HOMEBREW Digest #2008 Thu 11 April 1996
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FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Message from LISKAY at CARVM3 (CARVM3)
Hefenweisen (russ tjepkema)
Water Analysis ("Joseph G. Spears")
Barley flakes ("Braam Greyling")
Washington DC/Williamsburg VA (Cherisse Gardner)
Canning Wort (Fred Hardy)
First Partial Mash / Water Analysis ("Stephen Palmer")
Sodium Hydrox for bottles (Joe Rolfe)
sparge worthy spigot/water analysis (Ray Robert)
Sleep Deprivation Humor ("Olson, Greger J - CI/911-2")
Digital scale (Ian Smith)
Distinctive Foods / Dead Skunk In the Middle of My Beer / Is My Beer Ruined? (KennyEddy)
HELP! Hop sources & malting (UTC -04:00)" <rich.byrnes at e-mail.com>
The Abita Brewery ("Goodale, Daniel CPT 4ID DISCOM")
3 Tier Brewery Design ("Kenneth D. Joseph")
Re: water ananysis (Btalk)
Calcium Gluconate - any ideas? (Paul Sovcik)
Fiber in Beer?? (usbscrhc)
which yeast/ferment temp. ("FINLEY, BARRY CURTIS")
seirra nevada bigfoot (MJT15)
how to adjust O.G. (Tim Martin)
Sodium Hydroxide Sanitation (Hugh Graham)
Wyeast 1968/Oak in IPAs (again) (Algis R Korzonas)
new horizons (Wallinger)
Fermentaption Contraption (Larry Davids)
Re:new brewer/old topic? ("Ray Cooper")
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 10 Apr 1996 05:05:31
From: CARVM3 at vnet.IBM.COM
Subject: Message from LISKAY at CARVM3
Giving up OV/VM, moved to Lotus Notes. Please send all future correspondence
to LISKAY at RTPNOTES
The mail you sent has been transferred to LISKAY at CARY.
This message was sent by the SAFE automatic machine: do not reply.
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 06:52:57 -0400
From: russ tjepkema <russtj at edgenet.net>
Subject: Hefenweisen
I was traveling last week and had the opprtunity to taste Widmer
Hefenweisen. I usually don't enjoy this style, but this one I really
liked. I wonder if anyone has any clone recipes?
TIA
russ
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 07:59:05 -0500
From: "Joseph G. Spears" <aquashed at Interpath.com>
Subject: Water Analysis
There are a number of companies that offer complete water analysis.
I have used one extremely successfully and they offer an option to
test for pesticides as well. It is important to note that there is a
difference between compliance testing for legal requirements and the
testing that I would order. In some cases the government specifies
the testing required and the method to be used. This is often much more
laborious than modern methods--and no more accurate. Thus the high
cost of compliance testing.
For more information on testing or treatment contact the Water
Quality Association.
Thanks.
Joe Spears, CWS-V, CI Phone: 704-459-2426
Certified Water Specialist FAX: 704-453-7617
Aqua Shed
3474 Duck Pond Drive
Conover, NC 28613-9458
aquashed at interpath.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 14:44:30 +200
From: "Braam Greyling" <ACG at knersus.nanoteq.co.za>
Subject: Barley flakes
Hi beerboys (oops! and beergirls)
I am going to brew my 4th all grain batch soon. I got some barley
flakes from the guy who supply me with grain. I am not sure what
quantities I should use. I also have some wheat malt, chocolate malt
crystal malt and Cara-Vienna malt.
I only do infusion mash. All my malts are fully modified, I think !
What quantities of the flakes should I use ? What effect will it have
on my beer ? How will it influence the taste, body, colour and head ?
Can I use it with infusion mash ?
I brew 5 gallon batches.
Thanks !
Braam Greyling Design Engineer
Nanoteq (Pty) Ltd tel. +27 (12) 665-1338
- ---- 24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case ----
- ---- coincidence ????? ----
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 08:55:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: Cherisse Gardner <cgardner at nova.umuc.edu>
Subject: Washington DC/Williamsburg VA
On Wed, 10 Apr 1996 beer-l-request@ UA1VM.UA.EDU wrote:
> Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 07:50:59 -0400
> From: Bob McCowan <bob.mccowan at cfrp.varian.com>
> Subject: Washington DC/Williamsburg VA
>
> We're heading to Williamsburg and DC in a couple of weeks and I'd like
> advice on good micros and brewpubs to try.
