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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  Re: Bass ale clone...which yeast? ("Peter Fantasia")
  AOL Readers... (The Home Brew Digest)
  Somewhat OT : hydrometer to salometer conversions? (Alan McKay)
  Hop deterioration ("Strom C. Thacker")
  Mills ("Dan Listermann")
  Re.: Bass ale clone with 'wrong' yeast ("Sean Richens")
  JSP Malt Mill ("Norm Hardy")
  Remember that lemon... (Chuck Doucette)
  new advances in bottling? ("Badger/DJ Sable/Project Mercury")
  re: Tap-A-Draft (John Schnupp)
  Re: SSRs (The Freemans)
  Re:  JSP Malt Mill ("Leonard B. Dmochowski")
  "yeast farming" (carlos benitez)


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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 08:44:18 -0400
From: "Peter Fantasia" <fantasiapeter at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Bass ale clone...which yeast?

Denis asks if he should use 1056 or1318 in a Bass ale clone. I would use the
1318 London ale III. It will give you more of the fruity profile your
looking for.
Cheers
Pete


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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 09:47:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: The Home Brew Digest <hbd at hbd.org>
Subject: AOL Readers...


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

If you are trying to subscribe from an AOL address, please be sure your
mail filters are set to allow mail from outside AOL. Consult AOL technical
support if you do not know how to change your mail filters.

- -- 
Cheers!

The Home Brew Digest Janitorial Staff




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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 13:21:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alan McKay <amckay at ottawa.com>
Subject: Somewhat OT : hydrometer to salometer conversions?

Hey folks,

I'm doing some reading on pickling and there is talk of a "salometer"
which is graduated to show salt concentration.  Does anyone have a
conversion chart to allow me to use my hydrometer as a salometer?

thanks,
 -Alan

c.f. http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/1996/0996DE.html

- --
                 "Brewers make wort.  Yeast Makes Beer."
                       - Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide
http://www.bodensatz.com/
What's a Bodensatz? http://www.bodensatz.com/bodensatz.html



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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 13:36:31 -0400
From: "Strom C. Thacker" <sthacker at bu.edu>
Subject: Hop deterioration

Several years ago (c. 1994), I got a bag of Hallertau Mittelfruh hop 
pellets from Boston Beer Company.  They are packed in foil, and have 
been stored in the freezer since I got them.

How much of a decline in the alpha acid content should I assume when 
brewing with these hops?  Is there any reason not to use them?

Thanks,

Strom
Newton, MA


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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 13:41:13 -0400
From: "Dan Listermann" <dan at listermann.com>
Subject: Mills

<Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2001 19:47:31 -0400 (EDT)
<From: Ed Jones <ejones at sdl.psych.wright.edu>
<Subject: jsp malt mill

<I'm seriously considering buying a JSP malt mill but I don't know if I
should
<buy the fixed or adjustable version. Admittedly, I'm fairly ignorant about
<grain size and how to even adjust a mill, but I'd learn if it were actually
<important. What would you recommend?

Learning how to adjust a mill is not really that difficult.  First, you are
making grist not gaps.  You adjust the grist by changing the gap. There is
no such thing as an "optimum gap" for all grains.  There might be an
"optimum compromise gap," but it is just a compromise.  Generally, each
grain needs to be examined every time it is crushed although specialty
grains might be skipped.  I never measure my mill's gap, but I always check
the grist.

Many books will tell you to "just barely crush the malt."  This was good
advice for hard to adjust burr mills like the Corona.  With a roller mill
this will only give the efficiency of a Corona.  The modern roller mills can
crush much finer without causing problems and give much greater efficiency.

I crush my malt so that it is difficult to find uncrushed corns and those
that I do find are underdeveloped looking.  This is a quick skill to master
and can be performed almost without thought.

<Secondly, the Phil Mill 2 has smaller rollers and probably crushes a little
<slower, but it seems to be much easier to adjust. Does anyone have any
<comments relative to these two mills?

