---

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


***************************************************************
       THIS YEAR'S HOME BREW DIGEST BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 

                  Beer, Beer, and More Beer
      Visit http://morebeer.com to show your appreciation!

    Support those who support you! Visit our sponsor's site!
********** Also visit http://hbd.org/hbdsponsors.html *********


Contents:
  Best Of Philly entries now being accepted! (Joe Uknalis)
  Sacred Beer (Braam Greyling)
  Re: Sacred Beer (Jeff Renner)
  Belgian Yeasts at High Temperatures (Matt)
  Enzyme confusion and step mashing ("Michael Wright")
  AHA National Homebrew Competition ("Gary Glass")
  Malted Oats and Grain Questions ("Art & Liz McGregor")


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*           The HBD Logo Store is now open!             *
*            http://www.hbd.org/store.html              *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*  Suppport this service: http://hbd.org/donate.shtml   *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*   Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!   *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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.

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL USED EQUIPMENT? Please do not post about it here. Go
instead to http://homebrewfleamarket.com and post a free ad there.

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@hbd.org or read the HBD FAQ at http://hbd.org.

JANITORs on duty: Pat Babcock (pbabcock at hbd dot org), Jason Henning,
                  and Spencer Thomas



----------------------------------------------------------------------


Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 23:00:01 -0500
From: Joe Uknalis <birman at netaxs.com>
Subject: Best Of Philly entries now being accepted!

For our competition on April 16, 2005

See http://www.hopsclub.org/ for entry details, (deadline 4/9/05)
judging and stewarding opportunites!

  thanks

  Joe



Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 08:53:10 +0200
From: Braam Greyling <braam.greyling at azoteq.com>
Subject: Sacred Beer






All beer is sacred !!



Regards
Braam











Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 09:53:26 -0500
From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Sacred Beer

Alexandre Enkerli <aenkerli at indiana.edu> writes:

>While some members of contemporary US society may equate alcohol with
>unholy behaviour, many contemporary and historical societies have
>developed very positive beliefs about alcohol and other substances.

and mentions some specifics.

A few years ago I discovered that, despite the otherwise strong 
societal stricture against Jews being drunk, there is a tradition and 
Talmudic commandment) for Jews to become drunk one a year at the 
feast of Purim:

"A person is obligated to become inebriated on Purim until he doesn't 
know the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai" 
(Talmud Megillah 7b)

Apparently, the idea is to realize that God is in charge ultimately, 
not humans.  I suspect that it is also a kind of once a year letting 
off steam and doing something that is otherwise forbidden, as is 
common in other societies.  There is probably also the bonding that 
is engendered by a communal drunk.

I found details at several sites, including 
http://www.aish.com/purimthemes/purimthemesdefault/Becoming_a_Holy_Drunk.asp

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, 29 Mar 2005 09:02:28 -0800 (PST)
From: Matt <baumssl27 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Belgian Yeasts at High Temperatures

All,

As this is my first post to this forum, I'd like to
thank everyone for contributing to the vast body of
knowledge that is available on the archive. The number
of posts and data points on almost any topic is
amazing. However, I do have a question that cannot be
fully answered by an achive search.

For a number of irrelevant reasons, I prefer to
ferment at higher temperatures (70-78 degrees F).
Obviously, yeast selection becomes critical.
Fortunately, I am most interested in brewing Belgian
styles, and at least one source (Rajotte, "Belgian
Ales") suggests that high-temperature fermentations
(up to 86 degrees) are not uncommon in traditional
Belgian breweries. On the HBD, Gordon Strong reported
good results with Wyeast 3522 Ardennes in the upper
70s. (And La Chouffe supposedly uses it up to 86.) On
the other hand, many people have complained that the
Chimay and Westmalle strains yeild far too solventy a
beer when fermented at over 70 degrees. A number of
articles, including one in a recent Zymurgy, suggest
with credibility that lower fermentation temps are
best for most strains.

In the hope of to identifying the strains that perform
well (or do not) at higher temperatures, I would love
to hear from people who have either had clear success
or clear failure with specific strains at 72-78
degrees (or even higher). What method of aeration you
used and how much yeast you pitched are probably also
relevant, and I'd appreciate any information you can
give along those lines as well. If folks will send me
private emails, I will condense them and then post a
"Guide to Belgian Yeast Fermentation Temps," which I
hope will be of value to lots of people.

Also, I suppose there is also the question of whether
really nasty solventy beer (such as the one I made by
fermenting Wyeast 1214 at 75 degrees a month ago) will
eventually age into something great. I am not sure a
yeast "performs well at 75 degrees" if it produces
beer that is undrinkable for a year, even if it is
delicious after that.

