HOMEBREW Digest #2014 Thu 18 April 1996
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FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Convert ME! (Jim Herrick)
Re: Sleep Deprivation Humor (Fred Ogline)
tap handles (Wallinger)
H2S and DMS (Wallinger)
germany's Roggen beer clone (Mike Spinelli)
Skunks (RUSt1d?)
Liquid Foam (Bill Rust)
Re: Flavenoids? (Cory Wright)
Heather Use ("PHILIP J. TULLY")
RE: CO2 Tanks... (Dave Beedle)
bottles: some flat/some not ("Toler, Duffy L.")
PET Bottles and oxidation (maxwell)
Re: Carbonation Question (Spencer W Thomas)
RE: 'Dating Wyeast Packs' ("Clark D. Ritchie")
Hop Plant Propagation ("Downing, Greg")
bottle rocket (ROTH.TER)
prohibition / flavonoids ("Dave Hinkle")
starters for dry yeast/Copyrights (Algis R Korzonas)
Web page and hello! (Randy Jensen)
Sunlight on the hops vine (Jinjer)
Electronic Thermometry Part 2 (KennyEddy)
Isinglass, bleach sanitation, etc. (MSULAX1)
Electronic Thermometry Part Dieux (KennyEddy)
Light-skunked beer. Starter question (Steve Alexander)
Automated Sparging, revisited. (blacksab)
In HBD #2013 Jim Nasiatka-Wylde asked... (Michael Lausin)
co2 bottles (Robert Rogers)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 12:35:37 +0200
From: Jim Herrick <jherrick at merkur.the45er.nacamar.de>
Subject: Convert ME!
Greetings All!
This is my first post after lurking for over 1 1/2 years! I wish to
thank the collective for the vast amount of experience I feel like I have
'absorbed'. I've only brewed 8 extract-based batches, but have learned much
from you all! I know I have and will have saved much $$$ and heartache from
the posts of this digest. Again, Thanks!
Stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army, I began homebrewing shortly
after arriving here and have not had ANY face-to-face contact with a fellow
homebrewer. I am lucky :) to have many friends on which I am able to test
my product and am ALWAYS striving to pleasantly surprise them. I have
usually been sucessful!
I would enjoy making a face-to-face with a fellow homebrewer and would be
grateful to have someone convert ME to all-grain! I haven't been able to
thoroughly visualize the process and the steps involved. I need to know
what to order (all through mail-order) and where to go from there. I would
gladly treat to great German food and a trip to the WORLD'S LARGEST BEER
STORE in Darmstadt, Germany (I don't represent them, but they carry over
1200 beers from over 250 countries!) if someone could spend a day or so with
my wife and I (+ a newborn which SHOULD be here by the time this is
POSTED!!!) Please email if interested!
Thanks,
Jim
Meshell
(Ethan James - if it's a boy
Hanna Nicole - " " " girl!)
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 07:05:03 -0700
From: Fred Ogline <oglinef at netrunner.net>
Subject: Re: Sleep Deprivation Humor
In #2008, "Sleepless in Oregon" asked:
>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).
Been on the road and just catching up, so I'm late in responding.
When my daughter ws born last summer, I commemorated the event with a
hoppy
extract Pale Ale I named Diaper Pail Ale!
7.5 lb Coopers Light Malt Extract Syrup
0.75 lb. Crystal 40 L
2 oz. Nugget hops (11% AA)
1 oz Cascade hops (6.1% AA)
1 tsp gypsum
Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Steep Crystal malt at 155 degrees F for 45 min.
Add gypsum, extract, bring to boil for 60 min.
1.5 oz Nugget at 15 min
0.5 oz Nugget at 30 min
0.5 oz Nugget, 0.5 oz Cascade at 45 min
Dry hop for 2 weeks with 0.5 oz Cascades
Turned out very nice and fruity, close to what I remembered from a cask
conditioned Full Sail Amber at the Pilsener Room in Portland.
Maybe drop to 1 oz Nuggets at 45 to lower IBU a bit.
Congratulations!
(By the way, my daughter was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks, not
to rub it in :)
- --
Fred Ogline
South Florida
oglinef at netrunner.net
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 07:03:58 -0500
From: Wallinger <wawa at datasync.com>
Subject: tap handles
Clark asks about cool tap handles. I just received a catalog from the =
Golden Lion Authentic Pub Paraphernalia, and they have a few, along with =
other stuff. They have a toll free number: 800-694-4255. This is not an =
endorsement.