The Philmill II has a slightly lower throughput than the JSP for hand
cranking.  However the Philmill II has a much better throughput when
motorized.  It can pass more than 9.5 pounds per minute ( 570 lbs per hour)
with a 1/2" drill.  The difference is hopper opening design.  The JSP needs
to restrict roller exposure to allow practical hand cranking, especially the
initial crank.  Its opening is very close to the rollers.  This is fine for
hand cranking, but reduces roller exposure at higher speeds since the grains
don't have much time to spread out beyond the opening before being pulled
into the gap.  The Philmill II's hopper opening is smaller that the JSP, but
it is big enough that it can pass far more malt than it can crush.  The key
is that the hopper is high enough above the rollers so the grains have
plenty of time to spread out.  This allows the rollers full exposure at any
speed.  Greater speeds do not bring on restricted roller exposure with this
mill.

 Dan Listermann

Check out our new E-tail site at http://www.listermann.com

Take a look at the anti-telemarketer forum.  It is my new hobby!




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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 13:02:07 -0500
From: "Sean Richens" <srichens at sprint.ca>
Subject: Re.: Bass ale clone with 'wrong' yeast

Denis, I hope you brewed anyway (since it's already Monday).  It's from the
'oopsies' and compromises that new personal best recipes are born.

If you used the Wyeast 1056, I'm sure you could make it interesting enough,
if not a true clone of Bass, by going a couple of degrees over the optimum
fermentation range for primary fermentation and keeping the secondary short
(no more than 2 weeks).

I'm sure you won't have trouble keeping it warm in Tennessee, at least not
this early in September.

Sean Richens
srichens.spamsucks at sprint.ca




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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 11:32:13 -0700
From: "Norm Hardy" <nhardy at connectexpress.com>
Subject: JSP Malt Mill

The adjustable mill is best if you plan on using a lot of different types of
malts.  Adjusting it is as easy as loosening a bolt, hand turning the knob
to match a notch on the dial, and tightening again.

I had to widen the mill for some Czech pils malt and will have to adjust
again when I go back to my usual domestic ale malt later.

The JSP maltmill is top-notch quality.  I use it for 5-gal batches and would
be okay with 10-gal batches but anything larger would force me to consider a
motorized version.



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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 13:37:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Chuck Doucette <cdoucette61 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Remember that lemon...

Hi All,

A couple of months ago, I asked about using lemon in
beer. Well, I have finished (finally) that brew. All
in all, it's not bad. I used a Weizenbier extract kit
with Wyeast # 3944, the zest of about 2 lemons, and
about 1 gram of Paradise seed. I steeped the lemon
zest in the wort at the end of the boil for about 5
minutes. The Paradise seed went in with the hops. As
for the 3944, That was the slowest yeast I have used
yet. It was 36 hours from the time I smacked the pack
to the time it was ready to use! The ferment was slow
too, 7 days after it became active in the primary it
was ready to transfer. Another week in the secondary,
and into the bottles. After about one month in the
bottle, the clove and Paradise seed flavors are
starting to mellow out and the lemon is coming
through. I think next time I will use more lemon zest,
50 - 100% more.

And now a question. Has anyone out there tried the Old
Peculier clone recipe that was in the March/April
issue of Zymurgy?  I am going to try it but was
wondering about the sugars. In the recipe listing it
calls for 8 oz. of dextrose, but in the article, it
mentions turbinado. My thought is that these are
interchangeable (at least for the purposes of the
recipe), but thought I'd ask for an opinion or two.

Chuck Doucette
O'Fallon, IL



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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 15:36:38 -0700
From: "Badger/DJ Sable/Project Mercury" <badger at badger.cx>
Subject: new advances in bottling?

So, I've made the switch to kegs (quite come time ago) but now am finding it
a bit constraining.
I've never had good success with Counter Pressure filling, and all that.

I've sort of quit brewing for while, (its been a year or so), and I'd like
to get back into it..

Question: have there been any advances in bottling techniques since I've
been gone from HBD?  Any good suggestions and tricks? Articles?  anything?

Bottling would be a little more convenient, in the sense that I could bring
a six pack to a party instead of carting a 5 gallon keg (heavy) with a CO2
tank, valves and all that.

Anything?