Greetings and welcome to my stomping grounds! I was born and raised in
Wmsbg and am currently residing in DC. Your best bet is to get your hands
on an issue of Barley Corn, a free monthly (I think) newspaper about beer,
brewing, and microbreweries and crafthouses of the east. It will provide
the most complete listing of the many establishments and events in this
area. If you can't get it wherever you are, send a private e-mail with an
address to which I can send an issue. I'll be happy to.
If the weather turns warm on your trip, drop by the King's Arm's Tavern
in the historic area for a frosty pitcher of Lieberscheiner Ale out in the
garden under the trellises for a truly pleasant afternoon. You must not
overlook Legend Brewing Co. in Richmond, Va. on your way from DC, about 50
miles before you get to Wmsbg. The owner and head brewer, Tom Martin, is
a childhood friend of mine and makes beer so good it'll spoil you! Brewing
runs in his family and he has finally realized his 15-20 yr. dream to be a
brewer too. Tell him I sent ya!
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 09:01:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: Fred Hardy <fcmbh at access.digex.net>
Subject: Canning Wort
I can 1 cup, 1 pint and 1 qt. jars of sterile wort for using as starter. I
have been doing this for years with excellent results. Everything I know
about it I learned from "Yeast Culturing for the Homebrewer," by Roger
Leistad - G.W. Kent Inc., 1983. This little handbook is available at most
homebrew shops for about $4.00.
I also use the information in the book to make agar medium for capturing
commercial yeast strains for subsequent use. Leistad's text is, IMO, a
brewing classic worth many time its cover price.
Cheers, Fred
==============================================================================
We must invent the future, else it will | <Fred Hardy>
happen to us and we will not like it. |
[Stafford Beer, "Platform for Change"] | email: fcmbh at access.digex.net
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 09:42:13 EDT
From: "Stephen Palmer" <uscgsynd at ibmmail.com>
Subject: First Partial Mash / Water Analysis
Greetings Collective,
I posted recently about my first partial mash, a
Brown Ale from Miller's TCHOHB. I just wanted to
comment, that even with the errors I'd made during
the mash, and sparge, that this is my best beer yet.
It has been bottled only one week, but is very
good, if a little flat....
On to new things!
In preperation for doing an All-Grain in the near
future, I requested a water analisis from my
Utility District, (MUD-7 in Katy, TX) which they
readily supplied at no cost. However, all ION counts
are in MG/L rather than the PPM that Miller describes
in his book. How do I convert between the two?
For those who are more chemist than I, here is the
analysis. (Spelling errors are mine, I'm reading this
from what appears to be a 50th generation photocopy)
Calcium 51 MG/L
Chloride 52 MG/L
Fluoride 0.2 MG/L
Magnesium 6 MG/L
Nitrate (As N) 0.19 MG/L
Sodium 39 MG/L
Sulfate 12 MG/L
Total Hardness/CACO3 154 MG/L
PH 7.9
Oil.Conduct(UMHOS/CM) 508
Tot. Alka. as CACO3 150 MG/L
Bicarbonate 183 MG/L
Carbonate 0 MG/L
Dissolved Solids 253 MG/L
P. Alkalinity /CACO3 0 MG/L
Arsenic < 0.010 MG/L
Barium 0.165 MG/L
Cadium < 0.005 MG/L
Chromium < 0.02 MG/L
Copper 0.08 MG/L
Iron < 0.02 MG/L
Lead < 0.0200 MG/L
Manganese < 0.02 MG/L
Mercury < 0.0002 MG/L
Selenium 0.012 MG/L
Silver < 0.010 MG/L
Zinc < 0.02 MG/L
I plan on brewing a wide range of Ales including Brown,
Stout, Light American, IPA, Weisse etc...
Any comments on how this water should be treated will be
appreciated. Private E-Mail is Fine...
Thanks in Advance!
