HOMEBREW Digest #920 Thu 09 July 1992

Digest #919 Digest #921


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


Contents:
  IPA recipe (Larry Barello)
  Re: Mendicino Brewing Company (Phoebe Couch)
  Re:  Dave Miller's New Book (whg)
  Re:  MALTMILL GIVEAWAY (whg)
  Get-together at Oregon Brewer's Festival (John Hartman)
  Oregon Brewer's Festival
  OBF (Sam Israelit)
  BF
  Re: Oregon Brewer's Festival
  Oregon Brewer's Fest (David A. Haberman)
  Review Request for "On Tap" (Randy J. Smith)
  ROOTBEER (Russell Owen)
  US book on Porter (G.A.Cooper)
  Al's Jockeybox (Russell Owen)
  $40 Fridge Controller ("Roger Deschner  ")
  Kegging basics (Al Richer)
  Adjusting ph of sparge water (Craig Vandeventer)
  Short Fermentation Mead (Justin Seiferth)
  MALTMILL giveaway (Kevin L. McBride)
  ale? lager! (Russ Gelinas)
  smoked beers (Tony Babinec)
  highly modified malts (cush)
  Re:  Homebrew Digest #919 (July 08, 1992) (Michael Tighe)
  Re: Silicone Rubber Caulking (wkb)
  Load of questions... (30PCALVIN)
  Moet Liquor (mead???) (palladin)
  Re: Question on sanitizers. ( Neil Mager )
  Weizen yeast / kegging (John DeCarlo)
  temperature control (Keith Winter)
  Re: Getting that clove-like flavor (Jeff Benjamin)
  Bottled California Beers ("Rad Equipment")
  Bottled California Beers              Time:8:26 AM     Date:7/8/92
  oats and other adjuncts (Bryan Gros)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 7 Jul 92 23:50:06 PDT From: polstra!larryba at uunet.UU.NET (Larry Barello) Subject: IPA recipe I just brewed my fourth batch of IPA based upon a recipe that Darryl Richman gave me. Since it is such a fine beer I thought I would share my latest effort with the HBD. The latest was modified a tad due to material shortages - the changes shouldn't affect the results too much. 7lb GWM Pale Malt 14oz 36L Carastan (Huge Baird) .5oz chocolate 7.25 gal supply water treated with 14gm gypsum, 1.5 gm chalk Mash in with 8qt at 170f for a target of 153-155f. Conversion done in 30 minutes. Mash out at 168. Sparge with remaining supply liqour to collect 6.25 gal. 90 min boil. 12gm chinook pellets for 60 min 10gm willamette pellets for 5 min 20gm kent goldings for 5 min 1/4tsp irish moss for 10 min. OG 1.051 in 5.5 gal (needed to add a qt to bring the volume up) Ferment with Wyeast 1028 (london ale) at around 68f Rack to secondary after fermention dies down and dry hop with 10gm cascade pellets and 20gm Kent Goldings. Let sit until fermentation completely done (e.g. pellet crud sinks) - about a week or two. Prime/bottle/keg in the usual manner. The original recipe used 20gm each of willamette and Kent Goldings instead of the chinooks, and used cascade instead of the willamette in the second addition. Also, it used 12oz of 16L and 4oz of 70L crystal instead of the 36L stuff, above. The changes should yield the same color and bitterness. The aroma and body will be a bit different, but with all that dry hopping I doubt many will be able to tell the difference. With the above hopping levels this beer is not as bitter as, say, Grants IPA - but then I don't like overly hopped beers (shields up) - yet it is bitter enough to make it an IPA and not just a random pale ale. Cheers! - Larry Barello Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 92 15:55:39 PDT From: ithaca!amber!phoebe at uunet.UU.NET (Phoebe Couch) Subject: Re: Mendicino Brewing Company 4 of July and I found myself at the door accidentally.(driving by on my way up North) They were having a big party in the back with a keg throwing contest. The back was an outdoor beer garden with grape and hops growing all over. The bartender told me that the hops outside were Cluster, and they were full of fragrant cones. The brewmaster was running the keg throw and it looked pretty bizarre. In a long sandbox, the contestant picks up this keg (75lbs for women, I estimate 150 for men) and hurls it forward and it crashs into the sand! (The high score was 115 inches) At one point, Someone egged me on to try it. Being on the scrawny side, I could only lift it up over my legs, and I gave up (dislocated shoulders are no fun!). The women hi score was 86 when I left the pub. They had Eye of the Hawk on tap (Red Tale X 2) and it was delicious. All the other beers were good too, especially on tap. Since everyone was busy having a good time, I didn't pester them about their brewing procedure, but I found out that they don't dry hop! and they use cascade and cluster (1/3, 2/3 or is it the other way) Went back there on my way down (July 5) and they ran out of beer on tap except for Red Tail and Black Hawk Stout. Its a great place! P. p.s. At their gift store, they have a poster on the door that was given to them. It has a map of California and a list of all the brewing company in CA plotted on the map, on each side of the poster are the name/address/phone number of each brewing company or brewpub. The name of the printing company was somewhere in san Jose. I forgot to copy the name. Have anyone seen this poster? Do you know where I can get one? Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 92 08:43:01 CDT From: whg at sunfb.tellabs.com Subject: Re: Dave Miller's New Book I am also very interseted in this book, but have only seen it advertised. My hope is that it will replace Dave Line's book which for us Americans can be difficult to follow and unfortunately is getting to be a bit out of date. Looking forward to a review. Walter Gude || whg at tellabf.tellabs.