Wade
Pascagoula, Mississippi
http://www.datasync.com/~wawa
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 07:07:27 -0500
From: Wallinger <wawa at datasync.com>
Subject: H2S and DMS
A thought occurred to me as I was reading the debate about H2S and DMS. =
I would assume that some of the H2S production by yeast is from the =
reduction of DMS. That would suggest that high H2S producers would have =
less of a DMS note than low H2S producers, given the same wort. Perhaps =
those looking to enhance the DMS note in their beers would best look for =
a low H2S producing yeast. The logic is infallible, even if the facts =
are wrong. Have at it folks.
Wade
Pascagoula, Mississippi
http://www.datasync.com/~wawa
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 96 08:23:20 est
From: paa3983 at dpsc.dla.mil (Mike Spinelli)
Subject: germany's Roggen beer clone
HBDers,
I'm planning this weekend to brew a beer similar to Roggen from Germany. I
beleive
it's a wheat beer with a certain portion of rye in it. Anyway, I'm thinking of
12# wheat malt,
3# rye flakes. 5# of pale malt and 2# of rice hulls to help with sparge.
10 gallon batch applies. Yeast will be Wyeast 3068.
I'm planning a single decoction mash. So how 'bout it?
1) Can rye flakes be safely decocted along with the other grains?
2) Does anyone know what Roggen's grain mix is?
3) Am I creating the "sparge from hell"?
On another topic:
I saw in the April/May edition of the Ale Street News (pg.15) that a Jim Simpson
of
Queens NY won the Sam Adams homebrew contest. They will be releasing the Sam
Adams Pale Ale this summer adapted from his recipe.
Mike in Cherry Hill NJ
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 07:52:14 -0400
From: RUSt1d? <rust1d at swamp.li.com>
Subject: Skunks
>With all the talk of light-skunked beer, does this mean I can't
>take a pitcher of lager out to my pool in daylight?
Well, yeah. I left a glass of ale in the sun while brewing and forgot
about it for about a 1/2 hour or so. When I finally got around to
quaffing it, it was skunked.
John Varady
Boneyard Brewing
"Beer!" - WNOC
**************************
** rust1d at li.com **
** John Nicholas Varady ** <-- Now Engaged.
** Eve Courtney Hoyt **
**************************
http://www.netaxs.com/people/vectorsys/index.html
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 09:30:59 -0400
From: Bill Rust <wrust at stlmpe-4.army.mil>
Subject: Liquid Foam
Morning Brewers!
Jim Nasiatka-Wylde writes in HBD #2013:
>Subject: Carbonation Question
<snip>
>I've kept the keg in my garage (natures fridge) and it's at about 40F.
>CO2 pressure was at 40psi, and the keg was agitated for about 15 minutes.
40psi!!! Whoa Nelly! At 40F you probably want more like 16psi, and that's
for a fairly high 2.5-2.6 volumes (approx.). Heck, I don't think my chart
even goes all the way to 40! As for fixing your problem, I think there was
a past digest that described a procedure for correcting this problem.
Anyone remember how this is done??
- ---------------------------------------------------------
Bill Rust | How ABOUT them Bulls! 70 wins, 3 games to go!
- ---------------------------------------------------------
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 08:45:04 -0500
From: Cory Wright <cwright at sun1.anza.com>
Subject: Re: Flavenoids?
Russell Mast <rmast at fnbc.com> wrote:
>There is an article in today's Chicago Tribune (4/16/96 section 1, p =
12)
>that describes research of John Folts at University Wisconson at =
Madison,
>and implies that "dark beer may prevent heart disease". Which is cool =
with
>me, but the level of technical detail of the article is pretty shabby. =
>For instance, it says "That's because particles called wort are removed =
>earlier in the processing of light-colored beer".
Aha!! Finally, substantiated proof that megaswill _isn't really beer_!! =
I don't think the article was wrong--they _are_ actually taking the wort =
out of the brew, leaving some water and numerous chemical additives. =
Bastards. And to think that they have the gall to try to sell it to the =
American public as beer.=20
FWIW, I propose that dark beer doesn't necessarily prevent heart =
disease, light, but rather that megaswilled "light-colored beer" causes =
it.
Cheers,
Cory (cwright at midcom.anza.com)
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 15:57:20 +0200
From: "PHILIP J. TULLY" <veriinc.veripjt at memo.volvo.se>
Subject: Heather Use
- --- Received from VERIINC.VERIPJT 201-391-2888 96-04-17 09:57
-> IN=homebrew(a)hpfcmgw.fc.hp.com
Hello all,
I am in the midst of making a Scotch Ale and was given a couple
ounces of Heather. I was just wondering if anyone has any
experience using heather. My thought s on the subject are to do
one of the following two things.
