HOMEBREW Digest #2921 Thu 07 January 1999

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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
		Many thanks to the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers of 
		Livonia, Michigan for sponsoring the Homebrew Digest.
				URL: http://www.oeonline.com


Contents:
  Pronunciations: Sometimes I wish... Never mind. (pbabcock)
  fermentation?/Nottingham (Breadnale)
  Scottish Ale or Scotch Ale (Rod Prather)
  Crow Under Glass (Rod Prather)
  Re: Jay's contamination. (Scott Murman)
  One data Point (Bob.Sutton)
  re: Steam Injection Questions (RobertJ)
  Mash duration benefit ("Chuck Mryglot")
  Classic American Pils ("Chuck Mryglot")
  Hold that order on the CROW (Rod Prather)
  Propane Stuff (Bob Wilcox)
  Local vs. Mail Order ("Bridges, Scott")
  Enzymatic conversion limits ("Henckler, Andrew")
  Re: 1st All Grain and Some Questions (Jeff Renner)
  Bell's Homegrown (Jason Henning)
  Re: Sourdough (Jeff Renner)
  Another Starter Question (Dave Hinrichs)
  Slate of AHA Board Candidates (Paul Gatza)
  Brewing in 3 Gallon Batches (Tom Franklin)
  re: maple beer (Jon Macleod)
  Help with Lagers!!! (Troy Hager)
  Wyeast 3347 for a barleywine (jshope)
  Beer as a sport drink ("Victor Farren")
  I'm turning red!!!!!!! (Rod Prather)
  Prior Double Dark (Kevin Peters)
  Opinion Poll - Does St. Pats Care About It's Customers?  I Don't ("George, Marshall E.")
  Yuengling Porter clone ("John Griswold")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 18:06:17 -0500 (EST) From: pbabcock <pbabcock at mail.oeonline.com> Subject: Pronunciations: Sometimes I wish... Never mind. Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager... To all those who would cast the first stone: note the term "attempt" at the top of the page, and the invitation for corrections that came with it's announcement in #2890, 12/02/98: > Looking for feedback and corrections to fubarred pronunciations in order > to make the site a useful tool for all... The page will happily accept (and has been accepting) corrections, and, as time allows, those corrections will be made to the page (Keep in mind that the web page is yet another facet of what is a time consuming hobby. There is a server upgrade in the works; not to mention a family, career, house - in short: a life! to maintain as well...) Anyone wishing to contribute to the effort can do so by anonymously ftping their .wav or .au file to the Digest (ftp://hbd.org) and/or popping me a note. If you choose the file method, your voice will be eternally added to the HBD site. If you choose the note method, you may need to hound me a couple of times before I get it right :-) I already have a large archive of notes to implement. Unfortunately, links and attributions aren't in the offing on this particular page. The page carries the copyright of the HBD; not mine, not Karl's. If you're not willing to contribute in the volunteer spirit of the Digest, your assistance, though the thought is appreciated, will not be accepted. See ya! Pat Babcock in SE Michigan pbabcock at oeonline.com Home Brew Digest Janitor janitor@hbd.org HBD Web Site http://hbd.org The Home Brew Page http://oeonline.com/~pbabcock/brew.html "Just a cyber-shadow of his former brewing self..." Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 19:39:27 EST From: Breadnale at aol.com Subject: fermentation?/Nottingham Hey, I just racked an ESB and thought I'd throw this out. I've been brewing for about 7 years. I make mostly ales. My beers always finish quickly (3-6 days) I always use starters, and aerate like crazy. My question: only sometimes do I get the thick yeast head on my fermenting beers. To the point where I wonder how far it has attenuated. 9 times out of 10, my beer is in good shape, no problems, always tastes the way I want it to. I suppose I could use the Don't worry... philosophy, but I've only looked at the book once... What's going on here? Could it be my sanitizer, possibly leaving a film on the sides of the fermentor? I've thought of that, but I rarely get the white head. Usually, I just get the brown junk, then, boom it's fermented out. Like I said, my beers always ferment out real quick. I can't remember the last time I racked later than 7 days. Nottingham, yeah I know, again, this last beer I used it. Two packets, per instructions on pack (this time I didn't do a starter). o.g.1.058 3 days later. 