HOMEBREW Digest #1987 Mon 18 March 1996
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FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: 2 day brew day (pbabcock.ford)
Re: Alt Recipe correction (Algis R Korzonas)
Electric calories in malt liquor give my honey a hangover. (Russell Mast)
Re: Electric Brewing (Desmond Power)
1st 10 gal batch questions (wirwin)
Scotch Ale (Mike Urseth)
European Beer Tour (CASteveB)
Large fermenters (guym)
Homebrew Digest (Darren Gaylor)
Ft. Lauderdale Brewpubs (EKTSR)
RE: distilled beverage ("Richard Okambawa")
Wild yeast, <wild> yeast ("Richard Okambawa")
RE: Fridge extension. ("Richard Okambawa")
Stainless Mash Pot (John Mrazek)
Fishy carboys, more wiring stuff, and Fementaps (HuskerRed)
Lagering (A. J. deLange)
Bass Ale Clone (Al Paglieri)
distilling (PatrickM50)
re: 2 day mashing ("John Lifer, Jr.")
Extracts & Adjuncts Query (William D Gladden )
Figuring Final Gravity (KennyEddy)
Yeast (Michael Coen)
lager under pressure! ("Tracy Aquilla")
Oak (Kit Anderson)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 11:38:57 EST
From: pbabcock.ford at e-mail.com
Subject: Re: 2 day brew day
Pat Babcock Internet: pbabcock.ford at e-mail.com
Bronco Plant Vehicle Team - Body Construction Assembly Engineer
Subject: Re: 2 day brew day
Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager...
Many, many, many, many people have been asking about two day brew days lately.
The answer to your query is, simply, yes. Yes, you can extend the brew day
over two days. Here are the conditions:
1.) Your sanitation/cleanliness MUST be impeccable.
2.) Your mash out must be of sufficient temperature and duration to
denature your mash enzymes.
3.) Your sanitation/cleanliness MUST be impeccable.
4.) The storage conditions must inhibit any beasties that were in the wort
or were introduced during the transfer to the storage vessel with which
your sanitation/cleanliness was impeccable.
You'll note SANITATION, SANITATION, SANITATION!!! The number-one risk to the
method is infection. The number two risk is that the enzymes continue on
during storage. Other than that? Have at it!
Pat Babcock pbabcock at oeonline.com (I've got more internet IDs than a leopard
has spots, but please: only reply to pbabcock at oeonline.com)
Best regards,
Patrick G. Babcock Michigan Truck Plant PVT Office
(313)46-70842 (V) -70843 (F) 38303 Michigan Wayne,MI 48184
Pager: 313-238-1476 PROFS Page: page pbabcock from command line
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 96 10:38:30 CST
From: korz at pubs.ih.att.com (Algis R Korzonas)
Subject: Re: Alt Recipe correction
Mark--
Yesterday, I reviewed my best Duesseldorfer Altbier recipe and realized
that my memory failed me. I will Cc this to the HBD. Note that when I
brewed the recipe below, I fermented at 63F and it was a little too
fruity. The Duesseldorfer Altbiers I tasted were a little fruity but
not as fruity as this beer when fermented at 63 F with Wyeast #1338.
The recipe for 5 gallons should be:
8.5# Munich malt (I used DeWolf-Cosyns, you can also use German malts)
0.75# DeWolf-Cosyns *Aromatic* malt
3 ounces of Spalt hops (4.1% AA, pellets, boiled 60 min in a hop bag)
Wyeast #1338
Mash at 140 F for 30 minutes and then 156 F for 1 hour.
Take 7.5 gallons of runnings and boil it down to 5.125.
OG = 1.053
FG = 1.012
Use a big starter and ferment at 60 degrees F.
The above hop rate is assuming no skimming or blowoff removal.
Lager for four weeks at 40 degrees F.
Before I go, let me explain the Aromatic malt. I used that in an effort
to compensate for the fact that I was not going to do a decoction mash.
DWC Aromatic malt is kind of a "dark Munich" and is about 25 Lovibond.
I added it an effort to get a little more of that richness in the malt
profile. I feel that it worked. If you were to actually do a decoction
mash, I would just use 9 pounds of Munich malt.
Prosit!
Al.
Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korz at pubs.att.com
Copyright 1996 Al Korzonas
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 11:55:07 -0600
From: Russell Mast <rmast at fnbc.com>
Subject: Electric calories in malt liquor give my honey a hangover.
> From: ajdel at interramp.com (A. J. deLange)
> Subject: Malt Liquor/Carbonation/Hangovers/Heaters
>
> I believe, for example, that in Texas anything, be it
> barleywine or bock, above a certain strength must be labeled "ale".
