---

	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:
  bigger fridge & holes (fridge)
  Zebra Lager (Dan Listermann)
  RE:pumpkin ale recipe (Bob Sheck)
  ethyl hexanoate ("Arnold Chickenshorts")
  RE: Fullers ESB ("Campbell, Paul R SSI-TSEA-A")
  Headspace v. Headspace O2 (CLOAKSTONE)
  HBD Palexperiment (Louis Bonham)
  Legality of Homebrewing/post doctoral ("John Stegenga")
  Air Volumes in Headspace (Dan Listermann)
  Future of The Experimental Brewer (Louis Bonham)
  You've Got to Fight for Your Right! (Mark_Ohrstrom/Humphrey_Products)
  Volumetric measurement ("Eric R. Theiner")
  CF Chillers again ("Eric R. Theiner")
  Soybeans ("Eric R. Theiner")
  No CO2 Mini Keg ("Eric R. Theiner")
  HBD and Sophistry (Rod Prather)
  Millenium flame wars!  Everyone pile on! (also fridges) ("Sean Richens")
  Re: Legality of homebrewing (Jeff Renner)
  adjusting water (AKGOURMET)
  HBDPAE (John Varady)
  Say Yes To... ("Rick Wood")
  re: carboy volume markers ("C.D. Pritchard")


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


Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 19:40:54 -0400
From: fridge at kalamazoo.net
Subject: bigger fridge & holes

Greetings folks,

 In HBD#3128, Thomas Hamann wants to increase the size of his 
beer fridge and asks for a formula to determine how big a volume he 
can add without exceeding the compressor's cooling capacity.

 A compressor's data sheet will give its capacity in BTU's/hr under a 
prescribed set of operating conditions. An analysis of the fridge's 
heat load (volume, heat transfer resistance value for the cabinet 
materials, inside/outside temperature differential, air leaks etc) will 
determine what surplus cooling capacity (if any) exists.

 The heat load of any added cabinet plus the fridge's original heat 
load must not exceed the compressor's capacity for an extended 
period or the fridge won't be able to cool to the desired setpoint.

 Experimentation by myself and others I have corresponded with has 
shown that a typical US fridge in an ambient temperature of 75 degF 
or so can usually cool twice its original volume - assuming a 
minimum of 2" rigid foam insulation and air-tight joints and 
gasketing. Some have reported success with larger volumes.

 In the same HBD, Dave Thomson asks about drilling the side of his 
fridge for C02 lines.

 If no coils are mounted on the back of the fridge, look underneath 
the cabinet. You'll probably find a small finned condenser coil with a 
fan that blows air across it when the compressor runs. Most fridges 
built in the last 15 years are built this way. The refrigeration lines 
usually run from the compressor through the condenser and up the 
center of the fridge's back to the evaporator. There are usually no 
lines or wires in the cabinet sides. There are no guarantees 
however! 

 The repair shop gave good advice when it said to drill a small hole 
first. Insert a piece of bent coat-hanger wire or something similar  
into the hole and feel inside with for anything in the area to be drilled 
(Please do this with the fridge unplugged!). If the area is clear, drill 
the holes to the final size. Seal around the C02 lines with silicone or 
a rubber grommet, etc to prevent heat loss and moisture buildup in 
the insulation.

Hope this helps!
- ----------------------------------------------
Forrest Duddles - FridgeGuy in Kalamazoo
fridge at kalamazoo.net


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Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 21:54:23 -0400
From: Dan Listermann <72723.1707 at compuserve.com>
Subject: Zebra Lager

Pete Calinski (PCalinski at iname.com) writes about Zebra lager beer:

<Well, I'm not sure about FESB but have you ever tried the Zebra "Classic

Lager Beer".  It has the most intense caramel flavor I have ever tasted. 
 I
talked to a person who said he is the grandson of 80+ year old Virginia
"Grandma" Decker. He said she still oversees the brewing.  He also said
they use no artificial flavoring.  Just lots of caramel malt.  They also
use the same yeast that Schmitt's beer uses (or is it used; is Schmitt's
still around?).  He said they ferment at temperatures in the 80s F.  They

have a web site (that I have never visited) at www.zebrabeer.com.  Their
label mentions "Madcap Craftbrew & Bottleworks"  Longview, TX.>

I have to laugh.  I personally know Ginny and Carl Decker of the "Grandma

Decker" fame.  They are good friends of my in-laws.  I will be sure that
she gets a copy of the above.  I haven't seen her since Zebra was
introduced, but she never expressed any interest in brewing when I have
seen her.  Carl is a retired stationary engineer who had worked at 
various
breweries.  My mother-in-law tells me that the recipe is supposed to have

been Ginny's grandmother's and she tells me that Ginny has accompanied 
her
grandsons to brew secessions at the contract brewery ( Evansville ).  It
appears that it is now brewed in Texas.

