HOMEBREW Digest #1903 Thu 07 December 1995

Digest #1902 Digest #1904


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


Contents:
  yes you can overpitch (Andy Walsh)
  DMS and Pitching temp (Robert Bush)
  Wine? (Douglas Thomas)
  using propane inside (jeff kulick)
  First batch-Goat Scrotum Ale (Porter) (DejNik)
  corn starch peanuts (FxBonz)
  Small scale bottling (Lassi Puupponen)
  Mashing in the oven (Alec Saunders)
  Re: Jim Koch redux (John DeCarlo              )
  Stove Mash (SCHWAB_BRYAN)
  RE:  Split Decoction-, infusion-mashing, etc. (Russ Brodeur)
  Phil's Psyphon Starter, Split decoction mashing, 40C, Complaint (Eric W. Miller)
  re: flow gages ("Colgan, Brian P.")
  Re:  Stopper trapped in Carboy ("steve")
  Belgian grains and stolen y ("Craig Rode")
  HI/Dishwashers (Jeff Smith)
  New brewer wants advice about all grain. (Bob Tortajada x9373)
  Depth of Grain Bed (p.) locker" <locker at bnr.ca>
  St. James Koch (guym)
  soda kegs (DejNik)
  Steam Injection, Partial Decoction Mash (Bob McCowan)
  Drilled Stopper trick (Eric Marzewski)
  Stopper in Carboy-Solved! (Chuck and Grace Burkins)
  Boston Beer Homebrew Contest & Stock Offering (Brad Anesi)
  (fwd) New Liquid Yeast Strains (Alejandro Midence)
  Phil's Psyphon Starter ("Dan Listermann, Cinci OH")
  Sparging Hops/Clove (A. J. deLange)
  decoction Vs infusion mashing (Douhan)
  re:dishwashers, (KICKAHAbRU)
  Sediment from bleach solution (Paul Kensler)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 10:01:10 +1100 (EST) From: awalsh at crl.com.au (Andy Walsh) Subject: yes you can overpitch This is kind of interesting. I have had some trouble with stuck fermentations when making Belgian style ales using glucose and Wyeast 3944 (wit yeast), which is often recommended for ale styles as well as wit (I do not recommend this one after some expermentation - it seems easily shocked into catabolite repression by glucose). I *hate* having to throw out a batch, so when making my most recent dubbel (vol 40 litres, OG=1.068), I really decided to go all out with "anti-stuck-fermentation" procedures. I pitched onto the primary yeast cake from a previous fermentation (Yeast Labs Belgian Ale: Brigand) then racked into a clean 70 litre plastic cylindrical fermenter, to remove trub etc., and aerated thoroughly with pure O2 from a cylinder and SS airstone. I then placed the fermenter in my fridge and set the thermostat at 15C (60F). Well, 12 hours later (next day), the yeast was climbing out of the fermenter through the airlock (that's a 2 foot climb in a *cylindrical* vessel!) and was all over the fridge. The temperature underneath the fermenter (where I had the sensor for the feedback control) was 28C! The fridge was going flat out to try and maintain 15C but just could not cope with this thermonuclear explosion I had created. Well, I cleaned up, and next day (within 36 hours of pitching) all signs of fermentation had ceased. I tasted the beer, and it was certainly attenuated, but can you shout, BANANA!!! (sorry). I think I might just have gone a bit overboard with the yeast here. I think a thimbleful might be more appropriate. Has anyone else used this yeast for Belgian ales? I know the wyeast one makes great banana beer (I refuse to use it for that reason), but what about YeastLabs? ************************************************************* Andy Walsh from Sydney email: awalsh at world.net (or awalsh at crl.com.au if you prefer) I still don't know what a Wohlgemuth unit is. ************************************************************* Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 00:09:15 +0100 From: bush at shbf.se (Robert Bush) Subject: DMS and Pitching temp In HBD #1900 Don Van Valkenburg <dhvanvalkenburg at ccgate.hac.com> wrote: >I am not sure the roll malt plays, but I have read >somewhere (I'm sorry I can't remember the source; think it >may be G. Fixx) that a contributing factor to DMS is high >starting temperatures. I can confirm that I have >experienced very high DMS in lagers when I pitched the >yeast while it was still cooling down. I thought it would >get it off to a quick start if I pitched it at 85-90 and >proceeded to cool it down. The result was a drinkable beer >when it was young, but very high DMS after it aged. According to Norman Soine (Zymurgy Special Issue 1987, Troubleshooting), DMS can stem from two sources, namely bacterial infection of wort and/or inefficient elimination or inadvertent entrainment of normally occuring DMS during beer processing. It is important to maintain a sanitary system in order to avoid infections with wort bacteria and to have enough yeast ready to get the quick start needed. You could boil the wort longer than usual, as this will diminish DMS. Another thing: 90 degrees F equals 32.2 degrees C. That sounds to me a bit like living on the edge! Pitching at that high a temperature is very risky! Even if most yeast strains might survive, your thermometer might not be accurate and that differing extra degree might be what kills the yeast. Robert Bush ================================= = Robert Bush, Eskilstuna, SWEDEN = = E-mail: bush at shbf.se = ================================= Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 15:36:35 -0800 (PST) From: Douglas Thomas <thomasd at uchastings.edu> Subject: Wine? I posted a few days ago about any wine recipes or wine groups that may be out there. I have not received any notice of either, but I am still hoping. I acquired an old book called "Fortunes in Formulas" recently. In it, besides some very strange beer recipes, and an "authentic French absinthe receipt," there was a recipe for Kwass. It follows as such 1/2 gallon mare's milk 1 teaspoon yeast 2 tablespoons sugar it then goes on to describes what temperature the milk should be heated to, if not directly from the mare, how to stir in the sugar and that yeast from the bottom of a champagne bottle is better than that from bakers. It also describes that this can be flavored with all spice, cloves, cinnamon, cardamum, or black pepper. I just wanted to know if anyone out there has made this, or anything like it, and if it is any good. Please send to Doug Thomas thomasd at uchastings.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 95 18:03:57 CST From: kulick at ebs330.eb.uah.edu (jeff kulick) Subject: using propane inside >From what I have read, the cajun cookers are about 150,000 BTU which is larger than many home gas furnaces, which themselves kill quite a few people each year. It's not the gas (LP or natural) that's the problem, but the huge amount of O2 they use up and the production of CO2 and CO that is the risk. Jeff Kulick Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 19:31:33 -0500 From: DejNik at aol.com Subject: First batch-Goat Scrotum Ale (Porter) Hi All I just bottled my first batch of beer and I can't wait to try it!!!!!! I have couple of questions: 1. How long does it take for corn sugar to carbonate the beer in the bottle? 2. I have bunch of 5gal plastic bottles at home. Can I use this as my carboy. 3. Does anyone have a recipe for the clone of Dixie Crimson Woodo Red Ale, It is little to sweet for my taste but other than that I realy liked it a lot. 4. Any tips on how to make siphoning easier. I'm a college student so my equipment is VERY LIMITED. 5. We boiled the worth in 2 1/2 gal ainstead of 1 1/2 gal of water. Is this going to afect the flavor of my beer Private mail is OK, I promisse I will post all interesting coments. Dejan Nikitovic Marquette University DejNik at aol.com Thanks a Lot !!!!!!!!! Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 21:18:37 -0500 From: FxBonz at aol.com Subject: corn starch peanuts Abe Lincoln once said it is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. I have silently wondered about this for some time: Biodegradable peanuts! The little corn starch, environmentally friendly alternatives to the styrofoam. I have used a research technique that is employed by many toddlers: I have placed a few in my mouth and they dissolve and have a neutral flavor. I am trying to figure if they are mashable. could they be used as an adjunct? what would the potential problems be? The price is right? Is my mind ruined? Steve - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------- Brewing beer is far more exciting when it is both a AND a felony! The Alabama Outlaw Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 06:41:33 +0200 From: puuppone at hamkk.fi (Lassi Puupponen) Subject: Small scale bottling I=B4m going to buy a small scale bottling-machine. It does=B4n have to be very automatic but it must work. Does anyone know where to=20 get a good one? LP=20 Lassi Puupponen H=E4meen ammattikorkeakoulu Mustiala Kuninkaankartanon panimo lassi.puupponen at mmol.hamk.fi tel + 358-(9)16-4143249 mobile phone 9400-5071979 fax + 358-(9)16-4143224 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 22:05:18 -0800 From: Alec Saunders <alecs at microsoft.com> Subject: Mashing in the oven jhewit at freenet.vcu.edu (Jeff Hewit) writes: "I am thinking about putting crushed grain in a pot with warm water, and putting it in the oven at 155 deg or so. After about an hour, I would strain with hot water, like I currently do with specialty grain. Will this work? I am also considering buying a mini lauter tun, and putting it in the oven. Is this idea any good? " This is how I do all my mashes. I heat the oven on the lowest setting possible -- with mine it holds a steady temp of just about 150 -- I advise testing yours with an oven thermometer before trying this. I heat the mash through the various steps on the stove top in a large stainless steel pot, and put it in the oven for the various rests. With a little care and plenty of stirring you can avoid scorching the mash. At the end of the mash I transfer the whole lot to my lauter tun - a plastic bucket with a Phil's Phalse Bottom inserted, and then I sparge. Alec. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 95 07:41:22 EST From: John DeCarlo <jdecarlo at homebrew.mitre.org> Subject: Re: Jim Koch redux Sorry for prolonging this thread, but one major point seems not to have been expressed. In addition to the fact that people who regularly lie and deceive (in advertising, etc.) don't get the benefit of the doubt, Koch has pursued suits that were clearly *unwinnable*. When you *know* you will lose, because you have no possible basis for winning (acting just on the word "Boston", for example), then you are more likely to be perceived as using your money and lawyers to damage competitors, since they can not easily afford the amount of money needed to defend themselves. John DeCarlo, MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA--My views are my own Fidonet: 1:109/131 Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 95 06:49:02 CDT From: SCHWAB_BRYAN at CCMAIL.ncsc.navy.mil Subject: Stove Mash Fellow Homebrewers, Greeetings! In HBD 1900, Jeff Hewit asked about Mashing on/in the stove. Well I'm here to say that it can be done In the stove successfully! I have been doing this for over two years without any problems. I can put the mash in the stove (preheated to 150 degrees) and never have any worries. I can get involved with whatever my two little kiddies have up theirs sleeves and return 1 -2 hours later and my temp ranges have only dropped 5-10 dgrees from where I start. And always a good conversion!! I can do in my opinion, simple Step Infusion Mashes by added heated water to the oven whose temp has also been increased by a few degrees and maintain a good stabilization. I am no "Purist", never tried to be, Never wanted to be because I like what I brew and I like what I drink! ( Time is a commitidy when you raise two kiddies alone!) My method has been tried by a few other local brewers who have tried and maintained that Gott(tm) Coolers are the only way to go with a Sleeping Blanket wrapped around it to maintain the temp, or even have gone as far to shell out a few bucks and purchase building Styrofoam and configured a heat box to store the cooler in, and are now converted Stove Mashers! After using my Method for some time, one of my fellow brewers mentioned to me that they saw something in a Brewers Magazine mentioning "my" method as a simple a fool proof way to perform infusion mashing. So if the "Purist" like it, Why Not Jeff! Go for it! If you have any questions about how I set it up you can reach me at SCHWAB_BRYAN at CCMAIL.NSCS.NAVY.MIL 904/235-5768 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 95 08:45:34 -0500 From: r-brodeur at ds.mc.ti.com (Russ Brodeur) Subject: RE: Split Decoction-, infusion-mashing, etc. > >Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 08:55:09 -0800 >From: "Mark A. Melton" <melton at aurora.nscee.edu> >Subject: Split decoction mashing ><<snippage>> >Two decoctions are about the >limit as when I remove 1-1.5 gal and bring to a boil, the enzymes are >rapidly denatured. Even if I add more amylase enzyme to the last rest >(at or around 158 dF) my conversion rate is poor and the last time I did >this I got an E.R. of 17 --not good! >Finally I drained out a gallon of mash liquor and >heated it 191 dF and returned it to the mash tun which brought up the >temperature to 157-58 dF. I added 1 tsp. of amylase and let this rest for >90 minutes. Sounds like you are decocting the "thinnest" part of the mash instead of the "thickest". Decocting the thin liquor will indeed denature the enzymes. This is why only the thickest part (use a strainer) should be boiled and returned to the main mash to raise the temp for the next rest. YOu will not have any problems with conversion if you use this technique, nor will you have to add amylase to the mash. - ------------------------------------- - ------------------------------------ >Date: 02 Dec 95 12:53:50 EST >From: "Sharon A. Ritter" <102446.3717 at compuserve.com> >Subject: infusion mashing >water to grist ratio of over 2 quarts per pound. That's alot more water >per pound of grist than I used during my pre-Gott days! >For those that want to check my math, the water infusions looked like >this: (ambient temp. 55 degrees) To reach 120 degrees, I added 1.75 gal. >water at 143 degrees to the Gott and added grains; To reach 153, I added >1.5 gal. boiling water (203 degrees); To reach 170 degrees, I added 2 >gal. boiling water (203 degrees). > My suggestion would be to use a mash-out decoction rather than adding that last 2 gal of boiling water. Simply draw off the "thinnest" ~1/3 of the mash, boil it (I boil 'til the foaming subsides), then return to the main mash. I generally allow the mash to settle, then use a pan to remove the sweet wort from above the grain bed. You do not want to boil too much of the grain material at this point since it may burst starch granules which cannot be converted due to enzyme denaturing. This should raise the temp to your desired range. - ------------------ - ------------------ Thanks to all who responded to my query regarding DMS production in lagers. I asked whether allowing the hot wort to rest before cooling would lead to higher DMS levels in the finished beer (which I like in lagers). Apparently this technique IS being used by one brewpub or micro. Another suggestion was to use Durst malt (German??). I have been using primarily dWC pils for my base lager malt. I don't have any data regarding its SMM levels, nor the SMM levels of any other malts, for that matter. If anyone has this data, I would certainly like to see it! FWIW, I am now in the process of trying my first "open" fermentation. I used Wyeast's Irish ale yeast for this 10 gal stout, and it fermented like gangbusters, the way it always does. I just aerated in the boiling keg, pitched the yeast and covered the top of the keg with a towel to keep the beasties out. After 2 1/2 days