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


Contents:
  Beer gone lemon (Jeff Rickel)
  Brewing with Chocolate (John DeCarlo)
  Aluminum and Alzheimer's (Steve Lamont)
  Xingu Beer (GEOFF REEVES)
  boiling on an electric stovetop  (Carl West)
  Gas Burners (John L. Isenhour)
  Trub and blowoff (joshua.grosse)
  Hop Viri (chuck)
  Artificial Carbonation (Keith Winter)
  Trub: a data point (STROUD)
  My new wort chiller!  (Eric Mintz)
  A real stout stout!  (Eric Mintz)
  Kolsh, Kegs, and Krausening (Aaron Birenboim)
  New Brewers (John DeCarlo)
  boiling (DAMON_NOEL/HP0800_01)
  My first lager needs advice (Jacob Galley)
  pump answer (GC-HSI) <rnapholz at PICA.ARMY.MIL>
  Re: Homebrew Digest #830 (February 24, 1992)-beer pumps (Richard Akerboom)
  Great Eastern U.S. Invitational Microbrewery Beer Festival (GC Woods)
  March Mashfest (sanctioned competition) (Steve Dempsey)
  fermentation locks (Bryan Gros)
  galena hops (Heather Godsey)
  Water heater parts for an electric immersion heater? (Dennis J. Templeton)
  Large Fermenters (korz)
  I was wrong about fusel (see above) (joshua.grosse)
  Yeast in the Secondary for a Framboise? (Lee J. Slezak)


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


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

Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1992 07:52:16 -0600
From: rickel at cs.utexas.edu (Jeff Rickel)
Subject: Beer gone lemon

I have had several commercial beers that somehow went bad and 
developed a lemon flavor, as if someone dumped some lemonade in 
them.  On a similar but perhaps unrelated note, a few of my beers
have had a very subtle hint of a citrus flavor.  What is the 
origin of these flavors?  If it makes a difference, I make 
partial mash ales with dried yeast.

Jeff

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Date: Monday, 24 Feb 1992 09:55:30 EST
From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo)
Subject: Brewing with Chocolate

I want to brew with chocolate.  I know this topic is not new, but
it came back to my mind after reading the proceedings of the AHA
Conference (Volume 11).  Fred Eckhardt mentioned using dark
cooking chocolate when brewing in the report on his beer and
chocolate tasting.  Does anyone have any more info on this?

My latest plan is to use the brew pot as part of a double-boiler
to properly melt the chocolate before stirring into the wort.  As
others have noted, chocolate will tend to clump and not melt (if
not worse) when just dumped into hot water/wort.

Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org
           (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org)
Fidonet:  1:109/131

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 07:26:55 PST
From: spl at dim.UCSD.EDU (Steve Lamont)
Subject: Aluminum and Alzheimer's

Jack "arf" Schmidling says:
>  From: <S94WELKE%USUHSB.bitnet at VTVM2.CC.VT.EDU>
>  Subject:  Aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease
>  
>  >The brain lesions found in AD do indeed contain Al, but the same levels of 
>  Al are found in normal peoples' brains.
>  
>  That sounds like something the "tobacco lady" might say on Crossfire.
>  
>  How could the controversy ever have arisen if that were true?

Yeh, they couldn't say it if it weren't true.  Right.

I work at the University of California Medical School Department of
Neurosciences with a number of scientists doing basic research on the
subject of Alzheimer's disease.  In fact, I've recently done 3D
reconstructions of nerve cells from biopsy and autopsy specimens,
detailing the progression of the disease from onset to eventual death.
Nowhere, I repeat, NOWHERE in this study has aluminum played the
slightest part.  There is a bunch of glop called neuritic plaque that
seems to form at the synapses.  I don't know what it is composed of,
offhand (I'll ask when one of my collegues shows up this morning) but
it isn't made of Reynolds Wrap, I know that much.

Note:  I'm not a biologist, I'm a computer graphics nerd, and the
closest I've ever been to a medical degree is the one hanging in my
doctor's office.  But I have access to people who do have MDs and PhDs
in the subject in question and I've asked about the correlation
between Al and ALZ on a number of occasions.  None of the scientists
that I've asked has said that there is anything more than the
slightest correlation between the two.

If you want to worry about something, worry about the supposedly
"safe" ultrasound scans that are in use all over the place.

