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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  new smooth top range, what kettle now? (james prucha)
  More on pH ("A. J.")
  More words of wisdom, Lychie Lambic (craftbrewer)
  Oak Barrels (Ant Hayes)
  Re: Brewing Faux Pas ("Jamie Smith")
  Thanks/ Keg lube (JGORMAN)
  Where have all the "SS" gone (" Jim Bermingham")
  trub removal (Marc Sedam)
  more pumps and such (Marc Sedam)
  Re: Bottle Labels (Jacob Jacobsen)
  CAP - 6-row vs 2-row (Nathan Kanous)
  RE: Trip to Europe (LaBorde, Ronald)
  flamethrowers and F5  phantoms ("steve lane")
  RE: false bottom filtering failure and clever cap color coding (Brian Lundeen)
  Re: 6 row malt vs 2 row (Jeff Renner)
  Metallic taste (IndSys, SalemVA)" <Douglas.Moyer at indsys.ge.com>
  Bottle Labels ("Grady, Brandon")
  cc an option (Jim Liddil)
  Keg Lube ("Fred Kingston")
  caustic (EdgeAle)
  Wort chiller clogging ("Wally Doherty")
  Growler cost (Re: Recap of Vacation beers.... ) (Spencer W Thomas)
  Black Hawk Stout (leavitdg)
  Re: Brewing at a Home with a Septic System ("Greg Pickles")
  Pseudo-cask conditioning question (John Baxter Biggins)
  gas hoses ("elvira toews")


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 01:09:00 -0500
From: james prucha <j.prucha at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: new smooth top range, what kettle now?

I've been brewing for 3 three years using an old concave-bottomed
enameled
lobster pot on our original smooth-top electric range.  I straddled a
front
and rear element with the big circular pot, did partial boils of ~2 1/2
gallons
and everything seemed to work fine.

Now that we've replaced the range (and kitchen) with another smooth-top 
range, my wife found a statement in the new manual specifically
prohibiting my two-element method.  Is the claimed problem of a
discolored
or crazed cooktop really possible?  It also said not to use a pot
exceeding 
the heater area (9" diam) by more than 1". (11" max??).

What do the rest of the brewers with these ranges use?  

Thanks,
Jim Prucha


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 06:42:01 +0000
From: "A. J." <ajdel at mindspring.com>
Subject: More on pH

A pH meter responds to an order of magnitude change in hydrogen ion
activity [1 pH unit] with an output voltage RT/F where R and F are
constants (Bolzman's and Faraday's, respectively) and T is the absolute
temperature. At 20 C the sensitivity is about 59 mV/pH unit. At 60C
(mash temp) it would be about 67 mV/pH unit. pH meters are set to read 0
at pH 7. Thus if you had a solution with true pH of 5 (low for a
practical mash but easier on the computation for an example) the meter
would read + 118 mV at room temperature and + 134 mV at 60C (assuming
for the moment that the pH stays at 5 at the higher temperature). A
compensated meter knows the temperature is 273 + 60 and calculates RT/F
= 118 mV/pH and divides the 60 C mV by this number obtaining 2 pH units
which it subtracts from 7 thus giving a displayed reading of 5 - the
actual pH. A meter which is not compensated only knows 59 mV/pH and
divides the 60C voltage by this number getting 2.27 pH units for the 60
C reading which it subtracts from 7 for a display of 4.73 which is .27
units in error. This is indeed about the magnitude of the true pH shift
and is in the same direction. Thus if the room temp mash pH were 5 it
might be expected to shift to 4.8 and an uncompensated meter would read
less than this by about 0.3 for a reding of about 4.5.
A.J.



