---

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


***************************************************************
       THIS YEAR'S HOME BREW DIGEST BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 

          Northern  Brewer, Ltd. Home Brew Supplies
        http://www.northernbrewer.com  1-800-681-2739

    Support those who support you! Visit our sponsor's site!
********** Also visit http://hbd.org/hbdsponsors.html *********


Contents:
  Wort Aeration Techniques ("Bob Sutton")
  HOP FLOWERS JUST IN TWO MONTHS ("santhosh  kumar")
  Oxygen Tanks ("John Misrahi")
  Re: Spoiled Results - Argh! ("Greg Smith")
  The "A Different Recirculating Mash System" has moved (Tony Verhulst)
  Re: force carbonating (Karen & Troy Hager)
  Sanitized water ("Dave Burley")
  Troy's problems (ALABREW Homebrewing Supplies)
  Re: Spoiled Results - Argh! ("Richard J. Zurek")
  Re: How to protect sight tube from heat? ("Gary Smith")
  re: gushing beer = contamination? ("Country Brewer- Penrith")
  conversation between brewshop and customer.....sheesh ("Country Brewer- Penrith")
  Renner's Soft Pretzels & Beer Can Chicken (don Lake)


*
* Show your HBD pride! Wear an HBD Badge! 
* http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/shopping
*
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!
*

Send articles for __publication_only__ to post@hbd.org

If your e-mail account is being deleted, please unsubscribe first!!

To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE send an e-mail message with the word
  "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" to request@hbd.org FROM THE E-MAIL
  ACCOUNT YOU WISH TO HAVE SUBSCRIBED OR UNSUBSCRIBED!!!**
IF YOU HAVE SPAM-PROOFED your e-mail address, you cannot subscribe to
  the digest as we cannot reach you. We will not correct your address
  for the automation - that's your job.

HAVING TROUBLE posting, subscribing or unsusubscribing? See the HBD FAQ at
http://hbd.org.

The HBD is a copyrighted document. The compilation is copyright 
  HBD.ORG. Individual postings are copyright by their authors. ASK 
  before reproducing and you'll rarely have trouble. Digest content 
  cannot be reproduced by any means for sale or profit.

More information is available by sending the word "info" to 
req at hbd.org or read the HBD FAQ at http://hbd.org.

JANITOR on duty: Pat Babcock and Karl Lutzen (janitor@hbd.org)



----------------------------------------------------------------------


Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 00:42:51 -0400
From: "Bob Sutton" <Bob at homebrew.com>
Subject: Wort Aeration Techniques

Steven Bellner asked about wort aeration.

Passing the air through a vodka/water mix will provide little bioburden
reduction as most air contaminants will be shrouded within the air bubble
passing through your solution. Short of having a HEPA around, I suggest you
obtain some sterile cotton balls from your local pharmacy and pack them into
the container with the vodka-water mix. You want to create a tortuous path
for the air, and maximize its residence time in contact with the alcohol.
For optimal disinfection (not sterilization mind you) you should use 70%
strength alcohol - a 50-50 mix will be dilute. Even under the best
circumstances, this rig will still not approach the level of contaminant
removal that HEPA filtration offers.

Alternately, you could use bottled O2 without filtration and come out ahead.

And finally a word on benchmarking... many homebrewers achieve aeration by
splashing the wort as it flows into the fermentor, and/or shaking the
carboy/fermentor to dissolve O2 in the wort. And where does this O2 come
from... typically air from your kitchen, basement, garage, outdoor deck, or
from wherever you brew... au naturel (unfiltered).

If you're brewing brash ales and fruited beers, and consuming your brew
within 6 months, unfiltered air will suffice. If you are pursuing pilseners,
and striving for delicate, complex taste, use a HEPA. Remember...
cleanliness is next to godliness..