Stephen L. Palmer
uscgsynd at ibmmail.com - Columbia Gulf, Houston TX
elrond at helix.xiii.com - Home
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 10:06:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Joe Rolfe <onbc at shore.net>
Subject: Sodium Hydrox for bottles
nir asked about the level of caustic in bottle washing operations:
the big breweries that rewash use alot about 3%. this is at a relative
low temperature about 160F or so. the higher the temp the less caustic you
can use but the glass can be thermally shocked (watch the next bottling if
bottle conditioning).
we rewash the 1/2 gallon growlers at 175 to 180 with about a 1-2%
caustic for 5 minutes. good impingment on the interior surface and
the neck are required (A/B quotes a 7ft/sec as good cleaning impingment).
so to get this - a higher speed pump with a large inlet and smaller outlet
(2" in 1" or so outlet 3450 rpm and a few horses should do it). we built a
jig outs copper (dont tell the fda;) to clean 24 at a shot and use a 3hp
3450 pump. the nozzels need work but washes very well and quickly.
not a lot of fun tho.....nir - hows the brewery doing?
Joe Rolfe -VP/Brewer
Ould Newbury Brewing Company, Inc
50 Parker Street, Newburyport MA
onbc at shore.net and www.shore.net/~onbc/oldnbury/ontop.htm
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 10:21:00 PDT
From: Ray Robert <RayRobert at bah.com>
Subject: sparge worthy spigot/water analysis
Hello Brew Collective!
I have two hopefully simple problems I need some help with:
1. I use my bottling bucket to hold my sparge water. You know the type
white hdpe bucket with standard plastic spigot. The problem I have is that
is leaks like a sieve when I put hot sparge water in it. I've gone through
5 of these in the last year and a half. The cost is not an issue (they are
only about 3 bucks) but trying to sparge and clean up 170 degree water off
the kitchen floor is not fun. Any recommendations as to a solution for
this. I would like to maintain the same arrangement.
2. Had a request for any brewers in the Fairfax VA area: How is the water
in this area and does it require treatment. I hope to avoid a nut roll with
the local water authority (much like the recent experiences on the HBD).
Also any recommended homebrew stores in the area would be a help
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Robert Ray <rayrobert at bah.com>
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 08:18:00 PDT
From: "Olson, Greger J - CI/911-2" <gjolson at bpa.gov>
Subject: Sleep Deprivation Humor
What is the best style to brew after the birth of a new child?
An I.P(ee).A(ll-night.)?
A Barleyw(h)ine?
An Outmeal S(p)out?
A Midnight Ale?
I've got waaaay too much time to think of these. (Generally between 12-5
A.M.)
The best (worst?) pun will go in the fermenter and on the label (with
suitable clipart).
BTW, as another data point, my Dopplebock did not carbonate after bottling.
Probably the yeast flocculated due to rapid temperature changes. Had to
add yeast to the bottles & recap.
-- Sleepless in Oregon --
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 08:54:46 -0600 (MDT)
From: Ian Smith <rela!isrs at netcom.com>
Subject: Digital scale
Does anyone know of a source for a digital scale suitable for weighing
fractions of ounces (grams) for hops and salts etc but also able to weigh
up to 10 lbs of grain for mashing ? A scale with a range of 1g - 5000g
(or 0.1 oz to 10 lbs) would be ideal.
Cheers !
Ian Smith
isrs at rela.uucp.netcom.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 11:56:42 -0400
From: KennyEddy at aol.com
Subject: Distinctive Foods / Dead Skunk In the Middle of My Beer / Is My Beer Ruined?
I really enjoyed Kristine's sharing of the verbage on the label of old malt
extract she has. "Distinctive Foods"! HAH! Perhaps this is a kindler and
gentler way of writing a disclaimer than the usual "don't blame me if you get
in trouble using this" line.
*********************
Chris DiIorio (how do you pronounce that, Chris?) asks about "skunky" beers.
I suupose there could be any number of things going on but the #1 culprit is
usually light. Light-struck hops become "skunky" and this is why beer is
best packaged in dark bottles. The hops can be light-struck either before OR
after brewing (or both, I suppose), so be sure your hops are stored out of
the light (wrap in aluminum foil for light-tightness) and so is your bottled
beer. Direct sunlight will skunk hops in short order; flourescent lights
supposedly can too but it takes longer. If you are already taking these
steps, complain to the store that sold you the skunky hops.
