What am I talking about you ask?
Our club is officially 2 years old this month, our first meeting
was in the little back room at Traffic Jams, I don't have the
sign in list from the first meeting, but I do have records of
who joined then, Mike Arend, Sandy & Lynn Bruce, Doug Geiss,
Tom Herron, & Neal Petty, interestingly enough, 4 of those
6 original members have gone on to become officers, and all 6
are still members, what dedication! In 2 years we have risen
from 6 members to 62, not bad for a fledgling club, let's make
the future happen for this group! That first meeting was pretty
loose, we brainstormed for a name, and a logo (HA, that took 2
years!) and generally tried to decide what this club would do
and become. For those of you that are newer to the club and never
heard our story, I'll reminisce a bit. Mike Preston & myself,
both members of the Detroit Carboys decided a club would thrive
and take off at Ford Motor Co and Dearborn, that was summer of
'93. We brainstormed about some different plans and set about
to finding a meeting place, as luck would have it Mark Tenbrink
was having lunch at Traffic Jams and mentioned to the owner about
our plight (by that time it had been over a month of trying to
find a location close to work) and we were welcomed to meet at
Traffic Jams, we have met there ever since except 3 or 4 times.
Our initial membership drive was done by placing posters in different
buildings and a lot of word of mouth. We finally did have our
first meeting in October '93 and the rest is history. Officers
were slowly put in position (I was actually President until a
fateful December meeting when I had Strept throat and was deathly
ill, and Mike couldn't make it , so everyone sat there staring
at each other for a half hour until someone called me from Traffic
Jams, what a fiasco! Neal "The President" Petty later
called us to propose some leadership and guidance, we gladly accepted
and the club took off from there. I relinquished that title gladly
but have been doing the newsletter ever since. Tom Herron quickly
became Vice President, Sandy Bruce volunteered to become Treasurer
at that first meeting and has been guarding the till ever since,
and the office of Librarian only came about this year when we
actually started a library, Doug has been doing a great job buying
books and keeping track of our large collection of material ever
since.
This club seems to evolve a little
bit every meeting, and that's the way it should be, new faces,
new ideas, old friends, old beer (Bring on the Barley wines!
:-) but never a dull moment. As the new year rounds the corner
it's time to think about the future of the club, what will be
reported 12 months from now, how many members will we have, what
will change at pigstock 96, will we have T-shirts, will we have
outgrown Traffic Jams, will we be holding our own AHA contests,
what will be doing indeed, that's up to us to decide. Part of
the reason I sound so profound is elections are upon us, it's
time once again to take the next step, do decide on the leadership
for the club in '96, I will cover the whole election later in
the news, but just think about this..."Ask not what your
club can do for you, but what you can do for your club!"
LAST MEETING 
Last months meeting was pretty casual,
Neal was out of town so I got to wield the official gavel (hey,
we should get a gavel), there were again about 30 people in attendance,
many newcomers, and lots of old timers (Including Dennis Raney,
not to be confused with other old-timers :-) ) The meeting
was brief, not a whole lot going on. The taste of the Great Lakes
contest as well as the Sam Adams contest were covered, but with
little interest (actually if anyone is still interested in the
Sam Adams contest, call me, I have the info on that. It was reported
that Munton & Fison (malt extract manufacturers) have achieved
ISO9000 certification, way to go! There was a demonstration on
wort chiller building, again, if anyone wants to make their own,
please contact me & I'll give you the rundown on that, it's
quite simple and can be done for about $30 (for a 50' 3/8"
immersion chiller) T-shirts are still in the works, extra shirts
will go for $5, and if anyone wants one that hasn't notified me
before, please let me know, I will be doing one last official
count before we place our final order. Many people asked the
Prestons Pub Review column, and where exactly were all these places,
at this meeting we will have the latest license report from the
Michigan Liquor Control Commission of all existing and pending
brewpub & microbrewery licenses, that should take care of
all the unknowns. My notes on the rest of the meeting are a bit
missing as I was speaking and taking notes, ah well, so sue me
:-)
ELECTIONS 
Well, it's that time of the year
again, the leaves are turning, there's a crisp chill in the air,
a wisp of smoke from the chimneys and a frost on the pumpkin (Help,
I'm trapped in a Norman Rockwell painting) but more importantly
it's time once again for club elections. This is a self nominating
process and the offices are as follows...
