HOMEBREW Digest #1958 Sat 10 February 1996
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FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Building a Home Brewery ("Palmer.John")
Lactose; Scotch Ale (KennyEddy)
Hot Siphon (Kyle R Roberson)
Porter recipe needed ("Gabrielle Palmer")
re: high temp hoses (BJFABB)
Critique my Technique\Austin Club\ (Peter J. Naus)
Big Rock Brewing Magpie Rye Beer (Ted Chilcoat)
Re: Well aged brew.. (Robert Bush)
Nylon stocking hop bag (rbarnes)
Kegging Systems (Steve)
cider question (Jerry Lee)
Suds 4.0 bug? (Tom Wenck)
consensus on ss secondary (Robert Rogers)
Surge Cans (Aidan "Hairy Hibernian" Heerdegen)
Special B / Jet sprays ("William G. Rucker")
How Cold Is That? (walt.meisner)
Re: well aged brew (Michael A. Genito)
Trub (Kit Anderson)
Step mash/Lager malts (Jim Busch)
All grain equipment questions (Terence McGravey {91942})
Carboy cleaning (correction) (Brian Pickerill)
American vs. British brown ale (Barry Blakeley)
Kudo for Listermann/Request for Beer Bars (Jeff Hewit)
Re: Malt Extract Recipe for Oatmeal Stout (Spencer W Thomas)
Contagion-free siphoning ("Julia")
hose cleaning (Domenick Venezia)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 8 Feb 1996 09:00:55 U
From: "Palmer.John" <palmer at ssdgwy.mdc.com>
Subject: Building a Home Brewery
Denis Barsalo is about to construct every homebrewer's dream, his own brewshed!
(of course you keep a rake in the corner for gardening...)
Here is how I designed mine, a couple pictures of which are on my homepage.
The overall dimensions are 8 x 16 x 8 ft. ie. 4 pieces of plywood.
__________________________________________________________
| | | | || | | |
| | three | tier | system|| sink| | work |
| f | b | m/l | hw || | | bench |
| |-------|-------|-------||-----| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| / | |
| / door |----------| |-------|
| / | fridge | |
| / | | |
| / | | <- shelves -> |
|_/_______________|__________|___________________________|
And there are wide windows on three walls, and one of those attic squirrel-cage
fans over the boiler platform (b). I have brewed prize winning brews in that
shed. 8 x 16 may seem kind of big now, but as soon as you start putting stuff
in there you will wish it was even bigger. For me, 16 x16 would probably be
about right.
John J. Palmer - Metallurgist for MDA-SSD M&P
johnj at primenet.com Huntington Beach, California
Palmer House Brewery and Smithy - www.primenet.com/~johnj/
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 09:59:12 -0500
From: KennyEddy at aol.com
Subject: Lactose; Scotch Ale
SimonZip sez:
> I have a stout fermenting that I will be adding lactose to at bottle time
to
> make it sweet/milky/creamy. What amount is a good starting point.
Lactose was slammed in a recent HBD (last couple weeks) but I have to stand
by it for certain applications. I used lactose in my Old Peculier clone a
while back. Two ounces in five gallons gave a decent boost to
body/mouthfeel; not what you'd call "sweet" but definitely made a difference
(yes, there was a faint wimpy sweetness associated with it). As far as the
gravity contribution, I would suspect it's around the same as any other
non-liquid sugar; that is, around 40 points per pound per gallon. And this
stuff is non-fermentable, so the gravity will linger on to your finished
product (the whole point).
*******************
George Shutelock asks about extract Scottish ale recipes. I have a strong
export in the secondary right now -- "strong" is a very appropriate
description. For five gallons I used 8 lb light DME, 1 lb 40L crystal and
1/2 lb peated steeped at 155 for 30 min, and 2 oz chocolate for color. Hops
were 1/2 oz Chinook for 30 min, 3/4 oz Perle for 20 min, and (on a whim) 1/2
oz Sam Adams Hallertauer Mittelfruh for 5 min. I think the hopping should be
somewhat higher for such a big (OK, biggish) beer (maybe some more Chinooks
for that spicy smoky character), and use something English for finishing. I
used Wyeast European to control the overwhelming estery taste in last year's
attempt (it might've been bad yeast too); besides, Scotch ale should be
pretty malty. I normally make "smaller" beers in the 40's ot low 50's, so,
not thinking, I used my normal 6-1/2 gallon carboy for the primary.
Unplanned blowoff happenned soon after. Use a bigger vessel! I racked to
secondary after 9 days; it's now got a pretty decent head on it again. It
tasted pretty alcoholic but otherwise was good -- nothing a few months in the
bottle won't mellow. But cut back a pound or so on the extract if you don't
want so much alcohol, and like I said, more hops would be a good idea.
Ken Schwartz
El Paso, TX
KennyEddy at aol.com
Days since it went over 70 degrees again -- 1
Normally my garage sits at about 50-55 during the so-called winter; this year
I thought it would be fun to augment my two-keg fridge with a couple kegs at
"cellar" temperature in the garage. So what do we get? One of the warmest
winters on record.