I don't necessarily get caramel flavor in Zebra's beers, but they are
awfully proud of the diacetyl ( butterscotch) flavors that their beers
have. it is overpowering.  They told me that is what makes their beers
unique and I tend to believe them.  YUCK!

Dan Listermann   dan at listermann.com    72723.1707 at compuserve.com

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Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1999 21:24:47 -0400
From: Bob Sheck <bsheck at skantech.net>
Subject: RE:pumpkin ale recipe

Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 21:00:17 -0600
From: hal <hwarrick at springnet1.com>

Hal- et al:

has anyone tried mashing the cooked pumpkin in with the
main mash? I would think you could get some extra starch
conversion going this-a-ways.



Bob Sheck

bsheck, me-sheck, abednigo! Greenville, NC 
email:bsheck at skantech.net or see us at:
http://www.skantech.net/bsheck/
(252)830-1833


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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 02:49:48 PDT
From: "Arnold Chickenshorts" <achickenshorts at hotmail.com>
Subject: ethyl hexanoate

I really was sincere in my apology to AJ. I never intended to even annoy 
him.

The issue here is ethyl hexanoate. Not banana beer, not lychee beer, not 
which text book is the ultimate source of knowledge. Text books become out 
of date very quickly. All have some errors. Time exposes these.

Although beer made from unhopped wort contains ethyl hexanoate, the addition 
of hops greatly affects the concentration of this compound. The effect is 
large and generally greater than the contribution  from other sources. The 
Murakami paper is not the only study which supports these statements.

I have prepared a website for those intested which contains a copy of this 
paper:

http://members.tripod.com/arnold-c/murakimi.html

Judging from the rather vitriolic and personal attacks from AJ and others, I 
have come to the conclusion that this is an extremely unfriendly place, and 
one I wish to spend no more time in.

Goodbye.

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com


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Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 15:09:30 +0200 
From: "Campbell, Paul R SSI-TSEA-A" <Paul.R.Campbell at is.shell.com>
Subject: RE: Fullers ESB

In HBD #3129 Jeff thought me confused:

>You are confusing *barley* varieties and *malt* types.  You can more or
>less malt any variety of barley to any type of malt, although high protein
>types may not make very good ale or continental-type lager malts.  I don't
>know the details of those malting varieties of barley.  Check American
>Malting Barley Association, Inc. links
>http://www.ambainc.org/linx/index.htm or Master Brewers Association of the
>Americas http://www.mbaa.com/ and you might be able to track down details.
>I can't find it in my bookmarks, but I think there is also a British
>Malters Assn. or something like it.

There is a host of such information at http://www.breworld.com

Just because a pilsner-like malt is "made" using a particular barley
variety (in this case Chariot) doesn't of course mean that a pale malt
couldn't also be derived from this same barley variety. Mea culpa.

I was using the logic that Triumph is used for Mild Malt, Maris Otter
for Pale Malt....... somewhat flawed. I can't think of ever seeing a
catalog which specified which variety was used for the lager malt, nor
have I ever seen a choice, apart from the generic terms Lager Malt and
Pilsner Malt.

The info on it being used as a pilsner malt came from a chap at EDME
when talking about their premium kits (back in August 1998 on the
uk-homebrew list):

"The extract in Master Brewer kits is 100% Maris Otter (ale & porter)
& Chariot (pilsner)."; James Hibbins - EDME

Other than for marketing purposes, I have no idea why they wouldn't
just use a single variety - if indeed it could be malted for use in
both extracts?

I have found one other reference to chariot but it doesn't answer my
question. Golden Promise (The Caledonian Brewing Co. Ltd.) is an
organic beer, and the malt is from organically grown chariot barley.
That, at least, is one more data point. It's an ale, but then there's
no reason I can think of not to use lager malt to make an ale.... is
there? The reverse does not hold true if you're concerned about
light colour, though.

The question I guess still remains unanswered. Is chariot barley
malted as a pale ale malt? Perhaps I'll never know...... possibly
it doesn't really matter.

