---

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


Contents:
  Homebrew Digest (David Schwartz)
  steel oats (can't find) (Victor J Bartash +1 201 957 5633)
  Lowing Density (Stephen Saroff--TMC Applications Scientist at NCSA )
  I didn't mead to (Nick Thomas)
  grains (Russ Gelinas)
  Steel Cut Oats & Cracked Grains (Patrick Stirling)
  Brewpubs in Denver (or Boulder) (MC2331S)
  New Kegging Idea? (wegeng)
  Temp to Age Ales (hersh)
  Forced carbonation in kegs (Duane Smith)
  Helles Doppelbock & Wyeast #2308 ("Munich") (Clay Phipps)
  Recipe Archives (bob)
  Where's the Brew? ("JOHN ISENHOUR")
  #573 missing (DARROW)
  Various Comments (Jack Webb)
  Bock Recipe (Jack Webb)
  Re: G. Heileman Declares Bankruptcy (John DeCarlo)
  Ye Olde Batte (corbet)
  I'm still alive! ("M.Halley")
  Bandersnatch (chris)
  Re: Steel Cut Oats? (Chris Shenton)
  Loser fails to culture yeast... Why? (Chris Shenton)
  malt vs sugar for priming (Duane Smith)
  Pilsner Recipies (Depeche)
  RE>Homebrew Digest #574 (Rad Equipment)
  soaking off labels (BAUGHMANKR)
  Use of honey in extract recepies (ardent!uunet!inland.com!pals)
  Small Fermentor (Martin A. Lodahl)
  Bottle Types (Martin A. Lodahl)
  Cooling water (S94TAYLO)
  subscription (Mark Davisson)
  enlist me in your list please........... (Anthony M Gades)


Send submissions to homebrew%hpfcmr at hplabs.hp.com
Send requests to homebrew-request%hpfcmr at hplabs.hp.com
[Please do not send me requests for back issues]
Archives are available from netlib at mthvax.cs.miami.edu


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

Date: 31 Jan 1991 07:52:35 EDT
From: David Schwartz <DSCHWART at umab.umd.edu>
Subject:  Homebrew Digest


Thanks for adding me back to the list.  I still seem to have
a great deal of trouble receiving it, a problem that began
around November.  At best since you have added me, receipt
has been sporadic.  The most recent digests I got were #569
and #571, with nothing in between and nothing since.

Is there something I can do to track down where the problem is?
I there something you can do?

Please let me know.

Thanks in advance.  I am sure this kind of thing is a nuisance,
but if I didn't REALLY enjoy this digest I wouldn't be so
persistent.

DS

Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 06:04:40 mst
From: cos.hp.com!hplabs!hp-lsd.cos.hp.com!mtgzy!vjb at hp-lsd (Victor J Bartash +1 201 957 5633)
Subject: steel oats (can't find)

I made a version of the oatmeal stout recipe a few months ago. I also
could not find "steel cut" oats in either my supply shop catalog
or local supermarkets. So, I gambled on using regular Quaker
Oats oatmeal (large package ~ 1lb). Well, this is my best
stout recipe to date (I'm still an extract brewer). The stout
is much creamier than my 2 previous attempts of TCJOHB "Toad
Spit Stout" and has good flavor.  

			Vic Bartash


Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 11:09:19 CST
From: saroff at ncsa.uiuc.edu (Stephen Saroff--TMC Applications Scientist at NCSA )
Subject: Lowing Density


I have rarely been able to get my beers, brewed mostly using John Bull
Malt, and dry Malt inplace of sugar, above a balling of 6 (I thought I
should be at 8).  Am I doing something wrong.

Also, if I use dry malt in place of brewing sugar, how should I replace it
in recipes, 1 to 1?


      SzS

- ---------------
Stephen Saroff (Thinking Machines)             o o   
TMC Application Scientist for NCSA             (_)_____o
405 N  Matthews Ave                     ~~~~~~~~~(_____)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5215 Beckman Institute                            oo oo  The Bear who Swims 
(217) 244 5556  <tmc at ncsa.uiuc.edu> <saroff at think.com>




Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 09:20:20 PST
From: nt at Eng.Sun.COM (Nick Thomas)
Subject: I didn't mead to



	Since mead is a popular subject today, I think
I'll jump in.  I was at an Ethopian restaurant (and great
jazz club) called Rassalas two 
nights ago in San Francisco.  Feeling curious, I ordered a 
glass of "Ethopian white wine" called Orls, which turned
out to be mead.  They served it ice cold, and once it warmed enough
to have some taste it was OK.  Not great, but OK. 

	The Ethopians also make a passable lager, which I 
can`t remember the name of.
	
