---

	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:
  yeast propagator ("Pannicke, Glen A.")
  Kentucky Yeasties ("Jeremy J. Arntz")
  RE:  Syrup questions HBD 3309 ("Houseman, David L")
  stills and sake (AlannnnT)
  Carbonation Question (Jim Welsh)
  Question for Dr. Cone (msnyder)
  Great Canadian Homebrew Conference and Competition ("Rob Jones")
  Re: Update on finding Woodruff syrup (Trevor Hyde)
  BudSwill contributes to STDs ("Bob Sutton")
  RE: Big Brew 2k (C.P.)" <cfrey at ford.com>
  Tasty Stakes (Jim Bermingham)
  Big Brew recipe (C.P.)" <cfrey at ford.com>
  Beer of the Day Calendar ("Philip J Wilcox")
  Scott Snyder's yeast (cbuckley)
  Infusion jars, Cardamom, and Woodruff (Nathan Kanous)
  Jockey Box follow-up ("Spies, Jay")
  woodruff syrup, BT, Vol.7, #1 (Marc Sedam)
  Cardamom again: sources of 1,8 cineole (Jim Adwell)
  Just a little jab! ("Brian Lundeen")
  Hydrogen Peroxide (Brad Miller)
  NYC Bars - my $0.02 (Victor Macias)
  HB Competition (Patrick and Jennifer Fimbres)
  Woodruff Syrup (Dick)


* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!

* 18th Annual Oregon Homebrew Festival - entry deadline May 15th
* More info at:  http://www.hotv.org/fest2000

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


Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 15:48:55 -0400
From: "Pannicke, Glen A." <glen_pannicke at merck.com>
Subject: yeast propagator

In a previous post I asked if there would be interest in a homebrew scale
cylindro-conical yeast propagator.  After posting I have seriously
questioned my sanity and wondered if I need a new hobby.  However, I have
received a number of private responses (thank you all) and it seems that
there is a large enough interest in designing a mini-scale yeast propagator
for yeast growth and collection.  I am not alone in my screwiness ;-)

So far the requirements list is as follows:

1.   Conical bottom to allow for layered settling of yeast, trub and
particulates
2.   Yeast collection valve at bottom of tank
3.   Sidewall valve to allow for sampling and draining of spent media
4.   Airlock or other method of aseptically venting gas
5.   Volume sufficient to contain approx. 1 gallon of wort/growth media +20%
headspace
6.   Sterile air or oxygen aeration system
7.   Circulation/agitation system
8.   Temperature control
9.   Ease of cleaning and sanitization
10. Low material cost & easy construction by the layman

Plastics are easier for most people to work with than metal or glass.  Since
a majority of us use household bleach as a sanitizer in our hobby,  I'm
considering using an empty bleach bottle as the housing.  Why?  Cut off the
bottom and invert it.  Now, it's already pretty damn close to the suggested
height:diameter ratio and cone angle for a cylindro-conical.  It should be
easy to clean and sanitize plus, it already has a hole in the bottom.  As
for the handle and the volume of the cone which it's displacing, I don't
think that it's a big problem.  Just think of it as a convenience in
handling.  Best of all, certain brands come in 1.5 gallon sizes and they're
free (after you use up the bleach).  As for possible problems:
Contamination/cleaning problem around inside of handle if it is hollow?
Will yeast be retained in hollow handle instead of cone?  Is non-food grade
plastic really an issue here?  Is a transparent/translucent plastic
desirable or detrimental?

For the yeast collection valve and sidewall drain/sample valve, these items
should be readily available from your homebrew supplier.  They're easily
removable with gaskets to facilitate cleaning/sanitizing.  Possible
problems: Contamination of propagator through opening of valve following
sampling/collection.  Availability of a straight bore (vs. angled) plastic
valve for collections.  Attachment of collection valve to opening of jug.