On second thought, screw it.  Have a home brew.

						spl (the p stands for
						punishing my synapses)

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 09:37:41 -0700
From: 105277 at essdp1.lanl.gov (GEOFF REEVES)
Subject: Xingu Beer


> From: Eric Mintz <ericm at bach.ftcollinsco.NCR.COM>
> Subject: Xingu beer 
> Date: Wed, 12 Feb 92 18:41:36 MST
> 
> Has anybody tried Xingu beer from Brazil?  Xingu calls it a "black"
> beer.  It tastes somewhere between an imperial stout and an Irish stout
> with about 1/2 the hops of either.  If you haven't yet, give it a taste!
> If you have, how would *you* classify it?
> 
> Speaking of Brazilian beers, anyone ever hear of Malzbier?  Brahma and
> Antarctica (both brazilian breweries) make it.  I've never been able to
> find it in the US.


I'm obviously a little behind on my reading but I couldn't find anyone
else answering this question in a quick scan of contents.

This month's "Rocky Mountain Brews" - a newspaper like "The Celebrator" -
has an article on Xingu. The story is that a "beer consultant" (who's name
I've forgotten) has this great scam where he finds people to pay for
his travels all around the world to find beers to import. Back in the
days of lighter-is-better mentality he was in Brazil where he found a type
of "black beer" that was based on an ancient recipe documented by the
first white explorers in the region. When someone asked him for 
recommendations about importing dark beers to compete with Guiness
he remembered Brazil and probably thought "Great another free trip
to Rio!" so he went down and found that Lagers had replaced the
"black beer" but that it was still "home-brewed" in the Amazon.
He went in search and found plenty of people that brewed it the old
way. However, the old way was one of these chew-the-grain
and-spit-based recipes which was unacceptable for import so he 
contracted with a brewery that was on the edge of ruin and they
brewed the beer according to his all-grain no-spit recipe. It was 
subsequently imported by his wife's company so he could promise the
brewery that they would have a market.

If anyone is particularly interested in this guy's name or less hazily
remembered facts then I'll look up the article again. By the way this
was one of the (if not THE) best article I've ever read in the 
"Rocky Mountain Brews."

Geoff Reeves
Atomic City Ales
Los Alamos NM

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 10:50:57 EST
From: eisen at kopf.HQ.Ileaf.COM (Carl West)
Subject: boiling on an electric stovetop 


**theory_without_experience_alert**

For boiling in a large pot, would it be helpful to cover the stovetop 
around the burner with a couple layers of aluminum foil?  

It seems to me that this should help keep the heat from the stovetop 
and direct it toward the pot AND aid cleanup in the event of a boilover.

Or could it cause some bad/dangerous heat concentration?

**end_alert**

Carl

When I stop learning, put me to bed with a shovel.

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Date:    Mon, 24 Feb 1992 10:51:41 -0600 (CST)
From: ISENHOUR at LAMBIC.FNAL.GOV (John L. Isenhour)
Subject: Gas Burners

ingr!b11!mspe5!guy at uunet.UU.NET asks:
(edited)
>I've seen references to using an old gas water heater burner to construct a
>beer cooker.  My question is, how would one go about constructing a cooker out
>of this?  I know I'd have to cut the thing open to get the burner and change
>the gas ports for LP instead of natural gas but what else should I know?d

I have pulled the gas burner out of a couple of water heaters, its pretty easy.
I then welded up some angle iron (1.5 inch on a side) into a box shape that
would allow a 33 qrt cooker to sit inside on the angles (just so happens that
given a wee bit of tolerence, a SS keg will rest inside this also).  I then
welded a piece of flat stock across the center, just underneath the angle that
the pot rests on, bent such that the burner was held a the right height from
the pot.  The burner had a little screw-like item in the bottom center of the
burner so I drilled a hole in the flat stock - the screw slides into that for
positive positioning).  I attached another section of flat stock on one side to
brace the bottom of the burner where the gas is injected.  (sorry, theres no
way to discribe this better on character cell media)

There is an (aluminum?) tube that comes off of the burner and attaches to the
gas control box which has a flange fitting.  I cut that off with a pipe cutter
(hacksaw would work).  I went to an automobile supply and got 30 feet of rubber
like gas line that fit the tube.  I attached the rubber tubing to the aluminum
tubing with a hose clamp.  About 5 or so inches down the rubber tubing from
that connection, I put an inline on/off valve (I used a welding O2 needle valve 
but a variety of items world work).  This is for adjusting the flame to
perfection and as an emergency shutoff (like for boilovers).  The other end of
the tube is connected to a "barb" with a hose clamp then a shut-off valve.
This connected to the natural gas supply (typically near my gas dryer).
*This stays turned off at the supply side when not in use*.

