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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator


Contents:
  Boiling Grain (Brian Capouch)
  Botulism from malt syrup (Paul Michelman)
  Munich malt (Gerald Andrew Winters)
  wheat beer head (florianb)
  brewbag (Chip Hitchcock)
  German beers/yeast ("Andy Wilcox")
  My Daddy's Old Beer Recipe (Stephen E. Hansen)
  copper vs. stainless (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
  picnic cooler tun (florianb)
  Coors announces expansion (Mike Northam ext 2651)
  Filmore Christmas Ale 87 recipe (Marty Albini)


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Archives available from netlib at mthvax.cs.miami.edu


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Date: Mon, 16 Jul 90 19:10:07 -0500 (CDT)
From: Brian Capouch <brianc at zeta.saintjoe.EDU>
Subject: Boiling Grain

In Homebrew Digest #360, Chris Shenton writes:

>I would recommend against boiling the grains -- you may get astringency
>from boiling the husks. 

Well, if that's the case, cut and dried, how comes it that in a
decoction mash, one boils part of the mash, *several times*, for varying
periods of time?  I've long wondered this.  There well may be an
explanation that would resolve the conflict, but I choose to believe
(until I hear it) that this is just another "old brewers' tale."  

If anyone would like to straighten me out on this, I'm all ears. 

Someday I'd like to really start a firestorm around here by asserting
that brewing with commercially prepared extracts is exactly like making
instant puddings: the results might be real tasty, but you can't really
say you "made" it.  But let's save that for another day. 

Prost

Brian Capouch
Saint Joseph's College
brianc at saintjoe.edu

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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 90 12:24:23 EDT
From: michelma at division.cs.columbia.edu (Paul Michelman)
Subject: Botulism from malt syrup

After reading about the possibility of botulism, I headed over to the
local biology library and looked in some microbiology handbooks.  The
Home Brewery is right about boiling.  The botulinum toxin is
"completely inactivated at 100 degrees C for 10 minutes."  Most
outbreaks of botulism come from eating the types of canned food that
are not cooked before eating, such as processed fish or sometimes
canned vegetables.  Remember the Vichyssoise outbreak a few years ago.
Botulin bacterial spores are abundant in soil, lake and pond bottoms
and vegetation, but they only germinate in anaerobic environments,
which is why the toxin is likely to be found in canned foods in which
there is not proper sterilization.  By the way, according to Burrows'
Textbook of Microbiology, 7 oz of botulinum type A would "suffice to
kill the entire population of the world."

Paul Michelman
michelma at cs.columbia.edu
Dept. of Computer Science
Columbia University

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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 90 13:11:30 EDT
From: gerald at caen.engin.umich.edu (Gerald Andrew Winters)
Subject: Munich malt

  Does anybody know a source of dark Munich malt (20 L)?  I have about 5 or so homebrew
catalogs and all list the light Munich malt (10 L).  If anybody knows a source I'd
sure you'd pass it along.  Thanks.
  Jerry

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Date: 17 Jul 90 11:20:50 PDT (Tue)
From: florianb at tekred.cna.tek.com
Subject: wheat beer head

Jake Turin says, in regard to a Williams' Brewing pitch on extract wheat beer:

>I admire the prose, but question the accuracy.  My two beers both had
>fair to middling head qualities, similar to my all barley malt brews.
>Am I missing something, or is the Williams quote a load of hooey?

No wonder Williams' stuff is so expensive...they're selling poetry!

No, the Williams' quote isn't a load of hooey.  Your wheat beer should have
a tremendous head, tremendous carbonation, and if it's of a certain variety,
tremendous haze.  I don't know how much wheat extract you used, or what
kind, but the content of wheat can be as much as 40% of the total base
ingredients.  I don't think the extract brew is going to give you the head
that an all grain recipe would, but in any case, it should be there.  Chances
are, if the carbonation is low, the head will be also.  Next time, try using
a whole cup of corn sugar to prime, or go to all grain, or both.

Luck to you!  Florian


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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 90 10:42:42 EDT
From: cjh at peoria.eng.ileaf.com (Chip Hitchcock)
Subject: brewbag

   Bob MacDonald (beer reviewer for Boston GLOBE) tried one of these things
for a recent column. I don't think he had ever tried homebrewing before; even
so, the results were unusually bad---with the help of poor instructions and
cheap construction he got a serious mess and very little beer of any
description. (I don't remember him being thrilled with the beer either.) A
local brew shop (BarleyMalt & Vine) had very negative remarks about the
concept....

