[MKOB] FW: AHA TechTalk Vol. 07-0831.
HArtzog
jazzbrew at charter.net
Fri Aug 31 23:20:20 EDT 2007
Sad newsMichael Jackson (the Beer columnist) died yesterday from Parkinson's
disease. His writing and passion for beer will be sorely missed. I have
forwarded the Tech Talk forum below where those unfamiliar with the man can
read some of the tributes already rolling in from the brewing community.
-----Original Message-----
From: TechTalk [mailto:TechTalk at brewersassociation.org]
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 12:12 PM
To: jazzbrew at charter.net
Subject: AHA TechTalk Vol. 07-0831.
AHA TechTalk Homebrewers Forum
AHA TechTalk is sent to over 9200 homebrewers daily. TechTalk is
available to members of the American Homebrewers Association as a discussion
group specifically dedicated to the art and science of homebrewing.
AHA TechTalk Vol. 07-0831.
New Topics
1. Cindy Jones - Michael Jackson
2. Charlie Papazian - Michael Jackson
3. Nick Passerini - Goodbye, Mr. Jackson
4. Michael D Fairbrother - Here's To You Michael Jackson
5. Bev D. Blackwood II - Michael Jackson Tribute
6. Richard Tyler - Beer Barrel Kegs
7. Greg Fowler - Commercial Freezer vs. Cooler
8. John Buffone - Bottling From a Keg
9. Robert Young - Gelatin as Clarifier
10. Eric Rasmussen - Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
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Zymurgy Connection -- Homebrew Supply Shops
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Replies
11. Dana Colwell - Re: Coriander Seeds
12. David Houseman - Re: Removing Beer Bottle Labels
13. Richard Held - Re: San Francisco Pubs/Micros
14. Mark Beck - Re: Price of Grain Going Up
15. Jay Ankeney - Re: Oktoberfest
16. Jeff Rankert - Re: Oktoberfest
17. Doug Rausch - Re: Stir Plate/Stir Bar Question
18. Matt Burks - Re: Stir Plate/Stir Bar Question
19. David Castor - Re: Electric vs. Gas Burners in a Basement
Brewery
20. John Blichmann - Re: Electric vs. Gas Burners in a Basement
Brewery
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From: Cindy Jones [mailto:cindy at brewersassociation.org]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 12:52 PM
Subject: Michael Jackson
TechTalk Members,
It is with deep regret that we must inform you of the passing of
Michael Jackson, the Beer Hunter, who died yesterday at his home in London,
UK.
Michael's presence in the beer world profoundly impacted us as it did
many, many of you. He was revered and honored each and every time he joined
us and brewers in Denver and across the U.S.
Many of us have fond memories of Michael, his writings and his
relentless support for great beer. We invite you to share with thoughts and
tributes to Michael. The Brewers Association has a web page devoted to
Michael's extraordinary life we will update that page as information becomes
available. Truly this is a sad day for the beer industry as we have lost a
good friend.
www.beertown.org/michaeljackson/
Send your tributes to mark at brewersassociation.org
Other sites honoring Michael Jackson.
All About Beer Magazine http://allaboutbeer.com
Morning Advertiser.co.uk
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=49858
Brookston Beer Bulletin http://www.brookstonbeerbulletin.com
Seen Through a Glass
http://lewbryson.blogspot.com/2007/08/michael-jackson.html
Cindy Jones
Marketing Director
Brewers Association
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From: Charlie Papazian [mailto:charlie at brewersassociation.org]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 9:08 PM
Subject: Michael Jackson
I received the news of Michael Jackson's passing late yesterday
evening (I had been traveling all day). I am stunned as I'm sure all of
the beer world is. I first met Michael in 1981 when he accepted my
invitation to attend the American Homebrewers Association Conference. From
that moment our friendship has been lasting. I spoke with him a couple of
weeks ago regarding his planned participation at this year's GABF. He was
looking forward to seeing his friends and helping any way he could. In the
closing part of our conversation he was telling me of his various writing
projects. Then he paused and said "Some day I want to write a book about my
life with Parkinson's disease...I was thinking of calling it 'I Am Not
Drunk.' " I chuckled with him a bit and he continued, "Don't you think that
would be a great title?" Michael’s sense of humor was uplifting and a treat
to be around.
Michael has many dear friends throughout the world. Many of us have
seen him struggle with Parkinson's but for most of his struggle none of us
knew exactly what was going on. I was shocked when he told me last fall.
