HOMEBREW Digest #4411 Thu 27 November 2003


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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  Re: Stirring a yeast starter before pitching (Kent Fletcher)
  Saison Recipe (darrell.leavitt)
  Stirring bar damaging yeast (Fred Johnson)
  RE: $50 Temp controller ("Martin Brungard")
  RE: HBD Digest, Category 24 & Honey beers (Bill Tobler)
  immediate reply posts (Jeff Renner)
  re: preventing boilover in starters (Michael Owings)
  re: Stirring a yeast starter before pitching (Michael Owings)
  Thanksgiving Beer ("Martin Brungard")
  digital thermometers (homebre973)
  Category 24 (Chris Colby)
  Re: preventing boil-over in starter wort while boiling in Erlenmeyer flasks ("Rob Dewhirst")
  Boiling in Flasks ("H. Dowda")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2003 21:30:12 -0800 (PST) From: Kent Fletcher <fletcherhomebrew at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Stirring a yeast starter before pitching Gary said: > Anyone have any knowledge about the speed to set a > 1" stir bar to rotate at? I find that because of > the convex inside of the Erlenmeyer, the bar raps > hard on the glass as it spins. I'm wondering if > all that whacking's going to be a problem with it > killing the yeast? I don't think you'll kill the yeast, but a noisy stir bar can be a real PITA, especially to SWMBO or other non-brewering household members. As to the speed, you want to make a vortex, nothing more. You might want to get a larger bar. I replaced my small 1.25" bar after I broke my E flask one night and had to use a growler instead. The small bar would not stay coupled over about 250-300 rpm in the growler due to the bottom. E flasks actually have a much flatter bottom than most other vessels. There are bars available with a raised "spin ring" around the middle which you might look into. Kent Fletcher Brewing in So Cal Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 05:27:57 -0500 From: darrell.leavitt at plattsburgh.edu Subject: Saison Recipe I just couldn't resist sharing this recipe...in that it tastes GREAT! I think that it is one of the best Saisons that I have made, and I make one every 6 months or so... It was the second use of the WhiteLabs saison yeast,...the first batch had spices in the batch, so some may have carried over into this batch, but I didn't add any spices to this second batch. the recipe: 9 lb Golden Promise 2 row 1 lb wheat 1 lb belgian special aromatic 1 lb cara amber 2 oz Fawcett's brown malt 2 stage infusion (148F for 40 min, 158F for 40 min) 2 hour boil 1 oz Fuggles at beginning of last 60 minutes .5 oz fuggles at 30 .5 oz Saaz at 30 1 oz fuggles at 15 og 1.062 fg 1.01 % abv was 6.5 This to me tastes like one of the Ommegangs... Happy brewing, and Happy Thanksgiving! ..Darrell Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 07:35:40 -0500 From: Fred Johnson <FLJohnson at portbridge.com> Subject: Stirring bar damaging yeast Gary asks if the stirring bar hitting or grinding on the bottom of an Erlenmeyer flask in his starter culture is killing the yeast. Undoubtedly, it is killing yeast, but the number of cells destroyed is not especially significant, although this is a general concern in cell culture. For that reason, the "spinner flask" was invented. This type of flask has the stirring bar suspended above the bottom of the flask. I do all my yeast starters with one of these flasks (3 L). These flasks also have ports for pumping in wort, air, or whatever else you heart desires, or for sampling--perfect for performing aerobic, continuous infusion starters. Fred L Johnson Apex, North Carolina, USA Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 08:44:45 -0500 From: "Martin Brungard" <Martin.Brungard at trow.com> Subject: RE: $50 Temp controller The electronic temperature controller that getting mentioned here is the Johnson A419 controller. You can get an 'un-corded' version for around $50. I've pasted an address for one source for the controller. You may have to paste the URL back together in your browser if you want to take a look at this unit. http://energyequipment.com/Components_Division/Manufacturer_Line_Card/Johnson _Controls_Products/Johnson_A419/johnson_a419.html If you're a klutz and can't do the wiring, then the $99 corded versions sold by various brew shops is the way to go. Handy folks can probably manage to get this electronic controller up and going for about $60 after shipping and picking up an extension cord to wire in. I have found that this is a very nice controller for my use. Martin Brungard Tallahassee, FL Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 08:11:07 -0600 From: Bill Tobler <wctobler at sbcglobal.net> Subject: RE: HBD Digest, Category 24 & Honey beers Philip feels that some reply'ers have access to individual messages or at least access to the "queue". I don't think so. (Other than the Janitors) I know when I reply to a post, I always send the post to the person I'm replying to and the digest. Very often, I see a reply in the same digest I replied to. I like it the way it is. If you like more real time, check out the Forum page at http://hbd.org/forums/ There is a great bunch there every day. You can get instant answers, good talk and lots of info. It could come in handy during a brew session if you're not sure on a procedure so something. Bev Blackwood has a problem with honey beers in contests. He asks, > Do honey beers cause anyone else angst depending on where they're > entered? Bev, I'm drinking a Honey Wheat right now, and it's not causing me any problems at all! (yet) :>} But how you handle it at the table is another thing. This problem could be solved by including "Honey" in the ingredients of Cat. 3b, American Wheat. Honey Wheat's seems to be a favorite in this country, and that is what the categories are all about. "Honey" would probably have to mentioned in the title of the beer so the Judges can score accordingly, and the OG would have to be a little higher. Bill Tobler Lake Jackson, TX (1129.7, 219.9) Apparent Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 09:19:00 -0500 From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net> Subject: immediate reply posts "Leonard, Phil" <Phil.Leonard at dsionline.com> wrote: >I have often times seen >reply posts to questions appear immediately after the question which >means the reply'er had access to individual messages or at least access >to the "queue". Not true - it simply means that the original poster cc'd the person they were responding to, as I am here to you. If you are reading your email frequently and wanted to, you could have a reply to this in the same digest, maybe even right behind this. The janitors are the only ones with access to the messages in the queue before the digest is sent out. As far as having access to the queue, you can see the queue any time you like by sending the message "queue" (without the quotes, of course) to request at hbd.org. 