HOMEBREW Digest #3158 Mon 01 November 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.
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Contents:
  Re: Lambic Yeast and Sanitation (Matthew Arnold)
  RE: bubbles, tiny and otherwise ("O'Brien, Douglas")
  O2 and grease ("Sean Richens")
  HOP TEA, 100% Ashburne Malt ESB (RCAYOT)
  Re: Want more Hop Flavor (David Lamotte)
  Subject: Subject: Book..... (Dennis Templeton)
  re: Re: Oxygen spontaneous combustion (Bob Sheck)
  CABA Annual General Meeting ("Rob Jones")
  HERMS Plans ("Jeff Hewit")
  Methods for dry hopping in your serving keg ("John S Thompson")
  Are brewers being marginalized by Winemakers? ("Alan McKay")
  re: RIMS thermocouple (John_E_Schnupp)
  Sweet Potato Aroma ("bryan bonser")
  Re: Dry Hopping with Pellets (Bob Sutton)
  Subject: Book..... ("Jack Schmidling") (Dan Kasen)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 15:56:00 GMT From: revmra at iname.com (Matthew Arnold) Subject: Re: Lambic Yeast and Sanitation On Sat, 30 Oct 1999 00:17:34 -0400, you wrote: >I found a comment (I don't remember >where) that suggested Lambic yeast and bacteria are so strong that >sanitizing equipment after their use is nearly impossible. I am not a microbiologist, nor do I play one on T.V. so take the following comments with several grains of salt. I would think that this advice would be very good for a microbrewer or pub brewer who would be attempting a pLambic. It would be nearly impossible to get every nook and cranny clean and disinfected. However, we homebrewers can give all our equipment a soak in a good, strong bleach solution which should take care of most anything. I probably would be leery of using a corny keg for pLambic because the poppets and such would be difficult to clean--can anyone chime in on this one? I have found it interesting that we are warned so strongly about brett or pedio infections in our "regular" beers, yet it is difficult to keep the wee beasties alive when attempting a pLambic. My plan right now, FWIW, is to keep my five gallon carboy forever dedicated as a pLambic fermenter. When I bottle this batch (whenever that might be) I'll just dump out the majority of the jetsam and rack the new pLambic on to the rest of the leftover yeast / bacteria. What I'd do for a bottle of Boon Geuze right now . . . Matt - ----- Webmaster, Green Bay Rackers Homebrewers' Club Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 15:20:25 -0400 From: "O'Brien, Douglas" <Douglas.O'Brien at CCRS.NRCan.gc.ca> Subject: RE: bubbles, tiny and otherwise >Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 23:30:27 -0400 >From: jim english <jimebob at mindspring.com> >Subject: bubbles, tiny and otherwise > <snip> > >p.s. Do big bubbles rise faster, period? > Years ago this question was asked by a physics professor of mine. A fellow student replied "bubbles do not have time to rise in my beer"! I spent the next hour laughing so much that I don't remember the answer to the question. Sorry, Doug Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 15:28:41 -0500 From: "Sean Richens" <srichens at sprint.ca> Subject: O2 and grease Doesn't anyone remember Apollo 13? I was seven years old at the time, and I haven't seen the movie, but I remember O2 and grease being the principal suspect. Sean Return to table of contents
Date: 30 Oct 1999 09:54:30 -0400 From: RCAYOT at solutia.com Subject: HOP TEA, 100% Ashburne Malt ESB Jeff Woods asks about HOP TEA additions. I "dry hop" with hop teas. What I do is take my one or two hop plugs (not whole, not pellets, plugs!) and add about a cup and a half of water, place them in a sauce pan, place on the stove with cover on low heat, and wait for the stuff to boil. I then add the whole soggy mess to my secondary, most of the hops float and when I keg, they remain behind when a racking cane with one of those red plastic caps is used. Anyway, I feel that this works for me in several ways: 1. It apparently speeds up the process of infusing beer with hop flavor and aroma. I get good results in one week at 40-45F while my yeast crashes in the fridge. 2. The hop flavor is less "grassy" more like a really good late hopping flavor BUT with really good AROMA! I have not really noticed it, there is probably an increase in bitterness in the finished product. To this I would like to add some comments about dry hopping and Czech Pils. A few short weeks ago there was some discussion about how (im)proper dry hopping is for that style, and the insistence of some that is was inappropriate because "Pilsner Urquell does not dry hop... I was there yadda yadda yadda...." Now I have NEVER been to the Czech Republic or anywhere across the big pond, but I would have to add that it is the TASTE of the beer that is important, not the TECHNIQUE used to achieve it. I know of several beers I have had that had phenomenal hop flavor and aroma, that were not dry hopped, they have a hop back, whirlpool, etc. in the brewery and achieve the hop profile without dry hopping. A homebrewer might achieve the same EFFECT by dry hopping, and if so, what's the deal? I am a big proponent of learning about and using traditional methods and