---

	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org


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Contents:
  Step one complete... (Pat Babcock)
  Proper addresses... (Pat Babcock)
  re: An Answer For Ray And A Question For Steve ("Stephen Alexander")
  Starter Grenades/Pressure Cylinders/Temp Controllers ("Greenly, Jeff")
  Plastic False Bottom Material (Fermentos)
  re: minikegs ("Stephen")
  Aussies sure love their beer... (You Bastards)
  Steam Buggy for the mash?? ("Spinelli, Mike")
  One For The Aussie's ("Axle Maker")
  Re: Homebrew Digest Request (April 12, 1901) (Scott Morgan - Sun On-Line Telesales Representative)
  US Open Competition (John Mitchell)
  refrigerator gskt (Mike B)


* 
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!
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JANITOR on duty: Pat Babcock and Karl Lutzen (janitor@hbd.org)



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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 11:39:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pat Babcock <pbabcock at hbd.org>
Subject: Step one complete...

Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager...

Well, Phase I is complete! Some may have noticed a brief outtage Friday
for about, mmmm, four hours or so.

The cobweb of wires which was the HBD has been bundled, catelogued and
tagged - nice, neat and orderly, easily unplugged in order to quickly
replace failed units. And the servers are all on a rack holding them above
the floor so that our worries of any flood dameage is reduced!

I'm also sorting through donated monitors to find one suitable for the
network. So far, two out of the three received have been tested and,
unfortunately, cannot support the two newer servers. One to go, and I
understand another is on the way. The unsuitable ones will work fine i
text mode, so will be retained in the attic in the event they become
necessary. Thanks to all that came forward financially, should none of the
donated monitors prove acceptable, we've received more than enough to
purchase a replacement.

And, we have been given a new DAT drive! Through not yet installed on the
network, we will be testing that soon as well. 

Thank you, THANK YOU! Everyone who came forward to the aid of the HBD! We
cannot express our appreciation to those who come forward - several
CONSTANTLY jumping in to fill the needs of the Digest -  I'm at a loss for
adequate words. Thanks!

Now the next phase. As we prepare to move all HBD services to the new
server, we will be blacking out the mail server, the website and The
Brewery -ncluding Brews and Views. If all goes well, you will not notice
the outage in terms of the Digest, and only a brief outage in terms of the
web and ftp activity. If not, the other servers will continue to take the
mail destined for the HBD and queue it until the server is fully
functional again. As usual, we will keep you informed via
rec.crafts.brewing should the transfer go awry.

- -- 
 -
See ya!

Pat Babcock in SE Michigan         pbabcock at hbd.org
Home Brew Digest Janitor           janitor@hbd.org
HBD Web Site                       http://hbd.org
The Home Brew Page                 http://hbd.org/pbabcock

"The monster's back, isn't it?" - Kim Babcock after I emerged
                                  from my yeast lab Saturday




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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 11:46:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pat Babcock <pbabcock at hbd.org>
Subject: Proper addresses...

Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager...

Folks, please pay attention to the directions in the header of the each
Digest, specifically:

    o To Unsubscribe:
      send the word "unsubscribe" in an email to req at hbd.org
    o To post a message to the HBD:
      send your post to post@hbd.org
    o To check the server or the queue:
      send "queue" or "status" to req at hbd.org (if the server is not up
      you will receive no response. Please do not send a test message
      to the posting address!)
    o To get help on posting, etc:
      send "help" to req at hbd.org
    o To communicate with the Janitors:
      send your message to janitor@hbd.org

There is also a HBD-specific FAQ on the HBD website for your use.

Thanks! Misdirecting your request or post just makes extra work for the
janitors. Automation is in place on the req address to accomplish most
tasks without our intervention.

- -- 
 -
See ya!

Pat Babcock in SE Michigan         pbabcock at hbd.org
Home Brew Digest Janitor           janitor@hbd.org
HBD Web Site                       http://hbd.org
The Home Brew Page                 http://hbd.org/pbabcock

"The monster's back, isn't it?" - Kim Babcock after I emerged
                                  from my yeast lab Saturday




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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 01:20:39 -0400
From: "Stephen Alexander" <steve-alexander at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: re: An Answer For Ray And A Question For Steve

Helen/Phil,

 Just how do you handle that in the cockpit - oh never mind.

>I have always seen the pH rise (during sparging) as being a natural
>consequence of the "run off" getting closer to the pH of the sparge water
>(in my case around 7.5) as less sugars are available to extract.

Just so.  If you pre-acidify your water to 6.0 or whatever and sparge
forever then the runoff will match the sparge water pH.   The grist, etc
does contain an array of organic acids which slowly are released into
solution during the sparge.  There is some ancient descriptive name for this
array of acids, which I can't recall at the moment.  They include citric,
fumaric, malic, lactic, succinic, phytic, pyruvic, lavulinic, and various
oxo-acids leftover from protein making.  They act to 'buffer' the sparge.

>I seem to
>magically reach the required wort quantity in the kettle when "run off" pH
>reaches about 5.9 and there sure doesn't taste like there is anything like
>sugar left in the "run off" at this point.