the krauesen has fallen and it should be ready for racking. This is fast, even for the Irish ale strain, IMHO. Hopefully, I didn't screw anything up, or did I??? Comments??, Suggestions?? TTFN --<- at Russ Brodeur (r-brodeur at ds.mc.ti.com) Franklin, MA Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 09:10:31 -0500 From: ac051 at osfn.rhilinet.gov (Eric W. Miller) Subject: Phil's Psyphon Starter, Split decoction mashing, 40C, Complaint Pat Babcock reviewed Phil's Psyphon Starter. Sounds like a serious piece of overengineering. I prefer to just insert a short length of racking cane, suck the air out of the enough of the hose to get the wort to start moving on its own, take out the tube, and let gravity do the rest. Simple and free. I would recommend that anyone who's having trouble siphoning spend half an hour playing with some water on a rainy afternoon. === Mark Melton describes an unusual mash program as "split decoction mashing" and asks for input. Mark, the decoction's you described were all liquid decoctions. Most of the mash's enzymes are in the liquid part of the mash. So what you're doing with these decoctions is killing most of the enzymes every time you try to raise the temperature. Read Noonan's _Brewing Lager Beer_, or one of the decoction articles in _Zymurgy_ or one of the other homebrewing magazines for a complete description. The idea is to raise temperatures by pulling off mostly grain, boiling it, and then returning it to the rest of the mash, which still contains most of the liquid and most of the enzymes. >From the description of the mash program, it sounds like the main mash temp was jumping around all over the place. What temperatures were you trying for? You might want to try single step infusion mashing until you're more comfortable with the mashing process. === That said, I had my own mashing misadventure this weekend. Using a 40/60/70 decoction mash procedure, I got hung up on non-brewing stuff during the 40C step. It stayed there for almost two hours. I went forward anyway (of course, what's the alternative, throw away 9 lb of grain?) and brewed a 1.048 SG wort. The wort is very thin tasting and I expect that it will make a beer that comes up short on body. I'll have to remember this "technique" if I ever decide to make an American light lager :-) === Seems like there have been a lot of posts saying almost exactly the same thing lately (re: Stopper in Carboy, Koch/Maytag, Propane). Please think about whether you're contributing something new before posting. Thanks, Eric Miller Newport, RI Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 04 Dec 95 19:44:20 EST From: "Colgan, Brian P." <bcolgan at sungard.com> Subject: re: flow gages > My problem: I'd like to know how much hot water I'm gravity-flowing > onto the grain in my mash tun. . . . > My question: Does anyone have a low-cost, commercial, elegant > solution to measuring elapsed flow? Accuracy to the nearest pint or > so would be sufficient. Thanks! bpc 04dec: Treat your sparge water tank like your heating oil tank, and use a dipstick with markings on it for the various fill levels. Thanks for shaking loose my braincells, I was looking for a good use for the fill tube I have from a converted Sankey keg! Brian Colgan "Every one has to believe in something." bcolgan at sungard.com "I believe I'll have another homebrew." h:(610) 527-8896 / w: (215) 627-3800 Radnor, PA. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 08:15:24 +0000 From: "steve" <sparke at cadvision.com> Subject: Re: Stopper trapped in Carboy > Chuck Burkins, protein chemist, homebrewer, Wrote: >Is My Carboy Ruined ? (IMCR?) Any help would be greatly appreciated. Having been a bartender in previous lifetimes, I found that when the occasional wine cork would be loose and accidently was pushed into the bottle, leaving a floater for presentation to the diner, it could easily be removed by the following method: After trying string, and tools, I found a packing strap, often used for cartons, in this case cardboard boxes of meat delivered to the restaurant. The strap is a half inch wide ribbon of tough plastic webbing, very strong, and also flexible and relatively thin. It's a plastic version of the steel banding used on heavier equipment. Fold it double into a simple loop ("U" shaped) and push it into the bottle. If the cork is floating on the top of the fluid (wine/water) in the vessel(winebottle/carboy), the cork can easily be maneuvered between the vertical members of the loop, which orients it to a vertical position. An upward tug, or feat of strength, depending, will pull the cork out. Typically no extra lubrication is required as the fluid helps in this case. Stephen Parke Calgary Alberta Sparke at cadvision.com Return to table of contents