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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 90 15:03:56 EDT
From: "Andy Wilcox" <andy at mosquito.cis.ufl.edu>
Subject: German beers/yeast



I'll be going to Germany in a few weeks, so I'd like all the
requisite pointers on which breweries to visit, which beers to
drink, etc, etc.  Specifically, I'll be in Darmstadt, so anything
close to this is better than great.

Secondly, are there any bottles that I may want to bring home
for the purpose of culturing some great german yeast?

Thanks!

 -Andy Wilcox
(andy at ufl.edu)


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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 90 12:18:41 -0700
From: Stephen E. Hansen <hansen at gloworm.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: My Daddy's Old Beer Recipe

Dredge and I were in his old office down the hall on Friday when I
recognized one of the filing cabinets from about 14 years ago.  The
drawers were stuck but the current occupant did some magic and opened
the only drawer with anything in it.  Low and behold, there were
various manilla folders of Dredge's and mine dating back eons.  I
grabed one of mine and found old copies of off-color songs and poetry
(The Dirty Golden Bear and Eskimo Nell), and one item that I had
thought lost forever.  My Pappy's old beer recipe!!!

Back when I first started making beer (about 20 years ago now) I
actually made several batches using this recipe.  The  results varied
from barely drinkable to snail bait.  My Dad used it to make beer when
I was a kid, and while I don't remember ever tasting it then, I do have
fond memories of listening through the bedroom wall to the quart
bottles exploding in the garage.

I have included it here for your amusement.  Please kids, don't try
this one at home.  I especially like the comparison in the last line.

======================================================================

		INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR HOME BREW
			5 Cases or 12 Gallons

1 Can Blue Ribbon Malt				1 Hydrometer
1 Pkg Dry Fleshman's Yeast			1 Gross Bottle Caps
1 Cup Rice (or Rice and Barley  Mixed)		1 Gauze Strainer
1 Tablespoon Salt				120 Bottles
5 Pounds Powdered Cane Sugar			1 Bottle Capper
						1 Crock
						1 Wooden Spoon
						1 Siphon Hose
						1 - 3 Gallon Porcelain or
							Stainless Steel Pan


				DIRECTIONS
    
    In a large (3 gal) porcelain pan add three (3) quarts of water and
bring to a boil.  To boiling water add 5 pounds sugar while stirring
with wooden spoon.  Then bring to boil again.  Add 1 can of Malt while
stirring with wooden spoon.  Bring to boil and let simmer for 15 minutes
(Caution: Might boil over).  In a large glass, fill 1/2 full with luke
warm water (not over 130'F) and add rice, yeast and salt.

    Prepare crock - wash in hot water (no soap).  Fill 1/3 full with
fairly warm water and pour in water and malt solution.  Add cold water
to within 3 inches of top of crock (thermometer not over 130'F).  Then
add yeast and rice solution and cover.

    Six to ten hours later remove foam with wire gauze strainer.  Let
set until hydrometer says "Bottle".

    Wash bottles (no soap) and fill.  To each bottle add 1/2 teaspoon
of fine granulated sugar.  Then cap and let stand for 21 days.

    This should make 5 cases of pint bottles of beer equal to or
superior to Millers High Life.  Proof about 5 1/2%.

======================================================================


Stephen E. Hansen
Electrical Engineering Computer Facility (415) 723-1058
hansen at sierra.Stanford.EDU	{decwrl,rutgers,agate}!shelby!sierra!hansen
Applied Electronics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4055

"You can only drink 30 or 40 beers a day no matter how rich you are."
					--Col Adolphus Busch


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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 90 14:03:17 mdt
From: hplabs!hp-lsd.cos.hp.com!ihlpl!korz (Algis R Korzonas +1 708 979 8583)
Subject: copper vs. stainless

There is another advantage to copper, whether it is a solid
copper kettle or a copper coated stainless kettle: 

	TEMPERATURE DIRTRIBUTION.

As I understand it, copper distributes heat much better than
either aluminum or stainless steel.  I am planning on buying
a stainless kettle and then possibly electroplating copper onto
the outside of the bottom to disperse the heat better.  Some of
my mom's old Wearever pots were like this.
Al.



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Date: 17 Jul 90 11:25:20 PDT (Tue)
From: florianb at tekred.cna.tek.com
Subject: picnic cooler tun

Keith Winter inquires:

>I have seen this method mentioned several times but I guess I missed
>Pete Soper's description.  I'm interested in knowing more about this.
>Does anyone have the description saved that they could send me?