Taste is a bit deceiving here - the sugars in the later runnings have less
of the sweet ones (glucose and maltose) and more of the less sweet ones
proportionately.  Also the phenolic level is rising in the late sparge and
the bitterness masks the sweetness well.  The hydrometer won't lie but your
tongue might.

>The ratio of grain to water seems
>to work out at about 1 to 6  by weight. This includes the water used in the
mash.

Well we do have something in common Helen, tho' it's not donning a skirt and
heels.  I use about 6X the total malt weight as mash & sparge water and I
think it's an excellent figure - plenty conservative.  Commercial operations
will use 7 to 8 times the malt weight for mash+sparge water.  *IF* you have
a good lautering system you can get good extraction efficiency with 6X.

>So a question for Steve Alexander, or anyone with an answer. Can you keep
>tannins from leaching out of the grain bed by perpetually keeping the
sparge
>pH below 6.0?
>I'm curious to know anyone's thoughts.

A lot of very indirect things *imply* this is so, but I've never seen proof.
The study that seems to be at the origin of the notion that increasing temp
and *wort* pH extract more polyphenols appears in a defunct German journal
in 1936.   It's unlikely that the study is dead-wrong, but you'd need to
find a copy and read it very carefully before trying to impute the practical
import.   The fact is that the late runnings have increased pH, nitrogen
(amino acids/proteins), phosphates, silicates, phenolics - also rapidly
declining fermentability.  In the 1936 study (some tables appear in M&BS),
the dramatic shifts in runoff properties occur about the time the runoff
gravity drops to 2P(1.008 temp corrected).  These dramatic shifts occur when
the runoff pH is only 6.1 or 6.2 !   Where the cause-and-effect lies is not
obvious to me but I have doubts that the pH shift from 5.4 to 6.1 could
cause such a dramatic change.  I wouldn't bet the farm that low pH sparge
water will permit you to oversparge with confidence.   Like salt over the
shoulder, it can't hurt but may equally be a superstition.

 -S




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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 03:40:19 -0400
From: "Greenly, Jeff" <greenlyj at rcbhsc.wvu.edu>
Subject: Starter Grenades/Pressure Cylinders/Temp Controllers

Fellow Brewers,

First, to all those who responded to my post concerning exploding wort,
thank you! The problem, I think, was that I did not use a pressure cooker. I
used SWMBO's ceramic lined canning boiler, and I did not *boil* for a time
sufficient to assure that the wort would be sterile. Further, I should have
left the rings off after cooling, and lastly, I should not have stored them
in the fridge. Lessons learned are what makes this hobby so enjoyable!

Next, on pressure cylinders. If a cylinder fails, the tester is *required*
to drill a hole in it so that it can't ever be used again. The date of the
last static test, along with other info about the certification, pressure
rating and contents, is usually stamped on the bottle (the last test date
ALWAYS is), and there should also be a plastic or paper tag on the bottle's
valve with similar info put there by the people who fill the bottle. If a
bottle looks rough, or if it has an old date, have it checked! A pressure
cylinder that has been weakened by abuse, old age or overfilling is a
time-bomb!

Lastly, I have decided that for the money (and for my gadgeteering
nature...) the Ranco digital controller seems to be the best bet for my
refrigerator project. Is anyone using this controller, and if so, do you
have any comments? Would Johnson Controls' analog controller work just as
well, and be just as satisfying for a lower price? I only want to buy the
controller once, so I welcome all input.

Jeff


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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 08:16:44 -0700
From: Fermentos <Fermentos at Home.com>
Subject: Plastic False Bottom Material

I mash in a 150 qt rectangular cooler and with the plastic pipe manifold
I made, and I have gotten horrible extraction / efficiency.  Back when I
mashed in a converted keg with a SS false bottom, I got great
efficiency.  My thought is to place a plastic false bottom on top of the
plastic pipe manifold iin the cooler and hopefully see the same
efficiency I used to get when I used the SS false bottom in the smaller
system.

Any comments as to this idea or suggestion where I can get a plastic
false bottom that is about 18"x48"?

Fermentos



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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 13:22:49 -0400
From: "Stephen" <stephennyc at about.com>
Subject: re: minikegs

Dan wrote:

> 1) It is probably not leaking at the tap / keg joint and, if it is,
> for the German taps. a little keg lub on the dip tube threads
> should seal it.  The German taps tend to leak at the cartridge /
> regulator junction.  The cartridge must seal against a hard plastic
> surface.  Again a little keg lub on the tip of the cartridge along
> with a bit on the threaed portion of the cartridge holder to ease
> screwing should cure this problem.

I'm using a PhilTap - when I say leak, I mean leak - you can hear it 
and sometimes see a bit of spray escaping at the tap/keg joint. Keg 
Lube just seems to let the tap ride up about a 1/4 inch out of the 
bung. (BTW - bungs are two keggings old, all purchased from Williams 
in a kit).

Should the PhilTap need to sit tightly on the bung? If it doesn't, 
every activity that moves the tap seems to let CO2 escape. Any advice 
on this front would be greatly appreciated.

