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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  Propane ("Mac")
  Primary temps (David Brandt)
  Re: How can I tell if my nose is working? (John Schnupp)
  R:  Bitter beer ("Parker Dutro")
  RE:  NW Brews and the Horse Brass ("Parker Dutro")
  RE: RE: fermenting in an engine block ("Parker Dutro")
  RE: Bitter Beer... ("Houseman, David L")
  CO2 Cannisters - Newbie Question (Michael Fross)
  Wyoming Hops (Len Safhay)
  Re. Gump on World's Fastest Fermentation, Danstar, CCCA ("John Misrahi")
  Re:  How can I tell if my nose is working? ("Beer Phantom")
  RE:  Lager/beer fridge ("Steven Parfitt")
  re: cleaning copper tubing (Paul Kensler)
  re: AHA Club Only Competitions ("Frank J. Russo")
  Weldless Fitting for Keg Conversion ("Eric R. Theiner")
  bubbles, bubbles, FWH troubles (Marc Sedam)
  Re:  Tap A Draft Questions ("Dennis Collins")
  Mini Kegging Techniques ("Dan Listermann")
  White Labs Hefeweizen IV yeast ("Brian Schar")
  Re: How can I tell if my nose is working? (Svlnroozls)
  Scotmalt (LJ Vitt)
  Re: How can I tell if my nose is working? (Jeff Renner)
  AHA Mead Day ("Gary Glass")
  Diets & Dying ("d.mchenry")
  smoked malt (Bryan Gros)
  Bubbles, tiny bubles..., homebrewing vessels ("Dave Burley")
  FWH Mech (mas4786)
  Corney Keg Repair (Richard.Schmittdiel)
  Opinions on this Oktoberfest Recipe-- ("Parker Dutro")
  Harpoon IPA ("D. Clark")
  Carboy Caps for Syphon Starting ("Hedglin, Nils A")


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Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2002 23:14:50 -0500
From: "Mac" <D.McHenry at ev1.net>
Subject: Propane

<<From: "Steven Parfitt" <the_gimp98 at hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: Propane
If you wanna brew out you've got to light her up; propane.
If you wanna get down, brew on the ground; propane.
She don't light, she don't light, she don't light; propane.
{snip}
She don't light, she don't light, she don't light;  NO! propane.

With all due respect to E.C.>>

Steven, I believe it was J.J. Cale who first wrote and performed that song
you
are referring to...  E.C. did a re-make.

Mac
(showing my age..)



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Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2002 21:27:18 -0700
From: David Brandt <jdlcr at flash.netdex.com>
Subject: Primary temps

I live in a town where the temps can get past 100 degrees in the summer.
That puts a crimp into summer brewing around here. I put my carboy in a
large Rubbermaid tub filled with water and add ice as needed to keep the
fermentation temps down. This system still allows for some temp ranges I'd
rather not have. I suppose I could baby it more with regular ice feedings
and get really anal with a thermometer (come on...you know what I mean) but
that's no fun. I'd be interested in hearing of methods some of you brewers
out there use. I also see that there is an item on the market called a
Fermenterator. Anyone use this?

David Brandt
Cloverdale, CA 


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Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2002 22:58:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Schnupp <johnschnupp at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: How can I tell if my nose is working?

Pete sez,
>Stand by, I am developing a Smell Board for PC and Mac.
>Should be available soon.
snip
>Don't hold your breath for the Smell Board.

Actually it's not that radical.  I saw a show on Tech TV this weekend were they
are developing a silicon "tongue" and "nose".  Very interesting.  The
implications to brewers could be huge.  I'm sure the initial technology will be
crude and cost mega $$$ but like everything the quality will go up and the
price down.  So go ahead and hold your breath.  It's not all that unreal after
all.

I have been working in semiconductor manufacturing for almost 15 years now. 
When I started the hot item was 1meg chips.  Look where it is now.  Back then I
wouldn't have believed that what we make today is possible.  I won't even try
and guess what will happen in the next 15 years but I will say this, expect
some simply amazing things.


=====
John Schnupp, N3CNL
??? Hombrewery
[560.2, 68.6] Rennerian
Georgia, VT
95 XLH 1200, Bumblebee



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 01:10:24 -0700
From: "Parker Dutro" <ezekiel128 at edwardwadsworth.com>
Subject: R:  Bitter beer

Beer wil always taste more bitter before it's done maturing.  Usually
the malt character will work it's way to the front and the hops will
settle into the background, yet they will still be almost as apparent as
they are early on, just more rounded and not so up-front.  That is why I
try to wait at least a month after bottling before I start drinking.
Some will disagree, but I have noticed drastic changes and improvements
in my brew as it settles and matures in the bottle.  