>BTW, after some further reading I'm pretty well convinced that caramel
>doesn't add any flavor.

In deference to millions of years of evolution I think I'll have to
use my taste buds, instead of my eyeballs, for this one....... ;^)

I'll let you all know!

P.S. anyone know what the SRM of Cross & Blackwell's gravy browning
is? EBC anyone?? %^)

Regards,
Paul Campbell
Aberdeen
e-mail: Paul.R.Campbell at is.shell.com


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Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 10:20:49 EDT
From: CLOAKSTONE at aol.com
Subject: Headspace v. Headspace O2

Hi folks - a small point re: headspace air.

Allan Meeker wrote:

 ..."it seems to me that most commercial bottled beers I've seen have /at 
least/ a 5 ml headspace..."

This is likely true.  However, headspace is distinguished from headspace air. 
 I can't speak for commercial practice at all breweries, but where I work I 
run a Zahm & Nagel at the end of each day, and our benchmark for headspace 
air is .5 ml or less.  Normally we obtain .25-.35 ml.  I would be curious to 
see what Boston Brewing, Flying Fish, etc., obtains, but I would venture to 
say that they would freak if their samples showed a consistent 5 ml of air!

For those who don't know what a Zahm & Nagel does:

It is an instrument which uses NaOH's (Caustic soda) ability to scavenge CO2 
to determine free air in bottled beer headspace.  One shakes the hell out of 
a given bottle and releases the gas into a sampling vial full of caustic - 
the caustic eats the CO2, and the remaining amount, which is air, is read in 
mm.  It also determines (roughly) the volumes of dissolved CO2 in the beer, 
by pressure and temperature.  A nifty little thing.

cheers - 

Paul Smith


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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 09:30:08 -0500
From: Louis Bonham <lkbonham at hypercon.com>
Subject: HBD Palexperiment

Hi folks:

Alan Meeker has a few comments about the HBD Palexperiment:

> I've just read the BT articles on the HBD Palexperiment
> run by Louis Bonham.  This was one of the best designed
> and executed brewing experiments I've yet seen - kudos
> Louis!

First, I can't take credit for this.  Principal credit for
this experiment goes to John Varady and the other
Palexperiment participants.  John came up with the idea, got
the raw materials out to everyone (major undertaking, this),
found a participant to set up a website, etc., etc., etc.
The participants did the experiment -- I just did the lab
work and wrote up the results.  And as noted in my column,
there's no way I could have done the labwork on that many
beers in any sort of consistent fashion without the help of
the crew of local homebrewers.

> This is an example of the kind of articles I for one will
> miss given the demise of BT.

See below -- I've done a separate post on this.

> I do have a couple of quick questions for Louis, or anyone
> else out there who'd care to chime in.
>
> 1) Concerning IBU measurements: The ASBC method that you
> made use of involves
> extraction into an organic solvent and then measuring the
> absorbance at 275 nm. I'll bet that a LOT of organic
> compounds, particularly aromatics, present in beer will
> absorb well at 275. Therefore, how reliable will an IBU
> measurement be when done using this method? [snip]

All I can say here is that, imperfect as it might be, this
*is* the industry standard method of assaying IBU's.  It's
been approved by the ASBC (the EBC also uses a similar
method), and these folks have forgotten more about
analytical chemistry than I'll ever know.  If you're
interested in the very gory details of how they approved it,
I suggest getting a copy of the 1967 & 1968 ASBC
Subcommittee Reports on Determination of Isohumulones in
Beer -- it probably addresses Alan's concerns.

> Another conclusion this might impact is in trying to
> compare measured IBUs with those predicted by  the popular
> IBU prediction formulas. What do you think?

Well, I actually did this.  See the discussion at pp. 22-23
in the Jan-Feb 1999 issue.  For me, however, the most
important point is not so much that one formula worked
"better" than another, but that that the range of results
illustrate the inherent limitations of using *any* IBU
estimating formulae.  Once you get a couple of your bees
tested, you can tweak a formula and make it a decently
accurate estimator of IBU's for *your* system.  Until you
do, however, any IBU calculator is just a rough guesstimate.

(And, BTW, I'll have my lab set up at the Dixie Cup on
October 23, and will be doing IBU, headspace air, and other
measurements for a small fee ($5 / test; proceeds go to the
Dixie Cup fund).  It'll be a good chance for some of y'all
to bring your beer and get it checked.)

