---

	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  smoked beer (ensmingr)
  RE: Decoction mashing (AJ)
  Microbreweries in Alaska? ("Lou King")
  Quaternary Ammonia ("Eric R. Theiner")
  kegging for the feeble minded (Alan McKay)
  Re: Kegging help for the feeble-minded (R.A.)" <rbarrett at ford.com>
  Hefeweizen Problem ("John Misrahi")
  Koelner Wiess p.s. (Alan McKay)
  BrewTek yeasts (Randy Ricchi)
  Re:  Kegging help for the feeble-minded ("Dennis Collins")
  Re: Brewtek (Rick)
  Re: Bedford Yeast (Rick)
  another decoction opinion (David Harsh)
  Re: Bedford British Ale yeast (Jeff Renner)
  Re: what is pretzel salt? (Jeff Renner)
  New Orleans Brewpubs (Calvin Perilloux)
  Drying Hops ("John Gubbins")
  re:decoction & mashing temps ("Steve Alexander")
  Re: Microbreweries in Alaska? (Pat Babcock)
  Re: Re: Kegging help for the feeble-minded (Pat Babcock)
  decoction mashing ("Scott Basil")
  Bedford Yeast (Brad McMahon)
  Minikegs (LJ Vitt)
  Freezing fresh hops (RiedelD)
  Smoked porter/home-smoked malt (Richard Reams)
  Re: Albuquerque ("Karl Erich Martell")
  Pils showing signs of age(?) in the aroma (RiedelD)
  Re: New Orleans brewpubs ("gbienert")
  Colorado Brewpubs ("Leonard, Phil")
  smoked malt (Bryan Gros)


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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 01:31:50 -0400
From: ensmingr at twcny.rr.com
Subject: smoked beer

Hi Lori,

I LOVE smoked beer and have made many smoked porters over the
years. Weyermann's smoked malt is nice, but I smoke my own if I
have time. I have always used the 'Little Chief' smoker. For me,
the more smoke the better. Try 'Rogue Smoke' for an extreme
example.

To answer your specific questions:
*I prefer hickory chips. Apple is much more mild. 'Little Chief'
chips purchased from Cabella.
*I containerize the malt by using several metal
collanders/strainers stacked on the racks.
*I smoke the malt for 6-8 hours, requiring 3-4 changes of chips.
*I generally use the malt within a week or so of smoking.
*For a 'lightly smoked porter' try ~2 lbs of malt for several
hours.

Cheerio!
Peter A. Ensminger
Syracuse, NY
Homebrewer, http://hbd.org/ensmingr




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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:47:37 +0000
From: AJ <ajdel at mindspring.com>
Subject: RE: Decoction mashing

See http://www.brewery.org/brewery/library/DecoctProCon.html



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:05:06 -0400
From: "Lou King" <lking at pobox.com>
Subject: Microbreweries in Alaska?

I'll be going to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan in Alaska.  Does anyone
know any microbreweries in those cities, or good brewpubs?

Thanks

Lou King
Ijamsville, MD



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Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 16:34:57 -0400
From: "Eric R. Theiner" <rickdude02 at earthlink.net>
Subject: Quaternary Ammonia

Gene asks about using quats in beer making.  Don't.

The problem is not sanitation, but the residue from the presence of 200 ppm 
cationic surfactant (in other words, your sanitizing solution).  It will 
kill your beer's head far faster than the rinse aid used in dishwashers.

Rick Theiner




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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:43:59 -0400
From: Alan McKay <amckay at neap.net>
Subject: kegging for the feeble minded

Michael says :
"which allows me to see that I am cramming 
 it down on the "Gas-IN" side.  Oops."

Ah, the beauty of pin-lock kegs!
;-)

cheers,
 -alan


- -- 
http://www.bodensatz.com/
The Beer Site (tm)


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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:46:17 -0400
From: "Barrett, Bob (R.A.)" <rbarrett at ford.com>
Subject: Re: Kegging help for the feeble-minded

Mike O'Donnell writes:
So I'm cleaning a batch of kegs tonight......
I notice that the new o-rings seem to make the connection a bit stiff, 
so I lean on it.  This gets my eyes closer to the keg, which allows me 
to see that I am cramming it down on the "Gas-IN" side.  Oops.
It took me three trips to the garage (for gloves, a really big screwdriver 
and more beer) plus a trip to the dictionary (for new curses to hurl at the 
beast) before I got them separated.  Is there a more elegant way to do 
this?

