---

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


Contents:
  Ready-To-Pitch yeasts ("Rolland Everitt")
  Thanks to Rob the "Janitor" (Mike Spinelli)
  Decoction Mash (Wallinger)
  RE: Bucket Label Removal (Michael A. Genito)
  [Fwd: Wheat and Vienna Malt Mash Schedule Questions] (A T MCGOWAN)
  beer and nursing, summer brewing, decoctions are IT ("Tracy Aquilla")
  National Homebrew Day vs Algis Korzonas (Scott Abene)
  Labels (Douglas Thomas)
  Re: decoction is dead? (Jim Dipalma)
  National Home Brew Day (Jim Herter)
  JSP Web page (Jack Schmidling)
  Re: Sale of Homebrew Digest (Kelly Jones)
  Adhesive, autolysis ("Gregg A. Howard")
  in defense of Al K. (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
  RIMS problems (Ronald Moucka)
  Nat'l Homebrewing Day (krkoupa)
  dry ice ("Bryan L. Gros")
  National Homebrew Day / summer beginners (Cree-ee-py Boy)
  New Temperature Controller Web Page (Marty Tippin)
  National Homebrew Day/The Evil Empire/my hop calculations for Woody (Algis R Korzonas)
  Wyeast profiles (Dean Larson)
  bottle cleaning ("Toler, Duffy L.")


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----------------------------------------------------------------------


Date: Wed, 1 May 96 10:46:28 UT
From: "Rolland Everitt" <R_Everitt at msn.com>
Subject: Ready-To-Pitch yeasts

I have used RTP yeasts several times, without a starter, and been completely 
satisfied each time.  The lag times (at about 65F) have been 24 hours or less. 
 I'm sure that jumping them up with a starter would be beneficial, but it 
certainly doesn't seem to be necessary.

Rolland Everitt

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Date: Wed, 01 May 96 08:11:08 edt
From: paa3983 at dpsc.dla.mil (Mike Spinelli)
Subject: Thanks to Rob the "Janitor"

I don't have a clue on what goes in to running the HBD, but I'd just like to
thank Rob for making it work

Mike in Cherry Hill NJ.


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Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 07:08:27 -0500
From: Wallinger <wawa at datasync.com>
Subject: Decoction Mash

OK, the HBD has my mouth watering for a decoction mashed beer. Actually, =
I have been interested in this process since I started all grain brewing =
and am ready to take the plunge. I am familiar with the process, but =
would appreciate suggestions for a recipe that would be appropriate for =
a decoction virgin. By the way, is a decoction mash appropriate for any =
ale styles: alt? helles? I would prefer that to a lager since I'm =
getting low on inventory :-)

Wade Wallinger
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Where every beer is a barleywine by legislative decree,
and land of the year-round summertime brews!

http://www.datasync.com/~wawa/gcbb.html
including tips for the newer brewer

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Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 08:39:03 -0400
From: genitom at nyslgti.gen.ny.us (Michael A. Genito)
Subject: RE: Bucket Label Removal

   In HBD# 2024, Wayne writes:

   >I have two suitable five gallon food grade buckets. However, each has
        labels on the outside.
   <snip>
   >I was then going to use a fine grit sand paper and just sand the glue
   >off. But I got to thinking that might create a home for unwanted
   >bacteria. So, am I just worrying too much, should I leave the labels?

I was able to obtain food grade buckets from an ice cream supplier, and
found the labels easily came off with plain water - they were obviously
water based glue labels. But if you have problems getting glue or many other
sticky substances removed, try an old Christmas tree cutter's trick - simple
cooking oil (corn oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, etc)!

I used to cut Christmas trees at a farm, and whether or not you wore gloves,
the resin (sap) got on your hands and arms, and many people wore their skin
raw with steel wool scrubs, or perhaps worse, used such toxics as gasoline,
kerosene, or (back then) even benzene to remove the stuff. My uncle (the
treemaster) showed me that just a little cooking oil, rubbed lightly, not
only removed the resin, but left your skin probably in better shape than
before the treatment. Seems the oil breaks down the gummy stuff. I found it
works as well with dirty grease from a car engine, paint, and other such
hard to remove stuff.