I am sorry I cannot send a picture, If you mail me I can send measurments or
whatever you need.  The bottom of a 33 qrt cooker is about the size of one of
the squares that makes up the box.  This size in case I wanted to bolt it to
something higher (gravity hop back) but I can easily pull the burner off and
throw it in the yard and attack it with oven cleaner if I get a boil over.
I also typically put an aluminum foil skirt around the thing when I am cooking
outside to keep the heat concentrated.

I have used the system for over three years now (extensively) with no apparant
wear on the hosing.  I have enough tubing to brew outside in the summer, and I
can run it in the basement or kitchen in the winter.  I used natural gas
because thats what the burner was made for and thats what I had access to.

 -
John Isenhour  
Isenhour at lambic.fnal.gov
hopduvel!brewmaster at linac.fnal.gov

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Date: Monday, 24 February 1992 11:59am ET
From: joshua.grosse at amail.amdahl.com
Subject: Trub and blowoff


Michael Charlton discussed trub in HBD 830.  Miller's TCHOHB recommends
trub removal for the very reason he stated.  The O2 will be taken from the
trub instead of from free O2 in the wort.  Of course, I don't have a copy with
me at the office else I could quote the reasoning.

For five out of the last six years that I've been brewing I've used a blowoff
tube, and found the results much improved.  That first year, though, I used a
plastic fermenter and had lots of sanitation trouble.  My switching to a
carboy and going with closed fermentations helped the sanitation, which likely
help the flavor more than the blowoff tube.

The last 6 months or so, I switched from extract based brewing to all-grain,
and added a wort chiller.  I've noticed tremendous amounts of trub, and now
delay pitching for 3 or 4 hours after sparging and racking into a carboy.
Then I rack again before pitching.  As I culture yeast in a carboy, I
typically rack onto my starter.  The last batch, I left nearly a gallon of
trub behind.

Lately I've been using Wyeast 1059 - American (Chico) Ale yeast.  This yeast
never needs a blowoff tube.  I find that the combination of no (or little)
trub and no blowoff makes a great tasting beer.

In the article he mentioned a brewmaster who recommended staying away from
high temperatures due to fusel alchohols.  My understanding (Millerazian) is
that higher temperatures promote esters and reduce diacetyl.  I also learned
in my BJCP class that the level of Valine in the malt will affect diacetyl
levels perhaps more than the yeast or the temperature.  The instructor, Fred
Scheer of Frankenmouth Brewery, says that he adjusts mashing and fermentation
schedules depending on the results of the malt analyses he gets with each
batch. Homebrewers don't get analyses. In general, Scheer believes that
maltsters sell overmodified malts to homebrewers because they think, perhaps
rightly, that we're more concerned with degree of extract than any other
aspect of our malts.

The jury may be out as far as blowoff is concerned.  However, there appears to
be documented evidence (Miller, et.al.) that trub will affect yeast behavior
in ways which may be harmful to quality beer.


- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Josh Grosse                                jdg00 at amail.amdahl.com
Amdahl Corp.                               313-358-4440
Southfield, Michigan

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Date: Mon Feb 24 11:11:22 1992
From: synchro!chuck at uunet.UU.NET
Subject: Hop Viri

>From: eisen at kopf.HQ.Ileaf.COM (Carl West)
>
> *I suspect my Saaz rhizome has a virus, anyone know what to do about it? 

Hops, by R.A.  Neve, lists 5 viruses, 2 viroids and 9 fungal diseases that 
attack hops.  If you can describe the symptoms, I could look it up, but your 
best bet would be to get a copy of the book and look at the pictures yourself.  

- -----
Chuck Cox
SynchroSystems
chuck at synchro.com


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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 9:27:43 PST
From: winter at cirrus.com (Keith Winter)
Subject: Artificial Carbonation

First, let me thank all those that responded to my request for the CO2
chart.  I appreciate the fast responsees.

Now for another question: the chart doesn't provide all that I was looking
for.  What I need to know is how long at a particular pressure and temperature
does it take to carbonate to the level that is shown in the chart?  If I
wanted to obtain the level of carbonoation of a British Ale as shown in the
chart, how long should it take at the indicated temperature and pressure?  

I know I should relax and all, but tapping a glass of beer each day to check
for the right level of carbonation will undoubtedly empty the keg by the time 
the right level is reached.  So far, I've had the keg at 8 psi and 40 degrees F
for a week and the level of carbonation is not nearly enough - only a very few 
bubbles initially (other than a very nice head) which disappear relatively 
quickly.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

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

Keith Winter  at  Cirrus Logic, Inc. (winter at cirrus.com)

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1992 12:21 EST
From: STROUD <STROUD%GAIA at leia.polaroid.com>
Subject: Trub: a data point

Here is one data point in the trub vs no-trub debate.  