President (must be a Ford employee)
Vice President
Treasurer (must be a Ford employee)
Secretary
Librarian
if you are interested in running
for any of these offices, or you have questions on any of the
above positions, please call me at 313-32-32613, or 810-558-9844.
I will be publishing ballots in next months newsletter so if
you're interested in running, you must notify me by the first
week in November. All members will be expected to vote, Doug
LeCureaux will be the volunteer election official and all absentee
ballots can be profs'd, e-mailed, faxed or mailed to him, all
that info will be on the ballot. The election results will be
posted as soon as we have all the results in. The new officers
will be giving their inaugural speeches in December and officially
taking over in January, please consider a position, this is YOUR
club after all.
Oktoberfest review
Were not talking about a parking lot session folks, this is the real thing, the party in Germany, from our own on the spot reporter, that madman in Cologne, Steve Peters!
Once you arrived at the Oktoberfest,
you realized why you had endured the long agonizing traffic jams.
It truly was the Holy Grail of Beer Festivals. Albeit there
were no homebrews there, those were left to be consumed on the
long ride down. Finding the Fairgrounds was not difficult for
there were always streams of people coming to and from. It was
not difficult to figure which stream to follow. One line wasnt
walking as straight as the other.
The fairgrounds were enormous. They
were filled with Carnival rides and vendors. Not too much beer
being consumed here. For this you had to fight through the hordes
of people to the back of the park. Suddenly a number of large
"tents" appeared. These buildings were actually closer
to massive buildings then tents, but they were only temporary.
The next chore was to go from tent to tent and seek out a place
to party. This was not an easy task. Each tent held up to 10,000
people, but there were hundreds waiting for a table to open up.
This day we were lucky. After only about a half hour, a table
opened up right next to where we were waiting. We quickly took
our places, ordered a beer and the fun began.
Once a beer was in hand the socializing
began. It is not common for the German people to tip well. So
once we tipped normally the beer maid was our best friend. She
was carrying eight 1 liter steins in each hand. She had arms
that you wouldn't want to mess with. Though she didn't look like
Helga, she was almost attractive. With a couple rounds in, we
started to get to know our neighbors. These Germans who you see
on the street won't even look at you, are soon your best friends.
The cheers start going and so does the beer faster.
The beers vary depending on which
tent you end up in. All of them have an Oktoberfest and then
one or two other beers. We were at the Späten tent. They
had a nice Oktoberfest and a Pilsener. When at Oktoberfest, there
is only one choice. It is a special brew only available at this
event. The Oktoberfest was a nice light beer though a little
cloudy. It has a nice smooth flavor with a slight malt flavor
and lightly hopped. The alcohol level is lower than most German
beers, but higher than American. This allows the drinkers to
partake all day long.
Meanwhile in the background is the
traditional Oompah band. They are playing the old German favorites
with a few recognizable tunes mixed in. As the night goes on
the party gets rowdier. The music gets louder along with singing
and cheering. By this time, we were best friends with all the
tables around us. Beer in one hand pretzels, roast chicken or
Bratwurst in the other hand. This was required to sop up the
beer. As it got later and louder every one began dancing on the
tables. It was a party not to be missed. Then suddenly the music
stopped and everyone began to file out. The masses very orderly
departed and cleared the grounds. It was a night to remember,
the Holy Grail of Beer Festivals. Plans are under way for the
second annual. Hope to see you there next year.
Librarian's Report:
The club took full advantage of Merchants'
15% club discount during the brewing demonstration, and now adds
the following to the library :
Dave Millers Homebrewing Guide
The book includes tables, charts,
a glossary, illustrations and 33 recipes. Miller is also the
author of Complete Handbook of Homebrewing and Brewing the World's
Great Beers.
Well-known homebrew author Dave Miller
hits the store shelves with his latest how-to manual. The 368-page
guide into the world of brewing gives an overview for brewers of
all levels, offering useful step-by-step instruction for beginners
and advanced brewers alike.
