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


Contents:
  Stepmash <-> infusion (chip upsal)
  Books on [shhhhhh!] distillation? (Chris Shenton)
  "Lager Eggs" in HBD #647 (May 29, 1991) (Jean Hunter)
  I forgot... (Matthias Blumrich)
  Cider info (hersh)
  Chlorine alert? (Steve Anthony)
  Re: Oatmeal Stout, Mashing, Lager Smells. (larryba)
  infusion mashes, hot weather brewing (R. Bradley)
  ZYMURGY? (J. Michael Diehl)


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Date: 29 May 91 08:06:52 EDT
From: chip upsal <70731.3556 at compuserve.com>
Subject: Stepmash <-> infusion

POORE at SCRI1.SCRI.FSU.EDU (DAVID)  writes:


>      I've got a Gott picnic cooler mash/lautertun and
>I'm also wondering if it is feasable to do a step mash using
>this by simply adding different temp water or if it is necessary
>to have a heat source. Thanks for any help.


I use the same set up and here is how i do it; I call it the modified
decoction method.

for a proteen rest I heat water to 135F and add to grains -- one quart of
water for each pound of grain.  The temp stabalizes at about 125-130F.

After 30 min I add  one pint of boiling water for each pound of grist to
the mash tun. this stabalizes the mash at about 150F for about 20 min.

To further rais the temp I remove about 1/3 of the liquide in the mash tun
via the drain on the cooler and bring that to a boil.  Then I return the
boiling liquor to the tun and stabalize the temp at 158.  I hold that
about 20 more min.

Of course you will have to play with the times and temps to match your
system

Chip


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Date: Wed, 29 May 91 09:42:36 EDT
From: Chris Shenton <chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Books on [shhhhhh!] distillation?

I'm looking for info on distillation -- techniques, equipment (eg: pot or
refractory, etc), and so on.

Can anyone recommend a books, articles, or other sources? Thanks.

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Date:         Wed, 29 May 91 12:40:27 EDT
From: Jean Hunter <MS3Y at CORNELLA.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject:      "Lager Eggs" in HBD #647 (May 29, 1991)


K-Johnson's new lager batch stinks - well, Ken, I hope your spouse is more
tolerant of off-odors than mine.  Seriously, don't worry, relax, etc.
Different yeast strains blow off different by-products, and if the odor is
coming off the primary, it will be minimized in the final product.  Using
a dry lager yeast, your batch would smell like strawberry and pineapple.
Evolution of hydrogen sulfide means that your batch has a very low redox
potential (opposite of oxidized) and is slightly acidic, both OK.  Is your
UC Davis yeast strain available commercially?  It sounds like a very fast
starter.  I would be interested in getting some if it conserves malt character
and does not produce diacetyl.   Let us know how it goes! -- Jean

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Date: Wed, 29 May 91 14:11:38 -0400
From: Matthias Blumrich <mb at Princeton.EDU>
Subject: I forgot...

Sorry to bring this up again, but I forgot what the substitution ratio of dry
malt extract to liquid malt extract in recipes is.  That is, I want to use dry
instead of liquid.  Could someone please mail this info.  Thanks in advance.

 - Matt -
mb at cs.princeton.edu

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Date: Wed, 29 May 91 14:38:11 EDT
From: hersh at expo.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: Cider info



OK so why is it that the initial call to mail out Cider info generated only ~14
inquiries, but the "last chance" call generated ~30??

Is this group a little slow on the uptake or what??

JaH


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Date: Wed, 29 May 91 14:37:48 EDT
From: Steve Anthony <steveo at Think.COM>
Subject: Chlorine alert?


Gack!! I saw this pass accross the net in reference to the PR efforts of
the chlorine industry. I use regularly use bleach to sanitize my carboys,
bottles, etc. What effect am I having on the environment/me? Anyone know?

"The truth is that chlorine is a chemical whose days are
numbered. Its use has created some of the most intractable
environmental problems in history."
DDT, PCBs, Agent Orange, CFCs and dioxin all originate from use
of chlorine.

