HOMEBREW Digest #1815 Sat 26 August 1995
Digest #1814
Digest #1816
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
overcarbonation and/or infection? (mvjrk)
Thermometer/burner (Robert Brown)
RTP Yeasts (Jim Grady)
Uncl: High pitching temps ("Calvin Perilloux")
Uncl: Finings for Wheat? ("Calvin Perilloux")
Rogue Thermometer ("Crossman, Harold")
PRESS RELEASE - 1995 Dixe Cup ("Karel Chaloupka")
Re: Thermometer Q (Carl Etnier)
Diastatic Power in Wheat and Rye Malt (Bunning W Maj ACC/DOTE)
GOTT 10GAL EASY FALSE BOTTOM ("Dave Bradley::IC742::6-2556")
WARNING: (fwd) (Ed Hitchcock)
Nat Gas => propane conversion (Brian Pickerill)
Thermometers (Pierre Jelenc)
Mt. Hood, thermometer fix, and a question (Kevin Imel)
aging/conditioning, RE Redhook (Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna)
Glad HBD is Bacccccccck (G. M. Elliott)
Re: Thermometer Q (Philip Hofstrand)
Thermometer Q (Dave Whitman)
Thermometers with air space (Chuck and Grace Burkins)
Finishing Hops and Wort Chilling (SoarMoose)
Re: Mt. Hood Hops (SoarMoose)
Dave's Thermometer ("Fleming, Kirk R., Capt")
Male hop flowers? (Jim Cave)
Source for Keg Setup in D.C. (Steven A. Smith)
Need Pumpkin Ale recipe (Sr. SE)
AA Determination (Gregory G. Graboski)
Hunter Airstat Zener (again) (Jim Griggers)
Freshness Dating/Extended Storage (CINIBUMK)
Philly Homebrew Competition (Joe Uknalis)
******************************************************************
* 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.
******************************************************************
#################################################################
#
# YET ANOTHER NEW FEDERAL REGULATION: if you are UNSUBSCRIBING from the
# digest, please make sure you send your request to the same service
# provider that you sent your subscription request!!! I am now receiving
# many unsubscribe requests that do not match any address on my mailing
# list, and effective immediately I will be silently deleting such
# requests.
#
#################################################################
NOTE NEW HOMEBREW ADDRESS hpfcmgw!
Send articles for __publication_only__ to homebrew at hpfcmgw.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@ hpfcmgw.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 alpha.rollanet.org
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: 25 Aug 95 05:42:00 -0400
From: mvjrk at mvgsb.att.com
Subject: overcarbonation and/or infection?
strange brew:
I've just racked my second batch yesterday. The first being M+F old
english ale kit, M+F dry ale yeast, with an additional can of LME, to make
5 gal. It had a malty sweet taste but now....
It's been four weeks since bottling and now I've had three bottles
when, upon opening, the beer fizzes up and out, luckily when I have a bottle of
beer in one hand I have a glass in the other. When I poured the beer 3/4 of
the contents was foam. Also the taste of the beer changed considerably. All
three bottles had a dry bitter taste with no hint of sweetness. I've had other
bottles from the same batch which taste malty/sweet.
When I bottled I used 3/4 cup of DME, rehydrated, and I let the action
of the siphon mix the dme + beer.
I checked the bottles for signs of infection but the beer is clear,
there is nothing growing on the sides of the bottle, and it taste okay except
that it changed from a sweet ale to a dry ale.
The fermetation vessel + the bottles were stored in the same place which
has a temp of 72-75 F.
The bottles that `behaved normally' when poured had a head of 1 inch
which dissolved in 5 minutes.
Is this a case of not mixing the priming solution + beer enough causing
some bottles to over carbonate?
Is there an infection?
Or what/other?
The only bottles that are `overcarbonated' are Glosch bottles and those
were the first bottles I filled.
TIA
John Kusiak
mvjrk at mvgsb.att.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 06:46:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Brown <rbrown00 at uoguelph.ca>
Subject: Thermometer/burner
I thought everyone was gone, or I was gone and everyone else was carrying
on without me.
Thermometers, Dave Draper(?) asked about his alcohol thermometer. Your
on the right track, heat the thermometer (gently) so the small bit, the
bubble and the rest of the column all meet in the reservoir at the top.
Obviously if you overheat the top blows, so raise the column just enough
to lose the bubble. As appropriate you can also cool a thermometer to
the same effect. As far as reading the thermometer I would add an
imaginary little bit to the remaining column(?). Check it out against
another thermometer if you can't fix it.
Burners, Brian Pickerill(?) asked about $10 burners. Unless you live
near the burner factory and can get the returns/seconds (as one HBDer
does) don't hold your breath. I think your BBQ burner is probably not
only the wrong shape but probably not powerful enough. I'm going to try
a hot water tank burner, construction slated for sometime in
September. Alternatively if someone could forward the dimensions of a
jet burner (Tube and Orifice,unless I'm missing something), I/You/ anyone
with the desire to build one could probably duplicate this.
Of course if anyone Knows of a $10 burner I'll be the first in line. The
commercial ones are just more than my wallet can take at this point
(especially considering the SO points).