1.016. The beer barely looked like it fermented, just like above. I use a stainless open fermentor, so I can't look through the glass. I forgot to mention above however, that I always, as was the case with this beer, have TONS of yeast on the bottom of my fermentor. Am I just using incredibly flocculative yeasts? As I'm told Nottingham is. Thanks, Jim Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 23:12:41 -0500 From: Rod Prather <rodpr at iquest.net> Subject: Scottish Ale or Scotch Ale With the current discussion on guidelines and Scottish Ales I read through both the BJCP and the AHA guidelines. Neither call this style a Scotch ale but a Scottish ale. Up until now, I thought they were two distinct styles. The Scottish ale being litle more than a distictively heavy, often sweet, English style ale where the Scotch ale contains small amounts of peat smoked Scotch Malt. The AHA defines the former where the BJCP seems to define the latter. Scotch is what a Scot uses to wet his whistle. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 22:59:44 -0500 From: Rod Prather <rodpr at iquest.net> Subject: Crow Under Glass Well, I guess I get a large serving of crow. Drosphilia Melangaster, the red eyed vinegar fly, the common pest in breweries and wineries, does not appear to carry yeast. David Logsdon of Wyeast said as of yet they had found no evidence of yeasts in these little pests. He also said that since thesample was small and not totally definitive. No tests have been done on fruit flies. Fruit flies are not the brewery pest we are familiar with. Drosphilia Melangaster is not a fruit fly. It lays it's eggs in already fermenting fruit as a medium for it's larvae, thus it's attraction to beer and fermenting wines. The larvae consumes the alcohol, sugars and, I believe, the yeasts. The adult fly apparently prefers fresh fruit for it's own nutrition. Althought it probably does not carry yeast it is still a source of bacteria and should be minimized in your brewery. Uh! What kind of beer do you serve with crow? 10 Fly Stout? Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 23:31:07 -0800 (PST) From: Scott Murman <smurman at best.com> Subject: Re: Jay's contamination. I can't pinpoint Jay's source of contamination, and doubt anyone really could except Jay, but I would like to submit that a 5% ABV, pH 4.0 environment is very inhospitable for the majority of microbes *unless* they happened to set-up shop before those conditions were prevalent. -SM- Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 07:39:52 -0500 From: Bob.Sutton at fluordaniel.com Subject: One data Point Bill, I'm with you. In fact, I was the first here to recognize the potential of a fruit fly adjunct. Now we have evidence from the judges. I know it's only one data point, but it's better than a lot of speculation. Bob Fruit Fly Brewhaus Yesterday's Technology Today Bill Graham <weg at micro-net.net> spoke: >I can't find anyone selling fruit flies. So does >anyone know where I can get some? >Maybe some scientific supply houses? >I really would like to improve my beers. Paul Niebergall <pnieb at burnsmcd.com> says: >>4. Fact: A beer with a fruit fly in the starter >>was submitted to a contest and won >>third place. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 08:09:24 -0500 From: RobertJ <pbsys at pbsbeer.com> Subject: re: Steam Injection Questions Jon Sandlin wrote: I use a CPVC manifold on the bottom of the cooler for lautering and have had no trouble with it, though I am thinking of using it for the steam manifold. Does anybody see any trouble with this? Any help would be greatly appreciated. - ---- You may have a problem with the CPVC softening. PVC melts (softens at about 140F). I think CPVC does the same at about 170F. I suspect you'd be better off if you make your manifold from copper Bob Precision Brewing Systems URL http://www.pbsbeer.