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 17:58:21 +1000
From: craftbrewer at telstra.easymail.com.au
Subject: More words of wisdom, Lychie Lambic   

G'Day All
/
Well it seems I have to explain myself just to get some piece 
and quiet. There are those wondering why the hell I have gone 
and helped set up the OZ-CBD (oz craftbrewers digest). Well I'm 
sorry to say you have brought that on yourselves. Or more 
importantly the scientificially minded S might have had a hand 
in it I recon. When ones puts the Superbrewer of the North to 
the challenge, with a put up or shut up sort of offer, well it was 
no challenge getting something like this off the ground. 
Right David !!!!!!!!!
/
Now even that pusedo Brewer Phil chimes in with
>>
It has been suggested that perhaps I gave him such a battering 
he could no
longer face his keyboard. If this was my sole achievement on 
the HBD I could
go to rest knowing I had done you all a wonderful favour.<<<<
/
And mate thats about the only thing you could possible give to 
the brewing community. Tell me when are you actually going to 
take the thumb out of your mouth and actually brew a beer on 
your own. Now just for you I have made My Kinda Kolsch. So 
when your ready, I'll send you a truely great beer that you'll 
only dream about making.
/
/
But back to reality
So why has the site attracted some of the best arround. Well 
there are a number of reasons. The first I suspose is some of 
the ego deficients that inhabit the HBD. Now we all love a 
good debate (ok I dont) but when people put posting up not 
to inform people about brewing, but because their fragile ego 
has been terminally garotted by someones comments, well its 
great entertainment for the likes of me, but it does put people 
off. Now people there are only two perfect brewers in the 
world, and we are the centre of all things brewing. Jeff on top 
(of the world) and me underneath. (jeff you are not a pretty site 
from where i look I can tell you - I now know how the fairer 
sex feels).
/
But the Shout Affect has attracted a goodly number of brewers 
and it continues to grow. Why? Well we dont lecture, we 
advise. I had enough of uni long ago, as most people with 
their schooling. We want simple answers to simple questions, 
for we have but simple minds as a dirrect result of the 
overindulgence in our hobby.
/
But I have to admit there is the ego thing - NO change that, 
my own self worth. When you are big fish in a big pond, (nah 
make that a saltie), well the pond still swallows you up, no 
matter how big you are. Far far better to copy our saltwater 
lizards, be a big fish in a small pond. Now thats far more fun 
I recon. But is this small pond a threat to the HBD. Well in 
reality no, The HBD remains the tech talk place I love, and 
that position will never been taken from it. 
/
But enough of me, hey I'm not self centred (cough)!!!!!!. 
It was asked.
/
Subject: Lychee fruit in a lambic
/
So I've got my heart set on brewing a lambic 
with lychee fruit.  For those
who won't know it's an asian fruit with a really flowery nice 
flavor.  Now,
I've checked the asian markets and they all tell me that it's 
only in season
for a couple of weeks in june.  There's also available canned 
lychee, but
it's in heavy syrup.  Now I don't like the sound of "heavy syrup", 
but I
thought I'd see if anyone has any personal experience before
 I wait three
long months to actualize my conception.<<<<
/
/
Well being the brewer of Longing for a Longan Lambic, and 
currently drinking my LYCHIE LAMBIC, I can tell you its a 
bloody nice drop. Now I'm lucky, I have huge bugger grwoing 
out the front and can get all the fresh lychies I need.  Now I 
cant comment on tinned lychies, but using fresh lychies in a 
lambic you will only have a suttle smell, but the taste is to die 
for. I put 5 kilograms of peeled fresh lychies without stones, 
in my 20 litres. Thats a lot of lychies to peel i can tell you.
/
Shout
Graham Sanders
/
oh
there are advantages to having gential groping frogs around. 
SWMBP doen't want any fun and games at the moment. 
it seems she just feels sooo dirty - out damn spot-out. 
/
Funny I thought the frogs name was Eric not Spot.






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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 13:59:17 +0200
From: Ant Hayes <Ant.Hayes at FifthQuadrant.co.za>
Subject: Oak Barrels

I bought a new 5 litre oak barrel in an attempt to follow Dave Line's
recommendations on "Beer from the Wood" - Unfortunately, I don't drink 5
litres in a day very often, and so I ended up with a well wooded bitter -
vaguely reminiscent of chardonnays in the early 90's.