Sweet & Hard Cider - Making
It, Using It & Enjoying It
The first addition to the library
not related to beer/mead, it seemed appropriate for this time
of year. Details how to make, harden, distill, judge, drink,
and enjoy this historic beverage.
Includes recipes, and instructions
on how to select and grow cider-apple trees.
Current Magazine Issues:
Brew Your Own - November 1995
Articles:
Zymurgy
'95 special issue, dedicated to
all graining, excellent articles!
Brewing Techniques
Habermanns Corner
Don't Worry BeHoppy!
Hops used in brewing beer are the
dried blossom of the female hop plant (humulus lupulus). These
flowers grow into a cone shaped strobile on the female plant.
The hop is native to northern temperate zones and is found in
Europe, Asia, Japan, and North America. It's use in beer can
be traced to Continental Europe in the 8th Century, and it was
first used in Germany in the 12th Century.
Use of hops in beer gained popularity due to their bacteriostatic effect. A hop rate of 3gm/5 gallon provides an iso-alpha acid level strong enough to prevent the growth of spoilage bacteria. Most countries today use a minimal level for the product to be called beer. Hops also provide beta acids and essential oils. The use of hops provide flavor, stability, and aid in foam retention.
The hop plant itself is a perennial.
When planting hops, a cutting of the rootstock is planted in
hills 2 yards apart in well drained soil. In the western U.S.,
the only remaining commercial fields are plowed in March, the
vines are trained in May, and the flowers are harvested from mid
August to mid September depending on the variety. Only the female
plants are cultivated as the male plant is of no value except
to pollinate certain varieties (Fuggle, Bullion, Brewers Gold),
and causes increased seed generation which adds weight to the
bail.
Hops are harvested once per year,
the timing of which varies with location and weather conditions.
Hallertau, Tettnanger, Fuggle, and Saaz are harvested early in
the season, while Cascade, Willamette, Nugget, Bullion, and Spalt
are late varieties. In judging ripeness, the flowers are felt
for a slight dampness and springiness by pressing in the palm
of the hand. The flower should stay compressed and feel papery
and light, leaving the hand sticky.
To harvest the hop, vines are cut
to ground and the entire vine is trucked to where the cones are
stripped from the plants. Fresh cones have 80% moisture and are
kiln dried to 8-9% moisture. The temperature of these kilns is
122 - 158 degrees F to for 8-15 hours. After kilning, the hops
are allowed to cool and are then mixed to get a uniform quality
before being packed in burlap sacks in 200 LB bales.
Kiln drying hops provides for optimal storage. The flowers are fluffed daily, because they can become moldy, wilted, and rancid if moisture is trapped. After about three days the moisture level is around 10%.
When choosing hops, find a reputable
store that uses dry, cold, dark storage, preferably in vapor barrier
sealed (nitrogen) mylar or plastic. The color should be green
to greenish yellow with lemon yellow lupulin. It is best to avoid
brown, reddish, orange hops since this indicates oxidation. The
odor should be typical for variety with no sulfur or earthy aroma.
The flowers should feel springy, not mushy, dry not brittle with
only small amounts of seeds or stems. An indication of old hops
is a rancid or cheesy taste, and odors like oily or sour.
The alpha acid percent is the percent
of flowers by weight composed of alpha resin (humulone, columulone,
and adhumulone). These acids convert to iso-alpha acids (now
water soluble) during the boil and give a clean bitterness and
provide spoilage retardant preservatives. The beta acids (lupulone,
colupulone and adlipulone) actually have a minimal contribution
to beer.
When storing hops, the idea is to
keep them as cold as possible (-5 to 30 F) which will slow oxidation,
and away from air. Pellets take less space for storage and can
be kept in oxygen barrier bags in a freezer until needed. Frozen
in this way hops could last a few years. Consider them bad when
oxidation has given them a cheesy aroma. Oxidized alpha acids
lose bitterness and cannot be isomerized. Although some literature
states that cold storage and anaerobic conditions are not necessary
for bittering hops, my personal experience with bittering hops
has been to the contrary. Treat your bittering hops the same
as your aroma hops -- in the freezer away from air and warm temperatures.