****************
Jason Henning says
>About the only thing not covered here was how to explain to the wife how
spending
>$300 on new equipment would make brewing cheaper! But seriously, I thank
>you all....This thime next year, I will be brewing in a hermetically sealed,
computer-
>controled, solar-powered, electronically measured, steam heated, self-
>cleaning, robtically mashing, continuous-flow titanium-clad brewhouse!
If you can do this for $300 we'd like to learn how! I've got my wife trained
to appreciate homebrew and fine imports so as long as I keep the incremental
costs down I can get away with "making beer cheaper".
As far as your Hop IBU and recipe formulation goes, try this. An "IBU" is
supposed to be equivalent to 1 mg/l alpha acid. So you must figure how many
mg of AA is getting into how many litres of beer. Each ounce of hops weighs
28.4 grams (28,400 mg), and each gallon of beer is 3.8 litres. The
"utilization" is simply the percent of the AA that actually gets into your
beer and depends on so many things it's usually a crapshoot, but figure 25%
to 30% max for long boils (there are tables and formulae out there to get
utilzation figures for shorter boil times). The number of mg AA in hops is
28,400 x ounces x AA%/100. The number of litres is 3.8 * gallons. The mg/l
that ends up in your beer is the mg/l times the utilization or mg/l x
UTIL%/100.
So IBU = mg/l = ((28,400 x oz x AA%/100) / (3.8 x gal) ) x UTIL%/100. This
reduces to:
** IBU = 0.75 x OZ x AA% x UTIL% / GALLONS **
One ounce of 5% AA hops in 5 gallons at a utilization of 30% gives
IBU = 0.75 x 1 x 5 x 30 / 5 = 22.5 IBU
To figure how much grain you need for a given OG, note that a quantity of
grain yields a certain number of "potential extract points per pound per
gallon" or just "points". This varies for different grains but is around 36
for typical base malt. Specialty grains contribute at lower rates but are
often not included at all due to the low percentage they usually represent,
but you can toss'em in if you like. So you must first figure how much of
this 36 points you're actually gonna get; this is your "efficiency". To
complicate things, your "efficiency" might be different for the different
grains, but if you figure based on the base malt (assuming it's the bulk of
the grain bill), you'll be real close.
So if you are getting an 80% efficiency, the base malt at 36 points would
yield 36 x 80%/100 = 28.8 points per gallon per pound. To figure the gravity
from a given number of pounds in a given number of gallons, take this figure,
multiply by the number of pounds, and divide by the gallons:
OG (POINTS) = POINTS x EFF%/100 x POUNDS / GAL
OG (Spec. Grav) = 1 + POINTS/1000
Example: 10 pounds of 36-point grain in 5 gallons at 80%:
OG (POINTS) = 36 x 80/100 x 10 / 5 = 57.6 points
OG (SG) = 1 + 57.6/1000 = 1.058
If you have figures for the potential points and efficiencies for each grain
in the bill, do this calculation separately and add the resulting points,
then lastly convert to SG. This is the ultimate in A-R brewing.
Rearranging the equation we can figure the amount of grain needed for a
specific OG:
POUNDS = (OG(POINTS) x GALLONS) / (POINTS x EFF%/100)
If we want a 1.075 OG (75 points) in 5 gallons with 36-point grain and 80%
efficiency,
POUNDS = (75 x 5) / (36 x 80/100) = 13 pounds
This is the 5-gallon FINAL RECIPE gravity; your 6-1/2 gallon BOIL gravity
will be lower since it gets more concentrated as it boils off the water. The
BOIL gravity is
BG(POINTS) = (RECIPE GAL / BOIL GAL) x RECIPE OG(POINTS)
BG(SG) = 1 + BG(points)/1000
For the 1.075 OG wort, we'll look for 5/6.5 x 75 = 58 points (1.058 SG) in
the boiler just after sparging 6-1/2 gal wort. Remember that most
hydrometers are calibrated at 60 degrees F so chill the sparge sample before
reading, or consult a correction table.
