HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: spgo@is.morgan.com (Stefan Goellner)
Subject: Re: Low O.G. - what's a brewmeister to do?
Keywords: DME dumb
Organization: Morgan Stanley - IS
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 15:57:13 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.125257.7882@r-node.gts.org>, wayne@r-node.gts.org (Wayne) writes:
|> In article <mcnally.714261222@wsl.pa.dec.com> mcnally@wsl.dec.com (Mike McNally) writes:
|> >mal@genrad.com (Mike A. Long) writes:
|> >>OK, I'll admit it.   Whenever I brew, I follow the recipe to the letter.
|> >>But when I take my S.G. for the original gravity, I usually get a VERY
|> >>low reading.
|> >...
|> >>To give you an indication, my brew's recipe called for an SG of 1.042, and
|> >>I am reading 1.020...
|> >
|> >If you're extract-brewing, I suggest you make sure that you're really
|> >following the recipe; it'd be hard to wind up that far off.
|> >
|> >If you're mashing, then it looks to me like there's a problem with
|> >that process.  You could have crushing problems, temperature problems,
|> >pH problems, equipment problems, or process problems.  Perhaps you 
|> >could post more details.
|> 
|> I have also experienced this problem, but not to the same degree as you
|> have, usually I just dump in a half pound of corn sugar, I know I should
|> use malt but corn sugar is a cheap adjunct and I always have a few 
|> pounds of it around.
|> -- 
|> Wayne Dawe
|> wayne@r-node.UUCP

You go to the trouble of doing an all grain brew and then you dump in
CORN SUGAR?????????????

Stef
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: gak@wrs.com (Richard Stueven)
Subject: Re: Exploding bottles:should I run for cover?
Reply-To: gak@wrs.com
Organization: Wind River Systems, Inc.
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 16:52:50 GMT

In article 560@mksol.dseg.ti.com, carruth@mksol.dseg.ti.com (matthew carruth) writes:
>Another novice brewer has bottled a batch of ale with a sg of
>1.028.  I have been told that the bottles may explode.  Is
>this really dangerous?  Does anybody have any experience
>in this matter?  If the bottles cause fatal inury at 20
>paces, then I'll pour out the beer and start over.  If
>explode means that they will fall apart and make a mess,
>then I'll take my chances.  What do I do?

Keep them in a cool dark place, and keep them in a box.

---
gak			Der Herr Buergermeister gibt bekannt, dass ab
gak@wrs.com		Donnerstag Bier gebraut wird und deshalb ab
attmail!gakhaus!gak	Mittwoch nicht mehr in den Bach geschissen
107/H/3&4		werden darf.

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: cav@bnr.ca (Rick Cavasin)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: what does 1.028 mean?
Date: 26 Aug 92 18:46:38 GMT
Reply-To: cav@bnr.ca (Rick Cavasin)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

In article <1992Aug26.141549.26067@mksol.dseg.ti.com>, carruth@mksol.dseg.ti.com (matthew carruth) writes:
|> I bottled a batch last night.  The final specific gravity was 1.028.  Does that 
|> mean anything.  I used one "can" of extract, 3 lbs of powdered malt extract,
|> 1oz of finishing hops, an one package of dry yeast.  I added enough distilled
|> water to make 5 gal.  It has fermented for 5 days.  
|> 
|> Keywords: 
|> 
|> 
|> -- 
|> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|> My views are my own and do not reflect those of my employeers....

5 days since you first brewed and pitched the yeast?!?  It sounds like
you bottled a little early.  I've had brews with terminal gravities as
high as 1.028, but those are especially hearty brews and I leave them
in the secondary for at least a month to ensure that they've fermented out.
What was the original gravity?  What led you to believe that the beer
was ready to bottle?

For an all malt extract ale I usually expect a finishing gravity of about
1.015.  Maybe as high as 1.020.  Some brewers regard even these figures as high.
Did you measure the gravity before adding the priming sugar?

What this high gravity means is that you probably have a fair amount of
fermentable sugars left in the beer.  With such a short fermentation time,
this is not too surprising. These sugars will continue to
ferment in the bottle, and depending on what  terminal gravity
is eventually reached (ie. how much fermentation occurs in the bottle), you may
end up with exploding bottles.  At the very least, your beer will probably be
 overcarbonated.  Given that the beer is already bottled, I'm not sure what
to suggest you do at this point aside from BE VERY VERY CAREFUL.  If this
beer has in fact got a fair bit of fermentable sugar left in it, these
bottles will soon become glass grenades.