1. Bring a small amount of WORT to a boil add the heather, turn
off heat pour into secondary than rack Ale from primary into
secondary and allow it to condition this way.
2. Just dump heather into secondary than rack directly on top of
this.
Given the mild aroma of the heather I was concerned #2 would not
infuse much flavour.
Private Email is great I will condense the responses and post the
answers.
Thanks
Phil Tully
Tully's Brew N Barrel
A Full Service Homebrew Supply Shop
476B Bloomfield Avenue
Verona, New Jersey 07044
(201) 857-5199
Brewer at novasys.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 09:19:32 -0500 (CDT)
From: Dave Beedle <dbeedle at bacchus.net.ilstu.edu>
Subject: RE: CO2 Tanks...
> I'd also reccomend making one side hinged with a latch so you don't have to
> pick up the cylinder, increasing the risk of dropping it and knocking the
> valve off.. Also, whenever your cylinder is not in use, make sure the cap
> is on it. If you transport the cylinder in a vehicle, DOT requires this as
> well as making sure it's properly secured.
The DOT also requires the tank be within current hydro approval. Some
places will no fill the tank if it is not, others may not notice. I know I
have a tank that is at least 10 years out of hydro inspection yet the local
gas place filled it last time. I have since been certified as a tank
inspector (scuba cylinders) and have dubbed myself as a bad example!
Hopefully my tank isn't a recalled one and won't descide to explode any
time soon! It's also a good idea to have the tank visually inspected. I
don't know the requirements for CO2 tanks but SCUBA tanks should be
visually inspected once a year (usually) and hydrostatically tested once
every 5 years. I assume CO2 has some sort of guidelines as well.
> Whatever way you decide to go, make sure you do secure the cylinder, 'cause
> not only will it be a rocket, it'll be an uncontrolled rocket that will go
> through your house *many* times (including brick walls)
And the people who may happen to be in the way. You will also gain a
new respect for the things if you view some of the aftermath of tank
explosions. Granted, scuba tanks are at about 3000 psi but the 700 psi of
a CO2 cylinder is still enough to attract your attention.
TTFN
- --
Dave Beedle - Unix Support Manager - dbeedle at ilstu.edu - Network Services
"Ignorance | http://www.ilstu.edu/~dbeedle/ | Illinois State University
being bliss is just great until you get run over by a bus 136A Julian Hall
because you never bothered to learn how to cross the road" Normal, IL 61761
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 96 09:26:00 PDT
From: "Toler, Duffy L." <TOLERD at cdnet.cod.edu>
Subject: bottles: some flat/some not
Brian Kuhl asks in #2014:
>Unfortunately and unlike my first good batch, I am having flat beer
>problems in SOME bottles and not in others of the same batch. I am
>puzzled but would like to question the group for ideas.
You might not have gotten the priming sugar mixed well with the beer before
bottling. I usually stir *very gently* with a sanitized SS spoon before I
begin to bottle.
Also, if they were filled to different levels, the amount of headspace could
effect the carbonation in individual bottles.
Just my $.02 worth!
Duffy Toler
Sugar Grove, IL
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 96 09:43:10 cdt
From: maxwell at prisminfo.com
Subject: PET Bottles and oxidation
I know that some people on the list use or want to use PET bottles for beer
storage. The consensus is that long term storage (over a month or so) will
cause massive oxidation of your precious brew.
WELL, I just read somewhere that the PET bottle makers have come up with a
new type of bottle for tomato juice (V-8?) that keeps the contents safe
from oxygen. Apparently, tomato juice also has a problem with oxidation...
Just thought you'd like to know...
Maxwell McDaniel
Maxwell at prisminfo.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 11:01:09 -0400
From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer at engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: Carbonation Question
Jim asks about how to keep his beer from foaming when bottling from
the keg.
What he needs is a counter-pressure bottle filler. Here's how he can
make one for (almost) free.
What you need:
* CO2 tank with two hoses (you can get by with one, but it's harder.)
* Two kegs, one with beer, one empty.
* A "cobra tap". I have one with a "hose" about 3 inches long that's
ideal for this purpose.
* A 1 1/2-inch piece of plastic tubing
* A 12-inch piece of hard plastic tubing, cut from a racking cane.
* A small (number 3?) one-hole stopper that will fit into the mouth
of a beer bottle.
* Patience & practice
What you do:
At any time before you want to bottle:
1. Slide the racking cane through the stopper, so that the long part
reaches to the bottom of your bottles when the stopper is inserted
firmly into the mouth of the bottle. Sanitize it.