[] Brander (Badger) Roullett  [] http://badger.cx [] ICQ# 46814661 []
[] Syncromesh Internet Radio and Productions [] http://syncromesh.net []
[] Project Mercury [] http://badger.cx/projmerc []

- --  My motto is: When the world turns its back on you, get the world in a
headlock, give it your biggest, baddest pile driver, and then pin it to the
ground while the Sun counts to ten. (Rumination by Rosey Kirkbasserlake)




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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 17:47:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Schnupp <johnschnupp at yahoo.com>
Subject: re: Tap-A-Draft

From: Squidwerd402 at aol.com
>I was wondering if anyone has had an experience using the Tap-A-Draft small 
>kegging system currently available through morebeer.com.

Interesting.  The price doesn't seem too crazy.  The cost of the CO2 cartridges
might add up after a while.  But it seems like a good idea.  You could probably
naturally carbonate with a "regular" bottle cap.  This way you could get all
the bottles carbonated before serving.  Just uncap and quickly attach the
Tap-A-Draft system when you are ready for a new bottle.  You won't loose all
the carbonation.

=====
John Schnupp, N3CNL
??? Hombrewery
Georgia, VT
95 XLH 1200, Horse with no Name



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Date: Mon, 03 Sep 2001 20:27:16 -0500
From: The Freemans <potsus at Bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: SSRs

I have 2-240 volt 25 amp rsolid state relays on "the perfesser"  They
are mounted outside of any enclosures and are also mounted on a heat
sink.  A single 10 amp SSR can be mounted to the outside of a metal
enclosure without the benefit of a heat sink.   Mine are under the
bottom of the HLTand behind the electrical panel.

http://www.brewrats.org/hwb/er/images/er04.jpg

A thorough grounding od the whole system is needed to eliminate gettin'
knocked on your duff.  What you have outlined seems safe enough.

Bill Freeman aka Elder Rat
K P Brewery - home of "the perfesser'
Birmingham, AL




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Date: Mon, 03 Sep 2001 22:51:13 -0400
From: "Leonard B. Dmochowski" <lenski at fuse.net>
Subject: Re:  JSP Malt Mill

Ed Jones ponders:
"I'm seriously considering buying a JSP malt mill but I don't know if I
should
buy the fixed or adjustable version. Admitidly, I'm fairly ignorant
about
grain size and how to even adjust a mill, but I'd learn if it were
actually
important. What would you recommend?

Secondly, the Phil Mill 2 has smaller rollers and probably crushes a
little
slower, but it seems to be much easier to adjust. Does anyone have any
comments relative to these two mills?"

If you decide to purchase the JSP, I would recommend purchasing the
adjustable version.  Although you consider yourself ignorant about grain
size
(which I'm sure you're not), eventually you will want control of your
crush.

A few friends of mine have the JSP and love it.  I have the original
Philmill but I
have used the Phil Mill 2 at Dan Listermann's shop a few times.  The
Phil Mill 2
offers a great crush, it's plenty fast enough, and you can adjust the
crush on the
fly if you desire.  No affiliation with either company..............

Cheers!
Len Dmochowski
Cincinnati, OH




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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 20:01:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: carlos benitez <greenmonsterbrewing at yahoo.com>
Subject: "yeast farming"

Hello everybody,
   While I mostly just lurk and learn, I find that I
now how have a question for the board:
   I made a beer the other day using a yeast starter
culture made the following way - I used about 1/2 cup
of DME boiled in about 750ml of water - let this cool
to room temp. I then poured this directly into a 1L
bottle which I had just drained of homebrew ;-) 
leaving the yeast sediment in the bottom. I then
replaced the Grolsch type cap  and let it sit at room
temp overnight. I did pop the cap twice to relieve any
pressure build-up. I poured this starter right into my
fresh wort the next day after brewing with (so-far)
good results. Two immediate questions come to mind -
how long will yeast survive in beer in the bottle
(med. alcohol levels - not barley-wine), and am I
really setting myself up for a bad batch doing this ?
  It seems like an easy way to re-use yeast. 
      Thanks in advance,

=====
BIBIDI !
        Brew It Bottle It Drink It 
       Carlos Benitez - Green Monster Brewing



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