HOMEBREW Digest #926 Sat 18 July 1992

Digest #925 Digest #927


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


Contents:
  Malt, Correction, Kegs (Jack Schmidling)
  CO2 tanks (yoost)
  Re: Kevin's maltmill question ("Chris Dukes" )
  Counterflow chiller plans, killer sparge gadget (Jeff Benjamin)
  Trub ("CMD 2NDLT ALBERT W. TAYLOR ")
  js e-mail node (Ken Johnson)
  Volume Brewers: Any wheat beer recipes? (Scott Bickham)
  Novice brewer needs help (Murray Robinson)
  Brewers Down Under (Murray Robinson)
  Wanted: Oatmeal Stout Recipe (Murray Robinson)
  Wanted: Zymurgy Back Issues (Murray Robinson)
  red hop bugs (Michael Gildner)
  Filtering Beer (BOB JONES)
  Boil over clean up (Micheal Yandrasits)
  Silicones and You (oehler)
  Bay Area Bottled Beers (Michael T. Daly)
  Re: Homebrew Digest #921 (July 10, 1992)[D[D (Mark N. Davis)
  Beating a dead silicone, sanitizers (Jim Griggers)
  When plants start hopping? (Justin Aborn)
  hops & bugs (Russ Gelinas)
  calculating yield (CCAC-LAD) <wboyle at PICA.ARMY.MIL>
  Re: Sparge Water pH (Larry Barello)
  Jockey Box (John Francisco)
  Wyeast wheat (korz)
  Belgian ale (mcnally)
  brewing your own sierra nevada pale ale (Tony Babinec)
  Source for reconditioned CO2 tanks ("Steve, dtn 226-2718")
  wheat & Belgian yeast (Jeff Frane)
  yeast, again ("Brett Lindenbach")
  Great Taste of Midwest (John Freeborg)
  Smart Caps (Michael Lewandowski)
  Sparge pH ("Rad Equipment")
  Sparge pH                             Time:7:43 AM     Date:7/14/92
  Re: Blueberry Beer (Jeff Benjamin)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 11 Jul 92 11:57 CDT From: arf at ddsw1.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling) Subject: Malt, Correction, Kegs To: Homebrew Digest Fm: Jack Schmidling >From: "Franklin R. Jones" <FRANK at VA5549.Colorado.EDU> Subject: malts... > 3> Has anyone out there tried making malts? Any publications on this? At the risk of being commercial, I demonstrate how to make a small batch of malt in my video. It's great fun but just for the exercise. It's cheaper to buy than make. Perhaps one of the nice people out there who received free review copies would like to pass it along to you. >Lastly: to Jack Schmidling: re: maltmill giveaway... All the systems network managers want to thank you for stress testing their mailers. I am sure the surge of articles lately is only coincidental. We are at 69 (as of HBD #920) and counting. >A few words of "comfort"? My father, when he retired, found that he had to retire about four more times over the next few years from the full time "amusements" he built for himself. Best of luck. Thanks. There is nothing that boggles me more than to hear retired folk whining about being bored and pining for their job back. BTW, I retired at 43 and I have never wanted my job back for a nanosecond. >From: piatz at fig.cray.com (Steve Piatz) >Subject: Adjusting specific gravity How often, I have wanted such info, primarily in winemaking. You have, indeed done us a service. Just for the record.... > Dilution By 50% Is taken to mean... adding 5 gals to a ten gallon batch or adding 10 gallons to a 10 gal batch? >From: ukcy at sunyit.edu (Kevin Yager) >Subject: Unrefrigerated kegs of HB } A used chest freezer with a Hunter Airstat thermostat is the best way to go. No doubt but..... } I suspect you will have trouble with carbonation since the solubility of } CO2 varies greatly with temperature. I've tried dispensing cool beer through } a jockeybox (what you described) and had a heck of a time getting the CO2 } to stay in the beer. } Al. }-- End of excerpt from korz at iepubj.att.com >Can anyone add to Al's observations on this topic. I plan to start kegging with my next batch of beer. I don't have a place to keep kegs cold. I do have a small dorm sized refrigerator which I plan to run some tubing through. Effectively the same as a "jockeybox". I can only add by disagreeing totally. I have no fridge in my basement and have never refrigerated kegs. I do not know about your jockey box but I use a "cold plate" which is a stainless tube serpentine imbeded in a cast aluminum plate. It is about 8 X 12 X 1 and cools beer as fast you I can draw it. It holds less than two oz of beer and two cups of cubes will chill a couple of glasses. It sits in the bottom of a plastic dish pan with the tap on top of that. I brought it to Milwaukee with a keg of you know what. In my experience, "after chilling" gives the ultimate control in carbonation. No matter what level the carbonation is in the keg, chilling on the way out will force the carbonation to stay in the beer. It also allows you to maintain a higher CO2 pressure in the keg than could normally be used for dispensing because of the restriction in the plate. It also makes bottling a snap. Release the pressure in the keg to just enough to move the beer and foamless, chilled beer runs into the bottle. The plate is available from any bar supply house. >From: Jay Hersh <hersh at expo.lcs.mit.edu> >Subject: ale yeast ferments to freezing (NOT!) >What ale yeast is this?? Did you mean lager yeast. All the Ale yeasts I have ever used tend to floculate out and go dormant when I drop them to cold