There are many advantages to using
pellets. They store better than whole hops since the resins are
protected better than whole hops. The protection from moisture
and oxygen helps the pellets keep longer too. Pellets increase
hot break but don't have to be filtered like whole hops. Pellets
are easy to handle, there is reduced deterioration, and an increase
in alpha utilization (need 20% more leaf than pellets).
Another form of hops is isomerized
hop extracts, created when bales are shredded, then the cones
extracted with an organic solvent like hexane, then extracted
further with aqueous alkali. The advantages of this process include
a long shelf life, accurate measurement and consistent quality.
However, isomerized extracts contain only vital alpha acids necessary
for bittering and non-isomerized extracts must be added to the
boil, and don't use them for dry hopping due to the presence
of solvents.
Plugs, or Type 100 pellets, are whole hop flowers compressed into half-ounce round disks. When added to the boil, these pellets expand to resemble whole flowers. This form is a good compromise between fresh whole and pellets because they are packaged in oxygen barrier sacks like pellets, and are easily stored.
To grow hops at home, all that is
needed is sufficient sun and climbing space. Hops produce an
annual vine from permanent root stock called a crown and can grow
25 feet high. The crown also produces an underground stem or
rhizome. The vine can grow up to one foot per day, which implies
that a strong support of poles and twine is required. Also,
avoid electric wires whenever possible. The soil should be loamy
and well drained with a Ph of 6.5 - 8.0. Add fertilizer (potassium,
phosphates, nitrogen) and support the vines off ground to prevent
disease. One vine produces about 1-2.5 LB flowers per year.
When planting hops, avoid rot by
planting after the last frost. If delayed, refrigerate rhizome
in plastic, but try and plant in early spring, no later than May.
Plant the rhizome vertically with the buds facing upward, about
two inches below the grounds surface. Keep your hills about six
feet apart. Mulch the ground the first year to control weeds
and collect moisture. Expect to see slow growth in the first
year while the root system develops. After the vine is one foot
tall, select the two best vines by trimming weak vines at ground
level. Every few weeks a severe trim will help the plant by encouraging
only the strongest vines.
The hop is subject to several diseases.
Downy mildew appears in spring and makes the shoots brittle and
spiky. Identification includes curling leaves with a silver upper
and black underneath. Remove infected leaves and strip the bottom
three feet of vine. Spray a fungicide with copper hydroxide.
Wilt (Verticillum wilt) leaves a dull green tissue alternating
in yellow bands. Remove the infected leaves and use a fungicide.
The hop aphid (Phorodon humuli) appears in cool weather then
spreads. Use an insecticidal soap like Diazinon or use lady bugs.
Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) spin fine white webs under
the leaves and leave small freckle-like spots on the upper leave
surface. This causes defoliation and a red rusty look to the
cones. Aphid spray works well for this problem.
John Habermann is a regular contributor
to the Brewnews, as well as an independent brewing/brewery consultant.
Irish Quail & Stout Sauce
This is a wonderfully tasty recipe
given to me by my grandfathers cousin (My great uncle Feargal)
when he was visiting from Ireland a few years ago. I've adapted
it slightly towards items more easily found in the U.S., especially
some of the spices. It was originally a recipe used for small
wood and field lands gaming fowl but it has been my experience
that the commercially available game birds found in most U.S.
butcher shops are smallish and very hard for the novice to properly
flay (de-bone) Some wild species of the same birds found in
the U.S. are larger, but depending on the geographic area the
animal was taken from and the primary available diet some of
these birds are tough, lean of good meat mass, or posses a predominant
gamey taste that while not altogether unpleasant, can overpower
the subtle tastes of some of my favorite recipes. If a good supply
of decent quail are not available this recipe can easily be adopted
to small Cornish hen, or a breast of partridge, or a similar type
of fowl.
