HOMEBREW Digest #2360 Thu 27 February 1997
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FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@ brew.oeonline.com
Many thanks to the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers of
Livonia, Michigan for sponsoring the Homebrew Digest.
URL: http://www.oeonline.com
Contents:
1997 Moon Madness Homebrew Competition ("Mark S. Johnston")
Beer Bread (John C Peterson)
Tons of Trub ("Greg Porter")
Splitting CO2 to multiple kegs (scotty)
Thank You Charlie !! (John Higdon)
Re: Quit Bitching About the AHA??? (John Sullivan)
? about SA Cranberry Lambic ("Mark D. Johnson")
Hop age (Jay Reeves)
Carbonation ("David R. Burley")
Blending Beers (Old-time Porter) (MaltyDog)
re:Inverted Decoction Mash & denaturing enzymes (Steve Alexander)
AOB/AHA (Bill Giffin)
Iodophor,betadine and stainless steel (Ian Smith)
RE: Fermenting in 10gal Corny? (John Wilkinson)
Coopers Sparkling (DAVE SAPSIS)
William's Brewing # (John Goldthwaite)
pale ale lite? ("Bryan L. Gros")
AOB/AHA ("Louis K. Bonham")
B-Brite ("Michael T. Bell")
Last Call for Homebrew Competition Entries (Randy Reed) (Esbitter)
how to homebrew Miso (Mutsuo Hoshido)
Zymurgy mag/bottling yeast/etc. (smurman)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 19:20:17 -0500
From: "Mark S. Johnston" <msjohnst at talon.net>
Subject: 1997 Moon Madness Homebrew Competition
Just a reminder that entries for this year's Moon Madness competition are
due at the drop-off points by Feb 26.
UPDATE: Mail-in entries will be accepted at Brew-Ha-Ha through March 1.
We still need judges. The competition will be held on March 8 at the
Market House Pub/Pretzel City Brewing Co. in Reading, PA.
Email msjohnst at talon.net for additional info.
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 19:22:42 EST
From: petersonj1 at juno.com (John C Peterson)
Subject: Beer Bread
About six weeks ago I posted the Beer Bread recipe as well. My wife and
I have "created" an excellent recipe using the bottom remains off of the
first fermentation. After many trials we have found that you need to add
one packet of breed yeast to the beer yeast. We didn't try and culture
the yeast to up the cell count though.
If you want a copy email me or visit my home(brew) page below. Please
pardon the dust though.
John C. Peterson
Aurora, Colorado
petersonj1 at juno.com
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/6841
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 22:26:32 -0500
From: "Greg Porter" <porter at jane.penn.com>
Subject: Tons of Trub
After cooling the boil and letting the pot settle for a while, I went to
siphon into the fermenter but found Tons of Trub! There was only an inch of
clear wort, with at least 6" of glop under that. After my choreboy strainer
clogged up (after less than 1 quart siphoned) I wound up pouring everything
thru a nylon grain bag to strain out what I could. Still wound up with
about 3" of trub in the bottom of a 5 gallon carboy after settling
overnight. What can cause this? Here are the specifics of the Partial Mash
batch:
Mashed 2 lbs of Great Western 2-row malt with 1/2 lb crystal and 1/4 lb
carapils at 152 degrees for 1hour. After sparging into brewpot, added 6
lbs pale liquid extract and water to make about 4 gallons (in my 5 gal pot,
not a full batch boil). I used whole hops, and added re-hydrated Irish
moss with 20 in. left in the 1 hour boil. Cooled in a sink full of ice
water and let settle for an hour or so. Got tons of trub.
I don't understand the books that say to whirlpool the wort and draw off
the clear stuff from the sides. There is very little clear stuff, and
whirlpooling does nothing. Choreboy strainers or other devices clog up
almost immediately.
Any Ideas?? maybe water chemistry? Maybe my mash thermometer was off. I
have never checked my water composition and dont have anything to check or
adjust water pH. My extract only batches did not have this much trub, but
still clogged up any attempt at siphoning off and leaving trub and hops
behind.
Cheers,
the Pale Ale Face.
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 23:43:05 +0000
From: scotty at enaila.nidlink.com
Subject: Splitting CO2 to multiple kegs
Hello all. I have recently upgraded to 2 corny kegs in my beer
fridge. I would like to know the best way for splitting the CO2 from
my regulator to service both kegs. I actually would like 3 outputs.
(2 kegs and CPBF). I have seen plastic or brass 'Y' s for the gas
line. Is there another option? Can I replace the single output on
my regulator with a multiple outlet set up which will operate the
lines independantly? I know the entire system will have to be at the
same pressure. I would like to be able to shut each line off if
needed. Any help is appreciated. Private email is fine.
Thank You,
Scott Rohlf
scotty at nidlink.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 06:46:41 -0500
From: John Higdon <gadfly at bellatlantic.net>
Subject: Thank You Charlie !!