The beer may have fermented out enough before you bottled it, but it would
be best to err on the side of caution.

Good luck,
Rick C.
From: toddg@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Todd Goin)
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 14:37:11 GMT
Subject: Re: Tasted first batch: I'm Worried
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing

In rec.crafts.brewing, rjhoffma@iastate.edu (Richard J. Hoffmann) writes:

> I've been lurking is this group for about a month while I've gotten
> started with my own first effort.  I bottled it last weekend and tasted
> the first bottle today.

Don't give up!!! Usually, people recommend 3 weeks after bottling
before the carbonation etc. is "up to what you expect".  I always
start drinking after 1 week, I just remember that it won't quite "be-there"
yet.

> So, aside from the lack of hoppiness, will this stuff get any better in
> the bottle?  Will the carbonation improve?  Will the cidery taste go
> away?  Should I pour it all down the drain now and hope for better luck
> with my second batch, which I started last night?  (The second batch
> includes crystal malt, better use of hops and a stab at making something
> like Anchor Steam, starting with a recipe I got from the Cat's Meow).
> 
Good lord don't pour it down the drain!!!

I know several people who have had to, at one time or another, open all
bottles and add a little more priming sugar, seal them back up and wait.
(I think that you can read about this in "New COmplete Joy of Homebrewing"
by Charlie Papazian.

Tastes mellow over time, again wait at least 3 weeks before you decide.
I am currently enjoying a honey-based brew that tasted quite cidery
after only a week.  It gets MUCH better.!!

> This is a very friendly group.  I've enjoyed watching.  Hope I can do
> this right, so I don't have to bag it!

Relax, don't worry - Have a Homebrew!

> Dick Hoffmann
> 
> -- 
> Richard J. Hoffmann              Internet: rjhoffma@iastate.edu
> Department of Zoology & Genetics   Bitnet: rjhoffma%iastate.edu@isumvs
> Iowa State University               Voice: (515) 294-8075
> Ames, Iowa 50011
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: markn@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (mark.nevar)
Subject: Re: Great idea but....
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 19:40:40 GMT
Keywords: Pathetic snivelling

Tantrums: Jack (1) Al (0)
From: warrenc@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Cherie Warren)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: Exploding bottles:should I run for cover?
Date: 31 Aug 92 17:32:04 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Seattle

carruth@mksol.dseg.ti.com (matthew carruth) writes:

>Another novice brewer has bottled a batch of ale with a sg of
>1.028.  I have been told that the bottles may explode.  Is
>this really dangerous?  Does anybody have any experience
>in this matter?  If the bottles cause fatal inury at 20
>paces, then I'll pour out the beer and start over.  If
>explode means that they will fall apart and make a mess,
>then I'll take my chances.  What do I do?

Un-bottle, start over (or referment, although it may be too late) and
re-bottle.  Exploding bottles are NASTY.  They will leave glass chips
embedded in wood or drywall.  If you are in the vicinity of a potentially
exploding bottle, make sure your medical insurance is paid up, and be
wearing mega-safety goggles.  Yes, it's really dangerous, okay?  Chalk
this one up to impatience and lack of experience, and go for greatness
with your next batch.

Next time, remember this:  5 days is way too soon, and you should give the
beer at least a week in a secondary fermenter anyway.  1028 is WAY too high
for a final (bottling) gravity in most cases.
--
Don (guest on this account)
dgs1300@aw2.fsl.ca.boeing.com
...!uunet!bcstec!aw2.fsl.ca.boeing.com!dgs1300
From: edbu@pogo.wv.tek.com (Ed Burress)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: Exploding bottles:should I run for cover?
Date: 31 Aug 92 17:57:43 GMT
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Wilsonville,  OR.

Joel Dunsmore writes:

>I have had 1 bottle of homebrew explode, not one of my own brews, though.

>it was a bottle of ale, left in the truck on a very hot day.  When I
>came out of work, the bottle was broken, but no sign of liquid (very
>hot day, remember).  Two other bottles from the same batch were fine.