Bill of Fare
4 whole quail (preferably flayed
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt (halved)
1/2 tsp. white pepper (halved)
juice from 1 whole orange
1 tables dark malt vinegar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 well rounded tblsp light brown
sugar
10 to 12 medium size morell ** mushrooms
(very common to Irelands moist climate)
1 tblsp freshly chopped parsley (3/4
tsp. dried or substitute chopped celery leave)
1/4 tsp. finely chopped dried sweet
basil
1/4 cup leek slivers (split leek
down the middle lengthwise and then cut slivers on an angle)
2 pints of Guinness stout (trust
me, there is no substitute in the U.S.)
Flay the hens and soak overnight
in a bowl with enough mile to cover and approximately 5 tblsp
soy sauce (this will make a good lightly salted lactose based
marinade that will draw out any gamey or wild tastes from the
hen. This step is optional but recommended) After removing from
the milk bath take half the salt and sprinkle it on the hens and
firmly massage it into the flesh. Mix half the white pepper with
the flour and flour the hens all over. Brown the hens all over,
turning frequently in a large black skillet with a small amount
of butter over a very high heat. The object here is to brown
(sear) the hens as quickly and as well as possible. They should
be golden to dark brown but not burnt. Place the hens in a covered
roaster and pour enough of the stout in to just cover the bottom
of the roaster (no more than 1/8" deep) put the lid on and
place in a preheated oven (375F) for about an hour. Check frequently,
this may be too much or too little time depending on the size
of the hen. When done, the meat should split easily with a fork
but still be juicy. While the hens are roasting, take the same
black skillet (DON'T CLEAN IT!, you need the caremelings left
behind from the browning) return it to medium heat and sauté
the leeks in just enough butter to do the job. When the leeks
are transparent around the edges add the mushrooms (largely sliced),
the orange juice and all the remaining ingredients except the
cream and Guinness and continue to sauté until the leeks
are fully transparent. Remove from heat and cover until the hens
are done roasting. When the hens are done remove them from the
roaster and place them aside, scrape and drippings and caramelized
deposits from the roaster and add them to the skillet. Return
the skillet to the heat and add 1 pint of Guinness (and drink
whatever is left while you're at it, you planned on it anyway!)
As soon as the Guinness is added add the heavy cream and stir
briskly to prevent clumping or curdling. Bring heat up to a low
boil and reduce to the consistency of a medium gravy. Stir while
thickening and remember to scrape all the caramelized goodies
off the bottom of the pan and mix well. When the desired consistancy
has been reached, place each hen on a serving plate and spoon
the sauce over the top. This recipe is traditionally accompanied
by boiled new or redskin potatoes rolled in butter and sprinkled
with parsley or steamed baby carrots sprinkled with brown sugar.
A nice plain leaf lettuce salad with simple vinaigrette dressing
is also common. An easy method of Americanizing this would be
to serve the hens over a bed of long grain rice perhaps with some
buttered baby brussel sprouts.
** When Morells are available I highly
recommend them. Their lightly nutty flavor really makes this
recipe taste a unique one. If morrells are not available then
the best substitute is Japanese Shitake mushrooms. They will
alter the taste of the recipe slightly but again, are uniquely
flavored and will be most unusual and enjoyable. Shitakes are
sold in the U.S. at some finer grocers and most health food stores.
They are generally sold de-hydrated but you may find them in
fresh-like form at some Japanese food stores. I actually prefer
the dehydrated ones, for a gentle and unique flavor try rehydrating
them by soaking them for a few hours in the fridge in a 3-1 sherry-water
mixture.
Note, there is no rule that says
the hens must be deboned, it just makes eating them more of a
task if you skip this step. As always, serve with your favorite
homebrew, probably a porter or a dry stout. Bon Apitete!
Ask the Baron
Dear Baron Von Brewmeister...
I'm sick & tired of washing,
sanitizing, storing and in general just dealing with bottles,
I want to start kegging me beer, and set up a draught system as
well, but there's so much to learn about kegging, where do I start?