	Warning to future Mead Makers:  I made a batch with
a friend a year and a half ago.  We tossed in lots of citrus
fruit rind, a pound-and-a-half of cranberries, and a some ginger.  It
fermented without incident, but the result is all ginger.  
There isn't even a hint of the
fruit or cranberries.  The exact amount we used
is written down somewhere, but I do remember that
we kept it down to a few ounces for the 5 gallons.


 -nick



Return to table of contents


Date:    Thu, 31 Jan 1991 12:33:21 EST
From: R_GELINAS at UNHH.UNH.EDU (Russ Gelinas)
Subject: grains

Randy T. asked about cracking grains.  I just recently had to crack a
couple of lbs. of crystal (my supplier was cleaning her mill).  I used
a coffee grinder, after having cleaned out any coffee dust.  It is one 
where you press on a button, and it grinds. Stop pressing, it stops
grinding. So you can choose your desired coarseness, more or less. It worked
very well.  As long as you're not planning on all-grain batches, it will 
serve the purpose (and it works for coffee too....).   One thing: it
will turn your grain into fine dust pretty quick if you're not careful. 

Of course, the old-fashioned (and energy-conscious) way is to crack the
grains by rolling a bottle over them.

Russ (in Manchester, NH, site of the 1991 AHA National Conference !!!? )


Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 09:42:30 PST
From: pms at sfsun.West.Sun.COM (Patrick Stirling)
Subject: Steel Cut Oats & Cracked Grains


Randy Tidd asks

>Where does one obtain Steel Cut Oats?

I got them in a local "real" food store (Rainbow Grocery in San
Francisco).  They have them in bulk. In case you don't know, they're
oats that have been cut up (presumably with a steel blade), into maybe
3 or 4 pieces per grain.  The resulting bits are about the size of a
large pinhead. In fact I suspect that Scottish "pinhead" and American
"Steel Cut" are the same thing.

>How hard is it to crack the grains myself?

I used to crack grains with a rolling pin, it works well. It's a bit of
a chore for any more than a couple of pounds though. Now I have a hand
operated mill which is great. A large heavy cast aluminium (I think)
device with a hopper and a long handle.

>How well do already-cracked grains keep, say, in the freezer?

I've never tried this. I'd recomend cracking your grains as late as
possible.  I used to get the shop to crack my grains; once I waited
several days before brewing, and I there was a noticeable drop in the
aroma. The beer turned out fine though.

patrick

Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 12:07 CDT
From: MC2331S at ACAD.DRAKE.EDU
Subject: Brewpubs in Denver (or Boulder)

	I will be heading to the Denver area this spring and I was wondering
if there were any brepubs in the area.  I seem to remember reading that there 
was one in Boulder.
	For anybody traveling through Iowa, Des Moines will be getting a
brewpub in May (tumultous cheers), the second in the state.
	Mark Castleman
	Big Dog Brewing Cooperative
	MC2331S at ACAD.DRAKE.EDU (internet)
	MC2331S at DRAKE (bitnet)

Return to table of contents


Date: 	Thu, 31 Jan 1991 10:38:31 PST
From: wegeng at arisia.xerox.com
Subject: New Kegging Idea?


A lot of the readers of this list are probably familiar with the small, approx
1.5 gallon "mini-kegs" that some German beers are available in.  I don't
remember what they are really called - they appear to be made of a light metal
and are barrel shaped.  There is a sealed opening in one end that accepts a
plastic spigot, which is then gravity fed.  There are also inexpensive CO2
canister systems for more long term use (I have one of these).

Anyway, I got to thinking the other day about trying to use one of these for
homebrew.  Before I cut one open (after drinking the beer, of course) I thought
I'd see if anyone else had played with this idea, or had any suggestions.  The
hard part appears to be refilling the container, but I may learn more after I
open one.

Any thoughts?

/Don
wegeng at arisia.xerox.com

Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 14:21:24 -0500
From: hersh at expo.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: Temp to Age Ales


Louis Clark says in #574 that aging ales at room temperature is recommended.
I have to heartily disagree with that. My reasons are as follows. 

1) British Ales (real ale, cask conditioned) are stored at cellar
temperatures, which is certainly below 60-70F (say 50-60F). These beers tend
to undergo aging in the keg as they are dispensed.

2) German Ales (Alts, Kolschs) are aged at cold temperatures (see Norm Handys
accounts from Germany), typically 30s to low 40sF.

3) Many American brewers such as The Commonwealth Brewing CO. cold condition
their beers.

Having Cold conditioned many of my own Ales, I find that this enhances
clearing of the beer by forcing additional yeast out of solution. Forces chill
haze precipitants to form and eventually settle out of solution if they are
present in the beer. The sedimentation of these elements alone will
substantially brighten the beer (hence the name Bright Beer Tanks for the
process) and remove these components from contributing to the flavor.

Higher temperatures can (not necessarily will) promote oxidation.