Before I was of legal age to make beer at home, I used to make my own root
beer.  My sister called one day while I was at work to tell me that
some of the bottles were blowing up in the closet.  It was an untypically 
hot August, and I completely forgot about the two bottles in the back of 
the Ford Pinto.  When I went to go home, I found that the inside of the car 
was a sticky, gooey mess with little glass shards pointing at me from 
all directions. I drove to the nearest car wash sitting on a piece of 
cardboard, wearing leather gloves. After several quarters, the inside 
of the car was like a sauna.  I drove home to find the same type of mess 
in the closet.  Now that I know a little more about the reactions involved
in brewing, I would never think of bottling too early.  1028 does seem to
be a little high, but then Portland does have a bomb disposal unit....;-)

--------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Mail:				edbu@pogo
Ed Burress 63-356			Phone (503)-685-3200
Tektronix, Inc.
PO box 1000 Beaverton, Oregon,
			97070-1000
--------------------------------------------------------------
"A wise monkey never monkeys with another monkey's monkey."
--------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: mal@genrad.com (Mike A. Long)
Subject: Re: Low O.G. - what's a brewmeister to do?
Keywords: DME dumb
Organization: GenRad, Inc.
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 13:00:07 GMT

In article <mcnally.714261222@wsl.pa.dec.com> mcnally@wsl.dec.com (Mike McNally) writes:
>mal@genrad.com (Mike A. Long) writes:
>>OK, I'll admit it.   Whenever I brew, I follow the recipe to the letter.
>>But when I take my S.G. for the original gravity, I usually get a VERY
>>low reading.
>...
>>To give you an indication, my brew's recipe called for an SG of 1.042, and
>>I am reading 1.020...
>
>If you're extract-brewing, I suggest you make sure that you're really
>following the recipe; it'd be hard to wind up that far off.
>
>If you're mashing, then it looks to me like there's a problem with
>that process.  You could have crushing problems, temperature problems,
>pH problems, equipment problems, or process problems.  Perhaps you 
>could post more details.
>

Ok, let me tell you more, and also tell you about some email replies I
got.


I am not yet into mashing - I follow extract recipes.   This was a blueberry
beer that had grains in a grain bag (soaked until boil), then addition of
extract and hops, etc.  

My other responses were right on the money - they asked if I had 
aerated *before* taking my S.G., pointing out that the wort poured into my
carboy sinks to the bottom of the cold water.   I always aerate, but I 
always took my S.G. prior to aeration, hence the low OG.

Thanx to all who responded!

==========================================================================
Mike (Mikey) Long				mit-eddie!genrad.com!mal
GenRad						mal@genrad.com
==========================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: hpeyerl@novatel.cuc.ab.ca (Herb Peyerl)
Subject: Re: Bud's claims to be "naturally carbonated"
Organization: "NovAtel Communications Ltd."
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:43:47 GMT

David Morning (dam@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk) wrote:
: fizz in the bottle. German beers do this but don't ask me how, I just drink
: the stuff, maybe it's related to top fermenting vs bottom fermenting (well
: that's what the guy in the Heineken factory in Amsterdam told me!!)

That's correct... When you use a top fermenting yeast the sediment actually
floats on the top (because the dead yeasties still have on their life-
jackets) so when it comes time to bottle, they just skim the sediment off
the top and you have clear beer.  Top fermenting yeast is harder to brew
with though because since alcohol is less dense than sugar, the alcohol
produced by the top fermenting yeast stays on the top of the fermenter 
and the yeast doesn't have a chance to get to the sugar's on the bottom.
This is why german breweries brew with their fermenters upside down to 
alleviate this problem. This is trickier for a homebrewer though. (although
I'm sure one of these days Jack will come up with something :-> )

[SARCASM OFF]
I'm not making fun of you David, it just sort of struck my funny bone at
the time and I couldn't resist responding in the manner I did.

	Cheers.
[ For the humor impaired: :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  ]
-- 
"I was early to finish | hpeyerl@novatel.cuc.ab.ca <Reply-To>   | I brew |
I was late to start, I | peyerlh@cuug.ab.ca                     | there- | 
might be an adult, but | #define JANITOR "Network Administrator"| fore I | 
I'm a minor at heart." |    JANITOR, NovAtel Communications Ltd.|   AM.  |
From: gsw@thebrewery.EBay.Sun.COM (Greg Winters)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: distilled water pro/con
Date: 3 Sep 1992 23:33:32 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: gsw@thebrewery.EBay.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: thebrewery.ebay.sun.com

In article 16784@mksol.dseg.ti.com, carruth@mksol.dseg.ti.com (matthew carruth) writes:
>There is a lot of talk on removing stuff from water before it's
>used.  Is using distilled water a better solution?  
 
