HOMEBREW Digest #335 Thu 04 January 1990

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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator


Contents:
  reusable bottles (Jon Rodin)
  three gallon carboy (usage questions) (tony g)
  Chill Haze (Douglas J Roberts)
  kegging and time (JEEPSRUS)
  recycling sparge water (Douglas J Roberts)
  A mashing question (Douglas J Roberts)
  Re: Wyeast Problems? (Crawford.WBST129)
  blackberry/honey beer (Joe)
  Re: Stinky Wyeast Bavarian Lager Yeast (John Polstra)
  Thomas Hardy Ale (A Recipe?) (Tim Weil)
  Sparging and Chilling (Norm Hardy)
  FYI (rdg)
  In search of..... (jamesb)
  In search of.....
  Too Much Foam Revisited (Pete Soper)
  Re:	Premier Malt and mail order house (florianb)
  Re: CO2 keg system (Ken Ellinwood)
  Kegging System ("2645 RUTH, GUY R.")
  Please Post!
  Recycling Bottles (John DeCarlo )
  re: Too much foam ("2645 RUTH, GUY R.")
  ``The Beer Hunter'' sighted again. (Chris Shenton)
  Samichlaus Bier and wheat conversion (Marc Davidson)
  Rice varieties (Enders)
  Rice varieties (Enders)
  I have to worry! I can't relax! (Brian Glendenning)
  Rice varieties (Enders)
  Oatmeal Stout (iwtio!korz)
  CO2 keg system (a.e.mossberg)
  'Strewth!  It's FLAT! (Martin A. Lodahl)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 7:44:15 MST From: Jon Rodin <jar at hpcndpc.cnd.hp.com> Subject: reusable bottles A fellow homebrewer recently mentioned to me that one has to be careful to use *re-usable* bottles. But he wasn't sure how to tell if bottles were reusable or not. He did not think that refundable bottles were necessarilly reusable. I've got several cases worth of mostly long neck Rainier, Sam Adams and Bud bottles. Is it safe to use these? I've got another case or so of miscellaneous bottles, how can I tell whether I should use those? I've also discovered that my capper works just fine on Red Hook and Sierra twist off bottles. Is there any problem with reusing twist off bottles? Jon Rodin jar%hpcndpc at hplabs.hp.com Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 9:54:14 EST From: tony g <giannone at BBN.COM> Subject: three gallon carboy (usage questions) I just purchased a 3 gallon carboy. I figured it would give me a chance to experiment (with different recipes) more often. Before I use it though, I thought I'd ask a few questions. When brewing a 5 gallon batch I usually boil 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of water and then cool the wort with ~3 1/2 gallons of ice-water. This usually gets the wort down to about 80 degrees. When I brew the 3 gallon batch how much water should I use for the wort? Will 3/4 to 1 gallon be ok? If so, will the remaining 2 gallons (or so) of ice-water be sufficient to cool the wort to yeast-pitching temperature? I've been using WY liquid yeast which is made for a 5 gallon batch. Is it ok to use the entire package on a 3 gallon batch? I know what your saying 'why doesn't he just relax...' but if you have any input on this subject I would greatly appreciate it as I am anxious to get started with the new carboy. A. Homer Brewer aka: tony g (giannone at bbn.com) Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 10:14:30 MST From: dzzr%beta at LANL.GOV (Douglas J Roberts) Subject: Chill Haze > From: Mike Charlton <umcharl3 at ccu.umanitoba.ca> > > Hi all. I recently made a beer based on Dave Line's Theakston's Bitter > recipe which seems to have chill haze. I found this rather strange since > this recipe contains only pale malt, flaked maize, and molasses. My holiday ale, which has 1 1/2 cups molasses in it also has a chill haze. It was a mashed ale, and other similar recipes have always clarified beautifully. The only other ingredient in this batch which may be a culprit is the grated peel of four oranges. The batch tastes great, but hasn't cleared yet after a month. - --Doug Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 09:15 PST From: JEEPSRUS <ROBERTN%FM1 at sc.intel.com> Subject: kegging and time As the subject of kegging has been floating around the net lately, I was wondering how long kegged beer will stay fresh? Now say I were to get a c02 kegging system. If I tapped a keg and had a few beers tonite, how long would I have to use up the rest of the beer? If I don't drink any more for a week, how will it taste? How about a few weeks? Will the c02 affect the flavor, or the aroma of the beer? What about sediment? If my bottles have sediment in them, won't the keg have some too? How do you keep this from being kicked up? Thanx in advance, and have a real nice day! RobertN. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 10:16:57 MST From: dzzr%beta at LANL.GOV (Douglas J Roberts) Subject: recycling sparge water > From: kipps at etoile.ICS.UCI.EDU > > I'm going to be mashing again in a few weeks and I have a question. I've > noticed several references in the recent past to "recycling sparge water > until it runs clear." Now my experience in the past has been that the > sparge water comes out cloudy and after recycling it's still cloudy. > I've always assumed this was OK, thinking cloudy water in--cloudy water > out. Will it really get clear if I recycle enough? or is my idea of > clear a little cloudy? I don't recycle sparge water. My experience has been that the hot break removes all protiens quite nicely. My mashed beers all clarify beautifully with just a straight sparge. - --Doug Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 10:27:33 MST From: dzzr%beta at LANL.GOV (Douglas J Roberts) Subject: A mashing question Ok, you mashers, I have a question about mashing Klages two-row: which technique is preferred, the infusion (one temperature) or the temperature-controlled step-mash procedure? I've now made several batches by mashing ~8# Klages using Papazian's temperature-controlled mash procedure, with excellent results. The initial specific gravities weren't as high (~1.045) as I would have expected, but the quality of the resulting beers was wonderful. Is Klages highly modified, or do different batches of Klages vary? I'm interested in hearing from others' experiences. - --Doug Return to table of contents
Date: 27 Dec 89 07:13:28 PST (Wednesday) From: Crawford.WBST129 at Xerox.COM Subject: Re: Wyeast Problems? >It was a very serious bacterial infection which produced a strong >sulphery oder, much like 2-tube epoxy glue. (Yuck!) I recently had a similar problem with MeV Research German Lager yeast. The starter had a VERY strong sulphery odor. I looked though various books on brewing (including the Trouble Shooting edition of Zymurgy). Some strains do naturally produce a lot of the sulphery odor (I forget the specifics of what the odor is) but it is stripped out with the CO2 during the ferment. I went ahead and pitched the starter and the beer turned out OK, no sign of a bacterial infection. Greg Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 14:05:18 EST From: Joe <UKNALIS at VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU> Subject: blackberry/honey beer I recently cooked up a batch of beer that contained 3lb of frozen black berries and 1 lb of light honey. A can of light syrup and 2 oz of williamette hops for good measure. I was borrowing technique from a recipie in CJOH near Cherries in the snow (I can't remember the exact title). Well everything is going ok, but the stuff is bubbling so slowly... It's been in the secondary fermenter for a week now and is no slower/faster than when it first went in. CJOH says 10-14 days in the secondary and to bottle when the stuff shows signs of "clarity"(??). How do you see into a plastic bucket? Anyway, anyone got any hints on how to deal with this bubbling baby of the new year?? Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 89 14:31:02 PST From: polstra!jdp at hplabs.HP.COM (John Polstra) Subject: Re: Stinky Wyeast Bavarian Lager Yeast In HBD #334, Steve Conklin <uunet!ingr!b11!conk!steve> replied to my earlier posting about a yeast starter infection that I experienced using Wyeast #2206: > My experience using this yeast at warmer temperatures is that it always > stinks while fermenting, but that the beer does not retain any of the > sulfer aroma. This is pretty typical for a number of strains of lager > yeast, and the mechanisms are documented in brewing literature . . . Steve, thanks for the reply. This was definitely an infection, though. I had used #2206 several times before, and the oder this time was entirely different. It was *bad*. I didn't even want the stuff in my house! - John Polstra jdp at polstra.UUCP Polstra & Co., Inc. ...{uunet,sun}!practic!polstra!jdp Seattle, WA (206) 932-6482 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 90 13:24:53 EST From: hpda!uunet!f419.n109.z1.fidonet.org!Tim.Weil (Tim Weil) Subject: Thomas Hardy Ale (A Recipe?) BREWNET BBS is searching for recipe variations on THOMAS HARDY's ALE. We don't know if this brew can be approximated with HomeBrew technique, but we'd like to give it a try. Our preference would be for an all-grain, step-infusion mash type of recipe but we welcome any and all references. 