Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Homebrew Digest #5464 (December 10, 2008)

HOMEBREW Digest #5464 Wed 10 December 2008


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


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

Sponsor The Home Brew Digest!
Visit http://www.hbd.org/sponsorhbd.shtml to learn how

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:
Re: Old Wyeast (steve alexander)
More power, Stencil ! ("steve.alexander")


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* 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: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:31:28 -0500
From: steve alexander <steve-alexander at roadrunner.com>
Subject: Re: Old Wyeast

Mike Beck successfully resurrected an ancient Wyeast smack-pack.

> Recently, September 2008, I picked up a packet of Wyeast Pilsen
> Lager from a fellow brewer, dated July 2001. Knowing the yeast was
> refrigerated the whole time, I gave it a try. It took about a week
> for the packet to fully inflate. Then I poured the yeast into a
> half liter and then two one liter starters to make two pilsners.
Well done Mike. The problem with old tubes and wy-packs isn't that the
yeast is dead, it's that the cells are no longer healthy and abundant enough
to meet specs. If it puffs up, even slowly, then all you need to do is
build
a healthy starter. I' m personally of the opinion that the standard sized
smack-pack should always go into a starter, but many ppl pitch these
directly
without problem.

Yes - if I had an well sealed retail culture I'd just see if I could
build it
up - (cleanly, carefully) and use it. The other advantage of the
starter in
this case is that you can get a good whiff/taste of what you cultured
and abort
the culture if you get any funky-vibes or if it takes way-too-long.

-S

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

Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:52:40 -0500
From: "steve.alexander" <-s at roadrunner.com>
Subject: More power, Stencil !

Re ultrasonic start degradation ...

Stencil says,

> Umm. Sixty hunnert lotta money. You maybe like senny-fi'
> buck?
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95563
>
> Since I already have a wee one, just big enough for a barrel
> or a cylinder, I was thinking in terms of, say, a pound of
> grain in a fairly stiff mash.

>From what I read you need ~0.33-0.5Watt/cc at ~70% hydration
(normal mash thickness) ~40khz give or take.

So that's 1200W-2000W of ultrasonic per gallon of mash
Your 160watt unit might handle a cup of mash. What's unclear
is time .. maybe you could create a flow-thru continuous system
if it's fast enough. BTW yo ustill need to mash for gelainization
but the extract should improve a little. Also the gelat-temp
increases which might throw a monkey-wrench in the mash schedule.

-S


------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #5464, 12/10/08
*************************************
-------