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 09:44:06 -0800 (PST)
From: Kyle R Roberson <roberson at beta.tricity.wsu.edu>
Subject: Hot Siphon
I have a CF chiller made from 3/8 in. copper tubing, so I made my
siphon from 3/8 in. copper tubing too. I made a loop about the size of
my pot for the bottom, then curved it for the riser. After clearing the
top of the pot, I bent it over and brought it back down to within
six inches of the bottom of the pot where I put another bend to
bring the exit horizontal. This is the right height to go into
my CF chiller's hot side. I put a 3/8 in. compression union on the
pipe to make an air-tight seal. I have been able to make and break
this union repeatably without and leaks forming. The loop in the
bottom of the pot has saw cuts on the bottom and the open end
gets plugged before use. Since I use whole hops, a very good
filter bed is formed and I only recirculate about 300 ml before
I get clear bitter wort.
Before use, I siphon cleaner and sanitizer through the whole set up.
Rinse. I then break the union and put foil over the union ends.
The siphon part goes into the kettle for the last 20 minutes or so
of the boil. I connect the cold water supply and drain to the CF with
washing-machine hoses.
Because the CF is coiled horizontally and below the level of the
liquid surface, I can start the siphon with a gentle suction from
a sanitized turkey baster (it only has to go up the copper tube
riser and start down. The first few ml have some hot break in them
then the hop leaves form a filter bed. A hop bag on the tube might
be a good idea for pellet users.
Rinse and then siphon cleaner through the set up after use.
The siphon part took 3 minutes to make out of the package of tubing, but it
took about an hour to cut the slots. A Dremel tool would be
much faster. I just used one of the cheap spring-things to make the
bends (I used soft-copper tubing that comes in a roll, not hard-copper
tubing that comes in straight lengths and looks more red-colored).
I also have a siphon that ends in a 2 inch diameter tube instead
of the slotted coil. I use it to put fresh hops between two chore-boy
copper scrub pads to simulate an English hop-back. The first liter of
wort through comes out yellow since it has so much hop resin in it. You get
a big dry-hop aroma without hops in the secondary. The wort going through
the new hops is still near boiling, then it is flash cooled in the CF
trapping much of the aromatics. The unions are standardized, so you can
have several different siphons for different effects that can
connect to the CF.
Kyle
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 1996 13:35:38 EST
From: "Gabrielle Palmer" <gabriellepalmer at e-mail.com>
Subject: Porter recipe needed
Hail Collective!
I thought I'd pick your brains and see if someone here had an extract or
partial mash recipe for a nice porter. I'm looking for something along the
lines of Sierra Nevada or Anchor Steam Porters (a bit sweet, bitter but not
overly so, no licorice flavors). Any suggestions? As usual, thanks for my
ever-increasing beer knowledge.
Gabrielle Palmer
Die Design Standards
Phone: (313)59-42107 PROFS ID: GPALMER6
Fax: (313)32-24359 internet: gabriellepalmer at e-mail.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 12:59:09 -0600
From: BJFABB at ccmail.monsanto.com
Subject: re: high temp hoses
In HBD 1955, Bill Pemberton <wfp5p at tigger.itc.virginia.edu> asked "What type of
hoses do folks use for high temperature stuff (like sparge water, siphon after
the boil, etc.)?...". I find that silicone tubing works GREAT; the stuff I have
is rated for temps. up to 500 deg. F, and does not get soft at boiling wort
temps.; thus, no kinking problems, and no need to use hose clamps. It is also
approved for food use, and inert to any cleaner a homebrewer is likely to use.
Two problems though, it's expensive, and hard to find (try a scientific supply
co.). However, it lasts a very long time. I'd like to see a homebrew supply
company carry the stuff. The price gets much better when you buy in excess of
500 ft.
Cheers,
Brad Fabbri
*****
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 13:42:05 -0600
From: naus at mail.utexas.edu (Peter J. Naus)
Subject: Critique my Technique\Austin Club\
Well here goes, my first step out of the shadows...
I have been brewing for about a year now, have read several homebrew
books, happily acquired a 5gal kegging setup, and of course made some pretty
darn good beer. However, to date I have been following a strict Papazian
extract brewing process. I would like some suggestions from those out there
with experience on how to improve my beer while still maintaining the
simplicity in brewing (i.e. please don't tell me to go all-grain).
Here's how I've been brewin'...
I start with 2 gallons of water in my 4gal. ss pot and turn
the stove on high heat. Specialty grains are steeped in a grain bag in
water until boiling begins. Upon boiling, grains are removed and discarded
and extracts and boiling hops are added. Boil for 55 min. Add finishing
hops, boil 5 more min. (Now hold on to something) I pour the hot wort
(CAREFULLY) through a sanitized strainer into a sanitized 5gal carboy with 3
gal cold (not boiled) tap water. Then add more water to make a full five
gal. Cover top of carboy with Saran wrap. The carboy is in a shallow
bucket and ice/water are added to cool wort. When wort is cooled, a
pre-swelled liquid yeast pack is dumped in, a sanitized 1" blow off tube is
jammed in the top and put in a small pail of water.
