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


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Contents:
  Bicarbonate ("A.J deLange")
  Amylase continues working? (Petr Otahal)
  Cereal Mash ("steve.alexander")
  Water in refrigerator (Glyn)
  Flour beer? ("Gary Smith")
  Gluten Free Beer (fredscheer)
  AHA Rally @ Brooklyn  Brewery - April 22 ("Kathryn Porter")


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Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 12:24:36 +0000
From: "A.J deLange" <ajdel at cox.net>
Subject: Bicarbonate

Bicarbonate at  174 ppm is about 3 milliequivalents per liter (whether 
the numbe be "as bicarbonate" or "as calcium carbonate). As a general 
rule of thumb the decarbonation methods brewers use will drop that to 
about 1 mEq/L or 61 ppm as bicarbonate or 50 ppm as CaCO3. You don't 
actually have to boil the water but rather just get it close to boiling 
provided you aerate it to sweep the carbon dioxide out. Boiling is OK, 
of course. The steam then sparges the CO2 but it takes longer and uses 
more heat. You can assist the precipitation by adding calcium sulfate 
(gypsum) and a wee bit of chalk (to serve as nucelation sites) which you 
would want to do anyway as pale ales are traditionally brewed with 
gypseous waters.

FWIW I have collected 6 profiles for Burton water from various sources. 
Each of them lists bicarbonate at appreciably more than 174 ppm but all 
but one indicates negative residual alkalinity because of the hardness 
of the water. You can see where they fall on the diagram at 
http://www.pbase.com/agamid/image/57446374. They are all over to the 
right (hard water part of the diagram) and below the heavy line 
(negative RA) except for the one. Thus, as long as your water is as hard 
as Burton's (by gypsum addition) you should not have to worry about this 
level of alkalinity. In fact the beer will be more authentic if you don't.

A.J.


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Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 11:49:28 +1000
From: Petr Otahal <petr.otahal at aardvark.net.au>
Subject: Amylase continues working?

Hi Folks,

I realise this is a little off topic for the forum but please bear with me.

I have been brewing whiskey wash for a small distillery and have noticed 
that I am getting really high attenuation.  Last batch was 14P (1.056) 
starting gravity and finished at 0.5P (1.002), giving me a whopping 96%AA 
after 3days fermentation.

Now I am not using any special yeast or other ingredients, and I know there 
is some lacto activity since the beer tastes slight sour (the wort is not 
boiled), but I fail to see how the attenuation can be so high.

So my question is do amylases continue working if they are not denatured by 
boiling?   I'm guessing that the Beta-amylase would be mostly gone due to 
the long mash rest, even though the mash temperatures are fairly low.

Cheers
Petr Otahal


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Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:51:02 -0400
From: "steve.alexander" <-s at adelphia.net>
Subject: Cereal Mash

I am a-maized no one has pulled the plug on this yet.

You do NOT need to boil raw grains, you merely need to crush and
get the mash above the raw grain gelatinization temp (which varies
from grain to grain).  The extraction of starch from raw grains
is slower than from raw grains.   Like in malt decoction boiling 
improves the extraction, but not radically.

I agree that a separate cereal mash with a small amount (~10%) malt
used is very useful.  The malt contains a lot of alpha-amylase so
that the amylopectin released does not retrograde.   This separate
step mash also allows more time for extraction of starch from the
raw grain.

I don't see any strong reason to avoid boiling(decocting) the cereal
mash, but it is not necessary and not used in commercial systems
where the energy cost is accounted for.

- --

I can't recall the details anymore, but various forms of oats are
made in with varying degrees of heat treatment and varying particle
size.  I believe the original "quaker oats" are whole grains rolled
flat on a hot metal drum, whereas "1-minute" and "quick" varieties
are cut into smaller pieces. Torrified grains are heated with steam,
perhaps under pressure to the extent that gelatinization and some
beta-glucans degradation appears ... or so it is claimed ... then
often rolled flat.

Aside from the extent of mashing required it doesn't make much
difference whether you brew with steel-cut, 1-minute or other oats.
I suspect that the oat variety is of greater importance than the
form.

 -Steve





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Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:15:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Glyn <graininfuser at yahoo.com>
Subject: Water in refrigerator

There is water in the bottom of the beer
refrigerator!!! What are the most likely causes and
remedies?

Before I spend money on taps I want this water gone.
I'm thinking there is just a plugged drain somewhere.

Thanks,
Glyn in S. middle TN



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Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:59:19 -0500
From: "Gary Smith" <Gary at doctorgary.net>
Subject: Flour beer?

While waltzin' through Costco I passed by their huge 
bags of flour & I couldn't help but wonder if anyone's 
ever tried (with success) making beer from flour.

Seems like the addition of some 6 row for enzymes 
might do the conversion but how to deal with the 
inevitable sludge? Husks? I sure wouldn't run it in my 
rims, that would be a nasty mess to clean afterwards.

I'm not thinking high quality brew but just wondering 
what might be possible.

Gary 


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Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 12:16:31 -0400
From: fredscheer at aol.com
Subject: Gluten Free Beer

I know it is a bit late in responding to the subject, but
I just returned from a trip.
First, Gluten is a protein, and has the following amounts: in Wheat (is 
called
Gliadins) +/- 25 g/Kg); in Wheat malt (34 g/Kg) and in Barley, called 
Hordeins (20 g/Kg);
Barley malt (25 G/kG), RYE (is called SECALINE) 20 G/kG., and OATS (IS 
CALLED AVIDINS (15 G/kG).
What are the results in a human body to Gluten intolerance?
 -Changes to the lining of the upper part of intestine; leaky Gut; 
Diarrhea; headaches; Anemia; Ulcers.
Now, there are several brewing methods for Gluten free beer.
1. Brewing with Sorghum and 2. Malting with Cereals.
In both methods we are running into problems with less amino acids as 
required (we need enzymes
and extra nitrogen in the process) and the buffer capacity is very low, 
we have to add calcium.
Also, it is important to note that Gluten free beer is brewed without
Aroma hops, as the pseudo-cereal have enough aroma (example: Sorghum).

Fred Scheer


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Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:58:12 -0600
From: "Kathryn Porter" <kathryn at brewersassociation.org>
Subject: AHA Rally  at  Brooklyn  Brewery - April 22

East Coast Brewers - 
RSVP NOW for the Brooklyn Brewery AHA Rally this weekend at the Brooklyn
Brewery. Saturday, April 22 is your chance to meet Garrett Oliver and Steve
Hindy from Brooklyn Brewery. There will be a raffle, brewery tour, and 8
beers on tap! Don't miss your chance to taste some of the finest
award-winning beers New York has to offer and mingle with other brewers and
beer enthusiasts.

Entrance to the Rally is FREE for all AHA members. All attendees become a
member of the American Homebrewers Association. Membership discounts are
offered at the door.  

Please RSVP: http://www.beertown.org/events/rally/rsvp.aspx
More Info: http://www.beertown.org/email/aha/membership_drive/brooklyn.html

Saturday - April 22, 2006
Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm 

Brooklyn Brewery
#1 Brewers Row
79 North 11th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Tel:  (718) 486-7422 

Cheers,
Kathryn


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