> 2) I recommend  priming with 1.5 tablespoons of corn sugar directly
> into the keg.  This can be easily controlled plus kegging can be
> accomplished directly from the fermenter without the bother of a
> bottling bucket.

I will try this next time (2 weeks time).

Thanks for all of the help.



 - Steve



 - Steve



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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 10:36:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: You Bastards <dude_kennysdead at yahoo.com>
Subject: Aussies sure love their beer...

Thought the list would enjoy this article:

Diving for Bottles in River of Beer 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Residents of a small Australian
town thought they had struck sunken treasure on Monday
after a truck crashed and dumped thousands of bottles
of beer at the bottom of a river.

About 24,000 bottles of beer sank in the Tweed River,
near the town of Tweed Heads, after a truck trailer
lost a wheel and crashed on a highway in New South
Wales, Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.

Police inspector Stan Single said local residents
thought it was open season had spent the Easter long
weekend diving for the beer -- some fully clad in
scuba gear.

Several hundred people had been seen loading up their
cars with one reported to have recovered 400 bottles
alone.

``They obviously thought the owners had abandoned the
load and they better get the rest,'' Single said of
the treasure hunters, noting that removal of the beer
officially amounted to theft. 





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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 13:29:05 -0400
From: "Spinelli, Mike" <paa3983 at dscp.dla.mil>
Subject: Steam Buggy for the mash??

HBDers,

Has anyone seen that info-mercial on the Steam Buggy?  What about sticking
that thing in your mash to raise temps?

Mike Spinelli
Cherry Hill NJ


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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 17:34:02 -0400
From: "Axle Maker" <axlemaker at mindspring.com>
Subject: One For The Aussie's

Got this in my e-mail today...




VOLUNTEERS HELP THEMSELVES AFTER BEER TRUCK SINKS

There was no shortage of rescue volunteers when a truck carrying 24,000
bottles of beer crashed into an Australian river.

Some locals donned scuba suits and others just dived in. People have been
salvaging beer from the Tweed River north of Sydney or watching others dive
for bottles during the long Easter weekend. One man reportedly walked away
with 400 bottles of beer.

A delivery lorry crashed into the river last Tuesday after losing a wheel.
The truck was salvaged, but just half of the beer was brought up.

Police Inspector Stan Single said residents began diving for the beer after
the unidentified owner failed to post security guards at the crash site
during the weekend.

"People were going down with scuba gear and loading up," he
said. He said anyone taking the beer was stealing, adding: "But I
doubt whether in these circumstances we'll be chasing people
for convictions."

<http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_251709.html?menu=news.quirkies>




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Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 09:14:07 +1000 (EST)
From: Scott Morgan - Sun On-Line Telesales Representative <Scott.Morgan at Sun.COM>
Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest Request (April 12, 1901)

Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 08:40:06 -0500
From: Nathan Kanous <nlkanous at pharmacy.wisc.edu>
Subject: Lager at ale temps

I would disagree with this.

And i am glad you did. a hbd poster who can run a good arguement with an 
Aussie without being nasty...well the times are a changing!

Again, I mean no disrespect to Mr. Morgan,

No disrepect felt!

 but I don't think you'll get a 
steam beer just by fermenting a porter using a lager yeast at ale 
temperatures.....steam beer uses a specific yeast strain....other lager 
yeasts at ale temps are likely to produce significant levels of 
esters....for better or worse.

Nathan, my understanding that in the 1850's when the brewing really took off 
alot of the brewers where milwalkee kind of guys. they came out after being 
able to cellar thier beers in the lower temps of the Ohio locale and 
started brewing the beers using the yeasts they had on disposal.

I think it is a case of the brewers of the times using trial and error till 
they found a lager yeast that was stable brewing at these temps. I cant see 
anywhere 
where there was a strain endemic to the area and from any other source.

Anyone else got $0.02c out there.

Scotty




- ------------- End Forwarded Message -------------


*****************************************
Scott Morgan
Sun-On-Line Account Manager

Working as part of the 
National Education 

scott.morgan at aus.sun.com
freecall 1800 628 193
direct 02 9844 5396
mobile 0419 545 114
fax 02 9844 5189

*****************************************





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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 20:59:23 -0400
From: John Mitchell <jlmitch at charlotte.infi.net>
Subject: US Open Competition

The 2001 US Open homebrew competition will be taking place in Charlotte, NC 
on April
28. We expect this competition to follow tradition and be one of the
premier Southeastern competitions. We are looking for entries and judges
and stewards. For an entry packet, please access http://hbd.org/cbm. All 
interested in judging
please contact John Mitchell at jlmitch at infi.net, or 704 868 8198.

Thank you,
John Mitchell
Carolina Brewmasters




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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 21:35:12 -0500
From: Mike B <mikebrx at swbell.net>
Subject: refrigerator gskt

A few issues ago someone was looking for a source for replacement
refrigerator gaskets. I found the magnetic style gasket kits at
Cashwell Appliance Parts. 800 277 1220 They have a web site with .pdf
catalog, not easy to use. The gasket kits come in a couple of different
sizes and are fairly inexpensive. Less than $20. (insert std disclaimer)
Brew On!



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