(I don't use a secondary) After fermentation subsides, 1 1/2 - 2 1/2
weeks late, beer is carefully siphoned off of sediment into 5 gal keg and
force carbonated.
Well that's it. How bad is it? The object of this post is not for
rehashing of old threads (like "silly blow-off tubes revisted"), but to aid
all us newbie/intermediate brewers with some advice that we can implement in
our current brewing regimen. Private email welcome. (advice, flames, etc)
I'll post a summary later.
Another quick question while I'm here. Does anybody know phone numbers or
email addresses for any Austin, TX hombrew clubs. I can only find their
snail mail addresses.
Double shot of foaming thanks in advance,
Peter (naus at mail.utexas.edu)
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 1996 13:47:21 CST
From: Ted Chilcoat <tedc at crt.com>
Subject: Big Rock Brewing Magpie Rye Beer
I recently got a hold of a few bottles of this beer here in Chicago, and I
really think that it tastes great!
Does anybody have any ideas on a recipe to duplicate this beer? After a
quick review of HBD from years past I saw a post about a rye brew from
Redhook. It used 10% flaked rye, 5% Munich and 85% Klages (I think).
It used Mt. Hood hops for bittering and Yakima Hersbrucker for aroma.
Perhaps one of the HBDs Canadian posters closer to the brewery has an
idea of what Big Rock is using in this beer.
Any feedback ould be appreciated, privately or to the Digest if you think it
is appropriate.
Thanks
Ted Chilcoat
e-mail: tedc at interramp.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 22:18:16 +0100
From: bush at shbf.se (Robert Bush)
Subject: Re: Well aged brew..
Mike Taber wrote:
[snip]
>> I have some beer which was brewed at least 10 years ago by my
>> ex-wife's grandfather (I don't remember what it is. It is amber in
[snip]
and Robert Rogers answered:
>i read a technical report on bottling technology a few years back. they
>determined that the shelf life of beer in bottles in the best of
>circumstances was about 6 months. that's from a high tech bottling line.
>they reported a micro brewery was doing good if it could bottle beer that
>would keep for 2 months. given those rates, it seems like us home brewers
>can probably count on our beer going bad just before it has aged properly
This, of course, depends on what kind of beer the bottle contains. A
stronger beer will keep longer than a weaker beer. Thomas Hardy's can be
saved for up to 25 yrs. It will *change* but it won't go bad.
Secondly, how has the beer been stored? In brown bottles in the fridge or
in a cool cellar? Or in clear or green bottles on a warm shelf by the
window? Light (esp. sunlight and fluorescent light) is harmful to beer. It
will give it a "skunky" character.
Was oxygen introduced when bottling? etc. No, I won't continue, I just
wanted to say that it's impossible to say that beer will keep for a year,
period or that you can't drink a beer older than 6 months. This xmas I had
the Christmas Ale I brewed 2 yrs ago and it was much better now....
>that said, i would say open it and try it. if it tastes bad don't drink it.
Makes sense...
- -----------------
In the CD-player now: The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld
===============================================================
= WASSAIL! =
= Robert Bush E-mail: bush at shbf.se =
= Eskilstuna, SWEDEN =
===============================================================
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 96 13:27:47 pst
From: rbarnes at sdccd.cc.ca.us
Subject: Nylon stocking hop bag
Can I use a nylon stocking (you know, the kind women wear) as a hop bag? I
use pellet hops (good price in bulk) and would like to minimize the hassles
of straining hop residue from the kettle and fermenters. My nylon mesh
grain bag has a coarse texture that won't work for pellet hops. My wife has
fairly clean feet, but can nylons be sanitized in bleach or iodophor? Are
they "food grade?" Can they be boiled without falling apart?
TIA- Randy in San Diego
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 1996 16:14:23 -0600 (CST)
From: Steve <JOHNSONS at UANSV5.VANDERBILT.EDU>
Subject: Kegging Systems
I am a new brewer who has recently subscribed to the list. I have read the
most recent digest, which included a question from a new brewer concerning keg
systems, and had some questions about this topic as well. I recently
purchased an EDME brand Brewcraft 10 litre (2 1/2 gal) pressure barrel, which
is supposed to be something that can be put in the refrigerator to dispense
conditioned beer. Unfortunately, when the item arrived at my local brewer
supply store, there was little or no information provided with the barrel, and
little or no information provided by the store's manager, who has been
relatively unhelpful in the past whenever I've asked him questions. The
owner of the store, whom I think may be more knowledgeable, is rarely, if
ever, around.
Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with one of these pressure
barrels, which does have some info on the side: safe to 10 p.s.i., and a
pressure cap with a safety valve fitted in the cap, and a tap on the bottom.