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Date: Wed May 29 09:56:59 1991
From: microsoft!larryba at cs.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Oatmeal Stout, Mashing, Lager Smells.

On single infusion mashing:  Klages is suppose to have enzymes equivilent to
6 row malt (Miller, The "Complete Handbook of Home Brewing").  I have had
good results with Klages pale ale malt and 25% adjunct and single step infusion
mash.  It was a stout from Papazian, "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing", 6lb
klages, 1 lb each, roast barley and flaked barley in 5 gallons.

I have had some good pilsners and made a couple of lagers (vienna, american
bock and pilsner (still lagering)) that were all single step infusion mashed.
Some were done with English and some with Klages pale ale malt.

- -----
For the fellow with the Oatmeal Stout, the extract rate per Miller is

    Pale Ale  = .035/lb/gal
    Raw grain = .035/lb/gal (for barley, I assume oats are similer)

So you could expect (.035 * 3 + .035 * 1) / 3.5 = .040 (1.040).  I don't
think that 20 minutes is excessivly fast.  I typically spend less than a half
hour sparging 7-10lb of grain for a 5 gallon batch.  Your rates are probably
small because of fixed losses in your system and the small size.  If you did
a full mash your rates would be similar to Millers.  My first mash was
similar to yours (a three gallon batch) and I got similer results. Subsequent
batches have been a full 5 gallons and my rates are similar to Millers.  My
runnings are always cloudy.  I think you just want to make sure you don't get
any obvious grain or husk in your wort - not even an issue with a stout!

- -----
One of the defining characteritics of Lager Yeast is the rotten egg smell.
I believe that the smell is suppose to be reduced by the yeast during the
lagering period.  That is what appears to happen in my lagers.




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Date: Wed, 29 May 91 15:41:50 CDT
From: bradley at dehn.math.nwu.edu (R. Bradley)
Subject: infusion mashes, hot weather brewing

In #647, Martin Lodahl quotes David Poore, then advises:

>> I am currently not set up to do step mashes (and won't be for a while) 
>> and it seems that the ratio of step to infusion recipes I see is about 
>> 10:1. Is there a pretty reasonable way to convert recipes using step 
>> mash to infusion or am I simply limited by the types of grains I can 
>> use? I've got a Gott picnic cooler mash/lautertun ...

> Using a single temperature does limit you to grains
> that have been pretty completely modified, such as English pale ale
> malt, as the basis of the beer.  

This appears to be a central part of the cannon to any homebrewer who
has ever read Papazian.  I've been mashing for 5 years this summer,
maybe 160 mashes, and I've rarely used anything but an infusion mash.
Canadian malt, American and English, 2-row and 6-row, singly and in
combination.  Never a problem with poor enzyme levels, slow or incomplete
conversion, or excessive chill hazes.  At first, believing Papazian and
dreading chill haze, I always used step mashes.  When I learned that
Upper Canada makes German style lager with Canadian ("under"modified)
2-row malt in a single-stage, I stopped worrying... 

I sometimes got chill hazes with step mashes, I now sometimes get 
perfectly clear beer at fridge temperatures with infusion mashes.
I don't think there's any correlation at all.

I would be willing to believe that a step mash is necessary if one
uses substantial amounts of adjunct, and I can understand wanting to
brew wheat beer in the summer, but otherwise, I don't personally have
much use for rice or corn.


Speaking of summer, it's 90 degrees in Illinois these days.  I live
on the top floor of a three-storey house.  Is there anyway I can 
continue brewing short of air-conditioning the place?

Cheers,
Rob
bradley at math.nwu.edu

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Date: Wed, 29 May 91 20:59:30 MDT
From: J. Michael Diehl <mdiehl at triton.unm.edu>
Subject: ZYMURGY?

How does one subscribe to ZYMURGY?

Thanx in advance.

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End of HOMEBREW Digest #648, 05/30/91
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