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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  re: HERMS, counter pressure filler (Ed Jones)
  Re: Cloudy allgrain pitched on yeast cake... (Jeff Renner)
  South African Breweries buys Miller Brewing (Jeff Renner)
  beer spice, Prickly Pear Mead ("dave holt")
  8 Seconds of Froth Homebrew Competition ("Paul Dey")
  Searching for brew info ("John Adsit")
  Fermenator fermenter (CCG6 FIWC)" <haywoodk at ccg6.navy.mil>
  Buzz Off Results ("David Houseman")
  Water treatment and Baking Powder ("David Craft")


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Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2002 08:30:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ed Jones <ejones at ironacres.com>
Subject: re: HERMS, counter pressure filler

David asks:
>I am also considering buying a counter pressure bottle
>filler. In particular, Hoptech Homebrewing sells a
>unit with 3way valve and an automatic pressure relief
>valve that seems very convenient and well built. Does
>anyone have any experience with this unit or
>recs/warnings about other fillers.

I highly recommend the Hoptech CP filler. I've used it for about 6 months
now and I have had no problems with it. I do not chill my bottles beforehand,
and I run the unit between 12-15 psi. I don't have a foaming problem so
long as I don't fill too fast. My only complaint is that the length of the
hoses that come with the unit are too short for my usage. Other than that,
you can't go wrong with the Hoptech model.

- --
Ed Jones - Columbus, Ohio U.S.A - [163.8, 159.4] [B, D] Rennerian

"When I was sufficiently recovered to be permitted to take nourishment,
I felt the most extraordinary desire for a glass of Guinness...I am
confident that it contributed more than anything else to my recovery."
  - written by a wounded officer after Battle of Waterloo, 1815



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Date: Sat, 01 Jun 2002 09:26:11 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Cloudy allgrain pitched on yeast cake...

Kelly Grigg <kgrigg at diamonddata.com> wonders about his cloudy ale 
after pitching onto yeast from a previous ferment:

>Any ideas?  Is this normal for used yeast? Would some type of clarifying
>agent work at this time? I've never used one before.

It's certainly possible that it could be an infection or the result 
of some kind of genetic change in your yeast, but it's most likely 
just a whole lot of yeast.  I'd suggest fining it with gelatin.  It 
is really remarkably effective.

Use a 1/4 ounce packet of your favorite flavor of gelatin (but I far 
prefer unflavored as I don't care for lime or cherry flavored beer). 
Suspend it in a cup of cold water, then heat it in the microwave, 
occasionally stirring it, until it clarifies.  If it boils, you may 
get lumps, so try to avoid a full boil.  Then rack your beer to a 
clean vessel (I like a carboy because I can watch it clarify) and add 
the gelatin part way through, making sure it gets well distributed by 
the currents.  I usually add a cup or two of beer to the gelatin 
before adding it.  And avoid splashing, as usual.  If you have a CO2 
tank, purge the receiving vessel first.

This method works quite well.  In a carboy, you can watch the beer 
clarify inch by inch, beginning within an hour.  Cool cellar 
temperature helps too.

Good luck.

Jeff
- -- 
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?"  Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943


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Date: Sat, 01 Jun 2002 14:11:49 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner at comcast.net>
Subject: South African Breweries buys Miller Brewing

Brewers

More swallowing up of mega-breweries:

http://money.cnn.com/2002/05/30/news/deals/miller_sab/index.htm

It may be better for Miller to be a part of a brewing conglomerate 
rather than a company that makes everything from macaroni and cheese 
to cigarettes, but it pains me to see any US company go overseas.

Jeff
- -- 
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net
"One never knows, do one?"  Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943


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Date: Sat, 01 Jun 2002 13:55:50 -0700
From: "dave holt" <brewdave at hotmail.com>
Subject: beer spice, Prickly Pear Mead

Long time lurker, never posted before.  I can read the web based HBD at work 
but discouraged from posting.  Rare Saturday that I am reading the HBD at 
home.

I have to comment on the post yesterday regarding beer spice.

I thought of this idea when I worked at the Grand Canyon in 1980.  Came
about from hiking and wishing for a cold beer at the end of the day.  I
really wanted a cold and lightweight beer that could be taken with you
hiking.  I thought you could dry the beer flavor, have a shot of grain
alcohol, and use a Co2 cartridge to carbonate and cool the beer.  Instant 
beer. Kind of similar to what NASA did with soda pop. Never did anything 
with it because I thought it had a limited market and probably would taste 
like crap anyway.  We could call it, Phil's Phake Beer.