Dear Charlie,
I have recently returned to my interest in homebrewing after a 4 year
absence. The changes and improvements that have occurred in equipment,
processes, and information during that period has been fantastic. The
WEB has made an incredible impact as I can now find information from
sites from around the world. It wasn't always this way.
I discovered homebrew kits in the early 70's when home wine kits became
a fad. I first attempted homebrewing in 1974 when I brewed my first
batch in my bedroom in a trash bin with a plastic bag as an air lock.
At that time, it was still not legal to make homebrew. After many of
the home wine stores in Maryland soon folded up, supplies and
information were next to impossible to procure. By necessity, I gave up
the hobby. However in 1983, I discovered a candy store near my home
that carried a few homebrew supplies. How sweet it was! I purchased a
book from them entitled "The New Revised and More Joy of Brewing" by
Charlie Papazian. What a weird a book! I was hooked again. Membership in
the AHA and Zymurgy soon followed and I attended AHA conferences in D.C.
and Philadelphia.
So much had evolved since 1974. Why? CHARLIE PAPAZIAN !!! Who? CHARLIE
PAPAZIAN !!!! That weird guy who "is not married, occasionally flosses
his teeth, loves pies and urges everyone". Why then in 1997 are you
under such an attack? My analysis of the "threads" on the HBD tells me
that it is nothing more that envy and pettiness. I for one don't care
what salary you garner or what trips you take. Every successful
entrepreneur who takes the risks and builds up an entity has the right
to partake in the fruits of his or her success. As an AHA "member", I
see myself as nothing more that a customer. If I see the value in the
goods or services provided, I will come back for more. When I take my
clothes to the cleaners, I don't get upset if I find out that the owner
is making money off of my dirty laundry and taking trips to China. If
that bothers me I should go elsewhere. Everyone out there who has a
"bitch" should do the same and quit the "shucking and jiving" and move
on. I am sure that if they are so upset that they have probably already
done so. Let them go and leave us in peace! As for me, I believe that
the homebrew industry in the US and around the world is and should
remain indebted to the AHA and CHARLIE PAPAZIAN !!
Keep up the good work!
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 06:12:50 -0800
From: John Sullivan <sullvan at anet-stl.com>
Subject: Re: Quit Bitching About the AHA???
Terry White states for the record:
"I, for one, am getting sick of the constant complaining about the AHA
and Charlie. If you don't feel that you are getting your moneys worth
from the AHA then leave, no one is holding a gun to your head. I
personally think that the AHA has done a great job. Through their
publications and the efforts of Charlie they have promoted the hobby of
homebrewing for 20 years now. It is safe to say that if it weren't for
the AHA a lot of us would not even be brewing today. So, like I said if
you don't like the AHA then don't be a member. Or you could start your
own Association, quit your nice comfortable day job and work long hours
for little money and when things finally start to come together and you
can take a decent salary you can put up with the constant whinning from
a group of people that probably have never run anything but their mouth.
The common thread seems to be that there are a few people out there who
want to have some control over the AHA. I have sat and read people argue
for a month about weather it is better to have the water go in the top
or the bottom of your wort chiller. How would anything ever get done?
Charlie started the AHA and I think he deserves any compensation he
gets, have you ever checked out the salary of other heads of non profit
organizations, $100,000 is not out of line. So quit your whinning and
make some beer."
And we should all quit complaining about the phone company when we don't
like what they do also. Just go get another carrier right? How about
your local grocer? If he doesn't carry what you like or treats you like
shit, don't complain. Just find another grocer. Customers are the
success of any organization. Any organization that is not truly customer
driven is lost and the AHA is lost right now. No one has said that the
AHA was not important to homebrewing or does not deserve credit for
homebrewing as it is today. Quite the contrary is true and that is why
people are upset. The AHA has always relied upon its customers (i.e.,
members) to provide articles for publication, to run regional
competitions, to do unpaid research, etc. The AHA needs to truly listen
to its membership (i.e., customers) and become a customer-driven
organization. Perhaps the AHA should be required to change its status
from non-profit to profit. Then they can make all decisions themselves
(along with their stockholders...if anyone would be so foolish) and do as
they wish and pay themselves as they wish. This is a partnership whether
you like it or not and the AHA will not survive without its customers.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 08:35:22 -0500 (EST)
From: "Mark D. Johnson" <mdjohnso at cs.millersv.edu>
Subject: ? about SA Cranberry Lambic
My girlfriend and I picked up a case of Sam Adams CranLambic (Does Ocean
Spray have a version?) last week. It was on clearance for 14.99 a case.
My girfriend said that she had it before and liked it. Anyway, we got it
home and it had a smell reminiscant(sp) of stewed tomatoes. Is this beer
still good and I just don't like it, or is it bad. The best-before date
is 3/97.
Thanks, i know this isn't brew-related, but it is still beer related.