A thousand pardons for the last blank note. Wild mouse...

Anyways, I would think that distilled water would be undersireble as I believe
that distillation removes most of the trace minerals and things as well as the
nasty bacteria. I believe that these are useful in brewing. I used to use tap 
water, but after a few infections and the taste of our local supply going to hell
I now use the bottled spring water we get for drinking. I have never boiled it
and have not had a bad batch out of about 12 so far... No chlorine either.
Only draw back is the price...


Greg
From: wolfgang@cats.ucsc.edu (Robert F Dougherty)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: sterilizing with a microwave????
Date: 25 Aug 1992 21:17:16 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
Distribution: h
NNTP-Posting-Host: am.ucsc.edu


Can a microwave be used for sterilizing smallish, non-metallic items?

   I am seeking netwisdom about this idea I had (no flames please):

Things I'm (pretty) sure about:
1) A microwave heats by exciting water molecules
2) The less water in the oven, the faster it works (a slice of bread
   will heat in <20 seconds at High power)
3) All living cells contain water (including dormant bacteria)

Things I'm not so sure of:
4) Bacteria (and other nasties like fungi + wild yeast) will "explode"
   when the water inside of them is heated enough- I not sure there
   is enough water in the cells during their dormant stage for it to
   work.  (My souce is an old Bio book and all it says is that the 
   cell loses some water when going dormant, it doesn't say how much 
   is left.)
5) A microwave will heat the water inside these micro-organisms and
   destroy their cellular structure within a matter of seconds (if there
   is no other water around to absorb the 'waves.)

   This makes sense to me.  The only problems I can speculate are these:
-a microwave oven might not "flood" the chamber with dense enough waves
 to ensure that all the tiny cells are bombarded
-there might not be enough water in some tough bacterial and fungal spores
 to burst the cell upon heating
-figuring out how much 'nuking is enough (to prevent worrying)

Perhaps others can contribute some knowledge so that I can figure out
if this would work.

If it does work, it would be great for sterilizing test-tubes and
petri-dishes for yeast culturing.)

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: vincent@vlsi.polymtl.ca (Jean-Francois Vincent)
Subject: Samuel Adams Ale (Looking for receipe)
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 20:51:11 GMT

Thanks a lot.  (You'll save me a couple of trips to Boston!)

Jean-Luc  brousso@neptune.uqtr.uquebec.ca

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: watson@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (John S. Watson - FSC)
Subject: Brewing in other than a carboy ( was Re: cost of a carboy)
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr. Mtn Vw CA 94035
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 22:34:35 GMT

What alternative have folks brewed in other than carboys? 
I know the other common brewing container is the 5 gallon bucket.

In John McPhee's book on Alaska "Coming Into the Country", 
he writes of some folks that brew in garbage bag and can.
Has anyone ever done this?   I remember my dad used to 
do the first part of his winemaking in a big plastic garbage container.

chow!
John S. Watson, Civil Servent from Hell          ARPA: watson@ames.arc.nasa.gov

HOMEBREW NAKED! --- Ursus cerevisiae nudium  (The Bare Beer Bear)
All right, then, I'll GO to hell"  --- Mark Twain
From: cpalmer@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: Right beer for ______
Date: 2 Sep 92 09:37:20 EDT

I was at Borders book shop the other day and saw a book called something
like "Beers and Food" or something along those lines.
It was a large book about the history of beer and food and the 
right mixing of the two.  it soulnded exatly like what you are looking 
for, so take a look in some good book stores in your town, and if you
can't find it, I could look up the excact title and then you
could order it.
good luck...
				Chris

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: malodah@pbhyf.PacBell.COM (Martin A. Lodahl)
Subject: Re: god please don't flame me...
Reply-To: malodah@PacBell.COM (Martin A. Lodahl)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 22:13:10 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.202606.13997@worldbank.org> aki@atlas.worldbank.org (aki) writes:

>just what _exactly_ is a carboy?  

It's just a great big jug.  Perhaps the most popular variant in the USA
is the 5-gallon glass water bottle.  Many use glass bottles in sizes 
ranging from 6 to 7.5 gallons that were used to deliver acids and other
chemicals.

