HOMEBREW Digest #4322 Wed 13 August 2003


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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  brew places ("Holly Vandenberg")
  Dr. Cone, 2003 - Cell Counts ("Mike Dixon")
  RE: Yeast Stirring ("Ronald La Borde")
  Rob Moline 2003.  Dry yeast varieties ("Drew Avis")
  Cidery Flavors, Stale Extract and Sugar ("Dan Listermann")
  Re: Yeast Stirring (Jeff Renner)
  Hot (Jim Bermingham)
  Re:  Potato Beer (MOREY Dan)
  Re: Potato Beer (Jeff Renner)
  RE: yeast "Superfood" (Brian Lundeen)
  Re: Intro and wit beer question (Jeff Renner)
  RE: Two-gauge regulator progress report (Kevin Wagner)
  RE: Yeast Stirring (eIS) - Eastman" <stjones at eastman.com>
  Grand Haven Brew Pub ("Eric Fouch")
  Double the recipe? ("Mike Eyre")
  Dr. Cone, 2003 - Killer Strains (BrewInfo)
  Dr. Cone, 2003 - Autolysis (BrewInfo)
  Dr. Cone, 2003 - Yeast for very high-gravity beers (BrewInfo)
  Dr. Cone - Yeast Density (BrewInfo)
  Competition Announcement: Dayton Beerfest, Sept 13th ("Gordon Strong")
  Where is Miss Manners when you need her? ("Lee and Ant Hayes")
  Re: Potato Beer ("Doug Hurst")
  Things to see/drink in Denver? (Alex Hazlett)
  re: yeast stirring ("the Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty")
  Dr. Cone 2003 - Mead query (Ken Schramm)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The HBD Logo Store is now open! * * http://www.hbd.org/store.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * COMING TO THE HBD! * * * * * * * * * Dr. Clayton Cone Fortnight of Yeast * * 8/11/03 - 8/22/03 Yeast Questions Answered * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 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 (janitor@hbd.org)
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 11:20:31 +0000 From: "Holly Vandenberg" <hollyvandenberg at hotmail.com> Subject: brew places Greetings from Grand Haven, MI. There are a couple of decent choices. The first is the Old Boys Brewery in Spring Lake. Get off I-96 at the Spring Lake exit and take C-104 all the way west into town. Before the ramp to the drawbridge there will be a service drive on the right (near Harborfront Hosptial for Animals). This takes you right down to the brewpub on the water. Good food, too. I've noticed that the Kirby Grill right downtown in Grand Haven has recently started serving its own beers. Haven't been in there lately. I recommend trying their patio area, which serves custom wood-fired pizzas. (The rest of the restaurant tends toward avant-guarde or French Cuisine). The Kirb is on Washington at Harbor Drive. Let me know if you need directions. The hardest part will be finding parking, unless you're boating in. One note of caution. Keep in mind whenever visiting the Lovely Lakeshore that there is a Blue Law in Ottawa county that prohibits the sale of beer on Sundays. Actually, you cannot buy any alcohol in a store, and you cannot order beer or wine in a restaurant. But you can order hard liquor. I have NOT figured this one out yet. Happy Trails! Holly Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 08:34:57 -0400 From: "Mike Dixon" <mpdixon at ipass.net> Subject: Dr. Cone, 2003 - Cell Counts Dr. Cone, As others have mentioned, thank you very much for the opportunity... My question is on yeast cell counts within a starter. Assuming one began with a 1L of 1.040 starter wort, and 50 ml of yeast containing 15 billion cells that has an Apparent Attenuation of 75%: 1) What would the cell count be in the starter if allowed to go to completion? How about with a 2L starter of the same gravity? 2) What would the cell count be in the starter if continuously stirred and allowed to go to completion? How about with a 2L starter of the same gravity? Thanks once again. Cheers, Mike Dixon Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 08:47:02 -0500 From: "Ronald La Borde" <pivoron at cox.net> Subject: RE: Yeast Stirring >From: "Jennifer/Nathan Hall" <hallzoo at comcast.net > >Anyone out there utilize a laboratory magnetic stir plate to >continuously stir >their starters while stepping-up? I've heard they increase cell counts, Yes, it certainly works well. I have used stir plate to capture and grow yeast from bottled beers, and success rate is much better. When growing yeast, things happen rapidly, I add more wort each day and in a couple