 - Jay H

PS Boo Hoo Digest #573 never made it. Having just gotten back on after a
vacation and job switch I was wondering if anyone else has experienced
sporadic digest service, or if I should question (torture??) my local post-
master??

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Badges, We ain't got no badges, we don't need no stinking badges......

Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 09:00:10 PST
From: hplabs!ardent!uunet!tc.fluke.COM!gamebird (Duane Smith)
Subject: Forced carbonation in kegs


	Question: Is it a good idea to refridgerate a keg immediately
	after using the "forced carbonation" method since I think CO2
	mixes better with the beer at colder temperatures?

	Or, Should it sit at some higher temperature for some period
	of time before refridgeration.

	Any advice is appreciated.. Thanks,  Duane Smith


Return to table of contents


Date: Tue, 29 Jan 91 19:18:47 pst
From: hplabs!garth!phipps (Clay Phipps)
Subject: Helles Doppelbock & Wyeast #2308 ("Munich")

It's not getting any wetter or cooler out here in Silicon Valley,
so this weekend I decided that it was "now or wait'll next year" 
for the helles doppelbock that I've wanted to brew for a long time.
I've also wanted to try out liquid "the one change that will make the
biggest improvement in your brews" yeast.  I bought a packet of Wyeast #2308 
"Munich" lager yeast packet, which struck me as best for a helles doppelbock.
Because of a change in plans a few weeks ago, it had been sitting in 
its full puffed-up glory in my refrigerator, and I was concerned about
its continued viability.  So I made a starter from dried malt extract
boiled in a pint of water, then cooled.  After 24 hours, the starter
had a slight kra(e)usen, and the fermentation lock glubbed now and then.

I half-assedly partially mashed Munich malt, crystal malt, and dry malt 
extract (the latter totaling 4 lbs., the latter 4 oz. (vol.) for enzymes only)
for an hour at 150 F (a real partial mash [cf. Miller] looks like a big 
time-sink, and what I did apparently extracted plenty of grain goodness),
did whatever the rest is called at 168 F, sparged, then added 10 lbs. of 
2-year-old bulk Lodi light malt extract, boiled with Hallertauer and Saaz 
hops for 1_1/2 hours, let cool, and got an original s.g.: 1.080. 8-}
This is comparable to the original s.g. around 1.075 for doppelbocks
readily available in California, e.g.: Ayinger Celebrator, Paulaner Salvator 
[cf. Fred Eckhardt: _The Essentials of Beer Style_].

I was looking for last-minute hints and reminders about when it was best 
to pitch starters, when I found a discussion of #2308 in the _Zymurgy_ 
yeast special issue: "VERY UNFORGIVING", followed by a recommendation
that it be used at temperatures in the neighborhood of 40 degrees F.
Relaxing thoughts of sipping the brew on a chilly North Coast April night 
changed immediately to worry.  I have no way to maintain a reliably low
fermentation temperature; I planned the brew to be the closest approximation 
possible to a helles doppelbock using home "steam-style" technology,
hopefully taking advantage of what is typically the coolest time of the 
year in San "4 years of drought in a row" Jose.  Despite my worrying,
it was getting late, the starter was whispering "pitch me", so I did.
Unfortunately, devoting a refrigerator, closet, or basement corner to the 
fermenter is not an option--I live in an overcrowded top-floor apartment.

My questions:
[1] Was my quasirigorous treatment of the specialty grains sufficiently
    better than just steeping the grains in the brewpot before it boils?
[2] Just how does unforgiving Wyeast #2308 avenge itself?
[3] What kind of liquid lager yeast works well for "steam-style" beer?
[4] Will Wyeast #2308 finish fermentation from 1.080 by itself, or 
    should I expect to use some more alcohol-resistant yeast to complete it?
[5] How long should I expect fermentation to take?
[6] Will aging the brew make much of a difference in the implied loss of 
    drinkability caused by unforgiving or avenging yeasties?

[The foregoing may or may not represent the position, if any, of my employer, ]
[ who is identified solely to allow the reader to account for personal biases.]
[This message was written and mailed after  normal business hours around here.]
                                              
Clay Phipps 
Intergraph APD: 2400#4 Geng Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303; 415/852-2327
UseNet (Intergraph internal): ingr!apd!phipps
UseNet (external): {apple,pyramid,sri-unix}!garth!phipps        EcoNet: cphipps


Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 16:35:58 CST
From: medrcw!bob at uunet.UU.NET
Subject: Recipe Archives

I've a proposal for the readership:

I'm interested in collecting all the recipes I can find from the
Homebrew Digest and compiling them into a book.

Here at Intergraph, we have a special publication system that can
produce camera-ready copy from text files.  It's called
DP/Publisher, and I worked in the division that created it, so I'm
quite conversant with it.