-- 
= Martin A. Lodahl    [DoD, AHA, NRA]  Systems Analyst, Pacific*Bell =
= malodah@PacBell.COM		Sacramento, CA, USA     916.972.4821 =
= If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the wuids, =
= Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me!!  8-)} =
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: eggertj@moses.atc.ll.mit.edu (Jim Eggert x6127 g41)
Subject: Re: Salvator (pronunciation)
Reply-To: eggertj@atc.ll.mit.edu
Organization: MIT Lincoln Lab - Group 41
	<hersh.714337979@xenon.lcs.mit.edu>
	<1992Aug23.012606.3877@rosedale.uucp>
Date: 23 Aug 92 22:19:44

It would be great to make a doppelbock named Ibinator.
(Bavarian, and slightly misspelled, for "I am a fool".)
--
=Jim  eggertj@atc.ll.mit.edu (Jim Eggert)
From: scampbe1@metz.une.edu.au (Stephen Campbell)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: REQUEST:Cider Recipes
Date: 25 Aug 92 04:04:14 GMT

I'm after recipes for Apple Cider using Apple Juice and/or Apple Juice
concentrate.

Thanks in Advance


Steve


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Campbell				|	Lead Analyst
					|	MIS Unit
					|	University of New England
scampbe1@metz.une.edu.au		|	Armidale, New South Wales
					|	Australia.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: Jalepeno Beer Recipe Wanted............
From: Robert Chambers <RMCCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Date: Thursday, 27 Aug 1992 08:50:23 EDT
Organization: CUNY/UCC VM Systems

A friend of mine has a bottle of this type of beer in his office,
there were 3 but we drank the others.

There is a whole pepper in the bottle, perhaps you could put the peppers
in the boil (to extract some flavor AND soften them up) and put a pepper in
the bottle before you fill and cap it?

The pepper beer he has is strange, the pepper isn't hot when eaten, the
beer isn't *that* hot when imbibed.. but the foam!!! whoa.. viscious!

Robert
From: cpalmer@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: cost of a carboy
Date: 1 Sep 92 19:53:59 EDT

The purified water company in Columbus sells glass 5 gal carboys for
ten dollars.
In Ann Arbor the food co-op "rents" them for eight dollars.
Basically, this is the deposit on filled ones, but they will gladly
give you an empty one for eight bucks.
The atvantage to this is that you can return it and get a new one every
so often, thus not worry about the build up of wold yeasts, spores,
and bacteria.

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
From: srussell@lynx.msc.cornell.edu.UUCP (Stephen Russell,147 Bard,54648,)
Subject: Re: What are water crystals ?
Originator: srussell@snoopy.msc.cornell.edu
Organization: Cornell-Materials-Science-Center
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:08:43 GMT

From article <1992Aug26.225902.58429@cc.usu.edu>, by slk6p@cc.usu.edu:
> In article <1992Aug26.145540.3442@srg.srg.af.mil>, akerson@deimos.srg.af.mil (Pete Akerson - akerson%srg@uunet.uucp) writes:
>> 
>> My box/kit came with these, white powder, tasteless, odorless.
>> What are these, what do they do ?
> 
> These would probably be water treatment (softening?) crystals.  They can be

Well, that might be true, but my experience with what are labeled "water
crystals" from homebrew supply shops is a mixture of two salts meant to
emulate the water of the British Midlands (pale ale's home turf).
It's a mixture of gypsum (CaSO4*2H2O) and epsom salts (MgSO4*7H2O); the
ratio I am not sure of but I believe it's in the range of 3:1 or 4:1 by
weight.  

These salts I've also seen labeled as "Burton Salts", which is more obvious.

by the way, water softeners are decalcifiers such as Na2CO3 (sodium
carbonate) that, upon dissolution into water, will replace the calcium
cation with sodium, but raise the carbonate level, which is not good
unless you are doing all-grain brewing of a dark beer, like a stout or
Munich Dunkel.  The carbonate acts as an acid buffer to counter the
acidity of the dark malt and will keep the mash in the proper pH range. 

If you are doing extract brewing, you'll be more concerned with the flavor
effects of various salts.  Carbonates are on the neutral side in this
respect, but not at excessive doses (greater than 500 ppm).  If I remember
correctly, the taste associated w/ high carbonate levels is "chalky".

Good luck,

STEVE

ps  I really liked Sean Lamb's post about diversity of beers and brewers;
let's get more Asian and African-style beers into the realm of American
beer tasting and homebrewing.

--