Homebrew Digest Wednesday, 31 July 1996 Number 2130
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FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Shawn Steele, Digest Janitor
Thanks to Rob Gardner for making the digest happen!
Contents:
oak chips ("Ken Smith")
Herbs in beer - Gruit (Ted_Manahan)
Beerquest: German & Czech breweries (Darcy M)
Blue Whale Ale is GOOD beer!! ("Robert Marshall")
Filters, Aluminum, BATF (MicahM1269 at aol.com)
Piss Yeller (duck, weave) ((biohazrd))
Super-Quick Fermentations ("ESCHOVIL.US.ORACLE.COM")
Brew Sans Starter & Too Cold for Yeast? (John Bell)
Don't blow this off! (tapp at usit.net)
Winfield BIAB Competition ((Stephen T. McKenna))
Light vs. Heavy Beers. An Analysis! / Bottle Prime ((John (The Coyote) Wyllie))
Protein Filtration ("Chuck Burkins")
Decocting w/o lagering, Wheat beer ((George De Piro))
Re: Identifying a contaminant (Bill Rust)
Ginsing! (Douglas Thomas)
kevin's water; decoction w/o lagering (M257876 at sl1001.mdc.com (bayerospace at mac))
Saved Yeast Viability (Erik Larson (Tel 202-622-1322 ))
great starter trick ((Jeff Sturman))
Small corneys/ other HB equipment ("Meisner Wallie MSM GRPP US")
Advice about 5l kegs ("Brian P. Colgan")
decoctions and lagering (korz at pubs.ih.lucent.com)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Ken Smith" <ksmith2 at wingsbbs.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 19:15:23 -0400
Subject: oak chips
A question for the group at large.
I just purchased some American White Oak Chips (I think typically used in
wine making) and would like to try to emulate the flavor of cask
conditioned beer such as Fuller's ESB. My question is the quantity as well
as the stage. I imagine it should be used in the secondary fermenter
similar to dry hopping. However, I don't know the appropriate amount and
procedure. Thanks in advance!
Lurking for a long time...
Ken Smith
Tropheus Brewing Co VyLtd
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From: Ted_Manahan <tedm at hpcvn2ax.cv.hp.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 16:32:54 -0700
Subject: Herbs in beer - Gruit
I want to add my experience with using unusual ingredients in beer. I
made an "Ancient Gruit Ale" a year ago; my goal was to make a high
gravity sweet spiced ale with a mix of spices to balance the sweetness.
The complete list is at home, but some of the more interesting
ingredients included:
* Roast dandelion root, which adds some astringency and a mild earthy
flavor.
* Nasturtium leaves and flowers, for their peppery flavor
* Cranberry puree, for sourness
* Ginger, as a good all-around spice
* Cardamom, generally useful
* Thyme, cloves, rosemary, other stuff...
* 1/2 oz high alpha hops
I added many different types of malt, as well as boined oatmeal. The
original gravity was 1.070, final gravity was 1.020. The brew is still
aging, but it worked out pretty well. Watch out for ginger, as I used
too much. More dandelion root and cardamom would be OK.
Ted Manahan
tedm at cv.hp.com
541/715-2856
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From: Darcy M <darcym at workgrp.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 17:24:08 -0700
Subject: Beerquest: German & Czech breweries
Hello fellow beerlovers!
Some friends of mine will be traveling to Germany and Prague and were
wondering what breweries they should check out. Guess the trip is planned
for October. I'm seriously thinking of tagging along... OCTOBERFEST!
Thanks for your suggestions!
))))))
(( - -))
)) at at ))
(((\ (_)/((
)))) \ O/ )))
*____))oooo____((((____oooo___________________*
| (( )))) |
| Darcy M. darcym at workgrp.com |
| Matter can be neither created nor destroyed,|
| it can only change form. |
| |
*_____________________Oooo____________________*
oooO ( )
( ) ) /
\ ( (_/
\_)
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From: "Robert Marshall" <robertjm at hooked.net>
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 1996 19:18:50 +0000
Subject: Blue Whale Ale is GOOD beer!!