And anything -not- above that strength cannot be labelled "ale", which is
why Celis' Pale Ale is called a Pale Bock. It's an ale, but you can't call
it that in Texas.
fwiw, I've had several Weizens in Chicago labelled "Malt Liquor".
> Greg also asks about hangover cures....
> Fructose....
I hadn't heard that one yet. I'll have to try it. Are there natural foods
which are high in fructose?
The best things for hangovers are usually "night before" things. Have some
B-vitamins. The dregs from bottle-conditioned beer are full of'em. Drink a
lot of water, and have a little food before going to bed. Aspirin before
sleeping helps, too, even if you don't yet have a headache.
This is probably covered a lot, but there are several sources of hangovers.
Dehydration is a big one, and easy to 'cure', beforehand. Fusel alcohols are
very hard to deal with. Vitamin B deficiency is another one like dehydration,
and very important to deal with - most alcohol-related brain damage, both long
and short term, is from vitamin B deficiency.
Another thing, in the morning after, drinking a lot of fluids and peeing a
lot are a real good idea. But, when you're dehydrated, be careful about
drinking just water. When you get really dehydrated, water alone can dehydrate
you further. I think it has something to do with osmotic pressure. Something
with a little higher SG, like juice or non-diet soda or milk (if your highly
lactose tolerant) can help. Or, water with a little food, if the food is
soluble. I think a little bit of salt can help you retain water, too. (This
might be getting into the "eye of newt" category here...)
> From: "Tracy Aquilla" <aquilla at salus.med.uvm.edu>
> Ethanol has 7 kcal/g, carbohydrates and proteins 4 kcal/g, and fats 9
> kcal/g. Dietary calories (abbrev. C) are actually kilocalories.
How many grams of carbohydrate become how many grams of ethanol during
fermentation?
Also, I've always been a bit suspicious of the caloric content of alcohol.
I know that it contains calories of energy, but is it energy that your body
can use? For example, insoluble carbohydrates (dietary fiber, wood pulp, etc)
have a caloric content, technically, but you can't use them, so they don't
have any calories in a dietary sense. I don't think that we use none of the
calories in alcohol, but I suspect we may use less than all of them. I
welcome any correction on my suspicion.
You notice how many of us have a beer gut, but no one ever gets a whiskey
gut. Granted, we get more of the residual sugars than they do, but I know
people who drink a lot more whiskey than I do beer, and they don't bulge
like me. Maybe they exercise more?
> From: mck at yar.cusa.com (Michael Kerns)
> Subject: recipes
>
> With warm weather approaching, I was wondering if anyone out there had
> extract recipes for steam beers or pale ales they would be willing to share.
Try something Belgian, they ferment many ales warm. I'll send you a recipe in
private e-mail. It's all-grain.
> Subject: Electric elements, wiring
All this talk of hooking a heater element to the connections on your stove
or laundry chute. Um, this is not a real good idea. Your best bet is to
build a seperate power supply for your heater element, with it's own
transformer and it's own fuse. American Science and Surplus has tons of
120V - 240V transformers of various amperage rating. Also - if you haven't
done electrical stuff before, find someone who has to help. (And, yeah, the
12 guage thing, don't forget that.)
> From: Victor J Farren <wigwam at jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
> Subject: Re:Help my beer is infected..Wayne Wight
>
> Your beer may not be infected. In fact, those little bubbles may
> be the result of continuing fermentation. I am not familiar with the
> recipie for Brown Ale, but if it contains slow fermenting sugars such as
> honey, it may just be that it is still fermenting. I am brewing a mead
Actually, the sugars in honey are pretty fast fermenting - meads ferment slowly
due to lower nutrient levels and the Crabtree effect, I thought. But, you're
right - his "infection" is probably not an infection.
-R
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 14:52:22 -0330
From: Desmond Power <des at engr.mun.ca>
Subject: Re: Electric Brewing
>>>>>> "KennyEddy" == KennyEddy <KennyEddy at aol.com> writes:
>
> KennyEddy> For a typical household 120V circuit, the breaker will
> KennyEddy> trip at about 15A. There are probably some 20A
> KennyEddy> circuits scattered around; usually the wiring gauge is
> KennyEddy> the same
>
>WHOA! Slow down!
>
>* A 20A circuit requires 12 gauge wire, while a 15A circuit requires
>only 14 gauge (14 gauge is smaller than 12 gauge). DO NOT replace a
>15A breaker with a 20A breaker without being SURE that the wire is the
>right gauge *all the way* from the breaker panel to the outlet, AND
>that all the switches and outlets on the circuit are rated for 20A
>(most modern fixtures are).
>
>* Kitchen outlets, under *current* electric code, must be on 20A
>circuits. This is good news.
