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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Digest Janitor: pbabcock at hbd.org


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Contents:
  RE: Draft beer foaming problem ("Llew J van Rensburg")
  Re: Big dummy does it again ("Michael Bennett")
  Final filter for dry hopping (Fred Johnson)
  gluten free beer ("Sean McCabe")
  foamy delivery ("Dave Burley")
  Alaska Needs Your Support! (Aimee Saviers)
  link of the week - insects and beer (bob.devine)
  Christmas stout ("Doug Moyer")
  Marcon Filter Pads ("David Boice")
  Spiced Sake, Koji (Alexandre Enkerli)
  pH meter accuracy question ("Gary Smith")
  RE: Arrrggg... patooey ("Gary Smith")


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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 06:45:31 +0200
From: "Llew J van Rensburg" <llew at luco.co.za>
Subject: RE: Draft beer foaming problem


Jeff Woods has a problem with foaming draft beer.

I have had similar problems in the past and tried every formula and trick in
the book.  Then I called Moritz Kallmeyer, our local guru and microbrewer
that supplies the draft trade.  He solved my problem instantly.  The trick
is to get cold beer in the line all the way to the tap.  If there is any
foam in the line, it will cause new beer that reaches that point also to
foam.  How do you clear the foam out of the line?  Simple, force it out!  

1. Set regulator at 230kPa (33 psi). One could go up to 320kPa (46 psi) if
necessary
2. Open beer flow adjuster (on the side of the tap) to maximum
3. Open beer tap to its maximum into a bucket.
4. Close flow adjuster slowly, until clear beer flows. Leave at that
setting!
5. I have found it works every time.  Maestro Moritz!
6. After your drinking session, turn off the CO2 or reduce the pressure to
the desired carbonation level, otherwise you will put more CO2 into
suspension than required

BTW, I use Celli taps - the ones with a small flow regulating lever on the
side

Hope this helps!

Cheers

Llew in Johannesburg, South Africa





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Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 23:23:59 -0800 (PST)
From: "Michael Bennett" <mjb at efn.org>
Subject: Re: Big dummy does it again

"Robert Zukosky" <Rzukosky at comcast.net> said:

> I was cleaning my aluminum brew pot with dish washing liquid and
> some tsp (the real stuff) was letting it soak and forgot to dump
> for 24 hours. The result is a black stain and it will not remove
> with heated vinegar and water. Is there a metal guy out there
> that has a brightner solution to my problem?

Leave it.  It doesn't look all that great, but the black stain is
actually beneficial.  It's Aluminum Oxide.  It'll protect the pot
from further chemical damage and prevent aluminum from leaching into
your wort.


- --
Mike Bennett
Brewer for Hire
[1964.2, 287.2deg] Apparent Rennerian
mjb<at>efn.org


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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 06:21:53 -0500
From: Fred Johnson <FLJohnson at portbridge.com>
Subject: Final filter for dry hopping

Justin is wondering how to eliminate residual hops at bottling time 
using a bottling bucket.

Whenever I used to dry hop and then bottle from a bottling bucket, I 
used a couple of different items on the bottling bucket spigot as a 
final filter for the hops. These filters actually mount on the inside 
of the bucket on the portion of the spigot that projects inside the 
bucket.

My local homebrew shop owner fashioned a nice filter made of a short 
length (about 3/4'') of vinyl tubing that was the diameter of the 
threaded portion of the spigot--I'm guessing a 1" diameter. He glued a 
piece of nylon mesh to one end of the tubing. The other end of the 
tubing fits over the spigot inside the bucket.

Before I got the filter I described above, I used to use a piece of my 
wife's old nylon hose. I stretched this across the inside opening of 
the spigot and screwed the spigot in and nylon hose with the spigot's 
nut.

Fred L Johnson
Apex, North Carolina, USA



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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 07:12:55 -0500
From: "Sean McCabe" <greenfieldmills at hotmail.com>
Subject: gluten free beer

Hello all,

I know this has been covered before but who out there has experimented with 
gluten free beer?

I am looking for a supplier for the ingredients and have a question about 
using my old brew pot.  By using my old brew pot I will not contaminate my 
batch of gluten free beer with that bad old gluten stuff, will I?