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 07:46:18 -0400
From: Jim Grady <grady at hpangrx.an.hp.com>
Subject: RTP Yeasts
I was in "Beer & Wine Hobby" in Woburn, Massachusetts yesterday to pick
up some liquid yeast. In addition to the usual Wyeast and Yeast Labs
yeasts, they had a newcomer (at least to me), RTP (tm). RTP stands for
"Ready to Pitch" and claims to be 5 billion cells, enough for a 5 gallon
batch without a starter. They claim to have the quality of liquid yeast
with the convenience of dried yeast. The yeast comes in a plastic vial
and the sediment seems less than what I get with a 1 qt starter but also
looked to be 3 to 5 times that in the Yeast Labs vial. I left my x-ray
glasses at home so I could not compare it to the Wyeast package.
The yeast was $4.50 (compared to $4.15 for Wyeast at that store) so
naturally I bought some. I hope to brew with it soon and will report
back. Has anybody else had any experience with this yeast? It seems to
be the answer to the oft asked question, "Why can't Wyeast just put more
yeast in the pack?"
- --
Jim Grady
grady at an.hp.com
Hewlett-Packard Medical Products Group
Andover, MA
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 08:00:27 EDT
From: "Calvin Perilloux" <dehtpkn9 at ibmmail.com>
Subject: Uncl: High pitching temps
In HB #1810, Kenneth Goodrow writes
> If pitch temps. are "supposed to be" low at around 60-70 degrees, why
> have I had two excellent batches of beer when I rehydrated my yeast in
> 100 degree water (as recommended in two sources, one Charlie's) for 15
> mins. and then pitched it in about 100 degree wort? ...
When I was judging beer back in the States and living in Texas,
I became well experienced with some of these "hundred degree brews",
especially in homebrew competitions in late summer or early fall.
Some people actually like their beer to be overflowing with esters,
phenols, and all kinds of other high temperature by-products, and
if it pleases you then brew away! However, in most of these cases
the beer was nowhere near the style you would expect. Beer with the
strength of bitter, all the esters of barley wine, and double the
phenols of a weizenbock? No thanks!
I should qualify my remarks with the fact that I haven't tasted your
brew, Kenneth, so I can't make a judgement on it and can only speak
for some of the other high temp ales I have tried.
Calvin Perilloux
dehtpkn9 at ibmmail.com "Bayerisches Bier...
Erding, Germany Staerker als Heimweh!"
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 08:00:56 EDT
From: "Calvin Perilloux" <dehtpkn9 at ibmmail.com>
Subject: Uncl: Finings for Wheat?
Mark (or is it Todd?) Kirby writes in HD #1809
> I need some advice for a Bavarian Wheat (via CM3). It's currently in the
> secondary and all seems fine, but I'm wondering about finings. I
> understand that wheats are generally hazy, etc. ...
Indeed they are hazy. Here in Bavaria, almost every Weissbier/Weizen
you get is clouded with suspended yeast. The exception is Kristal Weizen,
which seems to be found in Austria and other parts of Germany more than
here, where Kristal Weizen isn't a big seller. However, I have had a few
waiters pour me a relatively clear Weissbier, decanting it off the yeast
much as I would do with my homebrew, but that only happens when I'm in a
heavy tourist area and using my best American accent, I think. ;-)
Normally, though, whether you get a Weissbier from bottle or from tap,
it's cloudy. In fact, the Germans do something that invokes revulsion
in many an American homebrewer: They pour all but the last half inch of
Weissbier from the bottle into their glass, then they give the bottle
a vigorous swirling to dislodge any yeast that has stubbornly stuck to
the glass, and finally they pour the milky, light brownish liquid into
the glass. The milky yeast cloud sinks through the beer, and there you
have the "perfect" Weissbier. And *NO* lemon, at least not around here.
Wheat beer from tap doesn't get the dramatic presentation that the
bottled does, but it is still very hazy. It's sometimes so hazy that
I wonder how they keep all that yeast in suspension, or is it just a
heck of a chill haze?
IMO, I wouldn't bother using finings on a Bavarian Wheat Beer unless
I planned on serving it to people who had no experience with the style
*AND* would dislike cloudiness. Otherwise, the yeast and cloudiness
is part of the experience.
Calvin Perilloux
dehtpkn9 at ibmmail.com
Erding, Germany
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 95 08:04:00 PDT
From: "Crossman, Harold" <crossman at hq.sylvania.com>
Subject: Rogue Thermometer
Greetings,
Regarding that pesky thermometer. I had the same problem with
a similar thermometer. Obviously the objective is to reattach the
column. This is not a recommendation but here is what I did.
While wearing my ANSI approved safety glasses and other
appropriate gear, I gently warmed the thermometer over a heat
source (gas burner) that I knew was higher than the thermometer's max.
The gas space between the column and break-away piece
became compressed to approximately zero volume allowing the
two pieces of alcohol to re-attach. When the thermometer cooled,
there was one column again.
Hoist a couple for me.