>
>* A 15A circuit is only rated for 13A continuous load, although it
>won't trip the breaker.
>
>* You should be able to get 1125W out of a 15A circuit. Heck, some
>hair dryers are rated at 1500 W.
Instead of messy around with your current electrical wiring and possibly
screwing something up, why don't you just install a new 220 volt circuit
that you can devote exclusively to your brewing. Most newer electrical
boxes have empty slots for new circuit breakers and a 20 amp-220 volt
breaker can be had for less than $20. These things are usually easily
installed by someone who knows a bit about electrical installation, but if
you are unsure of yourself, you should get someone in who knows what they
are doing. A bit of 12 gauge wire and a 220 volt outlet and you have an
exclusive setup in your basement for brewing. The downside to this would be
the difficulty in installing this outlet in your kitchen (running the wires
into the walls). However, if your basement ceiling (where your electrical
panel is located) is not finished, it should be a simple operation to run
the wiring into your kitchen. It isn't as hard as you might think. I have
run cable connections up through the basement ceiling and into a wall in the
kitchen in a similar manner. The hardest part was making the hole in the
wall to put the utility box for the outlet (which wasn't that hard). By
doing this, you can make sure that your 220 volt circuit is rated properly
and you won't have to worry about burning down your house.
*******************************************************************************
Desmond Power
Northern Radar Systems Limited
Box 23039
St. John's, Newfoundland
A1B 4J9
Phone: (709) 739-4014
FAX: (709) 739-4514
E-mail: des at tera.engr.mun.ca
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 11:04:50 -0700
From: wirwin at envisionet.net
Subject: 1st 10 gal batch questions
Dear collective:
I recently decided that brewing 10 gal. batches would not be much more of a
PITA than 5 gal. The jury is still out. I'm getting some kinda funny gravities
as the fermentation proceeds. Your analysis and observations would be most
welcome. The batch was a "hellesbier" ale.
grain bill:
21.5# German Pilsner
5.0# German light Crystal (5.5L)
0.5# German Munich
Calculated o.g. 1.076, Calculated f.g. 1.020 (Brewer's Assistant version 2.1)
Water analysis: Ca++ 32 ppm, Mg++ 7 ppm, SO4-- 51 ppm, Cl- 22 ppm
All grains milled with a "Valley Mill" at approximately 0.040" gap. Good
grist.
I used 30 Qts. water (1.11:1 ratio). Strike temp at 130f = mash at 124f for 30
min.
Removed 3 gal of thick mash. raised to boil over 30 min. Boiled 15 min.
Retrurned to mash tun (10 gal. Gott with a Phil's Phalse bottom). Mash temp
146f. Added 2 tsp. Amylase enzyme. 2 hour rest (final mash temp 140f). Removed
3 gal. thick mash. Heated to boil over 30 min. Boiled 15 min. Returned to mash
tun. Mash temp 156f. Added 2 tsp. Amylase enzyme. 2 hour rest. Final mash temp
152f. Good Iodine test. No mash out. Recirculated first runnings until clear
(approx. 1.5 gal.) Sparge with 170f water. Collected 34 qts. first runnings
1.092 gravity. Collected 12 qts. last runnings 1.032 gravity. Combined first
and last runnings. Gravity 1.076. Raised volume to 12 gal. Split boil, 8 gal.
on propane burner and 4 gal on gas stove top (10,000 btu). 60 min. boil.
Re-combined boiled wort. Force chilled to 64f. Split the wort to 2 6.5 gal.
carboys. topped off to 5 gal. each with boiled/cooled water. Aerated each
carboy in parallel for 45 min. with aquarium stone setup (air not O2). Initial
gravity in each carboy 1.082. (WOW) Pitched each carboy with 3 qt. starter of
Wyeast 1007 German Ale (2nd generation). Placed both carboys in garage
overnight (50f). Found 2" cold break and trub in #1 carboy and 0.5" in #2
carboy. Racked #1 carboy off trub/cold break into clean carboy. DID NOT rack
#2 carboy. Fermentation temp 55f. 7 days later racked both carboys to
secondary (5 gal. carboys). #1 gravity 1.050. #2 1.046. 21 days later racked
to corny kegs for further conditioning (dry hopping and cold conditioning).
#1 gravity 1.032, #2 1.036.
Now that the background has been disclosed, here are my questions:
1. Why did #1 carboy have nearly all of the cold break/trub? The chilled wort
was "pretty thoroughly" mixed before racking to the carboys. Yes, the
carboys were filled sequentially not in parallel. I will fill in
parallel next time.
2. What is the collective opinion on racking off cold break/trub soon (12
hrs.) after pitching?