Yes there is...............Pin Lock Kegs!!!!  Pin Locks Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We Make the Beer We Drink!!!!!
Bob Barrett
Ann Arbor, MI
(2.8,103.6 Rennerian) 



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:53:16 -0700
From: "John Misrahi" <lmoukhin at sprint.ca>
Subject: Hefeweizen Problem

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me how a hefeweizen could have zero head or head retention?
I mean absolutely zero! Nothing! It just makes a teensy bit of foam which
fizzles away before the glass is poured. (yes the glasses are kept clean and
no soap residue).

Otherwise tastes great, looks good, smells good.

5 gal batch

2kg 2-row
2kg wheat malt (all we had)
500 g red wheat
1 oz tettnanger pellets (60min)
wyeast 3068 weihenstephan (sp?)

single decoction, i can post the steps we followed if it will help

bottled with 1 cup priming sugar for extra fizz (may have been a bit too
muc, reallyreally carbonated).

i always have had success in adding wheat to beers to boost head retention
qualities. What gives?

John
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. -Mike Brennan
on the HBD

"Ah, Billy Beer... we elected the wrong Carter." -Homer Simpson




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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:51:32 -0400
From: Alan McKay <amckay at neap.net>
Subject: Koelner Wiess p.s.


Whoops, I said :

"The only other place in town that still serves a Wiess
 (pr: "VEECE" like "FLEECE", note it's "ie" not "ei")
 is Hellers, which is definitely a jaunt from the train
 station"

But that is not what I meant.  You can get the Kueppers
Koelner Wiess at many places which serve Kueppers Koelsch.
What I meant to say is that Hellers is the only other
brewery brewing a Wiess these days.  Well, technically they
all brew them but then filter them and turn them into
a Koelsch.  But I think you get my point.

Outside of the city you can also get this elixir under
the name "Boennsch" (in Bonn) as well as simply "Helles"
most anywhere else in the area.  In fact, I personally
am of the opinion that Koelsch is a sub-style of what 
I call a Rheinland Helles (and Alt is a sub-style of 
Rheinland Dunkles).  Neither of which is of course to
be mistaken for the Munich beers of the same name.

cheers,
 -Alan


- -- 
http://www.bodensatz.com/
The Beer Site (tm)


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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:58:47 -0400
From: Randy Ricchi <randyr at up.net>
Subject: BrewTek yeasts

I've used the Brewtek 920 many times, as well as Wyeast 3068 and
Whitelabs 300.
The 920, I think, gives the best tasting weizen of the three when fresh,
but after about 2 months the flavor deteriorates. I suggest storing all
the bottles in the refrigerator to prolong the quality of the beer
(after a week or so to develop good carbonation, of course).

The 920 is a very clovey yeast, and I have found that pitching warm
(75F) and fermenting warm (low 70's) gives a beautiful complex balance
of clove, banana, and vanilla.

I'm starting to drool here. Maybe it's time for a brewtek order.



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:28:59 -0400
From: "Dennis Collins" <dcollins at drain-all.com>
Subject: Re:  Kegging help for the feeble-minded

Mike laments the big oopsie that nearly all of us have done:  accidentally
cramming a ball lock fitting to the wrong port on the keg.  Yes, they are
tenacious to take apart (under statement), and yes, it is easy to get them
confused, but look how much smarter you are from this little episode.

If you're looking for elegant solutions so this never happens again, you
could always go to pin lock kegs, but I think that's like throwing the baby
out with the wash water.  There are several things to try:

1)  Use Keg Lube liberally and often.  The fittings slide on and off very
easily with a little lubrication, so if you ever find yourself "leaning" on
the fitting to make it go on, you know you've got the wrong fitting and you
can stop before the damage is done.