temperatures (like say below 45F), in fact I, and many many brewers commerical and home, rely on this behavior to stop fermentation and clarify the beer, it even has a technical name for it, called cold conditioning. >Care to enlighten us??? Sure. Most readers didn't need enlightening. They recognized the error and answered the question. But some folks just can not ever let an opportunity to be nasty pass. Obviously, I was talking about lager yeast and the problem I anticipated by storing culture slants. To try again..... in light of the fact that lager yeast ferments down to freezing, how is it possible to store culture slants in a refrigerator for months without depleting the media. I am in the habit of tightening the caps on ale yeast culture tubes but this seems like a prescription for disaster with lager yeast. Now, would you like to try again? 93 and counting as #921. Looks like Monday is the big day. Sure hope I win one of those beauties. js Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 92 13:33:50 -0500 From: yoost at judy.indstate.edu Subject: CO2 tanks I have found that Beer Distributors have CO2 tanks taps etc. and are usually very helpful. I bought a refrigerator conversion kit for $130.00 consisting of: 5# CO2 tank w/reg tap to fit through door all hoses & connectors I have both types of keg hookups Genny type (12 horse Ale) or Coors type (George Killian's Irish Red) I have a hose clamp that I can use to change and when I start kegging in Pepsico Kegs I will just change to that. I may put a short length of hose and 'Quick disconects' on all of them. John W. Yoost Return to table of contents
Date: 9 Jul 92 11:27:42 EDT From: "Chris Dukes" <imagesys!rover!CRD at uu.psi.com> Subject: Re: Kevin's maltmill question > >From: klm at mscg.com (Kevin L. McBride) > Subject: MALTMILL giveaway Kevin writes: > > What happens if Jack posts the 100th article? > Then I guess he won't have to ship it very far. _______________________________ | -Chris Dukes crd at imagesys.com| | Tel:518-283-8783 Ext. 550 | | Fax:518-283-8790 | |_______________________________| Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 92 21:48:19 MDT From: Jeff Benjamin <benji at hpfcbug.fc.hp.com> Subject: Counterflow chiller plans, killer sparge gadget I realize this has been asked before, but, like everyone, I didn't save the discussion because I didn't need it at the time. Does anyone have plans they can [e]mail me for a counterflow wort chiller? The concept is pretty straightforward, but it isn't obvious how to build some of the fittings. Thanks in advance. As payment, here's a handy tip for you all-grain brewers out there. Tonight we just tried out some new lautering hardware that beats the Zapap lauter tun hands down (Charlie, how could you have lead us astray? :-). Build a sparge "manifold" out of 1/2" copper tubing with slits in it that goes in the bottom of the mash tun. When you're done mashing, simply siphon off the sweet wort and pour the sparge water over the top of the grain. No need to transfer the mash to another container or drill holes in you mash pot. The manifold is made with about 5 feet of tubing, 4 tees, 5 endcaps, one elbow, and one step-down for matching the size of the plastic hose. We mash in a round pot, so it looks something like (attempted silly ASCII graphics follow): _ | +----] [------+ +------] [----+ | 90 deg up \========----->to hose The horizontal arms have 4-6 slots cut in them, 3/4" apart, facing downward, and sit in the bottom of the tun. Then the elbow turns up the side of the tun and connects to the siphoning hose. Standard copper fittings are tight enough you don't even have to solder. Just cut the pieces of tubing so that the manifold fits snugly in the bottom of your tun. It sparges just as well as the Zapap unit, and is easier to use, and cost only $5 to make. Oh, make sure you put the manifold into the tun *before* you add the grain, not after. - -- 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: 11 Jul 92 23:17:00 EST From: "CMD 2NDLT ALBERT W. TAYLOR " <S94TAYLOR at usuhsb.ucc.usuhs.nnmc.navy.mil> Subject: Trub I just made a batch of beer, and this is the first time I have worried (yes, I worried!) about letting the trub settle out. Only problem is that it took overnight for it to all fall out, even after the wort is completely cooled. My question is how much damage can be done by letting the stuff sit over- night to let the trub settle out, then rack to another carboy and pitch the yeast. I know there is a significant risk of infection, but I think I can control for that. What risks of oxidation or other things exist, and how much should worry about them? Does anyone know a better way than I propose? Thanks in advance for any information! Al Taylor Uniformed Services University, School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 92 12:57:47 PDT From: kjohnson at argon.berkeley.edu (Ken Johnson) Subject: js e-mail node If anyone can send Jack S. e-mail directly, please send me some mail so that I can try your machine as a node. I still can't send Jack e-mail, yet he seems to be able to send it to me. Jack, if you are reading this, please send me maltmill info one more time. I