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


Contents:
  more questions (blacksab)
  Brown ale recipe (Rolland Everitt)
  O2 absorbing caps (dflagg)
  A feindish idea... but would it work? (Scott Christian Gruber)
  Re: BBCo. Homebrew Contest (Larry.Carden)
  Yeast, Corn and Rice (MAURAPAT)
  Beer Engines (John Keane)
  Bottle conditioning high strenth beers (Jim Cave)
  False Bottoms (Kirk R Fleming)
  Good head (Philip Gravel)
  one-yeast breweries (Rob Lauriston)
  RE 1728 attenuation (TimFields)
  Re:Wyeast 1728 Scottish A (STAN MARX)
  Maximizing Beer Fridge Capacity, Head, Hops, BOINK! ("Pat Babcock")
  Filtering out hops, break (C.D. Pritchard)
  extract brew coloring (C.D. Pritchard)
  Defrost clock (C.D. Pritchard)
  Re: Mini-Keg with regulator (C.D. Pritchard)
  Rushing the growler (Rolland Everitt)
  Re: Malt Extract Differences, Full Sail (Fred Ogline)
  more BBCo contest/reprise (Dan McConnell)



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


Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 03:26:11 -0500
From: blacksab at siu.edu
Subject: more questions

A few more questions for the collective:

1. What is an appropriate recirculation rate in a RIMS system, or what is
the ideal range? What are the variables that affect optimum performance?

2. How is the recirculated wort re-introduced to the top of the grain-bed
without disturbing it? A sparging mechinism wouldn't work because the grist
initially recirculated would clog the holes.

3. Are there any clever devices that can be placed in-line to heat the
recirculating wort for step-mashing, or to maintain temperature during a
single- step infusion? I'm thinking of some species of electric hot water
heater element encased in a piece of pipe plumbed in-line which the
recirculating wort could pass over/thru, but I'm open to suggestions.

4. Are there any rotating brass(?) lawn sprinklers that could serve as a
rotating sparge arm? I can't for the life of me figure out how to make such
a mechinism that would work with the low pressures of sparging. I know Phil
Listerman makes a small one, but it doesn't seem large enough for a 10-gal
batch. Can this thing be scaled up? A manifold would work, but I'd really
like to have a rotating arm.

5. Thanks for all the help recieved thus far!

                                --Harlan Bauer

                         
                          --Harlan Bauer <blacksab at siu.edu>


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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 08:53:18 -0400
From: af509 at osfn.rhilinet.gov (Rolland Everitt)
Subject: Brown ale recipe



I wanted to make a brown ale, but had no chocolate or black malt on
hand, so I tried an experiment.  I had some cracked whole wheat of
the sort that can be cooked as a hot cereal.  I pan-roasted it in
a dry iron skillet for about 30 minutes, turning it frequently,
until it was fairly dark (some was burned actually).  This was
cooked in about a quart of water for about 3/4 hour, and added to
the main mash at about 50 C at the start of the protein rest.  All
water used had 1/2 tsp. Burton salts added per gallon.  The boil
was about 50 minutes, and there was quite a lot of hot break.  This
recipe yielded about 3 gallons of wort at OG=1.050.  I pitched one
packet of Edme ale yeast direct (no starter).  FG was 1.018.
 
Usquepaugh mild brown ale
 
4 lb. English 2-row pale malt
1 lb. Crystal malt
3/4 lb. cracked wheat berries
Burton salts
Edme ale yeast
1 oz. Cascade hops (start of boil)
1/2 oz. Kent Golding hops (near end of boil)
1.4 tsp. Irish moss
 
After 4 weeks in the bottle, this is a very drinkable brown ale
with a pleasant flavor.  I named it for the village of Usquepaugh,
RI, home of Kenyon's Mill (no affiliation), which is to milling
what a good micro is to brewing.  I bought the wheat there.  They
offer a line of stone-ground meals and flours at their shop, and by
mail order.  Their phone number is (401) 783-4054.

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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 09:34:36 -0400
From: dflagg at agate.net
Subject: O2 absorbing caps

Curt recently wrote:

> I just got 2 gross of O2 absorbing caps and was wondering what
> was the best way of sanitizing them.  I know boiling is out; I 
> don't think bleach would be very good for them, so what do I 
> use? Iodophor? Something else???