I then tried resting an IPA in the barrel for a week - it still tasted like
fresh sawdust.

I now use the barrel for making plambics. I managed to isolate an infection
that produces a lactic acid taste, using my Big Brew 99 milk stout. I put a
375ml bottle of that batch into the barrel and topped up with a plain
Belgian pale ale that was already in secondary. I left the mix in the barrel
for 5 months, and then blended the result with 15 litres of plain Belgian
ale to get a reasonable approximation to a lambic.

The barrel is now infected, so all I have to do is fill it with fermented
Belgian pale ale, and a few months later, I can tap off a plambic.

Ant Hayes
Gauteng; South Africa


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 08:54:56 -0400
From: "Jamie Smith" <jxsmith at vac-acc.gc.ca>
Subject: Re: Brewing Faux Pas

> This is what I have always done ... I though it would be more
> time-expedient when I first started brewing (about 6 months 
> ago) to just number the brews and match the numbers to the
> descriptions in my little database (Brewlog).

> How do you label yours?

> Cheers,
> Rob

I've got sheets of little labels that I use.  I just write the type of beer
and the date of bottling on the label.  I thought of going your route,
but since my wife wouldn't bother to look up the number in my book
(rather she'd open one... if she didn't get what she was looking for, 
down the sink! - ACK! and then grab another) it was just better for
me to use little labels.

Jamie on PEI



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 08:54:00 -0500
From: JGORMAN at steelcase.com
Subject: Thanks/ Keg lube

Thanks to the collective on the keg lube suggestions.  The majority said they
use it with success.  Also to try pumping up the pressure to seat the seals
and then back off.  That's where the problem lies.  I do this.  Sometimes as
high as 50 psi.  That's why I asked about the lube.  I also take great care to
adjust the lid.  Another tip was to stay away from petroleum products.
Finally to try the softer lid seals.



Jason Gorman
River Dog Brewery


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 08:10:08 -0600
From: " Jim Bermingham" <bermingham at antennaproducts.com>
Subject: Where have all the "SS" gone

"Where have all the SS gone, long time passing.  Where have all the SS gone
long time ago"  Thi$ $ound$ like a good $ong for Peter, Paul and Mary.
$eem$ a$ though all the $ have di$$apeared from the dige$t and have been
replaced with "$".  Even $teve Alexander ha$ been removed from
the$e page$.  Rumor ha$ it that too much technical content wa$ creeping in
and he joined Graham'$ OZ Craft brewer$.

$peaking of Graham, he $urfaced today with an offer I CAN refu$e.  I have a
better one from
Alistair Boyd of Blairdardie, Glasgow Scotland.  Ali$tair has offered to
make me an honorary $cotchman and I will then be allowed to $pell JackA$$
Brewery, "JackAr$e Brewery" the $ame way all our cou$in$ do.  I under$tand
if I do thi$ Pat will allow the "SS" to return.

Cheer$,

Jim Bermingham
Mill$ap TX



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 09:19:47 -0500
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam at unc.edu>
Subject: trub removal

Sometimes it's just not possible for your kettle to do everything
you ask of it.  There are two quick and easy solutions for you
and a third more difficult.

1)  Transfer what you can, wait for the cold break to settle in a
separate container, then transfer to a fermenter leaving the CB
behind; or

2)  Whirlpool the wort and let everything settle towards the
middle for 15 minutes.  Then either (a) siphon everything out
like normal, tossing beer until flow runs trub free, or (b) get a
SS racking cane and siphon into your fermenter from the *side* of
the kettle.  Whirlpooling should leave you with a pile of sludge
in the middle and clear beer towards the sides; or

3)  Drill another small hole in the side of the kettle towards
the bottom and insert a piece of SS tubing (bent at a right
angle) through the hole via bulkhead fitting.  Whirlpool the
wort, but siphon into the fermenter via gravity through your
"racking port".  It's more complicated but can be a neat new
gadget to tell your friends about.