About the alcohol level.  A hydrometer can't tell you how much alcohol
id present.  What it does tell you is how much sugar is present in the
liquid.  So you need to take a SG (starting gravity) reading and an FG
(final or finished gravity) reading.  It helps to take and OG (original
gravity).  The SG minus the FG gives a number which, plugged into an
equation, will give a rough approximation of the ABV.  One possibility
as to why you perceive more alcohol is that at higher temperatures
(above 72 f) by-products of fermentation like esters, diactyl and fusel
alcohols are produced.  These are the "higher" alcohols, and taste more
alcoholic, have more effect on the body (not as pleasant as alcohol,
more fuzzy and harsh) and can be blamed for headaches and hangovers.  

Parker

"Excuse me doctor, but I think I know a little something about
medicine!"
 -Homer Simpson






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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 01:10:24 -0700
From: "Parker Dutro" <ezekiel128 at edwardwadsworth.com>
Subject: RE:  NW Brews and the Horse Brass

Kevin wrote:
 -I sense that I'm going to be exremely unpopular 
 -for saying this, and I should make and attempt to post
 -this anonymously if I ever want to be served beer in
 -this town again, but I'm not that technically savvy. 
 -I am at the same time, both pleased and gaurded by the
 -number of visitors and locals who would send somebody
 -from who knows where to the Horse Brass on a visit to
 -Portland.

Well, you forewarned yourself in the opening of your post, so I won't be
redundant.  I will also avoid criticizing you, because you represent a
valid opinion, however, the Rose and Raindrop, though a very cool place,
is also a fairly new establishment when compared to the H. Brass,
McMenamins, Bridgeport, even the Rouge.  I have been to the Rose one
time, was content with their beer selection but if I remember it doesn't
compare with the list at the Horse Brass.  They may have more regional
brews, but the H. Brass has a list of over twenty which is awesome.  The
Rose looks great from the outside and has a nice upstairs eating area
that is usually closed off, but other than that it's a standard Portland
restaurant that lacks the character of some more established places.
It's definitely worth a visit, but the Horse Brass is SOOO much more a
Portland icon, and for this reason was mentioned by so many Portland
folk.  And while the Rose and Raindrop is a trendy place, it's NOT
uniquely Portland.  Of course every person will have a differing
impression of P-town, but only a small percentage of this small city is
the eclectic, trendy melting-pot of cultural influences.  The small
brick buildings and old bars that are dingy and in need of renovating
are more true to P-Town.  And the bars with real history and character
can usually be found in this setting.  Now that I've explained why I, as
a Portlander, disagree with Kevin, I should give him props for thinking
of Hair of The Dog.  As a Vancouverian   he has obviously experienced
Portland and I do not wish to suggest otherwise.  He probably has as
much or more experience with the area's pubs, but I have grown up and
lived here all my life, and felt I could, with all due respect,
disagree.  Again, I think Kevin has a great point, and I give him credit
for his thorough knowledge of P-town.

Parker Dutro
Portland, OR   


"Excuse me doctor, but I think I know a little something about
medicine!"
 -Homer Simpson






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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 01:10:24 -0700
From: "Parker Dutro" <ezekiel128 at edwardwadsworth.com>
Subject: RE: RE: fermenting in an engine block

- --" You've got a box?!  Man, I wish I could go so high-tech.  I ferment
in a pothole in the street.  Once I came to check the gravity on a batch
(dry hopped with dog fur!) and CalTrans had paved it over (that happens
so rarely).  The workers probably drank it first too."

 -Pothole?  Thats luxury!  I have to ferment directly in my mouth.  On
brew day I fill up my mouth with wort in the am and drop a few yeast
cells in and 3 hours later I swallow.  Wish I had a pothole to ferment
in.


You guys are so fortunate to have such convenient fermentation vessels.
I wont tell you where I ferment, but I will tell you that I walk funny
during high krausen and I can't sit up straight for a couple weeks. 

"Excuse me doctor, but I think I know a little something about
medicine!"
 -Homer Simpson






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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 07:22:12 -0400
From: "Houseman, David L" <David.Houseman at unisys.com>
Subject: RE: Bitter Beer...

Mac,

Too bitter? So the problem is?  Seriously, what style beer were you making?
Was it really too bitter or could it be other flavor characteristics like
astringency?  Phenols?  Some styles of beer will be malty, some focus on the
hop bitterness, flavor and aroma, while others, such as American Light Lager
(and Corona would fall into this) has little flavor or aroma compared to
most styles.  Aging may cause some of the hops to dimish, but the ageing may
cause other changes as well.  The real question is what your expectations
are for the beer and what the recipe was that you brewed.  Give us more
details and perhaps we can help.