> 2) Headspace air: In the section on headspace air volume
> Louis states that "...commercial operations generally view
> 1 ml of headspace air in a standard 12-oz bottle as an
> absolute maximum. (with modern bottling lines, headspace
> air levels of 0.15ml aer commonplace)." This seems to go
> against my
> experiences - one ml is a fairly small volume (for those
> of you who are metric-challanged 5 ml is about one
> teaspoon) and it seems to me that most commercial bottled
> beers I've seen have /at least/ a 5 ml headspace. [snip]

Alan is confusing the headspace *volume* (which is, indeed,
usually 10mls or so) with level of headspace *air* -- a term
which refers to all the non-CO2 gas in the headspace.
(Recall that the Z&N test uses a caustic solution to absorb
all the CO2 in the headspace, and measures what's left
over.)  IOW, if you had a theoretically perfect bottling
line, in which the gas in the headspace was 100% CO2, the
headspace air level would be 0 even though the headspace
volume was 10ml.  The trick with any bottling operation is
to make sure that the headspace is as close to 100% CO2 as
possible -- whether by triple evacuation or just capping on
foam.

LKB



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Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 10:26:58 -0400
From: "John Stegenga" <bigjohns at mindspring.com>
Subject: Legality of Homebrewing/post doctoral

In HBD 3129, Alan writes:
>Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 14:34:28 -0400 (EDT)
>From: ALAN KEITH MEEKER <ameeker at welch.jhu.edu>
>Subject: Legality of homebrewing
>
>I'm still sifting through a stack of BT magazines.
>
>In the Jan 1997 issue there is a map of the U.S. showing the legal status
of
>homebrewing for each state.
>
>By this map there are 12 states where homebrewing was illegal and 7 states
>where the laws are "unclear."
>
>Since this time I know that at least Tenn. has legalized homebrewing but
what
>about the other states? This is an important issue for me as I am looking
>about for places to postdoc and the thought of ending up in a state that
>disallows my favorite hobby will weigh heavilly in my decision!
>
> -Alan Meeker

Alan-

In Georgia we've a couple of good colleges (Emory, Georgia Tech) here in the
Atlanta Metro, and some great home brew stores too.  The "state" limit is
50gal/adult per year, but unless you're bottling and selling it on the
corner you are not likely to bump into any trouble.

I moved to Atlanta in 1987 from chicago and never looked back!  I've been
back to Chicago 2 times in the last 12 years and all I really miss is the
FOOD!  Damn do they make great food up there...*sigh*.

There are decent restraunts here, but you can't buy a Pizza.  Good brewpubs
here too, and a couple micro brews (Atlanta brewing and Dogwood).

Any questions, just ask!

John



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Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 10:32:06 -0400
From: Dan Listermann <72723.1707 at compuserve.com>
Subject: Air Volumes in Headspace

Alan Meeker ( ameeker at welch.jhu.edu)  asks about air volumes in the head
space of bottled beer.   The air volumes measured is amount of "air" in 
the
headspace as opposed to CO2.  IOW there may be any number of ml of gas in

the headspace, but only a small portion of that is composed of the gas
mixture called "air."  I suppose that it is possible to have 5 ml of
headspace and measure no "air" at all if the bottle was filled under 
ideal
circumstances.

Dan Listermann   dan at listermann.com  72723.1707 at compuserve.com

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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 09:41:17 -0500
From: Louis Bonham <lkbonham at hypercon.com>
Subject: Future of The Experimental Brewer

In response to Alan's comments and some other correspondence
I've received, let me take this opportunity to say that I
wish Stephen and the gang all the best -- it was great fun
and I'll miss working with them.

Hopefully, another publisher will pick BT up and let me
continue the column.  If not, I intend to continue The
Experimental Brewer as a feature on the HBD website;
probably in a format that sets out not only prior articles
and "how-to" stuff on brewing lab techniques (including
stuff like videomicroscopy that BT thought was a little too
obscure for a column piece), but also the various
experiments I (and, hopefully, others) have in progress.
These will be on things like Clinitest, alcohol
determination techniques, no-sparge brewing, IBU formulae,
FWH, etc., and will lay out the methodology being employed
(with constructive criticism and suggestions from real
scientists and knowledgable amateurs strongly encouraged)
and the raw data collected to date.