The lid could be constructed simply from another empty plastic container of
slightly larger diameter and would only need to fit loosely on the top.
Even plastic wrap and a rubber band would suffice at this point.  Since
we're not worried about oxidation of the liquid media/wort at this point who
cares?  As long as it protects the tank from settling dust, mold spores and
particulates.  Possible problems:  I know someone will want this
hermetically sealed ;-)

I know there's much discussion about oxygenation and stirring in other veins
as of late.  Many methods are possible here but I believe that both items
may be covered in one simple solution.  Even the smallest aquarium pump will
push enough air through a plastic hose down into the wort/media close enough
to the bottom of the tank to sufficiently aerate AND agitate the liquid at
the same time.  The pump could push air through a 0.22 micron sterile filter
and through a plastic hose up to the point at which it enters the tank.  The
tank lid could be fitted with a hard plastic tube (racking cane) which has
been pushed through a grommetted opening in the lid top which would allow
adjustments in depth to be performed.  The end of the cane can then be
fitted with an aeration stone which can either be as disposable as the cheap
fish tank kind or as expensive as the sintered stainless.  Everything past
the sterile filter is easily sanitized in bleach or iodophor.  I don't see
much in the way of problems here.

As for heating and cooling, heating can be achieved through the use of an
aquarium heating element.  They come fully immersible and are internally
regulated, thereby eliminating the need for a separate sensing and
controller circuit.  Cooling is more difficult, but I've been successful in
keeping a 3 gallon fermenter in the 45 - 50 F range for 12 hours using just
2 blue ice packs and an insulated box.  Wide open for suggestions here...

As for a rack to hold it all upright, I'm thinking PVC pipe or aluminum
brackets.  This is all more up to  personal choice and available materials.

I'd like some suggestions from the collective regarding possible problems
I've overlooked or solutions to ones I didn't.  Suggested enhancements are
always appreciated, and while I'd love to have it all done in stainless or
glass with neat things like CIP balls and PLC controls, I want to keep the
first prototype simple, yet effective.

I'm currently collecting the above materials (I can already scrounge half of
them from around the house).  I'll keep track of materials and costs, 
plan some tests on growth rates and then post my results to the interested
parties on the HBD.

I can smell those gears burning, guys!


Carpe cerevisiae!

Glen Pannicke
http://www.pannicke.net
"He was a wise man who invented beer" - Plato


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Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 15:45:56 -0400
From: "Jeremy J. Arntz" <arntz at surfree.com>
Subject: Kentucky Yeasties

Kentucky Yeasties

I have a question about yeast genetics. I have read that yeast shouldn't be
used in more than three fermentation cycles do to the production of mutated
cells. Your basic case of yeast inbreeding. I just salvaged some yeast from
my
last batch and I used a basic "washing" process. I used distilled water to
help
suspend the viable yeast cells from the trub. I ended up with only a small
amount
of final yeast sediment. However I probably could have been more patient and
rescued a higher percentage of the little buggers. I had a tremendous amount
of
trub and sediment almost 2L while suspended in a minimal amount of beer. It
was
 my first all grain batch. I got a good cold break and accidentally siphoned
a good
portion of the protein into the fermentor. Anyway the point of my question
is that I
plan to use this yeast in a few weeks and last night I started the process
of stepping
 up my starter. I plan to step up once a week then once more a few days
before I
brew. In between steps I am storing it in the refrigerator. Anybody had
experience
with this? Finally, going back to where I started. I was wondering about
stepping up
 a starter and the production of mutations. As I said I have heard the rule
of thumb
of only using yeast for 3 batches. Then technically stepping up a large
starter could
be counted as three "batches". Yes or No? And if No then why? It seems to me
that
the size of the cycle wouldn't matter to the yeast. Granted I am no
geneticist!

Thanks once again for your help!
I am looking forward to using all the all grain/mashing advice I got from my
last post
 on my next batch, which will be Scottish Heather Ale. Should be an
interesting summer
brew!

My apologies to all our Kentucky friends! I couldn't resist the urge to use
that title!

Jeremy (arntz at surfree.com)
"Draft beer , not people."
(:-o)<><////////>



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Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 16:49:08 -0400
From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman at unisys.com>
Subject: RE:  Syrup questions HBD 3309

Ron Montefusco might be better able to address the woodruff syrup
formulation than I, but I have had a little practical experience using
woodruff.  I first encountered woodruff in beer not in Germany as an adjunct
to Berliner Weisse, but as Woodruff Ale produced in Northern California
(forgot who).  Loved it.  Called the brewer and he hinted at the process,
not wanting to give away his trade secrets.  Woodruff is a ground cover.
The essential oil is produced upon drying so one must use dried woodruff
leaves.  The oil is not soluble in water but is in alcohol.  So initially I
created a tincture of woodruff using vodka and that worked well.  Later I
just dry "hopped" with woodruff and the alcohol in the beer worked fine.
For a woodruff syrup of course one would need to create a basic sugar syrup
that is then flavored with the tincture of woodruff and colored green.  The
tincture will be green from the woodruff, but additional green food coloring
might be used.  For those interested in the woodruff ale, create a basic
light ale (lager or pils malt and neutral ale yeast -- 1056).  Keep hopping
rate to balance but not assertive.  Cascades is complementary to woodruff
and one could dry hop a little cascades along with the woodruff.  A little
woodruff goes a LONG way, so probably no more than 5 grams (if that) of
dried woodruff for a 5 gallon batch would be plenty.  This is a very
interesting herb beer.