2. Attach the cane to the tap with the short plastic tubing. It's
hard getting the tubing over the tap -- warming it will help.
Before bottling:
1. Chill your beer and bottles as cold as possible. 32F is good.
(Sanitize the bottles and cover them with little squares of
aluminum foil first.)
2. Flush the empty keg with CO2. I routinely fill my kegs with
iodophor, then push it out with CO2 before storing. Thus, my empty
kegs are full of CO2.
3. Attach the tank hoses to the "In" connectors on the kegs, and set
the pressure to about 10lbs. Make sure that the pressure in the
beer keg is not higher than this.
To fill a bottle (repeat as many times as necessary):
1. Place the tap-cane assembly onto the empty keg. Do NOT open the
tap yet! :-)
2. Push a bottle onto the filler, seating the stopper firmly. Now
repeat several times: open and close the tap, pressurizing the
bottle. Release the pressure by moving the bottle down slightly.
You can also allow a continuous flow of CO2 into (and out of) the
bottle, if you prefer. Finish by pushing the bottle firmly onto
the stopper and pressurizing it. Close the tap. Do NOT let go of
the bottle and stopper -- you want to keep it pressurized.
3. Remove the tap-filler-bottle assembly from the empty keg and attach
it to the full keg. Open the tap. No beer should flow because the
pressures are equal.
4. Carefully push "up" on the side of the stopper until beer starts
flowing slowly into the bottle. This takes strong fingers and good
control to do right. After a few gushers you'll get the hang of
it! Let the beer flow until the bottle is almost full. Close the
tap. Now, gently release the stopper to relieve the pressure in
the bottle. You may get a small amount of foaming, but shouldn't
get much.
5. Move the whole assembly back to the empty keg. Lower the bottle
until the cane (full of beer, still) is just at the beer level in
the bottle. Now, *carefully* open the tap *very slightly* so that
the remaining beer flows into the bottle, and a little CO2 follows
to help drive oxygen from the headspace.
6. Quickly cap the bottle.
It sounds like a painful process, but it's not too bad once you get
the hang of it. I bottled almost a full case (3 different beers) this
way the other night, and got NO BEER ON THE CEILING! And only a
little bit on my hands!
You've probably got most of the parts already, so it might cost you a
grand total of $0!
=Spencer Thomas in Ann Arbor, MI (spencer at umich.edu)
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 08:09:02 -0700
From: "Clark D. Ritchie" <ritchie at ups.edu>
Subject: RE: 'Dating Wyeast Packs'
Herb offered some good advice on dating Wyeast packs:
> a swelling smack-pack is a quick thrill. We've all been there.
> Don't overlook M&F ale yeast or Red Star or Edme. They're all
> attractive and should offer stimulating companionship for a fine
> brewer such as yourself.
However, I would like to add to his comments and issue a warning about the
ever present threat of yeast infections. One naughty little strain and it's
all over (or so I've been told 8-).
...CDR
Clark D. Ritchie, ritchie at ups.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 96 10:19:04 EST
From: "Downing, Greg" <GDowning at organo.com>
Subject: Hop Plant Propagation
I planted a hop root last year, and need to trim off the excess shoots for the
growing season. Is there a way to propagate these shoots? Would the addition
of gibberellic acid or some other plant hormone help it out?
Return to table of contents
Date: 17 Apr 96 07:48 PDT
From: ROTH.TER at SEATTLE.VA.GOV
Subject: bottle rocket
Subject: BOTTLE ROCKET
Date: 17 Apr 96 07:18 PDT
Message-Id: <6815308 at SEATTLE.VA.GOV>
To: homebrew at hpfcmgw.fc.hp.com
This talk about securing CO2 tanks reminds me of an incident which happened
when I was an orderly at a hospital in Bay City, Mich. back in the 60's. We
hooked up oxygen tents, and schlepped the tanks around on little hand trucks
to which they were strapped, and I'm talking BIG tanks----about 5 feet tall,
maybe 75 lbs full. One afternoon a tank tipped over on Dave, just as he
passed a concrete stairwell. The tank bounced down the stairs, hit the
bottom, and snnapped off the valve----that tank took off, blew through a
concrete block wall like tissue paper, hit a Ford Ranchero on the outside
and shot up and over the 8 story hospital, making a ghastly whirring roar
as it went. It landed on a street corner about 2 blocks away.
We were most impressed, especially Dave-- a lot of times he would loop
his hand thru the web strap securing the tank to the hand truck "for better
control". What a ride that would have been!
If the guy in the Ranchero is a homebrewer, maybe he's reading this and
taking a trip thru "bad memory lane".