Joel Bauman, a member of the Boston Wort Processors, conducted a trub/no-trub
experiment for our club in 1989.  Please note that this was a 2-stage, no
blow-off fermentation in glass.  Also note that this was an excess-trub
experiment, since the full trub was fermented with half the volume of wort.

The following except is taken from the club newsletter:


Fermentation on trub vs racking off before yeast pitching. 
    The beer was an all-grain pale ale.  Starting gravity was 1.052 (I didn't
get a complete recipe.  A liquid ale yeast was used). After the boil, the wort
was cooled, then racked into a sanitized container which was stoppered and
placed in a refrigerator to achieve a good cold break.  After the trub had fully
settled out, half of the wort was syphoned into another sanitized container,
taking great care to leave all of the trub behind.  The same yeast was pitched
into both containers and fermentation was allowed to proceed normally.  Joel
commented that the trub-containing beer fermented out in 5 days while the
trub-less beer took a bit longer, 7 days.
     
Comments from a blind-tasting that the club held:
Opinion was virtually unanimous:  almost everyone favored and could pick out
the trub-less beer.  It was smoother and seemed better balanced.  The beer
fermented on the trub had a harsh bitterness to it that stuck on the tongue.


**************
  This experiment convinced me to start racking my beers off the trub before
fermentation.  I do two-stage ferments in glass, no blow-off.  If you do
blow-off, your mileage may vary.

Steve Stroud


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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 10:29:08 MST
From: Eric Mintz <ericm at bach.ftcollinsco.NCR.COM>
Subject: My new wort chiller! 

Hello all you that have considered a wort chiller but thought it would
be too much trouble!  After the recent banter about the virtues of wort
chillers, I decided I had to have one.  It was relatively cheap (about
$18) and easy (10 minutes to assemble) and it cooled my wort (cool to
the touch) in 30 minutes!

Here's what I did: at the local hardware store, I bought a 20' coil of
copper tubing (ID = 3/8", OD = 1/2") and enough clear plastic hose (ID =
1/2") to reach from the brew kettle (on the stove) to my sink and back
again.  I already had the fittings to connect the plastic hose to the
sink faucet.  The coil fit right inside my 15.5" dia brew kettle and the
plastic hose fit right onto the sink fitting and the copper tubing.
That's all there was to it!  Turn on the cold water; cold break in 30
minutes!

- --Eric

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 10:38:59 MST
From: Eric Mintz <ericm at bach.ftcollinsco.NCR.COM>
Subject: A real stout stout! 

I just put up a real high gravity (1.088 !!) stout: 12.5 lb grain for 2
gal of wort (ok, I wasn't aiming that high but the boiling time got away
from me :-).  I pitched #1007 Wyeast -- I'm expecting a FG of 1.022 (?).
I used 2oz of Cascade .5 alpha.

The qustion is this: should I dilute the wort some or should I expect
reasonably good results as is? (or maybe a better question would be:
am I correct to expect a FG of 1.022 given the above decription?)

- --Eric

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 08:21:25 MST
From: abirenbo at rigel.hac.com (Aaron Birenboim)
Subject: Kolsh, Kegs, and Krausening


  I've got 3 K's on my mind this morning ;-)

  1)  I have a friend who likes Kolsh....  and I'd like to try and
      make him some.  I think Kolsh is an Alt... but i expect
      that it is somehow different.  In a competition letter i just
      got they had Kolsh as a seperate sub-class of Alt....  just like
      they had Berliner-Weisse as a seperate sub-class of Weizen.
      Anybody have a recipe or suggestion on how to emulate Kolsh?
      I've never seen it, so i need some help here.

  2)  I never thought i'd be saying this, but here i am.... looking
      at getting a kegging system.  Unfortunately, I've always ignored
      the kegging stuff here in the past.
          a)  What is a good price?  Is Alt. Bev.'s $139 package a good
              deal?  Which type of keg is the Kornealius (Cornealius?)
              (ball or pin).  Alt. Bev's system uses 1 guage...  Will
              this be all i need to ARTIFICALLY carbonate?

          b)  I seem to remember an artifical carbonation discussion
              discussion a while back.  Apperently this method is not
              at all trivial.  There was some kind of carbonation
              chart...   Anybody have it?  Any references on artificial
              carbonation?  Any reason why true keg conditioning is
              better than artificial?

          c)  Quick disconnects...  are Alt bev.'s a good price?
              Foxx??  Others??  I'd like to keep several kegs around,
              and move the CO2 supply around between them as needed.

          d)  How well to counter pressure bottle fillers work?
              Is $30 for one fair?  It seems to me like the best
              thing would be to rack into keg, artificially carbonate,
              then just use counter pressure filler to bottle for
              portability/competition.  Will my flavors be effected
              by this?  BTW...  what the heck is a counter-pressure
              filler?  How does it work?  What does it look like?