The point will be to facilitate folks who are interested in
participating being able to download the approved "recipe"
for an experiment and the exact data to be collected (and
how it should be collected).  They can then do the
experiment (and in the process perhaps learn a bit about the
techniques employed), and then share their data.  This
hopefully will let us to leverage the power of the internet
and the HBD collective to get enough good data that we can
draw some intelligent and meaningful conclusions.

If you have any comments, lemme know.

LKB



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Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 11:18:47 -0400
From: Mark_Ohrstrom/Humphrey_Products at humphreypc.com
Subject: You've Got to Fight for Your Right!

Mike continues the discussion of the Brave New Brewery, and carries the
scenario to its logical (and probable) conclusion:

>>>
Crying collusion and conspiracy, this fringe element reputedly
hosts secret "brew-ins" where members homebrew arcane beer styles
using traditional methods.  Homebrewing having been outlawed in all 51
states by 2005, state law enforcement officials and BATF agents have
dedicated small task forces to seeking out these scofflaws.
<<<

After the Corporate-Governmental Entities force the declaration of a State
of Emergency following the crash of their industrial breweries in Y2K
mayhem, they will continue to co-opt our precious freedoms.  With this
latest, and most insidious, assault on the long-held principle that A Man's
Home is His Castle (and his brewery), it is now time for all
brewer/patriots to join the clarion call of freedom: The First Michigan
Homebrewer's Militia.

Once only spoken of in whispers late at night around the KLOB Pig Roast
bonfire, we have joined two great Michigan traditions -- brewing, and the
citizen militia.  Realizing that our Potato Cannon competition was the
nucleus for our Artillery Detachment, The First Michigan stands ready to
ward off all such threats from the "jack-booted thugs".

If YOU are a right-thinking American, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us --
mash paddle in hand, spud gun at the ready.  They can only take our
homebrew from us when they peel our cold, dead fingers from the glass ...


For Freedom,
Mark in Kalamazoo
(Still researching edifying quotation for insertion here)




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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 10:46:28 -0700
From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com>
Subject: Volumetric measurement

>From Dave Mercer:

>What really surprised me was that the measuring marks on my one and
two-liter Pyrex Erlenmeyer lab flasks were even more inaccurate (again
measuring short).<

Doesn't surprise me at all.  The graduations on beakers are generally
approximate, and get even less accurate as the size goes up-- I never
even look at the scaling on a beaker larger than 500 ml.  If you're
willing to spend the money and want great accuracy, invest in an array
of graduated cylinders, or at least get one 1l cylinder.






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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 11:37:47 -0700
From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com>
Subject: CF Chillers again

Bill Pierce states after a thorough cleaning of his chiller:
> the only thing I could see was a slight greenish cast to the PBW
solution<

I don't think that's due to hops, Bill.  Anytime I see green coming out
of a copper tubing, I think oxidized and dissolved copper.  I wish I was
still at my old job so I could ask you to send me a sample for the
purpose of determining copper content, but that's pretty tough to do
with my current employment.

You could boil water and run it through and taste it (after cooling, of
course) because a high level of copper will impart a metallic taste as a
down&dirty check.

Rick Theiner







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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 11:41:08 -0700
From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com>
Subject: Soybeans

A posting on soybeans has brought about this post--

Glyn Crossno, a fellow brewer on this list, and I fell into discussions
on soybean brews.  He had some flaked soy and I am interested in brewing
without barley (I have  a gluten intolerant cousin).  Glyn brewed up a
batch and kindly sampled me a couple of bottles and it was very good and
very intriguing.

I'm dying to try my hand at this, but short of tofu, there is just no
good soy source in my area.  Does anyone have ideas on where I can get
my hand on soy, flaked or otherwise?

Rick





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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 11:46:28 -0700
From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com>
Subject: No CO2 Mini Keg

Julio in Athens writes:
> This gadget fits inside the bung (tap) but then you are supposed to
turn the mini upside down. This gadget  has four little legs and a spout
that comes out of the bottom of the mini (once turned upside down) and
dispense beer just as you would dispense water out of a cooler.<

This sounds like how the commercial mini-kegs used to work-- tap them,
turn them upside down, dispense until back pressure wouldn't allow it,
then put a hole in the keg to allow the beer to flow again.  So check
the fine print-- if you have to put a hole in the keg, don't buy it, but
if it has some way to "burp" the keg, then fine.

Rick




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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 10:02:27 -0500
From: Rod Prather <rodpr at iquest.net>
Subject: HBD and Sophistry

AJ wrote in a tyrade to Chickenshorts.


