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


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Contents:
  RE: A Boozy Beer That Won't Give You a Hangover (David Huber)
  Contamination Problem from HBD #6032 (Adam Arndt)


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Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:15:25 -0400
From: David Huber <n3uks.dave at gmail.com>
Subject: RE: A Boozy Beer That Won't Give You a Hangover

The beer described in that article used added electrolytes that was said to
reduce the effect of a hangover.  I recall a number of years ago there was
a recipe in BYO for a beer that replaced about half the water with Mountain
Dew (http://byo.com/light-ale/item/1167-mountain-brew).  Perhaps the same
thing could be done with Gatorade instead to get electrolytes into the
brew. :)  Just imagine the flavor possibilities!

Dave Huber
Jessup, MD

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Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 00:16:15 +0000
From: Adam Arndt <adama at microsoft.com>
Subject: Contamination Problem from HBD #6032

In regards to the contamination problem from a couple Digests ago, can you
provide any tasting notes on the quality/type of sour note that you're
getting? 

Is it a clean yoghurt-like sourness (lactic acid) or is it a sharp
vinegar-like sourness (acetic acid)? -This will help to t-shoot what organism
we might be dealing with.

Acetobater will produce acetic acid / vinegar but it definitely requires the
presence of oxygen so under typical fermentation and bottling conditions it's
pretty low on the list.  Acetobater is carried by fruit flies and it's
probably the main source of acetobater infections. -Is this a chance? 

Changing subject slightly from what organism might be at fault, when in the
process are you adding the honey?  -Honey naturally has microorganisms living
in it (wild and strange yeasts); they can't ferment in honey because the
specific gravity/ osmotic pressure is to high but as soon as honey gets
watered down they can start to ferment and I've found they can produce some
nasty flavors. -If you're not hitting the honey with significant heat they
could be alive and producing the acid that you're dealing with, too. (Mead
makers: don't shoot the messenger; I know over heating delicate, expensive
honey is mead making blasphemy but it doesn't change the facts.) 

It certainly COULD be in your equipment but I wouldn't necessarily throw it
all away.  Give it a stronger than usual soak in an alkaline cleaner like PBW
(or a blend of PBW and an oxygen-based cleaner), the rinse and give it a
stronger than usual soak in StarSan. -You'll attack the problem from several
different angles this way to even if it's a microorganism that can deal with
a low ph, you'll still take care of it (if it's acetobater PBW + Oxygen-based
cleaner should take care of it in a hurry). 

If you want to go crazy and all of the equipment can deal with hot steam
give it a good steaming, too. Steam will lyse cells rather quickly. 

Adam 

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