---

   FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
        Shawn Steele, Digest Janitor
        Thanks to Rob Gardner for making the digest happen!

Contents:
  Scientific Discoveries Minimize Aging (DHEA) (health at moneyworld.com)
  dry stouts? ("The People, Jones")
  Malting raw barley? ((Bill Anderson))
  yeast & chill haze ("Keith Royster")
  Wyeast 3944, or How much longer does this go on?? ((Mike Kidulich))
  Building Three Tier stand (Steven Biggins)
  Heavy Science (Jack Schmidling)
  painted-on labels / Neptune 66 (Gregory King)
  5L Minikeg Tap(s) (William D Gladden )
  Hot box for fermenting ((William P Giffin))
  missed issue ("The People, Jones")
  HBD oops ((Shawn Steele))

For SUBMISSIONS to be published, send mail to:
  homebrew at aob.org
For (UN)SUBSCRIBE requests, send mail to:
  homebrew-digest-request@ aob.org
  and include only subscribe or unsubscribe in the body of the message.

Please note that if subscribed via BEER-L, you must unsubscribe by sending
  a one line e-mail to listserv at ua1vm.ua.edu that says: UNSUB BEER-L
If your address is changing, please unsubscribe from the old address and
  then subscribe from the new address.
If your account is being deleted, please be courteous and unsubscribe first.
For technical problems send e-mail to the Digest Janitor, shawn at aob.org.

OTHER HOMEBREW INFORMATION
  http://www.aob.org/aob - The AHA's web site.
  http://alpha.rollanet.org - "The Brewery" and the Cat's Meow Archives.
  info at aob.org - automated e-mail homebrewing information.

ARCHIVES:
  At ftp.stanford.edu in /pub/clubs/homebrew/beer via anonymous ftp.  Also
  http://alpha.rollanet.org on the web and at majordomo at aob.org by e-mail.


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

From: health at moneyworld.com
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 96 19:38:06 GMT
Subject: Scientific Discoveries Minimize Aging (DHEA)

http://dhea.natureplus.com 
 
Take advantage of the amazing benefits of DHEA. In the search for the 
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, DHEA is a must README. 
 
"I can't wait 30 More years for the National Institute on Aging to 
save my ass." says Dr. Regelson, a leading DHEA researcher. 
 
Click on:  http://dhea.natureplus.com 

Return to table of contents


From: "The People, Jones" <ltjones at ipa.net>
Date: Sun, 04 Aug 1996 00:55:17 -0700
Subject: dry stouts?

I have been trying for about three and half years to brew a dry stout 
that resembles the flavor of Beamish, Murphey's, or Guinness. They all 
three have that very bitter dry roastd barley flavor. Many American 
Micobrewed stouts have aftertastes of too much hops, too much malt, too 
sweet etc. I realize that nitrogenated heads change the flavor in ales 
but I have noticed that even in the Guinness and Beamish carbonated 
bottle versions that there is a distinctively dryer flavor. In all my 
attempts to homebrew such a stout I have usually been plagued by an 
aftertaste that is too malty or vanilla like. Here is what I have tried 
different after much advice to rememdy it still no success. 
 
I have tried both dry yeast and the Wyeast 1084. I have used various 
different stout kits and/or dark syrup malts. I have tried extra hopping 
and less. with aromatic hops and without. I have brewed at lower 
temperartures 65-70 degress too avoid ester fruit excessiveness. Longer 
and shorter fermentation periods watching and ignoring O.G and T.G. 
readings. In the various stout kits I have used Mount Mellick, 
Laagerland, Munton and Fisson, Black Rock. Rock Miner, Edme, Glenbrew, 
and John Bull hopped and unhopped extract. Still despite all this I get a 
brew that when it is put in the secondary fermenter taste like a good 
flat guinness or Beamish and especially right before bottling or piggy 
kegging but after bottling there is that sweet or malty aftertaste. I am 
careful about sanitation and have carbonated with too much, just right 
and too little corn sugar. What can I do to avoid the malty vanilla 
flavor? Some suggestions have been use only light extracts and get the 
dark color and roast flaovr from the specialty grains (I generally use 
about a pound of roast barely to a five gallon batch). The use of the 
light extract some say may cut down on residual nonfermetable sugars and 
other flavors left by dark extracts (how could a sugar not ferment with 
good yeast?) Does anyone have a suggestion on how to make a full extract 
brew that is free of the malty vanilla aftertaste? I know Guinnes uses 3% 
sour additive but that doesn't explain Beamish or murphey's. Has anyone 
noticed this flaovr problem with their stoput brewing? please either post 
a reply or better yet E-mail with the solution. I only wish to brew a 
stout or porter and one that is free of this aftertaste. I have done very 
little brewing in the last year and may well stop as long as I keep 
buying Guinness because I can't get close to it at homebrewing. Help 
please. 
 