Dear disgruntled chief bottle washer:
Where do I begin, first off I recommend
you read the summer issue of Zymurgy, there was an excellent article
covering everything you need to know about kegging, I won't reprint
the entire article, but here's my thoughts. First off let's start
with the equipment. A basic kegging setup consists of 4 parts,
a CO2 tank, a regulator for the tank, a keg and hoses and fittings
(called disconnects). CO2 tanks are readily available in 3 sizes
5 LB, 10 LB and 20 lb. A 5 LB tank is the most portable, weighing
only 14 lbs when full, but costs more per pound to fill, and you
will fill it more often. A 20 LB tank is the most economical
tank to own, but weighs 56 lbs when full, not very portable, a
10 lber would be good for both portability and home use, but the
ideal situation is a 20lber hooked up at home with a 5lber stashed
away for portability and backup to the big tank. After a lengthy
search in the metro Detroit area (Thanks to Mark "New Dad"
Tenbrink) we determined that Detroit Fire Extinguisher (Thanks
to Neal "Mr. President" Petty for this tip) on 14th
street was the most economical, a 5 LB tank is $40, a 10 LB tank
is $50 and a big old 20lber is $60. All tanks are made from recycled
fire extinguishers, and made to order. They don't have stock
of carbonic tanks, but if you call them (313-897-0984) a few days
ahead of time, they will make you a tank. They clean, paint,
test and certify each tank before you get it. The testing process
involves filling the tanks with water and then pressurizing to
about 2500 lbs/sq. in to make sure the tank doesn't rupture, if
it passes the test, the current month and year are stamped onto
the neck of the tank, this must be done every 5 years or no one
will refill it! My 20lber has a sate stamp going back to the
late 60's! Now, when your tank runs dry, and it will, where do
you go to have it filled? Look up welding gases/Carbonic gases/Dry
ice or Carbonating in the yellow pages in your area, I have found
a dry ice place on the Dearborn/Detroit border called Johnson
Carbonic Sales (584-4880) that fills my 20lb tank for about $7
while you wait, they also sell dry ice which is a lot of fun on
Halloween! A good regulator is a must, I always recommend a new
one over a used one for safety and reliability reasons. The best
deals I have found on regulators were from mail order wholesalers.
There are 2 catalogs you will want if you get into kegging, especially
if you are going to build a draught system, they are Rapids (1-800-472-7431)
and Superior (1-800-328-9800), they are wholesalers that sell
to anyone, especially homebrewers. They both have offices in
Ohio so shipping is quick, and they both have 2 gauge regulators
for about $38-$40. A 2 gauge regulator lets you see the pressure
of the tank as well as setting the outgoing pressure. A tank
is typically pressurized at 850 - 1000 lbs/sq. inch, your regulator
tones that down to a gentle 5-15 lbs for carbonating and dispensing,
the pressure of the tank remains at about 850 until all the liquid
in the tank is gone, at that point your regulator is reading the
vapor pressure remaining in the tank. A more accurate way of
telling how much liquid is left is by weight, a tare weight is
stamped on the keg, this is the weight of an empty cylinder, add
that to the weight of the liquid (5, 10 or 20 lbs) and you know
how much the tank would weigh if full. The most difficult component
of the system to obtain will be kegs, there are some homebrew
supply shops on the west side that carry used cornelius (A.K.A.
corny) kegs for $20-$30, but some scrounging can usually lead
you to some for about $10. Some clubs have found large stashes
at bottling plants, restaurant auctions, used bar/restaurant supply
shops etc..... Keep looking and when you do find some, buy as
many as your wallet allows. Cheap sources aren't in abundant
supply so get what you can when you can (if you find an extremely
large source, share it with the club!!) Kegs can be one of 2
designs, Pepsi (ball lock fittings) or Coke (Pin lock fittings).