Cheers!
- --
Marc Sedam
Chapel Hill, NC



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 09:32:06 -0500
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam at unc.edu>
Subject: more pumps and such

I am loving brewing life with a pump.  But since I live in a
condo and have no permanent place for my brewing stuff (although
SWMBO disagrees), the pump gets lugged around willy-nilly.  To
solve this I bought a small stepping stool from an unfinished
furniture place.  I have two options:  install (i.e. fasten with
screws) the pump on the TOP of the stool, or install it
UNDERNEATH the stool which allows me to put something on top of
the stool as well as kinda shielding the pump.  I'm going to try
bad ASCI art, so bear with me--

 _______________   <--- install here
  /            ^           \
 /              |_____   \  _____ or install here
/                              \

Can anyone think of the pluses and minuses of each.  Will the
pump run OK upside-down.  I assume that as long as you fill the
pump head it's no issue, but is filling the pump head an issue.

The more I write the more stupid the questions sound, but what
the hell.  I learned from the HBD that sudsy ammonia and a
dishwasher makes taking labels of bottles a snap, so why not
upside-down pumps?

- --
Marc Sedam
Chapel Hill, NC



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 10:04:57 -0500 (EST)
From: Jacob Jacobsen <brewer at cotse.com>
Subject: Re: Bottle Labels

I used to write on the bottle cap with a waterproof felt pen.  Later I 
bought a numbering stamp for a couple bucks.  Now I thin down some black 
paint and make a disposable "stamp pad" out of a paper towel.  A
couple drops of thinned paint, then ink the stamp and apply onto the 
bottle caps.  You can do 24 caps in 2 minutes. The number is referenced 
in my brewing notes (ProMash, in my case).  Quick and easy.  YMMV.

Jake


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 09:16:52 -0800
From: Nathan Kanous <nlkanous at pharmacy.wisc.edu>
Subject: CAP - 6-row vs 2-row

Hi,
I'm not Jeff Renner, nor do I play him on the tele.  I'm a craftbrewer damn 
it!  Anyhow, Charlie wants to know what happens if you brew a Classic 
American Pilsner with 2-row rather than 6-row malt.  Been there, done 
that.  Personally, I think that the 2-row produces a slightly more refined 
and smoother brew.  The 6-row tends to provide a little more graininess in 
the final brew.  I've brewed both and my most recent incarnation uses a 
combination of 6-row and 2-row.  I think that, ultimately, I'll probably 
settle on a mixture of the two.  The 2-row made a fine beer, but I do like 
a little more of the graininess that I get out of the 6-row.  Try them both 
for yourself and see what happens.  You might like them both!  Hope this 
helps at least a little.
nathan in madison, wi



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 09:30:06 -0600
From: rlabor at lsuhsc.edu (LaBorde, Ronald)
Subject: RE: Trip to Europe

>From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com>
>
>...We are planning on spending 5 days in the homestead 
>(Volbach in Bavaria), but then will have 8 days on our own.  I have a 
>burning desire to get to both Prague and Plzen while in the neighborhood, 
>and on the other end, to get by Vienna....
>...How can I work in some other activities so that we can take a brew
>route which 
>is also culturally appealing to her.....

Well, maybe it's a personal thing, women seem to like Prague.  Prague is a
great city but entirely and overwhelmingly over crowded with tourists.  It
is like an ant hill disturbed.  The locals are almost numb with the buzz of
activity.  Go there for sure, but by all means do not only visit Prague.
Surely you MUST go to Czesky Krumlov, only a half day train ride from
Prague.  There you will think you are in a different world.  You and your
wife and your son will be delighted.  There's a great boat/raft trip around
the river that will surely delight your son.  You can dine in a cave-like
restaurant there and drink one of the world's best beers Samson, that's
right Samson.  The town is beautiful and romantic.