With a hydrometer you can measure the gravity prior to fermentation
(Original Gravity) and after fermentation (Final Gravity) and then use that
to calulate the alcohol content.  There is not a direct reading of alcohol
level on hydrometers.

David Houseman


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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 07:03:56 -0500
From: Michael Fross <michael at fross.org>
Subject: CO2 Cannisters - Newbie Question

Hello everyone,

I've just gotten several corny kegs and am looking forward to begin
kegging my homebrew and have a question.

I have not yet gotten a CO2 tank (or found a place to fill them yet.
(If anyone knows of a place or two in the SW suburbs of Chicago....)

Anyway, I have an old Oxygen tank that my Dad used when he was sick.
It appears to be about 5 lbs and I was wondering if it could be used
for CO2.

 - Would anyplace fill it if it was not designed for CO2?

 - Is the tank compatible with CO2?

 - It will most likely need certification as it is over 10 years old.
Can you have this done when it's filled?

Thanks for the help everyone.

Frosty



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 08:11:19 -0400
From: Len Safhay <cloozoe at optonline.net>
Subject: Wyoming Hops

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
I've got a friend in central Wyoming who tells me he has hop vines all
around his place that were planted over 50 years ago for shade. Many of
his neighbors do as well; apparently it was common practice in the area.
Any ideas what strains would have been planted there and then? Are there
any hop strains that are <i>not</i> suitable for brewing? Any relatively
easy/inexpensive way for me to find out their AA content? Also would appreciate
some advice on how to harvest and prepare them. Thanks all.
<br>Len Safhay</html>




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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 09:01:57 -0700
From: "John Misrahi" <lmoukhin at sprint.ca>
Subject: Re. Gump on World's Fastest Fermentation, Danstar, CCCA

Yeah, I usually use liquid yeast when i have time to make a starter or mooch
a jar full from one of the local brewpubs, but this time there was only time
enough to brew. So brew I did. I'm pretty impressed with the Danstar yeasts.
I use the Danstar Nottingham when i'm looking for something to turn out
pretty dry, but without loads of flavours etc.. from the yeast. I compare it
to wyeast 1056.

This time, I tried Windsor. I have tasted the beer before I bottled, and
though quite 'green' (I didn't quite get all the hops out, some whole hops
were still floating in the bottling bucket) I think it will be very nice. 2
mini kegs and a dozen bottles or so, the final volume was slightly low.

Next, I will try the Manchester strain. Can anyone give me any info on this
yeast? Aside from the description on the Lallemand web site, that is.
Personal experiences?

The only other name brand dry yeast I can get locally is Coopers, which i
find to be quite fruity , but useable even at pretty high temperatures. I
used that for a batch during our heat wave last month.

I've also tried one of the Safale yeasts, ordered by mail. I hear they make
a lager yeast and a hefeweizen yeast (!!) which are pretty good and all
dry... next time....

Yesterday we got around to brewing our Classic CANADIAN Cream Ale... (Hi
Drew A. !) ...  4 kg 6 row, 1 kg corn, 1oz UK Northdown hops (bittering), 1
oz Hallertauer (flavour), 1oz Hallertauer (aroma).

Looking good.  I have a mountain of homebrew and still over a month to brew
like a Mad Man before school curtails my brewing activities.

John M. in Montreal




Nice yeast huh? You took a 9 Plato wort, used 2 sachets in an
uncontrolled temp environment...and now you will just have to suffer the
consequences!
    You are now forced to look forward to good brew!




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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 08:06:10 -0500
From: "Beer Phantom" <beer_phantom at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re:  How can I tell if my nose is working?


Hey Bill,

I think a good question before we get to far into the nuts and bolts of 
smelling is......do you smoke?  I can't think of a better way to dull your 
palette and your sniffer than smoking.  All you smoker's rights nazi's out 
there just chill out, I'm just pointing out the obvious.  If you smoke and 
don't think your senses are affected....well, I've got this really cool 
bridge on Long Island I would be happy to sell you....

If you don't smoke Bill, the slow sniff method sounds pretty good to me.  I 
may even give it a try.

The Beer Phantom



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 09:32:27 -0400
From: "Steven Parfitt" <the_gimp98 at hotmail.com>
Subject: RE:  Lager/beer fridge

Bill Tobler responds to Chris:

>Usually uprights don't work for brewing because the shelves, which are
>built in, are the cooling racks where the Freon is.  You can't tear >them 
>out because the freezer won't work when all the Freon leaks out >and 
>destroys the ozone layer. Right. I have heard of someone bending >them 
>down, without breaking them, and using the freezer.  Not sure I >would want 
>to try that.