With everyone's permission, I'll create the book of recipes and send
a full set of master pages to the administrator of the Digest.  He
can do with it as he pleases; I'm sure that anyone who wanted a copy
of the book would be willing to pay for it.  I ask no money; simply
keep my name in the front matter of the book as the person who
produced it.

If there is an archive of the recipes available, I'd like
information on how to download it or receive it by email.

How does the readership feel about this proposal?
- -- 
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Robert C. Whitehead       |
| Intergraph Corporation    | NRA Certified Pistol Instructor
| Mapping & Energy Division | NRA Certified Rifle Instructor
| Technical Documentation   | NRA Certified Personal Protection Instructor
| Mailpath: b17a!medrcw!bob |
| Phone: (205)730-1923      |          - now all I need are students!
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From the Real World: ingr!b17a!medrcw!bob at uunet.uu.net


Return to table of contents


Date: Thu, 31 Jan 91 19:36:20 -0500
From: parsons1 at husc9.harvard.edu (Jedediah Parsons)


I'd like to throw in my two cents concerning two topics that have been re-
cently in discussion.

Firstly, for those interested in labelling their bottles, I have found a good,
cheap method.  I created my logo on paper, and reduced it on a Xerox machine
to a good bottle lable size.  I think I could fit about 6 on a page.  I ran
tons of these off, cut them up, and stuck them to my bottles with Elmer's 
Mucilage.  This stuff is great.  It is very manageable, adheres well to glass,
and even stays on when you wash your bottles in bleach.  If you want to take
your labels off and replace them, it's easier to do so when they are dry, not
wet.

I've also been reading a lot about methods of chilling wort.  I use an immer-
sion cooler, which is capable of lowering the temperature of 5 gallons of wort
from 212 F to 72 F in just a few minutes.  To make one of these heat-exchange
devices, go to a plumber's supply store and get between 25 and 50 feet of copper
tube, about 1/2 in. in diameter.  Coil it up so that the diameter of the cooler
is suitable to your setup.  Bend the two ends of the tube so that they come out
of the same end (the top) of the coil.  You can fasten some rubber hose to the
ends of the tube for water in and out.  You might also weave some copper wire
through the coils to keep them firmly in place.  I hook one end of the hose to 
my faucet via my bottle-washer, and seal the leak with a plastic bag and some 
big rubber bands.
	Before using the cooler to lower the temperature of your wort, stick it
in the pot for the last 10 minutes of the boil to sanitize it, and then run the
water through it.  This cooler is one of the best toys I have, and I think it
is well worth the not-too-great investment to make one.

	- Jed

Return to table of contents


Date: 31 Jan 91 21:47:00 EDT
From: "JOHN ISENHOUR" <isenhour at vax001.kenyon.edu>
Subject: Where's the Brew?

I will be leaving Gambier (Nobeer) Ohio to work at Fermilab near Chicago, and I
would like some advise on any good regional brews / brewers /clubs et al in the 
area.  I am sure there must be a great variety of cultural fermentation in the
area.  If a new list of brewing books in print arrives before I depart I will
post it (last chance!).  I hope I don't miss too many issues of my favorite
list!
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John L. Isenhour                     
Library Automation Project Manager   ISENHOUR at VAX001.KENYON.EDU     
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are my own, not my employer's.
            In fact, they may not be mine, it may be line noise.


Return to table of contents


Date:     Fri, 1 Feb 91 00:53 EST
From: <DARROW%IUBACS.BITNET at UICVM.uic.edu>
Subject:  #573 missing

#573 hasn't arrived, #574 arrived today (1/31) after 5pm
Please forward another copy of
#573

Thank you, for taking the time, and running the HB digest!
        D. D>>->

Return to table of contents


Date:         01 Feb 91 08:39:59 EST
From: Jack Webb <JACK.L.WEBB at OFFICE.WANG.COM>
Subject:      Various Comments


The following are some replies on various subjects from Erica Daly.  I send
her (and others) a copy of HBDs.  Any questions or comments she'll see, or
send 'em to me direct and I'll see she gets them.

jack.l.webb%office.wang.com
Jack Webb - Wang Labs, Lowell MA
- --------------------------------

I have been reading other Home Brew Digests and have a few replies:

To make a non-alcoholic beverage for children:
    Many grocery stores sell a root beer extract in the baking aisle, next to
the artificial flavorings & spices.  The box or bottle contains instructions.
You will need to buy extract, bread yeast (one packet = 1 tbsp), 5 # of cane
sugar.  I used 2 liter soda bottles (just bleach or B-brite and rinse).  All
instructions I found said not to use plastic soda bottles, but if you put them
in a cool place (less than 60 degrees) and leave an inch or two air space when
bottling, they should not burst.  I do not reuse them more than a few times
because the plastic does expand.
    I tried a few brands.  "Party Time" a store brand was terrible.  McCormick
tastes like store bought rootbeer.  Some homebrew supply shops have rootbeer
extract.  Rainbow Flavors, PO Box 22, Osage Beach MO 65065 sells extracts by
the bottle($3.95), 6 for $15, or case $25.  One bottle makes 4 gallons.
Flavors include root beer, birch root beer, sarsaparilla, passion fruit,
spruce beer, strawbeery, ginger beer, ginger ale, cherry, cream, cola, eggnog,
orange, raspberry.