Vienna for sure.  Stop by the BakerMeister stand near the plague column and
get for about $2.00 a great souvenir glass that you can keep. It comes
filled with fruit juice.  It makes a very nice beer sample glass, has a real
European look with the .2l mark and all.  People will never guess it came
filled with fruit juice.

By the way, if you get to Munich, be sure to visit the Victual Market.
Fresh produce with a beer garden all combined!  Skip the Hoffbrau House.

Ron La Borde

Ronald La Borde - Metairie, Louisiana - rlabor at lsuhsc.edu
http://hbd.org/rlaborde



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 09:58:16 -0600
From: "steve lane" <tbirdusa at hotmail.com>
Subject: flamethrowers and F5  phantoms


>Rob Compton wrote about using the McDonnel-Douglas
>F5 Phantom engine exhaust to fire up his brew pot.

Rob:  Don't poke fun at what you may think is way out there.  I am in the 
process of building a jet engine, powered by LPG, out of a turbocharger off 
of a Kenworth.  What for you may ask?  The boiler, of course.
We homebrewers are likely to do anything to one up the fellow members of the 
club and I think this might just do it.  Hope to have it up and running for 
the Big Brew day this year.
If I play my cards right, there may be more than one cracked carboy at the 
function...  tee hee hee.... Happy brewing.


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 10:26:37 -0600
From: Brian Lundeen <blundeen at rrc.mb.ca>
Subject: RE: false bottom filtering failure and clever cap color coding

Sorry, I'm just in an alliterative mood.

Eric Martens writes:

> I brew with a converted Sankey Keg fitted with a Sabco false 
> bottom.  
> 	My observation is that, even with a ton of whole hops in the 
> kettle (most of which collects on the false bottom), a lot (perhaps 
> the majority?) of precipitated trub still gets sucked through the 
> false bottom and into my primaries.

Well, since I am about to switch to a similar setup (electric, with an ABT
FB) this is distressing news indeed. I'm largely a pellet kind guy, but I
was considering throwing in some whole hops to act as a filter bed. Now, it
looks as though that may not accomplish anything. I'm curious, do you
whirlpool? I'm wondering if having all the hops and break stuff clumped
together in the middle might allow it to "solidify" and make it more
difficult for it to pass through the FB. Clear wort could then be drawn off
from around the sides, although some recirculating of stuff that was already
under the FB would probably be necessary. Any thoughts as to whether this
scheme has merit?

I guess the other solution would be to fit a s/s scrubbie on the end of the
pickup tube below the false bottom. I don't want to do this, of course,
because this would then be an admission that I spent an extra $50 on a false
bottom for nothing. 

Glen Pannicke writes:

> I was considering using circular labels about the dia of the cap.  I >
think these can be
> purchased in 8.5" X 11" sheets to be printed on by an inkjet 
> printer.  The
> only problem exists in making a template to do the printing.  Most
> applications use a rectangular printing frame.  PITA to keep 
> within the
> bounds...  Anyone with a good solution?

Only in the sense that even a cap label is more work than I am willing to
commit to. I just stick some Avery colored dots on the bottle caps. A simple
chart reminds me what is what, although I do try to keep a logical
relationship between color and beer style. Yellow for pilsner, black for
stout, green for high gravity ales (if I drink too many I'll get sick), red
for lousy batches (STOP, think about what you are about to consume), that
kind of thing. ;-)

Cheers,
Brian


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 11:49:45 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner at mediaone.net>
Subject: Re: 6 row malt vs 2 row

CMEBREW at aol.com wrote:
>Jeff Renner, If you're listening, can you tell us if you have yet brewed a
>CAP with 2 row malt and if so,  how it compared to 6 row. I remember in hbd #
>2657 you indicated you may try it. Charlie

I haven't done it yet, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it.  George Fix 
actually prefers it.  He feels the resulting beer is a little more 
refined, as I recall.
Maybe I like the slight rusticity that I imagine results.