erased the old files without knowing. thanks kj Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 92 19:23:44 EDT From: bickham at msc2.msc.cornell.edu (Scott Bickham) Subject: Volume Brewers: Any wheat beer recipes? A couple of brewers in our homebrew club asked for some help in formulating a recipe for a Weizen or Dunkelweizen. They will be making a 50 gallon batch, so any tips on doing a sparge with approximately 50 lbs. of wheat will be very useful. Since I am on the subject of Weizens, this style, as well as Alt and Koelsch beers benefit from a cold lagering during the secondary stage. Since most ale yeasts are almost dormant at 45 F, would it be beneficial to innoculate the beer with a lager yeast before the lagering period? If anyone has ever tried this, I would be interested in finding out the results. Happy Brewing, Scott (bickham at msc.cornell.edu) Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1992 12:02:55 +0930 From: Murray Robinson <robinm at mrd.dsto.gov.au> Subject: Novice brewer needs help As a novice brewer I have a few questions about home brewing. 1. What are the best sterilsing agents and procedures to use in order to prevent the little airborne nasties infecting my brew. 2. If one brews from commercially available kits and then adds additional driedmalt to the brew (instead of sugar) can you experience problems with the yeast not being capable of fully fermenting the liquor due to high malt content? (if yes - how do you overcome it? ) 3. What's with this racking the beer after primary fermentation? In Australia, no one mucks around with this step. I know it is supposed to allow for a much clearer beer but aren't you increasing the chance of infection? If anyone does use this method with success can you please let me know exactly what steps you go through in terms of sterilisation, when to rack, how long , etc. 4.Does anyone out there have a list of the various hops varieties available and whether their use is suitable for enhancing aroma or bitterness or both? 5. Can anyone give me the address and fax number of zymurgy so that I may subscribe? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Murray Robinson robinm at mrd.dsto.gov.au DSTO Australia - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1992 13:49:19 +0930 From: Murray Robinson <robinm at mrd.dsto.gov.au> Subject: Brewers Down Under Are there any brewers out their who hail from the land Down Under. I am very interested in comparing brewing recipes/techniques with brewers who like me don't have access to the same range of malts, hops and other ingerdients that our overseas brewing mates have. Murray Robinson E-mail: robinm at mrd.dsto.gov.au Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1992 15:41:36 +0930 From: Murray Robinson <robinm at mrd.dsto.gov.au> Subject: Wanted: Oatmeal Stout Recipe Does anybody out there have a good oatmeal stout recipe? I am a relatively inexperienced home brewer (so the simpler the better) but am willing to tread new ground (ie full mash brews) in anticipation of an oatmeal stout to warm me on those winter days. Thanks in advance Murray. P.S Just received HBD #921 in which Steve Kennedy writes that he too is planning an oatmeal stout for some time in the next 2 weeks. So Steve, can share your recipe with me (us) ? Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1992 16:31:05 +0930 From: Murray Robinson <robinm at mrd.dsto.gov.au> Subject: Wanted: Zymurgy Back Issues As stated in my previous article I am interested in obtaining quality home brewing books and magazines. Does anyone have any back issues of Zymurgy they don't want any more or would like to sell to a fellow home brewer? If so you can contact me on: Murray Robinson email: robinm at mrd.dsto.gov.au fax: +618 259 5200 Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 92 08:47:29 EDT From: mmlai!lucy!gildner at uunet.UU.NET (Michael Gildner) Subject: red hop bugs Hello, My cascade hops have produced some beautiful flowers but when I picked a couple the other day I noticed some small red bugs crawling inside the leaves of the flowers. Should I wash the hops before I package them away for storage to get rid of these pest? Also, what is the best indicator for harvest time? The buds had the yellow resin inside but had very little hop aroma. Mike Gildner Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1992 09:29 PDT From: BOB JONES <BJONES at NOVAX.llnl.gov> Subject: Filtering Beer If anyone out there is or has used a filter to filter beer, I would like to ask you some questions. Please email me. I talking .5um polyester type filters. Thanks. Bob Jones Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 92 14:52:21 edt From: michael at frank.polymer.uakron.edu (Micheal Yandrasits) Subject: Boil over clean up A good way to clean the stove tops after a nasty boil over is with oven cleaner. Let it sit overnight or at least an hour, its worked wonders for me. -Mike Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 92 14:57:17 EDT From: oehler at smpvax.dnet.ge.com Subject: Silicones and You Good Morning all, Just a bit more about silicone caulking. As I understand it, there are silicone grades available that are FDA approved