Homegrown supplies:
    My brother grew barley last year.  He gave me an entire pound to add to my
tumultuous porter.  I just roasted it at 325dF until it looked ready.  He also
grew hops which did okay for the first year.  Bear Creek Nursery, PO Box 411,
Northport WA 99157 has 3 types of hops listed in last year's catalogue
(Cascade, old early cluster, tettnang).  No barley or other grains listed.
Many fruit & nut trees though.  14 varieties of grapes including chardonnay &
sauvignon blanc.

Winemaking:
    I tried making wine from a Vigneron kit.  It was ready in 3 weeks.  Any
extra aging is an improvement.  Most wines should be aged 6 months to 1 year.
The kit was from Portugal and contains english & metric measurements.  The
first thing I did was read the instructions several times, and convert all
measurements to english with the aid of the weights & measures table in
Webster's dictionary.  All utensils must be sanitized with B-brite.  There is
no cooking necessary.  Just warm tap water and cane sugar.  The kit contains
about 10 packets of pre-measured ingredients to add at various stages.  Most
of the steps are done on day 1.  In a few days, carefully shake the carboy.
Several days later add more sugar and water.  The last few days there are a
couple more packets to add.  These later steps are very easy, just mark them
on your calendar, so you don't forget them.  If you have beer making supplies,
then you probably don't need to buy anything else.  A glass carboy is highly
recommended.  I bought my kits (white - was semi dry, & red - was sweet) from
Beer Wine & Hobby, Woburn MA 01801-6206, they made 5 gallons wine.  The cost
was approx 1/2 of store bought Gallo, and tasted much like Gallo wines.  There
are other wine concentrates that I think you add and measure your own yeast,
etc.  They are higher priced, and supposedly higher quality.  The kit made a
reasonable table wine, and was also very good for cooking.

Return to table of contents


Date:         01 Feb 91 08:40:46 EST
From: Jack Webb <JACK.L.WEBB at OFFICE.WANG.COM>
Subject:      Bock Recipe


In HBD #572, Tony G was asking for Bock lore/recipes.  While I'll pass on the
lore part (I'm far from knowledgable), here's a recipe that worked well for
me in the past.

Note that this is for a Dopplebock (double bock), which is a pretty potent
brew - fair warning!  The recipe is based on the Dopplebock recipe in
Papazian's Homebrew Bible.

                                 The Grommator

    1/2 pound Pale malt
    1/2 pound Crystal malt
    1/2 pound Chocolate malt

    9.9 pounds (3 cans) dark malt extract
    1   pound dry Amber malt extract

    3 1/2 ounces Saaz hops (bittering)
      1/2 ounce Hallertauer hops (flavoring)

    Lager Yeast

    3/4 cup Corn Sugar (for bottling)

Roast the Pale malt in the oven at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes or until
golden brown.  Crack the grains and add to 1 1/2 gallons cold water.  Bring
to a boil.  Just before "serious" boiling starts, remove the grains.

Add the extracts and bittering hops.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 60 minutes.
Add the flavoring hops and boil for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from the
heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

Strain the wort into 3 1/2 gallons of cold water in the primary.  Pitch the
yeast.  Fermentation should start quickly.

Add the Corn Sugar at bottling time.

NOTES:
I used hop plugs on this batch (1st time for me).  Wonderful stuff.  They
expand and give the appearance of using whole fresh hops.  They smell great!
I think this had a considerable influence on the taste of this brew.

Strain the wort as much as you can - there will be a lot of "stuff" floating
around because of the quantities used.

OUTRAGEOUS fermentation should start the next day and continue for a couple of
days before subsiding.  I fermented this batch at about 65 degrees for a week,
then racked to a secondary.  Additional fermentation/lagering continued for 3
more weeks at 45-50 degrees (sorry, no SG readings - I don't bother).  I
bottled then (rack again - still had a lot of sediment), and let it lager in
the bottle refrigerated to about 40 degrees for a month.

IMHO, it came out really well.  Very dark and smooth, lightly carbonated, with
a considerable alcoholic "whammy".  Great sippin' beer.