For all of the above reasons, I don't!!! (sanitize them, that is).
Heresy?? Maybe, but I have not have any problems or infections.
My rationale was that I wondered if there would be any reason for
beer spoiling bacteria to be hanging around where the caps are made
or packaged?

Or maybe I just been very lucky???

************************************************************
Doug Flagg                  |  "A Homebrew a day...
dflagg at orono.sdi.agate.net  |   Keeps the Worries away!"
************************************************************

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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 11:57:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: Scott Christian Gruber <gruber at gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>
Subject: A feindish idea... but would it work?


Morning, all:

A friend and I were brainstorming possible future brews and I came up 
with an interesting idea.  We were thinking about St. Patrick's Day and 
beer and how bars sometimes color their beer green for the occasion when 
the idea hit me:  What if I were to brew a GREEN St. Patrick's Day stout? 
Something thick, black, and tasty, but with a rich, creamy, GREEN head? 

A little strange, yes. Somewhat scary, even. But could it be done?

So I was wondering if anyone on the HBD had any ideas: Would regular food 
coloring work?  Would it change the flavor of the beer very much?  How much 
would I need for 5 gallons?  Would I add it to the boil or immediately 
afterwards?  Would chemicals in the food coloring kill the beer 
(or the drinker, for that matter)?  Has anyone else ever thought of 
or done anything like this? 

Just a thought. I'll post the results if anybody is interested (Though I 
doubt anyone else is sick and twisted enough... ;-)

Peace and Beer,
scg
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
							     Scott C. Gruber
			"I am eggs of all persuasions"
					-Frank Zappa
http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~gruber   		   gruber at gwis2.circ.gwu.edu
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+


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Date: 23 Sep 95 09:55:00 -0500
From: Larry.Carden at pscmail.ps.net
Subject: Re: BBCo. Homebrew Contest

     The Boston Brewing Co.'s contest requires 3 12-oz. bottles, and no 
     entry fee, according to a local homebrew shop.  There is a pamphlet 
     available with all the rules.  Your local brew shop may have them, but 
     mine was out, so I got the contest's phone number, (617) 497-2863, and 
     left my address, so they can send me the rules directly.
     
     Larry in Englewood, CO

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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 12:17:08 -0400
From: MAURAPAT at aol.com
Subject: Yeast, Corn and Rice

The brewer from my favorite brewpub has graciously agreed to give me a
container of slurry for use in my homebrewing efforts.  My question is, how
much of this slurry should I use for a 5 gallon batch?  1 cup?  1/2 cup?  2
cups?  I'm assuming I'll also need to make a starter before pitching.  Anyone
have any experience in this area?
Also, I've been a dedicated all-malt brewer since I began 6 years ago.  Just
for a change of pace, I was thinking of experimenting with the addition of
corn and rice in a couple of brews.  Does anyone have a mashing schedule for
corn and rice?  I know I'll need a diastatic malt extract to provide the
enzymes but how long and at what temp?  

Many thanks in advance for any help.

Send responses to private e-mail (maurapat at aol.com) as not to clog up the HBD
and I'll post a summary.

Beer is our bond

Patrick

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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 12:44:41 -0400
From: John Keane <keane at cs.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Beer Engines

In Homebrew Digest #1839 (September 23, 1995),
Evan_Still at vos.stratus.com asks:
> WHAT IS A BEER ENGINE?

The infamous 8-cylinder Beer Engine was developed by British Leyland
in the late 1970's in an attempt to capitalize on the strengths of two
important British industries: racing car manufacture and Real Ale
brewing.  The engine turned in its impressive performance fueled only
by high-octane (OG 1.065 and above) Real Ales (dry-hopping could be
employed as an anti-knock measure).  Sadly, though innovative in the
extreme, the turbo Beer Engine was banned from Formula racing after
only a single season, following complaints by drivers about the
hazards posed by the enormous quantities of foam spewed from the
exhaust of Beer Engine-powered cars.  Unable (or unwilling) to solve
the "cylinder head" problem, British Leyland discontinued the engine,
never again to be a serious contender in international competition.