Thanks for any help you can provide,

Matt
please reply to baumgart at myway.com



		


Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 10:55:46 -0800 (PST)
From: "Michael Wright" <wrightmi at gmail.com>
Subject: Enzyme confusion and step mashing

Regarding step mashing

>From a practical standpoint I can see why you would first start at a lower
temperature rest then increase the temperature. But, from the little
(underscore that) I know of the enzyme perspective, it seems sort of like
the cart before the horse. Alpha-amylase cuts up the large starch
molecules into smaller chunks, which provides the substrate that
beta-amylase uses to bite off pieces of maltose. When I read about step
mashing the beta rest (lower temp) is first, then the wort temperature is
increased for an alpha rest. So, if the beta rest is before the alpha
rest, how is it that there is a decent substrate for the beta-amylase to
chomp on? Clearly, I am missing something and am hoping the collective
wisdom from this group can enlighten me.

Thanks much,

Mike






Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 14:47:40 -0700
From: "Gary Glass" <gary at brewersassociation.org>
Subject: AHA National Homebrew Competition

Hi Everyone,

The American Homebrewers Association's National Homebrew Competition is
rapidly approaching.  Don't miss your chance to participate in the world's
largest beer competition!  Last year's competition drew over 4400 entries.  

Entries due April 4-15.
See www.beertown.org/events/nhc/index.html for competition details including
Rules & Regs, Entry Forms, Entry Locations, judging information, etc.

The first round is judged at ten regional sites around the US and Canada.
First, second, and third place winners in each of the 2004 BJCP Categories as
well as our "New Entrants" category advance to the second round of the
competition held at the AHA National Homebrewers Conference in Baltimore, MD.
(Cider categories are all judged in one round at the Cider site in Red Hook,
NY.)

AHA Homebrewer of the Year, Meadmaker of the Year, Cidermaker of the Year,
Ninkasi Award winner (winningest brewer) and Homebrew Club of the Year will
be announced at the Grand Banquet and Awards Ceremony at the National
Homebrewers Conference.  Last year's prize display at the Grand Banquet in
Las Vegas stretched over 50 feet!

For more information on the AHA National Homebrewers Conference in Baltimore,
MD, June 16-18, 2005, see www.ahaconference.org

WE NEED JUDGES!  
This is your chance to judge in the largest and most prestigious homebrew
competition in the world.  Regional judging will be taking place during the
last two weekends in April (check with local sites for exact judging dates)
in San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Denver, Houston, St. Paul, MN, Libertyville,
IL, Westlake, OH, Rochester, NY, and Regina, SK. Cider judging will be held
in Red Hook, NY.  

For the judging contacts in your region, see
www.beertown.org/events/nhc/judging2nd.html.

This competition is AHA Sanctioned and registered with the BJCP.

Thanks to all of our sponsors and the volunteers around the country who make
this great competition possible!

Good Luck in the Competition!

Gary Glass, Project Coordinator
Brewers Association
888-U-CAN-BREW
(303) 447-0816 x 121
gary at brewersassociation.org 
www.beertown.org



Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 21:49:51 -0500
From: "Art & Liz McGregor" <A.L.McGregor at verizon.net>
Subject: Malted Oats and Grain Questions

Greetings All,

I have a few questions on grains and mashing.  I am a long time extract
brewer (11+ years), use plain LME and use specialty grains for adjusting the
color and flavor, and pellet hops for bittering, flavor and aroma for all
the brews.

A number of years ago in HBD 2962, Jeff Renner mentioned Malted Oats were
available (made by Thomas Fawcett and Sons
<http://www.fawcett-maltsters.co.uk/welcom.htm> and imported by North
Country Malt Supply in the US.  I have used some in an Oatmeal Stout recipe
(using the malted oats instead of oatmeal), but have a few questions.  Do
malted oats need to be mashed with other enzymatic malts, or are they
sufficiently converted during the malting process to allow me to just steep
the grains to get the fermentables out?  I know the oatmeal must be mashed
with some pale malt or other enzyme containing malts to help convert the
starches.  I had hoped the malted oats would eliminate this step.  Any
thoughts?

On a separate note, the malted oats are more difficult to use than I had
thought, primarily due to the husk on the skinny elongates shape of the
grains which forces the mill spacing to be much smaller, and results in a
fair amount of husk material/flour.   I have noticed that some suppliers are
now offering dehusked malted oats (of course after I had already bought a 55
lb sack of the stuff!)

Another question is on the storability of malted grains.  How long will
malted barley or malted oats stay viable (enzymes, etc.) if stored in dry
plastic buckets?  what about if stored in sealed vacuum barrier bags?  I
have some malts/barley (Chocolate, Black Patent, Roasted) that are probably
5 - 8 years old.  Just curious if I should toss them and buy some new stock,
or continue to use until they gone, which could be quite a while.  I'll be
brewing batch # 259 in a few weeks :^)

Thanks in Advance!

Hoppy Brewing,
Art McGregor in Northern Virginia
<A.L.mcgregor at verizon.net>
<arthur.mcgregor at osd.mil>

(Apparent Rennerian)
[424.1, 123.3] Rennerian
Lat (38 42' 30")
Long (77 14' 53")




Return to table of contents

---