for food use. They should handle both the temperature and the pH of the mash. They will corrode a copper pipe, however. The acetic acid released as they cure is responsible. Also, when trying to seal a thermoplastic cooler, they may require a primer to adhere properly. The primer may not be FDA approved. Therefore, it is suggested that a mechanical solution be found instead. Better Living through Zymurgy, Pete Oehler Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 92 15:44:20 CDT From: ssi!mtd at uunet.UU.NET (Michael T. Daly) Subject: Bay Area Bottled Beers Thanks to Nick for the further info. Also, thanks Russ for the list of places to shop (and not shop). Now for the tough problem. Suppose I walk into one of these places and there in front of me is a set of shelves with 50 (ok, I'm dreaming, maybe 20) different local beers. Which are worth packing up and bringing back to Wisconson on the airplane? I have had some of the Anchor and SN products, and I plan on looking for additional varieties which they don't ship (I found the SN Mai Bock in Ft. Collins CO. Very nice. Almost convinced me to start lagering.). I have had mixed impressions of the San Andreas Brewing Co's Richter Scale Ale -- the first year was very good, the last one I had tasted like orange juice....I think I'll skip them. I seem to remember that Devil's Mt. is out of business....too bad, I liked their porter. I'll get some of the Dead Cat Alley (or what ever they call themselves) products, but I still have a half of a suitcase left....suggestions? I am especially interested in varieties which I can buy in less than 6packs -- 10 different 6packs leads to either lots of fat about the nether regions (and problems walking) or leaving something behind (not to mention the serious sudden dent in the wallet). (Russ mentioned Anderson Valley, Winchester, Rogue and Mendocino. Who else?) Mike Black Swan Femto-brewery, A Member of the Hamilton Ave. Homebrewers Association. Mike Daly (uunet!ssi!mtd) -- (715) 839-8484 Supercomputer Systems Inc. 1414 W. Hamilton Ave. Eau Claire, WI 54701 There are two kinds of people in this world.....Cannibals and Lunch. Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 92 17:27:41 PDT From: Mark N. Davis <mndavis at pbhya.PacBell.COM> Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #921 (July 10, 1992)[D[D > My friend and I made a quicky extract/specialty grain batch on Friday. > We put 1/2 pound of ground chocolate grains in one of my girlfriends > old white nylons and began to heat the water to about 170 F at about > 150 F or a little less we noticed this awful plastic like smell that > seemed very wrong and toxic. It eventually went away (we didn't just > get used to the smell we had others come in and smell) when the water > got close to 170 F. The smell seemed to come from the water and not > the nylons (tested by pulling the nylons out of the water and sticking > out noses on them). It sounds to me like the odor was derived from the stocking, but not necessarily the nylon itself. The obvious explanation would be your girlfriend's feet. But since we treat brewing as a science, I feel that you are now responsible for proving this theory. At your soonest convenience, please stick her feet in a pot of water and gradually raise the temperature. Take careful notes as to which temperatures produce the aforementioned odor. If the odor begans to dissapate as you approach 170'F, then we can safely say that we have identified the cause. Try not to confuse the smell of the boiling flesh with the unidentified odor. Sorry for any offense, but I couldn't pass this one up >:-) Mark Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 92 20:17:38 EDT From: ncrcae!brew at devine.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Jim Griggers) Subject: Beating a dead silicone, sanitizers My silicone sealant that is manufactured by Dow Corning and marketed by DAP has this on its label: SAFE FOR FOOD CONTACT: When cured and washed, ingredients which remain or which could migrate to food are listed in FDA Regulation No. 21 CFR 177.2600. There is also nothing in the Material Safety Data Sheet that would indicate food contact should be avoided. I don't have a copy of the FDA regulation, so I don't know what chemicals are available for migration. I personally would not worry about the short term exposure of wort leaching something poisonous from cured RTV. Chris Lyons asked about an alternative to chlorine in sanitizers. I have just switched to Iodophor because of a recommendation by George Fix. In the recommended concentrations, rinsing is not needed. I have only used this for my last batch which is still in the primary, so I can't confirm its efficacy. Price wise, it if fairly expensive. I bought a case of 6, 1/2 liter bottles for about $30, which I figure is a lifetime supply. One quarter fluid ounce of Iodophor makes 2 1/2 gallons of solution with 12.5 ppm titratable iodine. I was going to post on my home-made temperature controller for a refrigerator that used a Hunter programmable thermostat. The nice thing about it over the Air-Stat is that the set point can be set lower than 40F. However, it is no longer available and the new Hunter thermostats have a "feature" in which the a/c control is turned off below 45F. >From the land of 80F tap water and the fifth straight day over 100F, Jim Griggers * * * * * brew at devine.