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 07:16:07 CST
From: "Karel Chaloupka" <KCHALOUP at lrlmccer.lsis.loral.com>
Subject: PRESS RELEASE - 1995 Dixe Cup
For Immediate Release
17 August 1995
Contact:
Autumn Woods-Moore
923-7516 (evenings & weekends)
594-7516 (daytime)
TGCAutumn at AOL.com (e-mail)
DIXIE CUP HOMEBREW COMPETITION SET FOR OCTOBER
By: Jim Harper
They are going to do it again, for the 12th time! The 12th annual
Dixie Cup Homebrewing competition will be held in Houston, Texas,
October, 13 and 14. Sponsored and organized by the Foam Rangers
Homebrew Club, the competition attracts over 200 attendees and up
to 700 entries, making it the 2nd largest homebrewing contest in the world.
The Dixie Cup is a AHA/BJCP sanctioned event. Last year's contest
featured the surprise world debut of Celis Raspberry with Pierre Celis on
hand for the tasting!
The Dixie Cup is also renowned for the quality of speakers it attracts each
year to its "Milli Conference." This event involves very sleepy and
hungover homebrewers gathering together for much needed coffee and
breakfast, while listening to noted authorities on the art and science of
brewing. This year's speakers include:Pete Schosberg of Pete's Wicked Ale,
George Fixx, homebrewing author, and others to be announced later.
Past year's speakers have included Tim Herring, Anchor Steam Brewmaster;
Pierre Celis, Celis Brewmaster and Owner; Brad Krause, of Rio Bravo
and a GABF winner; Paul Farnsworth, "The Beer Doctor;" and
Rodney Morris, micro-biologist and inventer of the RIMS system.
"The Dixie Cup is a serious homebrewing contest; however, it is also
considered one of the most reasonably priced and fun competitions,"
explained Foam Rangers Grand Wazoo and Event Organizer
Autumn Woods-Moore. "All judging is done on site by, or under the
supervision of, an experienced pool of judges from throughout the country.
No advanced pre-judging by locals. All judging will take place in open
sessions on Friday and Saturday using the AHA/HWBTA 50-point
score system.
"We normally attract at least three Master and six National judges."
Best in Show judging is conducted on Saturday afternoon, offering
attendees the opportunity to participate in the Counter-Flow Pub Crawl
which will feature a tour of the St. Arnold Brewery, Houston's only
microbrewery, and visits to area brewpubs and beer bars, all in the air
conditioned comfort of touring buses. The Pub Crawl provides a good
opportunity for Dixie Cup participants to get loosened up for the
uproarious award presentations Saturday evening, with will be followed
by a microbrewery tasting. The Crescent City Homebrewers of New Orleans
will again be preparing jambalaya for the Saturday's supper.
First round judging will be conducted Friday evening followed by a
potluck dinner and the famous Fred Eckert "Beer and Something" tasting.
This year Fred is favoring the Dixie Cup with a Beer and Nuts tasting.
Regular Dixie Cupers will fondly remember Fred's past efforts in matching
up bread, cheese, desserts, chocolates and ice cream with the
"appropriate" beer.
Those interested in arriving in Houston early can attend the Thursday
evening "Taste of Texas" Microbrewery tasting party hosted by
Scott Birdwell, master judge and owner of DeFalco's Home Wine & Beer
Supplies, at the totally bizarre Orange Show. Also, Michael Jackson will
be in Houston on Wednesday the 11th for a scotch-tasting and book-
signing party at the Timberwolf Pub, 2511 Bissonnett.
For entry forms and information contact DeFalco's at
713-523-8154, FAX 523-5284.
Karel Chaloupka
Loral Space Information Systems
Hardware Engineering Dept.
(713)335-6798
email kchaloup at lrlmccer.lsis.loral.com
or KJC NET at aol.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 14:45:04 +0200 (MET DST)
From: Carl Etnier <Carl.Etnier at abc.se>
Subject: Re: Thermometer Q
>Awhile back a section of the red-colored alcohol (is that what it
>is?) in my mashing thermometer (10-100C markings but has space to
>reach probably 130 or so, about 30 cm long) somehow detached from
>the main mass, and now sits about 30 or 40C above the rest--there is
>an air bubble between the main mass and this small bit, which has a
>length equivalent to about 2 deg. C. <snip>
>Do I have to add the couple of deg. represented by this small length
>to the temperature indicated by the top of the main mass in order to
>get the correct temperature--i.e., is it an additive thing? Or do I
>ignore that little bit and just read the top of the main mass as the
>real temperature? My intuition says the latter
Short answer: I don't know. As a fearless HBDer, I charge in anyway.
My intuition is the opposite of yours. Your thermometer is calibrated
so that the alcohol column reaches to the 25 line, for example, at 25
C. If you remove some of that alcohol from the main column, the main
column will be shorter at 25 C, by the amount that has detached
itself. Therefore, you must add the 2 C.
But don't take my word for it--calibrate. You can't do the icewater
trick (which I find unreliable anyway) if your thermometer begins at
10 C, but surely you have some reliable thermometers at the lab.
Carl Etnier
A transplanted Yank in Trosa, Sweden
...I'm not from here, and I don't even live here at the moment...