Bob
Fruit Fly Brewhaus
Yesterdays' Technology Today



Return to table of contents


Date: 22 Jun 2002 10:52:03 -0000
From: "santhosh kumar" <ptsanthosh at rediffmail.com>
Subject: HOP FLOWERS JUST IN TWO MONTHS

Hi,
i am from India.I'd planted two hop rhizomes(cascade,
nugget)last April 11.Cascade is very healthy.
Surprisngly I saw  there are lot of flowers(around 50)
on cascade a week ago.I am so anxious about the
untimley flowering phenomena.Is it common thing?
Pls help me.
santhosh


Return to table of contents


Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 08:48:27 -0700
From: "John Misrahi" <lmoukhin at sprint.ca>
Subject: Oxygen Tanks

I was reading this yesterday
A mechanic friend warns that oxygen tanks used for welding etc.. (available
in hardware stores)contain oil and other things you definetely do not want
in your wort
can anyone else confirm/disprove this?
 -John-



disappointed, if you invest in an air stone and start using oxygen to
aerate your wort.  You can get small oxygen tanks for less than $10
each at your local hardware store or Home Depot.  They will last for
5-10 batches of 5 gallons each.  I turn on the tank for about 45 seconds
to aerate a 5 gallon batch.  I think I read somewhere that it would take




Return to table of contents


Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 09:08:43 -0400
From: "Greg Smith" <barnbrew at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Spoiled Results - Argh!

Petr Otahal wrote:

<< Bleach on stainless is not a good idea as it will eventually pit, 3%
<< caustic (NaOH) solution is the best on stainless.  If used warm/hot it
<< doesn't require a long soak but if used cold it is best to leave
overnight.
<<  It requires a thorough rinse, as well as the use of safety glasses and
<< rubber gloves (it is very corrosive to the eye).
<<
<< I clean my kegs with it about once every six months with hot 3% caustic,
<< but fermenters generally get more cruddy than kegs.

Thanks for the information, Petr.  I intend to follow your suggestion and
use a caustic solution.  I'll do it between every brew session on the
conical.  It could very well be the source of my problem.

Thanks again,
Greg



Return to table of contents


Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 11:46:38 -0400
From: Tony Verhulst <tony.verhulst at hp.com>
Subject: The "A Different Recirculating Mash System" has moved

The broadband internet siren has called and I have answered.

The "A Different Recirculating Mash System", formerly at
http://www.world.std.com/~verhulst/RIMS/rims.htm is now at
http://home.attbi.com/~verhulst/RIMS/rims.htm.

Tony V.


Return to table of contents


Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 09:29:13 -0700
From: Karen & Troy Hager <thager at smcoe.k12.ca.us>
Subject: Re: force carbonating

Many people suggested carbonating water to see if it had off flavors as
well. I did this - carbon filtered two 2-liters bottles of water- carbonated
one with 30 psi CO2 and lots of shaking. After about 5 hours in the fridge,
I sampled them both.

The carbonated one had a very sharp bite to it. It was not round or smooth
in the least but sharp and harsh tasting especially at the end. At the end
it dried out the tongue and left a slightly harsh, minerally-salty,
bitterness on the tongue after swallowing. The most significant is the
drying out at the end. This is exactly what I taste in my beer - especially
at the end - it dries out the tongue, and leaves a bitter, harsh, somewhat
sour around the edges of the tongue that lingers for a while.

Now, I know that others have said that CO2, especially at high levels will
give a sharp bite in the flavor - I just don't know if what I am tasting is
normal.

Also, as I have said, the beers I bottled with a counter pressure filler
from the same keg have mellowed out a lot and that harsh bite has diminished
significantly. There is a huge difference between the freshly carbonated
beer and the beer that has sat for a week or more.

Thanks for the input,

Troy



Return to table of contents


Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 15:41:16 -0400
From: "Dave Burley" <Dave_Burley at charter.net>
Subject: Sanitized water

Brewsters:

Just so there is no misunderstanding. In a personal
e-mail Troy thought I meant by "sanitized water" that I was suggesting
adding Star-San or other sanitizer to the water when clearing a keg of air.
Nope!