days have much more yeast mass. Definitely worth having one, but most are somewhat expensive. You can build one fairly easily with a small motor with a bar magnet clamped to a spinner of some kind. You could use a small brass gear as the spindle, clamp the magnet to it, and mount onto the motor shaft. Ron Ronald J. La Borde -- Metairie, LA New Orleans is the suburb of Metairie, LA www.hbd.org/rlaborde Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:43:30 -0400 From: "Drew Avis" <andrew_avis at hotmail.com> Subject: Rob Moline 2003. Dry yeast varieties Since we're on the topic of yeast... a question for Rob Moline (or maybe Dr. Cone, I'm not sure). For the past two years I've been using dry yeast for homebrewing almost exclusively - ever since Paddock Wood started carrying the DCL dry lager strains. Before that I occasionally used Danstar/Lallemand Nottingham, Windsor, London, & Manchester (the Nottingham always worked out well). Now, being a proud Canadian, I would love to buy my yeast from Lallemand, but they don't offer the same variety (multiple lager, British ale, Belgian ale, wit/hefe yeasts) as DCL. In fact, Lallemand has *reduced* the variety of dry yeast they offer to the homebrew market. So my question is: is Danstar/Lallemand planning to develop or release any new varieties of dry yeast in the near future? Drew Avis ~ Ottawa, Ontario - -- http://www.strangebrew.ca "The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face." Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:53:02 -0400 From: "Dan Listermann" <dan at listermann.com> Subject: Cidery Flavors, Stale Extract and Sugar Dr. Cone writes: <Low nutrients could play a role. Some work that I have done replacing malt <with 25, 50 and 75% glucose indicates that you can replace a higher level of <sugar and still produce a reasonably good beer when you add a rich yeast <nutrient such as Fermaid K. I too have made beers with high amounts of sugar just to push the envelope. The most I attempted was 25% Laaglander DME and 75% cane sugar. While there was not much to taste, it did not taste cidery. It did not finish as low as I would have expected for a wort with that much fermentability. I suspect that this was nutrient related. With that much nutrient free ingredient, I am not sure that adequate yeast populations were reached. If there is a next time, I will use some di ammonium phosphate and yeast energizer. Dan Listermann Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com Free shipping for orders greater than $35 and East of the Mighty Miss. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:54:14 -0400 From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net> Subject: Re: Yeast Stirring Nate Hall <hallzoo at comcast.net> asks >Anyone out there utilize a laboratory magnetic stir plate to continuously stir >their starters while stepping-up? I've heard they increase cell counts, but >I'd like to know if this is true. Thinking about getting a stir-plate setup, >is it worth the expense?? This was a thread a year or two back. It is SOP for me, along with bubbling filtered air through a coarse plastic air "stone." (No need for fine bubbles, and they foam too much). I use an aquarium pump and a syringe filter (disk). It needn't be a big expense if you score one from eBay. I got mine when my wife's lab threw an old one out that they no longer used due to new automated procedures. An interesting side not. Dan McConnell, of the late Yeast Culture Kit Co., didn't like them because he said the bar would grind up the yeast against the bottom of the flask (I use a one gallon glass jug). He used fancy big glass fermenters (5-10 gallons?) with stirrers that hung down from the neck. But I don't think it's a big problem. Most of the yeast is in suspension, and I don't see how it could get under the stir rod. Since changing to this from just boosting yeast in the jug with no stirring or aeration, I get much bigger crops of yeast. Jeff - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 21:02:28 -0500 From: Jim Bermingham <JBHAM6843 at netscape.net> Subject: Hot I will respond to the many e-mails received on Hot temperature brewing after the Dr. Cone's question and answer period. I don't want to take up too much bandwith at this time. Jim Bermingham Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:00:09 -0500 