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 92 18:34:11 CDT From: whg at tellabs.com Subject: Re: MALTMILL GIVEAWAY I admit it, the sole purpose of this post is in hope of winning a free MALTMILL. While many may be upset by this shameless waste of bandwidth, you can't blame me for trying can you. At least I'm being honest. Walter Gude || whg at tellabf.tellabs.com Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 92 14:42:54 PDT From: hartman at varian.varian.com (John Hartman) Subject: Get-together at Oregon Brewer's Festival Six people responded to say they are interested in gathering at the Fest. Here is when and where we will meet: Where: The Bridgeport Stand (where Bridgeport Brewery is pouring their beers) at the Festival location. The Festival location is the Waterfront Park located along the river in downtown Portland. When: Saturday, July 18, at 3PM The Festival opens that day at noon and goes 'til 9PM. I'm leaving for Oregon on July 10, so unfortunately I don't have much time to consult with the respondents. The above time seems to work for everyone. If someone has an alternative suggestion, let me know soon. Otherwise this is it. See you there! John hartman at varian.varian.com >From pacbell!PacBell.COM!tekig7.pen.tek.com!gaulandm Mon Jul 6 23:07:12 1992 Return-Path: <pacbell!PacBell.COM!tekig7.pen.tek.com!gaulandm> Received: from varian.varian.com by sunbeam.WC.Varian.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA20322; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:07:10 PDT Received: by varian.varian.com (5.57/smail2.5/05-21-91) id AA28270; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:09:18 PDT Received: from relay.tek.com by ns.PacBell.COM (4.1/PacBell-04/30/92) id AA12434; Mon, 6 Jul 92 07:24:10 PDT Received: by relay.tek.com id <AA08179 at relay.tek.com>; Mon, 6 Jul 92 07:22:25 -0700 Received: from tekig7.pen.tek.com by tektronix.TEK.COM (4.1/8.0) id AA07821; Mon, 6 Jul 92 07:22:52 PDT Received: by tekig7.pen.tek.com (4.1/8.0) id AA25013; Mon, 6 Jul 92 07:22:21 PDT Date: Mon, 6 Jul 92 07:22:21 PDT From: tekig7.pen.tek.com!gaulandm at PacBell.COM (Mike Gauland) Message-Id: <9207061422.AA25013 at tekig7.pen.tek.com> To: hartman at varian.varian.com In-Reply-To: John Hartman's message of Thu, 2 Jul 92 13:12:18 PDT Subject: Oregon Brewer's Festival Status: R Not sure when I'll be there (our lives are currently at the whim of an eleven- month-old milk-a-holic), but if you set up a gathering of HBDers, let me know. I'll try to join, if baby allows. - --Mike >From pacbell!PacBell.COM!scic.intel.com!sami Mon Jul 6 23:07:16 1992 Return-Path: <pacbell!PacBell.COM!scic.intel.com!sami> Received: from varian.varian.com by sunbeam.WC.Varian.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA20326; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:07:15 PDT Received: by varian.varian.com (5.57/smail2.5/05-21-91) id AA28285; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:09:23 PDT Received: from t.iWarp.intel.com by ns.PacBell.COM (4.1/PacBell-04/30/92) id AA26491; Mon, 6 Jul 92 11:24:45 PDT Received: from sv002.scic.intel.com by t.iWarp.intel.com (4.1/iWarpT.4.60); Mon, 6 Jul 92 10:08:21 PDT Received: from [137.102.207.20] (mc012.scic.intel.com) by sv002.scic.intel.com (4.1/SCICX.1.09); Mon, 6 Jul 92 10:08:15 PDT Date: Mon, 6 Jul 92 10:08:14 PDT Message-Id: <9207061708.AA01557 at sv002.scic.intel.com> To: hartman at varian.varian.com From: scic.intel.com!sami at PacBell.COM (Sam Israelit) Subject: OBF Status: R John, I'm from Portland and I'll definitely be at the Oregon Brewer's Festival. If you are getting a group together, let me know. I can also be reached at (503) 635-3127. Where are you staying out here? Regards, Sam Israelit Engineer, Businessman, . . . Brewer Portland, OR >From pacbell!PacBell.COM!deschutes.ico.tek.com!thomasf Mon Jul 6 23:07:19 1992 Return-Path: <pacbell!PacBell.COM!deschutes.ico.tek.com!thomasf> Received: from varian.varian.com by sunbeam.WC.Varian.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA20330; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:07:18 PDT Received: by varian.varian.com (5.57/smail2.5/05-21-91) id AA28291; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:09:25 PDT Received: from relay.tek.com by ns.PacBell.COM (4.1/PacBell-04/30/92) id AA27411; Mon, 6 Jul 92 11:38:39 PDT Received: by relay.tek.com id <AA08983 at relay.tek.com>; Mon, 6 Jul 92 10:04:25 -0700 Received: from vice.ico.tek.com by tektronix.TEK.COM (4.1/8.0) id AA13325; Mon, 6 Jul 92 10:04:53 PDT Received: by vice.ico.tek.com (5.51/7.1) id AA11531; Mon, 6 Jul 92 10:04:39 PDT Received: by deschutes (4.1/7.1) id AA15580; Mon, 6 Jul 92 10:04:36 PDT Date: Mon, 6 Jul 92 10:04:36 PDT From: deschutes.ico.tek.com!thomasf at PacBell.COM (Thomas D. Feller) Message-Id: <9207061704.AA15580 at deschutes> To: hartman at varian.varian.com Subject: BF Status: R Hi John, I will be at the Festival all three days. Friday I work, Saturday and Sunday I drink. It would be great to meet some other digesters, email and we will work something out. Tom Feller thomasf at vice.ico.tek.com >From pacbell!sybase!nosun.West!techbook!jal Mon Jul 6 23:07:21 1992 Return-Path: <pacbell!sybase!nosun.West!techbook!jal> Received: from varian.varian.com by sunbeam.WC.Varian.