(formerly Volume 02 : Number 001)


Contents:
  HBD technical difficulties
  The HBD Returns!!!
  Check
  Good brewing burner?
  Beer aging
  Re: Good brewing burner?


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Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 17:26:44 -0700
From: Melinda Bywaters <melinda at aob.org>
Subject: HBD technical difficulties

The Homebrew Digest has been experiencing growing pains. The Association
of Brewers (AOB) became home to a much smaller Digest in June of 1996
and has been working to keep up with the growth ever since. On November
20 growth-related technical difficulties forced temporary shutdown of
the Digest.

The ever-increasing number of subscribers and volume of messages
overloaded the AOB's computer systems. Both hardware and software
problems have been diagnosed and corrected. The Digest will be
relocating within the next two months to a site with dedicated computing
power that is able to handle the forum's increased growth. The AOB will
continue to support the Digest until it moves to its new location and
will work closely with the new site to ensure a transparent transition
for subscribers.

The Digest has doubled in size during the past six months from 2,500
subscribers to more than 5,000. The AOB is committed to keeping the
Digest up and running as a service for the homebrewing community, but
are unable to provide the service from their computer system. 

We, at the Association of Brewers, regret any inconvenience the Homebrew
Digest's technical difficulties have caused subscribers.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Melinda W. Bywaters, M.A.
Association of Brewers, Marketing Communications

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Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 15:37:56 -0700 (MST)
From: Dionysus <dionysus at dionysus.aob.org>
Subject: The HBD Returns!!!

Welcome to the first issue of Volume II of the Home Brewer's Digest.
Because we rebuilt the server, things might look a little bit different,
but we're sure that you'll find it works much better and is everything you
expect of the HBD.

To provide a summary of the basic commands available to you:

To post a message to the digest, send your message to <homebrew at aob.org>.
It will be resent to any of the list subscribers, and it will also appear
in the next digest (two totally separate functions).

To subscribe to the list or to the digest: 

	Send a message to <majordomo at aob.org> with the text "subscribe
	<listname> " in the body of the message, where <listname> is
	either "homebrew" (the list) or "homebrew-digest" (the digest
	version of the list).

To unsubscribe from the list or the digest:

	Send a message to <majordomo at aob.org> with the text "unsubscribe
	<listname> <your email address>" in the body of the message, where
	<listname> is either "homebrew" or "homebrew-digest", depending on
	which you're subscribed to.

To receive a listing of the archived digests available for download:

	Send a message to <majordomo at aob.org> with the text "index 
	homebrew" in the body of the message.  NOTE:  The "index" and
	subsequent "get" commands are only available to people who 
	are subscribed to the list.

To receive a list of other commands available to you:

	Send a message  to <majordomo at aob.org> with the text "help" in
	the body of your message.

To report any difficulties experienced with the list:

	Send a message to <owner-homebrew at aob.org> with a description of
	your problem.

The digest will be sent out when it reaches 1500 lines in length, or once
a day, whichever comes first.  

I know that there has been some confusion over who is subscribed to the
list and who has unsubscribed, et cetera, and we apologize for that.  At
this point we have put together what we believe is the most up-to-date
list available.  If you have unsubscribed in the past and are still on the
list, please unsubscribe again (see above for how to do this).  If you
were on the list and somehow have been dropped, we also apologize.  Please
resubscribe, and you will see that the problems have been resolved.

If there are any questions or concerns, please send mail to
<owner-homebrew at aob.org> for resolution.

We thank you all for your patience, and we wish you happy brewing!

The Association Of Brewers
http://www.beertown.org

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Date: 06 Dec 96 10:08:44 EST
From: "David R. Burley" <103164.3202 at CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Check

Hallo,

Are you still there?

Keep on brewin'


Dave Burley
Kinnelon, NJ 07405
103164.3202 at compuserve.com
Voice e-mail OK

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Date: Fri, 6 Dec 96 07:18:03 PST
From: hollen at vigra.com
Subject: Good brewing burner?