2) The gas port on the keg can be identified by a notch around the perimeter
of the hex or star used to tighten it down.  Take a close look  before
installing.

3)  Color code the ports on your keg with some fingernail polish or
something you can paint around the base of the port to make it visually
clear which one is which.

But by far the best thing you can do is what you have already done, that is,
actually make the boo-boo.  Now, subconsciously, you will be a lot more
careful and I doubt this is a mistake you will make again even if you make
no changes at all.

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: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 05:34:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rick <ale_brewer at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Brewtek

Reuben,

I've used CL920 with very good results. I recently
split a batch with Wyeast 3868.  The CL920 beer scored
much higher in all tastings.  It gives very good
phenolics as well as banana & clove, but it's better
at the phenolics.  I fermented at 72degF to try to get
more banana/clove and it still came up short.

My biggest problem with CL920 is that flocculates too
well.  After lagering, I found that the sediment was
flaky, not dusty, and it compacted too good.  It took
quite a bit of agitation to get it loose. Even then it
consisted of flakes floating rather than typical
weizen cloudiness.

I still like it better than the Wyeast products, but
I'm still searching for a better Weizen yeast.  Next
attempt will use Yeast Culture Kit Weizen as I used
that many years ago with success.

Rick Seibt
Mentor, OH



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 05:36:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rick <ale_brewer at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Bedford Yeast

Scott,

My educated guess is that this is the yeast used in
Charles Wells' ales, such as Bombardier & Eagle.  They
are located in Bedford, and while they might not be
the only brewery there, they are by far the biggest.
http://www.charleswells.co.uk/

I had Wells' ales in London and thought they were OK,
but I did have them at a restaurant which really
wasn't caring for their ales very well.

Rick Seibt
Mentor, OH




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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:01:28 -0400
From: David Harsh <dharsh at fuse.net>
Subject: another decoction opinion

Bob Pelletier <rp at ihrsa.org> opens the can of worms:
> What benefits does a decoction mash  have over an infusion? Would it be
> beneficial to all styles?  How much more complicated is it to do?

Well, Bob, this is (and has been) the subject of much debate.  I firmly
believe that decoction is worth your while in a few specific cases. 
I'll let
others make the "no don't bother argument".

Let's start with question 3 where there is no debate - decoction makes 
your brew day much longer because it makes your mash much longer. 
Moving parts of the mash from point A to point B isn't what I'd call
complicated, but it is much more labor intensive.  If it takes you 90
minutes to mash now, how does 4-6 hours sound in your brew day?  That's
why I don't do it very often!

Question 2:  I personally see benefits in certain styles where the malt
profile desired is difficult to obtain by simple infusion.  If I make a
Bock, I decoct and I like the result.  I never decoct for american,
english, or belgian styles.  I consider decocting (but usually don't)
for alts, pilsners and many other classic german styles.  

Question 1:  For the same grain bill, there is a clear difference in
flavor from an infusion vs. a decoction mash.  People have claimed that
is no effect on flavor and I have to question how many decoction mashes
they've actually performed.  

Many claim that you can obtain a "decoction" flavor profile with the use
of some melanoidin malt or a high percentage of Munich.  I can tell you from
experience that Munich alone won't do it - until someone proves it to me
and provides some specifics on the use of melanoidin malt I'm going to
stick with what works for me.  I'm not saying it isn't possible - just
that many people have made the argument that I could do it if I wanted
to experiment and try a few variations.  

Older brewing books often talk about decoction as if you HAVE to do it
to make a good beer.  Noonan is a good example here, as is Warner's
Wheat Beer book in the classic style series.  It certainly isn't
necessary and you may not prefer the result of a decoction mash. 
Whether or not you should spend your time doing a decoction is your
decision.  

If you are a beginning all grain brewer, I'd forget about decoction
until your infusion mash method is working well and is reproducible. 
THEN you can start complicating your life.