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 95 08:45:00 +6
From: Bunning W Maj ACC/DOTE <bunningw at ns.langley.af.mil>
Subject: Diastatic Power in Wheat and Rye Malt
Recently I've read several articles concerning whether or not wheat malt has
enough enzymes to convert itself. The latest issue of Brew Your Own
(September) has an article with a chart that says wheat malt doesn't have
the enzymes necessary to convert it's starch to fermentable sugars and needs
the help of barley malt. However, in the Mar/Apr issue of Brewing
Techniques there is an article that discusses making a 100% wheat beer.
They claim the only problem is with sparging, since wheat malt doesn't have
any husk. This problem can be solved by adding rice hulls to the mash. I
noticed in Papazian's HBC that wheat malt has the diastatic power of 2-row
barley malt. A friend of mine and I would like to make a 100% wheat beer. I
believe it has the enzymes. Who do we believe?
Another couple other related questions. Does rye malt have enough enzymes
to convert itself? I think it does. And does carapils need to be mashed?
I get conflicting messages from the current literature.
Bill Bunning <<bunningw at hqaccdo.langley.af.mil>>
Member of the Mile-High Brewers Guild
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 07:56:40 -0500 (EST)
From: "Dave Bradley::IC742::6-2556" <BRADLEY_DAVID_A at Lilly.com>
Subject: GOTT 10GAL EASY FALSE BOTTOM
Interested in a simple, cheap false bottom for your 10gal
Gott/Rubbermaid lauter tun? Starting with a manifold, then
a false btm, this my third design iteration is the best (and last).
A 12" pizza pan (Target, cheap) fits tightly in the bottom
of the cooler (mine at least). If the ID in the lower few
inches of your cooler is just over 12" then you too can use
this arrangement. If not, perhaps you can find similar
items to use this simple setup. Get four carriage bolts 4"x3/8",
8 nuts and 8 washers to fit, and a Wearever 12" dome-shaped
pot lid (Target again, cheap again). Cost < $25.
Drill four 3/8" holes around pan's perimeter, evenly spaced.
Thread on a nut and slip on a washer on each bolt. Put the end of
a bolt through each hole with the round bolt head on the underside
of the pan and add first a washer then another nut.
Tighten the nuts on each side of the pan, leaving about 3" of a leg
below the face of the pizza pan. Do all four like this, adjusting
each leg so the pan is roughly level, and you've made a false bottom
that fits just above the bottom of the cooler perfectly (mine at
least). Its easily removable for simple cleaning by attachment of
a copper wire "handle" to the top of the pan.
I used the domed pot lid, also fitting perfectly in the bottom of
my cooler, to minimize losses of sweet wort under the false btm.
With the handle unscrewed, put this on cooler's btm upside right,
and seal its edges to the cooler walls (food grade silicon in my case).
Then you can use either the standard cooler tap or add a new valve to
the cooler, your choice. If you want to underlet, add a copper
tube through a new hole in the false btm, securing it to the pan
with compression fittings rigged together. That's it. It works well,
its very sturdy, its cheap, and its simple. Just FYI since I haven't
seen this simple false bottom version on the Digest. ASCII graphics
on request, FWIW?!.
Dave in Indy
P.S.- Anyone have a book/etc with SG extract max's you feel is
reliable? Barring maltster's spec sheets, I need a better
reference for SG for each common brewing grain. Fix's book?
Let me know what you think about your sources!
From: BRADLEY DAVID A (MCVAX0::RC65036)
To: VMS MAIL ADDRESSEE (IN::"homebrew at hpfcmgw.fc.hp.com")
cc: BRADLEY DAVID A (MCVAX0::RC65036)
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 10:26:26 -0300 (ADT)
From: Ed Hitchcock <ehitchcock at sparc.uccb.ns.ca>
Subject: WARNING: (fwd)
I've sent this two or three times already, but here it is again.
Hope the address doesn't change again tomorrow...
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 09:59:15 -0300 (ADT)
From: Ed Hitchcock <ehitchcock at sparc>
To: Posting Address Only - No Requests <homebrew at hpfcmgw.fc.hp.com>
Subject: WARNING:
WARNING!!
The version of recipe-edit.zip loaded to
ftp.stanford.edu/pub/clubs/homebrew/beer/programs was contaminated with
the onehalf virus. If you downloaded this file recently please check
your system with a recent anti-virus program. There is a fix for this
specific virus, called onehalf.zip. I can send it to you if necessary,
or it can be ftp'ed from ftp.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/pub/virus/progs.
The offending files have been removed from the stanford archive.
This virus is relatively new (1994), encrypts your hard drive
slowly, and appends itself to .EXE and .COM files copied to floppies.
My sincere thanks to those who found and identified the virus.
Sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused.
ed
----------------
ehitchcock at sparc.uccb.ns.ca
the Pick & Fossil Picobrewery
Because there's more to life than just coffee
Return to table of contents
Date-Warning: Date header was inserted by BSUVC.bsu.edu
From: 00bkpickeril at bsuvc.bsu.edu (Brian Pickerill)
Subject: Nat Gas => propane conversion
Robert Brown <rbrown00 at uoguelph.ca> said:
>Burners, Brian Pickerill(?) asked about $10 burners. Unless you live
>near the burner factory and can get the returns/seconds (as one HBDer
>does) don't hold your breath. I think your BBQ burner is probably not
>only the wrong shape but probably not powerful enough. I'm going to try
>a hot water tank burner, construction slated for sometime in
>September. Alternatively if someone could forward the dimensions of a
>jet burner (Tube and Orifice,unless I'm missing something), I/You/ anyone
I've read several times that people have "converted" nat. gas to propane, but
never any info about how this is done. Is there really no conversion, just
a matter of hooking it up, does the propane need to be mixed with air somehow
prior to the ignition point (as in my propane grill), or what?
Thanks,
- --Brian K. Pickerill <00bkpickeril at bsuvc.bsu.edu> Muncie, IN
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 10:11:08 -0400
From: Pierre Jelenc <rcpj at panix.com>
Subject: Thermometers
>From david.draper at mq.edu.au (Dave Draper):
>
>Thermometer: Awhile back a section of the red-colored alcohol (is that what
>it is?) in my mashing thermometer (10-100C markings but has space to reach
>probably 130 or so, about 30 cm long) somehow detached from the main mass,
>and now sits about 30 or 40C above the rest--there is an air bubble between
>the main mass and this small bit, which has a length equivalent to about 2
>deg. C.
The little extra bit of alcohol column should be added to the reading,
since the calibration assumes a given volume of alcohol.
The best way to repain a broken column is to cool the thermometer in dry
ice/alcohol until all the little fragments have been sucked back into the
bulb, and to then let the cooling bath warm up slowly while the
thermometer is kept strictly vertical.
Pierre
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 07:31:36 -0700
From: kimel at moscow.com (Kevin Imel)
Subject: Mt. Hood, thermometer fix, and a question
Good day!
Dave Draper asked:
>Mt Hood hops: As I understand it, this variety has mild, subtle aromatic
>qualities, and together with middlin' AA (what I'm getting is 5 to 5.5%)
>makes it a good, versatile hop. Not long ago I made a sort of hybrid brown
>ale (grain bill to emulate Wee Heavy and used 1728 Scottish but hopped to
>~37 IBUs) in which I added 40 g of these Hood pellets at T-5 min. I
>expected a substantial hop nose, but am very disappointed to report that it
>is virtually nonexistent. The beer is still good, just not what I had aimed
>for. Does anyone have experience with late additions of Hood, and what do
>you find?
Yup. I have found essentially the same thing. I am about to dry using them
for dry hopping to see if I can get that hop nose I have been looking for.
Otherwise I really like the Mt. Hood even as a bittering hop...just not the
nose I was expecting.
>Thermometer: Awhile back a section of the red-colored alcohol (is that what
>it is?) in my mashing thermometer (10-100C markings but has space to reach
>probably 130 or so, about 30 cm long) somehow detached from the main mass,
>and now sits about 30 or 40C above the rest--there is an air bubble between
>the main mass and this small bit, which has a length equivalent to about 2
>deg. C.
<<SNIP>>
This is a very common occurence, especially with the older mercury
thermometers (well, it happens a lot to me). My favorite quick fix is to
pop the thermometer into the freezer and gather all of the liquid (mercury,
glycol, whatever) down in the bulb. You will not be able to fix these by
heating because you have to get the bubble out of the thermometer column. A
standard -20C freezer should do the trick but if it doesn't then try and
find someone that has a -80C freezer (like a molecular biology lab) to do it
for you. Alternatively, you can use the old dry ice and methanol slurry
trick. I forget the temp that this gives but I seem to remember it is
somewhere around -40C.
Now for my question:
Should the foamy scum that forms during the boil (especially with wheat
beers) be skimmed off? Having started my illustrious brewing career making
mead, I have a well learned impulse to skim the scum. Is this the right
idea or does it matter? If I skim the scum am I removing some of the mouth
and head of my beer? What is the collective wisdom of the HBD on this one?
Thanks!
Kevin
(private e-mail is fine and then I will post the consensus...if any is reached!)
Kevin Imel The only way to truely fail is
kimel at moscow.com to fail to try.
kimel at vetmed.wsu.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 95 10:46:23 EST
From: Tim_Fields_at_Relay__Tech__Vienna at relay.com
Subject: aging/conditioning, RE Redhook
Is there a FAQ out there re aging and/or conditioning of ales (as opposed
to lagers) that would apply to bottled beer (as opposed to kegging)?
Trying to fine-tune my techniques and this seems a reasonable place to
look. I've been unable to find any specific info about this subject, and
my guess is "proper" aging /conditioning would benefit my beer. I'm
particularly curious about these areas:
1) length of time in (glass) secondary. I usually bottle after the beer
clears; perhaps 7-10 days. Any benefit to keeping it in secondary longer?
2) refrigeration/cool temps; secondary and in bottle. I've seen one micro
that refrigerates the beer (ales in this case) for a week before bottling,
and I assume this is pretty common. Would some form of "cold conditioning"
be beneficial?