Just remember to try not to get the oil inside the bucket. When done, clean
it as usual with a bleach/water solution. Good luck and happy brewing!
Michael A. Genito, City Comptroller
City of Rye, 1051 Boston Post Road, Rye, NY 10580 USA
TEL:(914)967-7302/FAX:(914)967-4604


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Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 10:08:33 -0700
From: A T MCGOWAN <AMCGOWAN at wpo.hcc.com>
Subject: [Fwd: Wheat and Vienna Malt Mash Schedule Questions]

X-Mozilla-Status: 0001
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Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 09:22:00 -0700
From: A L MCGOWAN <AMCGOWAN at wpo.hcc.com>
X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (Win16; I)
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To: homebrew at hpfcmgw.fc.com
Subject: Wheat and Vienna Malt Mash Schedule Questions
X-URL: http://www.alter-zone.com/cgi-bin/nph-sub-mf#anchor1
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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I plan to do an all grain mash with wheat (25% of grist) and British pale 
ale malt.  What is the correct mash schedule for this combination?  Dr. 
Fix's 40-60-70 schedule for highly modified malts and his recommendation 
to avoid the 45-55 degree area conflicts with doughing in and performing 
a protein rest for the wheat at 44 and 50 degrees.  I've thought of 
preparing the wheat separately, but doesn't it lack sufficient enzymes?  
Should I forget the pale malt and switch to pils to avoid the conflict?

Speaking of pils malt, my next question...

Dr. Fix states that over modification is one reason for lack of malt 
flavor but other literature states that Vienna imparts a bigger malt 
flavor than pils.  I'm thinking of switching to Vienna (time to buy a new 
bag). So...is Vienna "better" than pils, should I switch?  Regardless, 
how should Vienna be mashed, 40-50-70 or 50-60-70?  

Thanks for your help!!


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Date: Wed, 1 May 96 10:34:42 CDT
From: "Tracy Aquilla" <aquilla at salus.med.uvm.edu>
Subject: beer and nursing, summer brewing, decoctions are IT

In Digest #2025:
Scott Abene <skotrat at wwa.com> wrote:
>My wife is is currently becoming a Mid-wife and said that it is a well known
>fact among Mid-wives that giving all nursing mothers a stout a day helps
>produce better milk and a happier healthy baby.

Nothing personal, but I'm not so sure it's "well known fact"; some say it's
merely folklore. While the perception that an occasional beer might produce
fetal alcohol syndrome is based mostly on ignorance, and I'd honestly like
to believe that the consumption of beer in moderation is good for everyone,
including nursing moms and babes, I prefer to get my facts from documented
resources. I recently came across an interesting article addressing this
issue by Mennella and Beauchamp, called "Beer, breast feeding, and folklore"
published in Developmental Psychobiology 26(8):459-66, 1993. Briefly, they
compared the results of giving nursing mothers both alcoholic and
non-alcoholic beer on milk quality and infant feeding behavior.
Interestingly, they found that alcohol results in decreased milk intake by
the babies, apparently due to the fact that the sensory qualities of the
milk were altered by the alcohol, which presumably makes the milk less
palatable (no real surprise there-remember that first drink way back when?).
Just another data point for you concerned parents.

and "Pat Babcock" <pbabcock at oeonline.com> wrote:
>Al's comments are just so... soooo.... heinous! By
>Bacchus! They border on heresy! For shame! For shame! Deaf ears?
>INTELLIGENT ears, I'd say!  A POX on thee... Ooops... Sorry!
>So, call me a hypocrite...
>(Honest, Al! I _usually_ respect your opinions, information, and 
>positions - ok, I'm a little iffy on the Copyright thing - but this 
>one? I ask again: Are you SERIOUS?!?)

I presume this is in reference to the issue of brewing being a seasonal
activity? This seems a little harsh; give the poor guy a break! Al and I
frequently have differing opinions too (as in this case) but cursing him
like this is going a bit too far (OK, I know it was meant in a light-hearted
nature). I agree, we're approaching the 21st century, refrigeration is a
very well-developed technology, and most commercial breweries (that I know
of) brew year 'round. BUT, there does seem to be quite a number of folks who
still see homebrewing as a seasonal activity, particularly here in Vermont
(it's a very 'retro' state). By the time summer rolls around (late June),
most of the locals are just too busy getting out on the lake, hiking,
BBQing, gardening, etc., because warm weather is so precious and rare, and
in fact, at this point I'm actually pretty burned-out on brewing myself.
However, I still brew about once per month (usually lagers in the cooler),
no matter how hot it gets outside. SO I guess this is a long way of saying I
tend to agree with Pat (and others) that brewing doesn't need to be a
seasonal activity these days, but I'm also acknowledging Al's take on this
too, because around here, there are lots of folks who just don't brew during
the summer months.

and korz at pubs.ih.att.com (Algis R Korzonas) wrote:
>Chuck writes:
>>Have we come away from the necessity for a decoct to increase maltiness in
>>your beers?
>Decoction mashing adds a type of toasty flavour I have been unable to get with
>step mashes.

I'll just add my 2 mMol worth here. Decoction mashing produces many flavors
that can not be obtained by any other means. In fact, essentially all of
those roasty, toasty, malty, bready, beery flavors that we all know and love
so much come from melanoidins. Some are produced during malting, but
decoction mashing can add a lot more of these flavors, and there just isn't
any other way to get them. (Read Paul Hale's article in the '95 Great Grain
issue of Zymurgy.)
Tracy


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Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 09:37:21 -0500
From: Scott Abene <skotrat at wwa.com>
Subject: National Homebrew Day vs Algis Korzonas

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...