David Houseman


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Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 22:12:10 EDT
From: AlannnnT at aol.com
Subject: stills and sake

Hi ya'll,

I'm trying to find a digest for fans of distillation and distilled spirits. 
Anyone?

Racked my first Sake, well, 'racked' is a funny word for Sake. I squeezed my 
first 2 gallons. If you've never tried making Sake, you don't know what your 
missing. The bag of lees feels like a cold cow's udder. Nice image, eh?

Alan Talman


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Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 22:39:36 -0500
From: Jim Welsh <jwelsh at execpc.com>
Subject: Carbonation Question

I brewed a Duvel-like clone and have been lagering it in secondary for
about one month. I have been having problems in the past carbonating
lagered beer in the bottle. I typically prime with 3/4 cup of corn sugar
and wait 2-3 weeks. This time around, I have been considering pitching a
small amount of champagne yeast in the bottling bucket and then
bottling. My question is: will this cause my bottles to burst. Is there
a better way of carbonating this beer.
Thanks in advance!
Jim



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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 04:44:51 -0500
From: msnyder at wm.com
Subject: Question for Dr. Cone



Greetings to all.

I have a what appears to be a simple question for Dr. Cone.  I have several
vials of pitchable liquid yeast that I won at a beer festival.  However I failed
to use them within their expiration date.  In fact, they are now approximately 1
year expired.  Assuming I am able to get a successful starter going from these
yeasts, what would prevent the strain from remaining true to it's original form
and being used?  Will the yeast strain degrade or less desirable attributes
increase?  This information would also be a boon to those of us who like the
discounted prices available on expired liquid yeasts at our local homebrew shop.

Thanks

Mark Snyder
Atlanta, Georgia




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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 07:05:44 -0400
From: "Rob Jones" <robjones at pathcom.com>
Subject: Great Canadian Homebrew Conference and Competition

The entry deadline for this year's GCHC is fast approaching. Entries
must be received at BrewYourOwn, 168C MCcaul St,  in Toronto by 5:30pm
Saturday April 29.
Judging will take place on May 6th.

The April issue of the CABA Times is being mailed on April 28th. CABA
members
should get their copy soon.

 Friday May 12, 8-11 p.m. Kick off GCHC weekend with a HOMEBREW HOUSE
PARTY in Toronto. Enjoy an informal evening of homebrew and camaraderie.

 Get an opportunity to taste the beer your board has been brewing! If you
would like to attend, please contact Robin Griller at
rgriller at chass.utoronto.ca or call the CABA phone line at (416) 812-6732
to RSVP and get directions.  Please bring a few bottles of your homebrew
for other CABA members to taste. A $10 donation will be requested to
cover snacks and expenses.
NOTE: Due to the homebrew houseparty, there will not be a
pre-conference dinner at the BierMarkt.

 SATURDAY MAY 13. GCHC 2000. Royal Canadian Legion 101, 3850 Lakeshore
Blvd W, Etobicoke. Doors open at 9 am, registration at 9:30 am.
Conference starts at 10:00 am. Speakers include Christ White of Whitelab
Yeast Inc.; Phil DiFonzo; Paul Dickey; Alan McKay; Mike Duggan and more.
Members rates are: Conference only (lunch included): $40; Awards Dinner
$30; Conference & Dinner $60. Slightly more for non-members. See the
April issue of the CABA Times (which will be going in the mail on
Friday) or our webpage http://realbeer.com/caba for more details!

 SUNDAY MAY 14TH. Post-GCHC Brunch at the Granite Brewery.

 ALSO COMING SOON: June 2nd is the entry deadline for the Aurora Brewing
Challenge, Edmonton, AB. This will be the Canadian Qualifier for MCAB
III. An entry form will be included with this month's CABA Times or can be
found on the web page.







