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


Contents:
  keg fittings (Marty Albini)
  Freezers/refrigerators ("Gary F. Mason  04-Sep-1990 1600")
  BrewKing, Ltd. (Norm Hardy)
  Backwash Yech!, Multiple yeasts?? (Bill Crick)


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


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Date: Tue, 4 Sep 90 8:24:19 PDT
From: Marty Albini <martya at sdd.hp.com>
Subject: keg fittings

semantic!bob at uunet.UU.NET writes:
> 
> I'm going to be placing an order for a keg soon and I was wondering
> what the merits and differences are of the ball-lock verses the
> pin-shaft type of valves/connectors.

	The ball-lock type can be reversed (inlet to outlet
etc) which is handy for artificial carbonation. The same thing
can be accomplished with pin type fittings, but requires
purchasing some extra hardware.
 
> Is one or the other harder to disassemble
> or clean.  Dependability, availability of parts.

	You can use a deep-dish socket wrench on the ball
type, tho Foxx sells special sockets for pulling pin type
fittings off. They both use the same valves internally, so go
with what you can get cheap if none of the above bothers you.
- --
________________________________________________Marty Albini___________
"Thank god for long-necked bottles, the angel's remedy."--Tom Petty
phone    : (619) 592-4177
UUCP     : {hplabs|nosc|hpfcla|ucsd}!hp-sdd!martya
Internet : martya at sdd.hp.com 
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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Date: Tue, 4 Sep 90 13:02:57 PDT
From: "Gary F. Mason 04-Sep-1990 1600" <mason at habs11.enet.dec.com>
Subject: Freezers/refrigerators

I have about decided that the ideal vehicle to keep the kegs cool is a chest 
freezer.  Has anyone ever put a refrigerator thermostat in a freezer?  I am 
trying to recall, but I don't think freezers can be set high enough (50-55 F).

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Date: Sun, 2 Sep 90 22:13:38 PDT
From: hplabs!ames!gatech!mailrus!uunet!polstra!norm (Norm Hardy)
Subject: BrewKing, Ltd.

A specialty store in Seattle is advertising a "do-it-yourself" brewbag
with tap.  Here is the kicker:

 The kit contains yeast, additive-free malt, hops, and sugar in a
 collapsable 20 pint (10 qt) bag.  The price:  are you ready...
 $45

 The owner said that the Bitter kit tasted "a lot like Ballard Bitter.
 It was really good."

 When I called up to ask about the product, the lady said that they would
 soon be getting a "lay-grr" kit in.  

 The promo also said that "in three weeks you should have a frothy mix
 comparable to London's or Munich's finest."

 Is this stuff going to give homebrewing a bad name or what?

Norm Hardy



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Date: 	Tue, 4 Sep 1990 09:41:25 -0400
From: hplabs!ames!gatech!bnr-vpa!bnr-rsc!crick (Bill Crick)
Subject: Backwash Yech!, Multiple yeasts??

I have noticed something that happens when doing closed primary 
fermentations, and I'm wondering if anyone can explainit.
When I first rack the beer into the carboy, pitch the yeast, and
attach a blowoff tube with the end in water, the beer initially
sucks water up the blowoff tube and into the carboy! This happens for the 
first day or so. I've had it happen with bleach water in the blowoff bucket,
and so my beer sucked up bleach! Yechh! Now I don't seal the cork for the 
first day or so, but I wonder what causes this suction? Yeast removing
oxygen from beer, lowering partial pressure of oxygen?
The beer is already near/at room temp, and so is the carboy, so I don't think
it is expansion or contraction.

 My second question regards yeast for very high gravity beers. I'm
planning to make Imperial Raspberry Stout, and I am wondering what yeast to 
use? Looking at all the stuff that is going to go into it, it is going 
to have a lot of alcohol (I'm wondering if there will be room for any 
water;-) ), and was wondering if garden variety yeast can handle the 
high alcohol content? I've not worked with this high an alcohol content
before except for a beer that ended up quite sweet like Olde Peculiar.
 The guy at Defalco's (local shop) suggested I use a yeast by Cordon Brew
which is listed as being for stouts, but I have no experience with this 
company (haven't heard of them before), and am reluctant to risk the
$100 worth of ingredients on a new untried yeast? Any comments on this yeast
or suggestions on what to use?
 Another question that comes to mind is using multiple strains of yeast?
One to start and get quick attenuation, and then a high alcohol tolerant
one to finish the job? Any experience with this? I have found that mixing 
multiple yeast strains, does not always work. On a few occasions it worked
OK, but on others, I have ended up with extremely slow fermentations, up to
8 months? It almost seems as if the yeasties are too busy trying to kill 
each other off to eat? Sounds like some African countries? Anyone
know anything about this, or where to find out? 


Thanks for any info. Bill Crick 
 



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End of HOMEBREW Digest #489, 09/05/90
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