Return to table of contents
Date: 17 Apr 1996 10:48:42 -0700
From: "Dave Hinkle" <Dave.Hinkle at aexp.com>
Subject: prohibition / flavonoids
Russell Mast asks:
>> Any members of other faiths know of exceptions made on their behalf? Makes
>> sense, considering that certain Native American Tribes here in the SW can
>> still grow and use peyote for religious purposes. Separation of church and
>> state and all that...
>
>Can they still? I read some recent cases, in Utah I believe, where some folks
>were prosecuted for possession. I'm not positive which nation, I think Ute.
>
>Either way, the religious exception for Catholics during Prohibition was on
>First Amendment grounds, I think.
I don't know which nations, but I remember the case you are thinking of.
I think what it boiled down to (pun intended) was that only the clergy
(medicine
men? -I don't know the PC term) could grow & prepare the peyote. Anybody
else could be prosecuted. The intent is to permit legitimate, traditional
use but prohibit the bogus legal-sidestepping by other wannabes. I think the
people in Utah were busted because they were distributing the stuff to anyone
willing to pay for it.
He also asks about "flavenoids":
>Okay, perfesser, what are flavenoids, and how do they get in beer? Somehow,
>"particles called wort" doesn't do it for me. Are these melanoidens, tannins,
>or something totally different? Is it really a dark/light distinction, or is
>there more/less to it? Inquiring minds want to know. Anyone know some facts
>about this?
I recall reading about flavin in George Fix's "Brewing Science", but I don't
remember any connection to the color of the malt. I thought it was a phenolic
compund. Going back to a biochem textbook, flavonoids appears to be a class
of water-soluble nitrogenous pigments derived from isoalloxazine. Riboflavin
(vitamin B2) is an example. Flavin is apparently found in a variety of yellow
plant pigments. It's also found in malted barley.
I have a feeling that the news media distorted the story to say it was only
in "dark beer". What they probably should have said was "all-malt beers",
but since the media and the general public are clueless, the story read "dark
beers" in contrast to "regular beer" meaning good old American high-adjunct
beer. It wouldn't have pleased the budmilloors for the media to say flavenoids
were found in just about all beer but theirs. Since budmilloors are big
sponsors
of the media, I think the story line got slanted to make people think it has to
do
with the color of the beer rather than the malt content. The big 3 are quite
carefull to avoid admitting their beers are high in adjuncts or have the public
even know what an "adjunct" is.
Gee, didn't most of us beer enthusiasts know that "real beer" has lots of
B vitamins in it? And no, it has nothing to do with "The last real beer"!
Disclaimer - when it comes to biochem, I don't really know what I'm talking
about, but I can fake it from time to time. Hopefully a real expert will go
into
more depth on this flavonoid topic.
Dave H
Phoenix, AZ
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 96 16:48:02 CDT
From: korz at pubs.ih.att.com (Algis R Korzonas)
Subject: starters for dry yeast/Copyrights
Nigel writes:
>CHRISTOPHER DIIORIO asked about making simple starters. I use dry yeast
>and have had one batch of beer which did not commence fermenting. I
>repplied more dry yeast and off it went. Since then I have made a simple
>yeast starter. This is the process:
<snip>
In his process, Nigel adds dry yeast to a bottle and adds wort to it.
If you don't rehydrate your dry yeast, you can have longer lag times than
with dry yeast than with Wyeast *without* a starter. I once had a 3 day
lag with a package of dry yeast that I did not rehydrate. I regularly
get a layer of foam on top within 12 hours with one package of dry yeast,
rehydrated for 15-30 minutes in 90-110F water (32-43C).
If you insist on using a starter for dry yeast (although I, personally, don't
feel it is necessary if you rehydrate), I suggest you rehydrate in 90-110F
water, let that cool to 80F while the yeast rehydrates and then pitch that
into your starter at 80F (27C).
Another reason for having long lag times is temperature-shocking the
yeast when it is rehydrating -- i.e. rehydrating in too-cool a liquid,
be it water or wort. I don't recall the exact temperature from the
Lallemand Newsletter, but it was not much cooler than 90F.
While we are on the subject of dry yeast, it wouldn't hurt to mention
that it should ideally be refrigerated till use. I've had relatively
good luck with dry yeast stored at room temperature, but not nearly
as good fermentations as those with refrigerated yeast.
Al.
Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korz at pubs.att.com
Copyright 1996 Al Korzonas
P.S. Since this is a short post (well, short for me) and the HBD is
not really clogged, I'd like to take this opportunity to address the
issue of Copyrights and my notice above. Actually, everything we submit
to the HBD or any other place, such as r.c.b. is automatically copyrighted.
