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

Contents:
  Liquid Yeasts (David Baer)
  My experience with lager yeast... (m20502)
  Kegging systems for the home

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Date: Wed, 7 Dec 88 09:04:15 PST
From: dsbaer at Sun.COM (David Baer)
Subject: Liquid Yeasts

I have used William's Liquid Yeast and have had 
great success. There are 8 or so different yeasts
available, but I have only used their American Lager.  
My understanding is the product is packaged by WYEAST 
so any reputation that WYEAST carries should be extended 
to William's yeasts.  

One thing I have noticed about the American Lager is it 
doesn't ferment the brews as much as dry yeast so there 
tends to be a residual sweetness that requires extra hops 
to balance this sweetness.  Regardless, the flavor of my 
brews have been clean and the yeast has settled to crystal
clarity.  I recommend culturing these yeasts in agar so the 
cost per brew goes way down.  I have stretched one packet of 
liquid yeast to make 5 batches of beer.  If any one is
interested in culturing yeasts I would be glad to post 
more information. 

Dave Baer 
Sun Microsystems

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Date: Thu, 8 Dec 88 17:07:01 EST
From: m20502 at d82vms.mitre.org
Subject: My experience with lager yeast...

	I mad a couple of octoberfest batches using the Vierka (sp?)
lager yeast. In both cases the wort sat for almost FOUR days before 
anything happend. Laziness set in before I used it for radiator 
coolant, and I was supprized to find that it was fermenting upon 
close inspection on the fifth day. The next day the yeast was 'going'
strong. The results: 1 batch of octoberfest that 'became' a continental
dark, and the other lived up to the recipe. 
	I have heard other stories of late blooming lager yeast. 
particularly Vierka (sp?). I used no fancy chillers or any medium
technology. I simply put the wort in a cool winter's attic next to
the ice climbing gear for company.

					Matt Harris

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Date: Thu, 8 Dec 88 16:50:42 mst
From: Bo Viger <bo at hpfcrjn>
Full-Name: Bo Viger
Subject: Kegging systems for the home

OK. I've had it. No more bottling for this guy. After 14 batches of beer, I've
come to the conclusion that I love to cook up a decent wort, but hate to clean,
fill, and cap my bottles of beer.

Having bartered myself into possession of a surprisingly decent second frig,
I've come to the conclusion I'd like to do more than just lager my beer; I'd
like to dispense it as a draught beer via a pressure-regulated kegging system.

The logical system would contain a stainless-steel keg (3-5 gallon), a CO2
charging bottle, a pressure regulator with gauges, a beer tap (preferrably
built into/onto the door of the frig :-) and the various fittings and hoses.

Zymurgy runs an ad by the Brass Corkscrew, a kegging supplier in Seattle. I 
just received their catalog and, if nothing else, was impressed with the
completeness of their offerings: kegs, regulators, CO2 bottles, fittings, 
beer faucets, EVERYTHING!

Their lowest priced, complete kegging system had a 5-gallon Cornelius keg
(Spartan), a dual-gauge CO2 regulator and a reconditioned 5 lb. CO2 cylinder
(full), all for $170. While I might be able to justify this type of investment
to forever after avoid bottling (except for contests), I thought I'd continue
to investigate before making a final decision.

1. Has anyone out there purchased one of the Brass Corkscrew's kegging systems?
   How do you like it? Was the value received worth the price?

2. Is it likely I could find some of the major components such as the Cornelius
   keg or the CO2 bottle from a local supplier or restaurant for much less?
   If so, ordering just the regulator ($40) and some fittings/hoses could get
   one an equivalent system for much less than $170.

3. Does anyone use a kegging system of their own design? How much did you
   invest and do you prefer it over bottling?

Thanks in advance to any of you who offer information or advice on this matter.

Bo Viger, Brewer of BeauBrau

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End of HOMEBREW Digest
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