> These beers are very clean so we are not talking about
> ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate or amyl acetate but rather
>
> pleasant, complex, berry- like esters. In particular
>
> I remember lychee because I've never tasted lychee in
>
> beer before or since.
>
> Arnold's assertion that material obtained from brewing texts must, for
> that reason alone, be wrong is sheer sophistry.
>
You are complaining about Arnold's discrediting of  "Sheer Sophistry".  I
don't normally slam dunk and "attitude", AJ,  BUT......   The purpose of
this group is to communicate ideas.   Using lychee to describe a flavor IS
sophistry and unnecessary sophistry at that.  I have never seen lychee in
any beer judging descriptions either AHA or BJCP.    Perhaps only 1 in 500
(if that many)  North Americans have ever tasted a fresh lychee so using the
term to describe a flavor is next to worthless in this forum.   It
communicates nothing except to say you know what a lychee tastes like.  You
could have as easily said melon/berry to descibe the flavor.

By the way, for those who don't know, lychees are a delicate fruit that
grows in southeast asia and the asian tropics. It has a very short shelf
live and doesn't transport well.  You can buy them canned but the delicate
flavors are lost.   It has a semi hard skin that is easily removed and
reveals a white, soft, melon like fruit about and inch and a half in
diameter with a single central seed.  The flavor, though unique, is best
described as melon with grape/beery  like overtones.  Come to think of it,
I've never tasted lychee in a beer either.   I don't think I have ever
tasted melon/berry either.

Incidently, I found most of your article very interresting..




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Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 13:39:20 -0500
From: "Sean Richens" <srichens at sprint.ca>
Subject: Millenium flame wars!  Everyone pile on! (also fridges)

In #3129 an innocent party gets lightly toasted for being in a hurry with
his millenium beer, and another just *subtly* makes his point about having
16 months to go.

Which is fine, but all your friends are going to be looking at you this
coming New Year's asking where your special brew is.

Actually, given that the event being commemorated took place somewhere
between 6 and 4 BCE, the time to start your millenial beer was 1995.

Hey, even the Pope is starting the big party this coming December, so just
go with the flow.    

Sean Richens
Winnipeg



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Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 15:29:55 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <nerenner at umich.edu>
Subject: Re: Legality of homebrewing

ALAN KEITH MEEKER <<ameeker at welch.jhu.edu> wrote:


>Since this time I know that at least Tenn. has legalized homebrewing
but what

>about the other states? This is an important issue for me as I am
looking

>about for places to postdoc and the thought of ending up in a state
that

>disallows my favorite hobby will weigh heavilly in my decision!


Not only has Michigan legalized since that time (1997), but we have an
especially nice feature - we may give away as gifts up to 20 gallons
per year.  This means that there isn't even a technical prohibition
against taking it to parties, etc.  It helped having a homebrewing
state representative.  Rex Halfpenny of Michigan Beer Guide was a
constant force pushing this enlightened legislation.


So come to Ann Arbor, Alan.  We've got great lawas, AABG is an active
club good brewpubs and micros in SE Michigan (a new German lager micro
about to open in Ann ARbor).  Oh, and there are fine life sciences
programs at the UofM.


Jeff

 -=-=-=-=-

Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, c/o nerenner at umich.edu

"One never knows, do one?"  Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943.



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Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 15:55:46 EDT
From: AKGOURMET at aol.com
Subject: adjusting water

Here's a question for the water guys.  On my last couple of all grain batches 
I've adjusted the mash and sparge water according to The Water Treatment 
Calculator v.3.0.  (great program by the way)

My tap water is:
Ca  48
SO4  27
carb  46
hardness  82
alkalinity  38
pH  7

I'm adding 3.2 grams CaCO3 (chalk) and 11.8 grams Gypsum to 11 gallons.

I've noticed that after I drain the sparge kettle and my brew kettle that 
there's a layer of white powder on the sides and bottom.  My question is -- 
am I getting the full effect of the water treatment or am I wasting gypsum 
and chalk?  Have I reached the saturation point of the water, or am I not 
getting the powder dissolved enough?  

Thanks for your help.

Bill Wright
Juneau, Alaska


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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 18:19:33 -0400
From: John Varady <rust1d at usa.net>
Subject: HBDPAE

>I've just read the BT articles on the HBD Palexperiment run by Louis
 Bonham.
>This was one of the best designed and executed brewing experiments I've yet
>seen - kudos Louis! 