From: MOREY Dan <dan.morey at cnh.com> Subject: Re: Potato Beer Phil asks about making potato beer: >This years harvest at the farm was really high. I was thinking of making a >pre-prohibition polish potato pilsner. Howmany ppg do you think ill get for >the potato's? any suggestions on mash schedule? Fix 40-50-70-80? Potatos make a wonderful pre-pro IMO, I definitely prefer it over corn or maize. Hope you enjoy the results! Potatos are about 80% water by weight, so you can expect 5-6 pt/gal*lb. I would use at least 5 lbs for a 5 gallon batch. As for the mash schedule, I would suggest 60-70-80. A protein rest is not necessary for the potatos. When brewing with potatos, I stick with infusion or step infusion mashing. Prepare the potatos by pealing them and then slice them about 1/4 - 3/8 inch thick. Boil them with the water for your first infusion. Add the potato water and potato to the mash as you would with any infusion. As previously mentioned, potatos are about 80% water so you need to reduce the about of water in your first infusion, otherwise you will overshoot your temperature. The reduction works out to about 1.5 cups per pound of potatos or roughly a half gallon for five pounds. Have fun and hope you enjoy the finished product! Cheers, Dan Morey Club B.A.B.B.L.E. http://hbd.org/babble [213.1, 271.5] mi Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 10:00:33 -0400 From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net> Subject: Re: Potato Beer "Philip J Wilcox" <pjwilcox at cmsenergy.com> writes from Jackson, MI: >This years harvest at the farm was really high. I was thinking of making a >pre-prohibition polish potato pilsner. Howmany ppg do you think ill get for >the potato's? any suggestions on mash schedule? Fix 40-50-70-80? Check out "The Beer That Made Idaho Famous or How I Mash Potatoes" by Cary Jensen at http://brewery.org/brewery/library/Potato.html I tasted a potato beer made by Point Brewery a few years ago for a potato festival in Wisconsin. Tasted a bit potatoey and earthy. I wouldn't bother except as a project. Jeff - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:09:39 -0500 From: Brian Lundeen <BLundeen at rrc.mb.ca> Subject: RE: yeast "Superfood" Mike Zapolski asks: > 3) What are the differences between yeast nutrients, > extracts, hulls, and > energizers? Is there a product that combines these > individual items into a single overall yeast "Superfood"? I'm not Dr. Cone, nor do I play him on TV (gosh, that just gets funnier every time), but when I saw your question I couldn't resist answering. The Wine Lab has pretty much exactly what you are looking for. Go to page 18 in their pdf catalog and you will see what I mean. http://www.thewinelab.com/ Cheers Brian, in Winnipeg Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 10:33:58 -0400 From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net> Subject: Re: Intro and wit beer question John Coppens <john at jcoppens.com> writes from central Argentina: >Home beer-brewing is, as far as I can determine, almost inexistent in >Argentina, and, as a result, getting the ingredients and hardware is a >complicated. The kits mentioned above were brought over from Belgium... Welcome to HBD and to a great hobby. I started brewing in the early 70's in the US and things were tough then for a homebrewer, but not like it must be for you now. But at least there is a lot of information available now. >So - I have still a pack of malt extract, and it occured to me I could >combine this with wheat (grain) and produce some kind of wit beer. Can >anyone suggest a recipe? Is it absolutely necessary to use a special >yeast? Witbier is made with raw wheat and barley malt, but the starch in the wheat must be converted to fermentable sugars by enzymes in barley malt (the grain). Your malt extract was made from such barley malt, but the enzymes were destroyed when it was concentrated into a syrup or dried into a powder. So you will need some enzymes. While you can add some powdered enzyme (derived from aspergillus fungus), this is probably not a good idea as it will convert too much of the starch to fermentables, as well as some of the unfermentable complex sugars in your malt extract, resulting in a thin, over-attenuated beer. What is probably better is to stick with malt extract until you are ready to brew with