Dave Harsh				Bloatarian Brewing League
Cincinnati, OH


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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:07:11 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Bedford British Ale yeast

Scott Bridges <ScottBridges at sc.slr.com> writes:

>I picked up a new strain of White Labs yeast yesterday at our local hb
>store.  It's called Bedford British ale yeast. ....  Does anyone 
>know what the pedigree is for this yeast?  Any tips on particular 
>beers to make with this?  The chart on the wall at the hb store said 
>that it is good for all British style ales, naturally....

Bedford is ~40 miles north of London and is home to regional brewery 
Charles Wells http://www.charleswells.co.uk/, so it's a good bet that 
they're the source.  Some other links 
http://www.pub-explorer.com/realale/charleswellsbrewery.htm
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/review/664/

Bombardier Best Bitter is probably their best known beer.  How about 
brewing something like it?  The Real Ale Almanac list this for it:

OG 1.042, ABV 4.2%

Ingredients: Pale malt (almost 100%), crystal malt.  Challenger and 
Goldings hop pellets.  34 units of bitterness.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Earthy hop resin aroma
Palate: Ripe malt in mouth with good hop balance, dry finish with 
blackcurrant fruit notes
Comments: Deep copper-coloured, finely balanced ale.

My guess is that if they use only a little crystal malt and mostly 
pale malt, that they may use some caramel for color.  There isn't a 
recipe  for it in "Brew Your Own British Real Ale at Home."

Hope this helps.  Sounds like a nice chance to try a new yeast.

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: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:11:04 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <JeffRenner at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: what is pretzel salt?

I wrote about pretzel salt:

>It is a coarse, pelletized salt for topping pretzels, salt bagels and
>a few other things.  There is a picture of it at kingarthur.com, but
>look at any pretzel, at least here in the US.  Surely Ontario can't
>be much different.

I took a closer look at it and it is not so much pellets (although I 
think some pretzel slat may be), but really more of an irregular tiny 
angular chunky shape.  Sort of like broken rice.  I took a close-up 
shot and sent it to Alan.  I can send it to anyone else who wants. 
The photo, that is.  For the salt, you're on your own.

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: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 06:37:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: Calvin Perilloux <calvinperilloux at yahoo.com>
Subject: New Orleans Brewpubs

>> I don't know if Acadian Brewery is still open - any locals know?

Word from the folks back home is that Acadian has closed
some months ago.  Their website is 404'ing, and news also
from http://www.homestead.com/beersouth/Guide2LA.html
confirms they are closed, unfortunately.

>> Murphy's Brew House (across the lake in Gretna)

Across the RIVER in Gretna, perhaps?

Mississippi brewpub note:  If you decided to take a trek to 
Biloxi to try the brewpub in Beau Rivage Casino, note that 
on weekdays it is NOT open at lunchtime; it opens at 5 PM.  
We found out the hard way, thinking we'd stop in for lunch 
and a brew.  Doh!  I don't know why it's closed at midday,
but they can't expect me to have any desire to gamble if 
I'm sober, can they?  I need to lose some math skills first.
So we left, deciding that hanging out in a casino for 4 hours 
till the brewpub opened would probably mean a very costly pint 
indeed.  Anyone tried their beer?

Calvin Perilloux
Middletown, Maryland, USA




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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:07:46 -0600
From: "John Gubbins" <n0vse at idcomm.com>
Subject: Drying Hops

To dry hops, do not put them in the oven.  This is my technique and it
works.  I have a detached garage with a breezeway between it and the house.
I spread the hops out on an old window screen and set the screen on a
wheelbarrow.  I put this under the breezeway so air circulates around the
hops but there is no direct sun.  I get about a half bushel of hops on one
screen.  I let them sit there for about 3 days and then put the dried cones
in ziplock bags.  I put 1/2 ounce per bag.  I then suck the air out of the
bag (yummy!) and continue loading bags until done.  I put these bags in a
gallon sized bag and suck the air out of it.  Then I put the bags in the
freezer.

My hops are Cascade and this year I'll get probably 2-3 bushels.  That is a
lot of hops!  I've never used them for bittering since I have no idea what
the alphas are but they are great for finishing.

John Gubbins
Littleton, Co



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:23:20 -0400
From: "Steve Alexander" <steve-alexander at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: re:decoction & mashing temps

Bob Pelletier asks about decoction mashing.....