Au Contrare..

There are many designs for routing the evaporator coil within the 
refirgerator.

The modern design is to place the evaporator in the freezer section behind a 
removable panel, along with a fan (the fan is the high failure rate item. I 
have replaced them in three refrigerators in the past two years.) There are 
vents between the freezer and refrigerator section for convection cooling 
the refrigerator.

The question is: Do the shelves appear to be solid rod construction? and, 
can you remove the shelves by simply lifting them out of temporarary mounts?

If so, then you can easily convert your refrigerator to a lagering fridge.

Or, do the shelves appear more like tubing with thick steel wire attached 
(cooling fins)? In which case, they are the evaporators. In which case, you 
are stuck with a refrigerator.

Good luck.

Steven, -75 XLCH- Ironhead Nano-Brewery  http://thegimp.8k.com
Johnson City, TN [422.7, 169.2] Rennerian

"Fools you are... who say you like to learn from your mistakes.... I prefer 
to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid the cost of my own." Otto von 
Bismarck




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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 06:33:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul Kensler <paul_kensler at yahoo.com>
Subject: re: cleaning copper tubing

Parker,
I've had great success cleaning my immersion wort
chillers using BLC - Beer Line Cleaner.  I'll make up
a batch in a utility bucket using really hot water and
soak the chiller for just a few minutes - the dirt
just flakes off.  A minor amount of elbow grease to
wipe off whatever doesn't fall off on its own, and its
clean as a whistle.

I've never let the chiller sit in the BLC for longer
than it takes to loosen up the dirt, so you might want
to keep an eye on it if you let it sit longer (I don't
know whether or not BLC will oxidize copper over
time).


Hope this helps,
Paul Kensler
Gaithersburg, MD



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 09:46:50 -0400
From: "Frank J. Russo" <FJR at NFGSales.com>
Subject: re: AHA Club Only Competitions

We had the same experience with the COC for Pale Ales in May.  Still to this
date we have received no feed back.  I am very disappointed in the way it
was handled.  I agree the AHA needs to add simple guidelines as to how much
time can pass before sending out / notifying contestants of the results also
the form the results should have.  How Much or how little info to provide
back.  And if the return of results is delayed then a simple e-mail to the
contestants to let them know.


Frank J. Russo
ATF Home Brew Club
New Bern NC



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 09:13:47 -0400
From: "Eric R. Theiner" <logic at skantech.com>
Subject: Weldless Fitting for Keg Conversion

Hail Brewing Collective!

I felt a need to post this just to let some folks know about the Weldless 
Spigot for kegs from Beer, Beer, & More Beer.  Just in case you're thinking 
about buying one or might ever do it.  File it under "Product Reviews."

I purchased the False Bottom/Spigot Kit for use with a keg that had the top 
cut out.  I am moderately pleased, but let me share the whole story.

First issue-- I wasn't sure how high I needed to drill the hole in the side 
of the keg.   I eyeballed the curve in the bottom of the keg as best I 
could, compared the dip tube (the False Bottom uses a dip tube/siphon 
rather than just a straight tube) on both sides of the keg and went at 
it.  Probably I could have gotten some better advice on how to do this, but 
I needed to get the kettle ready for a brew the next day and didn't really 
have time.  Nonetheless, the placement worked out okay-- not great, but 
good enough as long as I'm not whacking on the tube while stirring.

Second Issue-- The instructions say to make the fitting tight enough to 
prevent free motion of the ball valve.  If you purchase this fitting, DO 
NOT DO THIS!  The o-ring is very flexible and will ride up over the end of 
the hex-nut at the back of the ball valve.  If that happens, the o-ring 
will probably be damaged/cracked.  I called B,B, &MB when my pot started 
leaking and discovered that the ball valve should only be finger tight 
against the keg-- at which point the ball valve will move and flex 
easily.  (This is normal, and, believe it or not, the seal will be good.)

Third Issue-- I don't trust the heat tolerance of the o-ring.  I have a 
burner that puts out a tremendous amount of heat and sounds like a jet 
engine at full throttle.  Because of this, I rigged up a heat shield from 
aluminum foil to protect the o-ring from the generated heat (much of which 
goes out to the sides anyway).  When the heat shield was in place, I had no 
problems.  But when I forgot to put the shield back on, the ring broke 
while on a lower capacity burner with better focus of the heat.  Maybe it 
was accumulated stress, but I really didn't care why when the o-ring went 
considering that I had 10 gallons of wort in the pot.