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: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 09:13:49 -0600 From: Michael Owings <mikey at swampgas.com> Subject: re: preventing boilover in starters There's a product out called "Foam Control" available through a number of hombrew retail stores and mail order outlets. (I'm pretty sure hoptech carries it -- www.hoptech.com). This is sold as a means of controlling the head produced during fermentation, but works extremely well for preventing boilovers in both starters and kettle boils. I use a drop or two in my 4 liter erlenmeyer just as the starter is coming to a boil -- no boilover at all. In fact, I can pretty much use the flask to its full capacity if I want. Good stuff. If used to prevent boilover, one order is nearly a lifetime supply, since you only ever need a few drops. Cheers -- m ==== Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web: http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 09:16:23 -0600 From: Michael Owings <mikey at swampgas.com> Subject: re: Stirring a yeast starter before pitching Set the stirrer as high as you care to go. As (I think) has been discussed here before, any damage to the yeast population should be either non-existent or insignificant. ==== Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web: http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 10:55:21 -0500 From: "Martin Brungard" <Martin.Brungard at trow.com> Subject: Thanksgiving Beer Following the lead presented in Garrett Oliver's book, The Brewmaster's Table, I'm going with a Saison-style beer for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm fortunate that Saison Dupont is now available locally. Another Saison option is Ommegang Hennepin. I find that the Saison Dupont is a little more tart than the Hennepin and the Hennepin is a little more appley. Both are delicious and should go nicely with the melange of foods on most Thanksgiving tables. Both of these beers are available in 750ml bottles, so they make a nice presentation at the table. Do yourself a favor and pick up a few of these bottles. Do yourself another favor and pick up that book too. Beer is meant for food. Having a guide to potential pairings is helpful. From what I've found, the book has a much more comprehensive pairing list compared to the resources I've found on the web or elsewhere. Enjoy the day! Martin Brungard Tallahassee, FL Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 11:12:45 -0500 (EST) From: homebre973 at mindspring.com Subject: digital thermometers There a a lot of relatively cheap digital thermometers on the market. Most are less than $25 and are designed for oven roasts. Has anyone purchased these and used them for mashing? If so are there any you would recommend that are durable and relatively accurate? Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 10:40:02 -0600 From: Chris Colby <colbybrewery at austin.rr.com> Subject: Category 24 I don't feel that judging an open category would be entirely subjective. There are many, many aspects that separate good beer from bad beer. Many of these are explicit, such as the presence or absence of beer faults, freshness of ingredients, well-run fermentation, proper conditioning, clarity, head and etc. (Granted, there are exceptions here among official beer styles -- German wheat beers are cloudy, for example -- but these are well-known and brewers can always specify either their underlying beer style or give a description of what they were shooting for.) Many other aspects of beer quality are "intangible." Judging an open category should pose no more problems than judging a best of show panel. Plus, I believe that brewer's entering an open category would understand that the judges will be making many "apples and oranges" type judgments -- how could they not? I should mention here that I actually like Category 24. I brew a couple "basic beer style with a twist" beers every year. (I'll be brewing a sweet potato ESB this Friday.) My only point is that this category is actually very restrictive (which is fine), not the open category it is often represented to be. If anything, I'd like to see Category 24 become more restrictive by breaking it up into subcategories for beers made with "extra" ingredients, beers brewed with unusual procedures (which could include beers made with unusual ingredients that need to be processed in some way beyond throwing them in the mash, boil or keg) and historical recreations. (I realize, though, that the number of entrants probably wouldn't support this.) Chris Colby Bastrop, TX Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 12:25:22 -0600 From: "Rob Dewhirst" <rob at hairydogbrewery.com> Subject: Re: preventing boil-over in starter wort while boiling in Erlenmeyer flasks > Subject: preventing boil-over in starter wort while boiling in Erlenmeyer flasks > > I like to boil my starter wort the day I want to proof my yeast, which is > usually the day or two before I brew. Does anyone know how to prevent this? I have never been able to 100% prevent this, but I have some strategies that can HELP prevent. 1) Use a bigger flask. I recommend the 1400 Kimax flasks that Willaims sells. 2) use a beaker instead of a flask. 3) a tiny amount of hop leaves may help. 4) bring the heat up very slowly 5) use the smallest stove you can tolerate. Hope that helps. Hate that burnt caramel smell. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 17:14:55 -0800 (PST) From: "H. Dowda" <hdowda at yahoo.com> Subject: Boiling in Flasks Don't. An excellent way to get scalded Return to table of contents
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