But on a brew-related comment, what exactly is a Lambic, anyway?
- --Mark
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 08:18:23 -0600
From: jay at ro.com (Jay Reeves)
Subject: Hop age
Data for hop AA loss is usually specified as a loss percentage
over a six (6) month period stored at 20C (68F). Does anyone
have any data as to approximately how much of a reduction in
this "loss percentage" occurs when the hops are stored below
0C (32F)?
On another note: I saw a shampoo in the store that claims to
use "Hops, Almonds, & Apricots". I tried some and it has
great HR ;^)
-Jay Reeves
Huntsville, Alabama
Return to table of contents
Date: 25 Feb 97 09:42:00 EST
From: "David R. Burley" <103164.3202 at CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Carbonation
Brewsters,
> mile high. If the carbonation is fine here will it be deminished at sea
> level? this carbonation thing has left me slack and agape. Any ideas??
>
Robert Waddell in his plight to enter a sea level contest from mile high
Colorado was criticized for his flat mead and has confirmed my observations that
the carbonation sugar amount suggested by Charlie Papazian (also from mile high
CO) is not sufficient for those of us living in less lofty climes. I recently
confirmed this again by opening some excellent-tasting commercal micro brewed
and bottled beer sent to me from Colorado via UPS. Not exactly flat, but I'm
sure it was much better in Colorado. Message is, if you're at sea level or
nearly so, six or more ounces ( weight) of sugar/5gal is the right level for
priming bottles, ten ounces if you serve it very cold and like fizzy beers.
Don't be afraid to experiment on this, depending on the temperature and altitude
at which the beer will be consumed.
- -----------------------------------------
Keep on brewin'
Dave Burley
Kinnelon, NJ 07405
103164.3202 at compuserve.com
Voice e-mail OK
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 10:01:07 -0500 (EST)
From: MaltyDog at aol.com
Subject: Blending Beers (Old-time Porter)
It was interesting to hear from Graham Wheeler in follow-up on his previous
articles on porter history. He mentions Guiness and Rodenbach as among the
few current practioners of blended, aged beers. I was wondering about Greene
King's Strong Suffolk (or is it Suffolk Strong, I know they're two different
beers) that I have read about in Michael Jackson's books a couple of times.
>From what I've heard of about is, it sound very much like a traditional
porter.
In a related matter, some time ago, after reading about Old Ales in an
article in Brewing Techniques a couple of years ago, which discussed the high
acidity, as well as high gravity and high hopping of the original Old Ales of
the 1800's. I wondered how I could duplicate the flavor of these beers, with
all of these elements in a high proportion. I came up with my own blend,
which I call the Footenbach: 50% Rodenbach Grand Cru, 50% Big Foot. It's a
pretty amazing tasting beer, one I would be proud to make mayself; the
maltiness, hoppiness, and sourness all combine to make an beer that tastes
entirely different from its component parts. I wrote a brief article about in
the newsletter for my local homebrewing club.
As I said, it would be fun to make a beer in that style; making the sour beer
correctly would be the hardest part.
Later,
Bill Coleman
MaltyDog at aol.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 10:09:27 -0500
From: Steve Alexander <stevea at clv.mcd.mot.com>
Subject: re:Inverted Decoction Mash & denaturing enzymes
Paul Niebergall asks ...
>This leads me to my next question. What exactly does "denature" mean?
>I have used the term myself many times and have enough understanding
>to know that it means the enzymes don't work any more.
Enzymes are proteins, long strings of amino acids. These strings have
a 'tertiary structure'. That is, in addition to the order of the
amino acids in the string, the string itself folds and wraps in
certains ways. As a widely recognized example, DNA is a pair of
strings of nucleic acids attached to ribose - the teriary structure is
the so called 'double helix'. Proteins can also form helical
segments, even double and triple strings - also there are more or less
straight segments and points at which the protein will fold at
specific angles.
The forces that hold a protein in it's tertiary conformation are often
relatively weak. They protein can be unwrapped or unravelled in many
ways. Heat is one, disolving the proteins in high or low pH
solutions is another. Once the tertiary structure is destroyed, the
protein is said to be denatured.
The function of an enzyme as a catalyst in various reactions is
critically dependent on its tertiary structure. This is why there is
such a high temperature dependence in enzyme catalysed reactions.
A few enzymes can reform their tertiary structure and become active
again after being inactivated by temperature. Plant alpha and beta
amylases cannot.
>But, does denature mean destroy, or is it a reversable process?
Effectively they are destroyed as enzymes.
>However, what degree of destruction (irreversable) or denaturing
>occurs to Beta amalyse at lower temperatures (relative to boiling)
>when the initial rest temperature is held at 158 F?.
Depends to a large extent on the presence of other stabilising
factors. In the mash you can count on irreversibly losing much of
your BA activity if you mash in at 158F.
> Do the little Betas recover if the temperature is
>subsequently lowered to their preferred range? Any thoughts
>out there would help.