Greg Noonan's lager books are an excellent source of info on the
mechanics of the decoction process - highly recommended.
Decoction is more tedious than complex - it takes extra time and
makes extra mess.  There is little extra investment in equipment.

Gene Collins pointed to the only undisputed advantage - extra efficiency.
His reasoning is a bit off - the efficiency comes from complete
starch gelatinization when you boil the grist and not enzymatic
access.

As for flavor advantage - I suggest anyone interested test a recipe
with infusion vs decoction side-by-side before making pronouncements.
My personal experience is that it makes a small  and unreliable
difference, not worth all the effort IMO.   A couple informal studies
have shown the decocted beers are not distinguishable in blind tasting.
Pils, marzens, bocks would be the styles to try.   It's very easy for
someone who has invested an extra 2 to 8  hours in a tedious
decoction to value the result more than is deserved.  Blind taste the
results and have some friends do so too.   I'm not saying it makes no
difference but newbies think decoction will convert their good lagers
into grand ones - ain't gonna happen.   Choosing  different malts or
yeasts will make more difference IMO.  A small bit of vienna, munich,
melanoidin malt and a pinch of crystal can often replace the decoction
effect.

Devotees of decoction often report that decoction flavors are more
prominent with less well modified continental malts (tho' whenever I look
for numerical data these malts are remarkably well modified).  Still a
Weyermann/Durst/Weissheimer pils or munich malt would be the thing
to test.   Also, perhaps especially, St.Pat's Czech import malts.

- --
Erik asks about mashing temps

>After reading a bunch of info on multi-step mashes I am alittle curious.
>Will these make better beers then doing single infusion mashes?  I believe
I
>can swing this with my system but would it be worth it?  The great George
>Fix, had recommended a schedule  of 104F - 140F - 158F.  Does anyone use
>this?

I've used Fix's [40C/50C]-60C-70C schedule and a lot of variations, tho'
I've drifted away from this in recent years.   The 'Fix schedule' appears in
other brewing sources - tho' George clearly popularized his adaptation of
this
common commercial mash schema in HB circles.

G.Fix suggested that the low mash-in temp at 40C/50C gave the advantage
of getting some of the starch in solution prior to hitting the 1st
saccharification
rest (60C/140F) - thus giving a faster conversion.  This is true but there
are
a couple gotcha's here.   There is IMO little advantage in reducing the
iodine
conversion time from 25 minutes to 15 minutes, much of the starch will not
be accessible till gelatinization temps are reached or after extended time
at
60C anyway.   Also there is a great danger of losing head and body proteins
if one spends any amount of time in the neighborhood of 55C.  Fix never
mentions this but in his books his mash temp drawing make it clear that he
boosts temp to 60C with a hot water infusion (the steptime is almost
instantaneous) and  not by heating thru this danger zone.

The 60C rest permits a limited amount of proteolysis plus saccharification,
but one should be willing to diddle this temp point from 58C to 62C so
as to allow more proteolysis or less - depending on your experience with
specific malts&haze.     The 70C/158F rest is the first rest above the
gelatinization temp of malt so this rest and the rate at which it is
achieved
determine to a great extent the amount of dextrins in the beer.  70C is low
if you want any significant amount of dextrins, but it's high if you want a
high attenuation.  72C (which overlaps the foam rest) might be a better
compromise.  Very dextrinous beers deserve a higher rest temperature
than 72C and highly fermentable worts need a rest well below 70C but
at or above the gelatinization temperature.

One reason that I like the Fix schedule (or at least a 58-62C/72C variant)
is that it allows one to control the degree of fermentability of the wort by
controlling the time rather than the temperature.   More time at 60C results
in more fermentability and the temperatures can be off a few degrees w/o
much impact.   This is different than infusion where several degrees error
can change the fermentability considerably.

If you are looking to make a 'bone dry' highly fermentable ale or a highly
dextrinous bock you should probably skip the Fix schedule.   For middle
of the road fermentability tho' it's a nice schedule.