;-)

 ...Or, it could be that a beer engine is another name for the
traditional long-handled handpump used to dispense Real Ale in
Britain.  In the northern part of England, a device (called a
"sparkler") like a small showerhead is attached to the dispense
spigot, raising a dense head on what would otherwise be (by
U.S. standards) rather flat beer.  This effect can be duplicated by
squirting a small amount of beer back into a glass with a syringe.

_John_

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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 11:01:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jim Cave <CAVE at PSC.ORG>
Subject: Bottle conditioning high strenth beers

	I can't remember who it was who reported that when using the Wyeast
Scotch ale yeast, his yeast pooped out when he bottled it, but I have a
suggestion.   I just bottled my strong golden ale which I had some trouble
getting to attenuate.  After I finally got the gravity down, I put it away
in the fridge at near freezing for about 3 months, to drop some of the 
proteins in order to chill-haze-proof the beer.  I realized that I would
have to re-yeast in order to get any kind of bottle conditioning, so I added
650 mls of yeast starter raised from a slant of Duvel yeast.  The result in
only 5 days was a very lively bottle conditioned beer.

	I strongly advocate this process.  If it's good enough for the Belgians
it's good enough for me.  I've had to judge many strong belgian beers that were
weakly carbonated and considering the work and special care given these beers,
it seems a shame to get a flat beer for your efforts.

	If you end up with a flat bottle of beer, there is a way out.  If you
trust your sterile procedure, make up a good sized starter of fresh yeast and
obtain a sterile syringe.  Then carefully open each bottle and add a couple
of mls of fresh yeast culture, as the head space in the bottle allows.  Then
recap--you can use the same cap.  I'll bet that in a week, your beer will be
nicely carbonated.  The trick is to be very careful about your procedure,
keep your culture covered while working and be as "sterile" as possible.

				Jim Cave, Vancouver, B.C.

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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 14:25:34 -0600
From: flemingk at usa.net (Kirk R Fleming)
Subject: False Bottoms

Harlan Bauer asked abt false bottom fabrication (blacksab at siu.edu). I
know many folks are building systems like this so I thought I'd respond
here.  He says

> I'm now trying to come up with a fuss-free false bottom for my mash-tun
> ...I don't really like the idea of a hinged piece of SS, so I'm
> wondering whether a 3/16 to 3/8-inch piece of copper or polyethylene
> cutting board couldn't be used, and fastening the two pieces in the
> middle with a "rabbet joint". (I'm using a keg as my mash-tun

I've built two sets of false bottoms now using 1/8" thick aluminum plate
which is plenty strong enough to support any conceivable grain bill, and
has machinability, availability and affordability advantages over ss.
I very much doubt you can find copper plate in any dimensions at all.

The required keg modification can be best summarized as follows: imagine
holding the one-piece false bottom (a 14-15" diameter disk) with its
top and bottom surfaces facing horizontally forward and back.  In this
position it will be dropped into the mash tun edge-on.  Now simply
visualize that to do this you need a slot on each side of the top of
the keg to admit the false bottom edgewise.

By making two radial slots in the keg you can keep the false bottom as a
single piece--this meets the "fuss-free" requirement.  Also, by having a
single piece bottom, you eliminate two things: the possibility (however
remote you perceive it) of the false bottom failing and making a real
mess, and the need for and fasteners, reinforcements, standoffs, welding,
etc.

I drilled two 1/4" holes down through the rolled lip at the top of the
keg (parallel to the axis of symmetry of the keg), with one hole at
each diametrically opposed side.  I drilled all the way through the top
and bottom of the rolled lip, and down into and thru the top end of the
keg itself.  Then, starting from opposite sides of the keg opening, I
made two parallel saw cuts radially outward toward the 1/4" hole just
described.  The cuts are finished when you hit the 1/4" hole and a little
1/4" wide strip of ss falls out.  Make two similar cuts in the rolled
lip, outward toward the 1/4" hole.