IN THIS CORNER THE MIGHTY ALGIS KORZONAS!

AND IN THIS CORNER PAT "THE MOTOR CITY MADMAN" BABCOCK!

(the part of the mediator is being played by "the humble" Scott Abene)

THE MIGHTY ALGIS KORZONAS WRITES:

> Oddly, on National Homebrew Day, I'm going to be discouraging
> people from brewing.  

> May is the ***END*** of the brewing season and ***NOT*** the time
> to be introducing non-brewers to the hobby!  

"the humble" Scott Abene writes: 

hmmm isn't anytime of the year a good time to introduce a newbie to the
brewing experience? especially when most people have air-conditioning?

THE MIGHTY ALGIS KORZONAS WRITES:

>I own a HB supply store and usually get one or two calls about starting to
homebrew
> *on* National HB Day, but usually it takes most people a week or five to
get off their >duffs and I end up fielding dozens of calls in June and July. 

"the humble" Scott Abene writes: 

Okay then... maybe put some signs up promoting the day before it comes and
goes. Make people aware that the day is approaching and make a big deal
about it.

THE MIGHTY ALGIS KORZONAS WRITES:

>I have to tell these people that summer is not the time to brew and do call
me in the >fall. A fraction of them call back.

"the humble" Scott Abene writes: 

Al are you trying to kill your business??? It sort of sounds like it.


PAT "THE MOTOR CITY MADMAN" BABCOCK! Writes:

>Are you SERIOUS?!? C'mon, Al! This is the 20th century! The brewing 
>season is when YOU want it to be! We are not hostages of nature as 
>were our ancestors - we all have the ability to control our 
>environments to varying degrees.

"the humble" Scott Abene writes: 

Pat calm down okay??? 

PAT "THE MOTOR CITY MADMAN" BABCOCK! Writes:

>I agree that those living in apartments without air-conditioning, or 
>in houses with out basements should, perhaps, be discouraged from 
>brewing in the summer - but only after explaining how one can control 
>temperature through such high-tech means as wrapping the fermenter in 
>a tee-shirt, and standing it in a pan of water. Perhaps upping the 
>technology ante by directing a fan at it...

"the humble" Scott Abene writes: 

I have used this method many times before and it worked great. Don't you
think however that the higher summer temps could easily ruin my brew?
(devil's advocate time)

PAT "THE MOTOR CITY MADMAN" BABCOCK! Writes:

>As a homebrew supplier, if your opinion of brewing seasonallity was
>upheld, how would you expect your business to support itself? Ever
>consider that the calls that you don't get back in the fall are
>because the requester called someone else, and is now happily
>brewing away - disgruntled at that first yahoo who said they should
>wait until fall?

"the humble" Scott Abene writes: 

If brewing were a seasonal thing wouldn't all the stores be closed during
the summer already?

PAT "THE MOTOR CITY MADMAN" BABCOCK! Writes:

>Al, Al, Al! I'm truly surprised at you. The AHA probably thinks 
>you're a putz!

"the humble" Scott Abene writes: 

Pat, Pat, Pat!!! Slander is not the answer here buddy...

PAT "THE MOTOR CITY MADMAN" BABCOCK! Writes:

>(Honest, Al! I _usually_ respect your opinions, information, and 
>positions - ok, I'm a little iffy on the Copyright thing - but this 
>one? I ask again: Are you SERIOUS?!?)

"the humble" Scott Abene writes: 

I personally have to say that the homebrew day is a good thing and also that
summer may not be the best time to have it because of the heat but summer is
also the time when most people get their vacations and would actually have
the time to brew their first batch.

Al, 

Let's not forget that having any new brewer join the ranks of brewing is a
good thing. We should all try to promote brewing all year and if the AHA
says that the day is whatever, then we should get off our asses and promote
the hobby that we love.

Pat, 

Yea, I believe Al is serious and he makes some good points about not brewing
in the summer. For those of us with no central-air and that have never
brewed, the summer might not be "prime" brewing time. Still, I believe that
anytime is good brewing time.

I personally have to say that this thread is pretty dumb... 

Okay everyone...

When should National Homebrew Day be???

Spring?  Summer? Fall? Winter?

Let me know.

All of you people who think that I took up too much band-width with this
response save your flames I DON'T CARE!!!