The reason for my adding this to the end of my posts has to do specifically
with a particular person who, at this very moment, is distributing the HBD
via CD-ROM. He claims that he is not making any money at this and this may
be true, but if I do find out that he is, I'm going to get my cut.
I don't mind sharing my knowledge with those of similar interest because I
love beer and brewing and enjoy helping people with it. But if the time and
effort I take in answering questions is going to be exploited by someone else
for their personal profit, then I'm going to take offense.
I've recently read that although we don't have to put "Copyright <year>
<name>" to be covered in the US, it helps to have it associated with your
work if you plan to ever try to get compensated for infringement. It's not
that I plan to, but it can't hurt to be on the safe side, can it? Shortly
after reading that, I started to add the notice at the end of most of my
posts. If you would like to read more about this, see:
http://www.benedict.com/fund.htm
http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~psim/copyrt1.html
http://www.patents.com/copyrigh.sht
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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 96 12:45:18 PDT
From: rjensen at ainet.com (Randy Jensen)
Subject: Web page and hello!
Fellow brewers,
I've been an avid reader of the HBD since about #1980. I've only done two
batches and would like to be e-mail pals with other new brewers.
That's not the point of this posting however. I just set up an unofficial
web page for my local microbrewery, St. Stan's in Modesto, CA. It's _very_
weak on content right now, and I hope to get some support from St. Stan's
themselves to fill it up. If you want to check it out, the address is:
http://www.ten-four.com/ststans
Again, it's weak right now, but keep checking back!
Happy brewing!
- ----------------------------------------
- rjensen at ainet.com - Randy Jensen -
- find me at: -
- N37*31'43" W120*53'04" -
- ----------------------------------------
"Deep in the chaotic regime, slight changes in structure
almost always cause vast changes in behavior. Complex
controllable behavior seems precluded.
-STUART KAUFFMAN
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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 14:31:21 -0500
From: cuncaphe at isd.net (Jinjer)
Subject: Sunlight on the hops vine
I have a couple of thoughts on the question:
1. The hops i've found wild in this area (Minnesota) grow in semi-shade.
So maybe the sun isn't much of a problem under those growing
conditions.
2. As I understand it, the active principle in hops is the
bright-colored powder at the base of the brachts. If this is so, it
seems unlikely that it could be affected by sunlight until it is
forced from its protective home.
Be gentle. This is my first post.
P.S. Has anyone tried brewing with dandelion or alehoof (creeping charlie)?
My yard's being invaded and I want to put the corpses of the invaders to
good use.
cuncaphe at isd.net
We must look a long time before we can see. (H.D.Thoreau)
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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 17:58:10 -0400
From: KennyEddy at aol.com
Subject: Electronic Thermometry Part 2
I've completed the direct-reading (DVM) electronic thermometer and posted the
information for direct ftp access at
ftp://users.aol.com/thermometer/thermo.zip
This file consists of a Windows Write file and several accompanying GIF
files. A refrigerator temperature controller and a RIMS controller are in
the works for the future.
Hope you find it useful.
P.S> The diodes won't become skunky until AFTER you install them!
Ken Schwartz
KennyEddy at aol.com
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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 17:59:26 -0400
From: MSULAX1 at aol.com
Subject: Isinglass, bleach sanitation, etc.
Greetings from Western New York!
I just joined this list a couple days ago, but have some questions which need
to be answered. I am attempting to use isinglass for the first time on a 5
gal. batch of porter, but am unsure as to how to correctly proceed. The guy
at the local homebrew supply store (Hobby House - Clarence, NY) suggested
adding it immediately after pitching the yeast at the inception of
fermentation. Another fellow homebrewer suggested adding it 2-3days before
bottling. Which, if either, is correct? Is a specific isinglass temp.
necessary? Is stirring recommended? I really need detailed instructions to
avoid disaster... Please?
Secondly, what are possible side effects of incomplete rinsing of bottles &
equipment following a bleach soak? I've been triple rinsing all my equipment
and especially bottles, but am not really sure if this is enough. Please
advise.
Finally, I'd like to plug a homebrew supplier that has never failed me for
the lowest prices, widest selection, and most knowledgeable staff I've ever
encountered. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who has trouble finding
exactly what they're looking for. The address & number are as follows:
At Home Warehouse Distributors (AHWD)
PO Box 185
Clarence, NY 14031-0185
(716) 685-2306
(800) 210-8585
FAX (716) 681-0284
I'm not affiliated with this organization, but feel they could really help
some people on this list. Thanks for listening. (reading?)