When finished with these cuts and after using a round file to clean 
things up, you'll have a slot in the top of the keg at each opposing
side that will allow a 14 1/2" diameter false bottom to slide thru.  Once
you have the false bottom inside the keg, rotate 90 deg and drop it into
the bottom (you may of course have to work it under any plumbing you
may have fitted inside the keg. Our kegs are plumbed so only a short
3" piece of 1/2" rigid copper tubing protrudes into the keg interior.
The false bottom is fitted with a 1/2" copper el and another 2" piece
of tubing which is aligned with the tubing coming in from the side of
the keg:
                
                               ||<--- keg wall
                               ||
              /-------     ----||-----------
              | /-----     ----||-----------
==============| |==============||   ^--------- this is the short section
                               ||              of tubing that passes thru
               ^- this elbow and short         the keg wall. Continuity
                  nipple are fastened          between the two tubes is  
                  to the plate itself          done with 5/8" ID flexible
                  using a combo of 1/2"        tubing about 6" long
                  copper/NPT fittings

> I figure instead of drilling a bunch of holes, I could take a router
> to the underside and cut a series of U-shaped slots parallel to one
> another, and then flip the thing over and cut a bunch of U or V-shaped
> slots perpendicular to the underside. If I set the depth of cut
> correctly, the intersection would form the perforation.

I haven't tried this.  My feeling is that, without the accurate indexing
affording by a mill table, for example, the chances of getting the slots
to meet everything is marginal.  Ideally the top surface of the false
bottom should be absolutely smooth--no U shaped slots.  The bottom should
be (ideally) relieved as suggested:  
                                     ----- -----
                                     ----/ \----   ASCII section view

> What about materials--will plastics work or should I use copper?

I already mentioned aluminum--works perfectly.  The white HDPE used for
cutting boards may be a suitable plastic, but you may find it behaves 
PVC when cut--hard to get a clean, string-free edge.  I don't believe
one could ever find enough copper to do this, and I think you'd kill
yourself trying to use a router to cut copper--the way carbide or high
speed tools are ground for cutting wood (and even steel) is suboptimal
for cutting copper and brass.  I think it would turn real ugly.

> And what about optimum slot shape--any data?

I now use 5/64" diameter holes on 1/4" centers.  This takes about 2200
holes to perforate a 14 1/2" diameter plate.  This hole size is about
perfect.  Someone who resells the PicoBrewing system has published the
slot arrangement used in the Pico copper false bottom plates, but I
can't find it right now.  Seems to me the slot width was about .035",
a few inches long, and about 1/2" apart.

A final note in this long post: based on the use of the system I've
partially described, and on a similarly designed stovetop system, I
found extraction efficiency dropped nearly 20% (yes, TWENTY) over a
stovetop system where the mash can be stirred (as is the case when
using the EasyMasher).  Well, I don't mean to imply you can't stir
the mash when you use a false bottom.  I only mean that if you *just*
recirculate, don't stir at all, be prepared for this possibility.  With
the mash-in-a-stockpot technique on the stovetop, I have to set the
"Efficiency" number in SudsW 4.0 at 83% which then predicts dead-on.
When I recirculate only, using the false bottom in the same setup, I
have to crank the number down to about 63% in SudsW.  YMMV, as always.
KRF Colorado Springs


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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 95 23:09 CDT
From: pgravel at mcs.com (Philip Gravel)
Subject: Good head

===> Evan Still

>    What are the best way(s) to get a good head on my ales.
>I've seen many recipes that use crystal for mouthfeel and
>body,but does this help with the head. 

Yes.

>                                      I've also heard that
>carapils does the same.Can these two be mixed together.

It does.  Yes, you can mix them.

>                                                       Are
>there any other things that might help.

Yes.  Wheat malt is supposed to do a very good job of improving
the head because of the large amount of protein it contains.

- -- 
Phil
_____________________________________________________________
Philip Gravel   Lisle, Illinois               pgravel at mcs.com

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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 95 07:44 PDT
From: robtrish at mindlink.bc.ca (Rob Lauriston)
Subject: one-yeast breweries

In 1839, Ken Schroeder continued the brewpub thread talking about mixing
yeasts in multi-yeast breweries.  I have to agree with him that cost and
practicality in processing are key to explaining how brewpubs operate.
Homebrewing is for yourself.  Commercial brewing is for the customer.  In
some pubs there is a payoff in the market for using more than one yeast, in
most there isn't.