IMHO the people who are mystified over Blue Whale Ale (from Pacific
Coast Brewing Co.) let me say its some pretty damn good stuff!! One
person suggested that they couldn't drink a whole one. if so, then
they need to redefine HopHead!!.
That said, I haven't made a recipe from scratch yet, but the kit
which HopTech was selling was pretty close to what you get at the
pub.
I talked to Don Gortmiller last year and he had told me that it was
going to be appearing in Zymurgy, so he did get a hand in the recipe
on his own beer.
Yes, this is a very hoppy beer, but then most of their beers are.
All I can do is to suggest to make a batch. If you feel you've got to
cut the hops, just do it IN PROPORTION to the decrease. (meaning if
you feel you must cut hops cut them 10%, or whatever figure, accross the
board).
Personally I'd go for it and follow the recipe!
If ever in the SF Bay Area, make sure you stop by and try one.
(usual disclaimer. No ownership..blah blah, no finanical
interest..blah blah, etc.)
Later,
Robert Marshall
robertjm at hooked.net
homepage: http://www.hooked.net/users/robertjm
- ----------------------------------------------
"In Belgium, the magistrate has the dignity
of a prince, but by Bacchus, it is true
that the brewer is king."
Emile Verhaeren (1855-1916)
Flemish writer
- ------------------------------------------------
Return to table of contents
From: MicahM1269 at aol.com
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 22:39:54 -0400
Subject: Filters, Aluminum, BATF
At last a topic that I know something about, filtration of beer. I have spent
a great deal of the last 4 years filtering beer. On the issue of filter size.
A beer is not considered to be yeast sterile, that is completely free of
yeast at any nominal filter size greater than 0.8 microns. There is a very
wide range of size for yeast, several microns for clumps, chains and budding
cells to close to submicron size for daughter cells ( as well as some misc.
bacteria ) The effect of filters on proteins and colour is more complex than
just a matter of particle size. The finishing filters used by many bottling
breweries ( micro and mega ) rely in part on zeta potential. That is the
electrical charge of the particles in the beer is attracted by the opposite
charge in the filter. Breweries like these filters as they are regeneratable,
and have great deal of useful life. High resolution charged particle filters
can visably strip colour from beer. They also tend to remove head retaining
compounds. This is a line that many breweries have to walk, beer stability vs
foam stability. ( Some of the megas use alginates and sodium benzoate to
improve CO2 retention ) Most craft brewers go for less severe fitrations, but
still yeast sterile. I have not noted even on filtrations as fine as 0.4
micron nominal a change in body or mouth feel from coarse ( 3-5 micron ) fine
filtrate samples.
Aluminum for brew kettles? It has been asked several times recently.
I say go for it. Aluminum is pretty much non reactive at the ph range for
wort and fermented beer. It has good heat transfer properties and should be
less expensive than stainless for the homebrewer. I would however avoid
strong alkali cleaners as they will corrode the aluminum.
My two cents on the BATF. Over the last few years I have had to deal
with the BATF on many occasions. For the most part all of their people have
been polite and helpful, often going out of their way to find accurate
answers to my questions. The brewery that I work at is in the largest BATF
revenue district in the country ( lots of very very big wineries and
distilleries) the few breweries in district contribute virtualy no excise tax
by comparison, yet still get good service from the BATF. No shooting.
micah millspaw - brewer at large
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From: biohazrd at graceba.net (biohazrd)
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 22:28:33 -0500
Subject: Piss Yeller (duck, weave)
Due to several personal e-mail requests I would like to post the recipe
for Piss Yeller mentioned in a previous posting to the HBD collective.
Its not real involved unless you want to add a double decoction mash to
bring out the malt flavor (a la Warsteiner).
To Make 5 Gallons,
6 lb Belgian Pilzen Malt
2 1/2 lb Wheat malt
1oz 4.3% Willamet Hops
1/2 oz Saaz Hops (adjust to taste)
Wyeast #1056 American Ale Yeast or Coopers dry.