Ken Schwartz
KennyEddy at aol.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 12:33:34 EDT
From: "Rich Byrnes USAET(UTC -04:00)" <rich.byrnes at e-mail.com>
Subject: HELP! Hop sources & malting
Greetings all!
As I prepare this months newsletter I wanted to include a
listing of reputable rhizome dealers, so if the collective
would be kind enough to send me their picks I'll summarize
for a future HBD, thanks!
Malting; one of our members wants to grow his own barley (and
yes he's a farmer that knows how to GROW cereal grains but needs
more info on Malting, is there a book that covers malting in
detail? Your help is appreciated.
Regards,_Rich Byrnes Jr
Fermental Order of Renaissance Draughtsmen
Hey Pat Babcock, whatever happened to your plaid wearing carboy?
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 11:26:00 PDT
From: "Goodale, Daniel CPT 4ID DISCOM" <GoodaleD at hood-03.army.mil>
Subject: The Abita Brewery
Greetings members of the collective,
Last weekend a friend and I took a trip
to New Orleans to catch the scene around Easter.
On Saturday, we went to Abita Springs to catch the
Abita Brewery tour. I can easily get Abita here in
Texas and was about all I drank while working in
Alabama, so I expected a large professional
operation. The place was less organized than I
expected. Sacks of malted barley were stacked
floor to ceiling along with boxes of bottles, filter
substrate, six pack containers, labels, and other
brewing paraphernalia.
Brian, our tour guide and one of the
brewers, lead the tour with a plastic cup of
TurboDog in one hand. He gave a competent
overview of brewing for the laypeople and fielded
more complex questions from the home brewing
crowd. Free samples flowed from the tasting
room/employee lounge/latrine. All were
encouraged to refill at any time during the tour
with any of the brewery's fare (and rootbeer
for the tykes). A lot of the brewery's equipment
was recycled dairy equipment. Their pride and
joy was an automatic labeler with eliminated a
bottleneck in the line. At the end we were
encouraged to wander around the brewery at
will if we promised not to "turn anything on."
The beer was all excellent, however
I was a little disappointed in the TurboDog, it
seemed to have a lot more hop aroma when
I drank it in Anniston Alabama. My female
friend liked it very much (certainly gets points
for having a really cool name). I was impressed
with their "Red Ale" although I thought it could
be a tad more bitter. I also enjoyed their
barley wine at their restaurant in town. I think
it is called Andigator or something to that
effect. Some obscure law prohibits them from
bottling it so you have to get it on tap. Also
ate a "poor boy" there, I can see why the poor
eat them, I tasted it all day.
Overall impression was that of a
quaint, relaxed small town brewery. A lot of
fun.
Another beer I encountered in
New Orleans was Dixie beer. Looked like
a megaswill bottle but with good beer inside.
Also liked something called hand grenade
beer (available at the Funky Pirate bar).
Tasted a little like a bock I brewed once.
BTW I'm not associated in any way
with the Abita brewing.......Blah..........Blah.......
..Blah........not now nor have ever been a member
of the communist party.
Daniel W. Goodale
Biohazard Brewing Company
Sure its gonna kill ya, but who wants to live forever!
Return to table of contents
Date: 10 Apr 96 12:59:52 EDT
From: "Kenneth D. Joseph" <74651.305 at CompuServe.COM>
Subject: 3 Tier Brewery Design
I have just acquired (legally) three Sankey's for use in a new three tier
brewery. I would love to glean the wisdom of all in design of my new system --
especially in the areas of false bottoms and plumbing for the mash/lauter tun
and boiling kettle. If there is a FAQ in addition to Teddy Winstead's paper, or
threads from previous HBD's please send me references. Thank's to all who
respond.
kj
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 13:11:17 -0400
From: Btalk at aol.com
Subject: Re: water ananysis
The lab guys at my city's water dept were more than helpful in giving me
whatever info they had on the water's content.
All I had to do was look through the books myself!
Since Binghamton, NY gets its water from a river, the amount of certain
minerals vary a little depending on how much water is in the river.