Any suggestions or info sources would be appreciated. I'll be happy to
post results.
- ------------------------
In #1813, palmer at San-Jose.ate.slb.com (Eric Palmer) writes:
>The terms of the Redhook deal are now public and include an IPO of 1.9
>million shares for $33Mil. Shares will be offered at between $13 and $15.
>Call your broker at Smith Barney or Montgomery Securities to get on the
>inside track.
Already went public, and shares were scarfed up like mad. Symbol HOOK,
trading at $31 as I type.
-Tim
Tim Fields / Vienna, VA, USA / timf at relay.com
"Contemplate this on the Tree of Woe" ... Thulsa Doom
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 11:56:29 -0400
From: ge083 at cleveland.Freenet.Edu (G. M. Elliott)
Subject: Glad HBD is Bacccccccck
Boy talk about withdrawal.. I have always lurked but thought
I might now have something to add to the wisdom of all who do
contribute. I have gotten alot of info in the past from HBD and
used some of it last weekend when I make an IPA.
I use an imersion(sp?) chiller and reconnected my cold water
inlet to the top coils of the chiller and it made a great diff.
I chilled down to 76 degrees in about 25 min vs the normal B-4
the switch of about 45 mins. I am a believer now!
The other tip I picked up was the siphon tube with holes in the
side to help suck air into the wort. Did this also for the
first time and boy what a difference. Plenty of air and did not
even have to do anything else but let it do its own thing. The
simple things in life seem to work the best. BTW it is still
fermenting away merrily.
Thanks for all the tips and to those who provided the above
ideas I can attest to
Mark
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 08:59:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Philip Hofstrand <philiph at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Thermometer Q
Greetings, All:
In HBD 1814, Dave Draper explains his thermometer woes. The fix that
usually works for me in our lab, with both mercury and red liquid
thermometers, is to cool the thermometer. Put it in as cold an
environment as possible, which hopefully will bring all the liquid into
the coalescing bulb, and eliminate the break. This usually won't work in a
standard -20C freezer, but works well if the thermometer is placed in
ethanol in a -70C freezer (although one should cool the thermometer a bit
first). Stubborn ones will respond to a few snaps with the wrist. I
wouldn't trust a thermometer with a break as being reliable, although you
could try borrowing another one to calibrate it against.
> Or do I ignore that little bit and just read the top of the main mass as
> the real temperature?
Don't do that. Remember that the mass above the break is there at the
expense of the volume in the main mass. If the other solutions don't
work, try subtracting the height of the break (airspace) from the reading
of the top of the smaller volume, although that is fairly risky if you're
trying to get accurate mash temps. You should also carefully examine the
thermometer for any small cracks along its full length. If you find any,
toss the thermometer.
Phil,
Carefully avoiding gratuitous reference to the mercury thread.
- --
Philip Hofstrand (philiph at u.washington.edu)
In taberna quando sumus, non curamus quid sit humus
When we are in the tavern, we spare no thought for the grave
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 12:15:55 -0400
From: dwhitman at rohmhaas.com (Dave Whitman)
Subject: Thermometer Q
In a particularly sparse HBD#1814, Dave Draper relates some thermometer woes:
>Awhile back a section of the red-colored alcohol (is that what it is?)
>in my mashing thermometer somehow detached from the main mass,and now
>>sits about 30 or 40C above the rest--there is an air bubble between
>the main mass and this small bit
snip
>I have tried a couple of times to get it back by
>putting the thermometer in boiling water but it still stays away.
>any help from the physiobiochemicozymurgicologists out there would be
>appreciated.
Dave, I used to repair these guys all the time back before I switched over
to using thermocouples. While only a chemist, I think my technique
generalizes to physiobiochemicozymurgicology, and I dare say to home
brewing as well.
The trick is to CHILL the thermometer, enough to withdraw the alcohol
completely into the bulb. At that point, gentle tapping will move the air
bubble to the top. Upon warming, you'll have a solid indicating column
again.
Water ice is too wimpy; you need dry ice get the alcohol down into the
bulb. Unless you're quick and careful, LN2 is too cold, since it'll
actually freeze the alcohol.
- ---
Dave Whitman
Rohm and Haas Specialty Materials
dwhitman at rohmhaas.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 12:33:15 +0059 (EDT)
From: Chuck and Grace Burkins <burkins at world.std.com>
Subject: Thermometers with air space
In HBD 1814 Dave Draper asked about a thermometer with an air space.
Dave:
What I would do is try to get all the alcohol into the bulb by
(carefully) placing the thermometer in a dry ice/ethanol bath. This may
be cold enough to do the trick. If this doesn't work, I would add the
degrees represented by the small separated column to that of the large
column of alcohol. I think a thermometer works because the volume of the
alcohol changes with temperature. The thermometer is calibrated for the
volume of all the alcohol and if you read your temperature without
taking into account the quantity above the air space, your reading will
be lower than the actual value. Good Luck.
Chuck Burkins
protein chemist, homebrewer
burkins at world.std.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 13:08:09 -0400
From: SoarMoose at aol.com
Subject: Finishing Hops and Wort Chilling
I had an interesting thought and wanted to read some observations.