-Todd
msulax1 at aol.com
morristo at pilot.msu.edu
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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 18:00:51 -0400
From: KennyEddy at aol.com
Subject: Electronic Thermometry Part Dieux
I've completed the direct-reading (DVM) electronic thermometer and posted the
information for direct ftp access at
ftp://users.aol.com/kennyeddy/thermometer/thermo.zip
This file consists of a Windows Write file and several accompanying GIF
files. A refrigerator temperature controller and a RIMS controller are in
the works for the future.
Hope you find it useful.
P.S> The diodes won't become skunky until AFTER you install them!
Ken Schwartz
KennyEddy at aol.com
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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 16:17:36 -0400
From: Steve Alexander <stevea at clv.mcd.mot.com>
Subject: Light-skunked beer. Starter question
PAUL RYBAK writes ...
>With all the talk of light-skunked beer, does this mean I can't
>take a pitcher of lager out to my pool in daylight?
Definitely true if the pitcher is transparent and the lager is hopped
any higher than the megaswill brands. Last summer I wandered into
my garden with a glass of ale knowing full well that I was tempting
the fates. In a couple of minutes the skunkiness was detectable, in
10 minutes or less it was objectionable.
Those German earthenware beer steins with the hinged lids suddenly
don't seem so quaint and frivolous - do they ?
Steve Alexander
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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 20:33:24 -0500
From: blacksab at siu.edu
Subject: Automated Sparging, revisited.
>Date: Sat, 13 Apr 96 15:56 PDT
>From: robtrish at mindlink.bc.ca (Rob Lauriston)
>Subject: U-tubes and auto-sparge
>
>Harlan <blacksab at siu.edu> mentioned U-tubes a few issues ago.
>
>*** The problem I had in scaling down this arrangement came from using 1/2"
>ID pipe and tubing. Say the wort was running at a rate that would make the
>tube half full. What happens is that the capilliary action (?) of the
>liquid does not allow it to remain only half full. Instead, the wort
>gathers together to fill the tubing for a certain length, then there's a big
>bubble and no wort for the next bit, and then another section of tube
>completely filled with wort. The sections that are completely full push the
>bubbles ahead of them, meaning that I got a lot of bubbling in my collection
>pot. If the outlet from the tube wasn't in the wort, then I'd get
>splashing. I'm trying to avoid HSA as is the fashion <g>, so I don't like
>this bubbling.
>
Exactly! I tried building an outlet tube that was set at the level of the
grainbed, with a TEE pointing up that functioned as a siphon break. It
worked, but not very well, and because of the capillary action, the siphon
break aerated the wort the way a venturi would. The concept won't scale down
to the 3/8-in copper tubing that I use throughout my system.
Even without the bubbling, there is another problem: even using just water,
because of friction in the tubing (resistence), the water level in the mash
tun DOES rise above the highest point in the outfeed, so there is more
sparge water IN than there is sweet wort OUT.
>This arrangement _does_ reduce the sucking on the bed. (Hey, I'm talking
>lauter tun here!). The only problem is what to do with the wort after the
>siphon-breaker. Is there a way to break the siphon without having the line
>open to the air? For now, I've plugged the opening to my siphon-breaker and
>regulate the flow with ball-valves.
>
Yes and no--Here's how I think the U-tube is supposed to work in theory, but
not at a small scale (speculation to follow):
The inverted U IS the siphon break. The distance between the top of the U
and the bottom of the outfeed leg function as the set points, ie, the sparge
water fills the mash tun until it can induce a siphon over the top of the U.
The siphon increases the flow rate, thereby draining the grainbed. But as
soon as the level in the grainbed falls to the level of the bottom of the
outfeed leg, the siphon is broken, and the mash tun must again fill high
enough to induce a siphon over the top of the U. Therefore, if the distance
between the top of the U and the bottom of the outlet tube were say 6-in,
then in a large mash, the sparge water level would fluctuate 6-in.
Since the outfeed of sweet wort is not contained in tubing or a pipe, the
bubbling is eliminated as well as the capillary action that Rob pointed to.
The sweet wort simply drains into the boiling kettle in a steady stream.
>In short, I found that a valve is an easier way to control run-off.
That's how I've been doing it. I set the runoff from the mash tun, and then
manually regulate the amount of sparge water I spray over the top of the
grainbed. I try to maintain no more than 1/4-in above the grainbed. It works
fine this way, I was just looking for a way to slave the sparge water input
to the sweet wort out. Hence, automated, hands-off sparging.
>>QUESTION #1: Is this what I am seeing (or something like it) in the picture
>on p.67 of Eric Warner's GERMAN WHEAT BEER?