Overall, though, it was easy to install (about 15 - 30 minutes of simple 
work), and it fills a need for someone who needs a quick keg conversion 
and/or doesn't have access to method of welding a nipple on to a keg.  I 
might do it again, but if I've got a few weeks to spare, I'll probably go 
the welding route-- and it won't be any more expensive.

Rick Theiner




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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 09:52:49 -0400
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam at unc.edu>
Subject: bubbles, bubbles, FWH troubles

Steve Thomas has clearly spent many recent evenings staring
into a glass of effervescent beer.  Not a bad way to think
about life's mysteries, and a great way to kick off HBD 4K.

As a counterpoint to the bubbles concept is the fact that
mash hopping works.  For mash hopping, the hops are put into
the mash (duh) for the duration of mashing and are part of
the filter bed during lautering.  Simply put, the hops see
mashing temps (140-175F), never see temps near boiling, and
ideally never see bubbles (and no, I'm not opening up the
hot mash oxidation argument again).  Yet many brewers have
experienced what I have--mash hopping adds a wonderful hop
flavor and aroma to beers.

There's strong anecdotal evidence that it's the hops'
exposure to elevated, but not boiling temps, which stabilize
the aromatic hop oils such that they don't boil off as they
do during "normal" additions while the wort is boiling.  Do
I have proof?  Nope.  But neither can I think of a reason to
describe why both FWH and MH work.  This is my "Unified
Theory of Hopping" and I'm sticking to it.  :-)

Someday I will move into my new abode and brew again...

- --

Marc Sedam
Chapel Hill, NC



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 09:58:56 -0400
From: "Dennis Collins" <dcollins at drain-all.com>
Subject: Re:  Tap A Draft Questions

Tom,

Force carbonating with 8 gram cartridges is about like trying to bail the
Titanic with a dixie cup.  The numbers go like this:

A typical American Ale is carbonated to about 2.5 volumes of CO2.  This
means each liter of beer contains 2.5 liters of CO2 (if the gas were
expanded to atmospheric pressure and 0 C).  For the 6 liter bottles on the
Tap a Draft, this is a total volume of 15 liters of CO2.  The density of CO2
at standard conditions is 1.977 grams/liter, for a grand total of 29.7 grams
of CO2 to carbonate one 6 liter bottle of beer to 2.5 volumes.  This means
you going to need about 4 of those 8 gram cartridges to force carbonate just
one of those 6 liter bottles.  For a full 5 gallon batch, it takes about 12
of those cartridges.

The Tap a Draft system is only for dispensing, not carbonating.  You will
need to prime the beer that goes into those plastic bottles and let it
age/carbonate normally, then the CO2 cartridges simply maintain the
carbonation and provide dispensing pressure.

Dennis Collins
Knoxville, TN
http://sdcollins.home.mindspring.com

"In theory, theory and practice are the same, but not in practice."



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 10:01:58 -0400
From: "Dan Listermann" <dan at listermann.com>
Subject: Mini Kegging Techniques

<Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2002 07:43:19 -0700 (PDT)
<From: Bruce McCroskey <bruce at mccroskeys.net>
<Subject: Mini Kegging Techniques

<I am going to use a couple 5L mini kegs in addition to
<bottles with my next 5 gallon batch.  The mini kegs I
<bought are the "self tapping" kind with a built in
<"pull and turn" valve near the bottom.  I also bought
<a "Phil's Gasser" for dispensing using CO2.  As this
<will be the first time I've used mini kegs, I have a
<couple of questions.

<How full I should fill them?  As with bottles, I'm
<sure they should not be filled to the brim, but how
<much space should I leave?

As with bottles, I leave about an inch.  Note!  Do not use as much priming
sugar as for bottles.  I have found that it is best to use 1.5 TBS of corn
sugar added directly into the keg after filling.  The usual priming sugar
levels for bottling will over pressure the minikegs and damage them unless a
bung with a relief valve is used ( See "Phil's Relieph Bung" at
www.listermann.com)


<Are there any mini kegging techniques or pitfalls I
<should be aware of?

Only add CO2  AFTER  the flow stops, especially at first tapping.  Then be
very careful about adding too much or the tap will gush.

Dan Listermann

Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com






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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 08:34:47 -0700
From: "Brian Schar" <schar at cardica.com>
Subject: White Labs Hefeweizen IV yeast

Has anyone else ended up with a really phenolic weizen with this yeast?  I
made a 10 gallon batch and split it up between two fermenters, using White
Labs Hefeweizen IV in one fermenter and White Labs standard Hefeweizen yeast
in the other.  The beer with the standard Hefeweizen yeast tastes just fine,
like a weizen should.  The beer with the Hefeweizen IV has a definite
bleachy note, which is not in the style profile.  Since the only variable
here was the type of yeast, I am wondering if the Hefeweizen IV doesn't
produce "extra" phenols over and above what's expected in a weizen.