When I was extract brewing I'd throw in finish hops at T-5 or T-whatever the
recipe said and then immediately pour all of the wort into a primary loaded
down with ICE COLD water so that it was immediately 75 degrees or less -
ready to pitch.
Now I am boiling the whole volume. What effect does the time it takes for the
wort to chill mean to the aroma from the hops? After I stop the flame, it
isn't boiling. It does take a while before the wort is no longer piping
hot...hot enugh to carry away the arome of the hops?
Has anyone considered this? Any observations or experiments been performed?
Personally, I tend to throw in my last addition about 15 seconds before I
turn off the flame if I want a good hop character but don't want to dry-hop
the beer.
-Chris
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 13:08:08 -0400
From: SoarMoose at aol.com
Subject: Re: Mt. Hood Hops
In a message dated 95-08-25 04:44:44 EDT, you write:
> in which I added 40 g of these Hood pellets at T-5 min. I
>expected a substantial hop nose, but am very disappointed to report that it
>is virtually nonexistent. The beer is still good, just not what I had aimed
>for. Does anyone have experience with late additions of Hood, and what do
>you find?
Since german "Noble" hops are hard to come by around here, I tend to use Mt.
Hood alot. Also Perle. They are fresh around here, tasty and useful in my
favorite recipies.
In fact, I've used Mt. Hood on many occasions. It's probably third favorite
for me behind Cascade (for it's versatility...it's in EVERYTHING) and Saaz
(for it's spicey character). I find two strange things about it:
1. I tend to use more of it for flavor and aroma. Where I would use an ounce
of a Cascade or a Willamette I'll usually use half again as much Mt. Hood in
a similar situation. This is entirely personal preference and I have no
reason for it other than that's how I like the 2 recipies that I finish with
Mt. Hood.
2. I buy only flowers and the freshness of the hops make a difference (IMHO)
for flavor and aroma. The last time I bought Mt. Hoods they were extremely
fresh and I got a killer aroma out of my beer - much more than I expected! It
was great, but without further experimentation it leads me to believe that
the storage of the hops might be to blame for the lack of good aroma.
I also hop-back my beer into the primary through the finishing flowers. It
serves the main purpose of filtering the wort so I get low-sediment and
trub-free wort in the primary, but I don't doubt that it might have an effect
on the character of the beer itself.
Remember - all these observations are from a total hop-head and I LOVE a good
hearty aroma. I've never used a smaller amount of Mt. Hood for finishing
because I used a butt-load the first time and I loved the result.
-Chris
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 95 11:11:00 MST
From: "Fleming, Kirk R., Capt" <FLEMINGKR at afmcfafb.fafb.af.mil>
Subject: Dave's Thermometer
I bought a lab-grade (read: expensive) thermometer that read about 4F high,
and I called the scientific supply place that sold it to me. I was advised
to look for an air bubble in the expansion chamber just above the main bulb,
and Lo!, there it was--a tiny bubble.
The recommended solution was to drop the vertically-oriented thermometer
repeatedly on the bulb ("carefully, but with authority") to drive the
mercury
downward to displace the air bubble. I selected the vinyl linoleum floor as
a
suitably absorptive surface--I think a block of soft wood would be good
here.
I had to drop it 15-20 times or more, from as high as 6-8 inches (uh, I mean
10-15 cm Dave). Finally it worked and the instrument read properly (using
family members as reference temp sources).
As for reading a thermometer with a bubble imbedded in the column
itself--well
no you can't read the top of the main column without adding in the separated
portion. With the bubble near the top of the column and the separated
portion
being very small compared to total column length, OR with a partial
immersion
thermometer, this is just a constant bias.
If the bubble were near the bottom of the column and the separated portion
was
large compared to total column length, then of course it wouldn't be a
constant
bias (for a full immersion thermometer). The expansion of the separated
column
would be significant.
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 11:35:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jim Cave <CAVE at PSC.ORG>
Subject: Male hop flowers?
I've been growing hops for 4 years now an found what I think are
male hop flowers (or mutants?) on my cascade plant. The female cones are
well developed right now (up to 3" long) but there are some other flower-like
items on the bine. These resemble broccoli flowers (prior to blooming) but
they don't seem to be developing any further, nor do they seem to produce
pollen. Should I worry or RDWAHAHB?
(Hello all! I've been silent for a while).
Jim Cave
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 14:34:33 -0400
From: Steven.A.Smith.1 at gsfc.nasa.gov (Steven A. Smith)
Subject: Source for Keg Setup in D.C.
Could anyone please provide me with a source(s) for corny kegs and
dispensing systems in the Washington, D.C. area. I'm interested in
the quick release (Pepsi style I am told) kegs, and a 5# CO2 system
to charge it with. Private emails are fine. Thanks in advance.
steve
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 95 14:40:28 -0400
From: joep at informix.com (Sr. SE)
Subject: Need Pumpkin Ale recipe
To celebrate the upcoming birth of my second child (November), I'd like
to have a pumpkin ale ready to go. I'm looking for a good all-grain
recipe (who'd want a bad one? :) ) made with canned pumpkin (pie filling
or pumpkin alone). I'd prefer a lighter ale (color, body, not flavor)
and, of course, not too hoppy (conflicts with the pumpkin).