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 08:26:22 -0500 From: "Chuck Mryglot" <cmryglot at Progress.com> Subject: Mash duration benefit What benefit is there to continue a mash after an iodine test shows conversion? e.g. Iodine may show conversion at 45 minutes, yet many of us mash on for up to 90 minutes. We must be getting something for this. ChuckM Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 08:29:56 -0500 From: "Chuck Mryglot" <cmryglot at Progress.com> Subject: Classic American Pils I've brewed the CAP with flaked maize 3 or 4 times and like it a lot. I've read somewhere (here or in some of the BT articles) that using corn was an east coast formulation and using rice was a west coast formulation. What has been the experience with using rice? What form of rice have people used. I seem to remember reading here a while back that Jeff 'CAP' Renner was experimenting with rice. Jeff? ChuckM Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 08:45:52 -0500 From: Rod Prather <rodpr at iquest.net> Subject: Hold that order on the CROW I just got an e-mail from a man named Darryl Hardie. Darryl is an entymologist with the agrigultural department of the State of Washington. It so happens that he is an expert in Drosophila melanogater. With his e-mail he sent me a JPG of a picture on the cover of Phytopathology vol 86 number 9 September 1996. It shows the leg of a our little pest with several spores of yeast, specifically Botrytis cinerea, attached. Botrytis is produces Noble Rot on grapes, a prized infection in wine grapes that causes the grape to shrivel and lose fluids while simultaneously increasing sugar. It also kills trees and other leafy plants. He ended with the statement, " I believe that many fruit flies actually feed on the proteins produced by these yeasts also. Therefore do not mix fruit flies and brewing. " I have the picture should anyone want it. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 05:54:34 -0800 From: Bob Wilcox <bobw at sirius.com> Subject: Propane Stuff Randy writes Subject: Propane Part Source? Well, the RIMS project is going great, nearly done, and with the 1/2" MPT to 1/2" tube connector I picked up on my lunch hour, I think I have just one design hurdle left: How to tee off my propane gas line to two burners. I have a CampChef burner (35 kBTU) which I use for the boil kettle, and a new Metal Fusion cast burner which I will use for the sparge tank. The Camp Chef has a 3/8" valve, male flare on the inlet side, female flare on the outlet side. The MF just has the male flare. I would like to find a similar valve for the other burner, but I can not find any type of propane connectors in the hardware stores. I assume it has something to do with the California liability laws, but I don't know. I would also like to use a couple of short pieces of propane hose with female flare connectors on the ends, but I haven't even seen hoses in the stores. Am I just being dense, or have others had a problem finding parts for propane? Any suggestions where to look? Anybody live in a less progressive State that would be interested in smuggling? Thanks all, Randy in Modesto ___________________________________________________________________ Randy you may want to try going to a propane supplier in your area, you know the guys with the trucks that deliver propane. They should have all the stuff you need. I live in the Bay Area and know they have all the parts. Check the Yellow Pages. Bob Wilcox Long Barn Brewing Long Barn & Alameda Ca. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 10:04:31 -0500 From: "Bridges, Scott" <ScottBridges at sc.slr.com> Subject: Local vs. Mail Order >When you figure in shipping and time delays, mail-order is >*NOT* an option. Let your local store manager know what you are >going to be wanting. They listen if they are serious about >staying in this business. > >Bob Sheck / Greenville, NC We've heard several guys endorce their local suppliers recently. Now let me add a different perspective on this subject, which I've also done in the past. Here in Columbia, SC there is one shop. It's very inconvenient to where I live and work. The owners are nice folks but who have a very poor selection of supplies for advanced brewers. The prices are iffy at best, and their advice sucks (i.e., use 1 can of extract and add 3 lbs of sugar... you get the idea). They don't seem to have any interest in changing, or updating their 20-yr-old brewing advice. So, I tend to deal with mail order suppliers. I use Alternative Beverage in Charlotte, and Heart's in Orlando. Both offer full lines of ingredients and supplies, quick service, and advice. Yes, you add a few bucks for shipping, but when you deduct the difference in item cost, it comes out a wash from the local shop. Bottom line is that I can have anything I want delivered to my door step in 24-48 hours for no more than I would pay locally. Oh yes, our club has made bulk