This brings up one other point - whether decoction, step or single infusion
you should design the mash schedule to the malt and absolutely not use
ancient mash schedules with modern malts.    Continental lager malt today
have characteristics closer to  English PA malt than to traditional lager
malt
of the pre-WW2 era.    No widely distributed lager malt needs more that
pinch of proteolysis to reduce haze and none require decoction to achieve
good extraction rates.  The long protein rests found in the double and
triple
decoction schedules are quite effective at producing low-body, insipid
beers by destroying too much protein w/ modern malts.

 -S





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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:24:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pat Babcock <pbabcock at hbd.org>
Subject: Re: Microbreweries in Alaska?

On Thu, 19 Sep 2002, "Lou King" <lking at pobox.com> wrote:

> I'll be going to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan in Alaska.  Does anyone
> know any microbreweries in those cities, or good brewpubs?

I have a tee-shirt my inlaws brought back from a trip to
Alaska. It's currently in the wash, but if my memory serves, it
was from the Alaskan Brewing Company in Skagway. There is a
contingent of Alaskan brewers lurking here. Perhaps they will
pipe up with suggestions! Clifton?

- -- 
 -
God bless America!

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
[18, 92.1] Rennerian
"I don't want a pickle. I just wanna ride on my motorsickle"
                                   - Arlo Guthrie





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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:28:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pat Babcock <pbabcock at hbd.org>
Subject: Re: Re: Kegging help for the feeble-minded


Mike O'Donnell writes:

> So I'm cleaning a batch of kegs tonight......
> I notice that the new o-rings seem to make the connection a bit stiff, 
> so I lean on it.  This gets my eyes closer to the keg, which allows me 
> to see that I am cramming it down on the "Gas-IN" side.  Oops.
> It took me three trips to the garage (for gloves, a really big screwdriver 
> and more beer) plus a trip to the dictionary (for new curses to hurl at the 
> beast) before I got them separated.  Is there a more elegant way to do 
> this?
 
The base of the gas fitting of a ball-lock cornie has slots cut
into it at the corners of the "nut" to indicate that it is the
gas rather than the beverage line. The "elegant" way to handle
the ball-locks (ballocks?) is to know this, notice this, then
act accordingly :^)

Though the pin-lock contingent is happily chiming in with their
suggestions to change to their somewhat more, um, "quaint"
method of connection :^) remember only this to justify your
ball-lock existence: all the really cool toys are ball-lock...
 

And don't feel too bad. There likely isn't one of us ball-lock
keg guys who haven't done that once or twice, sometimes with
expensive hardware hanging off the other end (Hey, Jim?) - and
those who say theu haven't are probably lying :^)

- -- 
 -
God bless America!

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
[18, 92.1] Rennerian
"I don't want a pickle. I just wanna ride on my motorsickle"
                                   - Arlo Guthrie




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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:58:16 -0500
From: "Scott Basil" <sbasil at glasgow-ky.com>
Subject: decoction mashing

I guess it's that time of year, when this debate begins.  The best way to
decide if decoction mashing will work for you and if it is worth the effort is
to do it and see.  It will, at the very least, add to your knowledge of
brewing and give you new respect for the amount of work some brewers go
through.  I personally don't do it much anymore.  But some will swear by it.

Just be prepared to spend a day sweating, stirring, checking temperatures, and
cursing.  Then you'll spend the night cleaning.

It is theorized that decoction will help with some styles of beer, but it is
not necessary for most styles.  It can add a caramel flavor and may add more
undesirable flavors if not done correctly.




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Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 00:45:24 +0930
From: Brad McMahon <brad at sa.apana.org.au>
Subject: Bedford Yeast

The brewery in Bedford is Charles Wells Ltd.,
best known for Bombardier.

Maybe it came from there?? ;-)

I managed to find the yeast info on White Labs
website quite easily...

Ferments dry and flocculates very well. Produces a distinctive ester profile.
Good choice for most English style ales including bitter, 
pale ale, porter, and brown ale. 
Attenuation: 72-80; Flocculation: High; 
Optimum Ferm. Temp: 65-70

Cheers,

Brad McMahon
Aldgate, South Australia



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:39:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: LJ Vitt <lvitt4 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Minikegs


In HBD#4045, Timothy asked about using minikegs.