The only short coming is that the water dept doesn't test for all of the
minerals/ions that we brewers are interested in.
It is better than nothing and the price is right!
Later,
Bob Talkiewicz, Binghamton, NY <btalk at aol.com>
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 12:00:33 CDT
From: Paul Sovcik <U18183 at UICVM.CC.UIC.EDU>
Subject: Calcium Gluconate - any ideas?
In keeping with the spirit of the water treatment thread....
I have access to all kinds of neat, pharmaceutical grade chemicals that
I can have for the taking since they are parenteral products that lose
sterility after 24 hours of opening. Occasionally, I can get some calcium
chloride, but its much more common for me to get Calcium Gluconate.
Any idea what happens to the Gluconate part of the molecule when added
to a mash or boil? Seems to me that this is a great way to add calcium
to the mash, but even after 4 years of college chemistry, I cant tell what
effect gluconate will have on the beer.
Anyone care to take a guess? AJ?
The solution is a 10% Calcium Gluconate solution, delivering about .5 mEq
of calcium per ml.
-Paul
Paul Sovcik
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 13:51:20 EDT
From: usbscrhc at ibmmail.com
Subject: Fiber in Beer??
Barley and grains are a good source of fiber.
Does anyone know if beer is a source of fiber, too? Or does it get lost somehow
in the process....How about homebrew vs. commercial beers?
Any healthy people out there know?? Just wondering...Thanks.
HMS - Baltimore
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 13:46:26 EST
From: "FINLEY, BARRY CURTIS" <BFINLEY at MUSIC.CC.UGA.EDU>
Subject: which yeast/ferment temp.
I am planning on brewing a continental pilzner, so I bought a kit
(I think the name of the kit was something like Mutons gold?).
Anyway, the kit came with a packet of dried yeast. I want to know if
I would obtain a better product if I used liquid yeast? From what I
read on the newsgroup, most people do, in fact, prefer Wyeast
over the dried. So, for all of the people that have brewed cnt. pilz's
before, what strain of yeast did you use, and how did everthing turn out
I also bought 1 oz of Saaz pellets and 1 oz of Saaz plugs to use as
flavoring and aroma hops. I plan on using the pellets at 15 min. and the
plugs at 5 min., does this sound reasonable (I've never used finishing
hops before)? I am trying to obtain a result similar to that of
a typical American Pilzner, somewhat like that of Michelob. Any further
suggestions on how this can be done?
Also, I am curious about the best fermenting temp. for this type of
brew. What are the best temps, and what are the highest temps that
I could get away with?
Thanks in advance,
Barry Finley
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 15:22:43 EDT
From: MJT15 at infoctr.chrysler.com
Subject: seirra nevada bigfoot
Since the brewery has decided to limit the distribution of this fine product
to some limited western states I look to the collective for help. I was
priviliged enough to be able to buy this beer last year, However most of the
case remains in the cellar ageing. Comparison to future years production will
be impossible at the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild and privately if a '96' case is
not procured soon. I'm asking for a favor of a western reader in return for a
similar favor. private e-mail please
thanks loads
mike
***JEEP/TRUCK-RWD TRANSMISSION-CHRYSLER ***
* Michael Tomaszewski (313) 956-1660 *
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Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 16:51:55 -0300
From: Tim Martin <TimM at southwest.cc.nc.us>
Subject: how to adjust O.G.
Hey Neighbors,
Would someone out there please help? I would like to
reduce the O.G. from .60 to about .45. I would like to do this
at priming time. I have about 2.75 gal. of beer in the 'boy
now fermenting. I'm thinking of adding a half gal. of
sugar/water at bottling but this is only a guess. Can
someone send more accurate calculations?
With my all grain training wheels still on I am confused why I
ended up with such a high O.G. With my last batch I hit the
mark of .38 so this time I increase the grain bill with one
additional pound of grain. I did over boil a bit and missed my
3 gal. mark, guess I got carried away with my new propane
cooker. I ran my grain bill through the Brewmeister and it
projected an O.G. of .43. I did substituted a half pound of 60
degree crystal for Vienna on this batch over the last one.