Lovingly, 

Scott


####################################################
#                ThE-HoMe-BrEw-RaT		   #
#           Scott Abene <skotrat at wwa.com>	   #	
#           http://miso.wwa.com/~skotrat           #
# (Skotrats Official Homebrew "Beer Slut" Webpage) #
#                        OR                        #
#    http://miso.wwa.com/~skotrat/Brew-Rat-Chat/   #
#  (Skotrats Brew-Rat-Chat Homebrew Chat System)   #
#         "Get off your dead ass and brew"         #
####################################################


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Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 07:59:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Douglas Thomas <thomasd at uchastings.edu>
Subject: Labels

Someone asked about labels and how to stick them.  If you don't mind 
going into the ribbons and such section of the fabric, use Aileenes Tacky 
Glue.  Why the ribbons and such section, I don't know, but it is the only 
place I can find it.  Seems to be used for crafts.  Well, it is designed 
to stick fabric (and almost any other porous material) to glass, metal, 
formica, lenoleum (sp?) and such.  Great stuff, pretty damn cheap, holds 
labels great due to its not going brittle ever(!) and is fully water 
soluble (makes removing labels easy).  One great thing about this 
solubility, is it takes about 10 minutes of soaking for it to break down, 
so a splash of water or a few drips won't cause it to lose its 
adhession.  
GREAT STUFF.
there is my 2 cents


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Date: Wed, 1 May 96 11:06:25 EDT
From: dipalma at sky.com (Jim Dipalma)
Subject: Re: decoction is dead?



Hi All,

Regarding the recent thread on decoction versus infusion mashing, Dion writes:

>The enhanced maltiness
>occurring with a decoction mash would never be produced by a RIMS mash
>because the heavy part of the mash in a decoction is taken out and
>*boiled*.  During the boiling, Maillard (sp?) reactions occur that
>enhance the malty character due to the high heat used.

  The key here is melanoidin formation. Melanoidins are a class of compounds
that contribute malt flavor and aroma to beer. They are formed when amino
acids combine with simple sugars. The catalyst for this reaction is heat,
the various sources I've read cite 190F as the temperature at which the 
reaction begins to occur. You won't get there with any kind of step mash
schedule.

Al K writes:

>Furthermore, I am of the opinion that decoction mashing does a lot more
>for the flavour than it does for extract yield (**especially** with modern
>malts).  

  When I first started using decoction mashing a few years back, I did a lot
of experimentation with various kinds of base malts, including highly-modified
British pale malts. I noted a *very small* increase in extraction with these
malts, on the order of 1 pt/#/gal, which could be attributed to measurement
error.
  The malts we're getting these days are all so highly modified that decoction
mashing solely for purposes of increasing extraction doesn't make any sense.
However:

>      	The temperatures in the main mash may be the same, but the resulting
>beer flavours are not the same.  Decoction mashing adds a type of toasty
>flavour I have been unable to get with step mashes.

  See above. In addition to providing an intense malt character, the heat and
mechanical agitation that occurs while the decoction is boiled causes
considerable breakdown of both proteins and beta glucans. This makes decoction
mashing especially well suited for wheat beers, given the content of high
molecular weight proteins in wheat malt. I routinely brew weizens with wheat
malt as 60% of the grain bill, the wort runs crystal clear, with no lautering
problems at all.

            Cheers,
              Jim              dipalma at sky.com

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Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 10:17:56 -0500
From: Jim Herter <james.m.herter.1 at nd.edu>
Subject: National Home Brew Day

I wouldn't consider what Al K. had to say about National Home Brew Day a
complaint - just a good suggestion. I also don't think his comment about
holding it in the fall is so much weather related as it is vacation related.
Most people ply their time to other family and outdoor activities in the
spring and summer.

I'm the Chair for our club and did not receive the promo literature until
late April. This  doesn't leave much time to organize. My constructive
critisism would be to give a little better lead time in addition to holding
the "Day" in the fall. 
Thanks.

Jim Herter - Business Manager
Notre Dame Food Services
219.631.0113


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Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 10:35:00 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jack Schmidling <arf at maxx.mc.net>
Subject: JSP Web page


We are pleased to announce our presence on the WWW.

Everything you ever wanted to know about JSP, our products
and my very humble opinions on brewing practices, traditions
and technology can be found there.  We are still doing some
housekeeping and will be adding new material daily for awhile
but there is plenty to read there now.

Point your browser to:  http://dezines.com/ at your.service/jsp/

Please also note my new email address:  arf at mc.net
I will be checking the old one for mail, off and on till the
end of May at which time it terminates.

NOW for beer stuff.

I have made the last two batches with the "newly discovered"
early hop addition and am delighted with the results.  I have been
putting two Saatz plugs (1oz) into the kettle when I start sparging
and can now finally say that I can really notice an improvement in
the hoppiness of the beer.  Nothing else I have ever tried, made
any noticeable difference.  The only exception was the so-called
"dry hopping" which produced an awful grassy flavor.  

BTW,  what is wet hopping? 

Back to the web.  Something just occurred to me and you folks 
can help me make a decision.  New versions of Netscape produce
a beautiful and easy to use page but older versions string all the
buttons into lines of text and cause real confusion.  I get the same
results when I look at it from CIS.  My web provider says he can
fix it but it only affects a small number of readers and won't be as 
nice to read.  I solicit your opinions.