buys of hops and malt from a nearby brewpub. Bob's comment above notwithstanding, mail order is a very effective way to buy supplies. I can brew whatever I want, whenever I want, and never have to deal with the clueless souls who run the local shop. Sorry, but I don't feel that I owe them anything, nor will I weep when they close their doors. And before you criticize that attitude, yes, I understand the importance of small business. My ex-wife and I ran a few small art gallery/frame shops, so I *DO* know what they go through. Another data point..... Scott Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 10:13:20 -0500 From: "Henckler, Andrew" <ahenckler at findsvp.com> Subject: Enzymatic conversion limits Hi All: Is there any formalized way to figure out how much starch a given quantitiy of enzymes is capable of converting? For example, If a recipe contains 6 pounds of base malt at 100 degrees lintner, how much corn will this malt be safely able to convert? How many degrees lintner does a malt need in order to convert itself? Thanks for any wisdom shared. Andrew Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 10:35:27 -0500 From: Jeff Renner <nerenner at umich.edu> Subject: Re: 1st All Grain and Some Questions Ian_Forbes at AICI.COM (Ian Forbes) attempted to clone Yuengling porter for his first all-grain and had lots of fun and questions. I'll answer a few (especially regarding historical Am. porter) and others can answer more: > "Ray Norbert, Yuengling's veteran brewmaster of 50 years, >continues to produce porter not unlike the recipes of the >1940s. The company's Pottsville Porter is a 1.048 original >gravity (12 P) bottom-fermented beer using six-row base >malt with corn grits and 50L caramel and black malt. 'There is >a balance between black and caramel malt,' Norbert said. >'Otherwise, too much black malt will leave a coarse, burnt >flavor.' Hops include Cluster and Cascade, with IBUs ranging >between 22 and 24." >Here's the question, does anyone have a good recipe for a >Yuengling Porter recipe? You used: >12 lb Briess two-row >1 lb Flaked Maize >12 oz Crystal 80L >6 oz Black Patent >3/4 oz Cluster 60min >3/4 Styrian Goldings 45min >1/4 Styrian Goldings 15min >1/4 tsp. Irish Moss 15min >Wyeast 2035 American Lager I strongly suspect that Yuengling uses 20% or more corn for this as this was typical. I think you've used too much black malt and too little crystal and too much hops for 22-24 IBU. A 1948 recipe for 100 bbls of 13P (1.052) porter from A. L. Nugey (Brewer's Manual Practically Considered) calls for: 3300 lbs. malt 100 lbs "color" malt (probably black) 1075 lbs. caromel (sic) malt 1170 lbs flakes 6 lbs. licorice (yes!) 60 lbs. domestic hops Since you are brewing 1/600 of this amount, and your efficiency is going to be lower (so you might get your target of 1.048), for 5 gallons, this gives: 5.5 lbs. malt 2.7 oz black) 1.8 lbs. crystal malt 2 lbs flaked maize 0.16 oz. licorice (I'd leave it out for Yuengling) 1.6 oz. domestic hops* *(This will be too bitter for a Yuengling clone. Your original 3/4 oz. Cluster (assuming 7% alpha acid) will give about 20 IBU, so leave out the bittering and finishing St. Goldings of your recipe and use 1/4 oz. Cascade for 15 min. for 3 more IBU (assuming 5%). > after the grain had been mashing for 55 >minutes, I noticed that I had failed to add the flaked maize. >I added it at this point and extended the mash to almost 2 >hours. >1) What effect should I expect from this extended mash? Nothing out of the ordinary. >2) Can I feel comfortable that the maize was converted? Yes. I think your enzymes were still intact and it was probably converted in a few tens of minutes at the most. >3) While trying to assess the temperature of the mash, I found >it very difficult to get a consistent reading. This is normal, and a 4 degree fluctuation is fine. >More Questions: (note that this is my first time with a lager >yeast) >1) Was this lag time due to pitching directly from the pack, >or did I shock the yeast with a dramatic and relatively fast >drop in temperature? Or both? Probably just the lack of starter and the temperature. >2) What negative consequences can I expect from the large lag >time? It'll probably be fine and worrying will just mess up the beer's karma. >3) Now that fermentation is well underway, I notice a very >unsightly site. The top of the krausen has a thick, slick, >tarry substance on