'Hoppy New Beer' (hic), 'Happy New Year' BREWNET BBS can be reached via this conference or, DIRECT - 301 891-SUDS FIDONET - 1:109/419 USENET - Tim.Weil at f419.n109.z1.FIDONET.ORG - -- Tim Weil at The Black Cat's Shack (Fidonet 1:109/401) Internet: Tim.Weil at f419.n109.z1.fidonet.org UUCP: ...!uunet!hadron!blkcat!419!Tim.Weil Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 89 15:00:40 PST From: polstra!norm at hplabs.HP.COM (Norm Hardy) Subject: Sparging and Chilling Jim Kipps asks about a continual cloudy sparge. I assume you have a standard sparging system with a small false bottom below the screen (or nylon sparge bag or drilled bucket). You may find that you have to recirculate up to 4 gallons of sparge. Check the speed of the sparge: the best speed seems to be at least 8-12 minutes per gallon. It may seem slow, but the yields are higher. You might drain a little wort at each gallon re- circulated to check the clarity in a wine or brandy curved glass. Todd Enders asks about a chilling system. The counter-flow chillers have the highest efficiency I'm sure, until you have to clean them. With great success I use an immersion chiller of copper that my dad fabricated from 3/8 inch tubing. About 30 feet did the trick. A couple of clamps tie the hoses on: one to the faucet with garden hose coupling, the other to drain into the sick (or when drought time hits into a bucket to then put into the wash machine for the next load). NOT sick, sink! I'll get this editor down sometime. The immersion cooler works great and is easy to clean and sanitize. Norm in Seattle Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 02 Jan 90 11:00:16 MST From: rdg at hpfcmi Subject: FYI Full-Name: Rob Gardner There were no digests over the New Year's weekend, and none was mailed out on Tuesday the 2nd or Wednesday the 3rd. Rob Return to table of contents
Date: Tue Jan 2 10:21:00 1990 From: microsoft!jamesb at uunet.uu.net Subject: In search of..... >From jamesb Tue Jan 2 07:23:58 1990 To: uunet!homebrew%hpfcmr at hplabs.hp.com Subject: In search of..... Date: Tue Jan 2 07:23:58 1990 I have just aquired an extra refridgerator, for free even. Now I need some spiffy Lager recipes, I am not into the mash stage as of yet so please take trhis into account. Something along the lines of a St. Paulie Girl or even a Becks would be just ducky. Thanx Jim Broglio Microsoft PS - Mr. Polstra Could you give me a call, I have misplaced the add ress and such for the club meeting 487-5165 or 355-8289 Thanx again Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 90 15:27:43 EST From: Pete Soper <soper at maxzilla.encore.com> Subject: Too Much Foam Revisited In HBD #330 hplabs!rutgers!maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca!rob (Rob McDonald) says: > Having nothing else on hand I decided to give it a > try. I transfered it from the carboy to a keg and put it under > pressure to carbonate about five days ago at 35 psi. The last > batch was done in a similar manner. When I tapped off a glass of > the last batch, I had to tap very slowly to avoid getting a glass > of foam. This batch seems to be impossible to tap. All I get is > foam. Can anybody suggest where I might have gone wrong? Any > suggestions would be appreciated. In HBD #331 dzzr%beta at LANL.GOV (Douglas J Roberts) replies: >I do believe you ran the pressure up about 3.5 times too high. All you >really want to have on a Cornelius-type keg is ~10 psi. Go much >higher, and it'll be foam city every time. By coincidence I recently had a batch of beer that was "foam city" down to the last glass. I think there is more to Rob's situation if we can assume that he wasn't really trying to dispense at 35psi. In any case here is my sad tale with the hope that somebody can help. My problem batch had also been carbonated with top pressure. I was in a big hurry, so don't tell CAMRA on me, OK? I used 40psi for about 60 hours at 22 F ambient, then raised the ambient to 48 degrees over 24 hours time. The beer did not freeze, although I established that its freezing point was just 3 degrees below the 22 degree temperature I was using. On Christmas day we had a good lager with proper carbonation, with one caveat. After I determined the beer was carbonated I reset the regulator to 4psi, bled the top pressure down to the same and then let everything sit for half a day before dispensing. Foam city. Buckets of foam. Foam like the Three Stooges never created in their worst washing machine disaster. The only way to deal with it was to