OG - 1.048
FG - ~1.012-1.007 depending on yeast
Strike 10 qts at 126 deg. F and protein rest at 120 to 123 deg. for 30 to
45 minutes. Increase to converstion temp of 150 to 155 and hold for 45
minutes or until iodine test is negative. (Decoction mashing procedures
single or double can be used instead) Be sure to mash-out at 168 deg. for
5 min. this will help prevent a slow or stuck sparge (why I don't know but
every time I brain cramp and forget to mash-out the sparge runs poorly)
Sparge with 5 gallons of 168 deg. water and collect. Boil 90 minutes
adding Willamet at start of boil and add the Saaz at end of boil (about 10
minutes).
This beer benefits greatly from a week or two of cold laggering in the
bottle after carbonation. The color is lighter than Sam Adams Boston
Lager and the flavor is somewhat similar. I've got to admit, I started
brewing this for my wife and some of our less beer "aware" friends but I
really enjoy it myself also.
The philosophy behind this beer is basically this; to brew a lager-like
ale that most people would recognize as "beer" and have the taste
characteristic lesser beer-educated Americans associate with beer. The
wheat is to serve the purpose of rice or corn in American beers and
"lighten" both the color and the mouth-feel. Fortunately, malted wheat is
not an adjunct according to the Reinheitsgebot and this is still an
all-malt beer. (Sharon is of German descent and enforces the purity law)
The Saaz hops give the beer a flavor that most educated beer palets will
associate with a lager or pilsner beer, Ive found that the Saaz flavor
needs some mellowing time. I also carbonate this beer a little more
heavily than most ales (I add a cup or a cup and a quarter of corn sugar
to 5 gallons at botteling time). Once again this is to imitate the
heavily carbonated nature of American beers. Hope you enjoy it, please
let me know how it turns out if you brew it.
DUCK / WEAVE
Sorry about the ramblings on the BATF but I'm a little sensitive on this
issue and found myself sending the message without filtering, or even
allowing it to drop bright. Remember, there's no failsafe on the e-mail
send button.
Ron and Sharon Montefusco
Biohazard Brewery
(Drink to Your Health)
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From: "ESCHOVIL.US.ORACLE.COM" <ESCHOVIL at us.oracle.com>
Date: 30 Jul 96 15:26:52 -0700
Subject: Super-Quick Fermentations
I've got a question that I am sure you have heard before, but I am compelled
to ask it anyway. I have been brewing for about two months now, and I have
just started five gallon batches. I have as of yet completed two, and they
both have fermented
extremely quickly. Within eight hours there is appreciable fermentation going
on, and by 40 hours there is only a very small amount of noticeable
fermentation. IOW, there is very little bubbling. From sources I have read
(books, WWW pages, etc.), I was under the impression that it would take quite
a bit longer than this to ferment. Any ideas?
FYI, I am using Munton dried yeast, which I rehydrate in 100F water for 20
minutes. I pitch it into my cooled (~74F) and aerated (shaken, not stirred)
wort. Should I be using liquid yeast?
Eric Schoville, Norman conqueror of my own backyard
eschovil at us.oracle.com <---Just because I open my mouth, doesn't mean my
company
condones what I say!
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From: John Bell <paradise at compcom.com.au>
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 17:49:52 +1000
Subject: Brew Sans Starter & Too Cold for Yeast?
Hi. I'm a professional wine maker but an amateur brewer (ie I do both for
fun but don't get paid for the beer!) and am very pleased to have discovered
this mailing list as I don't live anywhere near a group of other homebrewers
I can talk to.
Jim Anderson asked:
<What's the best way to pitch a batch when you don't have a starter
<prepared?
and
<I just did my morning check and it turns out I've got another question
<now. The neighbor kids have apparently found another toy to play with
<- -- my thermostat (the frig is beneath my carport, right along our common
<fence). I had a batch of Grand Cru in the secondary at 65F (Wyeast
<1056). This morning, the internal frig temp was 38F (the Fermometer on
<the carboy showed 40F).
<
<Did my yeasties get killed through low temp or thermal shock? Will they
<revive? (No, I won't ask if my beer is ruined! <g>)
Re using a starter: Dried yeast is fine. The major issue is to make sure
that there are enough viable yeast cells per cm3. I forget the number
normally quoted (it's a lot), but 250 parts per million of dried yeast is
about right. Say 7 grams in a 25 litre brew (sorry I don't know the
conversion to US gallons - they are different to the UK version aren't
they?) Just mix with 10 times the weight of water at 38-40 C (100 F), leave
for 15 minutes (definitely no longer than 20 minutes), stir and pitch.I
sometimes use starters for things like champagne but dried yeast is in some
ways safer than a starter.