I have used some a few times.  They do work.
However, I have complaints with the tap systems.

I have a CO2 cartridge tap called Beer King - the plastic
version.  It does not control the CO2 flow well and leaks
gas.  You can easily get overcarbonated beer.

I also have a hand pump Fass Frish.  I like it more.  It does
let air in, so you need to use it for parties to have the 
whole keg consumed or for a cheap imitation of real ale.

There is a CO2 system by Listerman's.  I have not tried it.
The photos look reasonable.  However, I have yet to see 
anyone give comments about it other than the manufacturer.

I have moved to the more common CO2 tank, regulator, and 
cornie kegs.  It allows force carbonation, is reliable
but doesn't fit into a frig without taking out the shelves.



=====
Leo Vitt
Rochester MN



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 12:20:57 -0400
From: RiedelD at pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Subject: Freezing fresh hops

Bruce asks:

"Also, has anyone frozen and later used fresh hops 
without drying them?"

I've harvested a decent quantity of hops over the last
two seasons.  The two-year-old crop is still in pretty
good condition (dried, then kept frozen in a glass jar).
The one-year-old crop, stored identically, went brown
nearly immediately.  It has been theorized by one of
my friends that perhaps the hops were not thoroughly
dry when I froze them.

This of course does not definitively tell you if you can
freeze fresh hops, but I thought you might want to hear
about it.

Anyone have any input on this theory?

Dave Riedel
Victoria, BC, Can.



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 11:22:38 -0500
From: Richard Reams <rreams at pressenter.com>
Subject: Smoked porter/home-smoked malt

I am a novice making my own beer, but learning. However I am a
commercial sausage maker, and make many smoked meats. I can tell you
apple wood will give you an excellent flavor to your malt.
It wont be as harsh and bitter as you would get with hickory. Apple may
be a bit harder to find, and a bit more expensive, but definitely worth
it.
A note on your home smoker. Be sure to clean all the tar and creosote
from it if you have been smoking fish in it. Fish seem to leave a
residue behind in the house that is easily picked up by other products
being smoked. I would hate to taste a fishy smoked beer.
Moisten your apple chips/sawdust prior to smoking. You will get much
more "apple" flavor from it, and it will smolder longer. Using a flat
pan to smoke your malt in is a good idea. Smoking time will depend on
the depth of malt in your pans. I have never smoked malt, but I would
imagine 4 hours or so would give you a nice smoke flavor to it.

Rick Reams
Hudson, Wi



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:27:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Karl Erich Martell" <karlerichmartell at justice.com>
Subject: Re: Albuquerque

Hi Nathan,

I live in Albuquerque by the mountain, right next to
the National Forest (alas, no idea of the Rennerian
coordinates) - what a life!

What sort of brew haunts are you after? Long bars or
microbreweries or home brew supply shops? Not all the
microbreweries in the area have bars attached. Here's
some to get  you started:

[Note: all area codes are (505).] Cabezon Brewing
Company (421 Edmon Rd NE, 343-0223, just N of Montano
Rd) does not have a taproom attached. Kelly's Brewery
(3222 Central Ave SE, 262-2739) does. I don't know
about Milagro Brewery (1016 Hwy 550 W, Bernalillo,
867-8562), but I think they do. Turtle Mountain Brewing
Company (3755 Southern Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, 994-9497)
does. Il Vicino is a long-time yuppie pizza place cum
brewery - it has several locations around the country
but started in Albuquerque (3403 Central Ave NE,
266-7855 &amp; 11225 Montgomery Blvd NE, 271-0882) and I
believe brews there at an industrial park. Assets
Brewing Company (6910 Montgomery Blvd NE, 889-6400) has
a bar and serves food. Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery over
on the I-25 frontage road (4931 Pan American Freeway
NE, 830-1800) just south of Jefferson is a Santa
Fe-based chain (they brew at all their locations, and
exchange kegs of specials) with decent chow on its
newly improved menu. 