grain malt, either in a partial mash plus extract or full mash (no extract). You could make a witbier with a barley and wheat extract plus the proper spices. Witbier yeast is desirable but certainly not essential. I suspect that you would be best off using a mail order supplier, perhaps here in the States, to get supplies. There has been at least one other homebrewer on HBD from Argentina, perhaps several, and some others from other parts of South America. One of them was in the jungle in Columbia, I think. It is a real challenge, I am sure. A good online source of information is John Palmer's book "How to Brew at http://www.howtobrew.com. Jeff - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 08:08:47 -0700 From: Kevin Wagner <kevin.wagner at watchmark.com> Subject: RE: Two-gauge regulator progress report Calvin Perilloux asks why compressed gas tanks are dangerous and should be chained or anchored... When a compressed gas tanks falls, there is a _very_ real danger in the regulator head being knocked off. This will turn your cylinder into a ballistic projectile, that is, if it does not explode outright. Something like this can kill you, even with a smaller tank. Aluminum is particularly susceptible because, relative to steel, it is quite brittle. -Kevin Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 11:27:00 -0400 From: "Jones, Steve (eIS) - Eastman" <stjones at eastman.com> Subject: RE: Yeast Stirring Nate Hall asks if using a stir plate is worth the expense. My answer to that is a resounding YES. I've been using one for over a year now, and I can grow more yeast slurry now with 1 liter of wort than I used to grow with a gallon of wort. The savings in DME over a few years should more than pay for the stir plate I picked up at labx (www.labx.com). Here's how I do it: 1. Add 4ml wort to my yeast slant 2. Grow 2 days. 3. Add this to 1 liter of wort on the stir plate and innoculate a new slant 4. In 24 hours I'll refrigerate it overnight 5. A few hours before it is time to rack my fresh wort into the fermenters I'll take out the starter and pour off the liquid. I'll run the first liter of fresh wort from my new batch into the flask and let it work for a few hours before pitching into the full 10 gallon batch. I time it so that I usually refrigerate the night before brewday. As for the newly innoculated slant, I'll let that grow at room temp for 3 or 4 days then refrigerate. For lagers, I'll repeat steps 3 & 4. This has worked great for me, and several other club members are now using this process with great satisfaction. Steve Jones, Johnson City, TN State of Franklin Homebrewers (http://hbd.org/franklin) [421.8 mi, 168.5 deg] AR Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 11:21:46 -0500 From: "Eric Fouch" <airrick147 at registerednurses.com> Subject: Grand Haven Brew Pub Right at the intersection of Grand Haven and Spring Lake (US 31 and Savidge Rd.) is the Old Boys Brew Pub. I've only been there once or twice, but it is good stuff. Down state a bit in Holland is New Holland BP and Back Street B.C. New Holland does some contract brewing for other pubs in Grand Rapids, and puts out some good beer. Check out the Michigan Beer Guide for more good brewpubs: http://www.michiganbeerguide.com/beerguide.asp - -- Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:46:26 -0400 From: "Mike Eyre" <meyre at sbcglobal.net> Subject: Double the recipe? I've just recently scaled up to 10 gal. batches from 5 gal. batches.. I've heard that, on a large scale, you can't scale up on a linear rate.. (I.e. going from 5 gal at home to 14 bbl at a pub) But does that count for a small scale HB thing like this, 5 to 10 gal steps? Most recipes I run across in books and online are for 5 gal, but now I want 10.. Nit-picking, or no? Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:19:05 -0500 (CDT) From: brewinfo at xnet.com (BrewInfo) Subject: Dr. Cone, 2003 - Killer Strains Dr. Cone-- Are there "killer strains" of beer yeast as there are in wine yeasts? Al. Homer Glen, IL www.brewinfo.