   There will be an equipment auction tomorrow (tues) benefitting
the boulder brewing club (name unknown)... i might try to pick some
things up there...

  thanks for any advise!

         aaron

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Date: Monday, 24 Feb 1992 13:51:03 EST
From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo)
Subject: New Brewers

Why do people brew their own beer?  We all have our answers to this, but
I thought I would tell a little story related to this question and to
the issue of teaching others how to brew.

I have got one friend started in brewing awhile ago, and another just got
a kit for Christmas.  Both are fairly sophisticated beer drinkers and
neither had really tasted much fresh brew except my own and that at
brew pubs.  OK, they can taste that my brews aren't professional quality :-)

Anyway, I think that both were somewhat intimidated, one tasting some
obvious and not-so-obvious defects in his beer already.  So, I got them
to join the local brew club and go to meetings.  After helping judge the
latest contest, at which there were quite a few obviously and badly
contaminated brews, they felt much better.  I figure this is the "I have
made/may make in the future mistakes in brewing, but they can't be *this*
bad"  (or at least if they are, it gets dumped).

Trying to figure out the source of a bitter, slightly metallic off taste
is a very different thing from a beer that smells bad and tastes sour,
or one that is so oxidized it shrivels your tongue.

Anyway, paradoxically enough, both my friends are much more enthused
about their own beer brewing after seeing such horrible examples of the
art.  It is making me completely rethink my philosophy of getting others
to brew.

Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org
           (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org)
Fidonet:  1:109/131

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 11:39:04 -0700
From: DAMON_NOEL/HP0800_01%hpcsee.col.hp.com at col.hp.com
Subject: boiling

I gave up stove top boiling after the wife became unbearable about burnt
paint and discolored stainless.  The biggest need was for lots of hot water
and often quickly.  My answer was brute amps.  A 7 gallon plastic pail with
two 4500 watt hot water heater elements (available cheaply from a discount
plumbing supply) inserted through the bottom, an adjustable thermostat also
bolted to the bottom (underneath), an aluminum ring about 4" tall bolted
to the bottom lip of the pail, a heavy 220 switch and a cord to plug the
whole thing into the dryer outlet.  This rig will bring 6 gallons of cold
water to a boil in 4-5 minutes.  I was surprised to find that the heater
elements don't burn the plastic.  The water keeps them from getting too
hot.  The only caution is that if the elements get out of the water they
will quickly burn up.  I got tired of trying to pour boiling water out of
this rig into a mash tun or whatever, so my next task is to convert a 1/2
keg into a similar outfit, but with a 3/4 gate valve on a tap into the
bottom.  I keep the thermostat set for 170 water which makes for a ready
supply of sparge water.  I think converting an old hot water heater would
be more trouble than it's worth.

Invert sugar is available from candy making suppliers.  They also sell a
product for converting your own, I think they said it was some form of
acetic acid?

There was a reference to an Aladin thermostat a while back...I tried to get
one at a local hardware store and what they showed me was what appeared to
be a thermostat controller for a furnace.  It wouldn't work without a
thermocouple, presumed to be in the furnace.  I'd like to find a rig to
put on my reefer to be able to get the thing warm enough for controlled
fermentation.  Could somebody fill me in on what the unit was like that
was mentioned in here a while back and how it was adapted to the reefer?

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 13:44:21 CST
From: Jacob Galley <gal2 at midway.uchicago.edu>
Subject: My first lager needs advice

I have a few questions about what to do with my first lager, but
first, I'll tell you the long history of what is turning out to be a
very pleasant beer. I based the recipe on Charlie Papazian's Rocky
Raccoon:

SURPRISED FROG LAGER

3.3 lb	Munton & Fison extra light extract
~.4 lb	Briess amber extract
~.5 lb	Crystal (40 ^L, if anyone cares)
12 oz	Clover honey
 .5 cup	Corn sugar (I couldn't help myself. I wanted a strong beer!)

1 oz	Cascade hop pellets, 4.9% AA (60 minute boil)
3 oz	Fresh grated ginger root (15 minute boil)
"the obligatory 1/3 licorice stick"

Pilsen lager Wyeast

I measured the OG at 1026, although in hindsight I think the brew was
still a little warm. . . . Let's call it 1035 or so.