Jack Webb - Wang Labs, Lowell MA
jack.l.webb%office.wang.com
- --------------------------------

Return to table of contents


Date: Friday, 1 Feb 1991 10:26:36 EST
From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo)
Subject: Re: G. Heileman Declares Bankruptcy

>From: gak at Corp.Sun.COM (Richard Stueven)
>
>Just heard on CBS Radio News...
>
>G. Heileman CO. has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
>protection.  Heileman, maker of "Old Style" (for a long time,
>the most popular beer in Chicago), has debts of $780M*.  The
>company claims that it should be back on its feet by spring.
>
>*This figure sounds awfully high...could I have misheard it?

OK, here is my understanding.  In our modern era of corporate
raiders, someone bought out the parent company of Heileman.  Of
course this person borrowed heavily, leaving the company with a
*lot* of debt.  It left Heileman with $780M of the debt.

Whatever you think of the propriety of this kind of action, most
analysts feel that Heileman will be able to get out of bankruptcy
because it has a solid business (apparently unlike some of the
other companies involved in the corporate takeover).

Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org
Usenet:    at ... at !uunet!hadron!blkcat!109!131!John_Decarlo
Fidonet:  1:109/131

Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 01 Feb 91 09:14:02 -0700
From: corbet at stout.atd.ucar.EDU
Subject: Ye Olde Batte

For those of you who remember "Ye Olde Batte", who once used to enliven this
digest with her postings...I just got a message from her.  She's in England,
on the net again, and looking for news from her co-brewers.  She asked me to
inform y'all that she's around and encourage you to write to her, so here's
part of the message she sent me....

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

From: "M.Halley" <EG2MH at primea.sheffield.ac.uk>
Subject: I'm still alive!

Hello Jon Dear (John Deere?):

I'm in
England at Sheffield University, as planned.
e-mail address is M.Halley at UK.AC.SHEF.PA or
eg2mh at primea.sheffield.ac.uk  Either one should reach me.

Did I tell you how much we enjoyed your meads?  If I didn't,
I should, 'cause we did.  Ciders here are terrific.  Haven't
tasted any local meads or homebrews.  The regular draft
beers are too good to go looking for somebody w/ a beer
sphere.
Working hard.  Send regards to Pete Soper and say thanks
for lunch and brews.  Lost one bottle of his to a hot day
plus jiggling.  The other three were highly enjoyed.  Best
regards to his lady, too.
Please give my regards to the net and ask them to correspond.
I'm now the only living member of my family, so need my friends.
If anybody's on this side of the pond & wants to reach me,
surface mail can be sent to Morgiana Halley either c/o CECTAL,
The University, Sheffield, UK, S10 2TN or 240 Albert Road,
Heeley, Sheffield, UK, S8 9RB)  Home phone is (0742)555396.
Message phone at Centre is (0742)768555ext.6296.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Warmth & hugs,                       Ye Olde Batte            h


Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 1 Feb 91 10:30:08 CST
From: medcmt!chris at uunet.UU.NET
Subject: Bandersnatch

I hate to tell you, but the Jabberwocky, mentioned in #574, is not
the same as the Bandersnatch.  Different brewpubs, different brews.
Unfortunately, I haven't been to the Jabberwocky in a while so I
can't give you a location, but it is in Phoenix and not Tempe.  
It is worth finding, however.
- -- 
                    # 
Chris Hudson        #  Don't try to have the last word,  
b17a!medch!chris    #                                  you might get it.   
X1375  IW17A5       #
Intergraph          #                     -Lazarus Long
                    #


Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 1 Feb 91 13:55:39 EST
From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Re: Steel Cut Oats?

>>>>> On Wed, 30 Jan 91 08:20:27 EST, rtidd at ccels3.mitre.org (Randy Tidd) said:

Randy> Where does one obtain Steel Cut Oats? I just flipped through my Jan 22
Randy> Home Brewery catalog and didn't find them there. Can I just go down to
Randy> the grocery and pick up a pound of cut oats?

I'm finishing up drinking an all-grain batch of oatmeal cream stout. My
third all-grain, and my best ever, IMHO :-) (very similar to Young's
Oatmeal Stout). OK, enough bragging -- if anyone wants the recipe, I'll be
happy to send it.

I got steel cut oats at a health food store. Postings here a few months ago
recommended them over regular oatmeal. Others have used the imported
British oatmeal sold in tins, but I haven't tried that.


Randy> Also I have a quick question about cracked grains.  I only plan to have
Randy> a small quantity of specialty grains around at any time, and I guess my
Randy> choices are to buy it cracked or crack it myself.  How hard is it to
Randy> crack the grains myself (using everyday implements; think minimalist
Randy> kitchen)?  How well do already-cracked grains keep, say, in the 
Randy> freezer?

I rolled the grains under a wine bottle, in a heavy plastic bag. Not great,
but sufficient. I'd be wary of pre-cracked grains sitting around absorbing
moisture -- but perhaps I'm just paranoid.

Best of luck on the stout!



Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 1 Feb 91 14:07:45 EST
From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Loser fails to culture yeast... Why?

I recently tried to culture yeast, twice, and failed both times. First from
Sierra Nevada, second from Chimay. Fortunately, I didn't get any
infections, just a dearth of activity.

Folks at HBD-land appear quite successful with both these beers -- what's
the secret? Maybe I've shot myself in the foot by purchasing beer from the
store's fridge, but I reason that my Wyeast *wants* to be refrigerated.
Maybe I'll never succeed because I live on the Right-Coast -- far away from
SN and (I believe) Chimay's importer...

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 1 Feb 91 09:10:05 PST
From: hplabs!ardent!uunet!tc.fluke.COM!gamebird (Duane Smith)
Subject: malt vs sugar for priming


	What would be the ratio for priming if you want to substitute
	dry malt for sugar for priming.

	Is 1 to 1 valid.. 2/3 cup dry malt for 2/3 cup sugar or is
	some other ratio appropriate?

				Thanks, Duane Smith


Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 1 Feb 91 11:58:02 -0800
From: rkaye at polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Depeche)
Subject: Pilsner Recipies


Does anybody have any good Pilsner recipies that they have tried?
What are some of the things to look out for when making Pilseners??
I've tried a couple of batches, but the taste of the beer was not what 
I was hoping for.

  ** Depcehe **

rkaye at polyslo.calpoly.edu

Return to table of contents


Date: 1 Feb 90 15:57:45
From: Rad Equipment <Rad_Equipment at rad-mac1.ucsf.EDU>
Subject: RE>Homebrew Digest #574

        Reply to:   RE>Homebrew Digest #574
Oats:  Regular old Quaker oats work fine!  Anything you can get in a food store
will do.  Just be sure to mash them, and don't over do it with (1lb/5 gal.
recipe) quantity or you could be looking at a stuck sparge.  Oats get pretty
mushy in the mash.

Minimalist Kitchen:  A rolloing pin works well for cracking small amounts of
grain and if you are just talking adjuncts to an extract recipe, the grain
particle size isn't as critical as in a full mash.  Use enough pressure to
break open the husks to expose the insides of each grain.  Don't grind the
grain, as this will almost certainly give you too small a size and result in
extracting too much of the tannins (or graininess) into the wort.

RotoKegs:  GET RID OF IT!  Stick with a REAL kegging set-up of stainless steel.
 Use the R-Keg on the picnic table instead of a pitcher.

HBD #573:  Did we jump a number?  I don't seem to have #573 anywhere.

Russ Wigglesworth  <Rad Equipment at RadMac1.ucsf.edu>



Return to table of contents


Date: Sat, 2 Feb 1991 12:19 EST
From: BAUGHMANKR at CONRAD.APPSTATE.EDU
Subject: soaking off labels

A follow up to Dick Dunn's comments in the last issue of HBD concerning 
soaking off lables from beer bottles with ammonia:

I haven't tried ammonia but I found that clorox and water also works very
well if you let them soak long enough.  As Dick said, the trick is to let
time do the work, not elbow grease.

I'd suggest buying a 15 or 20 gallon trash can. Fill it with water and
clorox (or ammonia).  Add a couple of cases of bottles and let them soak 
for a couple of days.  You'll be skimming the labels off the top instead
of scraping them off with your fingernails.

Alas, I didn't discover this trick until I had already removed about 40
cases worth of beer labels the hard way.

Cheers,                   | Beer is my business and
Kinney Baughman           | I'm late for work.

Return to table of contents


Date: Fri,  1 Feb 91 16:32:08 CST
From: hplabs!ardent!uunet!inland.com!pals
Subject: Use of honey in extract recepies

Have any of you out there had any experience using honey in
extract recepies?  What I had in mind was a mild Ale (say about
4 pounds of DME) with between 1/2 and 1 pound of honey added
to boost the alcohol content and give a dryer character.  Will
this work well?  Will the fermentation take much longer than
normal?

Randy
uunet!inland!pals


Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 1 Feb 91 14:39:24 PST
From: Martin A. Lodahl <pbmoss!malodah at decwrl.dec.com>
Subject: Small Fermentor

Forgive me if this was answered at length in HBD 573; I didn't get
that issue.  In HOMEBREW Digest #572, Paul Schmidt ...
> ... happened to be eating donuts at Krispy Kreame tonight and they were
> selling the buckets they get the donut filling in.  I bought one for
> $1 and am letting it soak in a weak Cloarox solution now.  The lid is
> a very tight fit but it has a rubber gasket.  Do I need to replace this
> gasket?  Can I use this as a primary fermenter?  (It is 5 gal.)  Can I
> just drill a hole in the plastic lid for the blow-by tube or fermentation
> lock?