Secondary fermentation/conditioning IS the most likely place for the
unintentional mixing of yeasts, it seems to me, resulting from using a hose
with yeast-A-beer to transfer yeast-B-beer to the secondary.  While this is
careless, it is common to use hoses for more than one job before complete
re-cleaning and this doesn't compromise sanitation in any other way.   If
the secondary is only rinsed (as Ken mentioned) there's more opportunity to
mix them up, but the (mixed) yeast from a secondary isn't repitched.  So how
much will the yeast mixing affect the secondary ferment?  Comments?  Cf.
some bottle-conditioned hefe-weizens?

The problem of mixing yeasts would be most important in the primary
fermentation and you'd have to be a lot worse than just careless for this to
happen.  That just underlines how cross-contamination is exaggerated.   Ken
is right that tanks aren't necessarily thoroughly cleaned before each use,
but I'd limit that to secondaries and bright beer tanks.  Re-using a primary
without complete cleaning is pretty shoddy, IMHO. 

Ken mentioned what I think is the main advantage to using only one yeast:
it's easier to have enough yeast ready to pitch when needed.   Trying to
propagate enough yeast with a starter would often be hard to do in a
sanitary way (if any equipment were available at all), and would be a PITA
in any case.

 A couple things Ken said weren't quite right though.   He writes,  " Since
the beer is filtered before it goes to the brightening tank, cross
contamination could occur before the beer is conditioned".   Conditioning
doesn't occur after the yeast is removed.  Filters are almost always
expected to remove the yeast and so running beers fermented with different
yeasts through a filter in one run is a standard procedure and no problem
from the point of view of cross contamination (aka mixing yeasts).   No
offense intended, Ken.


    Rob Lauriston   ***new address***  <robtrish at mindlink.bc.ca>
      the old domain just disappeared suddenly one day...

    The Low Overhead Brewery                                  Vernon, B. C.
    "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak up
    and remove all doubt"                       -- a chance I have to take


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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 10:52:35 -0400
From: TimFields at aol.com
Subject: RE 1728 attenuation

In #1839, rlarsen at squeaky.free.org (Rich Larsen) writes about good
attenuation but lack of carbonation in an Imperial Stout that used Wyeast
1728.  There may be a "root" cause for this that should/could be tackled.
 But.... what about adding some fresh yeast at bottling time, similar to a
Belgian Ale?  I suppose this might produce flavors not to style?

 -Tim
timf at relay.com


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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 95 12:41:00 -0400
From: stan.marx at syncomm.com (STAN MARX)
Subject: Re:Wyeast 1728 Scottish A


In HBD 1839: rlarsen at squeaky.free.org (Rich Larsen) wrote:
Subject: Wyeast 1728 Attenuation / AB yeast

:He observed as have I, a high attenuation rate with this yeast.  So
:much in fact that he used it to make a barley wine.  I on the other
:hand used it to make an imperial stout.  Well we both had a great 
:attenuation, I believe his was 1.090 to 1.015 and mine was 1.110 to
:1.020. We both bottled as usual with a reasonable amount of priming
:sugar and guess what?  His Bwine was flat and my Istout is too.
: Tastes good... just flat flat flat.

My experience has been that 1728 works very well on high gravity 
worts.  BUT I've found it works best when it's also a dextrionus
wort, a current batch (clearing in secondary now) started at 1.088
and is finished at 1.028.  Specifics: British pale ale malt, mashed
in a single infusion at 158/159 deg F, raised to mash out as rapidly
as possible, first runnings kettle caralmized.  Pitched with
a thrice built up starter (final starter wort 1.070), 'beer' poured
off and slurry pitched.  I've found this yeast works best when
roused thru the secondary fermentation.  I currently prime with
1/2 cup corn sugar and have always carbonated beautifully.  Perhaps
the rousing is the difference, more yeast left at bottling, but
I think using a starter built to the gravity you're pitching into
may be just as important for healthy long-lasting yeast.
('tis my favorite yeast laddie, I like to brew big, saves 
trips to the head :-))

Stan  
stan.marx at syncomm.com



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Date:          Sun, 24 Sep 1995 14:54:04 +0500
From: "Pat Babcock" <pbabcock at oeonline.com>
Subject:       Maximizing Beer Fridge Capacity, Head, Hops, BOINK!