Re: Too Cold for Yeast: Don't worry - remember that many lagers are
fermented at that temperature for months. Just warm it up and all should be
OK. If not (unlikely) add more yeast - quickly.
I have a question: My favourite brew (at the moment) is a pale ale mashed at
about 66C and then bottled at somewhere near SG1012. I want to condition it
using secondary fermentation (ie no sugar added to the bottle) and have
tried lifting the mashing temp a bit to increase the dextrin level. I'm
pretty happy with the results for a while but after two or three weeks in
bottle it starts to taste a little "tangy" like an extract beer and too dry
for what I'm after. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to to avoid this
other than sterile filtering and externally gassing which kind of defeats
the purpose?
Sue Armstrong & John Bell
Paradise Enough Wines
KONGWAK, SOUTH GIPPSLAND
AUSTRALIA
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From: tapp at usit.net
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 04:05:47 -0400
Subject: Don't blow this off!
I'd like to hear from anyone with personally acquired experience from A/B
testing to answer the following compound question:
What taste or other differences result from blowing off or not blowing off
krausen during primary fermentation; and are any differences worth the extra
effort of blowoff?
I've read the books. What do you all say?
Return to table of contents
From: stmckenna at amoco.com (Stephen T. McKenna)
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 03:08:24 -0500
Subject: Winfield BIAB Competition
Beer in a Box, Inc. and the Urban Knaves of Grain present the
2nd Annual Winfield BIAB Homebrew Competition
An AHA-sanctioned competition
Saturday September 7, 1996
Entries: Judging:
Beer in a Box John's Buffet
27W460 Beecher Ave. 27W482 Jewell Rd.
Winfield, IL 60103 Winfield, IL 60103
All styles are welcome. Some categories may be combined depending on the
number of entries. Judging will be according to AHA style guidelines and will
be conducted by BJCP-certified judges and apprentices. Ribbons and
merchandise prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each
category judged and for best of show.
Entries must arrive between August 26 and September 2. Two 12-ounce bottles
are required per entry. Entries should be shipped or delivered in person to
Beer in a Box. Please do not send entries to John's Buffet.
The entry fee is $5 per entry (if entering 1 to 3 beers) or $4 per entry (if
entering 4 or more beers). Checks should be made payable to Beer in a Box.
For entry forms and style guidelines, contact Beer in a Box at 800-506-BREW,
630-690-8150, fax 630-690-8173, or E-mail beerinab at mcs.com, and leave your
address or fax number. (Our area code changes from 708 to 630 on August 3.)
Or check out our Web page at http://www.mcs.net/~beerinab/hbcomp.html.
Interested in being a judge or steward? We need your help! Please contact
Steve McKenna, 630-961-7846, E-mail stmckenna at amoco.com.
Return to table of contents
From: ccoyote at sunrem.com (John (The Coyote) Wyllie)
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 02:41:27 -0600
Subject: Light vs. Heavy Beers. An Analysis! / Bottle Prime
*ok folks, apologies, I'm a bit behind in my trolling. Forgive my latency.
( Yesireee, I have a bit behind...but I'll leave my genitalia out of it.)
>From: vee12 at juno.com >Subject: Extract Brewing
>
>I know that I'm in the minority, but can anyone recomend an extract which
>is not a heavy beer. I'm looking to brew a lighter type of beer for my better
>half.
>
>Butch V.
>
* NOTE: You should use the more politically correct phrase "other half"
plus its less degrading, but if she/he/it is willing to buy you brew
supplies, bow.
* hey Butch,as Nokomaree would probably say, "Don't be stupid, just do it."
Last time I checked- A 3lb can of extract weighs- well 3lbs. There is no
lighter or heavier to it, so "don't be stupid, don't analyze it, just do
it"
But really- to try to be helpful: You might be referring to weight in
terms of
a) color (light vs. DARK=heavy) or b) specific gravity, initial vs. final.
light beer could be one that is a) dry, b) low in alcohol. A sweet beer
might seem "heavy" while a dry beer might seem "light". On the other hand
a strong (high alcohol beer) could seem "heavy" while a low ETOH brew =
light.