fill a large pitcher and then pour mostly-beer from the pitcher to glasses after the foam had subsided. This continued with no improvement until the keg was empty nearly empty. The last two glasses came out normally! I did experiment with pressures down to 1psi but this just made the foam come out very slowly. The keg involved had been used before with no problems. The liquid line was also known to be secure and the tap (expensive metal kind) had been cleaned prior to this episode. Sitting next to the lager keg, at the same 48 degree temperature, were two other kegs (both ales, both carbonated via priming sugar). Dispensing pressure was 4psi in all cases. The ales dispensed perfectly, slow but steady with just the right amount of foam to give each glass a proper head. Each time the liquid line was switched back to the lager, foam city. This lager was made from 2 row klages lager malt, CFJ90 hops, Wyeast #2308 and water. Aside from some irish moss and polyclar nothing else touched the wort and no priming sugar or dry hopping was used. Everything smelled and tasted very clean all along the way and at age 11 days the beer was crystal clear and remained clear until it was gone. I'm new to kegging too and hope one of you can shed light on this foaming problem. It got a lot of laughs on Christmas day but the joke soon grew tiresome. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pete Soper +1 919 481 3730 internet: soper at encore.com uucp: {bu-cs,decvax,gould}!encore!soper Encore Computer Corp, 901 Kildaire Farm Rd, bldg D, Cary, NC 27511 USA Return to table of contents
Date: 02 Jan 90 13:08:06 PST (Tue) From: florianb at tekred.cna.tek.com Subject: Re: Premier Malt and mail order house Some comments have appeared lately about Premier Malt Extract. I can offer a word of support for it. I have made a "pretty good" summer ale by using 3# 2-row, 1 can Premier, and 2 Oz Cascade leaf. I use Papazain's partial mash method. The brew comes out light, low body, but with the addition of 1/2 # of wheat malt, it pours up with a bodacious head. I've even had good luck using Red Star Ale yeast with this recipe. Can't knock it for a hot afternoon! There was also a call for mail order houses. I use Steinbart's. Their address is: F. H. Steinbart Co. 602 SE Salmon Portland, OR 97214 503-232-8793 Florian. Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 89 17:06:12 PST From: aimla!serpentine!ken at suntzu.West.Sun.COM (Ken Ellinwood) Subject: Re: CO2 keg system > I've been interested in implementing a CO2 keg system, rather than > going through the tediusness of bottling. I'm soliciting advice from > ANYBODY out there who has experience with these things. My brewing partners and I have been kegging in 5 gal Cornelious soda kegs for about six months now. Our early efforts were plagued by mistakes and faulty equipment, so it gives me great pleasure to help other brewers from falling into the same traps. Our setup consists of the kegs, a small "5 pound" CO2 tank, a regulator, and manifold that splits the regulated gas into four hoses each of which has a quick disconnect for attatching the gas to the kegs. Four 8 foot, 3/16 inner diameter hoses with quick disconnects at one end and standard dispensing valves at the other end. Four kegs, the tank, regulator, manifold and taps all fit into a large refrigerator dedicated to hosting this equiptment and our beer. The disconnects that attatch to the kegs come in two types, so like us, you must make sure that anytime you purchase kegs or disconnects the keg valves and disconnects are the same type as those you already own. We purchased some of this equiptment used and some new. Beware that used equiptment can be hard to find, but if you can find it used you will save lots of money. The tank and regulator we bought used for a grand total of $35. The regulator had to be overhauled ($20) and the tank inspected and tested (a procedure that all pressurised tanks must to through every 5 years - $12). A new tank and regulator set would probably come to about $180. Some of the kegs we got used for about $15 each. The ones that we bought new came for $65 each at a beverage supply house. I can't rember exactly how much the manifold with hoses and connectors cost (we purchased these new). I'd be surprised if it was much more than about $50. Each "tap" (quick disconnect, 8 foot hose, and dispensing valve) came to about $12 each new). The refrigerator was a gift, and therefore cost us nothing. All of this equipment was obtained from three different vendors - one homebrew shop, one beverage dispensing equipment company, and one draught specialist company ( a company that specializes in equipment for dispensing beer - most of thier customers are bars and restaurants). When all the dust had settled, the bill was probably between $350 and $400. Be sure to purchase new o-rings for any used kegs that you buy. Word on the street has it that old o-rings can sour the tast of your beer. We took this advice right from the start and have never had any beers that came out tasting like old Pepsi syrup. Make sure that the system does not leak CO2. Even the smallest leak can cause your tank to go dry in a matter of days. Submerging the hoses and connections under water while the pressure is on will reveal any leaks in the form of streams of bubbles rising to the surface. When the beer is ready to be kegged, sanitize the keg and rack the beer into it. If you are naturally carbonating the beer, add 1/4 the priming ingredient (corn sugar or malt) than what you would add when bottling. To much primer will cause the beer to be overcarbonated. Moisten the seal of the keg, close it and add a small amount of pressure from the tank to ensure that the seal is closed. Some kegs will not hold pressure if the pressure is built up slowly (i.e. from natural carbonation) but will if you put a little in (5 psi) from the tank when you first close the seal. The beer may be artificially carbonated by holding the keg under pressure of 12 to 15 psi while the keg is kept cold (40F) for a week or two. Do not be tempted to increase the pressure to carbonate faster - this will result in overcarbonated beer and you will dispense pure foam. The 8 foot 3/16" hose that we dispense through restricts the pressure enough that the keg pressure does not need to be dropped before dispensing the beer. In other words we carbonate and dispense at the same pressure. Before we had the 8 foot hoses, we were forced to cut off the gas to the keg, release gas to reduce the pressure in the keg, pour a glass or two of beer, and the re-pressurize the keg to maintain carbonation. This was wasting an incredible amount of CO2. It is important that the beer does not flow to quickly from the tap or the beer foams to much and that the pressure inside the keg is maintained at around 12 to 15 psi in order to have carbonated beer. All in all, with the cost of the equipment and the problems that we encountered early on, kegging is the only way to go and I highly recommend it. Ken Ellinwood American Interactive Media 11050 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025 (213) 444-6554 Return to table of contents
Date: 3 Jan 90 06:19:00 MDT From: "2645 RUTH, GUY R." <grruth at sandia.gov> Subject: Kegging System From: SAV55::WINS%"<DTG at UMD2.UMD.EDU>" 26-DEC-1989 18:02 To: GRRUTH Subj: Please Post! Return-Path: <DTG at UMD2.UMD.EDU> Received: from UMD2.UMD.EDU by sandia.gov with SMTP ; Tue, 26 Dec 89 17:01:44 MDT Date: Tue, 26 Dec 89 18:20:21 EST From: shoeless joe <DTG at UMD2.UMD.EDU> To: grruth <grruth at sandia.gov> Subject: Please Post! Message-ID: <M1989$087649.208139.DTG at UMD2.UMD.EDU> I've been interested in implementing a CO2 keg system, rather than going through the tediusness of bottling. I'm soliciting advice from ANYBODY out there who has experience with these things. I'm particular- ly interested in the following: 1. How difficult is it for a complete incompetant (like myself-- who isn't worrying, by the way...) to implement one of these systems? 2. How EXPENSIVE is it to implement one of these systems, and what should I expect to pay for each component of the system? 3. Are there any tricks or suggestions that I should be aware of? For example, is it practical--financially or in terms of keeping my beer drinkable--to buy extra containers (cannisters?) and then switch the tap to whatever beer I feel like drinking that evening? Also, while I have everybody's attention--and I know that this has been discussed previously in the Digest--I'm interested in growing hops in my back yard. Any ideas as to where to get hop plants? When should they be harvested? How does one go about processing the flowers such that they can be added to the wort? Do all varieties grow equally well in all climates? And, again, how much to they cost? Finally, how many plants would be sufficient to supply the flowers needed for somebody like myself, who brews 15-20 batches a year? Thanks in advance for everybody who responds! Return to table of contents