One last thing, I also incorporated a homemade Phil's sparge
arm thing on this batch but I hardly think this increased my
extraction so much. What gives, how did I get this high
O.G.?
TIA
Tim Martin
Buzzard's Roost Homebrewery
"with that strong predatory taste"
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Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 16:13:47 -0600 (MDT)
From: Hugh Graham <hugh at lamar.ColoState.EDU>
Subject: Sodium Hydroxide Sanitation
In HBD #2007 Nir Navot asks:-
> Does anyone know what would be an appropriate concentration of NaOH (sodium
> hydroxide) one should be using for cleaning and sanitizing beer bottles?
The standard concentration in the biotech industry is 0.1 molar
or 4 grams per liter (half an ounce per gallon is close enough).
A less concentrate solution (say 0.01 molar) could be used for storage.
Just to cover my rear (JTCMA), I note that NaOH is a toxic, hazardous
chemical, which is of course why it's commonly known as caustic soda.
I suggest we all read the MSDS at http://www.fisher1.com/ ,
(in full, <http://www.fisher1.com/fb/itv?2..fsc95.1.msf0006.78.2x48...>)
and then rinse the bottles well (to neutral pH) before use.
Nb. Some plastics and other materials are not chemically resistant to NaOH.
IMHO, I think bleach or iodophor is a much friendlier choice for home use..
Hugh
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Date: Wed, 10 Apr 96 11:13:02 CDT
From: korz at pubs.ih.att.com (Algis R Korzonas)
Subject: Wyeast 1968/Oak in IPAs (again)
Walter writes about his experience with Wyeast London ESB #1968:
>In the last batch I brewed I agitated my primary (after 3 days)
>and secondary (after 4 & 7 days) fermenters by swirling and found the
>fermentation rate to increase. My thought was this stuff packs so fast and
>so tight that maybe I need to get the yeast back into suspention (the brewer
>at Barley's thought I was crazy.) So anyway I forgot to take a final
>gravity reading (Duh) but the beer was definatly more atenuated then the
>brew before that used the same recipe.. My findings were recently confermed
>when I got a copy of the Wyeast yeast profiles pamphlet which says that 1968
>is so flocculant that additional aeration and agitation is needed.
The brewer at Barley's should listen to you more -- you have it absolutely
right. At The Old Brewery Tadcaster (where they make Samuel Smith's) their
yeast is so flocculent they have to use pumps to keep it in suspension.
The Wyeast pamphlet is wrong about the aeration. Aeration is not required,
just rousing. If you swirl the carboy to get the yeast back into suspension
that should be sufficient. As long as you don't remove the airlock, the
headspace will be all CO2 and you won't be aerating.
Regarding your recipe which contiained an ounce of oak chips, I'd like
to point out (again) that the only IPAs to have any oak character are those
made by Ballentine's, here in the US. The original English IPAs would not
have had any oak character because:
1. they used european oak which takes more than a year to impart any oak
character,
2. many of the breweries used pitch-lined casks, and
3. if you were shipping beer to India and never expected to see the cask
again, would you use a new cask or one of your well-worn ones? Wineries
replace their oak casks frequently because they lose what little oaky
character they had with repeated use. At Rodenbach, they disassemble the
tuns and scrape a thin layer of wood off to expose fresh wood. There is
virtually no oak character in the regular Rodenbach (most of the blend
which is made of beer that spends only a year in the tuns) and a
significant amount in the Grand Cru which spends three years in the oak
tuns. Since the trip around the cape was less than 4 months, I don't
think that would be enough time to give the original IPAs to have picked
up any oak from the old, well-used casks.
Sorry... pet peave.
Al.
Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korz at pubs.att.com
Copyright 1996 Al Korzonas
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Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 18:38:26 -0500
From: Wallinger <wawa at datasync.com>
Subject: new horizons
>From: CHRISTOPHER=20
>Subject: new brewer/old topic?
>
>Greetings,
>
>I've been brewing for only 4 short months now using a pre made starter =
kit
>my father-in-law (and new friend) bought me for Christmas. I've made a
>few good batches using malt extracts and specialty grains, but have not
>gotten into all grain brewing (I'm waiting for him to start all grain =
and
>(maybe) buy me the equipment for that too!)