top. It looks like brown tar. Should I >rack to secondary before the krausen falls? If yes, how do I >know when to transfer to secondary? If you can skim this crud, I think it's a good idea. If you are doing a closed ferment, you can rack with a minimum of splashing when the kraeusen begins to fall. Otherwise, don't worry. >4) When I smell the gas coming out of the airlock, it has a >very strong sulfur smell. Will this smell go away? Has anyone >else noticed this smell with this yeast? Normal for many lager yeasts. It will go away. The best way to learn about sparging is to watch someone else. I've run out of time (sorry) but someone else should be able to point you to online or books. Jeff -=-=-=-=- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan c/o nerenner at umich.edu "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 15:53:27 GMT From: huskers at voyager.net (Jason Henning) Subject: Bell's Homegrown Hello- Bell's have two beers that I was confusing together, Homegrown and Harvest. Harvest ale is made with hops grown in the area. It's a swap thing, grow hops for them and get some of the beer. Nice interaction with the community. They don't make any attempt to separate varieties or determine bitterness. The amount of hops determines the batch size. Oh, and no green hops are added. Harvest ale is Michigan grown barley. It's grown near Bad Axe (near Saginaw). They send the barley to Wisconsin to be malted and then bring it back to be brewed with. The hops are from the PNW. Hope this straightens things out. Cheers, Jason Henning Big Red Alchemy and Brewing Clawson, Michigan Brew to live Live to brew Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 10:55:26 -0500 From: Jeff Renner <nerenner at umich.edu> Subject: Re: Sourdough >"RANDY ERICKSON" <RANDYE at MID.ORG> wrote: > >As a follow-up to Jeff Renner's post last week about the >rec.food.sourdough newsgroup and FAQs: > >It appears that the HBD's own Brian Dixon is the author of the >sourdough starter FAQ. You can see it at: >ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/food/sourdough/starters This is a set of Q&As. I haven't had time to read it, but a far more complete FAQ is is compiled by Darrell Greenwood at: http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/sourdoughfaqs.html There were many contributors to this, including your's truly. I think Brian's may be a part of it, too. Jeff -=-=-=-=- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan c/o nerenner at umich.edu "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 10:58:27 -0500 From: Dave Hinrichs <dhinrichs at quannon.com> Subject: Another Starter Question For Christmas I got the pressure cooker that I needed to properly can wort for starters. This past weekend I made up a batch for the IPA I will be brewing on Saturday. To make the wort I mixed 1/3 cup DME into 1 pint canning jars with cold filtered water capped and cooked. Now each pint has break material in the bottom of the jar. My question is should I decant leaving the break material behind or pitch it all into my starter? Just a note about homebrew shops my favorite one here closed this past summer and a surely miss them. Yes I know there are a couple of decent shops around but when an excellent one is 2 miles from home, you get the idea. Once I decide which shop I like best they will get all of my business, an extra buck or two isn't going to hurt. Dave *************************************************************** * Dave Hinrichs E-Mail: dhinrichs at quannon.com * * Quannon CAD Systems, Inc. Voice: (612) 935-3367 * * 6101 Baker Road, Suite 204 FAX: (612) 935-0409 * * Minnetonka, MN 55345 * * http://www.quannon.com/ * *************************************************************** Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 17:25:01 -0700 From: Paul Gatza <paulg at aob.org> Subject: Slate of AHA Board Candidates The AHA Board of Advisors is pleased to announce that the following five people are put forward for a general AHA membership election for the open AHA Board of Advisors seat: John Carlson Rob Moline Chris Mueller Bob Rescinito Ken Schwartz Once available, candidate statements will appear on the http:/beertown.org website and in the News and Notes that accompanies the March/April Zymurgy mailing to AHA members. Ballots will be in the News and Notes. Ballots returned by March 30, 1999 will be tabulated, and the person with