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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 07:49:22 -0500
From: Trevor Hyde <Trevor.Hyde at marquette.edu>
Subject: Re: Update on finding Woodruff syrup

A local store in Milwaukee carries both the raspberry and woodruff
syrups, fairly cheaply as I remember (less than $4 a liter). The
store is Discount Liquor (Phone: 414-545-2175), located at 50th and
Oklahoma.

Trevor


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 08:40:03 EDT
From: "Bob Sutton" <anerobe at hotmail.com>
Subject: BudSwill contributes to STDs

In today's news....
- -------------------------
Cheap beer is a leading contributor to the spread of sexually transmitted 
diseases, according to a government report that says raising the tax on a 
six-pack by 20 cents could reduce gonorrhea by up to 9 percent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, released Thursday, 
compared changes in gonorrhea rates to changes in alcohol policy in all 
states from 1981 to 1995. In years following beer tax increases, gonorrhea 
rates usually dropped among young people.

The CDC analyzed the drops in gonorrhea rates following different tax 
increases and came up with the estimate that 20-cent increase per six-pack 
would lead to a 9 percent drop in gonorrhea rates.

Chesson cited the example of a 16-cent per gallon _ about 9 cents per 
six-pack _ tax increase in California in 1991. Gonorrhea rates in the 15 to 
19 age group dropped about 30 percent the following year. Drops in other 
states were not as dramatic.

During the study, various states raised beer taxes 36 times. Gonorrhea rates 
among in the 15 to 19 age group dropped in 24 of those instances, and rates 
among those 20 to 24 dropped 26 times.

In both age groups, men seem to be more affected than women by higher beer 
prices.

``This study suggests these strategies could have a significant impact in 
reducing sexually transmitted diseases among young people,'' said Dr. 
Kathleen Irwin, chief of health services research and evaluation for the 
CDC's division of sexually transmitted diseases.

the more I drink, the better you look... (I have my limits Fred....)

Bob
Fruit Fly Brewhaus
Yesterday's Technology Today
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com



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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:04:39 -0400
From: "Frey, Chris (C.P.)" <cfrey at ford.com>
Subject: RE: Big Brew 2k

Hmmm, I really have no clue regarding SRM. I get about 80%+ efficiency. My
starting gravities are between 1.055 and 1.060; with Wyeast 1056 I generally
get down to the 1.012-1.015 range final gravity. The IBU's change with the
aa% of the hops; typically I am getting approx. 40 IBU's, a bit higher, a
bit lower, depending . I usually get around 35 IBU's with every ounce of
Perle I use (assuming somewhere around 7.5-8.0 aa%). I typically boil for
75-90 minutes and wait 10-15 minutes before I add the perle. I do this to
allow the boil to "settle", as I do 10-25 gallon batches, this becomes
pretty important. The Cascades are usually in the 5% range. The color is
light, that resembling a SNPA. The CRystal generally dictates this as the
base malts usually only give me 2-4oL. Call me at 734-944-6618 (H) or
313-390-02339(W) if you have any further questions. Looks like I will have
25 brewers brewing up 80 gallons of Nearly Nirvana and another 25 gallons of
assorted brews for the national AHA meeting (Porter, Scotch, Brown).
Chris Frey
Credit Insurance Product Management
313-390-2339
cfrey at ford.com


- -----Original Message-----
From: Megown, Mike MAJ ASA-I&E [mailto:Mike.Megown at hqda.army.mil]
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2000 6:53 AM
To: 'Crispy275 at aol.com'
Subject: Big Brew 2k

   I seen the recipe in Zymergie and again this AM in HBD.  But what I'm
looking for is the specifics...i.e. the target OG, target IBU's, (and % at
which time during the boil), target SRM, and finally what the FG should be.
You posted the recipe up but that doesn't do much good because everyones
system is different.  You may be getting 85% eff, while I only get 74%
there's a big difference.
  So if you could just provide me with that info I can take it from there.
I am runing site 14, in Fredericksburg, Va.  F.L.A.B. Brew Club Site.  Right
now it looks like we will be doing 1bbl it may be more if we can get more
brewers involved.


     thanx,

      Cheers!
             Mike


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 07:11:49 -0500
From: Jim Bermingham <bermingham at antennaproducts.com>
Subject: Tasty Stakes

Ed Seymour had a Post Script to Jeff R. about his CAP tasting like cream 
corn but being very tasty with stake.
Anything you eat with a Stake is probably going to be tastier than the 
stake itself.  I have some old Momma cows that, if butchered would probably 
taste like a stake instead of a steak.  Also I keep getting Phil & Jill's 
BS all over my boots when working those critters.