The best description I've seen is in the Zymurgy special grain issue
(from 1985, I think).  You can get it through the AHA or by ordering
it from your local ingredient seller.  As for Pete Soper's description,
it came in one of the past HBD issues.  Pete, are you listening?
Can you send it to Mr. Winter?

Florian


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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 90 12:41:48 PDT
From: Mike Northam ext 2651 <hplabs!fpssun!mbn!mbn>
Subject: Coors announces expansion

Please no flames :-), though not homebrew, this is (perhaps) of some
interest to beerophiles.  From the 7/13/90 *Capital Press*, a northwest
regional agricultural newspaper.

Coors announces expansion.  Burley, Idaho--
Coors Brewing Co. Tuesday (7/10 mbn) announced a $7 million expansion of
its barley storage facility here.
...completeion scheduled next June.  ... the project will increase the
long-term storage capacity from 6 million bushels to 9 million bushels.

William K. Coors, Adolph Coors Co. chairman, made the announcement during
Barley Field Day in Burley, an annual celebration sluting growers who provide
the "single-most important solid ingredient" in Coors beers.  About 450
growers attended the event.

Coors said the special strains of barley used in Coors products are grwon
only at higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Idaho,
Montana and Wyoming.


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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 90 15:59:32 PDT
From: Marty Albini <martya at hpsdl39>
Subject: Filmore Christmas Ale 87 recipe

	In response to many (ok, several) requests for the
recipe I mentioned two issues ago, I'm going to save myself
trouble and just post it. It comes from a recipe book
published by the AHA called _The_Winner's_Circle_, which is a
copyrighted document, hence the following statement:

		PLEASE SIGN THIS DISCLAIMER

	I, __________, do solumnly swear that I did not pay
Marty Albini anything for this recipe, and that he provided it
to me only to convince me to buy the book he took it out of
because he's such a swell guy, who wants the authors and
publishers, and of course their many fine lawyers, to enjoy
terrific sales and not sue him.
					date:___________


	So keep this on file, notarized if possible, and
remeber to sign an actual piece of paper, not the screen.

		Filmore Christmas Ale 87
		Mike Sternick
		Denver, Colorado
		Third Place, Herb Beer, 1988

ingredients for five gallons:
	7 lb Munton & Fison light dry malt extract
	1/2 lb crystal malt
	1/8 lb black patent malt
	1 lb clover honey
	2 oz Cascade hops (60 min)
	1 oz Hallertauer hops (2 min)
	1 oz Cascade hops (2 min)
	1 oz giger root (12 min)
	6 inch stick cinnamon (8 g) (12 min)
	4 TSP orange peel (13 g) (12 min)
	1 package Edme yeast
	3/4 cup dextrose to prime

brewer's specifics:
	OG 1.050-1.054
	FG 1.019-1.025
	age when judged: nine months

	I used Australian dry malt extract and measured all
ingredients in grams, so I could be more consistent next time.
By my estimation (and measurement) this original gravity is
WAY off; I didn't bring my log so I can't report my findings, 
but OG was somewhere over 1.060 and FG was in the low twenties.
Fermentation completed in one day, but there was so much
suspended hop gunk that it took a couple weeks before I could
rack. SG only dropped about a point in the secondary. I used
about 1/2 cup priming malt, which was plenty (remember, it's
served warm, and has to age a long time, so don't overdo the
priming sugar).

	As I menioned earlier, the cinnamon didn't come thru
well. I'd welcome any ideas to bring it out (especially the
aroma). Be prepared for a pretty astringent taste untill it's
a couple months old.

	I brewed mine Christmas morning. Maybe that helps o<;^)E
Merry Christmas!

	Oh, yeah--I got my copy of the book at Great
Fermentations of Santa Rosa.
- --
________________________________________________Marty Albini___________
"The above opinions were created by a trained professional. Do not
attempt to duplicate these thought processes at home."
phone    : (619) 592-4177
UUCP     : {hplabs|nosc|hpfcla|ucsd}!hp-sdd!martya
Internet : martya%hp-sdd at hp-sde.sde.hp.com (or  at nosc.mil,  at ucsd.edu)
CSNET    : martya%hp-sdd at hplabs.csnet
US mail  : Hewlett-Packard Co., 16399 W. Bernardo Drive, San Diego CA 92127-1899 USA

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End of HOMEBREW Digest #462, 07/18/90
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