And thanks for the beer recommendations for Providence, RI.  The Trinity 
brewhouse is good to great with the Union Station coming in a decent second. 
  The Trinity IPA is pretty good.

Thanks,

Sean

"'Cause, remember, no matter where you go..... there you are."
Buckaroo Banzai




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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 09:01:56 -0500
From: "Dave Burley" <Dave_Burley at charter.net>
Subject: foamy delivery

Brewsters:

Jeff has foam problems with his setup and believes it has to do with the 
length of the delivery line coming from the keg and he thinks that 20 ft is 
too long but it still doesn't work, as he still gets 2/3 of a glass of foam. I 
have also read this "long delivery line solution" and still don't believe it, 
no matter how often it is repeated. Check out my comments in the archives. 
Jeff's experience confirms this once again. I deliver out of a keg directly 
into a glass using about 3 ft of hose with just the right amount of foam,. 
even with my high body beers.

Most likely, the problem is due to the delivery line being heated on delivery 
from the keg or an abrupt change in the pressure as the beer comes through the 
nozzle.

Lag the delivery line with insulation and reduce its length to reduce the 
warming.  As we all know, even the simple pin valve on a party keg is such 
that it will deliver beer that is not too foamy and my experience confirms 
this. It could be something as simple as not opening the valve completely when 
delivering the beer. If this doesn't work, try a gate valve design. Make sure 
your pressure is correct and, if necessary, don't pressureize the keg while 
you are delivering it. Deliver at about 5 psi but pressurize at about 15 psi.

Keep on Brewin'

Dave Burley




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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 06:56:13 -0900
From: Aimee Saviers <pdevaris at gci.net>
Subject: Alaska Needs Your Support!

Would you attend an AHA Convention in Anchorage, Alaska?  

If so, the Great Northern Brewers Club of Anchorage needs your 
help. We would like to host the National Convention in 2006, but 
our proposal isn't being considered by the AHA Board.  The Board 
is concerned about low attendance.  This is a valid concern shared 
by others that have hosted conventions in Alaska.  However, data 
provided by the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau shows that 
conventions held in Alaska not only have high attendance levels, 
they routinely break attendance records. 

Another concern is cost.  However, if you live anywhere from Denver 
westward, it is cheaper to fly to Anchorage than Baltimore.  We also 
havesecured very affordable lodging for the convention. 

Anchorage is a great beer destination.  There is a huge beer culture 
here with outstanding breweries, brew pubs, world-class tap houses, 
and Belgium beer bars.  Plus, outdoor recreationalopportunities 
abound! It's a great town and a great place to host the convention. 
We'd love to have you. 

Would you come to Alaska for the convention?  We would like to hear 
your thoughts on this issue.  After all, it's your convention. 

If you're passionate about this issue, you could even email the Board. 

http://www.beertown.org/aob/ahaboa.html 


Pete Devaris 

"Brewers enjoy working to make beer as much as 
drinking beer instead of working." 
 -Harold Rudolph 



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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 17:02:32 +0000
From: bob.devine at att.net
Subject: link of the week - insects and beer

The last few link-of-the-week topics were definitely techie.
For this week, here's a brewing topic that is more fun.

Question: Everyone knows that after a few beers, you
are definitely more attractive to the opposite sex.
And can sing flawlessly as well as do amazing feats
of strength.  But does drinking beer make you more
or less attractive to mosquitos?  
 http://tinyurl.com/5cz6t

Science marches on. Some scientists are busy figuring
out how long an insect has been  in your glass of beer
(for lawsuits, I guess):
 http://www.asbcnet.org/Meetings/2001/Abstracts/P-41.htm

Bob Devine
Brewing not for Prophet
Riverton, Utah


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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:14:31 -0500
From: "Doug Moyer" <shyzaboy at yahoo.com>
Subject: Christmas stout

Brewers,

My wife has asked me to brew a Christmas stout. No problem. Except, I don't
know what a Christmas stout would be. And, to top it off, she doesn't know
what she would like it to be. Just a loose concept.

Now, I can certainly wing it. I've done a few spiced beers over the years.

But, I was wondering if anyone had a favorite spiced stout recipe.

