---

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


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

          Northern  Brewer, Ltd. Home Brew Supplies
Visit http://www.northernbrewer.com  to show your appreciation!
               Or call them at 1-800-681-2739

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


Contents:
  Re:  Erlenmeyer Flasks (asemok)
  Topical Iodine for Sanitizing ("Eric R. Theiner")
  RE: How to open a sankey keg for home brewing ("Paul Clarke")
  HCCP V1.2 ("Alan Folsom")
  Natural Gas Burners (Eric Schoville)
  RE: Erlenmeyer Flasks (roger789)
  Pressure Gauges ("May, Jeff")


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*           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: Fri, 3 Jun 2005 01:00:25 -0400
From: asemok at mac.com
Subject: Re:  Erlenmeyer Flasks


On Jun 2, 2005, at 11:02 PM, "Peter Beauregard" <peterb at 
desktopstandard.com> wrote:
> I have been doing starters for years in Erlenmeyer
> Flasks over gas on the stove, but have recently
> moved into a house with a flat top electric stove.
> Anyone out there had any bad experiences doing
> starters on this type of stove?
> Thanks!

Shouldn't be a problem, just use common sense care so as not to crack 
the flasks (you don't have to use the "high" heat setting).   But if 
there is an inexpensive alternative that will put you at ease...a 
butane stove.  Handles like a gas burner, is portable and relatively 
inexpensive to feed, and handy as hell.
These are sold in specialty stores and especially in Asian markets of 
the type found in larger East Coast cities and they are a lifesaver in 
the brew kitchen.  Paid under $30 for mine, and use it for the task you 
describe as well as heating up quantities of decoction to raise mash 
temps, sterilizing small fittings, and various other brew tasks.  I 
can't imagine brewing without it.
cheers,
AL



Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2005 11:09:43 -0500
From: "Eric R. Theiner" <rickdude at tds.net>
Subject: Topical Iodine for Sanitizing

Sean asks about using iodophor from an OR in homebrewing...

Unfortunately, it will probably contain skin conditioners 
(lanolin, etc.) to minimize the irritation caused by the use 
of the treatment. Those will present the same types of issues
that you'll get if you use dishwashing soap for cleaning 
(head retention issues, possible flavor from residue, etc.).

BUT I hate to throw anything away. I'd try it out first by 
diluting the solution to the proper level for hard surface 
sanitizing (12.5 ppm; let me know if you need help in 
figuring the calculation to dilute). Then I'd make up a
cheap and simple kit beer that would show off flavors (a 
favorite test for me is 2 cans of Munton's American Light to 
a 5 gallon batch-- it's an acceptablelawnmower beer and the 
neighbors will drink it).

Good luck!

Rick Theiner
LOGIC, Inc.



Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2005 21:17:46 -0400
From: "Paul Clarke" <ptclarke at sympatico.ca>
Subject: RE: How to open a sankey keg for home brewing

Daytona, that was painful, man.

How about just posting the link next time?

PClarke, Ottawa ON, Canada


Return to table of contents


Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 08:43:27 -0400
From: "Alan Folsom" <alan at folsoms.net>
Subject: HCCP V1.2


I'd like to announce the availability of version 1.2 of HCCP, my Homebrew
Competition Coordination Program.   HCCP is a free windows-based 
package for managingall the requirements of a competition.  HCCP has 
to date been used in at least 17competitions of which I am aware.  
Version 1.2 includes a large number of new features, mostly  generated
from the requests of the competition organizers.  These include:     

    	- the ability to handle multiple brewers per entry 

	- A parallel entry database, for entries which have not yet been 
            received.  These can then be marked as received and assigned
    entry numbers when they are in hand.  

	- Option for new, larger, bottle labels. 
	
	- Option for bottle labels with category numbers, for those who 
           wish to label  bottles after the the entries are entered into the 
           system

    	- Ribbon labels to attach to the back of award ribbons 

    	- Significantly enhanced generation of the XML report for 
           submitting to the BJCP.  Now validates entries and attempts to
           calculate point awards for Organizers, Judges, and Stewards
           based on the size of the competition. It can  also be "saved" for
	future use or updating.

    	- Many, many minor bug fixes.  

HCCP 1.2 uses a slightly different database format than previous
versions. Any old  format databases will be automatically updated to
the new format if imported into HCCP.  

For more information, screen shots, or documentation; or to download 
HCCP,go to http://www.folsoms.net/hccp/  

Cheers,

Al Folsom




Return to table of contents


Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 13:20:28 -0500
From: Eric Schoville <eric at schoville.com>
Subject: Natural Gas Burners

Is it possible to convert a Cajun cooker style propane burner to use 
natural gas?  I have bought a house with a convenient gas line in the 
garage.  Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Eric Schoville
Madison, Wisconsin


Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2005 08:52:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: roger789 at sonic.net
Subject: RE: Erlenmeyer Flasks

I make starters in 1000mL erlenmeyer flasks on my electric stove (and I
just got a 2000mL flask that I will use for lager step-ups). I will say
first that it is much easier to regulate the temperature on gas stoves
than it is on an electric range, at least until you get used to it. In
short, you can do it.

To prevent sticky boilovers, my suggestion is to slowly ramp up the wort
temp until you get to the minimum stove setting necessary for a boil. I'd
rather spend 30min to get to and complete a starter boil than spend any
amount of time scrubbing caramelized wort off of burner elements & the
stove.

Roger



Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2005 12:05:07 -0400 
From: "May, Jeff" <Jeff.May at uscellular.com>
Subject: Pressure Gauges

I have a 5# CO2 tank with a double regulator.  Each reg has a 30psi gauge
and I have a 4000psi gauge on the high side. I have gone through 3 low side
pressure gauges in as many years.  Best I can figure is that when I turn on
the gas too fast or quickly release the pressure, the needle bounces and
somehow the mechanism gets sprung.  I have had failures where it rests at
something other than zero and I have also had it totally pegged off scale
(wrapped around).  I just blew my third one and I decided to open it up to
see what's going on inside.  The workings are pretty simple but delicate. I
managed to get the needle reset and it seems to be functional.  I dug out
the two other blown gauges and 'fixed' those as well. However, they all seem
to read different now.  Is there a way to calibrate these things?  I still
need to buy a replacement gauge, but are there any ingenious ways of
checking the accuracy besides building a manifold and comparing it to a new
reference gauge?  Is anyone else having problems with popping these, or am I
just heavy handed with my CO2 valve?

Jeff May
Wilmington, NC
AR[649.7,148.6]



Return to table of contents

---