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA20334; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:07:20 PDT Received: by varian.varian.com (5.57/smail2.5/05-21-91) id AA28297; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:09:28 PDT Received: from techbook.UUCP by sybase.com (4.1/SMI-4.1/SybH3.0t) id AA06127; Mon, 6 Jul 92 08:39:08 PDT Received: from snail.Sun.COM by sun.Eng.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA00378; Mon, 6 Jul 92 08:03:19 PDT Received: from West.Sun.COM by snail.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA24176; Mon, 6 Jul 92 08:03:18 PDT Received: from nosun.West.Sun.COM by West.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA20638; Mon, 6 Jul 92 08:02:22 PDT Received: from techbook.UUCP by nosun.West.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1-900117) id AA04715; Mon, 6 Jul 92 08:03:07 PDT Received: by techbook.techbook.com (/\==/\ Smail3.1.25.1 #25.5) id <m0m4tzO-0006XXC at techbook.techbook.com>; Mon, 6 Jul 92 07:24 PDT Message-Id: <m0m4tzO-0006XXC at techbook.techbook.com> Date: Mon, 6 Jul 92 07:24 PDT From: sybase!techbook.com!jal (Jim Larsen) To: hartman at varian.varian.com Subject: Re: Oregon Brewer's Festival Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing References: <hrp!vxgxf at ssc.gov> Status: R John, I will be working at the Brewers Festival Friday night and probably be attending for the purpose of consumptionearly Saturday afternoon. I've found eqq early attendance beneficial as the more popular (and often better) brews tend to run out ealry in the day. ANyway, as thhe event approaches, we can set out specifics to meet. Jim Larsen - -- jal at techbook.COM Public Access User --- Not affiliated with TECHbooks Public Access UNIX and Internet at (503) 644-8135 (1200/2400, N81) >From pacbell!PacBell.COM!hpdavidh.ple.af.mil!haberman Mon Jul 6 23:07:24 1992 Return-Path: <pacbell!PacBell.COM!hpdavidh.ple.af.mil!haberman> Received: from varian.varian.com by sunbeam.WC.Varian.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA20338; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:07:22 PDT Received: by varian.varian.com (5.57/smail2.5/05-21-91) id AA28303; Mon, 6 Jul 92 23:09:30 PDT Received: from hpdavidh.ple.af.mil ([192.42.141.199]) by ns.PacBell.COM (4.1/PacBell-04/30/92) id AA03491; Mon, 6 Jul 92 13:08:04 PDT Message-Id: <9207062008.AA03491 at ns.PacBell.COM> Received: by hpdavidh.ple.af.mil (16.8/16.2) id AA01238; Mon, 6 Jul 92 13:07:26 -0700 From: David A. Haberman <hpdavidh.ple.af.mil!haberman at PacBell.COM> Subject: Oregon Brewer's Fest To: hartman at varian.varian.com Date: Mon, 6 Jul 92 13:07:26 PDT Mailer: Elm [revision: 70.30] Status: R John: I will be going to the Oregon brewer's Fest all 3 days. I live in Southern Cal. and have airplane reservations for the morning of the 17th. I haven't made any hotel reservations, I will be doing that tonight. I'm also not sure yet if I am going to rent a car. I plan on calling one of the Brews Brothers to help me work out the logistics. I am also going to volunteer to help. I hope to see other Homebrew Digest subscribers there also. The return address on the header of my message will not work since it is a new system and not in the nameserver tables yet. You can try: haberman at 192.42.141.199 (numeric address for system in header) or habermand at pl-edwards.af.mil (another system I use frequently) David Haberman Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 07:17:33 -0400 From: rjsmith at mmdis01.hq.aflc.af.mil (Randy J. Smith) Subject: Review Request for "On Tap" I got a flyer in the mail today for a book on brewpubs across the US called "On Tap". I'd like to hear opinions on this book before I get it. It's only $15 or so, but that could be spent on something better, like brew supplies! - --Randy Smith-- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Randy J. Smith (513)257-4013 or DSN 787-4013 C.E.T.A. Corporation rjsmith at mmdis01.hq.aflc.af.mil "Most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do." - James Harvey Robinson - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1992 07:26 EST From: Russell Owen <OWEN at VAXE.NIEHS.NIH.GOV> Subject: ROOTBEER My note on the possible hazards of genuine rootbeer elicited a response from D. Popowich asking for details. I lost his email address and this is tangentially related to homebrewing, so here goes ... Root beer is flavored with a distillate of the young shoots or root bark of _Sassofras_variifolium_, a member of the laurel family. (I remember shaving off pieces of bark to chew upon as a child in Trumbull, CT.) Sassafras has also been used to make tea for medicinal and enjoyment, and to make a yellow dye. In addition, an oil from sassafras fruit has been used in perfumery. The trouble with sassafras is that it contains _safrole_, a carcinogen (see the NTP 85-002, 1985). Safrole (aka 5-(2-Propenyl)1,3-benzodioxole, aka allylcatechol methylene ether, aka 4-allyl-1,2-methylenedioxybenzene, aka allyldioxybenzene methylene ether, aka m-allylpyrocatechin methylene ether) is about 75% of oil of sassafras. It has been used as a topical antiseptic and a pediculicide (lice treatment). Its oral toxicity in rats is 50% lethality at a dose of 1.95 g per kg. So, if you must indulge, do so in moderation! Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1992 12:42:36 +0100 From: G.A.Cooper at qmw.ac.uk Subject: US book on Porter I recently had the pleasure of meeting Bob Grossman at the Durden Park Beer Circle, whilst he was over in London courtesy Young's brewery. I believe it was his prize for being master brewer at last year's AHA. He had with him a book entitled 'Porter' and I would be interested in getting a copy. Can anyone give me more details, as in Authors, correct/ full title, publisher, etc. I would also be interested in knowing what other books are recommended reading for the US homebrewer (full details please including ISBN) Many thanks Geoff - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Geoff Cooper Phone: +44 (0)71 975 5178 Computing Services Fax: +44 (0)71 975 5500 QMW e-mail: G.A.Cooper at uk.ac.qmw Mile End Road London E1 4NS Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1992 07:50 EST From: Russell Owen <OWEN at VAXE.NIEHS.NIH.GOV> Subject: Al's Jockeybox Al (korz at iepubj.att.com) wrote "I suspect you will have trouble ... since the solubility of CO2 varies greatly with temperature," saying that he had trouble keeping the cold beer carbonated. Gases are *more* soluble in water as temperature drops, and I suspect that beer is enough like water for this to hold true in brew. Specifically, the solubility of CO2 in H2O (ml per 100 ml at 760 mmHg) is 171 at 0 degrees C, is 88 at 20 " and 36 at 60 ". Perhaps the length of the tubing in the "jockeybox" is the problem. The amount of beer sitting in the tubing and the amount of time any sip of beer spend sitting in the tubing increase with tubing length. 10 feet of tubing with a cross-sectional area of 1 cm2 will easily accommodate an entire glass of beer. Cheers Return to table of contents
Date: 8 July 1992 07:35:40 CDT From: "Roger Deschner " <U52983 at UICVM.UIC.EDU> Subject: $40 Fridge Controller An article in Zymurgy a couple of years back described a "Honeywell T6031A 1029 Refrigeration temperature Controller" which is available for less than $40 at any wholesale heating/cooling supply. You get this gizmo, which comes complete with a temperature probe, and wire it using a 3-prong heavy-duty air conditioner extension cord. Synopsis of wiring diagram: Those types of cords have three wires - a ribbed one, the center one, and a smooth one; cut the smooth one to wire it into the controller. If you've got a round cord with colored wires, cut the black one. (Or else look up the Zymurgy article for a real wiring diagram.) The article even described how you can use self-adhesive hook gizmos to keep the temperature probe line orderly. That's all - and all parts are available locally. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 8:13:22 EDT From: richer at ionic.HQ.Ileaf.COM (Al Richer) Subject: Kegging basics I have seen the light, and it is made of stainless steel.... Greetings. After having asked several dozen stupid questions about kegging, I have decided that I should pull all of this information together into one article for the amusement and edification of the Digest. I. Items needed for a kegging setup Kegging is the process of packaging beer so it may be dispensed. To this end, you need a package. The normal container for the homebrewer is the Cornelius or Firestone stainless-steel premix soft-drink container. It is available from many sources, including restaurant auctions, scrapyards, cooperative soft-drink retailers, and other sources. Use your ingenuity, and you will seldom go wrong. The other items to go with your keg are used for the dispensing process. They allow you to dispense the beer under gas pressure, and to connect and disconnect the equipment from your keg. These items are: A CO2 cylinder. Most hobbyists purchase a 5 Lb. one. a pressure regulator. This reduces the 800 PSI of gas pressure in the CO2 tank to a manageable dispensing pressure (usually 5 to 7 pounds). Hose with gas-in fitting. These items conduct the gas to the keg from the regulator, and allow you to connect the gas line to the keg. The gas-in fittings come in either ball or pin lock. Buy whichever fits the keg you obtain, as one is as good as the other for the homebrewer. Liquid-out fitting and beer faucet. This is the part that the beer actually comes out of. It has a fitting like the gas-in one, but keyed differently to prevent interchange. On the end of the hose from this fitting is a spigot to control the flow. When it comes to the pressure-regulating items and the gas bottle, don't scrimp, as cheap or defective fittings can be very dangerous. Gas at 800 PSI is not trivial to handle, and an accident could be fatal. II. Preparing to keg - How to get ready. If you buy all of your equipment new, than you can skip this part. What I am going to go into here is the cleaning and overhaul of a standard pin- lock Firestone keg. Cornelius kegs are similar, but I have not worked with them and would not speak of them without personal experience. WIth a keg that has been used for soft drinks, the rubber parts that are in contact with the drink become impregnated with the sugar syrups. These will then flavor any beer you might bring in contact with them, so they need to be replaced as part of the cleaning and preparation process. These are located in the bases of the gas-in and liquid-out fittings, and around the lid of the keg. Remove the gas-in and liquid-out fittings, using a 13/16" open-end wrench inserted through the gaps in the handle surround. Once loosened, these should remove easily. Once unscrewed, set these aside, and remove the dip tubes from the fittings welded to the tank. The gas dip tube is rather short, and the liquid dip tube is the long one that extends to the bottom