There was a lot of Michael we didn't understand during the last decade. He
kept his struggle a secret from most of us. I feel so fortunate to have
been able to be with Michael over the last 26 years as much as I have. It
needs not be said that Michael will be missed. Michael is a legend.
Michael gave his all. But it is worth reflecting that as we all do, Michael
had a personal world, where he often was not put on a pedestal. I know
Michael enjoyed contributing to the beer, food and beverage world. He
maintained immense satisfaction from his contributions. He also lived in
Michael's world in a small flat in Hammersmith. With his significant other
at the time, Patty, he raised Samantha (Sam) his adopted daughter. He took
great pride in being a father, a grandfather, guidance counselor and sharing
his life with the nearby community where he lived - without asking much in
return. That is what Michael was dearly about. I have so many experiences
I can recall, but for the moment, the world that loved Michael is quietly
reflecting with what Michael has left us as individuals. Never mind the
beer, the whiskey, the food and brewing lore - Michael was much more than
met the eye. I'll dearly miss a friend and individual who really cared
about people. I know all the staff here at the BA office are also
reflecting on how much we will miss him. At the Brewers Association we
extend our deepest feelings of sympathy to his family and closest friends.
Charlie Papazian
President
Brewers Association
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From: Nick Passerini [mailto:nick.passerini at gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 7:10 PM
Subject: Goodbye, Mr. Jackson
Goodbye, Michael. We'll miss you!
Nick P.
www.startingabrewery.com
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From: Michael D Fairbrother [mailto:michaelfairbrother at comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 9:12 AM
Subject: Here's To You Michael Jackson
Let's all raise a pint in honor of the passing of Michael Jackson, he
will be missed.
Michael
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From: Bev D. Blackwood II [mailto:bev at saintarnold.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 9:53 PM
Subject: Michael Jackson Tribute
Michael Jackson was always willing to talk with you, share the craft
with you, whether it was beer or whisky. My proudest moments are those when
I could solicit his opinion, chat about a beer or whisky on a personal
basis. He has done so much for both crafts, I can't imagine a greater
tribute than for everyone to work to make great beer and great whisky the
standard throughout the world.
Bev D. Blackwood II
Brewery Production Manager
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
http://www.saintarnold.com
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From: Richard Tyler [mailto:rtyler7071 at mindspring.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 6:28 PM
Subject: Beer Barrel Kegs
I'm thinking of using the older Barrel style stainless kegs for my
brewing tower. Anybody have any problems or thoughts on these? I have 5
already, that's why I'm thinking of using them. I do have my own wire feed
welder with argon/co2 gas for stainless.
Richard
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From: Greg Fowler [mailto:greg.fowler at parkwayelectric.com]
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 5:56 AM
Subject: Commercial Freezer vs. Cooler
I have been offered the choice of either a large commercial freezer
or cooler. My question is what would be the most efficient, to use the
cooler as is or the freezer with a controller . I already have the
controller so that would not need to be purchased. Any help would be
appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Greg
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From: John Buffone [mailto:jbuffone at optonline.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 10:09 AM
Subject: Bottling From a Keg
Since building a keg system for my home brew, I've not bottled in
years. Occasionally, I need to bottle a few for competitions and sharing
home brew with friends. I'm thinking of getting the Blichman Beer gun
instead of a traditional counter pressure bottler. Does anyone have a
preference? Is there a better device to buy or build? How long will the
beer bottled from the keg last? Do you lose a noticeable level of
carbonation in the transfer?
John
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From: Robert Young [mailto:RSYFAM1 at aol.com]
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 5:23 AM
Subject: Gelatin as Clarifier
At the recent Homebrew Conference it was mentioned to use gelatin as a
clarifier. I understand you simply make it as directed and pour it, warm,
into the secondary fermenter. If this is not correct, please advise. My two
questions are:
At what point should this be done, or how long before racking to
keg/bottling bucket?
Is there any consideration that I should make in racking it to keg or
bottling bucket? In other words, do I hold the cane off the bottom or
simply go as normal.
Thanks,
Rob
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From: Eric Rasmussen [mailto:rizzrazz at aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 6:43 PM
Subject: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Being a new member of the AHA, I recently took advantage of the 20%
discount on food at Iron Hill Brewery in North Wales, PA. We had one of the
best lunches I'd ever had. The experience was outstanding, including the
service. The beer was good, very good, or excellent. I tried everything (4
oz. glasses). The porter was the best of the lot. I hadn't received my
membership card so I was afraid of not being able to get the discount, but
the waiter just took my word and knocked $12.00 off the check. One of the
brewers even took the time on a Sunday (away from his date?) to come over
and talk to me about the ingredients.
