minutes)."
Sorry this post is a little long, but this is a serious subject. The
mortality rate for botulism poisoning is quite high, and as the saying
goes, "In Heaven there is no beer..." The second quoted paragraph
should answer Kirk Harralson's question; wort starts off an aerobic
medium, prohibiting the growth of C. botulinum bacteria. Yeast may
then consume the O2, but by then the yeast population, increased
acidity, and increased alcohol prevent growth of deadlies.
One more point: even with pressure-canned low-acid foods, sources
recommend you boil the product 15 minutes before using it. So if you
are going to have to re-boil your canned wort anyway, why not just make
it up fresh?
If you really want to can your wort and still have questions, you can
always call your local county extension office.
- --
Jeff Benjamin benji at fc.hp.com
Hewlett Packard Co. Fort Collins, Colorado
"Midnight shakes the memory as a madman shakes a dead geranium."
- T.S. Eliot
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 1995 12:17:33 -0500 (EST)
From: VIALEGGIO at ccmail.sunysb.edu
Subject: Something for St Padraig
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5475
Victor Ialeggio
Music
516 632-7239
08-Mar-1995 12:10pm EST
FROM: VIALEGGIO
TO: Remote Addressee ( _homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com )
Subject: Something for St Padraig
A little bit of a thing in anticipation of
the 17th of the month:
from St Brigid (10th c., trans Sean O'Faolain)
I would like to have the men of Heaven
in my own house
with vats of good cheer laid out for them.
I would like to have the three Marys,
their fame is so great.
I would like people from every corner
of Heaven.
I would like them to be cheerful
in their drinking.
I would like to have Jesus sitting there
among them.
I would like a great lake of beer
for the King of Kings.
I would like to be watching Heaven's
family
drinking it through all eternity.
Slainte,
Victor Ialeggio
vialeggio at ccmail.sunysb.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 1995 12:09:07 EST
From: Johnny B. Andrews <jba at unx.sas.com>
Subject: CORONA recipe found
A week or so ago I posted requesting help brewing a CORONA beer. Many thanks
to all that responded with advice, particularly Chris Pragman, who gave me the
advice that made even my first meager attempt taste almost just like a CORONA!
Again, here is the recipe I used:
- WYEAST #2308 Munich lager liquid yeast
- 1 lb. 20 lovabond 6row caramel crystal malt(steeped 30 min. in boil)
- 44 oz. Dutch Light Dry Malt
- 1 3.3 lb. packet of light malt extract
- 1 3.3 lb. packet of rice extract
- 1 tsp. irish moss
- 1 oz. 4.9 Alpha Tettenang Bittering hops pellets (2/3 at start of boil,
1/3 15 minutes from end)
- 1 oz. 3.9 Alpha Saaz Finishing Hops pellets (5 minutes from end of boil)
- 1 oz.fining gelatin (added in secondary fermentation stage)
- 3/4 cup corn sugar (for priming)
This produced a beer that had the following problems:
1) had a slightly odd, almost sour taste ( but not enough to make it a bad
beer).
CAMPING MAN suggested that the sour taste might be because I steeped the crystal
malt in greater than the intended 150-158 degree water, thus "leached all the
nasty sour/bitter tannins out of the malt". Some of my friends do this with
heavier beers with no ill side-effects, but I believe this was the problem in
my lighter beer.
2) was not as carbonated as I would have liked.
Next time I'll try 1 cup of corn sugar. Several people told me that almost
all adjuncts call for greater quantities of priming sugar.
3) and finally, and most importantly, it lacked general flavor/did not have
that unique characteristic and aroma of a CORONA.
This is where Chris Pargman told me that the charactistic/aroma I was missing
might something called "skunkiness", typically associated with CORONAs and
HEINEKINs. Any beer can be "skunked" by leaving it in direct sunlight in a
clear container for ~1 hour. THIS FLOORS ME (forgive me but as I mentioned in
my first post, I am a new home brewer and this sounded really far-fetched), but
this made even my beer taste and smell almost exactly like a CORONA!!! So
there you have it, a recipe for a CORONA beer - just make an adjunct beer with
very little taste, then skunk it!
Many thanks to all who responded!