of the tank. Remove the o-rings from both of these and replace them with new ones from the hardware store. O-rings of the proper size are easily availablein the plumbing area of most good hardware stores. Reinsert the dip tubes and reinstall the fittings, tightening them with the wrench. Do not overtighten, as it is unnecessary and will make it more difficult the next time. NOTE: The gas-in fitting is the one with two lugs. The liquid-out fitting is the one with three lugs. I got them mixed up too...8*) Replacement of the top gasket is easy. Just open the head by lifting the bail, then drop the head down into the keg and rotate it to remove the lid from the keg. The O-ring should come out with the lid. Simply remove it from the lid and replace it. New ones of these should be available at your homebrew supplier, or try a pool supplier for a pump O-ring of the proper size. Bring the old one as a comparison sample. CLeaning the keg is rather simple. I usually prepare a solution of washing soda and soak a new keg full of it for 24 hours, followed by purging the solution with CO2 through the fittings on the tank. This is followed by 2 gallons of boiling water, well-agitated in the tank to clear the residue, and purged thru the fititngs with CO2. The boiling water rinse is also a god way to clean out a tank before use, along with a weak chlorine rinse for sanitizing. III. Kegging - The process Kegging is considerably simpler than bottling, but has a set of gotchas all its own. The first step is sanitizing the keg. I personally do this with a rinse of hot water and B-Brite of a gallon or so, shaken in a sealed keg, then expelled through the keg plumbing with CO2. After this, I do the same thing with boiling water, again expelling through the plumbing, to clear the B-Brite residue. One pass is usually sufficient, though if I'm being paranoid, I'll do it twice. After this step, you must handle the keg in a manner to retain the sanitation. This means not taking out the lid and laying it down on the work- bench in the basement. Treat the keg as you would a sanitized bottle ready to fill. Next, add the priming syrup to the keg. I usually use 1/2 cup of sugar to 1 qt. water, boiled for 10 minutes for sanitation. I cool this to blood temp, then add it to the keg. Next, with a sanitized siphon hose,siphon your finished beer into the keg, being careful not to splash, but swirling enough to get a good mix on the priming sugar. Once filled (keep the beer level below the CO2 inlet, otherwise don't worry), reinsert the lid and cinch it closed. Before doing this, I usually turn on the CO2 to the keg and purge the airspace above the beer to clear the residual air in the tank. With the keg sealed, pressurize it to 5-6 PSI to seat the head. If it begins to leak, open and reseat it, which usually cures the problem. Make sure that the lid isn't angled, which is easy to do and can cause leaking. Allow th beer to carbonate for 1-2 weeks before drinking. I usually discard the first 1/2 mug out of the keg, as it brings the yeast out with it. After that, it's home free. I need a beer after all this typing... ajr _________________________________________________________ Alan J. Richer Mail: richer at hq.ileaf.com Interleaf, Inc. All std. disclaimers apply 9 Hillside Ave. Your mileage may vary Waltham,MA. 02154 " It's a nitwit idea. Nitwit ideas are for emergencies. The rest of the time you go by the Book, which is a collection of nitwit ideas that worked at least once." from "The Mote in God's Eye" , Niven and Pournelle _________________________________________________________ Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 08:41:24 -0500 From: c_vandev at hwking.cca.cr.rockwell.com (Craig Vandeventer) Subject: Adjusting ph of sparge water I am an extract brewer who is looking into doing full mashes. I have been reading up on the subject and, even better, reading all the old digests(a gold mine of info). A couple of posts recently have confused me about the whole mashing process. As I understand it, adjusting the ph of mash water is so that the enzymes can convert the maximum amount of starches to sugar. If this is so (correct me if it is not), after conversion is complete what purpose does adjusting the ph of the sparge water accomplish? If the enzymes are done why make the sparge water more acidic? Is there some other _good_ reason for doing this? On another topic, I will be traveling to San Diego soon and would like up-to- date info on brewpubs and bars with great tap beer. I searched through the old digests and came up with these brewpubs: Pacific Beach Brewhouse La Jolla Brewing Co. Callahan's Old Columbia Brewing Co. Mission Brewery If anyone could send me any more info on these or newer brew pubs it would be greatly appreciated. Craig Vandeventer - Reason #326 for drinking homebrew: "Homebrew beer belches taste better." P.S. Jack, I just received my KitchenAid grain mill in the mail. If you'll give me the freebie(if I'm not #100) I'll do a side by side comparison and post the results here. If I like the Kitchenaid mill better I'll return yours; otherwise, I'll sell my Kitchenaid mill. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 7:44:23 MDT From: seiferth at bandelier.cs.unm.edu (Justin Seiferth) Subject: Short Fermentation Mead I've seen meads with a fermentation time of a couple of months mentioned here in the HBD- could someone post a few recipes? My are DElicious now but were undrinkable until ~6 months fermentation. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 9:39:27 EDT From: klm at mscg.com (Kevin L. McBride) Subject: MALTMILL giveaway What happens if Jack posts the 100th article? - -- Kevin Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1992 10:03:15 -0400 (EDT) From: R_GELINAS at UNHH.UNH.EDU (Russ Gelinas) Subject: ale? lager! Someone else will probably point this out, but just in case...I think Jack S. meant to say *lager* yeast will continue to eat right down to the freezing point. Most, if not all (?) *ale* yeast will stop working well above that point. But your concern about storing lager yeast at cold temps. is a good one. Russ Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 9:22:47 CDT From: tony at spss.com (Tony Babinec) Subject: smoked beers Liberty Malting of Seattle (see their ads in Zymurgy) carries a rauch beer malt. Their malts aren't cheap, and unless you're local, you'll have to have them ship it to you. But, it's an excellent malt. A couple pounds of it in your favorite recipe will impart a sweet, smoky flavor. You can smoke malts on your backyard grill. Use hickory, mesquite, or fruit tree wood such as apple. Wet the grain and dry it over the charcoal and wood fire. You'll have to turn the grain to dry it evenly. Those of you who attended AHA National in Milwaukee might have visited the Chicago Beer Society table or hospitality suite, where we were serving a Russian Imperial Stout (first runnings) and a Porter (second runnings) made with some smoked malt. The commercial Rauch Biers most of us have access to are said to be in the Vienna style. Some German brewers also make a seasonal smoked Bock. I also read somewhere in the Michael Jackson Pocket Guide that there are a number of smoked wheat beers. Other styles that would seem to benefit from some smoked malt are Scotch Ale, in addition to the above-mentioned Porter and Russian Imperial Stout styles. If you're an extract brewer, use a simple partial mash technique and some smoked barley malt. If you start with some smoked malt, crack it, steep it, strain the water, and continue with your usual brewing process. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 9:23:02 CDT From: cush at msc.edu Subject: highly modified malts On the prompting of local friends, and recent discussion in this forum, I made a visit to the Sherlock's Home brewpub outside of Mpls. (interesting that I just *happen* to live here...he..he..) Very, very good.... Very smooth. Perhaps I should visit England some day..... But I digress. I got hold of the Brewmaster ( great fellow!), and he made quite a point that they use only English 'highly modified' malt. From Papazian I understand that this refers to grain that has been allowed to 'sprout' more, increasing the enzyme content and reducing the starch content (it goes into forming the rootlets, which are discarded). Now the question: has anyone out there experimented with USA versus English malt, and if so can you describe the difference in character they give to a brew? The Brewmaster at Sherlock's said forcefully "you CANNOT make english-style brews using USA malt." Is it the highly modified malt that gives their brews their smooth character, or is it brewing skill, etc. etc....? - -- > Cush Hamlen | cush at msc.edu > Minnesota Supercomputer Center, Inc. | 612/626-0263 > 1200 Washington Ave. So. | FAX:612/624-6550 > Minneapolis, MN 55415 | Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 10:01:26 EDT From: tighe at kc.camb.inmet.com (Michael Tighe) Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #919 (July 08, 1992) In Homebrew Digest #919 (8-Jul-92), smith%8616.span at fedex.msfc.nasa.gov asks: > How can one add "body" to a quick mead? In my experience, adding more honey (two to four pounds per gallon) helps make the flavor more "real". In addition, remember to skim off the white and brown foam when it is heating/boiling - that helps keep the taste clean. I've found that adding bay-leaf and marjoram as spices with some fresh ginger root and some lemon peel makes a really flavor-ful drink that doesn't have that "thin-ness" that simple honey/water mix makes. My basic recipe is lemon peel and ginger, and I've found that it is refreshing in a "ginger-ale" way, but adding the bay-leaf in small amounts (one bay-leaf or two per 5-gal batch) adds a "woody" flavor to make it more beer-like. The marjoram (or rosemary) adds a light flower-scent which enhances the honey-nature of the drink. Another way to improve body: use darker honeys - if you use a really dark honey, such as a "raw" wildflower honey, you can get something like a "dark" mead. Good luck! Michael Tighe, Intermetrics, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02138 (USA) email: tighe at inmet.camb.inmet.com phone: 617-661-1840 Return to table of contents