>
>This looks like a close-up of the same sort of thing that's on p.91 of
>Richman's Bock. Since the tube in the picture(s) goes up and down the same
>distance and is completely filled with liquid, it would have no effect on
>the hydrostatic head. Perhaps it is intended to reduce splashing?
>
If I understand the theory (see above), then it would--the bottom of the
U-tube would function as a siphon break, so the water level in the mash tun
could never fall below that level. If the bottom of the U-pipe was level
with the top of the grainbed, the water level would never drop below it, and
the mash would sort of float.
>I looked at the picture in J.S. Hough's THE BIOTECHNOLOGY OF MALTING AND
>BREWING p.58 too. Harlan wrote:
>
>>... what seems to be happening is this tube takes
>the liquid from the bottom of the mash-tun (the highest gravity), but not
>until the head has exceeded the top of the grain-bed. As such, the flow of
>sparge water dictates the outflow of wort from the mash tun since there is
>no longer any siphon.
>
>I have never done a mash where the results matched the description of the
>classical British 'floating' mash, so I'm guessing here. I think that the
>top of the U-tube would be at a point where you have some runoff before you
>have any sparge added. Hough does write on p. 61 that "... the rate of
>sparging more or less compensates for the rate of wort run-off from the
>tun." The 'U'-tube is described as a "device for _adjusting_ hydrostatic
>head..." so I take it that the U-tube is adjustable. (Okanagan Springs was,
>Upper Canada wasn't). I'm guessing that even a floating mash does contract,
>and so the top of the mash becomes lower and the U-tube is adjusted to match
>this.
>
Yes, I think you are exactly right. As I said above, I think the U-tube
functions as a high/low guage.
>I don't know if a U-tube can help automate your sparging. If there was only
>water and no grain, for every drop of sparge in, you'd get a drop out.
Nope, that's what I thought too, but we both forgot about resistence within
the dip tube and outlet tube. I tried it with just water and the water level
continued to rise above the theoretical set point. There needs to be a
certain amount of new sparge water on top to PUSH the water thru the tubing.
I think this might work on a large scale, where LOTS of water is being
sprayed on a large mash, but my Phil's sparge arm (which I love, BTW)
doesn't add enough water to push the overflow out, and so, it accumulates
until there is enough weight to overcome the resistence of the pipes.
>with the grain, you _can_ add lots of sparge without getting _anything_ out.
>You're relying on the bed remaining very fluffy and permeable.
>
I use an EasyMasher and my grainbed does remain VERY fluffy. BTW, I do my
mashing-in in a 5-gal bucket, adding hot water to it slowly (a spigot from
the boiling kettle) until I have thoroughly mixed in 1.33-qts of mash water
for each pound of grain. Then I pour this into my mash tun and heat to the
set temperature...
>It's a great idea, though, and I hope it works for you. Please keep up posted.
>
It was; it didn't; and I have...;-D
Thanks for the input Rob. I had really hoped it would work,
Harlan
======================================================================
Harlan Bauer ...malt does more than Milton can
<blacksab at siu.edu> To justify God's ways to man.
Carbondale, IL
--A.E. Houseman
======================================================================
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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 21:00:53 -0600 (MDT)
From: mel0083 at mcdata.com (Michael Lausin)
Subject: In HBD #2013 Jim Nasiatka-Wylde asked...
> OK... it's my turn for a question. I just completed my first attempt
> at using a CO2 tank for carbonation on a corny keg, and have run into
> a problem that I didn't imagine happening.
>
> After carbonating, during bottleing, the dissolved CO2 rapidly
> comes out of solution in the hose running from the corny keg to the
> bottle, causing it to come out as 98% foam (well ok, maybe only 95% :)
Try a counter pressure bottle filler bottle it has a couple of valves that
hook up to your co2 tank and to the corny keg. It basically pressurizes (and
purges the air at the same time) the bottle with co2 and then you run the
beer into it while you bleed off the co2. We had a demo at our homebrew club
(KROC) meeting a few months ago.
The November 95 issue of Brew Your Own magazine has an article on how to
build one.
HTH
Michael Lausin michael at mcdata.com Member of the Keg Ran Out Club
Westminster, Co http://www.mcdata.com/~mel0083/brewing.html
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Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 00:02:39 -0400
From: bob at carol.net (Robert Rogers)
Subject: co2 bottles
wow, y'all scared me with all the talk of co2 rockets... i have straped mine
to the corny keg for tonight, and i plan on making a box for it ASAP
bob -- brewing in the buckle of the bible belt
bob rogers, bob at carol.net
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