1) Is this something that, once filled, will it be extremely foamy,
especially if I add all of my sugar to the entire batch prior to
bottling and kegging?
2) Does it need to be filled nearly to the top, like a bottle of beer, in
order to get an appropriate amount of CO2 and pressure built up?
3) Will it suffer in the conditioning process if it is only filled, say,
halfway, and have a relatively large amount of air present while it
conditions?
4) Since there is no CO2 cartridge system employed in this pressure barrel,
will it go flat if it is not all consumed in a relatively short period
of time once it begins to be dispensed? And how much time might that be?
I can see the advantages of using it for a party situation,
but would like to try it out before a party and savor what will amount
to nearly 1/2 of a batch of 5 gallons of good homebrew.
Hope someone can help. If not, any suggestions on who might be a helpful
person to call? EDME distributorships in the US? Other homebrew stores that
sell them?
Thanks,
Steve "Rocky" Johnson
Nashville, TN
I guess if all else fails, I should just follow the mantra...relax, and you
know the rest!
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 15:48:53 -0800
From: jlee at esd.ray.com (Jerry Lee)
Subject: cider question
>Glenn Heath...
>Does anyone know how to make a sweet hard cider? When I tried one it
>automatically went dry since the fermentation eats the sugar. I am not
>fond of sweet and low or equal, so I don't want to add either to my
>completed product. Adding sugar to the final product just boosts the
>carbonation without sweetening it.
I chill the cider to near freezing, then filter with a .5 micron filter.
This takes out the yeast, you could probably use sugar then. I don't
take any chances with the fermentation starting over so I use lactose
instead of sugar for sweetening. It will not ferment out.
I have also found that most people like my ciders with a little more
apple flavor so...I add more apple concentrate, right from the frozen
tube. This adds sugar and flavor. It sometimes take several trys to get
the right balance but you can always add more, its hard to take it back.
You can then force carbonate for a sparkling cider or (freeze? for...)
or just serve as is. ;-)
OK..I can already see trouble starting as I review this message...so I'll
explain ahead of time: You can freeze it to pour off the richly flavored
alcohol. Then when the rest of it thaws you have a cider lite! Now you
can read between the lines if you want.
=====================================================
~~~~~ / \
//\\\\\ / Jerry D. Lee, Jr. | SEPG Methods & Tools Chairman /
{| ~ ~ |} / Raytheon ESD | E-Mail : jlee at eng.esd.ray.com \
| ^ | / 6380 Hollister Ave | Tel : 805-967-5511 ext2306 \
\ = / \ Goleta, CA 93117 | Fax : 805-964-9185 _/
- --/\-/\-- \ \
\/^\/ \+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=|
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 18:22:34 -0500 (EST)
From: Tom Wenck <twenck at clark.net>
Subject: Suds 4.0 bug?
I believe I have discovered a significant bug in Suds 4.0 and would like to
hear some comments.
Several beers I formulated using Suds 4.0 came out with a much lighter color
than expected. When I looked into this I observed that no matter what
setting I used for mash efficiency, Suds calculated the same color. This
seems intuitively wrong. If two brewers follow the same recipe and one
obtains an efficiency of 90% and the other obtains 70%, it seems clear <g>
the first brewer's beer will have a darker color, as well as a higher
gravity. If I introduce this factor in by hand (multiplying the Suds'
predicted color by my mash efficiency) it comes out in the ballpark.
Comments?
Tom Wenck <twenck at clark.net>
Frederick, MD
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 00:59:45 -0500
From: bob at carol.net (Robert Rogers)
Subject: consensus on ss secondary
thanks to all who had suggestions. my original query was about using a 5 gal
stock pot as a secondary fermenter, and could silicon caulk be used to seal
it. most people suggested either glass carboys or corneilius kegs. the
reasons for my question were: the closest _glass_ carboys are 50 miles away
(i finally went and got a 6.5 gallon one for $19), the stock pot is only
about $15, it is un-breakable, easy to clean, can be used for other things,
and a good shape for my fridge...so, does anyone know if silicon caulk will
cause flavors, or is there something else i can use?
bob rogers
bob at carol.net
"Why, Fritz, alcohol is a gift from God..."
--young Fritz Maytag's Mom
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 96 17:09:55 EDT
From: Aidan "Hairy Hibernian" Heerdegen <aidan at rschp2.anu.edu.au>
Subject: Surge Cans
Full-Name: Aidan "Hairy Hibernian" Heerdegen
| So last night I enjoyed my first taste of Murphy's Irish Stout
| from the 16 oz. 'Drought Style" can. Ummmmmmm creamy.........
*snip*
| Anyone know the physics of this beautiful phenomena.
Try:
http://rschp2.anu.edu.au:8080/aidan/brewing/guinness/guinness_can.html
I imagine we'll get lotsa of response for this one ..
practically an FAQ ..
| I have a stout fermenting that I will be adding lactose to at
| bottle time to make it sweet/milky/creamy. What amount is a
| good starting point. I had a recommendation of 2-4 oz.