Date: 8 Jul 1992 10:26 EDT From: wkb at cblph.att.com Subject: Re: Silicone Rubber Caulking > From: "Roger Deschner " <U52983 at UICVM.UIC.EDU> > ... > I'm about to use it, but I am going to be sure to find the variety > which claims to be OK for aquarium use. I believe other types will > emit trace amounts of solvents. I figure if it's formulated not to > kill tropical fish, it won't do me in either. Silicone rubber caulks, unless marked "safe for aquarium use", contain poison (cyanide? arsenic compounds? I don't remember) to resist the formation of mold and mildew when used outdoors or in dark, damp places. This poison will leach out over time and kill your fish if you use the standard caulk in an aquarium. I would not use it in beer-making. The "safe" kind should be all right. The "solvent" released during curing is acetic acid, and is common to all silicone caulks. It shouldn't do any worse than sting your eyes if you get too close while the caulk is setting up. > "Aquarium Seal" is likely to be slightly more costly than other types > of silicone rubber caulking. If you buy it as "Aquarium Sealer" in a pet store, then yes, it will be much more expensive. If you just go to the hardware store and get a tube that's marked "safe for aquaria", then it shouldn't be any more expensive than the standard mildew-resistant stuff. -- Keith | W. Keith Brummett (614) 860-3187 AT&T, Room 3B202 | | att!cblph!wkb or, FAX: (614) 868-4021 6200 E. Broad St. | | wkb at cblph.att.com R,DW,HAHB! Columbus, OH 43213 | `----------------------------------------------------------------------' Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1992 10:32 EDT From: 30PCALVIN%UNCSPHVX.BITNET at VTVM2.CC.VT.EDU Subject: Load of questions... Howdy, First of all, this mailing list is awesome. It's the first thing I read each morning, and makes my day usually. I am a novice brewer, with about 20 batches under my belt, and am interested in getting a load of new recipes to try. Does anyone have an archive of recipes they can send me? Hypercard stacks? I use extracts now, but will be switching to all-grain next month. What is a cold break? Hot break? Why didn't my lager ferment after nearly a month in the fridge? I suspect that the temperature was around 38-42 degrees in there? Is this too cold? It's sittin' on the counter now, having fermented at about 70f for a week, and is finally ready to bottle. Glad I took a "final" gravity after I took it out of the fridge. It there anyone else out there who brews 10 gallons at a time? Do you do anything different because of that? Is there anyone else in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area reading this? Thanks for the time and the raffle ticket! Phil Calvin DoD #242 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Jul 92 10:48:47 EDT From: palladin at muscle.trincoll.edu Subject: Moet Liquor (mead???) Greetings, Has anyone tasted an after dinner drink produced recently by Moet et Chandon? I can't remember the exact name but it comes in a small version of a regular Moet champagne bottle. This stuff is great! Sweet and alcoholic but not cloying like liquors - due at least in part by the carbonation. Two questions: 1) Is this stuff a sparkling mead? 2) Does anyone know how to make it? Note:: what HBD posting number are we up to????? thanks in advance, Joe P. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 10:42:49 EDT From: neilm at juliet.ll.mit.edu ( Neil Mager ) Subject: Re: Question on sanitizers. "C. Lyons" writes: > I have recently moved to a new location and the water here > has a high iron content. I also have a very high iron content in my water. I use a water filter which filters out most of the iron from the water. The one we use is for the whole house, however you can purchase filters that hook up under the kitchen sink. Sears has a good selection of filter holders and filters specifically for iron removal. Also, most home building supply stores carry these. Prices are usually less the $50. If you get one of these, you can then use sanitizer you like. =============================================================================== Neil Mager MIT Lincoln Labs Lexington, MA Weather Radar - Group 43 Internet <neilm at juliet.ll.mit.edu> Voice (617) 981-4803 =============================================================================== Return to table of contents
Date: Wednesday, 8 Jul 1992 11:33:19 EDT From: m14051 at mwvm.mitre.org (John DeCarlo) Subject: Weizen yeast / kegging >Date: Tue, 7 Jul 92 13:44 CDT >From: korz at iepubj.att.com >Subject: Weizen yeast / kegging >> 4)I've know that you need not to prime with corn sugar, hence >>the carbonation is added thru the co2 tank. But would it not >>help get rid of unwanted oxygen while aging? >If the conditioning (carbonation) vessel, keg or bottle, is >sealed, then your only hope for getting rid of oxygen is >something like SmartCaps(tm). Does that mean you advocate not introducing oxygen into the keg? I know some people say that they flush the air out with CO2 before racking into the keg. If this works, it should answer the original question. >> 5)After tapping how long will the beer stay good? Can you >>fill the keg with co2 to make it last longer?(Oh, I forgot to >>mention I don't have the facilitys to keep it cold after >>tapping.) >You had better find a way to keep it cold. You also had better >buy a CO2 tank and regulator (it sounds like you don't have >one). Refrigerated (if you have good sanitation) your kegged >beer could stay good for a year. Unrefrigerated, well, I >wouldn't recommend it. I have wondered about this myself. Does anyone have an explanation for it? Considering that your bottled beer will last a year at basement temps just fine, why shouldn't a keg do the same? Is it because air gets in when you tap the keg? Or do just microorganisms get in? Or what?  