3. Why are the gravities different?
4. Will Wyeast 1007 attenuate much more than the present gravity? (There was
still some fermentation activity when I racked to the kegs)?
5. Why was my original gravity so high? (too much grain)?
6. Should I relieve the pressure build up in the kegs from time to time?
7. As I have no idea how much further this stuff will attenuate, when should I
begin the gradual warm up for diacetyl rest, or should I have done the
diacetyl rest at the end of the secondary fermentation?
8. How would one calculate the brew house efficiency for this batch.
Clueless in Lonetree. TIA, private email welcome. Sorry for the bandwidth.
Bill at Bill's Bathtub Brewery Lonetree, Colorado
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 12:53:48 -0600
From: beernote at realbeer.com (Mike Urseth)
Subject: Scotch Ale
In reply to ac051 at osfn.rhilinet.gov (Eric W. Miller)
beernote at realbeer.com (Mike Urseth) writes about Scotch Ale:
>His Scotch
>Ale (Pipers' Pride) uses an additional bitter agent called quassia (sp?)
>that is derived from the bark of some plant grown in the New World.
>>I think the spelling you're looking for is "cassia," a plant whose bark is
>>more commonly known as "cinnamon." Are you sure this brewer isn't pulling
>>your leg?
No. The quassia is a completely different animal. It is so incredibly
bitter that great care must be used when adding to the brew. This is one of
those "lost beer" recipes that is not made anywhere else in the world
today. Bill makes most of his beers to coincide with old examples of the
style rather than the current models. If you ever get to Minnesota,
definitely check the place out.
Ususual disclaimer about not being involved with the aforementioned
business yada yada yada.
Mike Urseth
Editor & Publisher
Midwest Beer Notes
339 Sixth Avenue
Clayton, WI 54004
715-948-2990 ph.
715-948-2981 fax
e-mail: beernote at realbeer.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 13:55:52 -0500
From: CASteveB at aol.com
Subject: European Beer Tour
Greetings,
I know that this question has been asked in the past, so maybe it is time for
a FAQ concerning beer related travel sights. My wife and I are contemplating
a trip to Europe and would like to get some info. She has graciously agreed
to "help further my education" in relation to beer and brewing by indulging
me in some beer related adventures. Tasting, Tours, you name it! :)
Where will I be traveling? Most likely Great Britain, Germany, France, and
Italy. Since I am in the Air force, my wife and I can hitch rides on Air
Force planes throughout Eurpoe for little or no cost. So our itenerary is
pretty flexible.
With this in mind, I would appreciate all suggestions. I don't know anything
about putting together a FAQ, but if I get enough info, I will summerize and
organize it for whoever wants it, and will post it in any appropriate place
for public access. If something like this already exists, please point it
out to me.
The HBD has been consistantly helpfully in the past.
So Thanks Again,
Steve
CASteveB at aol.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 96 13:39:32 MDT
From: guym at Exabyte.COM
Subject: Large fermenters
rust1d at li.com writes:
> What are the thoughts of using a 15+ gallon fish tank as a primary
> open fermenter. Or can anyone tell me where to find carboys in the
> 10+ gallon range?
Alternative Beverage here in Charlotte carries a 15 gallon glass
demijohn that goes for $38.95 plus 30 pounds UPS shipping. They also
sell an 11 gallon plastic fermenter for $9.55 plus 5 pounds shipping.
Their number is 800-365-2739. Not affiliated, etc. In fact, I find
that I can order grain from St. Patrick's of Texas cheaper than I can
drive down and pick it up at Alternative. This is largely due to the
exorbitant $.50/pound fee they charge for cracking the grain while St.
Pat's charges $.05/pound. I guess I really should spring for that
MaltMill soon.
--
Guy McConnell /// Huntersville, NC /// Erin go Bragh!
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 13:25:28 -0800
From: Darren Gaylor <dgaylor at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Homebrew Digest
To Whom It May Concern:
I am interested in receiving Homebrew Digest if you are willing to
mail it to me.
Thankyou
Darren Gaylor
dgaylor at ix.netcom.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 16:31:17 -0500
From: EKTSR at aol.com
Subject: Ft. Lauderdale Brewpubs
Sorry for the regionally specific info:
I have the opportunity to have a few free hours in Ft. Lauderdale next week.
I'm staying at the Westin Hotel on Corporate Drive. Are there any brewpubs
/ breweries / bars with great beer selections not to be missed?? Any
recommendations for food ?? Private e-mail encouraged.
THANKS !!
Stan White
ektsr at aol.com
He that drinks strong beer,
And goes to bed mellow,
Lives as he ought to live,
And dies a hearty fellow.