There is no performance difference based on the fittings, the
differences are that the ball lock kegs are generally taller,
and frig height may be a concern, ball lock kegs usually come
with a manual pressure relief valve, a definite bonus. The first
thing you will need to do is clean the kegs, remove the valves
and replace the little O-rings, definitely replace the large O-ring
in the lid, smell it, that smell will NEVER go away. I like to
dump a quart or two of boiling water in the bottom of the keg
and letting that dissolve the syrup and gack on the bottom, make
sure to depress the beverage valve if you didn't remove it, this
allows water into the dip tube, put the lid back on to trap the
steam, and let sit for about 10-15 mins, a long handled brush
helps you to scrub the kegs (long handled brushes can be found
at restaurant supply shops), rinse the keg good then fill halfway
with hot tap water and an appropriate amount of TSP or B-Brite
(or other cleanser) and let sit again with the lid on, seal the
lid, put about 5 lbs of pressure in the tank and flip upside down
to clean the top half. Empty out and rinse thoroughly, then sanitize
with Iodophor, bleach will cause etching/pitting. Your kegs are
now ready for use. The last step is the hoses and fittings, you
will need thick-wall gas hose, I prefer the 5/16" clear hose,
this lets you view the hose so you can ensure you are not getting
beer into the line during carbonation which will damage the regulator.
The length is not crucial, but 4' lets you position the tank
where you want it. A splitter can be bought (called an air Y
) for your regulator so you can run 2 lines simultaneously, a
definite advantage, especially if you plan on counter pressure
bottle filling. You will need 1 extra shutoff valve for the splitter,
the shutoff valves are barbed so you just need to clamp your hose
to the shutoff, you the would put a swivel nut w/ barb on the
other end for your disconnects. (I like to use steam from a teakettle
to soften the hoses for easy hose insertion!) The beverage hoses
are quite different, the length and diameter will determine the
amount of foam you get, I recommend 3' - 4' of 3/16" vinyl
beer hose, this will balance the pressure to your keg and provide
a smooth pour at the same pressure used for carbonating beer.
One end of the hose has a swivel nut w/ barb fitting for your
disconnects, the other end will have a beer tap also knows as
a cobra tap or picnic tap, these cost about $2 mail order, again
use steam to soften the hoses for easiest results. Don't forget
to put the hose clamp on the hose first before attaching the swivel
nut or tap head!
Your kegging system is now complete,
I won't cover the actual use of the system, that's another article
all by itself. (Maybe next month!)
But you also asked about a draught
system, first get a refrigerator you don't mind drilling some
holes in, next consult your Rapids or Superior catalog. (which
we have in our library). How many taps do you want? A typical
system has 2 taps with a drain tray underneath, you may only want
1 or you may want as many taps as your refrigerator will hold
(Mine holds 5 kegs), you will need a Faucet, shank, tailpiece,
and connecting nut for each tap, the shank is the tube that goes
through your fridge, the faucet is the nice dispensing unit with
the neat handles on each one, they come in stainless steel or
brass, the tailpiece and connecting nut go inside the fridge and
connect your beer hose to the keg. I recommend a 4 1/8"
shank, 3/16" bore with a 3/16"tailpiece, the connecting
nut is either a normal nut or a wingnut, your choice. The shanks
are 7/8" dia. so a 7/8" or 1" hole saw is used
to drill a hole in the fridge, I went through the side in my fridge,
thereby preserving the shelve space inside my fridge, also consider
if you mount your faucets on the door, will your freezer door
interfere with taller tap handles? Plan your layout, measure
carefully, where will the holes be inside the fridge, I placed
my holes as high up as they would go inside the fridge without
hitting the freezer, the spacing is about 2½ to 3" apart,
but some drain trays have pre-drilled holes in them for aligning
your shanks. So, drill your holes and mount your shanks, attach
the faucets (a spanner wrench is recommended, available mail order),
now make up your hoses, the 3' - 4' 3/16" of vinyl hose still
applies, one end will have a swivel nut w/ barb for your disconnects,
the other end will have the tailpiece and connecting nut combination.
