Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Homebrew Digest #6044 (August 27, 2013)

HOMEBREW Digest #6044 Tue 27 August 2013


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


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

No "sponsor-level" donation yet this year

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 (NOTE NEW
ADDRESS):

HBD Server Fund
PO Box 871054
Canton, MI 48187-6054

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: A Boozy Beer That Won't Give You a Hangover (David Huber)
Contamination Problem from HBD #6032 (Adam Arndt)


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy! *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NOTE: With the economy as it is, the HBD is struggling to
meet its meager operating expenses of approximately $3500
per year. If less than half of those currently directly
subscribed to the HBD sent in a mere $5.00, the HBD would
be able to easily meet its annual expenses, with room to
spare for next year. Please consider it.






Financial Projection as of 31 May 2013
*** Condition: Cautiously Optimistic ***
501(c)3 status rescinded. Refiled 1023 for retroactive
status 25 June 2012. Per the IRS, our case must be
assigned to an agent. IRS is currently assigning
applications received in March 2012. Ours was received
in late June. To current financials, HBD is officially
bankrupt in August. Due to recent developments, HBD.org
will likely have to be dissolved per the bylaws once
funding runs out.
Projected 2012 Budget $3,145.01
Expended against projection $1,586.99
Unplanned expenditures ($ 152.00)
Projected Excess/(Shortfall) ($ 89.84)

As always, donors and donations are publicly acknowledged
and accounted for on the HBD web page. Thank you.

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,
Spencer Thomas, and Bill Pierce


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


Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:15:25 -0400
From: David Huber <n3uks.dave at gmail.com>
Subject: RE: A Boozy Beer That Won't Give You a Hangover

The beer described in that article used added electrolytes that was said to
reduce the effect of a hangover. I recall a number of years ago there was
a recipe in BYO for a beer that replaced about half the water with Mountain
Dew (http://byo.com/light-ale/item/1167-mountain-brew). Perhaps the same
thing could be done with Gatorade instead to get electrolytes into the
brew. :) Just imagine the flavor possibilities!

Dave Huber
Jessup, MD

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

Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 00:16:15 +0000
From: Adam Arndt <adama at microsoft.com>
Subject: Contamination Problem from HBD #6032

In regards to the contamination problem from a couple Digests ago, can you
provide any tasting notes on the quality/type of sour note that you're
getting?

Is it a clean yoghurt-like sourness (lactic acid) or is it a sharp
vinegar-like sourness (acetic acid)? -This will help to t-shoot what organism
we might be dealing with.

Acetobater will produce acetic acid / vinegar but it definitely requires the
presence of oxygen so under typical fermentation and bottling conditions it's
pretty low on the list. Acetobater is carried by fruit flies and it's
probably the main source of acetobater infections. -Is this a chance?

Changing subject slightly from what organism might be at fault, when in the
process are you adding the honey? -Honey naturally has microorganisms living
in it (wild and strange yeasts); they can't ferment in honey because the
specific gravity/ osmotic pressure is to high but as soon as honey gets
watered down they can start to ferment and I've found they can produce some
nasty flavors. -If you're not hitting the honey with significant heat they
could be alive and producing the acid that you're dealing with, too. (Mead
makers: don't shoot the messenger; I know over heating delicate, expensive
honey is mead making blasphemy but it doesn't change the facts.)

It certainly COULD be in your equipment but I wouldn't necessarily throw it
all away. Give it a stronger than usual soak in an alkaline cleaner like PBW
(or a blend of PBW and an oxygen-based cleaner), the rinse and give it a
stronger than usual soak in StarSan. -You'll attack the problem from several
different angles this way to even if it's a microorganism that can deal with
a low ph, you'll still take care of it (if it's acetobater PBW + Oxygen-based
cleaner should take care of it in a hurry).

If you want to go crazy and all of the equipment can deal with hot steam
give it a good steaming, too. Steam will lyse cells rather quickly.

Adam

------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #6044, 08/27/13
*************************************
-------