Brian Schar
Menlo Park, CA



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 12:33:40 EDT
From: Svlnroozls at aol.com
Subject: Re: How can I tell if my nose is working?

Interesting you should mention computerized olfaction...
http://www.micro.caltech.edu/micro/research/electronic_nose.html
http://mishkin.jpl.nasa.gov/enose.html

C.T. Davis
Pornopolis, CA (aka San Fernando Valley)

In a message dated 7/28/02 9:13:17 PM, Pete Calinski's infinite number of 
monkeys at typwriters came up with:

<< Bill Macher in Pgh, PA asks.

"How can I tell if my nose is working?"

Stand by, I am developing a Smell Board for PC and Mac.  Should be available
soon.  It works with the Sound Board and Video Board to stimulate three
senses at once.

Tongue now removed from cheek.

Actually, this post was to stimulate your sense of humor.

Don't hold your breath for the Smell Board.


Pete Calinski
East Amherst NY
Near Buffalo NY >>


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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 09:36:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: LJ Vitt <lvitt4 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Scotmalt


Several members of my club have used Scotmalt, Pauls and Hough Bard
pale ale malts.  They don't notice a difference.  
I have a bag of Scotmalt I haven't opened yet, and expect to use it 
in the same way.

Before I saw Jeff Renner's note, I thought HB stood for Hough Bard.
Now, I'm interpreting it to be homebrew shop.


=====
Leo Vitt
Rochester MN



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 12:39:43 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: How can I tell if my nose is working?

Just getting around to Bill Macher's question "How can I tell if my 
nose is working?"

It's often a matter of education and training.  Until June, I was 
never able to identify low levels of the papery smell of oxidized 
beer.  Then, at the NHC in June, I smelled "doctored" beer that made 
it clear.

The AHA Membership Liaison program is co-sponsored by FlavorActiV 
http://www.flavoractiv.com/, a British company that produces 
"doctoring" capsules for the brewing industry.  They have produced a 
kit of eight flavors/smells for amateur brewers that the AHA sells at 
http://beertown.org/flavor.htm.

One of the company's founders, Simon Hadman, a former master brewer 
in the British brewing industry, and another former brewer from 
Montreal, now living in Kentucky, whose name I've forgotten, gave a 
demonstration to Liaison members at the NHC in June.  The capsules 
contain a pinch of powder which is dropped into a neutral beer (Busch 
Lite is what they used).  The powder has water soluble ring-shaped 
molecules inside which are trapped the actual molecules that are the 
same as the flavors of stale, oxidized beer, diacetyl, etc.  In a 
measured amount of beer, the rings open and release a precise 
concentration of the molecule.  Pretty clever.

These kits are not inexpensive (but much less than the bigger kits 
for the brewing industry), so are probably a good investment for a 
club.  They have a suggested tasting/training program for using the 
kits with a handful of people.

This is from the AHA web site:

>Association of Brewers
>Educational Program
>
>Sensory Educational Program for the Homebrewing Community
>
>The Association of Brewers and FlavorActiV have launched a sensory 
>educational program directed at the homebrewing market.
>
>GOAL
>The goal of this program is to educate homebrewers to identify beer 
>characteristics and repair faults in their homebrewed batches 
>through the evaluation of aroma and flavor. The program is centered 
>around FlavorActiV's sensory education kit called The Enthusiast.
>
>The Enthusiast is a beer-taste troubleshooting kit, designed 
>specifically for craft brewers and homebrew clubs. It contains 
>examples of eight different flavor situations commonly encountered 
>in beer brewing.
>
>The Enthusiast will be demonstrated and sold through the Association 
>of Brewers and the AHA Liaisons at an introductory rate of $149.95 
>for AHA members. The non-member price is $199.95.

Hope this helps your nose, Bill.
- -- 
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: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 10:54:45 -0600
From: "Gary Glass" <gary at aob.org>
Subject: AHA Mead Day

Just anther reminder that the AHA's 1st Annual Mead Day is coming up this
Saturday August 3, 2002.

Join us in celebrating one of the world's oldest fermented beverages, Mead
(honey wine). Situated midway between the AHA's Big Brew and Teach A Friend
To Homebrew Day events, Mead Day is a chance for homebrewers and meadmakers
to gather on a summer Saturday to share camaraderie and to make the
'Beverage of Kings.'

The official Mead Day recipe, 'Twin Peaks Titillation,' a dry, sparkling
raspberry ginger mead, was provided by Dick Dunn, the moderator of the Mead
Lovers Digest (www.talisman.com/mead). Feel free to modify this recipe or
use your own if you prefer.