*snip*
| Also, what would happen to the finished product if someone added
| 9 oz. of lactose to the primary of a 5 gal. stout batch with an
| OG of 1.064?
Too much lactose will give you a "cheesy" taste - I found this
out the hard way.
I used 100g (from memory) which is approx 4 oz.
I'd try 2 oz to start with if I was you.
Cheers
Aidan
- --
e-mail: aidan at rschp2.anu.edu.au,
http://rschp2.anu.edu.au:8080/aidan
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 96 07:26:06 EST
From: "William G. Rucker" <ruckewg at naesco.com>
Subject: Special B / Jet sprays
First, my question.
I am making a partial mash scotch ale next week and I am looking to
match a MacAndrews Scotch ale. The caramel flavor is what I am after.
What is the best method to attain this? Is using a dark crystal like
Special B etc, a good idea, or is there a better way? Any suggestions/
comments would be appreciated. Also, is it better to steep these
grains (crystal malt), for any style, or to mash them normally with
all the other grains?
To the person who asked about water hammers using the jet spray bottle
washer,(my apologies for not remembering to get your name) I usually
try to keep the pressure going into the bottle or carboy at a point
where it does the job and is not high enough to cause a hammer. I
haven't had a problem since I started this. I hope this isn't too
simiplistic of a solution but it works for me!
Bill
ruckewg at naesco.com
brewzer at peanut.mv.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 1996 08:10:57 EST
From: walt.meisner at e-mail.com
Subject: How Cold Is That?
- ---- Mail Item Text Follows
Subject: How Cold Is That?
I'm thinking that the -30 degree beer references allow me to post this to the
group. I hope that there's enough enjoyment to justify the "bandwidth". I also
hope that I've left enough of the attributes intact to give credit where it's
due.
Wallie Meisner
Greensboro, NC...........................................................
news:4f7tor$71l at news.bu.edubmac at bu.edu (Brendon
McNamara) wrote:
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
> HOW COLD IS IT?
> An annotated thermometer
> (degrees Fahrenheit, then Celsius)
>
> +50 / +10
> * New York tenants turn on the heat
> * Wisconsinites plant gardens
>
> +40 / +4
> * Californians shiver uncontrollably
> * Wisconsinites sunbathe
>
> +35 / +2
> * Italian cars don't start
>
> +32 / 0
> * Distilled water freezes
>
> +30 / -1
> * You can see your breath
> * You plan a vacation in Florida
> * Politicians begin to worry about the homeless
> * Wisconsinites eat ice cream
>
> +25 / -4
> * Boston water freezes
> * Californians weep pitiably
> * Cat insists on sleeping on your bed with you
>
> +20 / -7
> * Cleveland water freezes
> * San Franciscans start thinking favorably of LA
> * Green Bay Packers fans put on T-shirts
>
> +15 / -10
> * You plan a vacation in Acapulco
> * Cat insists on sleeping in your bed with you
> * Wisconsinites go swimming
>
> +10 / -12
> * Politicians begin to talk about the homeless
> * Too cold to snow
> * You need jumper cables to get the car going
>
> 0 / -18
> * New York landlords turn on the heat
> * Sheboygan brats grilled on the patio, yum!
>
> -5 / -21
> * You can hear your breath
> * You plan a vacation in Hawaii
>
> -10 / -23
> * American cars don't start
> * Too cold to skate
>
> -15 / -26
> * You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo
> * Miamians cease to exist
> * Wisconsinites lick flagpoles
>
> -20 / -29
> * Cat insists on sleeping in your pajamas with you
> * Politicians actually do something about the homeless
> * People in LaCrosse think about taking down screens
>
> -25 / -32
> * Too cold to kiss
> * You need jumper cables to get the driver going
> * Japanese cars don't start
> * Milwaukee Brewers head for spring training
>
> -30 / -34
> * You plan a two-week hot bath
> * Pilsener freezes
> * Bock beer production begins
> * Wisconsinites shovel snow off roof
>
> -38 / -39
> * Mercury freezes
> * Too cold to think
> * Wisconsinites button top button
>
> -40 / -40
> * Californians disappear
> * Car insists on sleeping in your bed with you
> * Wisconsinites put on sweaters
>
> -50 / -46
> * Congressional hot air freezes
> * Alaskans close the bathroom window
> * Green Bay Packers practice indoors
>
> -60 / -51
> * Walruses abandon Aleutians
> * Sign on Mount St. Helens: "Closed for the Season"
> * Wisconsinites put gloves away, take out mittens
> * Boy Scouts in Eau Claire start Klondike Derby
>
> -70 / -57
> * Glaciers in Central Park
> * Hudson residents replace diving boards with hockey
>nets
> * Green Bay snowmobilers organize trans-lake race to
>Sault Ste. Marie
>
> -80 / -62
> * Polar bears abandon Baffin Island
> * Rhinelander Birkebeiner
> * Girl Scouts in Eau Claire start Klondike Derby
>
> -90 / -68
> * Edge of Antarctica reaches Rio de Janeiro
> * Lawyers chase ambulances for no more than 10 miles
> * Minnesotans migrate to Wisconsin thinking it MUST be
>warmer
>
> -100 / -73
> * Santa Claus abandons North Pole
> * Wisconsinites pull down earflaps
>
> -173 / -114
> * Ethyl alcohol freezes
> * Only Door County cherries usable in brandy Manhattans
>
> -297 / -183
> * Oxygen precipitates out of atmosphere
> * Microbial life survives only on dairy products
>
> -445 / -265
> * Superconductivity
>
> -452 / -269
> * Helium becomes a liquid
>
> -454 / -270
> * Hell freezes over
>
> -456 / -271
> * Illinois drivers drop below 85 MPH on I-90
>
> -458 / -272
> * Incumbent politician renounces a campaign contribution
>
> -460 / -273 (Absolute Zero)
> * All atomic motion ceases
> * Wisconsinites allow as to how it's getting a mite
>nippy
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>"Jokes are grievances."