the most votes will be sworn in June 24th at the AHA Conference in Olathe, Kansas. - -- Paul Gatza Director American Homebrewers Association (303) 447-0816 x 122 736 Pearl Street (303) 447-2825 -- FAX PO Box 1679 paulg at aob.org -- E-MAIL Boulder, CO 80306-1679 info at aob.org -- AOB INFO U.S.A. http://www.beertown.org -- WEB Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 12:15:16 -0500 From: Tom Franklin <frankli1 at niehs.nih.gov> Subject: Brewing in 3 Gallon Batches Hi All, I've found that I have a fairly reliable source for 3 gallon plastic food grade containers and I'm interested in using them to brew Dubbels, Tripels and/or Barleywines. (It seems a more economic way to go to start out.) Forgive the "simple" question, but will simply doing the math to bring a 5 gallon batch down to 3 gallons be enough or are there other considerations I should think about? Many Thanks, tom franklin frankli1 at niehs.nih.gov Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 13:19:16 -0500 From: marli at bbs2.rmrc.net (Jon Macleod) Subject: re: maple beer Here's my experience with maple. As always, everyone's senses are a little different... Sap used in place of water - fun to try, mineral content has interesting effect on sparge, boil, and taste. No real trace of maple flavor or smell, though. Syrup - (alone or in combination with sap) the syrup ferments very completely no matter when its added. In any reasonable amounts, I wasn't able to detect much difference. Kinda like adding small amounts (1lb) of honey. Maybe a slight difference, but you probably won't say "mmmmm, honey" (or maple). Sugar - seems like there should be more carmelization than in syrup, so the effect might be different. I've never had more that small amounts to try. Extract (added at kegging) - this is the only way I've been able to get any distinctly maple aroma. This is easy to overdo, so use very small amounts. I was very happy with this in combination with sap and syrup. Have fun, Mike Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 12:38:24 -0800 From: Troy Hager <thager at bsd.k12.ca.us> Subject: Help with Lagers!!! Fellow HBDers, I have acquired the lagering fridge, bought Noonan's Lager book, have read the article in BT on Pilsner Urquell and would like to jump into this new brewing experience! I have some questions naturally, and would like to hear from those lager people out there about their experiences... 1. In the PU article they say they use 100% Pils malt and do a triple decoction... the 100% Pils malt is fine but the triple decoction sounds a little extreme (especially with all the dialogue that has gone on here about the necessity of multiple decoctions.) I would like to do a single decoction (maybe a double?). Would anyone be willing to inform me of their experiences with grain bills and rest temps for a PU style lager? 2. I am a little befuddled about the appropriate yeast strain. Any suggestions that have worked well for others? 3. I am equally perplexed by the fermentation temps and lengths - of primary, secondary, and lagering. Yes, I know this is yeast strain specific, but what has worked for you? 4. Will I need to raise the temp. for a diacytal (sp?) rest? How does one know whether or not to do this? 5. My fridge fluctuates at its coldest between about 36F and 40F. Will this be cold enough? Private emails are great! Thanks a million!!!! -Troy Return to table of contents
Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1999 05:58:30 -0700 From: jshope at bioserver.vsb.usu.edu Subject: Wyeast 3347 for a barleywine I'm planning to attempt a barley wine. In the past my yeast have worn out before the job is done; so I purchased a pack of Wyeast 3347 (Eau de Vie) which is supposed to be good to 21% alcohol. Wyeast says that it has a "very clean dry profile, low ester and other volatile aromatics" and is a "very good choice for <<snip> <bold>Barley Wine</bold>". So does anyone have any experience using this yeast for a barley wine (or Single Malt...just kidding) ? What can I expect from the yeast? Will my beer lack the "good esters" if I use this yeast? <nofill> Joe Shope Apostate Brewing Co. Next up: Old Flame Barley Wine Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 11:08:27 -0500 From: "Victor Farren" <vfarren at smtp.cdie.org> Subject: Beer as a sport drink As a homebrewer who also strives to stay physichally fit, I have been thinking about