No, tho I did see an ancient paper that indicated that BA could be
partially reconstituted by a chemical process involving H2S.
Presumeably reconstructing some of the SH bonds in the enzyme.
Steve Alexander
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 11:21:35 -0600
From: Bill Giffin <billgiffin at maine.com>
Subject: AOB/AHA
Top of the morning to ye all,
I thought the post from Charlie P was just wonderful. You just
couldn't have a better word to say about yourself even if you where at
your own funeral. Speeches like that are usually heard at the wake of a
beloved who has died. Yet Charlie P is alive and well.
So much for trash and such. The AOB is supposed to be a not for
profit organization, yet I honestly feel that under an I.R.S audit they
just might have a bit of difficulty. What do I know about things such as
these, not much I guess, but as a C.P.A. for 20+ years I sense that they
have exceeded the bounds of the law as stated in IRC 501c3.
We are headed towards a new century, yet the AOB/AHA is in a time
warp, 1960-1970+, VW mini buses, long hair, sandals you all know the
folks, many of them your parents who have long since grown up. I
think that it is time for the AOB/AHA to grow up too!!
Cathy of the AOB stated that they had a Board of Directors, great
folks. Cathy forgot to tell us who chose those great folks. Do you
think that I would be wrong to suspect that they were all picked by
someone name Charlie? You can rest assured that if Bill were in
Charlie's position Bill would pick the BOD.
I honestly don't care how much Charlie makes. I do care that they have
messed up the HBD for a period of time. I do care that because of
personal difference that they pulled out of the BJCP and caused quite a
bit of grief. I do care that it appears that they care more about their
advertisers then they do about the homebrewers in America and the
world. I care that they are more concerned with the "business" of the
AOB then the membership.
Bill
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 09:25:51 -0700 (MST)
From: Ian Smith <rela!isrs at netcom.com>
Subject: Iodophor,betadine and stainless steel
Chris North mentions that medical betadine might be OK with stainless. My
S.O. is a nurse and they have been told to limit exposure of stainless
equipment to betadine during sanitation/sterilization due to corrosion
problems. I don't know if it is different to iodophor - can someone out
there put the record straight ?
Cheers
Ian Smith
isrs at rela.uucp.netcom.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 97 12:33:50 CST
From: jwilkins at imtn.tpd.dsccc.com (John Wilkinson)
Subject: RE: Fermenting in 10gal Corny?
George Schamel wrote:
>I am considering switching to fermenting in 10 gallon corny kegs for
>health and safety reasons (broken glass and a bad back :{ ). Does
>anyone have experience with fermenting approximately 9 gallons in a
>10 gallon container? Specifically, how many gallons can one ferment
>in a 10 gallon corny without excessive blowoff?
I ferment regularly in a 10 gallon Cornelius type (actually Firestone, I think)
keg and get from 8 to 9 gallons in without problems of blowoff. My problem
has been foaming from aeration when I aerated by pouring back and forth
between sanitized buckets. I got so much foam it wouldn't all fit in the keg.
I finally just let the foam spill out to get all the liquid in I could. I
then clean up the keg after capping to try to eliminate excess infection sites.
I am using an oxygen bottle and SS airstone now and haven't had a problem.
My latest brews have been lagers at 42-44 F and the ferments have been slow
enough to not worry about blowoff from 9 gallons, even when reusing yeast from
the previous batch.
Speaking of oxygen, I use a kit from Gulfstream brewing. They recommend
opening the valve just enough to cause bubbling from the airstone but it is
difficult to see if it is bubbling. Granted, my first use was with a stout
which made it difficult to see anything in the wort even in a glass carboy,
and the next was with the SS fermenter where of course I could only see the
surface, which was already foamy from running in the chilled wort through an
aeration tube. At any rate, I blew the airstone off both times. The first I
opened the valve 3 turns instead of the recommended 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 but the
last times I just used 2 1/2 which I had done before successfully. The last
time I had just taken the stone and tubing out of the hot wort where I had
suspended it for the last 15 minutes of boil to sanitize and perhaps the
vinyl tubing was still soft. At any rate, I have had only moderate luck
with the device so far. I would like to use some type of clamp around the
tubing where the stone is inserted to help hold it on but I don't think I
have seen any clamps that small (~1/4"). Any suggestions?
Also, the latest catalog from Brewers Resource has a setup offered using a
2 micron stone and recommending 15-30 seconds for 5 gallons where Gulfstream
uses, I think, a .5 micron stone and recommends two 15 second bursts separated
by 20 minutes for the same volume. Brewers Resource goes on to say that the
15-30 seconds of O2 is equivalent to 15-30 minutes of air. If air is 20
percent O2 why wouldn't the ratio be 1:5 rather than 1:60. What am I missing?
Does anyone have any opinions on O2 oxygenation practices? Specifically, stone
pore size, flow rate, and length of time of flow?