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 19:56:30 +0000
From: "Richard Okambawa" <okambawa at UQTR.UQuebec.ca>
Subject: RE: distilled beverage
Aesoph, Michael asked in HBD 1984
A freind of mine has an old still that his grandfather made during
prohibition. He states that it is not illegal to distill your own
beverages. Is there any truth to this? If so, is distilling safe?
I've thought about distilling some of my wine or pseudo-brandy into
Brandy. Anyone know any good recipes for distilled beverages?
Home winemaking and brewing are legal in USA and Canada.
But if lawyers find that you distil (separate ethanol from the other
components of the wash) one drop of alcohol at home without a licence,
they will throw you in jail. So, operating a still at home is
illegal. Theoretically the HBD does not have discussion about
distillation. As manufacturing distilled beverage is closely related
to our hobby... Learning the science and the technic of distillation
is not illegal. Be sure that your friend's grandfather's still is
<food grade> i.e. build with copper or SS and welded so that it is
food-acid-high/temperature safe. Moonshiners often use car radiator
condenser; their still are often solderedwith stuffs containing lead,
cadmium, antimony. Those metals are volatile and very toxic. There is
no problem if you use the concentrated beer to fuel your car.
Distilled beverage are the <coeur de chauffe> i.e. the heads (rich in
methanol *poison*) and the tails (rich in higher alcohol) are
discarded. Books about the manufacture of cognac, armagnac, whisky are
full of <recipes>.
*********************
* Richard Okambawa *
* 860 Ste Ursule *
*Trois-Rivieres, Quebec *
* Canada G9A 1P1 *
* President, brewmaster and chief drinker *
*Home: (819) 693 6445 *
*Zymopolis Nanobrewery *
*Work: Institut de recherche sur l'hydrogene *
* (819) 3765170 ext 3591 *
* http://para.uqtr.uquebec.ca/hydrogene2.html *
* e-mail: richard_okambawa at uqtr.uquebec.ca *
****************************************
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 20:03:12 +0000
From: "Richard Okambawa" <okambawa at UQTR.UQuebec.ca>
Subject: Wild yeast, <wild> yeast
Hi all
Is there an expert over ther who can give me the formal definition
of a wild yeast? If I isolate a yeast which have desired properties
from a jungle, is it still a wild yeast?
Thanks.
Richard Okambawa
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 20:21:56 +0000
From: "Richard Okambawa" <okambawa at UQTR.UQuebec.ca>
Subject: RE: Fridge extension.
Somebody spoke a couple of days ago about a design for fridge
extension for controled temperature fermentation and lagering.
I think that he want to remove the door and buil plywood
walls...I saw a simple, easier and efficient approach on
Geoff Scott's brewing page (http://www.io.org/~gscott).
He connected the unmodified
fridge to an insulated box with two PVC tubes, one of them
equiped with a small electric fan connected to a domestic
Honeywell thermostat. Control: +/-2 deg. C I think, the beer's
temperature is controlled better because of thermal inertia.
Cheers
*********************
* Richard Okambawa *
* 860 Ste Ursule *
*Trois-Rivieres, Quebec *
* Canada G9A 1P1 *
* President, brewmaster and chief drinker *
*Home: (819) 693 6445 *
*Zymopolis Nanobrewery *
*Work: Institut de recherche sur l'hydrogene *
* (819) 3765170 ext 3591 *
* http://para.uqtr.uquebec.ca/hydrogene2.html *
* e-mail: richard_okambawa at uqtr.uquebec.ca *
****************************************
Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 19:31:12 -0800
From: John Mrazek <harvard at cycor.ca>
Subject: Stainless Mash Pot
Kelly Heflin said:
>All right, Lets all you experienced mashers put your heads together and
>help me design the best stainless steel mash pot. I work in a sheet
>metal shop and can make whatever we can come up with. I did this about 2
etc......
If you would like the best mash pot,then in my opinion you build a double
jacketed stainless steel unit which is sitting on a gas burner being
controlled by a computer which turns heat on and off as is needed.Then you
can select any mashing temperature and number of temperature changes and on
and on.That is what i have build and been using it for a 1 1/2 year.
But that may be seen as a overkill to some brewers, but i love it and it is
easy way to mash 10lb or 45 lb of grain. It just depends on the size of the
mashing kettle. Also i am using the same setup for sparging after mashing.
I have been trough the process of RIMS and did not like it at all.
So if you are a builder of things and like lagers and such you sure can do
them almost like they do them in Europe.
Anyway good luck with your building and brewing.
Regards
John Mrazek
E-mail harvard at cycor.ca
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 00:18:38 -0500
From: HuskerRed at aol.com
Subject: Fishy carboys, more wiring stuff, and Fementaps
John Nicholas Varady <rust1d at swamp.li.com> write:
> What are the thoughts of using a 15+ gallon fish tank as a primary open
> fermenter. Or can anyone tell me where to find carboys in the 10+ gallon
> range?