I remember a recent post regarding Prickly Pear Mead and getting gigged in 
competition regarding lack of color and sherry tones.  I live in the Sonoran 
Desert (Phoenix area), so I have made Prickly Pear Mead.  I have some that 
is 7-8 years old that is excellent.  Initially, the mead will appear pinkish 
but will soon turn straw or whiskey color.  Sherry tones from PP fruit (we 
have CACA, why not PP Mead) is the norm and is expected.  I did well in 
competition when the mead was young but not so well as the mead aged.  I 
believe it is for the same reason the poster suggested, judges unfamilar 
with PP and its flavor, color, aging, etc. Regardless, enjoy a fine mead. It 
ages nicely.


Dave Holt
brewdave at hotmail.com

Brewing at two extremes:

In the desert.  105-110 F today.  Chandler, AZ
At altitude, 7500 ft elevation.   Forest Lakes, AZ  (find that on the map)








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Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 08:28:31 -0600
From: "Paul Dey" <pdey at vcn.com>
Subject: 8 Seconds of Froth Homebrew Competition

Greetings Brewers,

See http://www.vcn.com/~bbriggs/8seconds.html to find out how you can enter
our homebrew evaluation extravaganza.  We're accepting entries now and we'll
keep opening those boxes until June 7th.  So, if you'd like some quality
feedback and evaluation of your beer and the opportunity to win prizes,
please send your entries now.

Prost!
Paul Dey
Cheyenne, WY




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Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 10:17:29 -0600
From: "John Adsit" <jadsit at attbi.com>
Subject: Searching for brew info

A recent series of "I've never heard of this, but I would guess..." type
posts in HBD led me to try an experiment. (I actually did it twice.  The
first experiment was in response to someone's message to me, and the other
was just a few seconds ago when I decided to submit this post and wanted to
use the most recent results--the results varied only slightly between the
tests.)

One of the virtues of HBD is that it enables people without good resources
or experience to find what they need from those with more knowledge or
experience.  There is a faster way to get some of that information, though.

I opened Google, my favorite search engine, and typed in the phrase "first
wort hopping."  Google reports on how long a search takes, and in this case
it searched for a whopping 0.08 seconds before giving me an excellent list
of resources.  I then typed in "Camden tablets," and was again given a list
of resources in 0.08 seconds.  For each reference, it gives a small
quotation, and in the case of Camden tablets, one of those quotations told
me that "One level teaspoon of sodium metabisulphite = 1 Camden tablet," so
I didn't even have to leave that page to find what I wanted to know.

I do have the benefit of a cable modem, but I don't imagine dialup could be
that much different.  The key point is this: when you use your computer, you
could easily have an answer to some questions in less time than it takes to
type an email that asks the question.  In less time than it takes to write,
"I don't know what a Camden tablet is..." you can know what a Camden tablet
is.

- --
John Adsit
Boulder, CO
jadsit at attbi.com





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Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 20:33:42 +0400 
From: "Haywood, K EW1 (CCG6 FIWC)" <haywoodk at ccg6.navy.mil>
Subject: Fermenator fermenter

Well I'm looking for any input from anyone that has the 12.2 gal Fermenator
from Blichmann Engineering and how they like it or dislike.  From all that
I'm reading it sure looks like it would be nice to have and add to the home
brewery.  Plus I was wondering then if there is a chest freezer that anyone
may be using that can handle it with it's height?

Kurt Haywood
Norfolk, VA
dodge.man at verizon.net
Onboard USS John F. Kennedy wishing I could be brewing but on station so we
can brew.


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Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 20:57:32 -0400
From: "David Houseman" <housemanfam at earthlink.net>
Subject: Buzz Off Results

The results of the 2002 Buzz Off Homebrew Competition have been posted at
http://hbd.org/buzz.  Buzz would like to congratulate all the winners and to
thank all of our sponsors, particularly our host, Iron Hill Restaurant and
Brewery in West Chester, PA.

David Houseman



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Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 21:58:49 -0400
From: "David Craft" <chsyhkr at bellsouth.net>
Subject: Water treatment and Baking Powder

Greetings,

Has anyone tried Baking Powder for an all around water treatment.  I am
shying away from gypsum because of the sulphur content.  Our water is very
soft .

Baking Powder is............Sodium Bicarbonate, cornstarch, sodium aluminum
sulfate, calcuim sulfate, and monocalcium phophate.  I am not looking for
big additions, just a teaspoon for a 6 gallon batch. This seems to cover a
broader range of minerals than gypsum.

Any thoughts?

David B. Craft
Battleground Brewers Homebrew Club
Crow Hill Brewery and Meadery
Greensboro, NC



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