Those interested in the differences can check the Brwing Techniques 
article "A Comparison of North American Two-Row and Six-Row Malting 
Barley" by Paul Schwarz and Richard Horsley at 
http://brewingtechniques.com/bmg/schwarz.html.  An excellent article.

Jeff
- -- 
***Please note new address*** (old one will still work)
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at mediaone.net
"One never knows, do one?"  Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 11:59:27 -0500
From: "Moyer, Douglas (IndSys, SalemVA)" <Douglas.Moyer at indsys.ge.com>
Subject: Metallic taste

There have been a few comments regarding metallic tastes from beer cans. I
find that bottles impart a metallic taste more often then do cans. ("Wot the
bloody hell is he talking about?" you may say...) On the occasions where I
am forced to drink out of the bottle (vs. the appropriate glassware), a
metallic taste is not uncommon. Of course, it comes from the bottle cap.
Most likely said bottle has been exposed to excessive moisture and has left
a tad bit of rust on the edge of the lip. (Transferred to the edge of my
lip...)

This is not the only reason that I prefer to drink out of the glass... nor
is it only due to the fact that the glass helps me pick up that wonderful
hop/malt bouquet. No, it is mainly to help disguise my trailer-trash
roots...


Brew on!
Doug Moyer
Salem, VA

Star City Brewers Guild: http://hbd.org/starcity






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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 11:00:15 -0600
From: "Grady, Brandon" <Brandon.Grady at mchugh.com>
Subject: Bottle Labels

Like Peter (a post from yesterday), I used black and white paper with milk
to adhere them to the bottle.  I've found that half and half actually works
the best for me, but that might just be superstition.

As far as ink jet labels go, I haven't tried it, but I read on a homebrew
site somewhere (I think it was about.com's treatment) that the best way
to print off ink jet printers, which enables you to print color labels, is
to print one sheet and then go to Kinkos and have them copied.  Apparently
the inkjet ink doesn't withstand water as well as the copy ink.

- -- 
Brandon E. Grady 
McHugh Software International 
Product Development 

"Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer." 
   -Henry Lawson


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 10:10:45 -0700 (MST)
From: Jim Liddil <jliddil at VMS.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: cc an option

Just cathcing up on a month of hbd.  So why not have a place like
http://www.yankeeglassblower.com/ make the ultimate see through cc. :-)


Jim Liddil
North Haven, CT



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 13:47:08 -0500
From: "Fred Kingston" <Fred at kingstonco.com>
Subject: Keg Lube

Mark Tumarkin of South Alabama asks:

> Jason asked about using keg lube on leaking o-rings, Stephen Ross replied
with
> a very good post -

> I have one additional question - how do you apply the keg lube to the
o-ring?
> By hand? Wouldn't this be a potential sanitation problem?

> thanks,
> Mark Tumarkin
> Gainesville, FL

Mark.... It wouldn't if you folks up there'd wash yer hands once in a
while...



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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 13:50:30 -0500
From: EdgeAle at cs.com
Subject: caustic

HBD,

I have a small container of caustic cleaner I bought a while back from a
homebrew store. If came with a hazardous chemical info sheet but not with 
any real directions about how much to add to what temperature water. Is
caustic usually sold in a standard concentration? Can anyone suggest
how much I should use per gal? What temperature water should I use, 140F?

Thanks,
Dana Edgell

PS: I do know to use, gloves, eye protection and a dust/breathing mask when
using the stuff as it can be dangerous.


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 12:25:07 -0700
From: "Wally Doherty" <wjd at email.arizona.edu>
Subject: Wort chiller clogging

Hello collective,

I've just begun gathering up the equipment to make the big switch from
extract to all-grain brewing, and I'm debating the issue of counter-flow
chiller vs. immersion chiller.  My big question is this:  In a couter-flow
chiller, since you're cooling the wort so rapidly in a little copper tube,
how do you prevent the coagulated protein gunk that appears during the
cold break from clogging up the chiller?  Or is this even a valid concern?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks in advance for the input,
Wally Doherty
Tucson, AZ            





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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 16:11:48 -0500
From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer at engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Growler cost (Re: Recap of Vacation beers.... )

>>>>> "Jeff" == Jeff Beinhaur <beinhaur at email.msn.com> writes:

    Jeff> That would have been fine except
    Jeff> they wanted a $13 deposit on the bottle for a total of $21
    Jeff> for a growler. Now George, your beer is great but do
    Jeff> something about that growler cost.