You could then use the under gravel filter to aerate as well! Anyway,
here's a carboy lead (thanks to Keith Christian), place an ad in the
'Nickel Shopper' in your area. My ad was about $3 and I got several
calls. I got a 6.5 gallon for $5 and a 2.5 for $3.
- -------
Brian Grier <bjgrier at bnr.ca> writes:
> Passing 20 amps through a 14guage wire will cause the wire to heat
excessively and can start a fire. If the cause of the fire is traced to
this modification your home owners insurance WILL NOT cover anydamages.
This isn't quite correct. # 14 will not melt down at 20 amps. National
Electric Code Table 310-16 has # 14 rated at 25 amps, # 12 at 30, and # 10
at 40 with an obelisk (asterisk) beside them. The obelisk note states:
"Unless otherwise specifically permitted elsewhere in this Code,
the overcurrent protection for conductors type marked with an
obelisk shall not exceed 15 amperes for No. 14, 20 amperes for No.
12, and 30 amperes for No. 10 copper;"
So what this is saying is that # 14 is rated for 25 amps but must have a
15 amp breaker. Some of the older houses I've worked on have had 30 amp
fuses or larger on # 14 wire. "We just kept blowing fuses and these were
all we had left" is what the owners say. I certainly _do not_ condone
improper sizing up breakers or fuses.
Anyway, the info I really wanted to pass along about house circuits is
that the code requires # 12 in kitchens, pantries, breakfast rooms, dining
rooms, and laundry rooms. You can start looking for 20 amp circuits in
these rooms first.
- -------
I recently got a Fermentap brochure and was wondering if anyone could give
a product review. I'm interested in the double Fermentap set-up to
transfer from boy to boy as well. E-mail is probably the best on this
one. TIA
Lager on,
Jason Henning
Big Red Alchemy and Brewing
huskerred at aol.com
Some brew with skill and knowledge, I brew with fear and superstition.
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 09:33:01 -0500
From: ajdel at interramp.com (A. J. deLange)
Subject: Lagering
In #1985 Dan Ritter asks about applying CO2 pressure to a Cornelius keg in
which lagering is taking place:
Don't forget that lagering is the tail end of fermentation and that CO2 is
(or should be) evolved during the lagering period. The beer filled into the
keg for lagering should have a fair amount of yeasst in suspensions, and
should be cold as lager fermentations are carried out at low temperatures.
Thus it should have a fair amount of dissolved CO2 and should evolve more
in the coming weeks. The Cornelius keg should be purged of air with CO2
before filling, filled and sealed, then purged again. Now pressurize to
10-15 psi and disconnect the gas line. Put the keg in the lagering
refrigerator/freezer and check the gas pressure from time to time. I find
that the rate of evolution of gas about equals the rate it leaks out so
that the pressure stays at about 10 -12 psi. With some kegs I have to top
up occasionally and with others I have to bleed gas from time to
time.(there are automatic bleed valves which will hold the pressure at
about 10 psi). Thus the beer carbonates itself and you can tell your
friends that it is "naturally" carbonated. Note also that the CO2 evolved
during lagering "scrubs" smelly sulfides and other volatiles out of the
beer.
A.J. deLange Numquam in dubio, saepe in errore!
ajdel at interramp.com
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 09:04:08 -0500 (EST)
From: Al Paglieri <bq359 at freenet.toronto.on.ca>
Subject: Bass Ale Clone
From: Jan Luttner <jluttner at scoot.netis.com>
Subject: Bass Ale clone
> > Can anyone tell me if there's a good recipe out there for a Bass Ale
> > clone? The Cats Meow 3 has three different recipes. Have any of you
> > tried one with any success or is there another one you might recommend
> > that's worked well for you?
I have this one fermenting right now. Actually I just moved it into my
cold room for crash cooling and clearing. While measuring gravity, it
tasted, smelled and looked great!
Get the recipe from Cats Meow quoting the source as follows;
Vance Sabbe (sabbe at zymurgy.stortek.com) r.c.b., 8/15/95
Cheers,
Al.
_______________________________________
Stargazer BBS.
Everything from Astronomy to Zymurgy
Free Access. 905-832-3962
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 09:08:56 -0500
From: PatrickM50 at aol.com
Subject: distilling
Mike Aesoph says:
>>>>>
A freind of mine has an old still that his grandfather made during
prohibition. He states that it is not illegal to distill your own
beverages. Is there any truth to this? If so, is distilling safe? I've
thought about distilling some of my wine or pseudo-brandy into Brandy.
Anyone know any good recipes for distilled beverages?