Please register your site at www.beertown.org/AHA/MeadDay/index.htm. After
Mead Day come back to this site and fill out the remittance form. This will
help us track the progress of the event and help us to better promote it in
the future.

We'll be making a couple of batches of mead at my house in beautiful
Sunshine, CO.  Hopefully I can recruit some help to bottle the prickly pear
and roasted pepper meads we made back in November on Teach A Friend To
Homebrew Day!

Cheers!

Gary Glass, Project Coordinator
Association of Brewers
888-U-CAN-BREW
(303) 447-0816 x 121
gary at aob.org
www.beertown.org

Boulder, CO
[126.8, 262] Rennerian

Only two days left to celebrate American Beer Month!

The Great American Beer Festival Turns 21 this Year! Mark your calendars,
October 3-5, 2002 at the Denver Convention Center, www.beertown.org/GABF/




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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 13:44:09 -0500
From: "d.mchenry" <d.mchenry at mail.ev1.net>
Subject:  Diets & Dying

Diets & Dying

Here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to 
know the truth after all those conflicting medical studies. 
 
The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks 
than the British or Americans. 

The French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks 
than the British or Americans.
 
 The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart 
attacks than the British or Americans. 
 
 The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer 
fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats 
and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

CONCLUSION:
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what 
kills you.


Mac
Houston, TX USA
Speaking "Texican" and drinking beer 



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 16:22:00 -0400
From: Bryan Gros<bryangros at mindspring.com>
Subject: smoked malt

Interested in smoking my own malt.

I plan to spread a couple pounds of malt on a screen and smoke in the webber.
Any suggestions as to how long to smoke?

Do I prepare the malt (probably munich) in any way?

Do I just smoke, malt, and then crush and mash?

Thanks.

Bryan Gros
Oakland, CA


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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 16:56:58 -0400
From: "Dave Burley" <Dave_BURLEY at CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Bubbles, tiny bubles..., homebrewing vessels

Brewsters:

Steve Thomas gives a monologue on bubble formation/stability that really isn't
correct IMHO.

If you have ever visited an espresso bar and watched them heat milk with steam
or injected steam into any cold liquid you know that the rattatattat sound of
bubbles of steam collapsing  is due to the  fact that the liquid is too cold
to maintain a steam bubble and not surface tension.

Bubbles are they rise through a liquid should ( and do)  get larger not
smaller as the pressure head decreases. The pressure across a bubble/water
interface is the atmospheric pressure plus pressure head of the water. The
pressure in the stable bubble has to equal this pressure.

In the case of steam bubbles rising into cold water, the steam just condenses
back into water, collapses the bubble and the rapid collapse with concomitant
slamming together of the water provides the cracking "steam hammer" noise.

As far as heat being generated by this activity and causing funny temperature
reactions and FWH "reactions" I doubt it, based on thermodynamics.  If
anything, the water plus steam energy which was around the bubble is probably
cooler thna predicted fromnormal thermo calculations since the production of
sound indicates a loss of energy.

I'm not suggesting anything, but to be fair and balanced ( been watching too
much FOXNews, I guess) , some complex molecular reactions and rearrangements
are influenced by sound energy. Work has been done with ultrasound cleaner
machines and influencing some molecular rearrangements.  If I recall
correctly, typically these reactions have a delta G of around 5 to 7 Kcals,
which is a much lower activation energy than what I suspect isomerization of
hop acids has.

I suspect any FWH effect has to do with the extended contact time the hop
resins have with hot water to wet out the leaves and resins on them and  and
isomerization is given a longer chance to occur, improving the extraction
efficiency and affecting the ratio anf types of isomerized hop resis.  Also,
there may be a selective precipitation of some of the acids ( which affects
the taste) when the malt proteins denature on reaching the boiling point.
- ---------------------
Mike Brennan discusses his mouth brewing vessel techniques.

You have a mouth??.....

 When I have  a party I invite everyone over three or four  ( when I'm making
a brew with an SG > 1.06) days early and we do an ear fermentation with
everyone lying down on his favorite side on the floor. We had problems with
mouth fermentation as inventory control was nearly impossible.