Regards to all,

Jim Bermingham
Millsap, TX.



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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:17:20 -0400
From: "Frey, Chris (C.P.)" <cfrey at ford.com>
Subject: Big Brew recipe

Uh, just found some notes, the actual gravity tends to be more toward 1.050
 - 1.055. I have been boosting that up a bit lately, but the SNPA clone calls
for a bit lower than what I have been brewing lately. Also, I just read the
most recent HBD note of the last few days and the question of FWH with Perle
hops came up and I have to admit that this is again one of the more recent
varients that I have been playing with. I have FWH using both the perle and
the Cascade, but for an actual SNPA clone it would certainly be FWH with
Cascade. As I mentioned in a previous post, I LIKE THE HUGE CASCADE FLAVOUR
AND NOSE! So, adding an ounce of Cascade while sparging into my brewing
kettle, adding a 1/2oz.  per 5 gallons of Cascade at 20min and 10min is
something I enjoy. while I have good notes, after 19 attempts my memory gets
muddy. I will brew my Nearly Nirvana Pale Ale Clone #XX the day before NHD,
as I will be teaching a number of people how to do all grain the next day,
so I wouldn't be able to focus on my own batch. 

Chris Frey
Credit Insurance Product Management
313-390-2339
cfrey at ford.com



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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:36:29 -0400
From: "Philip J Wilcox" <pjwilcox at cmsenergy.com>
Subject: Beer of the Day Calendar

All,

Saturday's Beer is from Novomestsky Pivovar.  The calendar calls it Kvasnicovy
Light, Which I don't think is correct. My notes say Kvasnicovy Lezak, which
would be Lager not light if I remember correctly. I'm Sure Dr. Pivo will correct
me If I'm wrong.

What they don't tell you is that this brewpub is one of the most Stunningly
beautiful brewpubs in the world. I had dinner there a few weeks ago (4/6/00).
The brewhouse is in the back on the main floor where half the seating is also
located. The rest of the seating is in the lagering cellars. There is a spiral
staircase leading down, and at each quarter turn there is a lagering tunnel
bored into the earth. And they are simply Gorgeous!!!!!!! The floors have been
tiled, the walls plastered and hand painted. There are booths and tables of
simple but rugged construction.  We sat in the very bottom. It was a wonderful
meal. They have pretzels on the table when you get there. Beers are served in
Mass liters.

Be carefull on the trip to the WC (bathroom), it is a half step down with a low
door overhang to begin with. After climbing the spiral stairs stepping down and
ducking can be trickier than it sounds. If you ever make it to Prague, have
dinner here then try to find you way to U Flecku. Their beer is  dark and smooth
and suprisingly light. Call it a Czech Mild.

Pivo Proceem!!

Phil Wilcox




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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:43:59 -0400
From: cbuckley at newsoft.com
Subject: Scott Snyder's yeast



Scott writes:
2.) I have been pitching my liquid yeast (after popping the package and
letting it sit for a couple of days) directly into my brew, after cooling
the brew of course. I have never made a liquid starter and the beers (ale,
lager, weiss) always come out fine.  Am I missing a whole 'nother side of
brewing? I do notice that there always seems to be about a day's lag time to
the start of active fermentation and then it slows quickly. But, again, the
beers seem to come out well.


Scott,  I posted a similar question one or two months ago.  I have tried using
starters and pitching lots of yeast.  My lag times have gone from "two to three
days" down to hours.  The end result is not noticeably better (to me).
Disclaimer--: I am not trained in the "art and science" of beer tasting, I use
the "tastes good / not so good" method.  I do like the fast start and better
attenuation I get with starters or just lots more store bought yeast.  I suggest
you try it once and see if the pay is worth the work.  I'm going to continue to
use them or just pitch a lot more yeast, mostly because I like the short lag and
the better attenuation.

brew well my friend........