Try to pick up some beer made with the local green
chile in a local store. New Mexico Brewing Company's
Pancho Verde Cerveza is pretty good - lots of smoky
taste from the roasted chile skins, and a decent amount
of picante bite. Check chowhound.com for places to eat.

Feel free to email me directly if you have any Qs or
want to get together for a brew.
cheers, erich martell



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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 12:29:53 -0400
From: RiedelD at pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Subject: Pils showing signs of age(?) in the aroma

I made a Czech Pils in the early spring: brewed Apr 19th, lagered for ~6 wks
beginning ~ May 5th; served at ~40-45F since that time.  The beer has been
good throughout this period without picking up any obvious oxidation
flavours
or aromas until recently.  Over the last two-three weeks I've noticed an
increasing sulfury smell overtop of the hop aroma.

The beer was about 1.052 OG and used Sterling or Saaz (the guy I bought
them from seems to use these hops interchangeably based on quality and/or
cost at the time of purchase) for FWH, late and finish additions.

Any thoughts?
Dave Riedel
Victoria, BC, Can.


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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 12:39:41 -0500
From: "gbienert" <gbienert at cox.net>
Subject: Re: New Orleans brewpubs

The Crescent City Brewhouse on Decatur is a couple of blocks from Jackson
Square;this square is the center of a lively entertainment district (the
French Quarter) larger and more energized than Cartier Square and Old
Montreal.CAUTION should be exercised when one gets to the opposite side of
the French Quarter near Rampart Street .The CCB has fair beer, fair food and
a great location.My preference in the Quarter is the Napoleon House and try
any Abita (a fine local microbrewery) product; Dixie is another local
product some enjoy.
Take the St Charles Streetcar down to Riverbend-a beautiful ride-and visit
Cooter Brown, a pub with more than 400 beers.
http://www.cooterbrowns.com/beers.html

But the best brewpubs are Zea's Rotisserie, in the Clearview shopping
center, about 8 miles out in the suburbs; all products are well done and the
food is good and reasonably priced. Also consider Abita brewpub in Abita
Springs, 40 miles north of the city.

Hank Bienert ,CCHomebrewers




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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 15:03:34 -0500
From: "Leonard, Phil" <Phil.Leonard at dsionline.com>
Subject: Colorado Brewpubs

I am going to be attending the Saturday sessions of the GABF next month and
then spending the next week wondering around Colorado looking for more good
beer.  I plan to make it to Bolder because of all the brewpubs there.  I
would appreciate any suggestions for other Colorado brewpubs to visit.

Thanks, Philip

- --
[612, 251.4] Apparent Rennerian




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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 14:37:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bryan Gros <blgros at yahoo.com>
Subject: smoked malt

"Lori Brown" <loribrown at worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>After reading the Smoked Beers book by Ray Daniels and Geoff Larson, and the
>Alaskan Smoked Porter article in Zymurgy vol 23 no 2, I am working on an
>all-grain recipe for a smoked porter.  Several of us intend to smoke some
>pale malt to use in our group brew.  The book has some good guidelines, but
>I wanted to see what other people's experiences might be with brewing smoked
>beers and home-smoking malt rather than using Weyermann's commercial smoked
>malt.

Lori, I can't offer too much advice, as I have just smoked some malt
the first time and have yet to brew with it.

What I did was take some metal screen from the hardware store--the stuff
you buy to repair a window screen. I spread out 2 lbs of munich malt
in a brinkman style smoker. The grain was probably about 3 kernels deep.
I sprinkled some water on it, but did not soak the grains first.

I smoked for about 1.5 hours. A temp probe on top of the malt said 
the temp was around 175F. I used big chunks of apple wood on a coal
fire.

Now, 3 weeks later, opening the big ziplock where I have the malt gives 
a great smoke aroma.

Trying to decide what beer to make now. I guess the only way to figure 
out how much to use is to brew. I'm going to use all two pounds in 5 
gallons and see how it goes.

I'm not sure how to be consistent with the smoke if I do this again.
Trial and error I guess.



=====
 - Bryan

  Bryan Gros    
  Oakland CA
  bgros at aggienetwork.com



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---