Greetings!

A question upon the alter of beer:

My beer fridge has capacity for only two cornelius kegs :-(   It is
an _ancient_ GE fridge - from back when the coils were mounted to
the bottom of the freezer, and the freezer was exposed metal.

Anyway, due to this miniscule capacity, I have been toying with the
idea of employing a cold plate in my refrigerator so that I might
keep the kegs outside.  I know little more about these things than
that they are coils of SS cast into an aluminum block, and a few
prices.  I also know that they are usually submerged in ice and
water when used in the typical (jockey box) fashion.

My plan is to keep it suspended in a container of water or some other
suitable liquid (glycol?) to provide a bit more thermal inertia and
better 'connection' to the cold than would cold air alone. My beer
lines would enter from one wall of the 'fridge, the taps would be on
the opposite wall. 

Does anyone have any experience with cold plates? Will this plan 
work? Is the container of liquid necessary, or will the thermal 
inertia of the plate be sufficient in the cold air environment (this 
would also imply that the ice and water in the Jockey Box setup is 
merely a means of refrigeration)? 

Any all comments welcome. E-mail as required.

- ---------

>E.S. isn't satisfied with the head he's been getting...

Generally, the inclusion of any wheat in the mash can make up for 
some heading problems.  Really, any high-protein grain can improve 
heading and retention. Are you an all grain brewer?

As far as mixing crystal and carapils - Why not?

Oh, and a beer engine is a pump of sorts for moving beer from the keg 
or cask without pressurizing same. Typically, they incorporate a 
'sparkler' at the faucet -  which literally sprays the brew into the 
waiting glass. The sparkler can be little more than a pin-point 
orifice, or it can resemble a small shower head. 

Jeff (not Nancy) Renner's suggestion simulates this by blasting a 
quantity of beer into the glass in a very fine stream. If you're 
really cheap and not too squeamish, you can do away with the syringe 
by taking a quantity of beer into your mouth, and squirting it back 
in at high velocity. Just don't blame me for the floaties. (They 
came from your mouth, anyway. Just don't offer anyone a sip :-)

>Chuck E. Mryglot comments on Centennial's lineage...

You read 'Using Hops', didn't you? Anyway, the lineage as shown is
correct, to the best of my (somewhat limited) knowledge. THe reason
I bring up Garetz's book is that he correctly states that Brewers
Gold is one of the parents, but then confuses everyone by stating:
"It has a very pleasant aroma that is reminiscent of Cascade. In
fact, some call it "Super Cascade" and even use it as an aroma hop."

Not a flame, BTW, just my surmission.

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

In other hoppy news, I just harvested from my Cascade bines in the
yard.  I got a grocery bag full! (Sorry, trying to close the pool,
too. Had no time to weigh them yet.) This was the first year from
these plants, so PHOOOOEY on all those hop experts who say you will
get no hops the first year. These cones are GORGEOUS! (Wonder what
the roots look like...)

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

> And, Chas Peterson asks about boinking his kegs with bottled CO2 
> instead of natural CO2...

I had heard that the new 3 liter carbonator cap (R, TM, C, MNSQT)
fits on the cartridge port of 5 liter keg taps. This, effectively,
gives you a ball lock cornelius fitting which will make your dream a
reallity.

BUT (there's always a but, isn't there? Everyone has one. Ooops. 
That's butt. Anyway...) owning neither a 3 liter carbonator cap (R, 
TM, C, MNSQT) nor a 5 liter mini-keg, I only pass this along as an 
unsubstantiated half truth.

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

Well, I've bored you enough! See ya!

Pat Babcock                 | "Beer is my obsession, and I'm late for
President, Brew-Master      |  therapy..." -PGB
and Chief Taste-Tester      | "Let a good beer be the exclamation point 
Drinkur Purdee pico Brewery |  at the end of your day as every sentence 
pbabcock at oeonline.com       |  requires proper punctuation." -PGB
SYSOP on The HomeBrew University - Motor City Campus BBS (313)397-9758
Visit the Homebrew Flea Market via http://oeonline.com/~pbabcock 

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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 95 17:53 EDT
From: cdp at chattanooga.net (C.D. Pritchard)
Subject: Filtering out hops, break

Dave Mercer posted in #1817:
>Using the copper tubing with the slits cut in the bottom that I use for
>lautering.  My siphoning cane fits nicely in the outflow section of tubing
>that connects to the drain in cooler I use for mashing.  Down side:  Even
>though there are a lot of slits in the tubes, it seems to me this could get
>stuck pretty quickly, what with all the gunk in the kettle.

