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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  link of the week - BrewLikeAMonk (Bob Devine)
  Re: Siphoning methods (stencil)
  Carbonating Kegs ("A.J deLange")
  Carbonating kegs off the CO2? ("Todd Swearingen")
  re: siphoning (Raj B Apte)
  Black Soot on Brewpot ("jhandy")
  Re: Siphoning methods (Grant Family)
  Wild Beer Yeast ("Chad Stevens")


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Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 22:19:17 -0700
From: Bob Devine <bob.devine at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: link of the week - BrewLikeAMonk

If you enjoy Belgian beers and brewing them,
this week's link is BrewLikeAMonk.com.

The author of the forthcoming book offers you a
chance to win the book by filling in a survey.
Or you can submit a recipe.

http://www.brewlikeamonk.com/index.php

Bob "BrewLikeAGeek" Devine, Utah


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Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 00:22:00 -0500
From: stencil <etcs.ret at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: Siphoning methods

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 23:35:53 -0500, in 
Homebrew Digest #4671 (December 10, 2004)  
Jim Eberhardt wrote:

>[ ... ]I'm wondering if anyone 
>has any good ways to start a siphon. I've tried
> [ ... ] with limited success; 


If you're starting from a carboy, VittlesVault,  or other sealable container,
you can blow it out with an aquarium pump.  A two-hole stopper is needed,
racking cane in one hole, airline in the other.  Holding the stopper lightly
in the jug mouth permits adjusting the pressure to maintain the 1/2 to 1psi
needed to lift the beer a foot or two up and out.  There are those who will
kvetch about bursting hazard, but this is an aquarium pump, not 3000psi
gyro-spinning air, and the stress on the glass is much less than that imposed
by snatching the carboy up onto the bench.  Certainly, I wouldn't trust the
regulator on a regular 30-90psi utility compressor, let alone a CO2 flask.
Similarly, risk of oxygen pickup is negligible, even reduced because the beer
moves out quite smartly, reducing exposure time going into the secondary or
keg.

stencil sends


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Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 15:14:06 +0000
From: "A.J deLange" <ajdel at cox.net>
Subject: Carbonating Kegs

A simple calculation (and more complex ones probably aren't justified) 
would reason that if 2.4 volumes are in equilibrium with 15 psi then 
15*(Vb/Vh) where Vb is the volume of the beer (19L in a Corny keg plus 
or minus depending on how full you fill it) and Vh is the volume of the 
head space (1L?) would be required in the head space initially to 
carbonate the beer to that level. Thus if you fill the keg full 
unreasonably high intital pressures are required. Filled half full is a 
different story but who wants half a Corny full?

It's more practical to put the beer on gas at say 5 pounds above the 
target pressure for a day or 2, then wait a day and check the pressure. 
If it's below target, pressurize the head space to 30 psig and wait a 
day or two to see where it equilibrates. If it's above target, bleed 
down to say 5 psig and again check a day later until equilibrium at the 
desired pressure is reached. If you have multiple kegs you can 
pressurize the headspace to well above the target in each keg and rotate 
among the kegs several times a day, topping up each time until the 
equilibrium pressure is approached.

As a practical matter you will have a problem with this approach because 
unless you buy the silicone O rings (for $25 or some such outrageous 
price each) you will find that your O-rings will harden with cold and 
let some gas by. You will have to be topping up continuously to make up 
for this lost gas.

Just for reference, 4 way manifolds with valves go for about $40 from 
Rapids. 4 way manifolds with separate regualtors and valves are about $170.

A.J.


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Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 10:49:56 -0600
From: "Todd Swearingen" <tswearingen at paragoninc.net>
Subject: Carbonating kegs off the CO2?

Chris,

Why put off the manifold? I know the manufactured ones are expensive, but
why not make your own. I made one out of a series of 1/4" (maybe 3/8") npt
tees, short nipples, and hose barb adapters for about $10. If all you need
is three outlets, then you will need two tees, a nipple, and 4 hose
adapters. Use teflon tape to seal the threads, and test for leaks by
submerging the manifold in a bucket of water and pressurize with a few psi
of c02. 