Date: 5 Dec 1995 11:35:57 -0600 From: "Craig Rode" <craig.rode at sdrc.com> Subject: Belgian grains and stolen y Subject: Time: 11:18 AM OFFICE MEMO Belgian grains and stolen yeast Date: 12/5/95 Greetings to the fermenatti.... Well, I am 4 batches into the world of all-grain, and what a difference it makes! But I have some questions for you smart folks... 1) How does Belgian pale ale differ from American? I find lots of info on British vs. American, but not Belgian. Can I use it as a base, or is the enzyme count too low? Any info would be appreciated. 2) I "harvested" some yeast from the bottom of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale bottle, just to see if it would work. It smelled great in my starter. I pitched it 3 weeks ago. Standard vigorous primary fermentation (O Joy)! After 4 days, (OG=1.052, Gravity at racking 1.022). Now, three weeks later, I still get airlock bubbles every 10 seconds. Fermentation temp (in basement) is about 62F. Any ideas? Is this stuff weird or is this normal? It continues to smell ok. 3) I am using an Easymasher in a canning kettle. Have tried both infusion mashing and stovetop mashing. (Do you server your turkey with stovetop mashing?). I have tried fine grind and coarse crush. I keep getting about 24 pts/lb/gallon. I haven't checked the Ph, because everyone says "don't worry." Think that is the problem? Al K. says in Zymurgy I should be able to get 30. 4) I am getting uneven carbonation in my bottles. How do you ensure proper mixing of the boiled DME with the green beer. I would have thought that siphoning on top of it in the bottling bucket would sufficiently mix it. Apparently, I am missing the boat here somehow. Thanks to all.... Craig Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 11:36:38 -0600 From: snsi at win.bright.net (Jeff Smith) Subject: HI/Dishwashers First Howdy neighbors, Last week I subscribed to the HBD and now that I've caught up on my reading I just wanted to say hi. HI. I also wanted to reply to Mike Moss, Montreal <mmoss at PO-Box.McGill.CA> : >An another subject. Does anybody have experience using the dishwasher (as >suggested by Dave Miller) to sterilize bottles? Do you use the full cycle or >just the heat cycle? If full cycle do you use detergent as if you were >washing dishes? Mike, I've been using my dishwasher for bottles about two years with no real problems. I run my bottles after use with the regular dishes and store them upside down or cover until bottling. Before bottling I fill the lower rack only with bottles. When bottling I run full cycle and heat dry with a 1/2 cup of chlorine added before I start it. I'm able to wash about two cases. I have yet to a problem other than the WIFE occasionally complaining about the bottles being in the kitchen. PS Mike does Molsons still make Brador (sic). I went to high school in North Bay, Ontario and remember tossing back a couple. Jeff Smith <snsi at win.bright.net> Barnes, WI Jeff Smith '71 HD Sprint 350SX snsi at win.bright.net Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 14:06:57 -0500 (EST) From: Bob Tortajada x9373 <bobt at bear.com> Subject: New brewer wants advice about all grain. I am fairly new to homebrewing. I have been working with grain and extract mixes in two gallon boils mixed with 3 gal of cold water for cooling. I would like to explore all grain and/or full volume boiling and would like some advice. 1) I see alot of talk about steam injection mashing with complicated equipment. Is all grain really that much more complicated than extract brewing? Is there an easier way to get started in all grain brewing than building a steam injection system? 2) Is there a good source for malted grain? 3) Can I build a wort cooler out of a copper coil submerged in the wort with cold tap water running through it? I realize these may be stupid questions but I am new to this so please beer with me. Thanks Bob T. - -- ******************************************************************************* Bear Stearns is not responsible for any recommendation, solicitation, offer or agreement or any information about any transaction, customer account or account activity contained in this communication. ******************************************************************************* Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 11:24:00 -0500 From: "philip (p.) locker" <locker at bnr.ca> Subject: Depth of Grain Bed First of all, thanks to the replies on my steam injection questions. I think I've been convinced to use a pressure cooker as my steam source, if for no other reason than the built in pressure release (safety). Now, on to the next question in my brewery design: I tend to stick to 3 recipes ("lawnmower lager", "hophead red bitter", oatmeal stout) so I want the capacity to brew them in 10 gallon batches. But I also want to be able to experiment with 5 gallon batches of other recipes. My question is this: if I use a rectangular cooler for mashing (48 quart?), the grain bed will be about 1/2 the depth for 5 gallon batches as it will for 10 gallon batches. Should this be a concern? Is there such a thing as too shallow a grain bed? Thanks, Phil - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Phil Locker | All standard |Toys: Fender Telecaster, '68 Mustang GT Bell-Northern Research | disclaimers |Fastback (390 4spd), Fireball sailboat. locker at bnr.ca | apply | Have I won yet? Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 95 16:50:55 MDT From: guym at Exabyte.COM Subject: St. James Koch In Digest 1893 (OK, so I'm behind a bit) Greg Walz writes: >>What about the lawsuit issues? Koch is filing lawsuits left & right >>against just about anyone he can. He threatened to sue a brewpub here >>in Austin for serving Sam Houston Austin Lager. Koch claimed to own >>the trademark on Sam Houston. He also keeps harassing Boston Beer >>Works, a small Boston brewpub, because he claims he owns the rights to >>the name of Boston. >Most definitely he should sue. In the highly competitive marketing world >your names and trademarks are your LIFE. Terms like "Boston" and "Sam" >(most of us call Sam Adams simply as "Sam") are the means that the public >uses to identify Boston Beer Company's products - and, like any company >posed with the threat of somebody ripping off their name to promote a >competing product, they have every right in the world to take all legal >measures possible to prevent this from happening. Well, actually the beer in question is called Samuel Adams, not "Sam Adams" in spite of what "most of us" call it. Also, if memory serves, there was a city or something named "Boston" a day or two before old Jimmy was born. I don't think one can trademark the name of a city (though Koch keeps trying) and, in a rare fit of sanity, the courts still agree. >What would happen if the Boston brewpub would come out with names for >their beers like Boston Ale or Boston Lager? This would be an obvious >trademark infringement. Same with calling any other beer "Sam", >regardless as to who the "Sam" in question is - especially a closely >alliterative name like "Sam Houston Austin Lager." But the brewpub has NOT come out with these names. They simply named the brewpub after the city it is in - unlike Koch whose beer isn't even brewed there! They could have called it "Pittsburgh Beer Works" but somehow that doesn't have the same ring to it considering its location. Besides, the brewpubs serve their beer on premise only methinks. As for the Sam Houston issue, those Texans will see Jimbo rot in hell before they give that one up. Consider the historical context of each man in relation to the cities using the names, Jim's tantrums notwithstanding. Sure a company has the right to try and protect its identity but it is ludicrous to expect everyone to relinquish the rights to naming their company after the city it is in (we're lucky he didn't name it USA Brewing Company!). Just another view. -- Guy McConnell -- Huntersville, NC -- guym at exabyte.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 16:18:12 -0500 From: DejNik at aol.com Subject: soda kegs Hi all Does anyone know were to find soda kegs in Chicago or Milwaukee area? Also how can you find out about upcoming competitions? Dejan Nikitovic Marquette University DejNik at aol.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 16:45:31 -0500 From: Bob McCowan <bob.mccowan at cfrp.varian.com> Subject: Steam Injection, Partial Decoction Mash Steam injection: Can one easily steam heat without injecting the steam into the mash/boil?. Most of the heat comes from the latent heat of vaporization. Suppose you use a sufficient length of copper to let the condensed water drain outside the mashtun or kettle, or does that give you too much water hammer, and blow your relief valve? Partial Decoction: In a decoction mash you do not boil the grains after mash out. All grain boiling occurs before the final conversion rest. To liquid part of the mash is boiled after conversion, and then reincorporated into the mash to reach the mashout temp. Noonan has a good description of what is boiled when. Bob McCowan bob.mccowan at cfrp.varian.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 16:47:00 -0500 (EST) From: Eric Marzewski <emarzews at nova.umuc.edu> Subject: Drilled Stopper trick I 've pulled a drilled rubber stopper out with a bent coat hanger, just floated the stopper with water and hooked it with the coat hanger, then yanked it thru the neck. Just some FYI, but for a solid one???? maybe upside-down with no water and catching it near the center witha rigid coat hanger would yank it out? Have fun.... ;-P Cheers, Eric Marzewski Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 16:39:03 +0001 (EST) From: Chuck and Grace Burkins <burkins at world.std.com> Subject: Stopper in Carboy-Solved! Hi all: In HBD 1896, I related my problem with an undrilled gum stopper that I pushed into my carboy. The response was truly overwelming. Thanks to Cory Wright, C.D. Pritchard, Brad Brim, Russell Mast, Russ LaPenna, John DeCarlo, Karl Patzer, Bob Surratt, Greg Boes, Keith Huizinga, Irwin Goverman, Chris Weight, Scott Hadley, Steve Schultz, Ed Iaciofano, Alan Freigang, CoAir at aol.com, Glenn Anderson, Greg Walz, Frank Dechaine, Mike White, and anybody whose mail I forgot to save. All of the suggestions were good. The one that I used was a variation on a theme suggested by many folks, used mainly because I had the raw material at hand. The other methods have been represented by Digest postings in the last few days. To remove the stopper from the carboy I placed a hankerchief inside the carboy with one corner protruding from the top. I flipped the carboy upside down and got the stopper facing skinny side out in the neck. (The hanky was now between the stopper and the wall of the carboy). I pulled the hanky out and the stopper was forced to follow. The stopper came out on the first try. Total expended time: 2 minutes. I spent some stupid worry on a problem that was really easy to fix. Thanks again to all that helped. Chuck Burkins protein chemist, homebrewer burkins at world.std.