I put this in my fridge (42 ^F) on 9 December, in hopes that it would
be finished by the time I got back from Xmas break. It certainly
wasn't! On 16 January I measured the specific gravity at 1021, and it
was still pretty sweet. On 8 February, though I knew that it was not
done fermenting, I bottled with .5 cup corn sugar and put all the
bottles back in my fridge. A day later, I decided to move two bottles
into my pantry, to see if anything interesting would happen.

Well, two weeks later (last night) I compared a re-refridgerated
finished-at-room-temperature bottle to one of the normal cold ones.
The cold one had NO head, was still plenty sweet, mild carbonation,
very distinct ginger character, and had a "final" specific gravity
of 1013. The warm one had a killer head that headed down the side
of the bottle and stuck to the glass. It was not at all sweet; the
ginger apparently contributed a significant amount of bitterness, and
was no longer very recognizable. It comes off as a rather hoppy
pilsner "with a twist." This is my best beer yet.

But now I'm wondering, how much am I going to ruin the flavor if I
move the rest of the bottles into my pantry to finish at room
temperature? How long is it going to take the beer to finish in my
fridge? My only two reasonable options are fridge (42 ^F) and pantry
(68 ^F).

I'm also wondering why this recipe took so long to ferment. My
roommate was not too pleased at the space in the fridge the carboy 
hogged for an extra month. Is 42 degrees on the low end for lagers?
How much does that variable affect flavor and fermenting time? (And
while we're at it, how much does fermenting time affect flavor?) I'm
not really this patient, just this cautious.

I'm also wondering about brewers licorice as opposed to other heading
agents or none at all. In my experience, "the obligatory 1/3 licorice
stick" makes a good head in, say, a three-week-old beer, but open a
bottle of the same batch at three-months-old, and you need to get a
sponge.

Okay, I've probably taken up too much space now with these questions,
but I bet there are several people out there who could learn some from
our expert panel on these issues.

I'd just like to say again that I highly recommend the above recipe,
and Rocky Raccoon as a base for experimenting with specialty lagers.

Cheers,
Jake.

Reinheitsgebot <-- "Keep your laws off my beer!" <-- gal2 at midway.uchicago.edu


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Date:     Mon, 24 Feb 92 15:53:26 EST
From: "Robert J. Napholz" (GC-HSI) <rnapholz at PICA.ARMY.MIL>
Subject:  pump answer

The pump in question can usually be purchased from the company distributing the
water. I purchased one some time ago for $12 although I have not used for this
purpose. If you unable to locate one try a hand powered bilge pump from your
local boat dealer.

Rob N.

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 11:00:18 EST
From: boomer at sylsoft.com (Richard Akerboom)
Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #830 (February 24, 1992)-beer pumps

dan

In Regards to your letter <9202240800.AA04762 at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com>:
> 
> Date: 21 Feb 92 07:56:00 EDT
> From: "DRCV06::GRAHAM" <graham%drcv06.decnet at drcvax.af.mil>
> Subject: Thanks, and a pump question
> 
> First off, thank you very much to all who sent me copies of number 825.  I 
> did receive many, but that is much, mmuch better than not having it, so I 
> sincerely appreciate all transmissions, regardless of duplication.
> 
> I'm still looking for a pump for beer.  

I don't know much about beer pumping, but with sanitation always an
issue, i thought you should know about peristaltic pumps. They run
in the $400 range and function by having rollers pushing on a u-shaped
piece of hose. The rollers squash the hose against an outer housing
and move along the length of the hose-sort of a progressive cavity
pump. Anyway the beer or whatever you are pumping only touches the
hose, so it is easy to clean or you can simply replace the hose. Good
luck with your search-hope this helped some.

Rich

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Akerboom       Domain: boomer at sylsoft.com or akerboom at dartmouth.edu
Sylvan Software          uucp: decvax!dartvax!sylsoft!boomer
Mechanic St.            Phone: 802-649-2231
P. O. Box 566             FAX: 802-649-2238
Norwich, VT 05055 USA 

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Date: 24 Feb 92 16:57:52 EST (Mon)
From: GC Woods <gcw at garage.att.com>
Subject: Great Eastern U.S. Invitational Microbrewery Beer Festival


The following is a letter sent to micros/brewpubs in the East Coast
region. If your local micro has not been contacted and wishes to
participate, Ed Stoudt or Tom Rupp (Brewmaster) can be contacted on 
215-484-4387. 

I hope this event takes off because it sounds great. Adamstown is
located below Reading, PA on Route 272. The Brewery and Brewery Hall is
connected to a large Antiques Mall (held Sundays) and an excellent
restaurant (Stoudt's Black Angus). Reading also has many factory
outlets, so if your married like me these trips can end up costing $.

I do not know how much general admission will be or how to purchase in
advance. One problem for some folks is that the AHA conference is being
held the same time.