IMO, we are all on the learning curve. great to have you aboard, and we =
welcome the questions.
>I needed bottles so I (ugh!) dumped it, not saving a one.
my general advice, which i no doubt picked up on the hbd, is to let any =
batch age for awhile before giving up. even if you have to buy more =
bottles - they'll come in handy some day :-)
>Now I have a similar problem, although this time it is a lager. =20
>I made this batch two weeks ago and, when I went to bottle it, I =
noticed
>the same skunky odor (and taste) the porter had.=20
a skunky odor implies that you have a lightstruck beer. hops form some =
nasty smelly compounds when exposed to light. on the other hand, lager =
yeasts will generate h2s, which smells like rotten eggs. if the smell is =
not skunky, but rather eggy, then wait it out. this 'aroma' will go away =
with age.
>Since my homebrew store was all out of liquid yeast (less than 8 months
>old) I used the dry yeast that came with the Blue Mtn Lager (I can feel
>you all cringe) and began what I hoped would be fermentation at 52 deg. =
dry yeast is ok, but liquid yeast is better. i've never tried a true =
lager with dry lager yeast. my understanding is that most dry lager =
yeasts will not ferment at true lager temperatures. (your 52 degrees is =
what i consider a true lager temp.)
>When no activity occured after 5 days
oh oh. plenty of time for the beasties to take over. at 52 degrees, =
though, the beasties will be slowed down just like the yeasties.
>I asked my (sold out of good liquid yeast) homebrew supplier what he
>recommended. He told me to use the old Wyeast he had, but I didn't =
trust it.
although i have no data to support this, i think i would trust old =
wyeast more than old dry yeast, which is what the yeast was that was =
under the lid of your can in the kit.
>Now, however, I have this odor and taste and, hence, my questions:
>What could have caused this?=20
yeast, light, or perhaps autolysis after fermentation. however, it =
sounds like there were enough problems before fermentation that =
autolysis would not be the culprit
>Could it just be the yeast?
perhaps
Will it go away with time (and get better)?
give it a try. if it doesn't, that's another data point
>Was it the temperature changes (from 52 to 74 to 54)?
naaaaah.
>How about all the hops?
ditto
>Have I harmed the beer by racking it to the other fermenter?
>What about oxidation?
racking wouldn't give a skunky taste after fermentation. if you racked =
after 5 days of no fermentation to add the yeast then you may have =
aggravated the beastie/yeastie ratio
>Should I just open another homebrew and relax?
this always works for me :-)
>Any tips on making this work/smell better/etc. are GREATLY appreciated. =
I
>would also appreciate any advice/strategies
keep reading the hbd :-)
wade
brewing contraband in pascagoula, miss'ippi
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Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 20:18:15 -0700
From: l.d. at ix.netcom.com (Larry Davids)
Subject: Fermentaption Contraption
lurking for a few months. All this new HBD information has helped me
greatly. I thank you. Now for my query. I've seen Fermentaps advertised
in most magazines, but don't know anyone that has used one. Does anyone
have any insight as to it's usefullness or it's pitfalls. I think this
was asked not too long ago, but I don't remember seeing a reply.
Thanks in advance. Larry Davids, Glen Head, NY
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Date: Thu, 11 Apr 96 06:28:46 UT
From: "Ray Cooper" <Ray_Cooper at msn.com>
Subject: Re:new brewer/old topic?
The only times I've had that Heineken skunk odor/flavor develop in my homebrew
was before I knew better, I allowed the sun to hit my primary fermentor for
only about 10 or 15 minutes while transferring to my secondary. Initially, I
blamed it on the East Kent Golding hops as it was the first time I used them,
but my subsequent batch, using Fuggles, resulted in the same offending
odor/flavor. Only then, after very little research, did I come to the
conclusion that my "new" racking procedure in the open sunlight was causing
this phenomenon. I haven't had a reoccurrance since I started paying attention
to the light conditions of my environment. It was suprising how such a short
exposure to direct sunlight caused this problem. I ended up throwing these two
batches out as I still have never seen any information as to how to get rid of
that flavor once it's affected your beer.
Good luck solving your light struck beer problem.
Ray Cooper
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