Sure.  Almost anything can be used as a primary.  If you're making
3-gallon batches, you can use it with an airlock.  If you're making
5-gallon batches, the blowoff tube will be required.  I share your
concern about the gasket.  If you can't readily find a replacement,
you might try giving it 15 minutes in the pressure cooker, but since
it was designed for one-time use it probably won't survive.  I'm
assuming, by the way, that since it was used as food packaging, it's
food-grade plastic.  It's important that it not be (too) scratched
inside, as smooth surfaces are much easier to sanitize.

= Martin A. Lodahl   Pac*Bell Minicomputer Tactical Planning/Support =
= malodah at pbmoss.Pacbell.COM       Sacramento, CA       916.972.4821 =
= If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the wuids, =
= Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me!  8-)   =


Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 1 Feb 91 15:03:01 PST
From: Martin A. Lodahl <pbmoss!malodah at decwrl.dec.com>
Subject: Bottle Types

In HOMEBREW Digest #572, Dan Graham asked:

>	...  I've seen some notes about bottles.  The 
> implication was that long neck bottles are better ...
> Do I need to use some special type of bottle ...

Not really.  It's usual to recommend using the returnable "bar
longnecks", because they're built like trucks.  Any bottle I've ever
seen that was designed to use a twist-off cap simply looked too
flimsy to trust, and there are many on this net who've ended up with
a cellar full of "glass grenades" due to a combination of weak
bottles and over-enthusiastic priming, incomplete fermentation,
excessive ullage, or infection.  One thing to consider is the degree
of carbonation you wish to have in your beer.  I make English-style
ales that have very little carbonation, so I can afford to be casual
about my glass (though some of my older barleywines are getting
pretty peppy!), but someone who likes their beer to go "PSST,
DAMMIT!!" when the cap is popped would need to be much more
selective.

Some bottles don't work well with some cappers.  When I started, I
blew $11 on a two-handled capper, only to find that if the neck
was too thick, or the flange beneath the cap too short, I'd break
the bottle before the cap was sealed.  I sent a lot of otherwise
good bottles off to recycling before my wife found a bench capper
for $3 at a yard sale.  I haven't broken a bottle or had an
incomplete seal since.

For parties, I've used 2-liter screw-top plastic pop bottles. 
They're acceptable for lesser ales brewed to be swilled all at once
within a month of brewing.  For contests, Anchor bottles work
extraordinarily well, as their shoulder shape minimizes bottom-cake
disturbance while pouring, and their dark pigmentation won't
convince judges to detect evidence of light-damage, whether any
exists or not.

>	....  I'm trying to get some Grolsch bottles but they're 
> not common and when full, cost the earth.

Some swear by these, but I've never understood the attraction.  I
have a few and seldom use them.

= Martin A. Lodahl   Pac*Bell Minicomputer Tactical Planning/Support =
= malodah at pbmoss.Pacbell.COM       Sacramento, CA       916.972.4821 =
= If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the wuids, =
= Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me!  8-)   =


Return to table of contents


Date:     Sun, 3 Feb 91 16:10 EST
From: <S94TAYLO%USUHSB.BITNET at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject:  Cooling water

Here's my little trick:  Before I start boiling my wort, I put one of those
2.5-gallon bottles of OZONATED (not chlorinated!) in my freezer to chill.  I
make up my all-extract wort with 2.5 gallons of preboiled tap water and boil
for around an hour.  I dunk my beer pot in a sink of cold tap water for about
5-10 minutes twice.  While the wort is cooling in the sink, I pour the bottled
water into my sterilized carboy, then follow with the partially cooled wort.
The results is a wort ready to pitch (around 60-70 degrees F) with a yeast
starter, for which I use about 4 packets or 30 grams of dry yeast.
The water in the freezer should have a little ice in it, but don't worry.
I recommend this method over the "sterilized" ice method for two reasons:
        1)It's fast and easy (I imagine a lot of ice trays)
        2)It's reproducible-it's easy to measure one bottle
        3)It's a great quality control measure (it beats the hell out of D.C.
          Metro municipal water)
I know that was three, but give me a break, they made me stop using my fingers
and toes years ago.  Try it you'll like it!
Al Taylor
Uniformed Services University
School of Medicine
Brewing Docs
Bethesda, Maryland
s94taylo at usuhsb.bitnet

Return to table of contents


Date: Sun, 3 Feb 91 20:04:54 CST
From: markd at saintjoe.EDU (Mark Davisson)
Subject: subscription

Mark Davisson address is markd at saintjoe.edu

Return to table of contents


Date: Sun, 3 Feb 91 22:02:30 CST
From: tgades at stolaf.edu (Anthony M Gades)
Subject: enlist me in your list please...........


the subjest says it all..................


	tgades at stolaf.edu

Return to table of contents



End of HOMEBREW Digest #575, 02/04/91
*************************************
-------

---