Date: Wednesday, 3 Jan 1990 08:27:11 EST From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo ) Subject: Recycling Bottles Has anyone ever gotten a bar/restaurant to save the ceramic-top bottles (a la Grolsch) for you or a club? I have checked a few around DC and found that they throw them all away. The managers are reluctant to change their operations, thinking it will take up employee time or valuable space to save bottles for recycling, although the idea of recycling is appealing. So, I am looking for anyone who might have some experience in this area. Thanks. ARPANET: M14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (or M14051%mwvm at mitre.arpa) Usenet: at ... at !uunet!hadron!blkcat!109!131!John_Decarlo Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: 3 Jan 90 08:44:00 MDT From: "2645 RUTH, GUY R." <grruth at sandia.gov> Subject: re: Too much foam Rob McDonald writes: > I transfered it from the carboy to a keg and put it under pressure to > carbonate about five days ago at 35 psi. The last batch was done in a > similar manner. When I tapped off a glass of the last batch, I had to tap > very slowly to avoid getting a glass of foam. This batch seems to be > impossible to tap. All I get is foam. Can anybody suggest where I might > have gone wrong? A member of the club I belong to stumbled across a neat trick to quickly car- bonate a Cornelius keg (i.e. in about 10 minutes). Chill your keg of beer to just above freezing. Apply ~10# of gas to the LIQUID side of the keg. Gently rock the keg and as soon as you cannot hear any more bubbles the keg is carbonated. Then drop the pressure down to 5#. This process works great if you do not care about cloudy beer and have to quickly prepare a keg for friends that drop by unexpectedly. I perform this procedure as a general rule. This is also a good way to "scrub" your beer of those nasty sulfury yeast esters that may appear depending on the type of yeast used. >> Guy << Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 10:09:50 est From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov> Subject: ``The Beer Hunter'' sighted again. I got another 3 episodes of Michael Jackson's ``The Beer Hunter'', bringing the total so far up to six. Still trying to track down exactly when it will air (er, `cable', really). Will let you know when I find out anything else. _______________________________________________________________________________ ``A kinder, gentler fermentation'' -- George Busch Internet: chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.10.155) NASA/GSFC: Code 735 UUCP: ...!uunet!asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov!chris Greenbelt, MD 20771 SPAN: PITCH::CHRIS (DECNET) 301-286-6093 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 9:39:10 MST From: Marc Davidson <hplsdrf!davidson at hp-lsd.cos.hp.com> Subject: Samichlaus Bier and wheat conversion Full-Name: Marc Davidson I received as a Christmas present this year, a six pack of a really interesting beer that I know nothing about - it's called Samichlaus Bier. Apparently it's brewed once a year on December 6th and then aged for 11 months before being bottled. It's really interesting stuff but extremely potent - it's also very clear. The bottles say nothing more than the name, when it was bottled, and a warning to pregnant people. The bottle cap does say "Hurlimann FLORIDA swiss lager" but it sure tastes more like a barley wine to me. Anyone know anything about this stuff? The bottle actually says one more thing, "Guiness Book of Records". Not having a book of records, I have no idea why it's in there. Also, I have a question on converting wheat. I tried it once with the Edme DMS without 100% success. I did a step mash with a conversion at 155F for 2 hours before giving up - the iodine continued to indicate starch. Now I did put the extract in from the start and maybe that was the mistake. Anyway I want to go all grain next time but I haven't seen any good tables or rules of thumb as to how much barley it takes to convert a given amount of wheat. I was planning on using a fair amount of 6-row to do the conversion but I was up in Denver this past weekend talking with Jerry at the Wynkoop brewery and he explained that their wheat beer is 43% wheat and they use only a 2-row and have no problem achieving complete conversion. Has anyone done much testing with this or seen any good tables? Anybody ever try Koji? Where do you get it? Marc Davidson hp-lsd.cos.hp.com!davidson Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 14:16:41 -0600 From: Enders <enders at