A local brewery has a large deposit on the growler to "encourage" you
to re-use it.  However, they will also refill (almost) any other
growler bottle.  The exception is that they will not refill growlers
from either of the 2 brewpubs in town.   But I've got quite a
collection of growlers by now, so that's not a problem. 

So my suggestion (for next time!) would be to bring along some empty,
sanitized 1/2 gallon jugs.  Maybe they'll fill 'em.  Maybe they won't,
but at least you will have tried.

=Spencer Thomas in Ann Arbor, MI        (spencer at umich.edu)


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 17:19:25 -0500 (EST)
From: leavitdg at plattsburgh.edu
Subject: Black Hawk Stout

What do you figure is the secret of this stout?  It has a
bite at the finish that I cannot figure out...perhaps 
licorish?

 .Darrell


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 17:20:31 -0800
From: "Greg Pickles" <gregp at wolfenet.com>
Subject: Re: Brewing at a Home with a Septic System 

My house has a septic system and I use idophor almost exclusively for
sanitation. I just dump it out on the ground somewhere. I have found that it
can be useful in chasing moles away - I just pick a nearby mole hill
(unfortunately I have a lot to choose from) and pour the used solution on
it. Sometimes it works - sometimes it doesn't - usually it does :).

I also try to limit the amount of idophor I use. I typically mix up 2 liter
batches (in soda bottles) with 1/2 tsp idophor per 2 liters. I can typically
brew a batch of beer with about 6 liters of solution. As you might guess, I
don't feel the need to fill a carboy or keg completely to sanitize. I just
put a bottle of solution in, cork or cap it, and slosh the solution around a
few time in 10 - 15 minutes. It works fine for me and I've had no
discernable sanitation problems in 5 or 6 years of doing this - YMMV. Not
only does it limit my impact on the environment (we're on a well, too) but a
pint of idophor goes a looong way.

Greg Pickles




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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 21:32:58 -0500
From: John Baxter Biggins <jbbiggin at med.cornell.edu>
Subject: Pseudo-cask conditioning question

Has anyone tried a make a fake-cask conditioned beer or mead by 
trying to replicate the cask flavor by adding...say, bourbon or 
sherry to the boil (evaporating the alcohol, but leaving the 
"cask-iness" of the liquor behind in the wort/must)  I suppose this 
is similar to adding liquid smoke & other adjuncts to duplicate other 
styles.  Just curious.
- -- 
John B. Biggins
Cornell University Medical College
Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences
Student -- Program in Pharmacology

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Laboratory for Biosynthetic Chemistry
Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics
lab:(212)693-6405   fax:(212)717-3135

	"Science, like Nature, must also be tamed
	   With a view towards its preservation.
	 Given the same state of integrity
	   It will surely serve us well."
	    -- Neil Peart; Natural Science (III) -- Permanent Waves


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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 20:39:38 -0600
From: "elvira toews" <etoews1 at home.com>
Subject: gas hoses

Hello keggers:

I bought a length of air hose because it had male ends already installed and
the CO2 was going to power a pump, not carbonate beer.  I took a suck on the
I'm sketching a manifold for carbonation and serving and need to decide on
materials.

How critical is the gas hose material for carbonating?  Should I stick to
100% food-grade nylon reinforce vinyl or silicone?  I'm aware of the
difference in consequences of a burst tube full of liquid versus full of
gas, but since the beer hose can take 30 psi, why not use it for gas?

Sean
srichens at sprint.ca




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