Thanks,
John Wilkinson - Grapevine, Texas - jwilkins at imtn.dsccc.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 11:38:00 -0800
From: DAVE_SAPSIS at fire.ca.gov (DAVE SAPSIS)
Subject: Coopers Sparkling
Dana asked about Coopers Sparkling Ale about a week ago, and since
there have been no responses, I'll chime in. Anyone who is a beer fan
and who has recently been to Adelaide would do the same.
I was fortunate enough to get a personalized tour and meet with Glenn
Cooper (a 5th generation Cooper and the current director of
marketing), and although it was a very congenial and rewarding visit,
the Coopers folks are pretty cagey when it comes to releasing specific
production information.
Cooper's Sparkling is top fermented, with a mixed strain that is
present in the bottle. It is made of predominantly 2-row pale malt
that is furnished by the company's own maltings located about 50 km
north of Adelaide. South Australia and Victoria are prime malt
growing regions. I am not aware if Coopers has interests in barley
production or not. It is possible that a small percentage of high
kilned (Vienna or Munich type) malt is used, but I could not verify
this. There is no doubt, however, that they do use an appreciable
(15-20% of fermetables) amount of glucose in the Sparkling. Only Pride
of Ringwood hops are used ( a medium alpha hop that is the foundation
of the Oz hop market), to an estimated bitterness of 25 BU. I and
others speculate that no aroma hops are used. Original gravity of the
beer is estimated at about 14P (1056). The beer is no longer
fermented in the puncheon barrels, as depicted on the label. Rather,
large Stainless cylinders are used, but I could not see the bottoms to
see if they were conical. Ferment lasts about 6-8 days at 18C
(64-65). The beers are krausened with freshly fermenting beer prior to
bottling, but the specifics of this process are unknown to me. After
bottling, the beers are conditioned for 2-3 weeks prior to
distribution.
The beers taste profile can vary all over the map, and I strongly
encourage anyone who wants to know much about how it should taste to
get it fresh. When fresh, this beer has an altogether unique profile,
redolent with strong apple and pear fruit accents, and a rounded
earthy bitterness. Body is light. Conditioning is high. The yeast
in the bottle in noticeably dusty. When fresh, the yeast has a
pleasant bready-yeasty character. As the beer ages, it becomes
increasingly fusel, aldehydic, and with pronounced phenol that is
spicey-sharp and unpleasant. I had a draft sparkling in Sydney that
tasted remarkably like old and mistreated Duvel, if you can believe
that.
Of course I brought a bunch back with me, and attempted making it. I
used cultured yeast out of the bottle and domestic tow row, along with
20% glucose. My rendition came out reasonably close, but had
significantly higher banana esters, and not the rounded earthy
bitterness of the original. It resembled it, but was entirely
unremarkable compared to the real deal. One surprising thing that
arose (or more accurately fell out) from this effort, was that the
yeast strain that dominated the selection process was particularly
flocculent, to a point of being gluey at the bottom of the secondary.
I had to shake the keg to get it to cloud up, otherwise it was
completely bright.
Couple of points: The dry yeast accompanying Coopers Kits is produced
by Mowry, and is not the same as that employed by the brewery. They
asserted that the facility is currently the leading producer of liquid
malt extract in the world (as told to them by folks in the U.K.).
Much of there production is for extract (unfortunately when I got to
the brewdeck they were making hopped amber extract and thus questions
regarding grist composition, length, hopping etc, were a muddled bunch
of generalities).
They produce about 9 products, all but four are lagers. Two are
relics from their rich history: the Sparkling and their Best Extra
Stout. Coopers is currently the only remaining family owned operation
brewing significant volumes of beer in Oz. This is largely due to the
provision of Thos. Cooper to not allow any single member of the family
to sell out, and having 19 children. There is considerable state
provincial pride in their products throughout South Australia. Ale
production is increasing at about 5% per annum, despite the overall
trends toward lighter, insipid lager products. Adelaide is a lovely
city (rather like a large town) that is only a short drive to very
wonderful scenery and two very nice winegrowing/producing areas. Well
worth a visit.
Andy Walsh and I are planning on an article for Brewing Techniques on
this wonderful endemic style. All we need is some more cooperation
from the good folks at Thos. Coopers & Sons., and a little bit of time
to put it together.
Hope this has been of general interest,
cheers,
--dave
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 14:52:04 -0500 (EST)
From: ir358 at cleveland.Freenet.Edu (John Goldthwaite)
Subject: William's Brewing #
It looked like a few folks might need the William's Brewing #
in San Leandro,CA. No affiliation blah blah... Here you go:
orders-800-759-6025 phone orders-fax-800-283-2745
They do have very fine liquid extracts and the fruit flavorings
are TONS better than LD Carlson's. Tried Ld's a couple times and
they are not good. JG.