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 1995 12:45:45 -0800 From: BANESI at novell.com (Brad Anesi) Subject: Boston Beer Homebrew Contest & Stock Offering Hi all- Has anyone gotten their entry confirmation of hops and t-shirt yet? I sent my entry in for arrival on the first day of the contest, but have not heard anything yet. Also, I sent my check in for the consumer offering of 33 shares, but have received nothing back yet (shares or returned check). Anyone else get anything on this yet. ...and I haven't in said anything bad about Jim ...or Fritz, for that matter! Thanks, Brad Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 19:37:51 -0600 From: Alejandro Midence <alex at conline.com> Subject: (fwd) New Liquid Yeast Strains Hi, folks, I found this article in rcb today and decided y'all might like to see it. I remember someone in a previous issue was requesting information about Young's yeast strain and how wyeast would have one available. Well, take a look at this: Forwarded message follows: From: scregger at u.washington.edu (S. Cregger) Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing Subject: New Liquid Yeast Strains Date: 29 Nov 1995 05:08:48 GMT Lines: 23 Yeast Lovers. This already be common knowledge in the group (I've been a bit out of touch for a while), but Wyeast just introduced about 10 new liquid yeast strains a couple of weeks ago. Not much info yet, but I do have their info. sheet. The new ones include: #1318 London Ale Yeast III - From a traditional London brewery (any guesses?) #1272 American ale Yeast II - Fruitier and more flocculant than 1056 #1388 Belgian Strong Ale Yeast - Neutral w/mod. to high alcohol tolerance #1762 Belgian Abbey Yeast II - High gravity yeast w/solventy flavor profile (less banana than their first cut, maybe?) #3787 Trappist High Gravity - Phenolic character. alc tolerant to 12%. and 2 more ale yeasts, 2 lager yeasts, 2 more wheat beer yeasts (a Belgian and a Weisse), and a Swedish Porter Yeast. I'm giving the 1318 a try in my next pale ale. (The package is puffy and my starter should be going tonight). Anyone else try any of these yet? Also, I guess these should be added to the yeast FAQ if they haven't been already. Who does the updates (if anyone)? S. Cregger (scregger at u.washington.edu) - -- Alex: alex at conline.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> If I were to tell you that everything I say is a lie, and then if I were to turn around and say that what I just told you is the truth, would you believe me? <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Return to table of contents
Date: 05 Dec 95 20:43:17 EST From: "Dan Listermann, Cinci OH" <72723.1707 at compuserve.com> Subject: Phil's Psyphon Starter Pat Babcock reviewed a Phil's Psyphon Starter in HBD1901. Unfortunatly his is one of the ones that got away before we discovered the joys of raw material variation for this product and he found some problems. As with any of our products, if there is anything worng with it, all we ask is that you return it to us and we will repair it or, failing that, we will replace it. We have fixed the problem of the inner parts moving around and will soon be supplying plastic clamps that can be used for racking canes that are undersized. Sorry if you were inconvenienced. Just drop it into the mail to: Listermann Mfg. Co., Inc. P.O. Box 12251 Cincinnati, OH 45212-0251 Dan Listermann Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 22:52:00 -0500 From: ajdel at interramp.com (A. J. deLange) Subject: Sparging Hops/Clove In #1900 Ed Lingel asks if "sparging" is the correct term for rinsing hops and whether trub material carried into the fermenter by this practice: As far as I know "sparge" is an acceptable term since it merely means "to sprinkle". I have seen adverts for laboratory fermenters which have "upwards oxygen spargers" so I think that a general interpretation is allowable ("...tuba mirum spargens sonum.."). More importantly, what about the trub? My opinion here is based upon my personal brewing habits and experience. I prefer not to sparge the hops because to do so certainly disturbs the surface layer of fines which have neatly settled onto them (my boiler is a stockpot with false bottom onto which the hops drop forming a trub filter bed). On the other hand, if I have laboured long (as I did last time - sparge from hell) I'll be damned if I'll leave any wort on those hops to do nothing but nourish the compost heap and thus I do sparge in some cases. I am a lupoholic and use noble (i.e. low alpha) leaf or hopplets so that the quantity is pretty close to a pound in most of my brews i.e. the hop bed is a couple of inches thick. I think the thickness of the bed prevents anything which gets kicked up at its top from making its way through. Because I am a lager nut I decoction mash (the only ales I do are wheat beers which also require decoction mashing) so that there is not much trub present anyway and I feel quite safe. Were I to have "egg drop soup" boils as some do I might be a bit more cautious in this regard. I oxygenate my worts from the bottom and after oxygenation is complete I turn up the flow to the point where the wort boils with large O2 bubbles thus emulating