Factors to control these variables are many, and may become complicated,
damned that might lead us to over-analyzing and we all know how bad that
is!
1) Starting gravity: =result of # lbs of extract added per volume.
1 x3# can= low, 2 x3# can= higher, like twice as much even.
An alternative to allow greater control (well, mashing of course, but...)
use DME, dry malt extract. You can add the amount you wish. NOTE: 1# DME
not= 1#LME
Another factor is the attenuation due to your yeast. How much of that
sweet sugar can those buggers eat! More importantly- how much do they
leave behind, resulting in a sweet beer product which might be perceived as
heavier than dry.
Also note: Higher hopped beers will tend to have more "mouthfeel" than
less hopped beers and could also be perceived as heavier. In general I
have noticed that women tend to prefer less hoppy beers, while many males
tend to have a liking for hoppier brews. (flame me, go ahead, make my day,
JUST DO IT!)
So- easiest way? Do what they do in Utah, just add water. Dilute your end
product, this will lower the alcohol and unfermented sugar concentration.
(one of the reasons I homebrew is to avoid this very offensive concept!)
Be sure to use sterile, pre-boiled water. You don't wanna add chlorine!
***
As for priming by the bottle- heres my 2c.
Prime by volume, not individually. A one time effort, LOTS less room for error-
<ok science buffs, grab your Spiff helmet:> if you look at the error bars
associated with mismeasuring one tbsp per bottle, vs. measuring a large
volume one time, and making one large addition of measured sugar solution,
mixing well, then bottling you will see MUCH less likelyhood of under or
(worse) overcarbonating.
I never understood that concept of priming by the bottle. Ugh. Its like
starting siphons by sucking hoses (ok, so I'm busted, but....) really, one
of the major advantages of kegging IMHO is the concept of simplification.
Fill one keg, carbonate, serve. No washing bottles, no filling, no capping.
No priming...
So why revert? How about just priming the whole keg as you would for
bottling, mix and then dispense bottles from the keg tap before it
carbonates. Cap, wait.
Or carbonate in the keg and just fill the bottles. I have a
counterpressure filler, but I often fill bottles w/conditioned keg beer,
cap and hand out to people. Cleaning the cp filler can be yet another
hassle.
So dammit all, just do it! ( i feel like a f% at &in' nikey add! )
Hey- whatever tickles your pickle. I think NOMONKEY has been ticklin his
own at our expense. We sure are a collective gullible bunch though. Try a
search on "its" name at the archives. Shall we create a FAQ for it? <G>
- ------------------------------------------------------------
///John- The Cosmic Coyote -Wyllie\\\ ccoyote at sunrem.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------
Return to table of contents
From: "Chuck Burkins" <burkins at oa.net>
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 06:57:55 -0400
Subject: Protein Filtration
Hi folks,
I'm the one who suggested that you might be able to loose beer
proteins through adsorption during filtration. Based on Charlie
Scandrett's concentration numbers I estimate that a 5 Gal (19L) batch
would contains tens of grams of protein (a conservative estimate) The
worst filtration catastrophe I've ever had lost me about 50
milligrams of protein (and that with a non-Low Prot Binding Filter).
Therefore I think any protein losses during filtration of beer will
be negligible. Thanks for the great info.
Chuck Burkins, protein chemist, homebrewer
burkins at oa.net
Return to table of contents
From: George_De_Piro at berlex.com (George De Piro)
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 08:29:23 -0700
Subject: Decocting w/o lagering, Wheat beer
Mike Swan asks if one can decoction mash without lagering. The answer
is "Yes!" All science aside, I do it all the time, as do commercial
breweries. Weizen is usually decoction mashed and is not aged for a
particularly long time. I've never had a problem with tannin
harshness in any decoction-mashed beer that I've made. Perhaps it's
because of my positive outlook! More likely it's because the pH of my
mash is 5.3.