Anyway, here's to good beer, good dining, and the discount to boot!
Cheers to all,
Eric Rasmussen
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Replies
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From: Dana Colwell [mailto:DBColwell58 at aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 4:34 PM
Subject: Re: Coriander Seeds
Steve,
While I'm not a belgium brewer (or one who appreciates the style), you
might wish to try lightly toasting the coriander seeds in a hot pan. Or, at
least toast some and compare the flavour to some untoasted ones. Quite
often, in cooking, various seeds are toasted/heated in order to bring out
more of their flavour before grinding/crushing them. I do this when cooking
Indian or Mexican dishes.
Dana Colwell
Warwick, RI
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From: David Houseman [mailto:david.houseman at verizon.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 6:19 PM
Subject: Re: Removing Beer Bottle Labels
Rich,
This question seems to get asked monthly :-) If you check the
TechTalk archives there will be a number of answers. But to get you
started, most labels will come off if you soak the bottles. The only really
difficult ones are those that are plastic coated. Scoring the plastic top
coat allows liquid to get to the paper and glue underneath; not so good for
saving labels but OK when you're after the bottles. Using PBW, TSP, or
simple automatic dishwasher detergent will greatly help get the labels off.
But patience is needed. Fill a trash can with water and the cleanser of
choice then sink the bottles. Come back in a week or so and most of the
labels will have fallen off. A green scrubbie will help with any stubborn
remains. When you want to save the labels, rather the bottles, use hot
water and be more aggressive with the detergent.
David Houseman
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From: Richard Held [mailto:richardheld at hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 9:45 PM
Subject: Re: San Francisco Pubs/Micros
Thanks to all the people who replied to my request. All in all, I
wish I had more (non-business related) time to explore some of the
recommendations.
I did end up getting over to Toronado for a pint of Pliny the Elder,
so all was not lost. My taste-buds tell me that the beer reminds me a lot of
Dogfish-head 90 Minute IPA, with some minor and what I would call subtle
differences - hard to tell without a side by side comparison. Maybe its
just the first great double IPA I've had in a while.
Also had a pint of Death and Taxes. Not a great follow-up to Pliny
the Elder. Should have gone for a Ruination.
Thanks again to all those of you who responded!
Rick
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From: Mark Beck [mailto:beckmk at whitman.edu]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: Price of Grain Going Up
I have no doubt that the price of grain is doing up, likely for
reasons that have been discussed previously. However, I want to note that
even if the price of grain goes up 40%, the price of beer should not go up
nearly that much. The reason is that the cost of the grain is a minor
fraction of the cost of the beer. For example, I read once that the cost of
the ingredients in a bottle of Bud amounted to just a few cents. (OK,
anecdotal and unverified, but I'm guessing it's not far off.) The rest of
the cost comes from things like packaging, labor, shipping, taxes and
advertising (in the case of Bud advertising is a large percentage of the
cost). For microbreweries malt would make up a larger fraction of the cost,
but still it's not going to be the majority of the cost.
Bottom line: if beer goes up 40% and the brewery blames it all on the
cost of malt, you're being lied to.
Mark
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From: Jay Ankeney [mailto:JayAnkeney at aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 4:52 PM
Subject: Re: Oktoberfest
Jason,
I also have an Oktoberfest trip planned 9/22-9/30. Anyone else going
to be there? I'll be staying with some German friends and we have not
nailed down our itinerary yet, but as things start to gel maybe we could
meet auf der Wies'n.
Two beer tours I consider a "must" are the Augustiner Brewery in
Munich, and by all means the Kloster Andechs (Andechs Monastery) about a 60
Km train ride outside of Munich.
If anyone else is planning on being in Munich during that time,
contact me off the list and maybe we can get a homebrewers table.
Jay Ankeney
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From: Jeff Rankert [mailto:jrankert at comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 6:10 PM
Subject: Re: Oktoberfest
Jason White asks about Oktoberfest.
Every beer drinker should go once. Oktoberfest can be intense, but
maybe you will want several days there. Munich has some other things to see
beer wise, after you have spent a day or more in a tent.
The Augustener Keller not far from the train station, or the Hirsh
Garten, both fine biergartens. See if you can get a copy of the "Beer
Drinkers Guide to Munich", a must have.