Internet: jdecarlo at mitre.org (or John.DeCarlo at f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org) Fidonet: 1:109/131 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 8:32:50 PDT From: winter at cirrus.com (Keith Winter) Subject: temperature control In a recent posting: > >Mitch asked: >> I would like to convert an upright freezer into a cool place for my >> brew for ferment and age. I have looked for "conversion" kits in >> this area, and have found only one available. Unfortunately, it >> costs $75. Does anyone out there in netland have a cheap (less than >> $40) solution to my problem? If so, I'd love to hear from ya! > > >Mitch, > Check the back of Zymurgy. I don't remember the company, but >they offer a programable controller for about $29.99. I believe that >you plug the freezer/frig into the controller, which plugs into the wall. >There must be some type of thermistor or something you slip inside the >unit to monitor temperature. I will check on the company and e-mail >you with the info. > >Brian > I think the unit Brian is describing is the Hunter Air-Stat (or something very close to that name). I have one that I use to control my 'fridge. It works perfectly well, controlling the temperature within +-2 degrees F of the set-point. I believe the lower limit on the temperature is 35 degrees and the upper limit is 99 (but don't quote me on it :-). I'm sure it would work as well with a freezer. It works just like Brian describes it. This unit has been discussed many times in this digest. I found mine at a semi-local hardware store called Home Depot. I think these are in serveral regions around the country. It cost about $25. You may be able to find it in many do-it-yourself stores. RDWHAHB. Keith Winter (winter at cirrus.com) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 9:38:28 MDT From: Jeff Benjamin <benji at hpfcbug.fc.hp.com> Subject: Re: Getting that clove-like flavor > I enjoy the strong "clove like" flavor of certain weiss beers yet I haven't > been happy with the results of kit weiss beers using the Wyeast wheat strain. Has anyone else noticed that the Wyeast #3056 (Bavarian wheat) seems to be less "clovey" and rich since they changed their packaging? I make weizen quite a bit, and lately my batches just haven't been as rich as they used to be. Perhaps Jeff Frane knows something about this. > Since I know of no access to pure S. delbrueckii and am not too interested > in plating it out, has anyone out there tried adding cloves to either the > primary or secondary? I've used cloves for spiced ales, and my advice would be *go easy*. It doesn't take much to add that character. I had good luck by simmering 3-4 whole cloves (not crushed) in water, then adding the whole thing to the primary. In fact, I'll post the recipe. I'm normally an all-grain brewer, but this is a twist on a kit beer. I find that spices tend to mask any sort of "canned" flavors, and with the time you save you can brew a lot of it, like for a party. The spices balanced perfectly after a few weeks in the bottle. Easy Spiced Brown Ale MountMellick Brown Ale Kit 3-4 whole cloves 3 whole cinnamon sticks 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 4 oranges 1/8 cup Hallertau hops (fresh) Simmer spices, hops, and zest of 1 orange in 1 qt water for 30-45 minutes. Make Brown Ale according to 3.6 gallon recipe. Add spice mixture (do not strain) and zest of other three oranges to wort. Ferment, strain, and bottle according to kit instructions. - -- Jeff Benjamin benji at hpfcla.fc.hp.com Hewlett Packard Co. Fort Collins, Colorado "Midnight shakes the memory as a madman shakes a dead geranium." - T.S. Eliot Return to table of contents
Date: 8 Jul 92 08:42:39 U From: "Rad Equipment" <rad_equipment at rad-mac1.ucsf.EDU> Subject: Bottled California Beers Subject: Bottled California Beers Time:8:26 AM Date:7/8/92 Mike Daly asks about where to purchase bottled California beers while visiting San Francisco. The following are all in San Francisco in various parts of the city. The Jug Shop 1567 Pacific Ave (at Polk) Good selection of locally produced beers including Marin Brewing Co. Cannery Wine Cellar The Cannery at Fisherman's Wharf Large selection of local and international beers. Expensive. Also great selection of Single Malts. Coit Liquors Columbus Ave. and Union St. OK selection of local beers. Very well priced. (You might still find some SN Mai Bock if you are here in the next two weeks or so) Liquor Barn 201 Bayshore Blvd. OK selection of local beers. Poorly handled. Almost all Safeways have some local stuff these days. Anderson Valley, Winchester, Rogue, Mendocino to name a few I have spied. Both the Northpoint and Marina Safeways have these and I am told selection is similar elsewhere in the city. Enjoy the trip! RW... Russ Wigglesworth CI$: 72300,61 |~~| UCSF Medical Center Internet: Rad Equipment at RadMac1.ucsf.edu |HB|\ Dept. of Radiology, Rm. C-324 Voice: 415-476-3668 / 474-8126 (H) |__|/ San Francisco, CA 94143-0628 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 10:40:58 PDT From: bgros at sensitivity.berkeley.edu (Bryan Gros) Subject: oats and other adjuncts As I understand it, specialty grains do not need to be mashed. They could be mashed, but only really need to be sparged. Is this true? Is it better to mash them, or not mash them? Is it bad to mash them? And what is the difference between Quaker oats, Steel-cut oats, milled oats, rolled oats etc? As I gather from yesterday's digest, they need to be mashed. Do you throw them in with the mash or cook them first? - Bryan Return to table of contents
End of HOMEBREW Digest #920, 07/09/92