There has been a conversation about 100% wheat beer/Weizen/Fruit wheat
beer forming. It has been said that you will get lower extraction,
but no lautering problems, if you under-crush the wheat. You can
improve extract by crushing more finely (relative to under-crushing;
don't make flour) and add rice hulls to aid with setting up the grain
bed for lautering.
As an aside, rice hulls do absolutely nothing to help lautering 100%
rye mashes. Unless you love 5 hour sparges, DON'T DO IT!
I agree that using a Bavarian Weizen yeast AND adding fruit will
create a "muddled" drink. If you ferment with a clean yeast (i.e.,
1056), you will have a great fruit beer foundation. Wheat is pretty
light in the way of flavor (in fact, when judges write "Not enough
wheat character" I always wonder what they mean!). Wheat is sort of
an "honorable" flavor-lightening adjunct, to my taste buds, at least.
It dries the finish nicely. It is the yeast that gives a Bavarian
weizen it's character.
The fact that American-style wheat beers (fermented with "clean"
yeasts) are so bland illustrates this. There should be a law against
calling them "Weisse" or "Weizen!"
By the way, Brooklyn Brewery is brewing a true Bavarian-style Weizen
at it's new brewery in Brooklyn. The first few batches were not the
best, but it is now damn close to very good. Just needs a bit more
malt backbone...(no affiliation, blah, blah, blah). It is confusingly
named "Brooklyner Weisse," but it is definitely Bavarian.
I think it's only available on tap in the New York city area, so if
you're in the area, try it.
Enough of my babble...
George De Piro (Nyack, NY)
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From: Bill Rust <wrust at csc.com>
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 96 09:37 EDT
Subject: Re: Identifying a contaminant
Greetings Beerdudes!
David wrote:
>Subject: Identifying a contaminant
>
>Help. When I started brewing, batches #2 & 3 came out of the primary with an
>unpleasant odor and aftertaste. It was a burnt taste, but not one I'd
associate
>with phenolics. I quit for a while, then gave it another shot. Batch #5 was
>bad. The next 14 batches came out fine. But I had to dump a yeast last month
>when the starter (stepped up twice) had the same bad odor and taste. Now, most
>of my brews are developing the same problem after a month or two in the
bottle.
Sounds like some kind of infection. I would suspect a cleaning/sanitation
problem first. The reason I know this is that I had a similar problem when
I started brewing. I brewed one or two batches with no problems, then batch
after batch of infected beer. My problem was that I had a spigot at the
bottom of my plastic fermenter. I was not cleaning it out well enough. I
now disassemble the spigot as much as possible, and soak it, the washer, and
nut in a strong bleach solution (4 TBSP/gal.) for 1-2 hours. Bleach is an
amazing cleaner! I then reassemble and soak the whole fermenter for an hour
in a regular strength bleach solution (1 TBSP/gal.) I haven't had a related
problem since!
There are other problems you could be having related to process, but the
biggest is sanitation. Look at your whole process. Is there any place
where you could be lax in your sanitation? Do you wash your bottles, *then*
give them an overnight soak in a bleach solution? Are you rinsing enough?
There should be no bleach smell in your equipment before it makes contact
with your beer. Are you adding any untreated water to your beer? A full
wort boil is probably the best solution. However, I have a lot of success
with purified/distilled drinking water (can't use distilled when mashing,
tho). Filtered or pre-boiled water are better than the store-bought, if you
have time. One other recommendation: do you know an experienced brewer who
can observe your process? That can be a tremendous help.
Hope this helps. Skol.
-------------------------------------------------------
Bill Rust, Master Brewer |
Jack Pine Savage Brewery | Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier,
Established 1985 (NACE) | Drum trinken wir es hier!
-------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------
Return to table of contents
From: Douglas Thomas <thomasd at uchastings.edu>
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 08:08:05 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Ginsing!
Wow! approx. 10 oz. of White Ginsing.
I don't know how much you paid, but if it is a good piece, I don't know
if you want to brew with it. Here in S.F., better pieces of ginsing
(the more they are free of surface flaw, and resemble a human) can sell
for $20-$30 a pound. I have seen some prime examples selling at $100.
I hope it is not of this quality (BTW, this quality level does not effect
the taste of it, just the magic/medicinal properties).