materials, but I am also one who will let the beer do the talking! As far as the 100% Briesse Ashburne malt ESB, I just kegged it! So far the beer is very good, there is a "different" kind of maltiness than I am used to, normally I add 10-20% Munich in addition to Briesse Pale Ale malt for a kick in malt. The ESB is "dryer" than my normal beer, but with using a different yeast (Wyeast American Ale#2) I achieved a 71% apparent attenuation which is not overly dry, I think that the beer is just less malty/sweet and more malty/toasty that my usual. This beer, although good is probably flawed due to a pH adjustment I mad on my sparge water, which I STUPIDLY did without the aid of a pH meter..... (I should have known better....) anyway, the beer is somewhat acidic. Now this could very well be from yeast, the first wort hopping schedule I used (which I think adds a hop flavor that is somewhat acidic) Anyway, the malt flavor is very up front and subtle, I guess I am really going to have to do this again and more carefully. Say... another 6g of beer... Okay! Roger Ayotte Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 11:13:43 +1100 From: David Lamotte <lamotted at ozemail.com.au> Subject: Re: Want more Hop Flavor Jeff Woods requested info on feeding his hop addiction - looking for flavour without bitterness. I have found that using First Wort Hopping gives you the flavour. See http://brewery.org/library/1stwort.html for more info. Using a Hop Back also increases the aroma. Try searching the archives for "hopback" OR "hop back". David Lamotte Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 20:37:09 -0500 From: Dennis Templeton <djt2 at po.cwru.edu> Subject: Subject: Subject: Book..... >Subject: Subject: Book..... > > > > hal <hwarrick at springnet1.com> > >Subject: Book: Principles of Brewing Science 2 > > >Come to think of it, this is about the time George Fix should pop >into the HBD with a post... his posts seem to be favorably timed with the >release dates of his new publications. I wonder if he learned these >marketing strategies from Schmidling? > >Actually, he failed the course. He is still working and I retired at age 40. > >js Maybe he has a job he actually enjoys? (Actually, I know he does). And hey, Jack, arent you still hocking easymashers? Dennis Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 23:18:12 -0400 From: Bob Sheck <bsheck at skantech.net> Subject: re: Re: Oxygen spontaneous combustion In Fri, 29 Oct 1999 07:51:49 -1000, Alex Hazlett <arexu at aloha.net> writes about <SNIP> "but an oxygen fire is nothing you want to see." But if you DO want to see one, go to: http://ghg.ecn.purdue.edu for sound and video (and pix, of course) of subject. 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 - ------------- "Madness takes its toll -- Please have exact change!" Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 09:12:02 -0500 From: "Rob Jones" <robjones at pathcom.com> Subject: CABA Annual General Meeting Hi, The Canadian Amateur Brewers Association is having its AGM November 27, 1999 at Denisons Brewing Company & Restaurant, 75 Victoria St., downtown Toronto. The bus will be taking us to Taylor & Bate Brewery and the Merchant Ale House, both in the St. Catherines/Niagara region. People in the Niagara region interested in meeting up with the tour there should contact Richard Oluszak at richard.oluszak at sympatico.ca The schedule is as follows: Registration & Coffee: 10am Meeting: 10:30 am Lunch & pint: 11:30 On bus: 12:30 (or a bit earlier) Return to Totonto around 7pm Member Costs: $20 Lunch Only $35 Bus Trip Only $50 Whole Day. NonMembers Costs: $40 Bus Trip $60 Whole Day Hope to see you there!! Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 07:46:41 PST From: "Jeff Hewit" <aleman_ at excite.com> Subject: HERMS Plans I have seen some discussion on HERMS systems. (I forget exactly what "HERMS" stands for, except that "RM" means "recirculating mash.") My understanding is that wort is pumped through a heat excahanger in the hot liquor tank as an alternative to using an electric heating element in the traditional RIMS set up. This is supposed to prevent scorching of the wort and provide other advantages which I have forgotten. Sounds like a great idea, but I haven't seen any pictures or specs. I'm sure someone has posted details on these set ups. Does anyone know of any Web sites that include HERMS plans? TIA Jeff Hewit James River Homebrewers Richmond, VA ________________________________________________________________ Get FREE voicemail, fax and email at http://voicemail.excite.com Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 13:16:04 -0500 From: "John S Thompson" <jthomp6 at lsu.edu> Subject: Methods for dry hopping in your serving keg Hello HBDers. I've tried a few methods for dry hopping in my (3 gallon) serving kegs. I thought I'd share these as well as inquire about other methods. The impetus for my experimentation was to achieve a nice fresh hop aroma without having to secondary the beer and dry hop there... Both of these methods involve adding hops to the keg and putting some sort of "filter" over the bottom of the intake tube: First, I took one of