It'll clog in about 2 minutes if you use whole hops.  I tried a loop of 3/8"
Cu tubing with 70 1/32" inch slots sawed half thru the tubing.  It was
quickly clogged with hop parts when placed in the bottom of the boiler.
(Whrilpooling doesn't work with hot wort so, the hops and hot break were
scattered all over the bottom of the boiler.)  I'm back to using a couple of
Cu scrub pads at the end of a Cu racking cane covered with really fine nylon
netting.  It also clogs towards the end of the syphoning; however, pushing
it down repeatly against the sides and bottom of the boiler restores the flow.

Somebody posted a blurb about a hopback/strainer made from a mason jar a
while back but didn't give any details.  Sounds interesting.  Could whoever
posted the blurb please post more details?
C.D. Pritchard    cdp at chattanooga.net


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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 95 17:54 EDT
From: cdp at chattanooga.net (C.D. Pritchard)
Subject: extract brew coloring

GeepMaley at aol.com posted:

>Any input into how to make lighter colored brews with LME? 

I've had good luck with Alexander's pale LME.  I boil +- 4 gal batches and
the color of the finished beer is about the same as a Bud.

C.D. Pritchard    cdp at chattanooga.net


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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 95 17:54 EDT
From: cdp at chattanooga.net (C.D. Pritchard)
Subject: Defrost clock

DONBREW at aol.com wrote in #1818

>On a related note.  I certainly hope that everybody who uses a
>refridgerator for fermenting/lagering has remembered to either use an old
>fashioned "defrost it yourself" fridge or disabled the defrost clock.

As another data point- my used upright freezer had a broken defrost heating
element and the coils frosted up so much that the compressor ran all the
time when the thermostat was set to 35degF for lagering.

I fixed the problem by replacing the element with a smaller 100W heating
element and wiring the fan to run all the time.  The defrost timer still
controls the heater.  The temp swings are only 7 degF and there's no frost
on the coils.  Since the freezer is in my garage and subject to freezing up
in the winter, I plan on also tying the heater into a thermostat so that the
temp in the freezer doesn't go below freezing.


C.D. Pritchard    cdp at chattanooga.net


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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 95 17:54 EDT
From: cdp at chattanooga.net (C.D. Pritchard)
Subject: Re: Mini-Keg with regulator

Chas Peterson asked:

>Does anyone know of a way to attach a CO2 regulator outlet to the "gas end"
>of my minikeg tap?  What do you set the regulator for dispensing a minikeg?  
I've read the carbonator will screw into the minikeg tap.  I didn't want to
spring for the $50 minikeg tap so I modified a bung so that a tap isn't
required.  Here's how:
1.  Drill a big hole in the plastic insert.
2.  Insert two 1.5" long pieces of small OD (3/16" as I recall) brass tubing
    into the hole.  Bend tubes as indicated below.  Depending on the OD of
    your tubing, you may need to flatten the CO2 tube a bit.
3.  Solder 1/4" brass hose barbs to the two exterior tubes.  I cut a brass
    tubing coupler in half.  One is for CO2 input and the other for beer
    output.
4.  Hot glue the tubing to the plastic bung insert.  I did this by filling
    the interior of the insert with glue.  Warming the brass tube helps.
5.  Put a length of Tygon tubing on the bend interior brass tubes. The Tygon
    should go to the bottom of the keg when the bung is inserted. (Hint:  cut
    the end of the tube on a slant so that it isn't sucked against the
    bottom of the keg when dispensing beer.)

             \ \  / /
              \ \/ /
              | || |
         +----| || |----+                             
         |    | || |    |               
         \    | || |    /
          \   | || |   /         
            --| || |--                 
              | |\ \
                  \ \

I removed the brass guts from a tire air valve and inserted it into the end
of the CO2 line.  With a air chuck on the end of a CO2 line from the
regulator, I have a nice quick disconnect.