including homebrew in my exercise regimen, as a post-workout sport drink. We all know that beer is loaded w/ calories and nutrients that the body can quickly absorb. I have often read in running books that long distance runners frequently quaff a low-alcohol beer to rehydrate and quickly give their muscles the nutrients they need to recover. Instead of drinking the swill known as 'lite' beer, I would rather enjoy a tasty homebrew. I want the beer to be low in alcohol, but high in nutrients and high in taste. I figure I could brew a regular strength beer (1.040-1.050) and just mash it at a high temp (158) to get a lot of unfermentables, and then ferment w/ a low attenuating yeast. I am thinking of something along the lines of a 'bitter' or IPA seeing that I like the hoppy, crisp beers. Anybody have any comments/insights? Victor J. Farren Research & Reference Services PPC/CDIE/DIO/RRS Tel: (202) 661-5842 Fax: (202) 661-5891 E-mail: vfarren at rrs.cdie.org Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 21:01:07 -0500 From: Rod Prather <rodpr at iquest.net> Subject: I'm turning red!!!!!!! I have a bottle in dryhop right now. I did both a dry hop and a hop tea. The tea steeped for maybe 10 minutes in 160 degree water. It is fermenting very well and has a SG of 1.017 right now (4 days). It tastes great. The problem is, I taste tested it the other day, before the dry hop, and when I came up stairs my wife commented that my face was bright red. The redness stopped just above my chest. It subsided after about an hour. I wrote it off. Just out of curiosity, and to use my new .100 range hydrometer, I checked the gravity again tonight and drank the test tube of wort, about 4 or 5 oz. Within 15 minutes, my face turned bright red again. WHAT HAVE I DONE? I'm using Iodophor. 1 tsp per 5 gal. Drain and dry. Could I have left some of the liquid in the carboy. Am I sensitive to the iodophor. Am I alergic to the hop tea. Is it a symptom of iodine poisoning. I am quite concerned because I am hypertensive, controlled with drugs, and I believe my BP is going sky high. Never had any beer do this before. My last batch was made with the same LME extract, same hops, (Willamettes and Hallertau) same yeast (Coopers dry lager) except for the addition of 1/2 lb of DME in the initial wort, identical (I used DME for charging the last one). I didn't have this problem before. Drank two cases of it. Has anyone ever seen or heard of this before? I think I will rinse the iodophor from now on, ALAN. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 21:14:23 -0500 From: kpeters at ptd.net (Kevin Peters) Subject: Prior Double Dark I am looking for a recipe to clone Prior Double Dark, a beer that used to be brewed in Philadelphia. In 1978, the Great American Beer Book rated this as America's best dark brew. Unless someone can give some particulars on the beer (how about it, all you Philadelphia brewers?), I am considering two options. The first is to brew a CAP, with little finishing hops and then add (gasp!!) caramel coloring. The second option is to use a more traditional bock grain bill of munich malt, but brewed to an OG in the low to mid 50s. I plan to use Wyeast 2272, reportedly from the Christian Schmidt brewery in Philadelphia. My intent here is not to brew a bock, but an American dark lager, hence the untraditional grain bill. Any comments from the collective, especially any hints on the original item? TIA Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 22:40:48 -0600 From: "George, Marshall E." <MGeorge at bridge.com> Subject: Opinion Poll - Does St. Pats Care About It's Customers? I Don't I must preface this with the fact that I am not a customer of St. Pats, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. But, I find this lack of respect to customers to be terrible, and I will NOT ever be a customer of theirs. I feel it's my duty to pass this on. Has anyone else had this sort of dealings with St. Pats? Read the following exchange: ================================================================= Original email to St. Pats (name removed by request of author): If you note the date on this email you will see this order was almost a month ago. I have still not received my shipment nor word of what the hold up is. I called in and spoke to a gentleman the week before Christmas and he said it shipped on Monday. Well that was nearly 2 weeks ago. If this shipment has