Thanks,

js



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Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 09:07:42 -0700
From: Kelly Jones <kejones at ptdcs2.intel.com>
Subject: Re: Sale of Homebrew Digest

Rob wrote:

> This is to let you all know that it is likely that the Association of
> Brewers will be taking over

Does anyone else find this extremely distressing?  Although I
appreciate all of Rob's effort over the years, and can certainly
understand if he or his provider can no longer continue to support the
HBD, would it be possible to hold out until we can find a
noncommercial, unbiased sponsor?

Although many fine things can no doubt be said about the AoB, they are
also an entity which is directly or indirectly involved in making money
from nearly every aspect of brewing and homebrewing.  I would hate to
see this become a forum where members feel hesitant to discuss their
thoughts on Charlie, the AoB, the GABF, Zymurgy, Brewer's Publications,
the AHA, contests, bottle caps, etc. for fear of censorship and/or loss
of sponsorship.

I know Rob's needs play a large role in making this decision, but
unless we are under critical time pressure, my vote is a resounding NO
on AoB ownership of the digest, at least until other options are
explored.

- -- 
Kelly
Portland, OR

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Date: 01 May 96 12:11:31 EDT
From: "Gregg A. Howard" <102012.3350 at CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Adhesive, autolysis

   Russ Hendry asked about cleaning the outside of kegs:  I found some very
handy cleaning fluid called "Goof-Off -- The Ultimate Remover" at my local
hardware megastore that removed all the adhesive from my kegs, including what
appeared to be decades-old masking tape on one.  I dribbled a little on the
adhesive, let it soak in for a minute or two, and used 0000 steel wool to
(easily) scrub it right off.  It even removed the black scuff marks.  Be warned,
the active ingredient is xylene, and has a truly noxious smell.  Use it
outdoors, with gloves, etc, and clean off the residue with detergent and hot
water.  No association, etc.

   re: autolysis;  I had pretty much given up racking to a secondary out of
sheer sloth, but then wasted time staring moodily at my beer and wondering if my
yeast was about to turn on me like a mistreated dog.  As the consensus (both on-
& off-list, many thanks to those who replied) seems to be that there is not a
great danger of healthy yeast autolysizing in a typical home brew, is there any
reason to use a secondary at all?  Is there any advantage to getting the beer
off of any hop residue and trub or is it wasted effort?  I have noticed that
yeast which stubbornly refused to fall would do so in a day or two after
racking.  Is there any other reason to rack?

Gregg

Gregg A. Howard    Denver, Co.    102012.3350 at compuserve.com


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Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 10:11 EDT
From: CSS2 at OAS.PSU.EDU (SPEAKER.CURTIS)
Subject: in defense of Al K.

While everyone is jumping up and down on Al Korzonas about summer NOT being a
good time to start brewing, I would like to come to his defense on several
points:

1. Most beginning brewers DO NOT have a spare fridge to ferment/lager in.
Most of them make ales and do it in a closet.

2. Unless your house is air conditioned, temps in the house during a summer
day can easily exceed 80F.  Add a few more degrees generated by the
fermentation process, and you are at the extreme high end of even an ale
yeasts range.

3. The concentration of wild yeasts increases dramatically in the spring and
summer.  This puts a further strain on sanitation.  Leaving a fermenter open
to the air for a few minutes can introduce some strange critters to the wort.

4.  A pale ale that I brewed in early June a few years ago tasted more like
cleaning solvent than beer.  The elevated temps produced excessive levels of
esters like I've never tasted before.  I like a fruity ale; this was more like
furniture polish!

I think Al's concern is/was that a new brewer would start in the summer, have
problems with wild yeast contamination and/or controlling fermentation temps,
resulting in funky tasting beer.  I might turn the person off to brewing and
they may never return to it when the weather is more appropriate.

I try and brew hard in the spring to stock up for the long, hot summer ahead.
Since I now have a spare fridge, I may attempt a lager or two this summer.
But summer brewing CAN BE risky business.  National Homebrew day should be a
little earlier in the spring or in the fall.  One brewers opinion...

Curt
css2 at oas.psu.edu

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Date: Wed,  1 May 1996 16:51:14 GMT
From: rmoucka at omn.com (Ronald Moucka)
Subject: RIMS problems


Greetings Homebrewers,

I've been out of circulation for a while (I'm a tax preparer),
and am just now getting caught up on my HBD reading.  I've
noticed some talk about RIMS oversparging, and I wondered if I
could get some help with a problem I'm having with my pseudo
RIMS.  I've only done about 5 or 6 batches with it, but my
extraction seems to be extremely poor.  Averages around 23 to 25
instead of my usual 27 to 29 with my old system.  Never have hit
the 30's.  I recirculate the mash for about half the mash time.
Hitting the right temps don't seem to be a problem.  Last batch I
noticed the mash seemed unusually acidic, ~4.7.