Ginsing has a different taste than ginger, but may be used in the same
way. It is popular in the Caribbean, especially in drinks. Also, sodas
and juices with it can be found in many Asian food stores. Try tasting
one of these to see if you like it, and if not, then....
but otherwise, make a ginsing beer. Something like a pale ale base, and
the whole root for 5 gallons (I use 15 oz of ginger for real ginger ale).
My one caution is that it has strong antiseptic/microbial properties and
is a great anti-oxidant so you may have a slow start with the ferment.
Maybe using a slightly larger starter, or just waiting a bit longer.
Hope this helps
D. Thomas
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From: M257876 at sl1001.mdc.com (bayerospace at mac)
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 11:25 -0600
Subject: kevin's water; decoction w/o lagering
collective homebrew conscience:
kevin - if you boil your water, you will reduce both carbonate AND calcium,
to a point. calcium is desirable if you're mashing. i would definitely
be checking the pH if i were you, and watch out for high sulfate additions
(gypsum) if you're brewing a well-hopped beer. calcium chloride would be
better if you're brewing a pale, well hopped lager.
michael swan asked about decoction without lagering, and if there would be
astringency problems. i've decoction mashed a lot of beers without truly
lagering them, and there is not, to my taste, an unpleasant astringency
with any of them. however, one of the bigger benefits of lagering i have
experienced is in the area of head retention. if you can lager it, do it.
what about bottling as soon as fermentation is over, and then "lagering"
in the bottle after a short time for bottle carbonation? would this
achieve some of the benefits of lagering? is there a surface area issue
here? i'm not an expert on lagering. why wouldn't this work?
brew hard,
mark bayer
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From: Erik Larson <Erik.C.E.L.Larson at MS01.DO.treas.sprint.com> (Tel 202-622-1322 )
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 11:16:49 -0400
Subject: Saved Yeast Viability
Fellow HBDers:
I have some water-washed Wyeast 1056 from a batch of pale ale in
a 1 quart mason jar, sitting in my brewing fridge at about 40 F.
It has been there since mid-March, and I'm wondering how long
will it be good for? Given the enormous quantity of yeast that
is in the jar (the cake is over 1-inch thick!) I had wanted to
make use of it when brewing my X-mass Imperial Stout and
Barleywine.
How should I rouse the yeast and what should I be looking out
for?
Thanks.
Erik Larson (erik.larson at treas.sprint.com)
US Treasury Department, Washington DC
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From: brewshop at coffey.com (Jeff Sturman)
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 11:44:08 -0600
Subject: great starter trick
I can't remember who brought this subject up but I tried it this weekend
and it worked great. I built 40 oz. of wort with dme and yeast nutrient
Tuesday evening and let it cool overnight. The next morning I dumped it
into my sanitized carboy, along with a 22 oz. bottle of Fat Tire. I brewed
a Fat Tire clone on Sunday, at which time the starter was going fast and
furious. After chilling the wort to 65 F I siphoned it directly into the
carboy on top of the starter. The next morning (about 10 hours later) the
blow off bowl already had about 4 inches of foam in it and the carboy was
boiling. Thanks for the great tip. No more wimpy starters in separate
containers with the associated cleaning and transferring hassles. Truly a
great idea. Any problems with this?
BTW, here is the recipe: (I talked to a rep from New Belgium Brewing about
two weeks ago but he wouldn't tell me much about the beer. He did say that
the beer is fermented out and then cleared in bright beer tanks, after
which it is centrifuged just prior to bottling. The yeast in the bottle is
the fermentation yeast (and lots of it!))
7 # American 2 row malt
1.5 # malted wheat
0.5 # victory malt
1.5 # 40L crystal malt
3/4 oz. N. Brewer 8.6% aa (60 minutes)
1 oz. Cascade 4.4% aa (5 minutes)
1 oz. Cascade 4.4% aa (dry hopped after 4 days = tomorrow)
Fat Tire sediment yeast starter
o.g. - 1.062
Mashed in at 125 F for 25 minutes
Pulled 1/3 decoction - 155 F for 25 minutes, boiled for 10 minutes
Mashed at 156 F for 75 minutes
Sparged and collected 7 gallons wort
90 minute total boil
Fermenting at 64 F
When I smell the blow off bowl it is very reminiscent of Fat Tire - spicy
and malty with a flowery/citrusy hop aroma. It must be good because I had
to pluck a big stink bug out of the blow off bowl this morning. Poor devil
died a happy death tho'. Fat Bug Amber Ale (tm) ?