Larry Jones 
Ft. Smith, Arkansas 

Return to table of contents


From: anderson at terminal.cz (Bill Anderson)
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 1996 15:32:30 +0200
Subject: Malting raw barley?

I have the sanctioned opportunity to glean (steal) as much raw barley as my 
heart desires. In these fields, I have a choice of 3 kinds of barley, all 
of which are 2-row. One is a deep copper color, one a medium amber, and the 
last is very pale (almost like beach sand). They come with untranslatable 
Czech names. 
 
Does anyone have any comments or suggestions regarding these barleys and 
their individual malting requirements? Is any one strain better for 
fullbodies beers and ales? Do you have any tips/techniques? 
 
Thank you, 
- -Bill Anderson 
Tentative Maltmeister 
 
P.S. Thank you all for generously providing so much information regarding 
my quest for HB supplies in Central Europe. Your help was invaluable. 
 
 

Return to table of contents


From: "Keith Royster" <keith.royster at ponyexpress.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 1996 16:40:26 +0500
Subject: yeast & chill haze

I've got a question for my fellow HBDers today that has to do with 
yeast & chill haze. 
 
Many of my beers "suffer" from varying degrees of chill haze, but I 
typically don't let it bother me.  I've also starting saving the 
yeast sediment from the bottom of my primary in a capped 12oz beer 
bottle stuck in the coldest part of my fridge. 
 
Recently I noticed, after the yeast settled in these bottles, that 
the beer in the top inch or three of these bottles (over the very 
large layer of yeast) is exceptionally clear.  And this is the same 
beer that otherwise had noticable chill haze when poured from the keg 
at warmer temps. Is there some possible connection between the 
quantity of yeast and elimination of chill haze? Is the yeast 
possibly acting as a fining agent by attracting the haze forming 
components and settling them out? 
 
 
Keith Royster - Keith.Royster at ponyexpress.com 
 at your.service - http://dezines.com/ at your.service 
 Web Services - Starting at just $60 per YEAR! 
  Voice & Fax - (704) 663-1098 

Return to table of contents


From: mjkid at ix.netcom.com (Mike Kidulich)
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 04:18:45 GMT
Subject: Wyeast 3944, or How much longer does this go on??

I Brewed a Belgian  Wit end of June. I pitched a 1 qt. Starter of 
Wyeast 3944 (Belgian White Ale), to well aerated wort. Got extremely 
vigorous fermentation, started in about 6 hours, but the beer has been 
in the secondary 5 weeks, and is still fermenting! I have a layer of 
foam still on the beer, and a continuous stream of bubbles coming from 
the bottom of the carboy. The temp is around 72F, and the OG has gone 
from 1.050 to 1.018. Is this slow of a fermentation normal for this 
yeast?? 
Mike Kidulich 
mjkid at ix.netcom.com  mjk at rfc.comm.harris.com 
DNRC Minister of Home Brewing, Relaxation, and Really Cool Toys 
Holder of Previous Knowledge O- 
 

Return to table of contents


From: Steven Biggins <sy73308 at vantage.fmr.com>
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 10:51:23 -0400
Subject: Building Three Tier stand

 
 I'm currently putting together a three tier gravity system.  I'm 
 using three converted kegs and looking for any plans on building it. 
 I would also like it to be made with steel. Any idead would be great!!! 

Return to table of contents


From: Jack Schmidling <arf at mc.net>
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 09:34:52 -0700
Subject: Heavy Science

This probably is not news to many folks but I found it interesting 
enough to do again. 
 
I forgot to hold out a gallon of wort from the last batch so rather 
than brew up a starter batch, I thought I would just take a fling at 
using the sludge from the previous batch.  I never do this and always 
start with a new slant for each batch.  I attribute the constistancy 
of my beer to always using new yeast. 
 
Well, I could not believe my eye when, two hours after pitching there 
was an inch of foam on the top and the beer (a lager) is ready to keg 
after 10 days. 
 