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:23:59 -0500 (CDT) From: brewinfo at xnet.com (BrewInfo) Subject: Dr. Cone, 2003 - Autolysis Dr. Cone-- The first books I read on homebrewing all talked about the dangers of autolysis. I have only experienced it in several meads that I made with wine yeast and that was after two or three years in the *primary* fermenter on the entire yeast cake. Were these early homebrewing books overemphasizing the likelihood of off aromas (rubbery, etc.) and flavours from autolysis, or was it a bigger problem with yeasts that were of questionable viability and probably stored, unrefridgerated, for months? Thanks. Al. Homer Glen, IL www.brewinfo.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:37:46 -0500 (CDT) From: brewinfo at xnet.com (BrewInfo) Subject: Dr. Cone, 2003 - Yeast for very high-gravity beers Dr. Cone-- When making a Barleywine or Doppelbock or Imperial Stout, is it better to use the entire yeast cake from a previous batch of lower-gravity beer or is it better to use just part of that yeast cake (half? 1/3? 2/3?) so that there is some growth? In a related question, I've read that a significant portion of the esters are produced in the growth phase. Can you confirm or correct this assertion and comment on whether strong lagers may benefit from a larger pitching rate for *this* reason? Thanks. Al. Al Korzonas Homer Glen, IL www.brewinfo.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:43:40 -0500 (CDT) From: brewinfo at xnet.com (BrewInfo) Subject: Dr. Cone - Yeast Density Dr. Cone-- I've read somewhere (but cannot find it anymore) that yeast will multiply until they reach a certain density (cells/ml) or exhaust their supply of sterols, whichever comes first. But, then I've also read that sterol-deficient yeast (presumably from underoxygenation at pitching time, right?) will have weak cell membranes, ultimately resulting in low alcohol tolerance and high Final Gravities. These two seem to be contradictory. Which is correct? Thanks. (Can you tell I've been saving up these questions for quite some time? This is the last one for now, I think. Thanks again!) Al. Al Korzonas Homer Glen, IL www.brewinfo.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 15:20:38 -0400 From: "Gordon Strong" <strongg at voyager.net> Subject: Competition Announcement: Dayton Beerfest, Sept 13th Entries are now being accepted for the 8th Dayton (Ohio) Beerfest. The competition will be held on September 13th; entries are due by September 6th. All details are on our web site: http://hbd.org/draft/daybeerfest.html. Quick summary: Easy online entry, no recipe, 2 bottles, $5, any type of bottles including draft packaging, enter sub-categories as often as you want (only top-scoring is eligible for prize in a single sub-category). All 1999 BJCP styles accepted including mead and cider. Nice wooden plaques for category winners (ribbons for 2nd/3rd). Gordon Strong Dayton Regional Amateur Fermentation Technologists strongg at earthlink.net Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 22:06:51 +0200 From: "Lee and Ant Hayes" <anleo at worldonline.co.za> Subject: Where is Miss Manners when you need her? Lou King asks, "when is it and is it not appropriate to bring homebrew to a party?" It is always appropriate to bring home brew to a party. The more pertinent question is: "When is appropriate to let others know that you have brought homebrew to a party?" My strategy is to leave my coolbox in the car initially. I then scout out what is available, usually bland lager of some sort. I then drink a Coke and strike up a conversation with someone who looks like s/he might like beer. We commiserate about society's poor taste in beer, and then I mention that I have real beer in my car boot. It becomes our secret, I fetch my cool box, we crack a good one or two. When my wife gives me the evil eye, I tell her that it was my new friend's idea. Ant Hayes Gauteng Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 17:04:42 -0500 From: "Doug Hurst" <dougbeer2000 at hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Potato Beer Phil Wilcox looked at his large potato harvest then at his brewing equipment and, like many of us, thought "could I brew with that?" Then he wondered how many pts/lb/gallon he'll get from them if used in a beer. I don't know why potato beer isn't more common. I mean, potatoes seem like a perfect adjunct. Perhaps the low yield per pound is problematic (see below). My second annual Lammas Potato Beer is currently in the secondary fermenter. Last year I used four lbs of potatoes and got a subtle potato flavor in a light ale. This year I upped