I usually add cooled boiled water to the keg, but from time to time I have
used RO water and even tap water without any real negative effect.
Definitely do not add Star San or orther sterilizer as not all of the water
is cleared when you push it out with CO2.

Keep on Brewin'

Dave Burley
Anderson, SC
Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places




Return to table of contents


Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 16:15:12 -0500
From: ALABREW Homebrewing Supplies <homebrew at alabrew.com>
Subject: Troy's problems

Troy is having problems with a beer he has made and thinks that it might be
his regulator and co2 tank.

Troy might try to force carbonate a keg full of water to see if there are
any off flavors/aromas.
- -- 
Kim and Sun Ae Thomson
ALABREW Homebrewing Supplies
8916a Parkway East
Birmingham, AL 35206
(205) 833-1716
http://www.alabrew.com
mailto: homebrew at alabrew.com



Return to table of contents


Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 08:38:47 -0500
From: "Richard J. Zurek" <zbrau at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Spoiled Results - Argh! 

I was thinking about this problem and now a mystery is solved for me.  I had
a similar experience.

I did a stupid brewer trick.  Only once did I have a batch of beer oxidize
in
my corny keg.  I that I think back on it I did not have problems with the
beer out poppet valve leaking.

Duhh!

There is air in the long dip tube that needs to be remove.  I will add
letting the air out of the long dip tube to my standard procedure.  I don't
know if this is the source of our problem but it did solve a mystery for me.

I love this digest.

Rich Zurek
Carpentersville IL USA



Return to table of contents


Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 13:52:12 -0500
From: "Gary Smith" <mandolinist at interlync.com>
Subject: Re: How to protect sight tube from heat?

 
> Gary,
> The thermometer should not be affected by the
> temperature. As to your sight tube, it depends on the
> material. You mentioned "rubber" but your tube is more
> likely made from PVC or polyurethane. Several
> homebrewers have made shields by using a length of
> stiff tubing, cutting out a long window with grinder.
> You could also attach a metal shield below the sight
> tube. Or you could upgrade to teflon tubing - FEP is
> translucent, available in all of the popular
> diameters, is rated up to 400 deg F.  McMaster-Carr
> http://www.mcmaster.com/
> carries all of these.

Hi,

The sight tube itself is glass. The gasket between the 
glass tube and the metal body attached to the bottom of 
the keg is the rubber I'm thinking of. I was thinking it 
might be worth going to a junk yard & picking up some 
of the orange high temp rubber tubing attached to a 
turbo unit in some car & then cutting that to be a gasket.

The only thing concerning me with that is perhaps that 
material is in some way toxic & though the contact with 
liquid would be minimal at worst, it might not be a good 
idea.

I suppose another part of the heat concern is to 
minimize the possibility of burning myself if the heat 
comes up with great intensity from the burner. 

I felt the outside of the keg after a short period of boiling 
and the heat from the sight glass fixture was 
impressive.

Thanks for the input,

Gary



Return to table of contents


Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 10:40:28 +1000
From: "Country Brewer- Penrith" <youre_my_valentine at bigpond.com>
Subject: re: gushing beer = contamination?



> >> Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 12:50:22 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: Rama Roberts <rama at eng.sun.com>
> > Subject: gushing beer = contamination?
> >
> > A porter I bottled a bit more than 3 weeks ago has begun to gush
> > out foam when I uncap them now, it seemed to be getting more and more
> > violent with time- not sure if its topped out yet.
>
> > Questions:
> > 1. should I be concerned with exploding bottles, if so, what's the
easiest
> > remedy if any? Release a bit of gas then immediately recap?
>
> I generally find easing the cap and releasing excess gass is the ideal
> solution.
>
> > 2. What's the most likely culprit? The enzyme addition causing over
> > priming by allowing the beer to continue to ferment, contamination of
> > some sort, something else?
>
> I ave found that the amylase that we have supplied here (which is actually
> amg 1000 bg but im sure that the others will have similar effects.) takes
a
> FG down to 1.004 or below irrespective of the dextrin level of the wort if
> the og is less than 1.060 in about 90 percent of cases. It will Also
> continue to break down the less fermentable sugars very slowly over quite
a
> long period of time
> >
> > Rama Roberts
> > confused in California
> >
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Karl Valentine, Manager.
> The Country Brewer - Penrith
> 560 High St,
> Penrith, NSW, 2750.
> (02) 4731 5444
> rainman at countrybrewer.com.au
> www.countrybrewer.com
>
> Drink beer, the custom of the land! Beer he drank, seven goblets. His
spirit
> was loosened, he became hilarious. His heart became glad and his face
> shone. --From Epic of Gilgamesh, 3rd century B.C.
>
>
>