This brings me back to my aerations study a few years ago wherein I 
concluded that pitching lots of yeast has more impact on the onset 
of fermentation than any aeration one could possibly do.  The idea 
has been reinforced in spades. 
 
js 
 
- -- 
Visit our WEB pages:  http://dezines.com/ at your.service/jsp/ 
 

Return to table of contents


From: Gregory King <GKING at ARSERRC.Gov>
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 12:15:57 -0500 (EST)
Subject: painted-on labels / Neptune 66

Greetings HBDers, 
 
I've got two unrelated questions you might be able to help me with.  Firstly, 
do any of you have a tried-and-true (and easy) way to remove painted-on 
labels from bottles (e.g. Rogue bottles)? 
 
Secondly, I recently tried an ale called Neptune 66.  This ale has a sort of 
bready flavor component that I wasn't that crazy about.  Do any of you know 
what ingredient might be responsible for this flavor?  (flaked barley?) 
 
TIA, 
 
Greg King 
gking at arserrc.gov 
 

Return to table of contents


From: William D Gladden <W_GLADDEN at Mail.Co.Chester.PA.US>
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 11:51:50 -0500
Subject: 5L Minikeg Tap(s)

I'd appreciate hearing from 5L minikeggers to learn how satisfied 
(or not) they are with their taps.  In reviewing on-line catalogs 
I have seen several options .... air pump, and CO2 (plastic and 
metal [Beer King and Party Star De Luxe]).  Since I try very hard 
to avoid getting air in my wort/beer, I've ruled out buying a tap 
that puts air into the beer on purpose.  Other than that, I 
dunno.  Public or private e-mail is fine.  If I get lots of 
private responses I'll summarize and post.  Thanks. 
 
Bill Gladden 
<W_GLADDEN at Mail.Co.Chester.PA.US> 
 

Return to table of contents


From: bill-giffin at juno.com (William P Giffin)
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 13:15:16 cst
Subject: Hot box for fermenting

Good morning all, 
 
With it going to be in the 90s here in Maine it may seem strange to be 
talking about a hot box.  Here in Maine even in the summer time there is 
too much variance in the temperature to keep the yeast happy during 
fermentation. 
 
In the winter time my house is on an automatic thermostat so the 
temperature in the living areas of the house vary by more then ten 
degrees with changes happening twice a day and my basement gets down to 
45 F the yeast didn't like the change so I built a hot box with an 
electric heater set on 800 watts to keep the yeast happy. 
 
The box I use is 4x4x2 feet with a slatted shelf about a foot off the 
floor and insulated with 1 1/2" foam.  The door rather then being hinged 
is a sheet of foam with a backing of 1/4" plywood held at the bottom with 
notches and at the top by a board the width of the door held to the box 
by springs.  A door on hinges would require more space to open then most 
of us have. 
 
The box is large enough so that it can adsorb some of the heat of the 
fermentation without over heating, as the yeast of a couple of carboys 
can generate quite a bit of heat.  It is possible to overheat your 
primary fermentation by using a carboy wrap, the carboy can't rid itself 
of enough heat to maintain proper temperature. 
 
I did a Trippel which was fermented in the box at 80 F that turned out 
very nicely using Wyeast 1214.  The beer didn't have a lot of banana 
ester which I think was as a result of the high primary temperature; 
secondary was also at 80 F.  I then bottle conditioned this beer with a 
fresh shot of yeast and conditioned it at 90 F in the bottle for a week. 
 
Yeast Labs Canadian yeast will generate a lot of acetaldehyde when it is 
fermented below 70 F; yet when fermented above 75 F much of the 
acetaldehyde I assume was blown off and it made much nicer beer. 
 
The hot box made it possible to brew the above beers as here in Maine it 
is hard to get more then 10 hours at 75 F let alone a week. 
 
Bill 

Return to table of contents


From: "The People, Jones" <ltjones at ipa.net>
Date: Sun, 04 Aug 1996 00:47:59 -0700
Subject: missed issue

The Saturday night (August 3rd) message that came out was my first 
newsletter message. In attempting to store my machine erased it. Is there 
a way to get that newsletter or is it gone forever? 
 
Larry Jones 
Arkansas 

Return to table of contents


From: shawn at aob.org (Shawn Steele)
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 13:38:21 -0600
Subject: HBD oops

Sorry about that, but our e-mail crashed while I was at vacation. 
Hopefully all is better now. 
 
- - shawn 
Digest Janitor 

Return to table of contents