Kloster Andechs is a little farther out of town, but is a must do.
Bamberg is not so far. Small city, 10 breweries, wide array of styles
beyond the helles you get in Munich.
Jeff Rankert
Milford, MI
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
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From: Doug Rausch [mailto:doug_rausch at msn.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 5:49 PM
Subject: Re: Stir Plate/Stir Bar Question
I believe a flat bottom container will solve the problem (inside
bottom). Erlenmeyer flask should work well.
Doug
Ark Valley Brewing
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From: Matt Burks [mailto:mcburks at MCBLABS.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 9:29 PM
Subject: Re: Stir Plate/Stir Bar Question
I've found that if the bottom of my vessel isn't perfectly flat then I
can't get a good spin going. Sometimes even with a Erl. flask it will throw
it if I have it on too high. The distance away from the magnets play a big
factor as well, especially if they are smaller/weaker magnets. I'd say find
a flat/thin bottom glass vessel (Erl. flasks work best of course) and drop
the stir bar in there while the plate is off. Let it "lock" onto the magnets
and then turn the stir plate on the lowest setting possible and let it go
for 5 mins or so. Keep turning it up every few minutes until it starts to
throw the stir bar, then turn it down one or two notches. You don't need a
huge vortex just enough to keep the yeast in suspension and circulate the
wort so it get aerated really good.
Good luck!
Matt
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From: David Castor [mailto:dpcastor at gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 5:22 PM
Subject: Re: Electric vs. Gas Burners in a Basement Brewery
You can't compare a natural gas furnace or water heater with a
portable gas burner used for homebrewing. The furnace and water heater
burners are vented to the outside via a large flue or UL-listed for indoor
use without venting in a few cases.
Propane in a basement is a significant hazard for both carbon monoxide
and leaking propane. A natural gas burner in the basement is a carbon
monoxide hazard. I highly recommend that you don't do it.
David
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From: John Blichmann [mailto:John at BlichmannEngineering.com]
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 4:57 AM
Subject: Re: Electric vs. Gas Burners in a Basement Brewery
Eric,
In my opinion there is nothing inherently wrong with using a gas fired
burner in your basement as long as you use common sense - which it seems
like you're in full support of and actually have! Commercial restaurants do
it every day with 100,000 BTU burners and larger. The jet burners you see
fairly often now are taken from wok stoves, and I certainly don't recall any
outdoor Chinese kitchens. Proper ventilation is paramount, not only for
keeping combustion gases vented, but from loading the house with moisture
and the aroma I love, but my wife and kids hate! Having a commercial
contractor experienced in commercial kitchen installations, or even an
architect/engineer look at your installation is a good idea, as is having
the plumbing professionally done if you're not experienced with that.
Propane presents a bit of a problem since it is heavier than air. So if
used in a basement, and there is a leak, there is a bigger danger of an
explosion from pilot lights etc. However, rural homes use propane as a
fuel, and it is pretty rare that you hear of a problem. Granted these are
lower BTU units, but as you indicate you aren't going to leave it
unattended. A CO detector is an obvious requirement, and you can purchase
gas/propane detectors as well.
I have finally been given "spousal clearance" to move my brewery
indoors since I hate moving all the stuff up and down the stairs, dragging
soiled pots through the living room into the kitchen, but mostly, I hate
freezing in the winter and baking in the summer. I think my wife finally
realized that my complaining was just as annoying as the smell. For
ventilation I'm installing an axial fan over the brew pot to suck air out of
the brew room (as opposed to blowing air into the room). An old furnace
blower can be used to do this, but you may need to slow the flow down via
pulley change or using a damper on the outlet since they move quite a bit of
air. There is a small window in the same room that I'll open to draw in
fresh air from the outside. That will keep a small vacuum in the brew house
and keep unwanted aromas and moisture out of the other rooms in the house.
I have located the burners by a non-flammable wall (concrete), and keep any
combustibles away. I'm also fabricating a hood over the brew pot to direct
vapors and heat into the fan. My burners are gas (for convenience) but if
you are using propane don't store the tanks inside. I'd also recommend
using stainless bellow hose for the flex gas lines instead of rubber as an
added safety measure.
All this said, I think we've all been conditioned from our friends in
the legal industry to stay away from anything with even a hint of risk, but
I think there is a big difference between having something you need to use
carefully, and playing with matches in a fireworks factory. Just don't brew
with a hot cup of coffee between your legs...
Sincerely,
John Blichmann
Blichmann Engineering, LLC
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