those plastic "chore boys" and placed it around the bottom of the intake tube. (Basically, I forced the intake tube into it until it pierced the chore boy, so the bottom of the tube ended up being in the center of the chore boy.) I then added about half an ounce of Spalt *pellets* to each keg. The aroma was nice, but the chore boy did not do an adequate job of filtering out the pellets, as those things are very fine once they hit the liquid. My second attempt appears more successful. This time, I took a (2" x 2") piece of aluminum screen (like the kind you get at the hardware store) and wrapped it around the end of the dip tub, "crimping" it with my fingers. Then, I added half an ounce of Goldings *leaf hops* to each keg. So far, all is well. Although the aroma hasn't come through too much yet (I did this yesterday), there are no hops coming through. Even after a day in the keg, the beer is approaching clarity. In summary, I strongly recommend the second method and welcome any additional input/comments/ideas... John Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 15:26:35 -0500 From: "Alan McKay" <amckay at ottawa.com> Subject: Are brewers being marginalized by Winemakers? Here in Ottawa within the last 2 years the brew stores have less-and-less beer stuff, and more and more wine stuff. 3 years ago when I moved here when the brewstores put out their quarterly sales fliers, 60% roughly of the stuff on sale was beer stuff. Now it's more like 20%. The mega-bookstore in town Chapters used to have a beer section that was 3 and almost 4 shelves in size. Now it's only less than 1 shelf, and wine takes up about 5 shelves. Maybe it's just because of the onslaught of wine-on-premise, I don't know. There is now even a "co-op" wine-on-premise here in town where you walk in the door, make a wine, then bottle someone else's batch from a month ago, and walk out the door. A month later someone else comes in and bottles yours. Is this happening everywhere, or is it just here in Ottawa? cheers, -Alan - -- - -- Alan McKay amckay at ottawa.com http://www.bodensatz.com/ Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 13:27:44 -0800 From: John_E_Schnupp at amat.com Subject: re: RIMS thermocouple Doug, >Is there any reason not to use thermocouple wire to make my own bi-metal >junction thermocouple? I'm behind on my reading. I've been using K type TC's. I've been using a Fluke meter. I have also put together a RIMS controller that I have not yet used. It's based on Watlow PID controller and also uses K-type TC's. I do not use a temp well, just dunk the TC in the mash or boil. For my RIMS I built a fitting that is unique. I use a T fitting with a 3/8" compression fitting on one leg. I used a 000 stopper and cut it so that it would fit in the compression fitting. The nut from the compression fitting helps hold the stopper from blowing out when pressurised. I then pushed the TC thru the rubber. Worked in a static test but I've yet to test it in the actual (dynamic) RIMS. I don't see a problem with TC's. I just think that they're not used more because people don't know about them. John Schnupp, N3CNL Dirty Laundry Brewery Colchester, VT 95 XLH 1200 Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 17:21:06 PST From: "bryan bonser" <bbonser at hotmail.com> Subject: Sweet Potato Aroma I am planning to make a sweet potato lager soon, and my girlfriend insists that it will be pointless without that wonderful aroma of freshly roasted sweet potatoes in the finished beer. The trick is to keep this aroma and still get the starchy tubers through a full mash and boil. I am thinking that a full-blown triple decoction and relatively short boil will probably do the trick to some extent. Does anybody have any experience or conjectures on how to accomplish this? Kanpai! Bryan Bonser ______________________________________________________ Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1999 01:47:32 GMT From: Bob.Sutton at Fluor.com (Bob Sutton) Subject: Re: Dry Hopping with Pellets John Palmer remarked about the suitability of alternate hop forms for dry-hopping... >One other point brought up that I forgot to mention is that >the aroma of whole hops (or plugs) is generally better than >that of pellets, though there are undoubtedly exceptions >to the rule on both sides. Jon - I'm not sure about "the exception to the rule" - but overall my experience is that you need fewer grams of pellets to achieve the degree of hoppyness - in contrast to whole hops (and I would suspect to some degree plugs). The reason is that the hop oils are more available, due to the rupture of the oil glands when the hops are processed into plugs. I don't have hard analytical data to back this up - but it could be fodder for another pale ale experiment (are you listening in John Varady?). Cheers! Bob Sutton Fruit Fly Brewhaus Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 20:04:38 -0600 From: Dan Kasen <dkasen at flash.net> Subject: Subject: Book..... ("Jack Schmidling") I don't know what Jack Schmidling is drinking but I think that I will stay away from it. - Dan Return to table of contents
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