When looking for a good burner for brewing, what should be looked for
and what is available?

dion

- -- 
Dion Hollenbeck (619)597-7080x164                 Email: hollen at vigra.com
                                             http://www.vigra.com/~hollen
Sr. Software Engineer - Vigra Div. of Visicom Labs  San Diego, California

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Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 09:22:38 -0600
From: Jay Reeves <jay at ro.com>
Subject: Beer aging

Does anyone have any recommendations or guidelines,
other than by taste, on how long various styles of beer
should be aged?  I know you're looking for the flavors
to blend and mellow some, but I'm looking for some
kind of time frame for say pale ales, ambers, and darks.

                        -Jay Reeves
                        Huntsville, Alabama

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Date: Fri, 6 Dec 96 07:32:14 PST
From: hollen at vigra.com
Subject: Re: Good brewing burner?

>> hollen  writes:

dion> When looking for a good burner for brewing, what should be
dion> looked for and what is available?

Several factors should be considered.  First, it must have a high
enough BTU rating (get hot enough) that it does not take an overly
long time to bring your wort to a boil.  This will depend on 1) the
volume you boil, and 2) to some degree, your patience.  You can use a
very low BTU burner (35K BTU) if you are patient.  The second factor,
and IMHO, the most important, is the burner controllable.  The 170K
BTU Jet burners, while they may be very hot and get the wort boiling
very quickly, are not as controllable on the simmer as other burners
which are available.  They will boil your wort faster than any of the
other commonly available burners, but may scorch it, or may boil it
too fast during the boil.

Burners which are available:

All sorts of "cajun cooker" burners meant for seafood cooking which
are generally the jet type and usually come with an aluminum pot and
legs. 

Superior cast ring burners which are really nice burners, but unless
you go with someone and buy a few, the price will be way over $90
each. 

Many restaurant supply houses have natural gas ring burners, but the
price will be high.

In my estimation, the widest range of burners for the least amount of
money is made by Metal Fusion.  You can buy anything they sell
directly from them, but you will pay full "list price".  You can buy
many different ones of their burners from homebrew shops.  They have
the King Kooker which comes in both the jet burner and ring burner
style and puts out 135K BTU for ring and 170K BTU for jet.  They come
on tall stands, shorts stands, round stands and square stands.  Metal
Fusion will sell individual pieces, like just ring burner and gas
regulator if you are building one into a stand.

THE BEST DEAL GOING:

Cabela's 800-237-4444
Kamp Kooker  by Metal Fusion
Spring 1994 catalog page 161
Outdoor Cooker 136k BTU
Single Burner Unit  AE-50402-000   $49.95
Double burner unit  AE-50403-000   $84.95
30" extensions legs AE-50536-200   $19.95

Fits keg perfectly, 8" high and about 12" square, also fits any sort
of pot because of the grate they use over the burner.  It is complete
and needs nothing but a propane bottle.


This is the one I use and am quite happy with it.  I have called Metal
Fusion when I first got my burner from Cabela's because one part was
missing.  They sent it out with no charge and no questions asked other
than my name and address.  When my burner was sooting up the bottom of
the pot, they sent me out a whole new burner assembly free of charge.
When I wanted to switch from propane to natural gas, one of their
technical people talked to me for 15 minutes discussing the options.
These people are one of the best companies I have ever had to deal
with.  I have no financial interest in Metal Fusion, I am just a
*very* satisfied customer.  If you need, they can even build special
stands for you (but that will cost a lot, but you know it will be done
right).

dion

- -- 
Dion Hollenbeck (619)597-7080x164                 Email: hollen at vigra.com
                                             http://www.vigra.com/~hollen
Sr. Software Engineer - Vigra Div. of Visicom Labs  San Diego, California

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End of HOMEBREW Digest #2281