Todd 
Rocket City Brewers
Huntsville, AL



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Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 14:41:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Raj B Apte <raj_apte at yahoo.com>
Subject: re: siphoning

In my experience. the best way to start a siphon is with a
starter tube. This can be a normal, 1-piece fermentation
lock or straight section of plastic or metal tubing. I use
a clean hand (with a glove, dipped in sanitizer) to hold
the free end of the hose. I insert the sanitized tube with
my other hand, suck until started, then remove the tube and
insert the hose where it needs to go. 1-piece locks are
great for this .

raj


		


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Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 15:40:38 -0800
From: "jhandy" <j.handy at comcast.net>
Subject: Black Soot on Brewpot

I use a camp chef propane stove and polarware pot for my boil and the
brewpot
always ends up half covered in black soot. I have to spend 20-30 minutes
scrubbing
it off with cleanser each time I use it. At first I thought it was the paint
they use on the grill
and it would stop after a while but it still does it after many hours of
use.

Have searched the web and found the following possibilities:

 -Incorrect air/gas mix. Too much or too little air, maybe something inside
blocking the gas line. or..

 -This is normal, live with it. Someone suggested rubbing soap on the outside
 of the pot before use for easier cleaning later.

Anyone else have this problem and resolved it?

Thanks

Jhandy
Redmond, WA




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Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 10:54:04 +1100
From: Grant Family <grants at netspace.net.au>
Subject: Re: Siphoning methods

Jim wrote:
>start-the-siphon-by-mouth-after-rinsing-with-sanitizer method but this
>still seems like a good way towards wort infection. Are there any
>recommendations for effectively starting a siphon?

I syphon through a 7-8m (21-24ft) counterflow chiller and generally get the 
syphon started by mouth. However, instead of sanitising my mouth (no 
thanks), I use a small section of extra piping, attach this to the normal 
outlet, and suck through the attachment. As soon as wort starts approaching 
the normal outlet, I pull the extra bit of piping off and voila! No 
mouthborne lactobacillus get anywhere near the wort. Just don't sneeze into it.

Another (obvious) method is to fill the syphon with water (it should be 
"sanitised" from the hot tap) and use this water to start the syphon.

Cheers
Stuart Grant
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.



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Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:22:39 -0800
From: "Chad Stevens" <zuvaruvi at cox.net>
Subject: Wild Beer Yeast

Jeff wonders about wild cider critters....

I've not played with cider, but I've done spontaneous ferments on fairly
neutral wheat beer wort in Kansas, South Texas, and San Diego.  I've been
disappointed in all three locations.  The basic inoculation process has been
to leave a gallon of wort sitting out over night in the garage with the
window open when the outside temps were in the 50's or lower.  The basic
assumption being wind born thermophilic bacteria count will be reduced
during these times of the year, and indeed, I've seen few spoilage colonies
take hold (brewers in Lembeek avoid summer...).  Normally a good strong
fermentation will take off within a day or two, and I'll have to remove a
floating colony or two of some sort of fluffy green or red stuff, but
otherwise, the predominant species are yeast.  But whether (did I use the
right whether Burley?) spring, winter, or fall, the flavors have always been
just a little too funkafied for my palate.  In fact, in the most recent
Zymurgy, it mentions that I won the prison brew contest.  What the article
failed to mention was that I also took last place with another brew.  If I
remember correctly someone's comments asked if I'd cultured the yeast during
a conjugal visit.  Anyway, this was a spontaneously fermented batch, and
even when diluted 10 to 1 with a Bier de Garde, it was still too funky to
pass off as a sour brown.

By no means would I waste five gallons on one of these experiments.  But add
half a gallon of volume to your next batch and leave the extra sitting out
over night.  It's fun to see what the local flora and fauna produce.

Hope you have better luck than I have,

Chad Stevens
QUAFF
San Diego

P.S.  America's Finest City Homebrew Competition registration is now open!
http://www.quaff.org/AFC2005/AFCHBC.html
We need judges, stewards, and beer.  Last year was wonderful (over 400
entries) thanks in no small part to numerous HBD'ers (Bev Blackwood held the
record at something like 15 entries, thanks Bev).  Hope to see you all again
on our online registration.  Thanks.



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