Thanks!

Brew on!
Doug Moyer

Troutville, VA

Star City Brewers Guild: http://www.starcitybrewers.org



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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 15:17:57 -0500
From: "David Boice" <dave at pierceconstructioninc.com>
Subject: Marcon Filter Pads

       I forgot about the no HTML rule, so I'm sending this again, hoping it
will not appear twice.
       
       I racked 10 gallons of a Budweiser clone to secondary fermenting
vessels last night. This was my first attempt at an American Standard beer
in ten years of brewing. Interestingly enough I did so because that's what
the winner of the auction we had at this year's family reunion asked for
(shhhh, I don't have a license). At first I was disappointed in his choice,
but then decided it was high time I tried to produce this difficult style.
So far I am very happy with the results.

       Anyways I decided to pull out my trusty Marcon filter to make sure I
had what I needed come bottling time. I have not use the filter in some
time, as most styles I make clear just fine without the fuss of filtering.
When I checked I discovered I had no filter pads, and then discovered the
Marcon website and phone number I had are nonfunctional. 
       
       Anyone know if they are still in business? If not, does anyone know
of a supplier with some left in stock? That would be a nice short term
solution, but I guess the real question is, is the filter media available
anywhere where a guy could cut his own filter pads? I like having the option
of filtering and hate the idea of having to turn the thing into a large
paperweight.

David Boice
Carroll Ohio






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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:38:35 -0500
From: Alexandre Enkerli <aenkerli at indiana.edu>
Subject: Spiced Sake, Koji

Thanks for those who replied to my query on sake and koji availability.
This link was sent privately:
http://www.gemcultures.com/soy_cultures.htm
It looks quite interesting (they have sampler packs of koji starter) 
although G.E.M. only accepts checks.
I guess I'll just go on looking for koji in Asian markets. In fact, if 
I do find it, I'll probably start with miso and such...

Found some more info googling for various things (like "fred eckhardt 
sake" and "sake miso koji"), including a mention of a sake digest on 
hbd.org but it seems to be inactive. Doh!

I don't really want to go on about this here but I'd really be 
interested in experiments people might have made with spiced sake. 
After all, Japanese cooking makes use of some very interesting 
spices... And thinking of sake as sour beer related to lambic, fruit 
sake also seems to make sense but haven't heard of very specific cases 
of these.

Anyway, sorry to belabor this. It's just that fungus-based brewing 
seems to open up all sorts of possibilities.
Rice and malt sake? Refermenting sake with pure strain sacc. yeast? 
Oak-aged sake? Smoked sake? A sake-mead concoction? Sparkling sake? 
For-goodness' sake? ;-)
The mind boggles...

Cheers!
AleX in South Bend, IN
[129.7mi, 251.5] Apparent Rennerian



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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:04:04 -0600
From: "Gary Smith" <Gary at doctorgary.net>
Subject: pH meter accuracy question

Hi,

I'm looking at some different pH meters and it 
looks like the pHep 4 & pHep 5 are nice 
candidates. Auto temp adjusting & the whole 
shebang. The only difference I have found 
between the two is the 4 has a 0.1 accuracy and 
the 5 has a 0.01 accuracy. 

Doesn't seem that there would be much practical 
difference to me as a brewer between the two of 
them but there is a price difference.

Any realistic reason I would want the .01 vs .1 
accuracy with all grain brewing?

Thanks,

Gary



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Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:14:13 -0600
From: "Gary Smith" <Gary at doctorgary.net>
Subject: RE: Arrrggg... patooey

> Gary, I thought the same thing too 
> after my first attempt at an
> Imperial Stout.  But after gently aging 
> for a year, wonderful!  Bottle
> it and forget it for 6 months.  Then let us know.  

Glenn,

Oh yes, I won't be pitching it & absolutely it 
might mellow. I can be very patient with aging :)   
And... I thought about it & I remember one other 
batch I made that was less better than pond 
scum & it was a Lambic I tried to make. I think I 
let the grains sour much too long because I loved 
the lambic bite & thought some extra souring 
would be a plus... I remember keeping it for over 
ten years and dumping the whole batch because it 
was like drinking muriatic acid with Raspberry 
flavoring...

Gary





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