Could there be something in the system that is leaching into the
mash and making it too acidic?  My internal keg plumbing consists
of 1/2" copper tubing with sweated and compression joints.  Food
quality nylon reinforced hoses and Little Giant pumps.
Perforated stainless steel false bottoms.

I'm not getting a very good cold break, despite the fact that I'm
cooling with an imersion chiller as I always have.  The
fermentations have been wierd too.  Very cloudy, and little or no
kraeusen.  Still plenty of CO2 being given off, just no
kraeusen.  I've done a variety of brews with different yeasts,
and none of them were really bad, but they're no ribbon winners
either.

Any suggestions?  The new system is really impressive, but if it
won't make good beer, what good is it?

Thanks in Advance,

       .:.
      :.:.
    _|~~~~|
   ( | D  |     Ron Moucka, Brewmaster
    \|  B |     DayBar Brewing, Ltd., Fort Collins, Colorado
     `----'     rmoucka at omn.com

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Date: Wed, 01 May 96 10:56:25 PST
From: krkoupa at ccmail2.srv.PacBell.COM
Subject: Nat'l Homebrewing Day

Can someone please point me to the actual text that made "National 
Homebrewing Day" occur on May 4th?
>From AOB ( http://www.csn.net/aob/hbday.html ) I read that "President 
Jimmy Carter legalized homebrewing on a federal level by signing federal 
legislation H.R. 1337 in October 1978."  The internet U.S. House of 
Representatives' search engine only goes back to the 103rd Congress. 
Thanks!  
Ken Koupal, krkoupa at ccmail2.pacbell.com


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Date-Warning: Date header was inserted by ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu
From: "Bryan L. Gros" <grosbl at ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu>
Subject: dry ice

Algis R Korzonas writes:
>Ron writes:
>>I was wondering if anybody has tried using dry ice to   
>>cool down their wort. I brew my beer in fifteen gallon batches and it is   
>>very hard to get this wort to cool down quickly. I have been letting it   
>>just cool outside but now that summer is coming I will not be able to get   
>>it cool as quick.
>
>Regarding dry ice for cooling wort, I recommend against it (as well as
>other uses of dry ice with brewing) if for no other reason that we don't
>know how much wild yeast or bacteria may be trapped in the ice.  Recently,
>we have also read that the dry ice may contain oil which would ruin head
>retention. 

We've heard testimony in the last couple weeks that dry ice has oil, 
bacteria, wild yeast, mold, and all kinds of nasty stuff in it.  We've also
heard that the quality control is quite high and none of that stuff
should be found in dry ice.

Somebody who's interested, like Ron, should get some dry ice, drop it in
a pot of hot water, and see if there's an oil slick when the smoke clears.
If not, try it on a batch of beer and see how it goes.  For those with
access, this could be a cheaper method of cooling than a wort chiller,
which is pretty cheap itself.

               - Bryan
                 grosbl at ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
                 Nashville, TN


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Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 13:41:22 -0500 (CDT)
From: Cree-ee-py Boy <phillip at mcs.com>
Subject: National Homebrew Day / summer beginners

> From: "Pat Babcock" <pbabcock at oeonline.com>
> Subject: National Homebrew Day vs Algis Korzonas

> > May is the ***END*** of the brewing season and ***NOT*** the time
> > to be introducing non-brewers to the hobby!  I own a HB supply
> > store and usually get one or two calls about starting to homebrew
> > *on* National HB Day, but usually it takes most people a week or
> > five to get off their duffs and I end up fielding dozens of calls
> > in June and July.  I have to tell these people that summer is not
> > the time to brew and do call me in the fall. A fraction of them
> > call back.

> Are you SERIOUS?!? C'mon, Al! This is the 20th century! The brewing 
> season is when YOU want it to be! We are not hostages of nature as 
> were our ancestors - we all have the ability to control our 
> environments to varying degrees.

	Pardon, but your gung-ho beer geek bias is showing.  Remember,
we're likely to be talking about a person who is looking at brewing for
the first time, and who will probably brew once every couple of months or
so, not the typical brew-club joining, HBD-reading, red-eyed beer maven. 
Hobbies are fragile things at first, and a prudent novice will seek ways
to get in for as little cost as possible, in case things don't work out. 

	My starter kit + first batch cost me a hundred bucks back in
January of '93;  had it been July, and had the dealer said "oh, and you
need a spare refrigerator or somethin', unless you wanna crank yer AC down
to 65," I think my response would have been to forget about it (maybe not,
as I was pretty much determined to become a gung-ho beer geek even then 
- -- but I realize that I'm atypical.)

	While Al might be overstating the case a bit, and maybe should
mention low-cost cooling methods (though see below,) I think his advice is
mostly sound.  It's unethical to sell equipment to someone if you know
they won't be able to get good results with it.  At the very least, it's
required to let the prospective brewer know that summer brewing means
either extra equipment or a restricted range of styles and techniques. 