air flotation. Sometimes a small amount of trub appears on the top of the foam (which I skim) but not usually. I have also "blown down" trub when the cell count gets high enough but usually don't bother with this as the quantities I have obtained by doing this have been so small. In summary disturbing the hops by sparging does not seem to be a problem given the way I brew. I would expect the same result if I were separating by whirlpooling as long as the wort were whirled a second time after the addition of the sparge water. There has been some discussion of the clove character in wheat beers. This is obviously a very subjective area but it makes me recall the first time I ever tasted a wheat beer. I had been put on the plane to Germany (first trip) and all I knew about brewing when I landed was from TCJHB which had been my reading on the flight. My buddy and I wandered into a Gaststaette in Neue Isenburg and were sampling everything they had. Eventually we got to Kailor's Dunkelweiss which I thought an interesting contradiction in terms (and I remember all this because it was a beer drinking renaissance). Upon tasting the stuff we were both absolutely convinced that it actually had cloves in it which we couldn't understand because the label on the bottle went on for a couple of paragraphs about Reinheitsgebot and I did know that cloves were not one of the 3 allowable ingredients (nor is wheat for that matter but lets not start that one up here - they just beat it to death again over on rcb). The point is that I didn't know what 4-vinyl guaiacol is nor that it is supposed to taste like cloves and yet my first thought on tasting that beer was that it had cloves in it (and my second was that I'd like another). Now I must say that I have never had such a strong impression of cloves in any wheat beer I have drunk since. Sometimes the clove is very faint and sometimes it is masked by other phenolics. On the other hand, perhaps the memory of the intial experience is magnified. My first impression of a Komodo dragon was that it is a BIG lizzard. If I saw one again it might not seem so large. A.J. deLange Numquam in dubio, saepe in errore! ajdel at interramp.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 18:55:32 -0800 (PST) From: Douhan <gdouhan at wsunix.wsu.edu> Subject: decoction Vs infusion mashing I have only been getting the HBD for about two weeks now and am pretty satisfied. I enjoy the brewing aspects of the digests but there seems to be a lot of soap opera type facets which I don't. I have noticed that a lot of you use decoction mashing, even those who utilize cooler type systems. I don't decoction mash even though I have a sytem that would alow me too. I just don't see a reason why to bother. The barely malts that are available today are highly modified. Sellective breeding has given rise to high quality malts. My questions are: How many breweries out there use decoction mashing(those which do not use adjuncts)? Have any of you ran side by side comparisons and noticed differences? I hope that this has not been a recent thread. I have not tried to access past postings. Private Email would be great! Thanks Greg Douhan gdouhan at wsunix.wsu.edu Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 23:20:42 -0500 From: KICKAHAbRU at aol.com Subject: re:dishwashers, Hello fellow brewer's. I'm fairly new to this list but thought I'd drop a line (or dozen). First of all Mike Moss (mmoss at PO-Box.McGill.CA) writes: < Does anybody have experience using the dishwasher (as suggested by Dave <Miller) to sterilize bottles? Do you use the full cycle or just the heat cycle? If <full cycle do you use detergent as if you were washing dishes? I have used my dishwasher in just that manner and it has worked for me. I thoroughly wash the bottles with a bottle brush and liquid dishwasher soap, rinse prior to placing them in the dishwasher and run it through the cycle without adding detergent as a second rinsing. On another note I've read some of the discussion on Wyeast # 1056, on a related if not insignificant note I 've noticed that #1087 gets a bit sluggish below 65F(usually at night). Wrapping my carboy in a towel as added insulation has livened the little beasties up. My question is, will temp fluctuations cause any "off" flavors due to prolonged fermentation (3+ weeks)? TIA for any answers. "To your own brew, be true." Jeff Burch, KICKAHAbRU at aol.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 22:57:10 -0600 (CST) From: Paul Kensler <kensler at metronet.com> Subject: Sediment from bleach solution I recently soaked ten new bottles in a solution of bleach water overnight (2 oz. bleach in 5 gal water). The bottles were new, but very dusty and I didn't feel like scrubbing or worrying about nasties hiding in the dust. I soaked them in my food-grade 7 gallon bucket that I use for bottling (I keep it very clean at all times). 24 hours later, there was a noticeable precipitation on all of the bottle surfaces - a thin chalky layer inside and out. While this layer could be rubbed off with my hand, it was stuck to the bottle - it didn't rinse off. Any ideas as to what this film was, where it came from and how to avoid it in the future? PK Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #1903, 12/07/95