*****************************************************************
Dear Fellow Microbrewer,

We would like to introduce you to the Great Eastern U.S. Invitational
Microbrewery Beer Festival, and to invite you and your fine microbrewery
to participate in this existing first-time event.

The Festival will be held Saturday, June 13, 1992, in the Stoudt's
Brewery Hall in Adamstown, Pa. from 1 to 5 p.m. Our large, appealing
pavilion will be the setting for up to 50 "Tasting Tables" where guest
will be offered samples of microbrewed beers. We will provide ice or a
tapping system according to your preference, and each brewery will be
identified by an attractive sign to be furnished by the festival
promoters.

This tastefully planned event will include a luncheon provided for guest
as part of their admission fee. Participating microbreweries will
receive complimentary passes and have the opportunity to preview the
event before general admittance.

We want to emphasize that this expo-type event in NOT a competition. It 
is an opportunity for you to share your prized microbrewed beers with a 
large, specially targeted audience -- customers who appreciate the type
of beer created only by microbreweries. In addition to cultivating a
demand for your particular product, you will be helping to generate
interest in our industry's craft.

The festival promoters will arrange extensive media coverage including
television and radio publicity. We will be mailing news releases to more
than 100 newspapers, and will send invitations to more than 13,000 beer
lovers.

All we need from participating microbrewers will be seven cases or one
half barrel of each beer offered for tasting, with a limit of three
products per brewery. We will be happy to work with you to arrange
delivery of your product.

The only beers accepted for tasting will be those produced by North
American microbreweries (producing less than 15,000 barrels annually) or
specialty beers brewed by contract breweries; all beers must follow
traditional English brewing standards or the German Purity Laws of 1516.
No American-style beers made with corn or rice will be featured.

We're looking forward to making this an annual event, one that will be
eagerly anticipated by beer connoisseurs and speciality brewers alike!
Press fill out the form enclosed and send it to the Great Eastern U.S.
Invitational Microbrewery Beer Festival as soon as possible to reserve
your space at the Festival. Remember, early commitment will ensure
inclusion of your brewery's name in pre-event press releases.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in June.

Sincerely,

Ed Stoudt
************************************************************************

Hope to see you there!

Geoff Woods
gcw at garage.att.com

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 15:42:00 MST
From: Steve Dempsey <steved at longs.lance.colostate.edu>
Subject: March Mashfest (sanctioned competition)


The Fort Collins, CO Mash Tongues will hold their 2nd annual
March Mashfest homebrew competition March 13-14, 1992.  This
AHA sanctioned event is open to all homebrewers.  Entries will
be evaluated by experienced judges.  Awards will be presented
in 9 categories.  Entry fee is $2 per entry.  Deadline for
receiving entries is Wednesday, March 11.  For complete rules &
entry forms via e-mail send:

    To: steved at longs.lance.colostate.edu
    Subject: send mashfest.txt  (text version)
or
    Subject: send mashfest.ps  (postscript version)


             Steve Dempsey,  Engineering Network Services
  Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523    +1 303 491 0630
INET: steved at longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu, dempsey at handel.CS.ColoState.Edu
UUCP: boulder!ccncsu!longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu!steved, ...!ncar!handel!dempsey

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 14:28:31 PST
From: bgros at sensitivity.berkeley.edu (Bryan Gros)
Subject: fermentation locks

ZLPAJGN%LUCCPUA.bitnet at UICVM.UIC.EDU quotes:

>I got mixed responses with regards to the Burton (not "Barton" as I had
>written earlier) Union System, the single-staged system with a blow-off
>hose afixed at the top of the carboy during the initial stages of
>fermentation.  Although this system is not regarded highly by Burch, it
>seems to work well for those who use it properly.  Remember to replace
>the blow-off hose with the fermentation lock after the initial
>fermentation subsides (usually 2-3 days, being careful not to replace...


Why is it important to replace the hose with a fermentation lock
after the bulk of fermentation?  I am assuming that the other end
of the hose is sitting in a jar of clean, probably sanitized water.
Is this not enough "lock"?  
I`ve never had any problems with this method yet anyway.

                                          - Bryan

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Date:         Mon, 24 Feb 92 17:57:57 EST
From: Heather Godsey <GODSEYHM%DUVM.BITNET at pucc.Princeton.EDU>
Subject:      galena hops


Has anyone got some recipies using galena hops?  I've got some that are rated
12% (alpha I guess).  I like hops and tossed some in (1 oz) into a recent batch
A taste during bottling showed quite a hop flavor though different from multi
ounce hopped batches I've made.  Is galena used in any commercial beers?

