Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Homebrew Digest #5376 (July 22, 2008)

HOMEBREW Digest #5376 Tue 22 July 2008


FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: pbabcock at hbd.org


***************************************************************
AUGUST'S HOME BREW DIGEST BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

The Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Visit them at http://aabg.org

Support those who support you! Visit our sponsor's site!
********** Also visit http://hbd.org/hbdsponsors.html *********

DONATE to the Home Brew Digest. Home Brew Digest, Inc. is a
501(c)3 not-for-profit organization under IRS rules (see the
FAQ at http://hbd.org for details of this status). Donations
can be made by check to Home Brew Digest mailed to:

HBD Server Fund
PO Box 871309
Canton Township, MI 48187-6309

or by paypal to address serverfund@hbd.org. DONATIONS of $250
or more will be provided with receipts. SPONSORSHIPS of any
amount are considered paid advertisement, and may be deductible
under IRS rules as a business expense. Please consult with your
tax professional, then see http://hbd.org for available
sponsorship opportunities.
***************************************************************


Contents:
commercial (sour) beers ("Darrell G. Leavitt")
OK lets talk astringency (Joe Katchever)
Re: Common problem with commericial beers ("Dave Larsen")


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* The HBD Logo Store is now open! *
* http://www.hbd.org/store.html *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy! *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Send articles for __publication_only__ to post@hbd.org

If your e-mail account is being deleted, please unsubscribe first!!

To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE send an e-mail message with the word
"subscribe" or "unsubscribe" to request@hbd.org FROM THE E-MAIL
ACCOUNT YOU WISH TO HAVE SUBSCRIBED OR UNSUBSCRIBED!!!**
IF YOU HAVE SPAM-PROOFED your e-mail address, you cannot subscribe to
the digest as we cannot reach you. We will not correct your address
for the automation - that's your job.

HAVING TROUBLE posting, subscribing or unsusubscribing? See the HBD FAQ at
http://hbd.org.

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL USED EQUIPMENT? Please do not post about it here. Go
instead to http://homebrewfleamarket.com and post a free ad there.

The HBD is a copyrighted document. The compilation is copyright
HBD.ORG. Individual postings are copyright by their authors. ASK
before reproducing and you'll rarely have trouble. Digest content
cannot be reproduced by any means for sale or profit.

More information is available by sending the word "info" to
req@hbd.org or read the HBD FAQ at http://hbd.org.

JANITORs on duty: Pat Babcock (pbabcock at hbd dot org), Jason Henning,
and Spencer Thomas


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


Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:02:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Darrell G. Leavitt" <leavitdg at plattsburgh.edu>
Subject: commercial (sour) beers

I have seen the same thing, and I believe that it is that the distributor
lets them get too hot. They are probably not, or minimally filterred (to
enhance the fresh flavor) and if kept cold, I'd bet they woould be good.

Let's see what others have to say.

Darrell

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

Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:52:58 -0500
From: Joe Katchever <joe at pearlstreetbrewery.com>
Subject: OK lets talk astringency

My ales are never astringent, yet my amber lager tends to always be
slightly astringent. Many folks really like this lager, but I notice a
subtle flavor in there that I'd like to tweak. The major differences
between this lager and my ales are, for one, that I use Pilsner malt
instead of 2R(Harrison) in the Lager. I have switched Pilsner malt
brands with no considerable difference in astringency. My roller mill is
set to about .07", so I'm not shredding husk. I typically cut off my
runoffs as they approach 2*Plato (1.008). I also keep a watchful eye on
the pH and never let it dwindle below 5.5. I have also used different
yeasts without really effecting the astringency much.
According to the water department, the water I use looks like this
before it is heated to 190*F for brewing: Alkalinity: 120-270ppm,
Calcium: 42-85 ppm, Chloride: 6-93 ppm, Hardness 150-330 ppm, Iron:
0-.21 ppm, Manganese: .002-.25 ppm, with total dissolved solids ranging
from 200 to 570 ppm and a pH range pf 7.5-7.8.
Water analysis of my brewing water (before I treat it with CaSO4, NaCl
or CaCL) is: Sodium 15.5ppm, Calcium: 10.3ppm, Magnesium: 32.2ppm,
Sulfate: 15.6ppm, Chloride: 33.4ppm, and it has 158.3ppm of hardness.
This is the water that actually goes into the mash tun.
I have used raw water (as above) and I have added salts without
effecting astringency much. What's up, oh, beer gods?
Joe

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

Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:04:59 -0700
From: "Dave Larsen" <hunahpu at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Common problem with commericial beers

> Recently, I have had beer (six packs from the local liquor store) from
> 3 different local breweries (names withheld for now) that all had a
> very similar set of problems. All three times the beer was nearly
> undrinkable and I don't think it tasted anywhere near what the brewer
> had intended.

I too had a problem recently with a brew pub in Seattle. I was
visiting a friend in Seattle, and this friend wanted to take me to a
brew pub only a mile away from his house. When we got there, we got
the sampler, with six beers. Two of them had so much diacetyl that
they were undrinkable, including their signature stout. Let me just
tell you that butter does not belong in a stout in any way, shape, or
form. It was gross. To be honest, the service was not much better.
We left, leaving beer on the table. It is amazing when you taste
something that is supposed to be professionally made and it has such
amateur flaws in it.

Dave
Tucson, AZ
http://hunahpu.blogspot.com/


------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #5376, 07/22/08
*************************************
-------