plains.NoDak.edu> Subject: Rice varieties Although I haven't got around to all grain brewing (yet!!!), I'm wonder- ing if anyone has tried using sweet rice (glutenous) or some of the so-called aromatic rices as adjuncts. It seems to me that there might be some potential for experimentation here. It's just a thought... Todd Enders ARPA: enders at plains.nodak.edu Computer Center UUCP: ...!ihnp4!plains!enders Minot State University BITNET: enders at ndsuvax.BITNET Minot, ND 58701 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 14:12:43 -0600 From: Enders <enders at plains.NoDak.edu> Subject: Rice varieties Although I haven't got around to all grain brewing (yet!!!), I'm wonder- ing if anyone has tried using sweet rice (glutenous) or some of the so-called aromatic rices as adjuncts. It seems to me that there might be some potential for experimentation here. It's just a thought... Todd Enders ARPA: enders at plains.nodak.edu Computer Center UUCP: ...!ihnp4!plains!enders Minot State University BITNET: enders at ndsuvax.BITNET Minot, ND 58701 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 15:20:32 EST From: Brian Glendenning <brian at radio.astro.utoronto.ca> Subject: I have to worry! I can't relax! Yes that's right, I can't relax and have a homebrew because something has happened to my very first batch! A friend and I made a pure extract batch following the instructions given by the local brewstore. However, after 2.5 days (when I left home this morning) no strong fermentation has started. There iss a light layer of foam on top. I think the relevant details are: 1. dry yeast 2. started in 1.5 cups of sterile wort 3. pitched into well aerated wort at 78 F an hour or two later. I think the yeast was alive going in (a little foam on top). My only theory is that the wort had too much oxygen in it (the instructions recommended pouring wort into the fermentor from about 2 feet above the bucket which would be about 4-5 feet off the floor which seems excessive?) so the critters are still reprodicing and not fermenting. So, my questions are: 1. is this batch dead? time to chuck it and try again? 2. how long should it take fermentation to start? 3. how should I initially get oxygen into the wort? Thanks! - -- Brian Glendenning - Radio astronomy, University of Toronto brian at radio.astro.utoronto.ca uunet!utai!radio!brian glendenn at utorphys.bitnet Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 15:28:33 -0600 From: Enders <enders at plains.NoDak.edu> Subject: Rice varieties (my appologies if this shows up more than once, but I've been having trouble hitting the list ) Although I haven't got around to all grain brewing (yet!!!), I'm wonder- ing if anyone has tried using sweet rice (glutenous) or some of the so-called aromatic rices as adjuncts. It seems to me that there might be some potential for experimentation here. It's just a thought... Todd Enders ARPA: enders at plains.nodak.edu Computer Center UUCP: ...!ihnp4!plains!enders Minot State University BITNET: enders at ndsuvax.BITNET Minot, ND 58701 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 15:05:51 mst From: att!iwtio!korz at hp-lsd.cos.hp.com Subject: Oatmeal Stout This recipe: Broglio's Quaker Stout 6# Dry Amber Malt 1# Crystal Malt .5# Roasted Barley 1# Quaker Oats 1oz. Eroica Hops (Boiling) 1oz. Kent Goldings (Finishing) 2pks. EDME dry yeast as mentioned in an earlier digest, contains no enzymes to convert the starches in the oats into sugar. Extracts (except for Edme DMS, to the best of my knowledge) have no enzymes and Crystal Malt and Roasted Barley have (due to the temperatures involved in production) had their enzymes denatured. The question remains, though, is there a benefit from having some starch in the brew - i.e. do the oats add to the flavor of the final product? In general, how soluble are the grain starches that we come across in our brewing? What are the effects of excess dissolved starches in our beers? Al. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 18:49:25 EST From: aem at mthvax.cs.miami.edu (a.e.mossberg) Subject: CO2 keg system In HOMEBREW Digest #334, shoeless joe asks about CO2 keg systems: >I've been interested in implementing a CO2 keg system, rather than >going through the tediusness of bottling. I'm soliciting advice from >ANYBODY out there who has experience with these things. I'm particular- >ly interested in the following: > 1. How difficult is it for a complete incompetant (like myself-- > who isn't worrying, by the way...) to implement one of these > systems? Very very easy. > 2. How EXPENSIVE is it to implement one of these systems, and what > should I expect to pay for each component of the system? Kegs are basically free, if you go with the soda keg system. Figure about $70 or so for the CO2 tank and regulator. I recommend a double regulator (pressure gauges for both CO2 tank and keg). Maybe another $30 or so for hoses, faucet, connectors. Your prices may vary, but figure around $100 all told to get set up. > 3. Are there any tricks or suggestions that I should be aware of? > For example, is it practical--financially or in terms of > keeping my beer drinkable--to buy extra containers (cannisters?) > and then switch the tap to whatever beer I feel like drinking > that evening? If you're going to have them all in a refrigerator, sure. Don't count on a keg getting cold in less than 6 hours. By all means, though, have extra kegs on hand. BTW, I want to stress using soda kegs, and not attempting to use beer kegs. And use Coca Cola type kegs, as parts are much easier to come by. If you can get Pepsi kegs easier, go ahead, but don't mix. You may want to consider converting the soda kegs specifically for homebrew. This consists of removing the tube to the bottom and replacing it with a float system. The advantage is that beer is always taken from just below the top, resulting in less potential sediment. If you don't, you'll have to dump (or grin and chew) the first couple mugs worth. aem Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 15:38:24 PST From: Martin A. Lodahl <pbmoss!mal at hplabs.HP.COM> Subject: 'Strewth! It's FLAT! Yes, I'm afraid it's true: I have .. <snif!> .. flat stout! I've sampled three bottles so far, and all are utterly without carbonation. The recipe was fairly straightforward, involving pale lager malt, roast unmalted barley, barley flakes, and Edme yeast; the OG was as high as one would expect, fermentation was extremely active, and there were even still a few bubbles on the surface when I bottled, but no other sign of activity. I use single-stage fermentation, and this batch spent 3 weeks in the primary followed by a week of clarification (assisted by a teaspoon of gelatin) in another carboy. Same process I always use. Flavor is outstanding: a chewy roastiness, with an indefinable something reminiscent of Thomas Hardy ale; if it had some carbonation I'd be thrilled with it. I do have some guesses: 1. Terminal yeast dormancy. Just before racking to the secondary, it got truly cold in the kitchen and cellar, as it has remained to the present. Could it be they just didn't wake up when presented with more goodies? 2. High alcohol content. I don't know how much Edme yeast can stand, but this stuff is STRONG. Perhaps I should have wort-primed from my fermenting batch of barleywine, which was pitched with champagne yeast. 3. Stratified prime. To bottle, I rack from the secondary to my lauter tun, then mix in the priming syrup, stir, and rack to bottles. I have a clear recollection of adding the priming syrup (1/2 cup corn sugar dissolved in 1 1/2 cups boiled water) to the tun about halfway into the racking. I stirred at the time, but I don't remember stirring again after racking was complete. If this hypothesis is correct, some bottles should be flat, some should be CHARGED, and some should be in-between. So far, I've only seen flat ones. I tend to think it's not a matter of bottles or caps, since one of the bottles sampled was a heavy-duty screw-cap bottle, and the others were standard crown-cap bottles. Do any of these theories sound plausible? Does anyone have any tips to offer? By the way, it tastes quite good when mixed with other beers. It's been tried so far mixed with Corona (which adds fizz at the cost of a certain refinement) and with my own porter (a winning combination), so there's no question of dumping it. I'd just like to avoid making the same mistake twice. - Martin = Martin A. Lodahl Pac*Bell Minicomputer Operations Support Staff = = pacbell!pbmoss!mal -or- mal at pbmoss.Pacbell.COM 916.972.4821 = = If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the wuids, = = Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me! 8-) = [NB: I first heard the above couplet (by Pete Seeger, to the tune of "Gimme That Ol' Time Religion") at the New Year's party where I first tasted good homebrew. I always think of that, this time of year] Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #335, 01/04/90 ************************************* -------
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