Return to table of contents


Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 10:46:38 +1000
From: "Country Brewer- Penrith" <youre_my_valentine at bigpond.com>
Subject: conversation between brewshop and customer.....sheesh

Customer:Its about that beer I bought the other day....Its been a week and
the SG is still at 1.040...

Karl: Thats a little unusual, did the airlock bubble at all?

Customer: yes but not much.

Karl: how much water did you put in?

Customer: I made it up to 22.5 litres.

Karl: Sounds like the yeast may not have worked.

Customer: Whats yeast?

Karl:the white sachet on top of the can under the cap.

Customer: am I supposed to put that into the beer?

Karl: Yes, Youre supposed to sprinkle it on top of the beer when youre
mixing it up.

Customer: oh...I thought it was one of those moisture things.....should I
put it in now?

Karl: Yes.

Customer: ok thanks

[customer hangs up]

[Customer rings back 5 minutes later]

Customer: am I supposed to open the sachet or do I throw it in whole.

Karl; probably best to open the sachet first.

Customer: oh ok thanks......

Karl Valentine, Manager.
The Country Brewer - Penrith
560 High St,
Penrith, NSW, 2750.
(02) 4731 5444
rainman at countrybrewer.com.au
www.countrybrewer.com

For art to exist, for any sort of aesthetic activity to exist, a certain
physiological precondition is indispensable: intoxication. --Friedrich
Nietzsche, famous German troublemaker (1844-1900)




Return to table of contents


Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 22:03:05 -0400
From: don Lake <dlake at gdi.net>
Subject: Renner's Soft Pretzels & Beer Can Chicken

Sunday was a fun-day for food in our household.  The kids and I made our
second attempt at Jeff Renner's German Soft Pretzel recipe.  We all  had
a fun time making the and again the pretzels tasted terrific.  We made
the both original recipe and a sugar-cinnamon version.  We still,
however, can't make them big and pretty like they do at the mall at
Auntie Anne's.  Jeff, what do I do?  Do I have to apply for a part-time
job at the mall to get some technique?

After the Beer-can Chicken thread, I went ahead and bought "The Complete
Illustrated book of Barbecue Techniques and Recipes" by Steven Raichen.
Just to be safe I also purchased the "Beer-Can Chicken and 74 other
Offbeat Recipes for the Grill" by the same author.  I found mine at
Borders but they also have it a Amazon.com.

First let me tell you that I made the Beer-can chicken recipe and it was
truly was the best chicken I ever eaten.  This opinion was also voiced
my wife, but remarkably also by my father, who's had a 46-year contempt
for most "yard bird".  It was extrordinarily moist and tasty.

I highly advise everyone to buy the first book as soon as you can drive
to your favorite bookstore.  It's a total "how-to" encyclopedia of
grilling with outstanding photos.  It takes you from basic barbecue
technique to grilling a prime rib to spit roasting an entire pig.  I
can't say enough great things about book.

For those interested in the pretzel recipe , Jeff Renner's original
recipe was posted on hbd on Sept 28, 2001
http://hbd.org/hbd/archive/3747.html#3747-11

Don Lake
Orlando, FL




Return to table of contents

---