Thursday, October 2, 2008

Homebrew Digest #5426 (October 02, 2008)

HOMEBREW Digest #5426 Thu 02 October 2008


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


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Contents:
Re: acid bath for wort chiller? ("Derek Shepard")
A.J. postings September 30, 2008 (Fred M. Scheer)
Re: pH measurement / Brix and Plato (Kai Troester)
CO2 production (Fred M. Scheer)
Re: pH stuff ("Jason Gazeley")
Therminator (Joe Katchever)
Wort Color and Refractometer (Kevin Elsken)


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Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 04:23:24 -0400
From: "Derek Shepard" <derekshepa at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: acid bath for wort chiller?

Every time I use my counter flow chiller I pour about a cup or two of
white vinegar into about a gallon of water in a canning pressure
cooker. I let it generate steam and then fit a tube over the fitting
which holds the pressure weight. I run this vinegary steam through the
coil for about 10 minutes. Usually some green stuff comes out,
probably just copper corrosion, but it makes me feel better knowing
that I think it is clean and sterile for all practical purposes.
Haven't had an infection yet.


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Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:31:02 +0000
From: fredscheer07 at comcast.net (Fred M. Scheer)
Subject: A.J. postings September 30, 2008

HI A.J.:

Your postings make me altimes smile; especially in the morning
after we mash in - so, you see, it's a good thing.

After sitting in lot's of VORLESUNGEN (studys) in Prof. Narziss
and sometimes in Berlin at Dr. Kunzes class, I'm wondering
if your postings not a bit heavy for this forum?????????????

I recommend to you when using apreviations like ATC; pk's; or explaining
E0, R and F (I know there are CONSTANTS); please explain a bit more
in details. Comments of Homebrewers to me:
"His postings (meaning you...) are over my head"

Cheers,
Fred


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Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:28:57 -0400
From: Kai Troester <kai at braukaiser.com>
Subject: Re: pH measurement / Brix and Plato

> Now the first part of the statement is not quite true. Today's meters
> are generally capable of measurement at mash and even kettle
> temperatures. The instructions that came with your meter or electrode
> should specify the range of temperatures that it can handle.

A.J.,

Thanks for clarifying this. Within the home brewing community there
seems to be some confusion about what the ATC of the meter does and
what it doesn't. The first temperature dependent pH change that comes
in mind for home brewers is the pH shift dependent on temperature and
many brewers thing that that is what the ATC of the meter compensates
for. For a while I thought that too and now I always make sure that I
measure the pH at 20C

The practicality of measuring hot liquids with the meter was based on
the reduction of the life expectancy of the electrode if used at hot
temps.

Regarding Balling/Brix/Plato:

How far off the extract weight percent measurement (extract weight /
total weight of wort) is the Balling/Brix/Plato scale given that it
was established for sucrose. Sure different wort compositions may vary
slightly, but by how much?

Kai


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Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:26:31 +0000
From: fredscheer07 at comcast.net (Fred M. Scheer)
Subject: CO2 production

HI All:

Sometime ago I saw postings about a
CO2 project (I believe it was on the HBD);
i.e., CO2 measurement (I think it was
conducted with W 1056 yeast) during
fermentation.
Can someone please sent me that
info?

Cheers,

Fred


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Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 10:13:52 -0600
From: "Jason Gazeley" <jason.gazeley at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: pH stuff

Ok I have allot of questions about technique. How does one get a mash
sample down to room temp in a reasonable amount of time in order to
make salt/acid additions?

Because I use R.O. water should I be building water from the ground up
based on the brewing region of the style in preperation for brewing instead
of adding minerals to the boil kettle? If sohow should I convince the
minerals that they should stay in solution?If not how should I go about
making adjustments to my mash pH using salts/ How long do I have to
make adjustments before I begin to taste the effects of high or low
mash pH?

What is the best way to determine when I should end my sparge? I have
tried the refractometer method and find it very awkward, slow and
unreliable. taking a sample cooling the sample, staring at the sun, and
squinting to try and read the dang thing. By the time all that is done I have
already run off another quart and the pH may be very different.
My refractometer is ATC but I have experienced very different results when
testing room temp vs. kettle temp samples.

Thanks in advance,

Jason


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Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:22:16 -0500
From: Joe Katchever <joe at pearlstreetbrewery.com>
Subject: Therminator

Hello-
I'm wondering about the efficiency of this chiller. I want to chill my
100+ gallon homebrew batches in a short time with as little water as
possible. This looks like the biggest and most costly chiller around.
What do you think about it? Is there a better one? Worth the $$$?
Here is a link to a picture of it so we both are on the same page:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/therminator.jpg
Thanks,

- --
Joe

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Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:55:40 -0400
From: Kevin Elsken <littleboybrew at verizon.net>
Subject: Wort Color and Refractometer

AJ,

Thanks for the info on Brix and Plato. A follow up question, if I may.
Why does ProMash provide a calibration adjustment that recommends a 4%
difference between Brix and Plato? ProMash is a pretty solid program,
so I am a bit puzzled.

Regarding my wort pH, I did not measure it. I weighed my mash water and
grain, so the ratios are pretty close. My pHs typically end up in the
mid 5s.

Regards,

Kevin Elsken


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End of HOMEBREW Digest #5426, 10/02/08
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