I counterpressure fill the minikeg from a corny keg for parties.  Works great.


C.D. Pritchard    cdp at chattanooga.net


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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 19:57:25 -0400
From: af509 at osfn.rhilinet.gov (Rolland Everitt)
Subject: Rushing the growler



This questions isn't about brewing, but it's about beer, and I'll
bet someone on this list can answer it.  Years ago, before the
government protected us from everything, bars used to sell beer
to go in buckets.  It was common practice for a father to send his
young son down to the corner tavern to get a bucket of suds.
According to local lore in my community, this practice was called
"rushing the growler".  Has anyone else heard of this expression?
Can anyone fill me in on the derivation of this peculiar phrase?


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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 20:18:18 -0400
From: oglinef at wahoo.netrunner.net (Fred Ogline)
Subject: Re: Malt Extract Differences, Full Sail


In HBD 1839, Eric Palmer asked:

>For those intimate with extract brewing, are all light syrup extracts
>created equal or is there evidence some are "better" than others?

>For example, Alexander's (domestic from CA) vs. Laaglander vs. Breiss
>vs. Australian vs. British, etc... I have heard British light tends
>darker than domestic, but other than that, are there any "quality"
>issues with the above or is it (as I expect) simply subjective and
>a matter of taste?

>Aside from trying to brew the best beer possible with extract, here's
>where I'm coming from on this. The recipe I'm following in my attempt
>to clone that elusive Full Sale Amber (1st attempt not even in same
>universe, but still a great pale ale) calls for Australian light.

I thought Alexanders gave me great results, so I have been using it 
exclusively for my bres this last 9 months I've been brewing.  Two 
batches ago, I went for a Full Sail type (I DO miss Portland!)  I tried 
the Coopers, and it was the general consensus among those who might 
know that the Coopers was definitely the difference that brought this 
closer to Full Sail.  I think I'll stick with Cooper's for all my light 
extract needs from now on.

By the way, here's my recipe.  It is based on several Full Sail recipes I'd 
seen, with some personal modification based on memories of my last trip to 
Portland.

Diaper Pail (sic) Ale
Brewed in celebration of my daughter Zoe's birth, July 95

7.5 lbs Coopers Light Malt Extract
0.75 lb Crystal 40L
2 oz Nugget hops
1 oz Cascade hops
Wyeast 1056
2 tsp gypsum

Crystal Malt 45 min at 155 deg
Add extract, gypsum, bring to boil
Add 1 oz Nuggets, boil for 15 min
Add 0.5 oz Nuggets, boil another 15 in
Add 0.5 oz Nuggets and 0.5 oz Cascades, boil another 15 min

Dry hop w/ 0.5 oz Cascades

O.G. ws 1.042.  I aerated with an aquarium pump.
Very fruity aroma, excellent flavor.  I WILL brew this again.

Again, I think the Coopers really made a difference!



Fred Ogline
South Florida
oglinef at netrunner.net


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Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 21:41:43 -0500
From: danmcc at umich.edu (Dan McConnell)
Subject: more BBCo contest/reprise

>From Paul D. Wiatroski
>
>Dan,
>Do you have any more info on the Sam Adams homebrew contest?
>Such as: where to send entries, number of bottles, etc.
>

You need the forms, rules etc. Three bottles, One entry per brewer.

I received a letter addressed to "Dear Homebrew Shop Owner" so  I would
assume that most shop owners have this packet by now.  They should be able
to  provide you with the entry forms (or copies) that you need.  As well as
ALL of the details that I neglected to post.  The contact person at The
Boston Beer Company is Kate Begley (617-497-2863). Or write:

Attn: World Homebrew Contest
The Boston Beer Company
30 germania Street
Boston, MA  02130

No affiliation (This isn't even an endorsement)!
=========================================

>From Jeff Frane

>And what are "yeast growth byproducts", other than the natural results of a
>good fermentation?

Jeff, what Alex was referring to were flavor contributions from respiration
rather than fermentation.

DanMcC



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End of HOMEBREW Digest #1840, 09/25/95