>This is an example of the kind of articles I for one will miss given the
>demise of BT.

>The experimental design was far superior to the previously published Oregon
>Pale Ale experiment in which they let so many variables float that the
results
>are essentially meaningless (one of the uncontrolled variables was yeast
>strain!!). This is an example of the type of articles I won't be missing.

The HBD Pale Ale experiment was conceived by myself, and designed by many
(60+ people) over the course of several months. Louis offered to write it
up in his BT column and generously offered many other services. BT provided
an organized tasting of the beers and some free graphic work for a logo
which was etched into pint glasses. Many others also kicked in their
talents and time by the time the whole thing was completed. You can read
about the conception at the BT web site at:


http://brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue6.4/varady.html

Many thanks go out to those involved. One note, Dave Logsdon at Wyeast
donated 47 xl smack packs of his product to our cause. Nice guy if you ask
 me.

Enjoy,

John 
John Varady The
 HomeBrew Recipe Calculating Program
Boneyard Brewing Custom Neon
 Beer Signs For Home Brewers
Glenside, PA
 Get More Information At:
rust1d at usa.net
 http://www.netaxs.com/~vectorsys/varady 



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Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 09:59:31 +1000
From: "Rick Wood" <thewoods at netpci.com>
Subject: Say Yes To...

Hello Collective,
I must chime in and agree with Miguel de Salas regarding Wyeast.  I brew on
Guam Island a little speck of the United States in the Western Pacific,  a
bit north of Australia, a bit east of the Philippines a bit south of Japan
and a whole lot west of the US.

I use Wyeast because it is the product that travels and stores the best.  I
have used Wyeast yeasts that have been in storage in my refer for over a
year.  (I like to use them earlier but sometimes....).  I work in a
laboratory and have all the equipment needed to store slants or even -90
degree C samples.  It is just too much work, in my opinion, to do all this
when Wyeast provides such a stable, transportable and storable product in
such a wide variety.

So I say YES to Wyeast (and a big Thanks as well) and would encourage
everyone to say yes to those products that work for them.  I am sure that
keeping slants and doing recultures is part of the hobby for some and think
that is great.  For me, I will continue to use Wyeast, and like Miguel, hope
too many people don't say no to Wyeast.  I appreciate the availability and
convenience of the product.

I also wanted to thank Bob Sheck for his contribution.  I had mentioned in
an earlier post that I was going to send a "subscription" contribution to
Pat and the HBD and I again put it off.  Well, Bobs note struck me and the
subscription payment is in the mail.

Thanks to Pat Babcock and the Janitors as well as the contributors for such
a fine product.  Not perfect, mind you, but on balance a great service to
the HB community.

Rick Wood
Brewing on Guam and Saying Yes to Wyeast, AHA, IBS, BYO, BT, CP and George
Fix!



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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 21:32:24
From: "C.D. Pritchard" <cdp at chattanooga.net>
Subject: re: carboy volume markers

For indelible markings on glass use etching compound (sold at decent crafts
stores), rinse, dry, then color if needed with a Sharpie permanent marker.  

Dave Thomson <dlt at ici.net> posted: 

>I am in the process of setting up my extra fridge for kegging.  I want to
>drill a hole in the side for my co2 line.  I call the local repair shop and
>they said "well drill a small hole and see what happens"  Yeah thanks guys!

The repair shop apparently needs some work... business must be slow.  Was
it a Maytag shop? <g>

They are partially right.  Kill the power and drill an exploratory hole
first with a 1/8" or so drill bit with a stop adjusted so the bit will just
barely go through the metal on the fridge exterior.  Then poke around
inside the hole with a bent piece of music wire.  Blunt the end a bit so
you don't poke through any wiring insulation and bend the wire as necessary
so the entire path of the proposed bigger hole can be explored.  If nothing
is there, drill away with a bigger bit.  

Some tips:

Rather than just just sticking the CO2 line thru the hole, put a piece of
plastic pipe or tubing throught the hole first then route the CO at  line
through that.  This protects the line from cutting by the metal edges of
the hole, makes for a better seal and allows for easy CO2 line replacement.  

Seal the all gaps well- any air leakage will eventually wet the insulation.
 I use Duct Seal (kinda like a sticky modeling clay- available at HVAC
shops).    For a more permanent installation, use silicone sealant.


c.d. pritchard cdp at chattanooga.net 
http://chattanooga.net/~cdp/  and  http://hbd.org/cdp/



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