the ante and put 6lbs in the mash. I shred the potatoes (with skins intact for more flavor) in a processor, then boil them for about 15 minutes. They supposedly gelatinize at mash temps but I felt more comfortable boiling them first. I seem to have good luck with a two step infusion mash: 20 minutes at 125F and 60 minutes at 150F. The early taste test (upon transfer to secondary) revealed a pleasing light ale with a much more pronounced potato flavor than last year's. I'll wait until it's actually finished before I come to a final decision, but 6lbs may have imparted a little too much potato flavor. As for pts/lb/gal the only info I've found was the following web site which stated: "One other point to remember is that potatoes are largely water, meaning that only a small percentage (maybe 10-20%) of the weight you add is convertible starch. I get ~5-6 pts/lb/gal. from one pound of potatoes. It's not much." http://www.geocities.com/willboyne/nosurrender/SpudBrew.html See also: http://brewery.org/brewery/library/Potato.html Hope this helps, Doug Hurst Chicago, IL [197.5, 264.8] Apparent Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 17:38:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Alex Hazlett <alexdhaze at yahoo.com> Subject: Things to see/drink in Denver? I'm going to be in Denver for a week from Friday, and I wondered if anyone could suggest beer or brewing-related places to visit in the Denver area... - --besides the Coors plant :)-- Thanks for any help, Alex Hazlett (Long-time lurker, dropped offlist last year as school got hectic, just rejoined the list...) Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 20:16:52 -0500 From: "the Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty" <mikey at swampgas.com> Subject: re: yeast stirring > Anyone out there utilize a laboratory magnetic stir plate > to continuously stirtheir starters while stepping-up? > I've heard they increase cell counts, but I'd like to > know if this is true. Thinking about getting a > stir-plate setup, is it worth the expense?? I use a stir plate pretty routinely, and have done side-by side quick and dirty comparisons of cell counts of small startes prepared with and without stir plates (counts were done via a hemacytometer). Over the course of the three "experiments" I ran, I found cell counts in the starters grown on a stir plate to be roughly double starters grown using the just-swirl-the-flask-when-I-think-about-it method. The latter got around 60 million cells/ml; the former (stir plate) around 120-125 million cells/ml. The doubled cell count is definitely worth it for me -- I like to pitch lagers at close-to-commercial pitching rates -- although I only paid about $10 for my stir plate from a Canadian scientific surplus outfit. Check ebay, labx or other auction sites for bargains. Definitely don't buy one new -- they can be quite expensive. Hope that helps -- taFkaks ==== Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web: http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 22:34:12 -0400 From: Ken Schramm <schramk at mail.resa.net> Subject: Dr. Cone 2003 - Mead query Dr. Cone, it is a privilege to be able to seek your counsel. I am curious about mead fermentations. I understand that the low nutrient content of mead musts necessitate nutrient addition(s) to insure vigorous and healthy fermentations. I also understand that staged additions of these nutrients over several days can improve the performance of the yeast. In certain Lallemand strains, including one of my favorites, 71B-1122, the reference chart indicates that this strain has a low tolerance for O2 additions after the initial aeration. Is it best practice in the case of low O2 tolerance to continue using a staged introduction of nutrients or to go with a single nutrient load at the front end? I am also interesting in knowing what deficiencies in nutrient levels lead to fusel alcohol production in wine or mead fermentations. Can specific levels of given free amino acids be tied to production of the higher alcohols so seemingly common in mead fermentations? I see you have many brewers seeking your advice, so I will leave more questions for a later date, if you have the time. Thanks very much for this valuable service. Ken Schramm Return to table of contents
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