- ---Question.  -
I have used starters and I have pitched lots of liquid and dry yeast (from the
store) into my wort.  Both methods attenuate well and have short lag times.  Is
there any reason one is better than the other?  I know that "lots" of yeast can
cost several dollars, other than price is there a reason the use a starter
instead of just large amounts of fresh store bought yeast.?

thanks -----
Happy brewer






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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 08:47:41 -0500
From: Nathan Kanous <nlkanous at pharmacy.wisc.edu>
Subject: Infusion jars, Cardamom, and Woodruff

Hi All,
The first and last...first.  Thomas Lowry asks about an infusion jar for 
making flavored vodkas and Don Lake is on a quest for some Woodruff 
Syrup.  I'm considering making some woodruff syrup myself.  The real issue 
is the chemical characteristics of the "essences" that we wish to extract 
from the woodruff.  I'm considering a maceration (mix and let it 
sit...think infusion jar) in an alcoholic solution (grain alcohol) and an 
aqueous solution to see what happens.  I can then put the "infusion" into 
some simple syrup.  We'll see what happens.

Kudos to Spencer for putting a touch of cardamom in his Maibock.  Not 
necessarily a "clean" scientific experiment, but it is better than some of 
the brow beating that goes on.  Hope this helps?
nathan in madison, wi


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:53:26 -0400
From: "Spies, Jay" <Spies at dhcd.state.md.us>
Subject: Jockey Box follow-up

All -

Our much revered and hard working janitor Pat Babcock responds to Michael
Rose's question about whether to discard the 5 ft of 3/16" tubing at the end
of the run of SS coil...

>>>Definitely keep it! The balance at each end of the coils is much
different
due to the temperature drop within the coils themselves. The hose lengths
and inner diameters are specified such that the beer effectively sees the
same temperature/pressure/resistance relationships on each side of the
coils or cold plate for the expected cooling achieved within the
coils...(snip)...also note that the system is in balance at
35psig...(snip)<<<

Pat's dead on, here.  If the system is in balance, don't muck with it.  One
note though...

If the system is in balance at 35 psi, and you have carbonated your keg to,
say, 12 psi, you'd best be sure to unhook the keg between uses, drink it up
fast, or dispense with mixed gas.  Leaving 35 psi of dispense pressure of
100% CO2 on a beer that has been carbonated to 12 psi will quickly
overcarbonate your keg.  Mixed gas is a nice option because the partial
pressure of the CO2 is much less (about 1/3 less) and you can leave it
hooked up for quite a while.  

As an aside, Beer Beer and More Beer (NA,YY) sells a 50' SS coil that is
3/8" ID and only requires about 12 psi to push.  Problem solved!

BTW, I don't think we take nearly enough opportunities to publicly thank Pat
and Karl for the endless and often thankless hours that they put in bringing
the HBD to our cyber-doorsteps each and every day.  Without them, the wealth
of brewing information and overabundance of amusing flame wars would not be
available for us.  With the demise of BT, their contributions to the brewing
community are even more appreciated, at least by this brewer.

Keep up the good work, guys...we love ya!

Jay Spies aka BaltoBrewer
Wishful Thinking Basement Brewery
Baltimore, MD


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:55:47 -0400
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam at unc.edu>
Subject: woodruff syrup, BT, Vol.7, #1

One of the last issues of Brewing Techniques (noted above)
had an article on Berliner Weiss.  I seem to recall that the
author had listed a source for woodruff syrup.  I also know
that the Dock Street Brewery in Philadelphia has had it for
their beers.

Hope it helps,
Marc


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 08:50:56 -0400
From: Jim Adwell <jimala at apical.com>
Subject: Cardamom again: sources of 1,8 cineole

Got a chance to surf the net last night, so I searched for "1,8 cineole" on
various search engines, and found that a variety of substances contain 1,8
cineole.  A partial list:

basil (basil beer, anyone?)
eucalyptus
laurel bay (is this the 'bay laurel' leaves used in cooking?)
lavender
myrtle
turmeric
allspice (a "water essence" of allspice was found to contain 5% 1,8 cineole)
blueberries (?!?)
Australian tea tree oil (0-15%)

Also found that 1,8 cineole is a solvent and is highly flammable.

I looked back through my notes on the first cardamom beer I brewed and
found that I "dry-hopped" 4 cardamom pods in the secondary.  I still have
several bottles of this batch, now 8 months old, so I tried one last night;
tastes like christmas cookies.  No wonder I didn't finish it off months
ago. FWIW, I gave a number of bottles to a woman who works with my wife;
she (not my wife) absolutely loved this beer.  I don't like it at all.

Cheers, Jim

Jim's Brewery Pages:
http://home.ptdprolog.net/~jimala/brewery/


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 10:14:05 -0500
From: "Brian Lundeen" <blundeen at rrc.mb.ca>
Subject: Just a little jab!