> I agree that those living in apartments without air-conditioning, or 
> in houses with out basements should, perhaps, be discouraged from 
> brewing in the summer - but only after explaining how one can control 
> temperature through such high-tech means as wrapping the fermenter in 
> a tee-shirt, and standing it in a pan of water. Perhaps upping the 
> technology ante by directing a fan at it...

	Pardon again, but I have found the wet T-shirt method to be so
much voodoo drumming in the face of an Illinois summer, unless you have a
basment or AC.  *With* a basement, I have found it necessary during parts
of the summer.  I generally make meads and brew beers that are not harmed
by a strong ester profile, or else use clean yeasts like WY1056. 

> As a homebrew supplier, if your opinion of brewing seasonallity was
> upheld, how would you expect your business to support itself? 

	Through geeks such as ourselves, who have brewed for a couple of 
summers, and know what we're getting into, or who have gotten the spare 
refrigerators, or whatever.  And, through the gung-ho future geeks, who 
know what they're getting into and go for it anyway.

							Regards,
							Phillip Birmingham


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Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 14:15:44 -0500
From: Marty Tippin <martyt at sky.net>
Subject: New Temperature Controller Web Page

I've converted Greg Walz's (walzenbrew at aol.com) plans for a refrigerator
temperature controller to a web document with a nifty-neato-new GIF
schematic diagram.  The plans show how to build a versatile, inexpensive
temperature controller for your beer refrigerator, based around a
temperature module from Radio Shack.  Total cost for the parts is around $60
but you get many more features than most other controllers for the same price.

The URL is
   http://www.sky.net/~martyt/tempcont.html

There will be a few minor changes in the next few days but the document is
complete enough now to be used with no problems.  Let me know if you find
any problems with the page!

BTW - the page is also linked from the Library section of The Brewery, so if
you forget the URL above you can still get to it that way.

 -Marty
 martyt at sky.net
 http://www.sky.net/~martyt/2tier.html


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Date: Wed, 1 May 96 15:41:24 CDT
From: korz at pubs.ih.att.com (Algis R Korzonas)
Subject: National Homebrew Day/The Evil Empire/my hop calculations for Woody

Wade writes:
>Then again, many of us have Illinois-standard summer weather almost all =
>year, and even some of the beer we make tastes pretty darn good. I would =
>also add that those with a spare fridge (frig, for those who remember) =
>would be able to brew at any time of the year, lagers or ales.

I got some private mail on this also.  I'm afraid I was not clear.  At my
house, I am unable to use the standard "winter" procedures for making my
beer despite the fact that I live in a shady, forested area and my cellar
is about 70F in the summertime (63F in the winter).  I believe I should have
made myself more clear... the issue is airborne nasties.

In the fall, winter and early spring, I can simply shake the carboy or
rely on the natural aeration of pouring the cooled wort through a funnel
to aerate the wort.  In the late spring and all summer long, I have
problems with wild yeast.  I have been able to handle the wild yeast problem
with a filtered aeration system, but how do I convince a new brewer that
he/she needs this $40 aeration system (that isn't even mentioned in the
brewing book that I include in the kit I sell) along with the $50 equipment
kit?

If a brewer makes five good/great batches in the fall, winter and spring
and then gets a bad batch their first summer, I tell them that it is most
likely because of the life in the air here.  Then, after they are committed
to this great hobby, I can suggest the aeration system or to just not brew
during the summer.  If the first batch they make is in June and it tastes
like Bandaids(tm), it is unlikely that they will continue with homebrewing.

No, I don't take people's *cash* when I know they will have trouble making
good beer.  One difference between my store and most of the rest in the
Chicagoland area is that I don't try to make a living at it.  I would
just as soon lose a customer than sell them the wrong thing at the wrong
time of year.  I'm in this because I enjoy the hobby, want to help people
out and because there was no good shop within an hour's drive of my house
when I opened for business.  Stale hops, year-old Wyeast and only four types
of grain were the norm (I carry over 25 malts and grains, over 40 hop
varieties and more than 25 yeasts) when I opened up in 1992.  [No, sorry,
we don't do mailorder.]

I do get a lot of customers that have purchased items at other stores and
have been disappointed with the results.  I taste their beer and make
suggestions, a common one is to just hang up the apron in the summertime.
If they insist on brewing, I suggest the filtered air system.  It's the
same one any of you can buy from Heartland Hydroponics (no affiliation --
actually, a competitor).

#include <stdio.h>
main()
{
for(i=0;i<10;i++)
	printf("I'm not in this for the money.\n");
}

Incidentally, I do brew year-round aided by my three beer refrigerators,
one of which is an 18.5 cubic foot chest freezer currently fermenting a
decoction mashed Bohemian Pilsner at 45F.