-Johnny E-MAIL: jba at unx.sas.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 95 12:33:48 EST
From: Eamonn McKernan <eamonn at rainbow.physics.utoronto.ca>
Subject: lime /a RIMS by any other name.../more RIMS stuff
Spring is rapidly approaching here in Toronto. In fact, winter never really
came this year. (and it's supposed to be cold in Canada!). What has this
to do with brewing? Well, there's a pile of grain and hops from the winter
brews in the garden. Given the acidic nature of this stuff, and the imminent
thaw, I figure I'd better add some lime or other "sweetening agent" to the
pile. But in the numerous sources that have mentionned the necessity of this
step, one critical bit of information was missing: How much to add? In fact,
what's the margin of error? can someone help me out here please? TIA
********************
Will Self wants to change the name RIMS to "Morris masher". Well, good luck
Will. But given human nature, I doubt a simple request will do it. Anyways,
with all due respect to Rodney Morris (I'll take your word for it that he
is in fact the true inventor), the name RIMS has already stuck. And acronyms
aren't all that bad a thing. IMHO.
*********************
On the topic of RIMS (sorry Will), do people get stuck sparges very often
using these things? I like wheat beers, and even after a 45 min protein rest
my bucket with a zillion holes in the bottom lauter tun requires a very
slow runoff. Sucking wort out with a pump at 6 gal/min or faster sounds
like a recipe for disaster. I take it that a vent tube would be a necessity
here?
Looking forward to "March in Montreal",
Eamonn McKernan
eamonn at rainbow.physics.utoronto.ca
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 10:42:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Fred Waltman <waltman at netcom.com>
Subject: United Utensils
Somebody asked about United Utensils. I checked my Yellow Pages CDROM at
got a hit in Thornhill, Ontario: 905-886-9106. Hope this helps.
Fred Waltman
Culver City Home Brewing Supply Co.
waltman at netcom.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 14:47:54 -0500
From: BTEditor at aol.com
Subject: brewing position open
It has come to my attention that a professional brewing position is open at
Pike Place Brewery, a small micro in Seattle. Because it's not every day
that a brewing position becomes available, I thought I'd post the relevant
details in case anyone is interested. Standard disclaimers apply.
Wanted: Experienced Brewer/Chemist
1+ years professional brewing experience (and lab experience a plus). Hire
by March 24th, start April 3rd. Send resume to Pike Place Brewery, 1432
Western Ave., Seattle, WA 98101, or fax resume to 206/622-6648.
Other than the fact that the head brewer has written for the magazine (and
that's how I happened to find out about this), I have no connection to the
Pike Place Brewery. They did give me permission to make this post. Please
contact them directly.
Stephen Mallery
Editor, BrewingTechniques
Return to table of contents
Date: 8 Mar 1995 12:03:56 U
From: "Palmer.John" <palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com>
Subject: Quick note on Stainless
Hi Group,
Quick clarification on Stainless Magnicity??
The 400 series Stainless Steels (ie knifeblades) are ferro-magnetic.
The 300 series Stainless Steels (ie. brew pots, tubing) are not.
Marine hardware is usually 300 series because it is more corrosion resistant
than the stronger, harder 400 series.
Want more info? Didnt think so. (sigh)
-John
John J. Palmer - Metallurgist for MDA-SSD M&P
johnj at primenet.com Huntington Beach, California
Palmer House Brewery and Smithy - www.primenet.com/~johnj/
(lots of brewing stuff)
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 12:30:20 -0800
From: drudolph at ix.netcom.com (Don Rudolph)
Subject: To pitch or not to pitch
In HBD #1671, Al responds to my post about lager fermentations:
>Don writes:
>>4) Pitch at high krausen. While building up starters, I
>>usually wait until the yeast fall and fermentation stops. Then
>>I decant off the spent wort and add fresh wort, aerating
>>vigorously. After the 1/2 gallon starter falls (about a day or
>>two before brew day), I decant again and add a pint or two of
>>fresh wort and aerate like hell. On brew day, this starter is
>>at high krausen, in exponential growth phase, an ideal
>>condition for pitching yeast.
Al responds:
>Common wisdom and most (all?) homebrewing texts notwithstanding,
>the ideal timing for pitching yeast is NOT at high kraeusen. High
>kraeusen is the time at which the yeast glycogen levels are at their
>lowest. While pitching at high kraeusen may result in the shortest
>lag time, isn't what we actually want is the healthiest ferment?
True. Thanks, also, for the references on yeast metabolism.
The reason I use the method outlined above is that by waiting
for the yeast to fall (AFTER high krausen), I have hopefully
built up large glycogen reserves in the yeast population. I
then decant the spent wort, pitch a pint of fresh wort, aerate, and
pitch at high krausen. This has the benefit of maximizing
yeast glycogen reserves, and pithing during the exponential
growth phase, which reduces lag times AND produces a healthy
and vigourous ferment. This is the same technique I used in the
bio-tech lab for yeast and E. Coli cultures in my previous life as a
gene cloner. It works.
Don Rudolph
drudolph at ix.netcom.com
Seattle, WA
Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1676, 03/10/95