   Joe Uknalis

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 18:30:11 -0500
From: djt2 at po.CWRU.Edu (Dennis J. Templeton)
Subject: Water heater parts for an electric immersion heater?


Hi all;

I've been toying with the possibility of building an immersion heater to
heat sparge water and boil wort outside of the kitchen.  It started while
considering the Bruheat boiler, followed by my buying a 6000watt 240v (9.6
amp) "tank heater" for a few bucks at a surplus shop.

My idea is to suspend this heater (a rod-shaped loop) dipping into the
wort, (so I don't have to bore into my boiling vessel) but I'm having a
problem finding either a switch to regulate the output of this thing so I
don't have to turn it on and off by yanking the plug (conveniently located
behind the dryer).

I first considered an electric stove knob, but after looking at those on my
stove, I see that these 240v switches use a +, -, and comm connection
instead of the two-leads on my heating element, and I'm unsure now if this
will work.

Now I'm thinking about electric water heaters... These clearly have
switches for similar heating elements, and I might be able to use a
thermostatic switch too (that would be ideal).  Electric water heaters are
pretty rare here, though, and I haven't found the parts, (or better a free
leaky heater to scavange them) and I remain uncertain if this will work as
planned.  

Does anyone here have the slightest idea what I'm talking about?  The guy
at the hardware store thinks its all pretty funny, and the only other
advice I can get here is to pay up my fire insurance before I plug it in. 
Any input on how you guys might have built similar items, or sources for
the kind of switches I need would be very much appreciated.

thanks,
dennis

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 18:11 CST
From: korz at ihlpl.att.com
Subject: Large Fermenters

Does anyone know if it is safe to keep beer in HDPE for a year?
The Cole-Palmer reactivity chart says HDPE has "no effect after 30 
days" or something like that for both beer and chlorine water.
I plan to make a 15 gallon batch of pseudo-lambic (including
Brettanomyces and Pediococcus cultures) but since the cultures
are so expensive and the beer takes so long to mature, I want to
make 15 gallons of it.  The only reasonably-priced 20 gallon
container I can find is a HDPE bucket with big, molded handles
from Cole-Palmer (~$25).  I've considered using my SS keg, but it's
a Heileman's Sankey keg and thus has no handles (just the thought of
lifting it up onto the drier gives me a backache).

I've also considered making three 5 gallon batches side-by-side, but
I anticipate problems splitting the cultures among the three carboys.
On second thought, maybe I *should* make three of the same batch, but
then pitch the culture starters at different times.  It only makes sense
that the more sugar I let the Saccaromyces eat, the less there would be
for the Brett and Pedio, so I could try to find the proper SG to
pitch the "other" cultures for the proper amount of their respective
flavors.

While I'm at it, I might as well ask about 7 gallon carboys.  It appears
that my retailer's distributor no longer carries them.  Does anyone
know where I can buy some?

Al.

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Date: Monday, 24 February 1992 10:58pm ET
From: joshua.grosse at amail.amdahl.com
Subject: I was wrong about fusel (see above)


In *Today's* HBD, I wrote:

> In the article he mentioned a brewmaster who recommended staying away from
> high temperatures due to fusel alchohols.  My understanding (Millerazian) is
> that higher temperatures promote esters and reduce diacetyl....

Yes, higher temperature increases fusel alcohol level too!  (I had another
BJCP class tonight, and asked about it.

- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Josh Grosse                                jdg00 at amail.amdahl.com
Amdahl Corp.                               313-358-4440
Southfield, Michigan

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Date: Mon, 24 Feb 92 23:55:02 -0800
From: Lee J. Slezak <slezakl at atlantis.CS.ORST.EDU>
Subject: Yeast in the Secondary for a Framboise?

Hi all:

Currently I have a Framboise in the carboy fermenting away nicely.   I
got the recipe out of the cats-meow, anyway it (the recipe) says to add
an additional 10 cups of raspberry puree to the secondary fermentor. 
My question is, should I pitch some champagne yeast in with the
secondary and the new raspberries?  What would that do?  The only
reason that I ask about champagne yeast is because I have heard of
people putting it into the secondary on imperial stouts.   So, should I
pitch any type of yeast into the secondary?  The recipe doesn't call for
it, but I would think I would want something in the secondary to work
on the new raspberries.  Anyway what do you people think?  You were
all so helpful with my question about the Hazel-Nuts in the bottles, so
how about this one?  Thank you all very much and I will look forward
to hearing from you.


Happy Brewing-


Lee J. Slezak
<slezakl at atlantis.cs.orst.edu>

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End of HOMEBREW Digest #831, 02/25/92