HOMEBREW Digest #5059 Fri 15 September 2006


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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  Another SRM measurement ("A.J deLange")
  Craft Beer and Social Networking ("Alexandre Enkerli")
  Tom Mik's Imperial Stout (jbryant)
  Re: Mead ("Eric Wescott")
  Refrigeration ("A.J deLange")
  Fast mead ("Peter A. Ensminger")
  Mead on anniversary: 1st, 5th, 10th ("Burns, Roger")
  An essay on homebrewing ("Peter A. Ensminger")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:34:57 +0000 From: "A.J deLange" <ajdel at cox.net> Subject: Another SRM measurement I did another beer with the camera SRM method tonight - a Weizenbock and got an estimate of 9.11. The measured (ASBC protocol) SRM value was 9.4. This is still looking good! Another reason this may be working so well (touch wood) is that the blue channel filter on a typical camera is relatively narrow, approximately 420 - 480 nm according to one source. This isn't centered on 430 nm but is definitely in the important part of the spectrum. A.J. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 03:00:13 -0400 From: "Alexandre Enkerli" <enkerli at gmail.com> Subject: Craft Beer and Social Networking Darrell in Plattsburgh, NY: > From: leavitdg at plattsburgh.edu > Subject: share a drink with your boss (LA Times) > > ?You don't need to golf with the boss to get a raise. Just share a beer.? > >From LA Times: http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/e8NO0J8sCv0G2B0HrUK0E6 Thanks! The piece itself is quite short and I can't access the original article yet (it's behind the database's moving wall). But it's a fascinating subject that I would like to explore further (as an ethnographer). Peters and Stringham are talking about social drinking in general but my approach has more to do with beer, especially with craft beer. It's not yet a research subject for me, but it should become one in the near future. My observation is that craft beer appreciation is an ideal vehicle for social mobility in North America. People who want to "get ahead" could do worse than learn about beer. As we all know, beer is sophisticated enough for social conversation. But it doesn't carry the same implications as, say, Portuguese wine or French cuisine. Simply put, a beer geek can impress superiors, colleagues, co-workers, and clients with beer knowledge yet remain a "regular guy." Levels the playing field. You can become your boss' best buddy. Also, beer (especially hoppy beer) is often seen as a man's drink, which could serve to reinforce the "regular guy" image. "I'm not drinking a sissy G&T! I'm drinking a real man's IPA!" This isn't to convince you, of course. Some of you surely disagree with these raw observations. But there's something fascinating about craft beer culture. IMHO, our beer affiliations often serve to connect us beyond beer. Maybe not so much on the HBD itself but on brewclub mailing-lists, during beer festivals, on beer-related forums, and even during beer-related trips. We sometimes develop strong social ties which can go much beyond beer. Need a web designer? You probably know a beer geek who can do the job. A fellow brewer is organizing a Big Brew? You might meet potential clients or job candidates during the party. Need to borrow some iodophor? Maybe you can work on the guy's car in exchange. You go at it for the love of beer. But you stay at it for the love of friendship. Basic social networking stuff. Feel free to call me naive as these are just preliminary observations. But if you have ideas on this, I'd appreciate them greatly. In fact, feel free to leave comments on my blog. A presentation on beer culture, posted on my blog: http://tinyurl.com/h6wgw All my beer entries: http://enkerli.wordpress.com/tag/beer (No, it's not a shameless plug!) - -- Alexandre in Montreal http://enkerli.wordpress.com/ Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 07:57:57 -0400 From: <jbryant at wrsystems.com> Subject: Tom Mik's Imperial Stout Has anyone tried the Tom Mik's Impy Stout recipe from Beer Captured? It looks great, but I am hoping to get some opinions on it before I invest the time and energy. Jason B. Norfolk, VA Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:24:00 -0400 From: "Eric Wescott" <eric.wescott at gmail.com> Subject: Re: Mead Re: Steven Parfitt and his O2 stone for fast oxidation - I think you will end up making stale mead (think of a glass of wine left out overnight). Staggered nutrient addition, as Al Boyce recommends, does speed things up. Even dividing into two additions, one at pitch and one a week later, makes a big difference it getting it done. I'd say it halved the time for my fermenting. And as far as the Staggered nutrient additions vs "standard" - it's not an obscure or special method for fast mead, it's a superior method. If you have the time and attention to stay on top of it, I'd definitely recommend doing the 8th's method. Gassing out (Al Boyce again) - I've never tried this. Does it really work well? I'd be afraid of hitting too much O2 into it and turning the mead 'stale'. Maybe one good stir on day 1 or 2 to help it boost the yeast count? Another suggestion: One other thing to help hide/add flavor - try a little oak. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 oz oak chips with your mead for a couple weeks after racking. Helps add a little body and a little tannin to help balance harshness of younger mead. - --EW Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 13:03:46 +0000 From: "A.J deLange" <ajdel at cox.net> Subject: Refrigeration For Doug: I think you have defined the problem is. Ice on the "cold coil" (which is the evaporator) is a sure sign that the cooling load on the system is not adeqate (or that the metering device is stuck open but that's unlikely as this is a new fridge). I'm sure that getting some air moving over the coils would solve the problem but it should be air drawn up from the area where the actual load is. The challenge will be finding a proper fan or blower. Try industrial supply catalogues (Grainger, McMaster Carr) and electronics suppliers. Fans and blowers come in so many configurations you will probably be able to come up with something but something that will survive in the cold, high humidity environmenr of a refrigerator may be a bit much. It may be too late for this but a good way to tell that any refrigeration system is working properly is to measure the temperatures at the inlet (suction port) and outlet of the compressor or,if these are not acessible, at the outlet of the evaporator (cold coil) and inlet to the condenser (hot heat exchanger) when the device is known to be working properly (in your case, before you started the mods which is why I said it might be too late) and compare to similar measurements made when trouble is afoot. You would doubtless find the suction inlet temperature too low. Your goal would be to move enough air over the evaporator to get it up to the normal range. A.J. Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 10:08:47 -0400 From: "Peter A. Ensminger" <ensmingr at twcny.rr.com> Subject: Fast mead You can make clear, smooth-tasting, very drinkable mead in 2-3 weeks by using ultra-filtration. See: www.hbd.org/hbd/archive/4380.html#4380-11 www.hbd.org/hbd/archive/4380.html#4380-19 www.gotmead.com/content/view/324/153/ Cheers! Peter A. Ensminger Syracuse, NY Apparent Rennerian: [394, 79.9] Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:10:32 -0400 From: "Burns, Roger" <rog at umich.edu> Subject: Mead on anniversary: 1st, 5th, 10th I wanted to share something that might help if your mead isn't that drinkable in the short term. My wife and I were given a gift of 3 bottles of wine at our wedding. The bottles were specifically labeled for consumption on our 1st, 5th, and 10th anniversaries. We remembered them warmly on the 1st, and are eagerly expecting the 5th next year, and we hope to be drinking the 10th in Ireland, but I digress... While it usually applies to wine (and having a good selection that's got some future expectations of being "good"), you could easily do the same with your mead. That is, of course, if the mead is dried out enough and not a potential bottle bomb. We've used this method for gift ideas for friends/relatives and everyone loves the idea. Enjoy! Roger Burns Ann Arbor, MI Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 14:23:56 -0400 From: "Peter A. Ensminger" <ensmingr at twcny.rr.com> Subject: An essay on homebrewing An essay on homebrewing The subject of homebrewing is a controversial issue. There are many factors which influenced the development of homebrewing. Remarkably homebrewing is heralded by shopkeepers and investment bankers alike, leading many to state that there are just not enough blues songs written about homebrewing. Often it is seen as both a help and a hinderence to the over 50, trapped by their infamous history. In the light of this I will break down the issues in order to give each of them the thought that they fully deserve Social Factors Interweaving social trends form a strong net in which we are all trapped. When Thucictholous said 'people only know one thing' [1] he was clearly refering to the impact of homebrewing on today's society. No symbol is more potent than homebrewing in society today. It is quite good. Nothing represents every day life better than homebrewing, and I mean nothing. It grows stonger every day. Economic Factors Derived from 'oikonomikos,' which means skilled in household management, the word economics is synonymous with homebrewing. We will study the Fish-Out-Of-Water model, a lovely model. Average Wage Homebrewing How do we explain these clear trends? Seemingly the average wage will eventually break free from the powerful influence of homebrewing, but not before we see a standardised commercial policy for all. In the light of this free trade must be examined. Political Factors No man is an island, but what of politics? Placing theory on the scales of justice and weighing it against practice can produce similar results to contrasting homebrewing now, and its equivalent in the 1800s. Take a moment to consider the words of one of the great political analysts Odysseus Skank 'You can lead a horse to water, big deal.' [2] This quotation leads me to suspect that he was not unaccustomed to homebrewing. It speaks volumes. It would be wise to approach the subject with the thought that 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'. However this can lead to missing out important facts. One thing's certain. The Human species liberally desires homebrewing, and what's more human than politics? Conclusion To conclude homebrewing must not be allowed to get in the way of the bigger question: why are we here? Putting this aside its of great importance. It questions, puts out 'fires', and most importantly it perseveres. Let's finish with a thought from star Shania Hendrix: 'At first I was afraid I was petrified. Thinking I could never live without homebrewing by my side.' [3] [1] Thucictholous - Man - Published 42 AD [2] Skank - Politics for Dummies - PV6 Media [3] Get On The Bus - Issue 321 - Media Books - ----- Cheers! Peter A. Ensminger Syracuse, NY Apparent Rennerian: [394, 79.9] http://radioworldwide.gospelcom.net/essaygenerator/ Return to table of contents
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