Pat writes:
>Al, Al, Al! I'm truly surprised at you. The AHA probably thinks 
>you're a putz!

If they ever admit they think of me this way, I'll quit as Technical
Editor and let Zymurgy slide back to the level of Brew Your Own.
(In the May 1996 issue, they claim you should not use light-brown bottles,
high fermentation temperatures cause increased diacetyl and acetaldehyde,
corn sugar causes vinegar-like flavours, an EasyMasher-type lauter tun
results in slow running lauters, primary fermentation is always done in 
open fermenters, and there is no mention of Sulfate in Burton-upon-Trent
water.)

All this would be simplified greatly if Nat'l HB Day was moved to fall.
What, is it Charlie's Birthday?

***
On a related note, are any of you as scared as I am about the AHA taking
over the HBD?  I can tell you right now that if it changes significantly,
I'll take my brewing questions and answers elsewhere.  Yes, I do work for
Zymurgy as a Technical Editor and they don't even use all my corrections
as it is.  If I had the facilities, I would take over the HBD, but alas, I
don't, so I can't.

***
Just a clarification on the IBUs of Woody's Barleywine/Rocketfuel:
the 30% utilization was before I compensated for the boil gravity,
but the 28 IBUs was AFTER I compensated for it.  I simply used Rager's
formulas which have worked well for me since 1990.

Al.

Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korz at pubs.att.com
Copyright 1996 Al Korzonas

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Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 15:18:21 -0700
From: Dean Larson <larson at chaos.cps.gonzaga.edu>
Subject: Wyeast profiles

I've had quite a few requests for the profiles on the newer Wyeast strains
so thought I'd go ahead and post them.  I'd be interested in hearing about
the results from anyone who's brewed with any of these.


These are the profiles supplied by Wyeast for their new yeast strains

1335 British Ale Yeast II---Typical of british ale fermentation profile with
good flocculating and malty flavor charactersitics, crisp finish, clean,
fairly dry, high flocculation, apparent attenuation 73-76%

1318 London Ale Yeast II---From traditional London brewery with great malt
and hop profile, true top cropping strain, fruity, very light, soft balanced
palate, finishes slightly sweet, high flocculation, apparent attenuation 71-75%

1272 American Ale Yeast II---Fruitier and more flocculant than 1056
(American Ale), slightly nutty, soft, clean,slightly tart finish, high
flocculation, apparent attenuation 72-76%

1275 Thames Valley Ale Yeast---Produces classic british bitters, rich
complex flavor profile, clean, light malt character, low fruitiness, low
esters, well balanced, medium flocculation, apparent attenuation 72-76%

1388 Belgian Strong Ale Yeast---Robust flavor yeast with moderate to high
alcohol tolerance, fruity nose and palate, dry, tart finish, low
flocculation, apparent attenuation 73-77%

1742 Swedish Porter Yeast---Stark beer nordic style yeast of unknown origin,
floral nose, malty finish, medium flocculation, appparent attenuation 69-73%

1762 Belgian Abbey Yeast II---High gravity yeast with distinct solventy
flavor profile from ethanol production, slightly fruity with dry finish,
medium flocculation, apparent attenuation 73-77%

2247 Danish Lager Yeast II---Clean dry flavor profile often used in
aggressively hopped pilsner, clean, very mild flavor, slight sulpher
production, dry finish, low flocculation, apparent attenuation 73-77%

2272 North American Lager Yeast---Traditional culture of North American
Lagers and light pilsners, malty finish, high flocculation, appparent
attenuation 72-76%

3333 German Wheat Yeast---Subtle flavor profile for wheat yeast with sharp
tart crispness, fruity, sherry like palate, low flocculation, apparent
attenuation 73-78%

3787 Trappist High Gravity---Robust top cropping yeast with phenolic
character.  Alcohol tolerance to 12%, ideal for Biere de Garde, ferments dry
with rich ester profile and malty palate, medium flocculation, apparent
attenuation 75-80%

3942 Belgian Wheat Beer---Estery low phenol producing yeast from small
belgian brewery, apple and plum like nose with dry finish, medium
flocculation, apparent attenuation 72-76%

Dean Larson
larson at cps.gonzaga.edu


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Date: Wed, 01 May 96 17:56:00 PDT
From: "Toler, Duffy L." <TOLERD at cdnet.cod.edu>
Subject: bottle cleaning


I have used the old sanitize your bottles in the dishwasher thing with great 
success in the past.   Our new house with the really hard water gave me less 
than acceptable results.  The bottles are covered with a white, rough, scaly 
film. I have tried soaking, scrubbing, TSP, etc. to clean them with little 
luck.  I was thinking of soaking them in some acidic solution.  I have some 
Muriatic acid for cleaning bricks, would it be a really bad idea to make a 
weak solution with this to soak the bottles?  or how about white vinegar 
instead?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

Duffy Toler
Sugar Grove, IL

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