Jeff
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From: "Meisner Wallie MSM GRPP US" <wallie.meisner at usgr.MHS.CIBA.COM>
Date: 31 Jul 1996 18:03:12 +0000
Subject: Small corneys/ other HB equipment
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
In reply to Jonathan Ward's request in HBD2128 for small corney info, I've
seen at least a couple show up in Pat Babcock's Homebrew Fleamarket
(http://oeonline.com/~ pbabcock/).Lots of other good stuff too.
-Wallie Meisner
Greensboro, NC
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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From: "Brian P. Colgan" <bcolgan at sungard.com>
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 96 15:10:08 EST
Subject: Advice about 5l kegs
Paul Kensler writes:
<<<<
I just decided to buy a setup for those German mini-kegs (5L or 1.3
gallons each). I bought the all-metal tap, and the 10g CO2
cartriges.
Does anyone have any experience worth sharing with these? Any
advice, tips, or tricks I might be able to use? I like the idea of
the mini kegs, since they fit in a fridge and I'm low on space in my
apartment.
On a related note, I read in the latest Zymurgy that you can use
nitrogen cartriges on the taps to help create that creamy Guinness
head... Anybody done this? Where the heck would I buy a nitrogen
cartridge, do grocery stores carry such things?
>>>>>>
I don't use mine anymore since switching to corny's, but I recall that you
prime
a 5 gal. batch with about 1/3 cup sugar at most.
I have tried nitrogen oxide (whippets?) cartridges for my stouts in the past,
and boy did they turn out great. I just got them from my local HB store, so I
wouldn't know where else to find them.
brian
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From: korz at pubs.ih.lucent.com
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 96 14:49:06 CDT
Subject: decoctions and lagering
Mike writes:
>However, in his article, _Decoction Pros and Cons_, posted to Homebrew Digest
>#1906 on 12/11/95, A.J. deLange (ajdel at interramp.com) lists as a con:
>
>> 5. Extracts tannins as grains are boiled.
>
> He then states:
>
>>Note that tannin extraction has been listed as a pro and a con. The good
>>news is that some of it is complexed and dropped in the decoction and that
>>as the tannins have been largely extracted in the decoctions one need not
>>be so careful about sparge temperature and pH. The bad news is that the
>>tannins have been released and long lagering is usually required for them
>>to drop out. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> I've heard decoction mashing suggested for many beers in which you
>want a fuller malt profile, including Pale Ales (see Marc de Jonge's mini-FAQ
>posted at The Brewery). But is it worth doing if you don't have a full
>lagering setup? If you don't lager, aren't you just asking for astringent
>(albeit malty) beer? Or does proper pH monitoring avoid the need for long
>lagering?
I think you've hit the nail on the head Mike. I recently did a single-
decoction Bohemian Pilsner and although the beer needed 8 weeks of lagering
for the yeast's sulfury aroma to dissipate, there was no astringency you
would expect from a high levels of tannins, even after only two weeks of
lagering. I was careful to make sure the pH of the mash was in the low 5's
(I did not have to adjust -- it was there naturally -- 1/2 Chicago tapwater,
1/2 distilled) before cooking. The long lagering may be necessary for the
blasted Czech Pilsner yeast to settle, though! I split the batch and fined
with Bentonite, Isinglass, Gelatin and Polyclar. All four basically were
the same clarity (not crystal clear like filtered, but not murky like the
unfined beer) and the same flavour.
Alas, 1/2 Chicago water and 1/2 distilled was still too much sulphate
for a Bohemian Pils, the first-wort-hopping give me all hop flavour and
virtually no hop aroma and I undershot the IBUs by about 10 (I got about
30 rather than the 40 I was shooting for), so the beer was drinkable, but
not a great Bohemian Pils.
Al.
Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korzonas at lucent.com
Copyright 1996 Al Korzonas
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