>
> Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 08:29:38 -0500
> From: "Louis K. Bonham" <lkbonham at hypercon.com>
> Subject: Patent law / Dr. Cone
> While putting together the speakers for MCAB I, I had been
> trying to get Dr.
> Chris White of WhiteLabs to fly in and speak at the
> conference.

I noticed that Chris White will be the keynote speaker at this year's Great
Canadian Homebrew Conference. It doesn't look like Dr Cone will be involved.
I guess just the prospect of speaking at a more prestigious event than MCAB
was enough to lure Dr White out this time. ;-)

Cheers

Brian



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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 08:51:57 -0800
From: Brad Miller <millerb at targen.com>
Subject: Hydrogen Peroxide

	In the last episode Loren Crow asked about using H2O2 for 
sanitizing.  Actually H2O2 is better than using the famed Idophor. 
While it is rather cheap, it is not sporicidal but H2O2 is.  Remember 
that H2O2 is light sensitive and should be stored in a brown bottle 
or it will break down and become ineffective.  So I guess when your 
mom put that stuff on your skinned knees she actually knew what she 
was doing.  Happy Sanitizing!

Brad


Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game.


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 10:46:13 -0700
From: Victor Macias <VMacias at foxsports.net>
Subject: NYC Bars - my $0.02

Greetings, all.  Since the Burp Castle and Brewski's have been mentioned a
couple of times, I thought that I'd chime in with my experience.

I live in Los Angeles, I love Belgian beer, and when I heard about the Burp
Castle, I couldn't wait to get there.  My fiance and I were in NYC over New
Year's, and we went to the Burp Castle one evening.  Sure, there were nice
murals on the wall.  Sure, the "waiters" (to use the term VERY loosely) were
dressed like monks (complete with the stench of not bathing for quite a
while).  Fine, I thought.  Let me see the beer list.  It was good, but they
didn't have the first couple of choices that my fiance wanted.  Fine.  I
started with a Celebrator Dopplebock (because that was less expensive than
most of my other ridiculously-priced choices) and proceeded to light a
cigar.  I figured, "this place is gray (and I do mean GRAY!) with cigarette
smoke, so my single cigar shouldn't be a problem".  Wrong.  Shortly after
lighting it, one of the stinky monk-waiters came over and asked me to
extinguish it.  I asked him to explain his reason for asking me to put it
out, given the already heavily-polluted atmosphere.  He couldn't give me a
good reason.  I continued to smoke my cigar, finished my first and last
beer, and we left.  We went next door to Brewski's (who, by the way, had no
problem with my cigar) and we drank, and drank, and drank.  Victory Hop
Devil (AWESOME!), several Brooklyn Brewery beers (excellent), and a couple
of Corsendonk Browns (speak for themselves).  Ah, freedom...

- --- Victor Macias
	Pacific Gravity Homebrewers - Culver City, CA     


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 13:57:11 -0700
From: Patrick and Jennifer Fimbres <patnjen at azstarnet.com>
Subject: HB Competition

Greetings Brewers:
The Rillito Creek Homebrew Club is thrilled to host the BJCP and
AHA Sanctioned Flightline 2000 Homebrew Competition.
Event Essentials are as follows:
Judging will take place May 19-20, 2000 in Tucson, Arizona.
Entries are due not later than May 15 2000.
BJCP registered event with all categories, plus homemade soda
(1999 Style Guidelines).
Online registration is preferred (Please Go to The Web Site),
traditional registration is acceptable.
A two bottle requirement.
A graduated entry fee scale for competitors with multiple entries.
High quality of judging with BJCP judges and quality control program.
Also hosting a Beer Judge Certification Program exam the same weekend.
Interested Competitors and Judges go to:
http://www.quimbytech.net/flightline/
- --

                Patrick Fimbres
                Rillito Creek Brew Club
                Tucson AZ

"Beer, if drank with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the
spirit and promotes health."  --  Thomas Jefferson


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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:56:19 -0400
From: Dick <dickgl at lek.net>
Subject: Woodruff Syrup

This is an easy one (I think).

I solved the problem several years ago. It did not even occur to me that
there might be a commercial woodruff syrup out there.  I made my own. A
simple syrup (sugar and water) that you can find in any basic recipe book
and the addition of woodruff extract and you have it.

Best

Dick



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