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM * * 408 Timber Ridge Dr. * * West Columbia, SC * * * 29169 * * PS to Jeff Frane: Anchor Steam is now available in South Carolina as of about two weeks ago. We still cannot get Liberty Ale, however. Thanks for giving me my first and only taste of Libery Ale at the AHA conference. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 7:54:14 EDT From: Justin Aborn <jaborn at BBN.COM> Subject: When plants start hopping? Well, my rye zomes really did their thing. I have hop vines approaching the gutter from which their support string hangs. When do the hop cones start showing up? And yes, some mysterious bug seems to like hops. Most of the leaves have holes in them. I have sprayed twice with malithion (sp?), but the invisible bug keeps coming back. Justin Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1992 9:55:03 -0400 (EDT) From: R_GELINAS at UNHH.UNH.EDU (Russ Gelinas) Subject: hops & bugs Got home from 4 days in the woods to find Japanese beetles feadin' n' fornicatin' on my hops plant. Only on the Hallertaur, though, not on the Cascade a few feet away. The H is a year older, and is flowering better, but still it seems odd. Maybe they're German beetles.... ;-) R Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 11:05:33 EDT From: William Boyle (CCAC-LAD) <wboyle at PICA.ARMY.MIL> Subject: calculating yield I have noticed a few questions about converting from dry extract to syrup or from all grain to extract. The easiest way to convert SG's is to know what the yield of each item is and convert. If a recipe calls for a SG of 1.050 and one pound of dry malt yields 45 pts/gal = 9 pts/5 gal, you would need 50/9 = 5.55 lbs of dry malt. Also if a recipe calls for 7 lbs of grains which yields about 35 pts/gal (I know this is ideal, but you get the idea) 7 * 35 = 245pts total, 245/45(pts for dry) = 5.44 lbs of dry malt. I know this may be confusing, not the math but the way I have explained it. Here are two lists of yields which were posted previously (sorry for stealing your work, but I hate typing and I did not want to make my own list, so if there is any error don't blame me :-)). =========================================================================== These are the numbers quoted by Dave Miller in his new book, "The Complete Handbook of Home Brewing" (Garden Way Publishing, 1988). All numbers assume 1 pound of material in 1 gallon of water. Barley Flakes...........30 Black Malt..............24 Cane Sugar..............45 Cara-Pils...............30 Corn or Rice Flakes.....40 Corn Sugar..............40 Crystal Malts...........24 Honey...................35 Malt Extract Powder.....45 Malt Extract Syrup......36 Mild Ale Malt...........33 Munich Malt.............33 Pale Ale Malt...........35 Roast Barley............24 Six-row Lager Malt......33 Two-row Lager Malt......35 Vienna Malt (homemade)..30 Wheat Malt..............38 =========================================================================== Ingredient Gravity for 1 pound in 1 US gallon Dry Malt Extract 47 Malt Extract Syrup 40 Corn, Rice 39.5 Wheat Malt 39 English 2 row lager, pale 37.5 English mild ale malt 36 German 2 row pilsner malt 35 German 2 row munich malt 34.5 Light crystal, Dextrine malt 32.5 Brown, amber malt 32 US, Canadian 6 row lager malt 31 Chocolate malt, Dark crystal 30.5 Black malt, Roast barley 30 Note that these are theoretical MAXIMUMS. You won't get these in your brewpot. =========================================================================== Sorry if letters are missing my system is not the best. B^2 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 08:02:10 PDT From: polstra!larryba at uunet.UU.NET (Larry Barello) Subject: Re: Sparge Water pH John Freegorg writes in #922 > How many all-grain people adjust their sparge water pH? I've been reading >about putting lactic acid in the sparge water to achieve the proper pH which >helps improve extraction numbers. > > Should I worry about this? Do other people? Have you noticed a dramatic >difference once you started doing this? I treat my entire supply water with gypsum (about 1gm/gal). That seems to acidify the mash and the sparge quite well. I get excellent extract yields, but I wouldn't draw the conclusion that my yields are a result of my sparge water acidification. - Larry Barello Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 07:56:48 MST From: John Francisco <CITJLF at ARIZVM1.ccit.arizona.edu> Subject: Jockey Box I,ve been using a jockey box that I bought from Foxx for several years now. The trick to pouring beer with a nice creamy head and retaining a nice level of carbonation is to run the CO2 pressure at 21 lbs. You need this high level of pressure because your draft lines are very long. If the pressure is not sufficient, the CO2 escapes from the beer because there is not enough pressure to keep it in suspension. The CO2 pressure actually drops over the distance that the beer has to travel and by the time it reaches your tap it's