- --
BREWMOREBEER BREWMOREBEER BREWMOREBEER BREWMOREBEER BREWMOREBEER
BREWMOREBEER BREWMOREBEER BREWMOREBEER BREWMOREBEER BREWMOREBEER!
Return to table of contents
Date-warning: Date header was inserted by ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu
From: "Bryan L. Gros" <grosbl at ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu>
Subject: pale ale lite?
Tim Plummer <plummer at brick.purchase.edu> writes:
>So, my question is, if I have a low O.G., American-hopped pale ale, which
>style is it most appropriately classified to be? American Pale Ale?
>American Pale Ale LITE? If I cut back on the priming sugar a bit, could
>it be called an American Special Bitter?
1. First answer, as you mention, is to call it what you want. American
Special Bitter would be a great homebrew name.
2. Since you mentioned style guidelines, let's say you want to enter this
beer in a competition. A Pale Ale LITE might fall into the category of
blonde ale, a beer that is light bodied, light flavored with little hop
character. Blonde ale doesn't seem to have made it to the AHA styles,
but it is included in the new BJCP style guidelines. Pale Ales, as
well as english style ales, have a lot of hop character--that is, hop flavor
and aroma to go with a lot of hop bitterness. These are hoppy styles
and the balance should definately lean towards the hops. As far as
published style guidelines go, those are about your choices.
I agree that the history and nuaces of styles are fun. You're on your way
to becoming a beer judge.
- Bryan
grosbl at ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
Nashville, TN
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Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 18:00:54 -0600
From: "Louis K. Bonham" <lkbonham at phoenix.net>
Subject: AOB/AHA
Regarding Terry White's recent chiding of the critics of the AHA,
suffice it to say that I and many, many other disagree with his
assessment. For those of you still making up your own minds,
consider Martin Lodahl's recent take on this discussion (reposted
with his permission):
===============================================
[begin Lodahl r.c.b. post, which starts with a quote from another post]
> Or, if everyone has assumed the AHA is basically now just irrelevant
> and is ignoring it...which is what I concluded a couple of years ago.
Exactly my opinion. The only thing that makes this battle worthwhile
is that the community of homebrewers isn't large enough to support
two organizations that claim to represent our interests, so until the
AHA either reinvents itself or dies, we're out of luck.
- Martin
- --
Martin Lodahl of Auburn, CA
lodahl at foothill.net
Beer Brewer, Judge and Scribe
Winner of the Quill & Tankard Award
[end Lodahl post]
=========================================
I'd also note that I've received tons of e-mail from many other
"heavyweights" of the homebrewing world (including Jim
Busch, Steve Moore, and AHA "Advisors" Jeff Frane and Scott
Birdwell) echoing similar thoughts. (Most people familiar with
the homebrewing community would agree that these people have indeed
had lots of experience "running things other than [their] mouth.")
Regardless of what Mr. White thinks the AOB/AHA may have done in
the past, it remains an organization with serious problems. Until
it is even willing to address the hard questions that I and others
have asked, veteran homebrewers will continue to desert it in
droves, as they are doing now. And that's the saddest part of
all, because there's a wealth of experience and willingness to
assist in the AOB's stated mission that is being routinely flushed
in the name of protecting the featherbed.
>The common thread seems to be that there are a few people out
>there who want to have some control over the AHA. I have sat
>and read people argue for a month about weather it is better
>to have the water go in the top or the bottom of your wort
>chiller. How would anything ever get done?
Things would get done same way they are at virtually every other
member-supported nonprofit: you have a Board of Directors elected
by the members, who exercise oversight authority over and operate
as a check on the paid staff if they're going in a direction that
the membership doesn't particularly approve of (i.e., spending AOB
$ to fund Charlie's international junkets, publishing goofiness
like the recent Zymurgy special issue, attempting to take over the
BJCP, etc.). No such check exists today, which I believe is the
root of the problem.
>Charlie started the AHA and I think he deserves any compensation
>he gets, have you ever checked out the salary of other heads of non
>profit organizations, $100,000 is not out of line.
Mr. White is, of course, entitled to his opinion. Methinks that
most AHA members (and probably the IRS) would find that a
$100,000+ salary for someone with no hands-on management or
editorial duties is excessive for a nonprofit organization to
be paying.
Of course, I'm willing to listen to Charlie's explanation of why
this nonprofit should be paying him this much loot or why AHA
(and IBS) members cannot have any role in the selection of AOB
officers and directors. However, from his recent posting he's
apparently having too much fun to be bothered with these issues.
Louis K. Bonham
lkbonham at phoenix.net
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Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 20:28:41 -0600
From: "Michael T. Bell" <mikeb at flash.net>
Subject: B-Brite
A quick question for the masses. I am giving up the use of bleach in
my brewery (I know, already) and would like to know a little about B-Brite
or simaliar products from someone who has used it. I understand it is not
a sanitizer. I use Iodophor for this. Is it safe to use on vinyl tubing?