<<<<<<<
Since I live in wine country (Sonoma County, California) I have plenty of
access to good juice and looked into distilling both wine (for grappa or
brandy) and beer (for wiskey) a few years ago. Bottom line: It is ILLEGAL to
distill spirits for consumption without a permit/license from the B.A.T. And
they don't give them (sell them) to anyone wanting to make it at home for
themselves unless you prove that you are making it to use as a fuel
alternative/additive. There are books in your library that show how to
distill small amounts of liquor for one's personal use and they go into the
permit application procedure. To make anything other than harsh, raw,
headache inducing firewater is no small feat however. That's why the good
stuff costs so much in the stores. I would imagine that it's also why, after
Prohibition, most folks stopped making it themselves and bought it from the
big distilleries instead.
Pat Maloney
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 08:10:15 -0600
From: "John Lifer, Jr." <jliferjr at felix.TECLink.Net>
Subject: re: 2 day mashing
On the 12th Brewizard at aol.com questioned splitting the brew day into two days.
Following the instructions in previous HBD's by several people, (apologies
to all, don't have that info handy) I boiled my water, cooled and reheated
to mash temp while I weighted and ground the grains. I did simple infusion
and after making sure the temp was about right, (162f wanted to hit a little
high to increase unfermentables as most of my previous brews were a little
light in body for my liking) I then put the pot I use to mash into the
oven. I tried to turn on the oven every now and again for about 2 hours
till I went to bed. Temp stayed where I wanted really well. The next
morning I removed pot and after heating sparge water did sparge. Did not
mash choc, and crystal & maize - added at start of sparge. Ended up pretty
light color, pretty close to Young's Special that I was drinking at bottling
last night. I think, after drinking my SG test last night, that all went
well except I am way to light in hop bitterness. I didn't hit that part
very well at all but I have a good mild bitter just waiting for me. Will
probably try again to see if I can duplicate.
FWIW, here is the recipe:
7# Breiss malt
1# malted wheat- mine, not the best ~70% malted
2 oz Victory
2 oz choc.
2 oz Flaked Maize did not mash -should have
6 oz 20l crystal
1 oz N Brewer at 6.9 60min
1.5 oz Fluggles at 4.2 60 min
1 oz Fluggles at 10 min
1 oz Kent Goldings at 0min
SUDS says the IBU's are 39.2 NOT! Hops may be losing bitterness, getting a
little old.
Will let you know how it really tastes in a couple of weeks.
John in Mississippi 'Nother Illegal Brew'n fool in Mississippi
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 09:58:48 -0500
From: William D Gladden <W_GLADDEN at Mail.Co.Chester.PA.US>
Subject: Extracts & Adjuncts Query
Date: Friday, 15 Mar 1996
From: W_GLADDEN at Mail.Co.Chester.PA.US (Bill Gladden)
Subject: Extracts & Adjuncts Query
In HBD #1984 AJ responds to someone asking about carbonation and
writes:
>A common problem with extract brews is that the beer has no head
>retention whatsoever so that the carbonation, while there,
>escapes in huge bubbles in a couple of minutes.
I'll be. And here I thought my problem was unique. Since it's
common, I'll bite and toss this out to the collective.
I have not yet found a good source of detailed information on
adjuncts and suspect this is one avenue to pursue in the quest
for more body and head retention in my extract brews.
Currently I'm a stovetop steeper and a firm believer in holding
crystal malt at target temp for 30 min. v. the remove when it
starts to boil method. While this certainly has added a fresher
taste to the beer and a little more body, head retention is still
pitiful.
Any leads on good adjunct info. sources or suggestions on other
ways to enhance head retention in extract brewing would be
appreciated.
Thanks.
Bill Gladden
"W_GLADDEN at Mail.Co.Chester.PA.US"
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 10:00:46 -0500
From: KennyEddy at aol.com
Subject: Figuring Final Gravity
Clark D. Ritchie want to know:
> Does anyone know a good way to predit a recipe's terminal gravity? I
> realize that there are a lot of variables involved (temperature, yeast
> attenuation, ingredients, etc.), however there must be a good formula for
> making a ballpark estimate. I've searched all over and can't find one.
The
> yeast FAQ has a lot of good stuff, but all of the equations require you to
> know the FG.
Simple estimate is to take one-fourth of the original gravity "points". For
example, if your OG is 1.048, you have 48 points; one-fourth is 12, so figure
FG = 1.012. And you're right -- all those factors you mention will impact
this, but for a "typical" recipe this is pretty close.
Ken Schwartz
KennyEddy at aol.com
NY City Mayor Ed Koch -- "Life is indeed precious, and I believe the death
penalty helps to affirm this fact."