>
>Marshall McLuhan (1911-80), Canadian communications
>theorist. Remark, June
>1969, at American Booksellers Association luncheon,
>Washington, D.C. Quoted
>in: Sun (Vancouver, 7 June 1969).
>
>
>
> \\|//
> (ooo) THE ORACLE SERVICE HUMOR
>MAILING LIST
>~~~~~~~~~oOOo~(_)~oOOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>Steve Willoughby's E-mail: SUBSCRIPTION:
>--------------------------- -----------------
>oracle at synapse.net To subscribe to the
>Oracle's
>[a personal mail address nuked
>just in case] mail list, send a message
>with only
> the word SUBSCRIBE in the
>body (not
> the subject) of the
>message to:
>WWW Site
>humour-list-request@ lists.synapse.net
>-------------
>http://www.synapse.net/~oracle/Contents/HumorArch.html
.............................................................................
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 08:49:25 -0500
From: genitom at nyslgti.gen.ny.us (Michael A. Genito)
Subject: Re: well aged brew
Robert wrote:
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 00:16:43 -0500
From: bob at carol.net (Robert Rogers)
Subject: re: well aged brew..
[snip]
> I have some beer which was brewed at least 10 years ago by my
> ex-wife's grandfather (I don't remember what it is. It is amber in
[snip]
i read a technical report on bottling technology a few years back. they
determined that the shelf life of beer in bottles in the best of
circumstances was about 6 months...a micro brewery was doing good if it
could bottle beer that would keep for 2 months. given those rates, it seems
like us home brewers can probably count on our beer going bad just before it
has aged properly :) :) that said, i would say open it and try it. if it
tastes bad don't drink it.
- ---------------------------------------------------
I agree with Bob - open it and be your own judge. The oldest beer I've made
and later tried was a little over 2 1/2 years old - one was a Bock and one a
Stout. Both aged very well, and retained a great taste, texture, head, etc.
I also had a cream ale over 1 1/2 years old that was very good.
My grandfather and great uncles used to make wine, some of which we tried
many years later. Some of the same batch would be great, while other bottles
were vinegar. IMHO, the preservation of the beer has more to do with how
well a seal the bottle has, how little it was exposed to light, and the
extremes of temperature or dramatic temperature changes it may have
experienced. Add to this how often it is disturbed by motion, and you have
all the reasons why an old wine can be either good or bad. Given a great
expanse of years, the type of beer may also affect its aging properties, and
my uneducated guess would be that the darker the beer, the more likely it
will age well.
Happy brewing!
Michael A. Genito, Director of Finance, Town of Ramapo
237 Route 59, Suffern, NY 10901
TEL: 914-357-5100 x214 FAX: 914-357-7209
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 09:03:56 -0500
From: Kit Anderson <kit at maine.com>
Subject: Trub
I asked:
>I normally drain the chilled wort off the hot AND cold break. Does the hot
>break go back into solution as the wort chills?
Eric Bush replied:
>You mean if you poured the hot break back into the wort again? If you
>separate them (wort and trub) I don't see how it could go back into
>solution.
No. No. After boiling, I put the wort chiller in the kettle. Hot and cold
break are in the bottom of the kettle. What I want to know is, as the wort
cools, does the hot break dissolve back into the wort? Some people separate
the wort from the hot break before cooling.
Kit Anderson
Bath, Maine
<kit at maine.com>
The Maine Brew Page http://www.maine.com/brew
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 09:22:16 -0500 (EST)
From: Jim Busch <busch at eosdev2.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Step mash/Lager malts
Fredrik Stahl writes:
<The idea is to use two rests
<at 60C and 70C to control fermentability. For a less modified malt (i.e.
<pilsener or lager malt) you need to use a protein rest at 50C because of
<the high protein content.