at the proper pressure. A lot of people mistakenly think that when they have their first tapping system that if they're getting a lot of foam when pouring a beer that the pressure is too high - it's just the opposite, it's too low. There is a formula, which eludes just now, for calculating line pressure but the standard pressure for 20 to 30 feet of draft line is 21 lbs, start at this pressure first and then adjust - if still a little too foamy then raise it a few pounds. I keg my beer in Cornelious kegs and bottles but the kegged beer tastes much fresher and the head is always creamier. I have also setup a refrig- erator system. If anyone has any questions about any of these systems, I would be happy to answer your questions. I,ve been using these kegging systems now for almost ten years. May your beer give you good head!!! John Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 09:56 CDT From: korz at iepubj.att.com Subject: Wyeast wheat John asks about Wyeast wheat yeast. I've used this once, fermented at 69F and got no clove character. I've since spoken to several others who have used it, as well as a few posts in HBD awhile ago, and the consensus is that you need to ferment at a higher temperature, say, 75F or 80F to get the clove character. Wyeast wheat yeast (#3056, I believe) is a mixture of S. cerevisiae and S. Delbrueckii. It's the Delbrueckii that gives the beer that clove character so necessary for the Bavarian Weizen style. It appears, from what I've read and heard, that higher temps favor the Delbrueckii. Al. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 08:45:28 -0700 From: mcnally at wsl.dec.com Subject: Belgian ale I recently made a batch of Belgian ale using some Belgian malt I ordered from Liberty. The malt is distinctly different. I haven't found Chimay yeast to be slow at all. In fact, since I started using better aeration techniques, I've found it to be pretty snappy. I am not fond of banana odors in my beer, so I try to keep the fermentation temperature below 70 degrees. I still get a great deal of that "Belgian" character to the beer. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Mike McNally mcnally at wsl.dec.com Digital Equipment Corporation Western Software Lab Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 13:00:36 CDT From: tony at spss.com (Tony Babinec) Subject: brewing your own sierra nevada pale ale This recipe ought to get you close. Try it, see how the beer turns out, and then make changes. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, the bottle product, has a starting gravity of 1.052, while Sierra Nevada Draught Ale, the draft product, has an SG of 1.048. The draft product tastes a bit sweeter, too. Malts in the grain bill include pale malt, crystal malt, and dextrine malt (aka cara-pils). Hops used are Perle and Cascade. The yeast is their own, which you can culture from the bottle or obtain as Wyeast "American" ale. So, for a 5-gallon batch, assuming 75% extraction efficiency, try this: 9 pounds U.S. 2-row pale malt 0.5 pounds crystal malt (60L) 0.25-0.5 pounds cara-pils malt 1 ounce Perle (alpha=6.5), 60 minutes until end of boil 0.5 ounce Cascade (alpha=6.3), 15 minutes until end of boil 0.5 ounce Cascade (alpha=6.3), end of boil Wyeast "American" ale Mash at starch conversion temperature of 153/5 degrees F. Comments: the crystal malt is fairly dark for some color, the cara-pils is there for added body and sweetness. But, don't overdo it with the specialty grains. The relatively high starch conversion temperature will promote body and sweetness. Perles are the signature bittering hop, while Cascades are for flavor and aroma. If I remember, SNPA comes in at about 32-35 IBUs, and the above hop schedule should get you in the ballpark. I don't believe Chico dry-hops SNPA, but go ahead if you so desire. Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 10:52:01 PDT From: "Steve, dtn 226-2718" <kennedy at ranger.enet.dec.com> Subject: Source for reconditioned CO2 tanks In HBD #921 Dan Roman asked about a source for a source for used CO2 tanks. There's a company called Bev-Con International (BCI) which lists reconditioned CO2 cylinders (2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 pound sizes) in their catalog. I acquired their catalog/price list through the N.H. based Brew Free or Die homebrew club. As an example of their prices, the price list I have lists a 5# reconditioned cylinder for $32.50 (I don't know if this includes the cap/valve). I haven't looked extensively at a lot of catalogs/brochures that carry kegs and CO2 cylinders, but in all that I have seen, this is the first place that I noticed that sells reconditioned CO2 cylinders. Anyway, the contact information: Bev-Con International 6400 Highway 51 South P.O. Box 396 Brighton, TN 38011 Phone: (901) 476-8000 WATS: (800) 284-9410 FAX: (901) 476-4811 In addition to CO2 cylinders, their price list includes various makes of beverage tanks (ex. Cornelius) in various sizes, as well as many different types of standard 1/4 & 1/2 size barrels. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with BCI and in fact I haven't bought anything from BCI (yet), so this is not even a recommendation. I was recently helping someone else look for a source for reconditioned CO2 cylinders so that's why I noticed BCI sells them and why I have the information. happy kegging! \steve =-=-=-=-=-= Steve Kennedy Email: kennedy at ranger.enet.dec.com Digital Equipment Corp. -or- kennedy%ranger.dec at decwrl.dec.com 30 Porter Road (LJO2/I4) -or- ...!decwrl!ranger.dec.com!kennedy Littleton, MA 01460 Phone: (508) 486-2718 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 12:01:44 PDT From: gummitch at techbook.com (Jeff Frane) Subject: wheat & Belgian yeast John Freeborg asks: >With summer in full swing I plan to do a wheat beer. I picked >up the special Wyeast wheat beer yeast, but have yet to get >the wheat malt. From reading in Miller's book it says for a >wheat beer that you must use 6-row malt in the mash with the >wheat. The reasoning is that the wheat has no enzymes to break >down the sugars, and 6-row has a ton of enzymes (compared to >2-row anyways). >What is the hbd consensus? Any great wheat recipes people swear by? >From my own experience, I have to save Dave Miller is way off on this. I have brewed with a ratio as high as 65/35 wheat/2-row barley without any problems. It's possible that the difference has to do with the sort of 2-row Dave has access to; he comes from the midwest and here in the Northwest we use Great Western's 2-row (which seems to be a blend of Klages and Harrington these days). It may also have something to do with the quality of the wheat malt. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he uses the stuff from Briess, which I wouldn't feed to the ducks. I've used either the British or the German wheat malts to excellent effect; both are big fat grains (with no barley mixed in as has been the case in the past with Briess). Rob Bradley says: >Prospective users of Wyeast Belgian should still be aware of >one point: the yeast is slow. I'm not talking about a lag in >getting started, rather that the yeast seems to take forever >in finishing. On the other hand, I received e-mail from >Larry Barello who tells me that his techniques of yeast >washing (described in the HBD more than a month ago) might >cure this problem. I intend to try it when the the weather >cools off (come to think of it, maybe I don't need to wait!). Once again, my own experience has been completely the opposite, and I've heard the same here in the HBD. I brewed with this yeast strain last fall, and the beer went from 1.072 to 1.012 in five days. This is not what I'd call a slow yeast! It's entirely possible that the problem is a lack of oxygen in the wort. A shortage of O2 will not necessarily be reflected in a long lag time, but will definitely cause an almost-endless fermentation. It's also possible that you under-pitched; I definitely worked my up from the original bag through starters before pitching the yeast into such a high-gravity wort. If the yeast is not working well for you from the original Wyeast supply, then washing it isn't likely to help. Washing the yeast pack from the fermenter before storing it in the refrigerator is another story. - --Jeff Frane Return to table of contents
Date: 14 Jul 1992 16:21:48 -0600 From: "Brett Lindenbach" <Brett_Lindenbach at qms1.life.uiuc.edu> Subject: yeast, again Subject: Time:4:18 PM OFFICE MEMO yeast, again Date:7/14/92 Brewers! I have noticed the topic of reusing yeast has come up again, and would like to comment, as I have had some success with this technique. When bottling, I dump the yeast from the bottom of the carboy into sterile bottles, cap, and keep refrigerated. A few days ahead of brewing, I pitch into some sanitary wort (Premade, bottled, and refrigerated) to make a starter. When this topic last came up, people said to use the yeast within 3 weeks of refrigerating, but I have had no trouble resuscitating a 3 mo. old culture. Also, someone (Al, I think) mentioned washing the yeast with sanitary water. I have tried this, but found no great advantage. Any junk in the yeast settles out (just be careful when pitching into starter), will settle out of the starter (also pour carefully), not to mention diluted into 5 gal. of wort. Reusing in this way has produced much shorter lag times than when I used to keep agar plates (although single colony starters can't be beat for strain purity). I have kept a Chimay culture, a Chico (WYeast), and German lager (WYeast) going serially for several batches, and only keep a library of stock plates as backup. By the way, I have detected no contamination by colony morphology and microscopy. The one caveat I must add is to practice better than average sanitation. Anyways, IMHO maintaining yeast strains is better than buying new because with time, the yeast become well adapted to you, your setup, and your beer. It truly makes a yeast your own. -Brett Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 11:55:12 CDT From: johnf at persoft.com (John Freeborg) Subject: Great Taste of Midwest Somebody asked about the Great Taste of the Midwest that Madison, Wisconsin's homebrew club puts on every year. Here is the press release I'm sending out. It is a fabulous time with a ton of breweries. I can post a list of confirmed breweries if