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 08:28:00 -0600 (CST)
From: Michael Coen <COEN.MICHAEL at igate.pprd.abbott.com>
Subject: Yeast
Can anyone explain the term agglomeration in terms of yeast performance?
I know the word means grittiness or macroscopic cell aggregates but is
this a huge detriment to the whole fermentation cycle? I have noticed
what looks to be this phenomena in the Special London Ale strain
(#1968). Also with this strain and the german ale strain (#1007) I
noticed microscopically that there were "small yeast" present. What
caused me to look at the yeast was a gusher batch of IPA and some
cloudiness in a Belgian Pale Ale. The fact that I see this but no
bacteria make me think that it might be a "wild yeast" finding its way
into my scrupulously clean brewing practices. This is a little
disturbing. What do I mean by "small yeast? Amongst all the large
Saccharomyces which are very large is a population of smaller yeast
looking organisms......... about 1/10the size of the Saccharomyces.
Under 100X magnification I even think I can see them budding. I have
never seen these before in other yeasts, for example the Sierra Nevada
strain. I keep -70C frozen glycerol stocks of all my yeasts and limit
the number of thaw cycles......... and I plate for single colonies.
Even off a fresh plate and a single colonies these little guys can be
seen among the larger Saccharomyces. I cannot isolate single colonies
of just these little guys. Any suggestions of experiments I could
perform to figure this one out??? Also, microscopically, the large
Saccharomyces look like they are loaded with refractile bodies.....maybe
glycogen stores??? Whatever these little guys are I assume that the
gusher problem was due to the fact that they could nibble on the higher
dextrans causing excess carbonation. Just an observation............ the
Irish Ale yeast (#1084) when allowed to sit for a long time in YNB +2%
glucose will start "creeping" up the side of the vessel. Under the
microscope pseudohyphae can be observed.................rather
interesting phenomena presumably due to nutrient starvation.......I
think Dr. Finks lab at MIT is big on this. One last thing....... does
anyone know of or have heard of "gushing - inducing peptides" which are
formed by wild yeast/fungi living on the grains. I guess this can
happen if the grains are not properly stored and processed. The reason
I mention this is that I recently got a bag of Schreier Malt that just
didn't taste very good.....not even close to being as good as the
Belgian Grains. Well, that's about it........guess I'll have to brew
another IPA and try this yeast thing again. Any comments would be
appreciated. The address at the top of this note can be used to reach
me. Cheers!!!!!!!
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 96 10:05:51 CST
From: "Tracy Aquilla" <aquilla at salus.med.uvm.edu>
Subject: lager under pressure!
In Digest #1985:
<102446.3717 at compuserve.com> Dan Ritter wrote:
>Does carbonation have any effect on the lagering process?
Yes, see below.
>A hypothetical case: I have just brewed a German Pilsener. I'm planning
>to lager the beer in a corny keg for 4-6 weeks at 34 degrees F. During
>the final two weeks of lagering, can I hook up my CO2 tank to the keg
>and force carbonate while finishing the lagering?
Sure, I do this all the time (as do many commercial breweries).
>Or, is there some benefit to conducting the lagering phase while the beer is
>flat? I don't force carbonate by the often used "keg shaking method" but prefer
>to hook up the gas to my refrigerated keg for about ten days.
There are published data which suggest lagering under pressure may actually
be beneficial. Specifically, lagering under about 30 psi CO2 will definitely
decrease the levels of fusel alcohols in the finished beer and may also
reduce diacetyl levels as well, when using a lager yeast. With ale yeast,
the story is a bit different. In this case, diacetyl is INcreased and fusels
generally aren't reduced, but this may be acceptable for ales anyway. Since
CO2 pressure will inhibit yeast activity significantly, you should wait
until reaching the secondary to apply pressure. Also, some yeast strains may
exhibit a loss of viability upon exposure to CO2 pressure for multiple
generations.
See the Journal of the Institute of Brewing 90: 81-84 (March-April 1984),
"The Response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Fermentation Under Carbon
Dioxide Pressure" by Ledezma et al. for details. Good luck.
Tracy in Vermont
aquilla at salus.med.uvm.edu
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 10:20:31 -0500
From: Kit Anderson <kit at maine.com>
Subject: Oak
>Now that I think about it, there is an English beer that is aged in oak,
>but most certainly this would be well-used, European oak and therefore
>would not add much oak character at all. I'm afraid I can't recall
>which brewery it is that uses those oak secondaries.
>Al
That would be Gale's Prize Old Ale.
- ---
"If you are what you eat, then I would rather be a vertebrate than a
polysaccharide."
Kit Anderson
Bath, Maine
<kit at maine.com>
The Maine Beer Page http://www.maine.com/brew
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