<To repeat George Fix mash scedules:
<Lager malt (low modification): 50-60-70C
<Pale malt (high modification): 40-60-70C
Can someone refer me to a lager malt that is low in modification and
if possible what is the Kolbach index?
Jim Busch
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 09:34:47 -0500
From: Terence McGravey {91942} <tpm at swl.msd.ray.com>
Subject: All grain equipment questions
Greetings HBD Collective,
I am getting ready for the switch to all grain and right
now I'm trying to figure out what I need/want for equipment.
I checked the archives and the general concensus is that the
Rubbermaid Gott beverage cooler with a false bottom is the way
to go for a mash/lauter tun. My question comes on which size
Gott cooler I should go with. I now do 5 gal. batches but would
like to have the opportunity to do 10 gal batches (I want to get
my valuable time's worth if I'm doing all grain recipes).
1. If I go with the 5 gal cooler, would I be able to fit all the
grain in there for a 10 gal batch ?
2. If I go with the 10 gal cooler, will the grain bed be to shallow
(because of the larger diameter of the cooler) to provide adequate
filtration of a 5 gal batch ?
3. Is there a Phil's Phalse Bottom to fit the 10 gal cooler as well
as the 5 gal cooler ?
4. Is it easy and non cooler destructive to put a suitable spigot
that can control my runoff flow in place of the standard spigot ?
Your inputs are greatly appreciated by posting or e-mail.
**********************************************************
Terry McGravey |
Methuen, Mass. | "TO BREW...AND TO SERVE"
tpm at swl.msd.ray.com |
**********************************************************
Return to table of contents
Date-Warning: Date header was inserted by BSUVC.bsu.edu
From: 00bkpickeril at bsuvc.bsu.edu (Brian Pickerill)
Subject: Carboy cleaning (correction)
I said:
>PS. I never had a problem cleaning carboys after using them for primaries
>with blow off. I've only done it a few times, but it rinsed right out with
>dish washing detergent and warm water. No problem.
Sorry, I meant to say _Dishwasher_ powder (Electro-sol, Calgon, B-Brite,
ect. NOT the liquid stuff like Joy, Palmolive, etc...)
Oh, and I don't have a carboy brush at all, either. Never needed one. I
do use a bottle washer (spray jet) though.
- --Brian
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 96 08:01:35 mst
From: BlakeleB at den.disa.mil (Barry Blakeley)
Subject: American vs. British brown ale
Greetings, eh!
To this point I have been unable to find specific information
relating to American brown ales. I'm trying to brew an extract batch
similar to Beavertail Brown Ale (Hubcap - Vail, CO) or Pyramid Best
Brown (Hart - Seattle, WA).
The trouble is there are plenty of Newcastle-type recipies
available, and without starting a wicked styles debate, I need to know
what differentiates the two. Please respond privately, and if I
receive enough responses....
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Those aliens from the 8th dimension? I'm looking at
them right now!"
Barry Blakeley blakeleb at den.disa.mil
Denver, Colorado
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 10:48:01 -0500
From: jhewit at freenet.vcu.edu (Jeff Hewit)
Subject: Kudo for Listermann/Request for Beer Bars
I recently purchased the Phil's Mini Lauter Tun and a 7" Phil's
sparger. I am slowly, but steadily, on my way from extract to
partial-mash to all-grain. Both items worked fine, but I
managed to lose one of the little silicon plugs used to hold
down the phalse bottom and close the ends of the sparger. I
wrote to Listermann, asked for some more plugs, and included a
$5 check for their trouble. Within a week, they sent me a
dozen plugs, and returned my check. I thought that was great
customer service, and wanted to share this experience with the
rest of you. Now, I figure I can brew 12 more batches before I
need more plugs. By the way, if the guy in charge of
Listermann is named Dan, who is Phil?
On a fairly regular basis, someone posts that he/she is
traveling to a particular city/area and wants to know where the
good beer places are. I can appreciate being out-of-town,
going into a nice looking place, and learning that their idea
of a high-end beer is Michelob. While the members of HBD are a
good resource for this type of information, there is another
source for those with access to the World Wide Web - the
Real Beer Page:
http://realbeer.com/
One of the features is the "Brew Tour." It's a database of
breweries, brew pubs and beer bars. You can search by city,
state, zip code, area code, or name. I have not done any
extensive searching, but it seems to be a good starting place
when looking for a good place to quench one's thirst when on
the road.
- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Hewit
Midlothian, Virginia
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 1996 10:48:40 -0500
From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer at engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: Malt Extract Recipe for Oatmeal Stout
You have to mash the oatmeal. But, you can do a "mini-mash" quite
easily. Buy a pound of "6-row" malt. If your supplier doesn't have a
mill you can use to crush it, then switch suppliers. :-) You can crush
it with a rolling pin, but it's tedious.