Will take all ideas :)
Thanx!
joe.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Joe Pearl, Sr. Sales Engineer, Informix Software, Inc. |
| 8675 Hidden River Parkway, Tampa, FL, 33637 813-615-0616 |
| Competition is good for the consumer. |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Death is life's answer to the question 'Why?' - unknown |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 15:26 -0500 (EST)
From: gregory_g._graboski at Merck.Com (Gregory G. Graboski)
Subject: AA Determination
Greetings to the Collective
.... furtively venturing forth from lurker status to hestitate this
question. " Does anyone know the *official* procedure to determining AA
level in hops and would they care to share?. Private E-Mail is fine however
there might be some interest from other hop croppers.
Tx (IA of course) Greg
graboski at merck.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 16:08:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jim Griggers <brew at devine.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM>
Subject: Hunter Airstat Zener (again)
This is the third time sending this, so if it shows up more than once,
I am sorry.
After seeing concern over the rating of the replacement zeners in the
Hunter Airstat, I went back to my notes where I did the original repair.
The circuit has a full-wave bridge diode configuration feeding a 220 ohm,
1 W resistor. The zener in question is a shunt regulator across a
220 uF, 50 V capacitor. Both Airstats that I have contained a BZV47C24
zener. This might be a Philips part, but it is not in my 1989 data book.
I don't have a cross reference to this number. My GUESS from the package
and lead size says that this is less than a 5 W part. It was likely
replaced in newer Airstats with the JEDEC number 1N5359B which is 5 W.
The pass resistor is ceramic device. The value is printed on the resistor,
so no color codes. I checked the one that was in the defective Airstat, its
value was 220.4 ohms. When the zener shorted, I am quite certain that the
resistor's 1 Watt rating was exceeded, but it seemed to have come through
with no harm. The maximum power is dissipated in the shunt regulator (zener)
with no load. I checked the current through the pass resistor and calculated
the power dissipated in the zener, which was 1.2 Watts. The two 1 Watt zeners
in series will give a total max. dissipation of 2 Watts.
However, the actual max. dissipation is related to the max. junction
temperature. (it is getting deep here) The junction is kept cool by two
mechanisms. One is convection (air circulation) and one is conduction
through the device leads. In this application, with little air flow, most
cooling occurs through conduction. That is why the 220 uF capacitor gets so
warm. I would suggest keeping the leads short for this reason. Putting the
diodes up away from the board will keep the board cooler, and the diodes
hotter.
The actual failure of the original diode may not have been heat related
in any case. Engineering changes are beyond the scope of the HBD, but I
would discuss this off line.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
|\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/|
|Jim Griggers brew at devine.columbiasc.ncr.com Columbia, SC|
|______________________________________________________________|
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 AUG 95 16:16:50 EST
From: CINIBUMK at ml.wpafb.af.mil
Subject: Freshness Dating/Extended Storage
Fellow Brewers:
I've recently come across a number of articles dealing with the subject of
"freshness dating", and also have seen increasingly more commercially
available bottled beer with these dates printed on the labels. Some date
their product with the bottling date and some with when they think it
looses its freshness (whatever that means). I have heard the arguments
pro and con about the practice. But in the back of my mind I have been
wondering about just how long can one keep homebrew (or any beer) and how
does the temperature of storage affect the beer?
I remember when I started brewing last year I read somewhere that beer is
better with some aging and that the last bottle of a batch is typically the
best. I don't have enough experience with my own brews but I like the
taste of my ales best about four weeks after bottling, which is 6-7 weeks
after brewing. This certainly depends on the style and I realize that the
beer is constantly evolving even after bottling. But is there anything to
this freshness dating debate?
Extended periods of lagering at near 0 C is supposed to benefit lagers but
that's another issue, or is it? Which brings me back to the question of
storage temperature. I'd like to hear what others have to say on the
subject.
Mike Cinibulk
Bellbrook Ohio
cinibumk at ml.wpafb.af.mil
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 08:31:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: Joe Uknalis <juknalis at arserrc.gov>
Subject: Philly Homebrew Competition
Start brewing those beers!
Homebrewers of Philadelphia and Suburbs (HOPS) 12th Annual Best of
Philadelphia & Suburbs (BOPS) Homebrew Competition
(HOPS-BOPS)
Sunday November 12, 1995
11:00 AM
Philadelphia, PA
This AHA sanctioned event invites entries in all 1995 AHA
categories (except sake). All judges, stewards and apprentice judges are
welcome!
Awards dinner with prize$ for best of catagories that evening.
For judge/steward/apprentice registration contact:
Joe Uknalis juknalis at arserrc.gov
For entry info & other details check out our club HOMEPAGE!
http://www.netaxs.com/~ktoast/hops.html
Approximate beer entry submission time- mid October to early November, 1995
More details will follow, stay tuned.
Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1815, 08/26/95