anybody wants it. If you are near the area please drop by! - John For Immediate Release Great Taste of the Midwest News Release On Saturday, August 22nd, the Madison Homebrewers & Tasters Guild will be sponsoring the 6th annual Great Taste of the Midwest Beer Festival. This year's festival will continue a tradition of bringing to Madison the midwest's finest small breweries. Last year, over twenty breweries were represented, serving their hand-crafted beers to over 1000 beer lovers under festival tents. A wide variety of beer styles were served including pilsners, ales, stouts, porters, cherry and wheat beers. This year's Great Taste will again be held at Olin Terrace Park in downtown Madison overlooking Lake Monona. Gates will be open from noon until 6:00pm. Festival admission of $12 includes a Great Taste commemorative glass, unlimited tasting of a wide variety of beer styles and flavors, and a chance to meet the brewers. Food will be available, with music throughout the day. Advance tickets are available at the Wine & Hop Shop on State Street, Star Liquor on Williamson Street, and Steve's Liquor on University Avenue and Mineral Point Road, all located in Madison. For more information on this year's Great Taste of the Midwest, contact Steven Klafka at 608-255-5030. The Madison Homebrewers & Tasters Guild is a nonprofit club devoted to the history, brewing and appreciation of well-crafted beers. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Freeborg Software Engineer Persoft johnf at persoft.com 465 Science Dr. 608-273-6000 Madison, WI 53711 Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1992 18:54:17 -0400 From: Michael Lewandowski <mikelew at brahms.udel.edu> Subject: Smart Caps I recently purchased some Smart Caps. If you are not familiar with the brand name, these caps are lined with a material that is supposed to reduce the chances of finding your beer all oxidized when you open the bottle. Enough of the lead in, I have a question about their use. I normally sanitize caps by boiling them for 15 minutes before use. Will this reduce the effectiveness of the anti-oxidants? If yes, how should I sanitize them? Thanks in advance. Mike Return to table of contents
Date: 14 Jul 92 08:20:42 U From: "Rad Equipment" <rad_equipment at rad-mac1.ucsf.EDU> Subject: Sparge pH Subject: Sparge pH Time:7:43 AM Date:7/14/92 John Freeborg asks about acidifying sparge water. According to Dr. Lewis at UC Davis, water is not a good buffer, ie. water's ability to alter pH is very weak. In a contest between a mash of 5.0 - 5.5 and sufficient sparge water at 6.5 - 7.5 the mash will win. Only if your local water is on the alkaline side should you worry about modifying the pH prior to sparge. Lewis says that there is no harm in adding lactic acid to sparge water, especially if it makes you feel better about your beer, however the benefit is psychological only. 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: Tue, 14 Jul 92 21:24:05 MDT From: Jeff Benjamin <benji at hpfcbug.fc.hp.com> Subject: Re: Blueberry Beer John Cotterill asks: > 1) Does anyone have a good recipe for Blueberry beer? There is a local > contest coming up that features fruit beers, and I would like to brew one > up. An all grain recipe is preferable, but a good extract recipe would be ok. Here's a blueberry beer I made recently. The blueberry character isn't as pronounced as I'd like; I think it's partly because the berries weren't particularly ripe. The fruit is very subtle, and imparts a pleasing wine-like characteristic and acidity. I thought a brown ale would lend itself well to the blueberries, and I must say I'm happy with the combination. Brown and Blue Ale 6.5 lbs pale malt .5 lbs wheat malt .75 lbs 80L crystal malt 4 oz black patent malt (uncracked) 2 oz roasted barley (uncracked) 1 oz Goldings (4.9% alpha) .5 oz Fuggles (4.5% alpha) 5 lbs fresh blueberries WYeast #1084 (Irish ale) Procedure: mash in 2 gal. at 130F, protein rest 30 min at 125F, add 1.25 gal, mash 30 min at 150F, raise temp to 158F until converted (15 min), mash out 10 min at 170F. Sparge with 4 gallons to yield 5.5 gal at 1.046. Add Fuggles and .75 oz of Goldings after 20 minutes of boil, boil 60 min, add last .25 oz of Goldings and boil 15 min more. Rinse blueberries in a dilute sulfite solution (after weeding out the fuzzy ones), puree, and add to primary along with yeast. This gave me 5.5 gal of beer with OG 1.046 not counting the blueberries (how the heck do you measure gravity with all those solids in there?). There was lots of blueberry aroma coming from the fermenter the first couple of days, but not very much when I racked after 4 days. I bottled after 4 more days in the secondary, at a FG of 1.010. I think lots of aroma volatiles got lost with all the outgassing in the primary; I think next time I may wait to add the berries to the secondary. I may also skip the roasted barley, and use only .5 lb of 40L crystal so the blue from the berries is more obvious. The next batch is going to be a cherry wheat, with lots of tart baking cherries in the secondary and a looong maceration. Yum! - -- 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
End of HOMEBREW Digest #926, 07/18/92