Mix the malt and the oatmeal (up to 1/2 pound) in a large pan (3 quart
capacity should work), and add 1 1/2 quarts of water at 170F. Mix
well, and measure the temperature. If it's not between 150 and 160F,
then heat it gently with stirring until it is. Remove from the heat,
put the lid on, and wrap the whole thing in a towel or two for
insulation. Let it sit for an hour. Strain out the liquid, then add
another 1 1/2 quarts of hot (170-180F) water, stir well, but gently,
and strain again. Use this liquid as the base for your extract batch
(with however much water you need to add).
You can also mix in the roasted barley and other specialty grains with
the mash, if you want. You will need more water, at the rate of about
a quart per pound, and you might need a bigger pot.
=Spencer Thomas in Ann Arbor, MI (spencer at umich.edu)
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 10:58:49 -0500 EST
From: "Julia" <julia at global-tech.com>
Subject: Contagion-free siphoning
Timothy Kelsey wrote:
> I need some advice on how best to separate hot trub
> from wort. I use an 8 gallon enamel canning kettle for a
> brew pot, and an immersion wort cooler. Is it better to:
>
> 2) forget installing the spigot, and simply whirlpool and
> siphon the cooled wort into the carboy?
>
> BUT: how do I start such a siphon without contaminating
> the wort? When siphoning from a carboy I usually use a
> carboy cap and sanitized milk jug (like suggested in
> Brewing Techniques several issues ago). I had used
> Charlie Papazian's "water in the siphon hose" technique
> previously, but am leery of using it with unfermented
> wort. Needless to say, sucking on the siphon hose is
> also out.
At a flea market recently I purchased a siphon hose which seemed sort
of cool. It has a copper doo-hickey on the end that goes in the
liquid, with some kind of valve arrangement in it (you can tell I am
really knowledgeable about the technical details!). Anyway, the idea
is, you put the end with the doohickey into the liquid (wort,
gasoline, aquarium water, whatever), and shake it up and down in the
liquid. The doohickey acts like a little pump, and pushes the liquid
up into the tube- the other end of the hose does not even need to be
lower than the end in the liquid! No sucking on the hose (really an
advantage when siphoning gas!), no fooling around with other liquid in
the hose and risking contamination of the wort. I haven't used mine
yet, but I saw it demonstrated, and was impressed enough to get one. I
think I paid around $10 for it.... if anyone is interested, e- mail me
for more info.
Julia
Libertarian, reconstructionist Heathen
in the Northern European tradition and-
out, loud & proud!
====================================================================
All rights explicitly reserved, without prejudice, as per UCC 1-207.
Julia
Libertarian, reconstructionist Heathen
in the Northern European tradition and-
out, loud & proud!
====================================================================
All rights explicitly reserved,
without prejudice,
as per UCC 1-207.
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 08:24:32 -0800 (PST)
From: Domenick Venezia <venezia at zgi.com>
Subject: hose cleaning
In HBD #1957 michael at mcdata.com suggests using a trumpet or trombone
brush to clean plastic hoses.
My guess is that such brushing will scratch the inside of the hose
providing places for gunk to stick and critters to hide. I have been
following the hose cleaning thread and agree with those that simply rinse
their hoses well after use and NEVER let a hose sit uncleaned. Once gunk
dries or sticks on the inside of a hose forget it, toss it, replace it.
Hang clean wet hoses with the openings down and before use soak them in
iodophor for 10-20 minutes. Hoses treated like this will (in my opinion)
last longer than those that have been brushed.
In an earlier HBD someone suggested sealing plastic hoses filled with
iodophor for storage. In my experience long term exposure to iodophor
does "funny" things to vinyl. It gets "greasy", so do a test on a couple
inches before commiting all your vinyl to this type of storage.
Also, remember that hoses have a limited lifetime and WILL need to be
replaced periodically depending on frequency of use. I replace my hoses
and canes every 2 years whether I have a problem or not. How do I track
my hoses? Use a black indelible marker (lab marker) to date them.
Finally, I will be purchasing a trumpet brush myself because I can think
of a lot of other uses, racking canes in a pinch (generally I threat
racking canes like hoses), lauter manifolds, keg dip tubes, copper
coils, aeration tubes, etc.
Bottoms up!
Domenick Venezia
Computer Resources
ZymoGenetics, Inc.
Seattle, WA
venezia at zgi.com
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 08:06:28 -0800 (PST)
From: Domenick Venezia <venezia at zgi.com>
To: michael at mcdata.com
Subject: hose cleaning
Michael,
By using a brush on the inside of a plastic hose you will scratch the
walls of the hose and provide places for gunk to stick and critters
to hide. My guess is that if hoses are rinsed well immediately after
use and hung up wet, that is, NEVER let an unrinsed hose dry, then they
will last longer than if you brush them each time. It is a fact of
life that plastic hoses need to be replaced periodically depending on
how much you brew.
Cheers,
Domenick Venezia
Computer Resources
ZymoGenetics, Inc.
Seattle, WA
venezia at zgi.com
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