How about silicone tubing? The inards of my pump? Do you use it with hot
water or cold? How long?
Thats all folks. TIA
Michael T. Bell
Boomerdog Brewing
Arlington, TX
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Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 21:48:22 -0500 (EST)
From: Esbitter at aol.com
Subject: Last Call for Homebrew Competition Entries (Randy Reed)
Entries for the BJCP sanctioned
Second Annual South Shore Brewoff
are due March 15th!
Ribbons will be awarded and judges will receive breakfast and lunch and a
gift of appreciation. Information and entry forms can be found at the
following Boston area-south Homebrew Shops:
Witches Brew, 25 Baker St. Foxboro, MA (508)-543-0433
Barleycorn Enterprises, 149 Union St. Rockland, MA 02370 (617)-871-9399
Hoppy Brewer, 493 Central Ave. Seekonk, MA 02771 (508)-761-6615
Barley Malt & Vine, 26 Elliot St. Newton, MA 02161 (617)-630-1015
Brew Horizons, 884 Tiogue Ave., Coventry, RI 02816 (401)-589-2739
More info can also be found at our web site: http://members.aol.com/brewclub/
Mailing address for entries is
South Shore Brew Club
c/o Glenn Markel
1053 Pleasant Street
Attleboro, MA 02703
Questions? Call Glenn Markel at 508-226-3249 or Randy Reed at 617-341-8170.
Interested judges can call Stephen Rose at 508-821-4152 to sign up.
Deadline for entry is MARCH 15! Judging occurs on Sunday the 23rd, in Easton,
MA.
GOOD LUCK!
Randy
====================================================
+-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
+ The Local Brewing Company +
+ ESBITTER at AOL.COM + Surfing the
+ Randy Reed + Information
+ BJCP Recognized SuperBikePath
Beer Judge/Potscrubber + &
+ South Shore Brew Club + Web Wired
+ (Boston, MA Area - South) + World
+-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-+
Visit the South Shore Brew Club at http://members.aol.com/brewclub/
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Date: Wed, 26 Feb 97 13:21:10 JST
From: hoshido at gman.rme.sony.co.jp (Mutsuo Hoshido)
Subject: how to homebrew Miso
Miso(soy-bean salty paste) is one of very healthy natural foods,and now
getting better and better appreciation all over the world.
Some doctors say that Miso will prevent cancer and others say that Miso
will cure disease caused by radioactive pollution and so on.
Your own Miso is very tasty. We have a saying "Temae-Miso".
Direct translation is "my own way Miso". Meanig is blowing one's
own horn.
[Materials]
Soy-beans,1000g(2.2lb)
Kome-koji or rice-koji, 1000g(2.2lb)
Salt,300g(0.79lb) to 400g(0.9lb) depending on your taste.
Natural salt will be better taste.
Patience to wait.
[Equipment]
Steam cooker (Pressure steam cooker is much easier to cook soy-beans).
Basket to cut water.
Stainless steel bowl.
Ten liters(2.6gal) enamel or stainless steel deep cooking pot with lid.
(Equivalent food grade plastic or glass container can be used.)
Mincing machine or equivalent to make cooked soy-bean pasty.
[Procedure]
1.Wash and soak the 1000g(2.2lb) soy-beans for about 24 hours.
2.Steam cook the soy-beans at least 3 hours so that the cooked soy-beans
can be easily crushed by week finger pressure between thumb and pinkie.
3.During cooking the soy-beans,well mix the 1000g(2.2lb)Kome-koji with
the 300g(0.79lb) to 400g(0.9lb) salt in the bowl.
4.Mince the cooked soy-beans and then well mix with the Kome-koji-salt
mixture in the bowl.
I used thick polyethylene bag to crush the cooked soy-beans and mix with
Kome-koji-salt mixture.
I put the well cooked soy-beans into to the bag and smash them under my
feet. Mixture with Kome-koji can be done in the bag by the same way.
This is the cheepest way but you have to do good exercise.
5.Make base-ball size soy-bean balls and strongly throw them into the
container one by one so that air in the soy-bean balls can be removed.
6.Further press the soy-bean mixture by hands to completely remove
air in it to prevent unfavorable rotting.
7.Cover the soy-bean mixture with a kitchen wrapping film and then
further cover the film with about 0.2 inch thick salt to prevent
contamination of bacteria..
8.Put the lid and place the container at a cool and well ventilated
place.(Under 15 deg C or 50deg F)
9.In a month,remove the covering salt and kitchen film and well
mix the soy-bean mixture.
If you have found fungi on the Miso,just remove only that part.
Other part is still OK.
10.Again cover them with a kitchen film and salt and further
keep them at the same place as in No.8.
11.Further in three month,conduct the same mixing procedure as the
No.9.
12.In further around seven month, you can use your own Miso for
your Miso soup or for your other cookings.