Keep on Brewin'

Dave Burley




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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 17:39:43 -0500
From: mas4786 <mas4786 at NebrWesleyan.edu>
Subject: FWH Mech

COncerning the lastest theory on FWH,
The presented theory I must admit had an incrediable amount of thought and was 
very creative.  I do not claim to be an expert in this area but I do have some 
knowledge of chemistry and there are some errors in this theory that I would 
like to set straight.  First and foremost the bubbels being released prior to 
the wort being at the point of boiling are most likely not water vapor and 
wort volitiles.  I would suspect that this gas that is observed is co2 being 
released by the break down of bicarbonate.  Bicarbonate is the result of the 
atmospheric co2 reacting with the water at colder temps and forming the 
bicarbonate, which consequently makes the water a bit more acidic. I do not 
think that much of any chemical reaction is going to take place in this freed 
mass of co2 molecules, recall that for the most part co2 is a fairly 
unreactive molecule which is why the foramtion of bicarbonate is so 
interesting. Secondly the reason the wort boils over is not because the lack 
of the abiltiy of the solution to form bubbles.  the wort boils over because 
the heat is so high towards the bottom that it super heats the liquid at the 
bottom causing it to boil, or change into a gas that pushes its way up and 
carries everything with it. It is an uncontrolled release of bubbles so to 
speak and not a lack bubble formation that causes the boil over. I think that 
the mystery of fwh is not that some unusal, high pressure chemical reaction 
takes place but rather due to the increased amount of time the hops sit at the 
temp of the wort during sparge and boiling an unknown chemical reaction is 
given time to produce enough products that they are noticable. The notion of 
bubble reactions is creative but parismony suggests that it is unlikely and 
that a more simple straight forward mechanism is likely, but finding this 
mech. is the real trick.

marc 



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 15:47:48 -0700
From: Richard.Schmittdiel at sce.com
Subject: Corney Keg Repair

Has anyone ever successfully glued the rubber bottom back onto a corney
keg?  If so, what kind and amount of glue or cement did you use?  Surface
preparation? Other tips or suggestions in this area?  I hate to kiss off an
otherwise perfectly good ball lock keg.

Richard Schmittdiel
also brewing in Southern California





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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 15:52:54 -0700
From: "Parker Dutro" <ezekiel128 at edwardwadsworth.com>
Subject: Opinions on this Oktoberfest Recipe--

I was given a recipe for a Marzen that sounds great, but I am unsure
whether the grains have enough enzymatic power to finish the job.  The
grain and amounts are:

Munich Malt 8L------------- 4.0 lbs.
Vienna Malt 4L------------- 2.8 lbs.
Pilsener Malt (2-row)------ 3.75 lbs.
CaraMunich 60L------------- 0.50 lbs.
Crystal 60L---------------- 1.25 lbs.
Total---------------------- 12.30 lbs.
The recipe calls for a 127 f rest for 25 minutes, then 155 f sach. For
60, and mash-out at 168.  Should this schedule work for the grain bill,
considering the Vienna and Munich and Pilsener malts are all base? Also,
I'll need to adjust the recipe to whole leaf hops, since it calls for
pellet.  I think I can do this on ProMash, but any other info would
help.  Thanks a ton to anyone who chimes in.

Parker Dutro,
Portland, OR


"Excuse me doctor, but I think I know a little something about
medicine!"
 -Homer Simpson






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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 19:26:32 -0400
From: "D. Clark" <clark at capital.net>
Subject: Harpoon IPA

Hi all,
Here's another request for a clone or at least some guidelines to brew 
Harpoon Brewery's IPA.  I had an occasion to be in Braintree Mass. over the 
weekend.  We had dinner at Jimbo's restaurant and the only draft that 
looked decent was the IPA.  What a pleasant surprise.  Not at all what I 
expected.  My ability to describe what I am drinking is pathetic at best, 
but I know what I like.  Amber color, light body but with a kick and a 
fresh spicy kind of hopiness.  (See what I mean about descriptions.)

I have been brewing mostly wheats lately.  I currently have a wit on tap 
and another in the secondary and another grist in the bag waiting for some 
free time and a cooler day to brew.  I have only attempted one IPA, which 
had over the top hop flavor from East Kent Goldings and Northern 
Brewer.  Not my favorite style, but I wouldn't pass one up.  The hops in 
this one were much different, very pleasant.  Does anyone have any ideas?  TIA.

Dave Clark
Eagle Bridge, New York



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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 16:27:56 -0700
From: "Hedglin, Nils A" <nils.a.hedglin at intel.com>
Subject: Carboy Caps for Syphon Starting

Hi,
  I recently purchased one of those carboy caps with 2 pipes in the top.
You put the racking tube through one, & blow through the other to start the
syphon.  The only 2 batches I've used this cap with are the only 2 batches
I've had come out infected.  From what I remember, this was the only change
I made to my brewing process for my batches.  A friend said that with all
the germs in the human mouth, blowing into the cap might have been what
infected it.  Has anyone else seen problems with this type of cap?
Thanks,
Nils Hedglin
Sacramento, CA


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---