not been sent yet please cancel my order and credit my card. If it has shipped you are guarunteed this will be my last order placed with your company. I have ordered from you in the past but never have I been treated like this. I have heard a growing number of complaints about your company and your service. Its too bad because I think you have decent prices but that is only half the story, customer service and satisfaction are important too. There are too many places out there in competition with you to be slack with your customers. I am sorry, I wish there was a resonable explination for the service I have received. ================================================================= This is the response from St. Pats: As you probably already know your order was delivered to you yesterday. The lengthy delay was somewhat due to us (we were out of the blue drum that you ordered on Monday evening 1/7/98 for $3) as well as four shipping holidays for UPS. We have heard from numerous customers who shipped to their residence before and after the Xmas holiday and they have all had lengthy delays with UPS. It is to be expected this time of year. Sorry you aren't happy with our service. We feel you are unfairly judging us during the XMas season. All we can do as a company is to be honest and work as hard as possible to give the best quality, best selection and best pricing. No one does this as well as we do. If you look at the products that we alone have sought out in the industry at the same time pushing the industry with lower pricing across the board you will see that we are responsible for bringing in Czech Moravian malt (that is currently used by many microbreweries in the Southwest, many new Wyeast strains, Stainless Steel Wortchillers (manufactured by us), Unique Brewpot designs, Cheap Drums like the one you purchased, Less expensive Carboys, Bottles, Pots, Yeast, Malt and Hops. I'm not sure where your beef is with us? The price we have paid has been high in bringing down the pricing in the industry as we have been the subject of numerous boycots and threats that have all failed. Perhaps your biggest problem is that you aren't in Austin, Texas to enjoy our store for yourself. Every employee as well is a dedicated homebrewer and lover of beer. How many mail order shops can say this? I am hereby challenging you to find a mail order shop that you feel does a better job than us on all of the items I have listed. I'm sorry but I rather doubt you'll find one. Fritz Maytag, of Anchor Brewing Company told me that his beer wasn't for everyone, I have taken his advise and St. Patrick's isn't for everyone either. We treat people with honesty and respect and expect it return. This is why we are greatly rewarded each day with wonderful customers throughout the U.S. as well as 53 countries and have been the largest homebrew shop in the nation for over 4 years. I'm sorry you can't see a gem when you see one. Good luck to you in your homebrewing, I'm sure we will both be happier if you did business elsewhere, Lynne O'Connor St. Patrick's of Texas Brewers Supply Brew Rat Hyper Link stpats at wixer.bga.com 512-832-9045 Lynne, I guess maybe we all could do business elsewhere if you want to treat your customers this way. Marshall George Glen Carbon, IL Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 22:52:50 -0500 From: "John Griswold" <griswold at ma.ultranet.com> Subject: Yuengling Porter clone >Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 10:45:47 -0500 >From: Ian_Forbes at AICI.COM (Ian Forbes) >Subject: 1st All Grain and Some Questions >Here's the question, does anyone have a good recipe for a >Yuengling Porter recipe? I found a Yuengling clone recipe in "Clone Brews", Storey Books (www.storey.com) by Tess & Mark Szamatulski that is amazingly similar to the Pennsylvania Porter recipe in the Brewing Techniques article cited: http://brewingtechniques.com/library/styles/sidebars.html#recip The article's version uses another 1.25# of malt, but who's to quibble? And I think I'd opt out on the licorice. It would be less than nice for me to republish the book's text. Oh, and IMHO, Storey is a decent publisher - I've never felt ripped-off when I bought one of their books. They have at least two other brewing books, too :) Just a satisfied ( and very picky) customer. Happy Brewing Return to table of contents
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