Once removed the covering salt,keep your Miso in your refrigerator.
If you continiously keep your Miso further one or two years,you
can get better tasty darker Miso.
How to make Kome-koji from Koji or Koji-kin
1.Wash and soak the 1000g(2.2lb) rice for about five hours and then
put the rice in a basket for at least 20 min. to cut water.
2.Steam cook the rice. Steam cooked rice looks slightly transparent,
not white.
3.Cool down the cooked rice to 35deg C(95deg F). Put the rice into an
enamel or stainless steel thin container and add 2 to 3g of Koji or
Koji-kin and well mix them. Cover the container with water
moistened cheese cloth or cotton cloth to prevent drying.
4.Put the container in a picnic cooling box together with 40deg C(104
deg F) warm water bottles to keep the inside at 35deg C(95deg F)
for 40 hours.
The amount of the warm water will preferably be at least 8 litters
(2 gal).
If necessary, change the warm water to keep the temperature constant.
In 10 hours,mix again the mixture of the cooked rice and Koji using
a cooking sparula. Already you can notice the whitened rice and get
good aroma. I used a digital thermometer to measure the temperature
inside. It is very useful and convenient to keep temperature constant
without any expensive electrical temperature control device.
5.Further keep the mixture at 35deg C(95deg F) for 30 hours.
6.You can get white colored Kome-koji covered with white fungus.
My homebrew friend,Mr.T.Takesima,opened his Koji URL so that
you can get further information on Koji in the USA.
Koji URL; http://128.183.126.102/~takeshim/.sub_html/koji.html
His beer page in Japanese;
http://128.183.126.102/~takeshim/.sub_html/homebrew.html
Following is a copy of Mr.T.Takeshima's Home Page.
What is Koji?
Koji is a kind of mold having enzyme to convert starch to sugar.
Koji is used for making Sake (Japanse rice wine), Miso (soy-bean
paste), Shoyu (soy-sauce), etc.
As mashing step is necessary to convert starch to sugar in
brewing, the action of Koji is indispensable to make sake. In case
of brewing fermentation takes please after starch conversion has
finished. In making sake, on the other hand, starch conversion by
Koji and fermentation by Sake yeast proceed in the same
fermenter at the same time.
In Sake making, Koji not only works as starch converter, but
also produces complexity in flavor of Sake.
Where to find Koji in US
There are at least a few (probably more) Koji makers in US. Most
of you can get Koji rice at your local homebrew suppliers. There
is a Koji maker which I have address and phone number.
Miyako Oriental Foods, Inc.
4287 Puente Av., Baldwin Park, CA 91716
Phone: 818-962-9633
Another way to get Koji is mail order. Here is information of mail
order suppliers.
G.E.M. Cultures
30301 Shrwood Rd., Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Phone: 707-964-2922
Kushi Institute Store
Toll-Free: 1-800-64-KUSHI (1-800-645-8744)
e-mail: store at macrobiotics.org
These companies make rice Koji fundamentally for making miso
(soy-bean paste), soy-source and/or ama-zake. I usually use ~2lbs
pack of dried rice Koji made by Miyako Oriental Foods when
I homebrew my sake. According to the mail order catalog of
G.E.M. Cultures, they seem also to provide Koji starter which
enables you to make Koji by yourself at home.
I hope you are successful.
Mutsuo Hoshido
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Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 00:07:59 -0800
From: smurman at best.com
Subject: Zymurgy mag/bottling yeast/etc.
I just got the latest copy of Zymurgy, and three of HBD's finest
are featured; Spencer Thomas, Ken Schwartz, and Jeff Renner. Keep
up the good work guys. I hesitate to bring this subject up after
the recent AOB/AHA bashing, and the fact that the last subject I
mentioned (botulism) turned into a binge thread, but what is up
with the editors at Zymurgy? For the special issue they brainstormed
long and hard and came up with "Why we Brew"?? Yeah, that was
relevant. Then I get this issue and the cover story is "The Bottle
Opener". Not that getting bottles open isn't important, but come
on. It convinced me not to renew and give my money to Brewing
Techniques instead.
//
I was wondering the other day about the practice of adding a different
yeast at bottling time. What exactly is the benefit to this practice.
The only thing I can think of is that if you're brewing an ale, and
you want to cold store it while in the bottle a lager yeast would
help. Vice versa for lagers and ale yeasts. This doesn't seem worth
the trouble to me. Why not simply add the same yeast you fermented
with?
//
I'm slowly, very slowly, putting my homebrew stuff onto my web server.
I have the ever-growing acronym list, and also a list of Wyeast
strains with their brewing sources (i.e. Sierra Nevada == 1056)
on the server so far. If folks could check out the yeast stuff,
and fill in any gaps that are missing it would be appreciated.
http://www.best.com/~smurman/zymurgy
Sometime in the next month I will put my Perl scripts for homebrew
calculations on the server.
SM
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