Tighten the nut & tailpiece tightly to the shank and you're
in business! You can leave your CO2 tank in the fridge, but the
humidity is detrimental to the regulator, you're better off drilling
a hole & running a CO2 hose into the fridge, going to a distribution
manifold, also called CO2 or air distributor (again, mail ordered)
which has one in port and many out ports (one for each keg), each
out port has a shutoff valve, so you will have to make up a gas
hose for each port, but it is definitely worth it! With all these
gas connections do yourself a huge favor and test every connection
with soapy water, drip some soapy water on each fitting to test
for leaks (bubbles will form) a small leak will drain your CO2
tank quickly (trust me, I know :-( ) Now your drip tray can
either be a draining tray or non draining, a non-draining tray
is cheaper, but you must remove it to empty it, a draining tray
has an opening in the bottom, I drilled another hole below my
drip tray and ran a hose from the drain into a plastic jug inside
my fridge, neat & tidy! The drip trays hang about 9 inches
below the bottom of the faucet. Phew, take a break, sit back
and admire your setup, beam with pride, wipe that silly grin off
your face & get back to work. Now turn your fridge back on
and cool it down to get ready for beer, mmmmmmmmmmm. There are
local suppliers for many of these parts including homebrew supply
shops and American Beverage on the East side, but we can buy from
the same wholesalers they do, imagine the savings! In addition
to Rapids & Superior you will want to order a catalog from
Foxx (800-821-2254) and Braukunst (800-972-2728), these retailers
deal in kegging equipment only, Braukunst has many unique items
for homebrewers only. (DISCLAIMER I have no financial
interest in any of the above named companies, these are recommended
based purely on personal experience in both price and service!)
Dear Baron VonBrewmeister;
Last month you wrote an excellent
article on re-using yeast and left us hanging on why the secondary
fermenter is better to use than the primary, what's the scoop?
Dear Prospective yeast rancher; Yeast
from the secondary fermenter is considered better by some as there
is less or no break material in the slurry; and the yeast in the
secondary slurry is flocculent, but generally less flocculent
than that found in the primary - you're playing with evolution
to get a yeast that will flocculate, but will remain in suspension
longer than the yeast in your primary did.
If anyone has any questions for
the baron, please forward them to me and I'll see they get answered!
Beer Briefs
Next months AHA contests will be
Pale Ale, Bock, Mead, Oktoberfest, Belgians and Alt, our full
schedule will be announced in either December or January, we will
have a special pale ale contest in January BEFORE the meeting,
more on that later.
Narragansett homebrewers supply corp. Located in Wakefield, Rhode Island now carries a new type of liquid yeast, ready-to-pitch liquid yeast (better known as r-t-p) . No more programming 2 to 3 days ahead - this yeast has a shelf life of 4 months - you just pull it out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before you wish to pitch it so that it gets to room temperature and in it goes - not only that but this yeast starts with a cell count of approx. 60 million cells - that's 20 million cells more that other liquid yeast packs even after starting them up which altogether is about a four day process. Soon a new strain of pilsner will be available and we estimate that by this Time next year as many as fifty different yeasts will be available
GIVEN NAMES: ORIGINS:
-------------------- -------------
English Ale Young's
London Special Bitter Fullers
Scotch Ale McEwans
Irish Ale Wyeast 1084
Belgian Ale LaChouffe
Acme Ale Chico
German Wheat Weihenstephan
German Lager "
Alt
Lubsch
Michigan is now officially up 19
different homebrew clubs, wow!
We have been approached by a group
at Churchill's tobacco that has monthly cigar tastings, they often
buy a keg of beer to go with their cigars, but they thought their
might be some interest in a joint homebrew and cigar tasting,
Doug LeCureaux is heading up the coordination so give him a call
if you're interested (313-32-38385)
Traffic Jams will soon be tapping
a very special batch of Barley Wine that is about a year old,
we hope to try some of that soon!
Artwork by
Mike Preston
Contests & Stuff
Last months contest was Octoberfest
and hats off to Tim Tepatti, that's two months in a row that this
enterprising new brewer has won the club contest, way to go Tim.
Unfortunately, I don't have his recipe once again (I'm beginning
to think he is hiding his recipes!!, ha ha)
This months contest is Fruit beers/pumpkin
beers, no exact style guidelines, Novembers contest is the claassic
"Brown Ale" and is an AHA club only contest. Decembers
competition is Xmas spiced beers and Barley wines, what a combination!!
Octobers meeting is Tuesday the 24th,
at Traffic Jams, mark your calendars now!
And due to Thanksgiving and Christmas,
the meetings have been moved accordingly, Novembers meeting will
be Wednesday the 15th, and Decembers meeting will be Tuesday the
12th, MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!
We will be brewing live in Dearborn
this Saturday the 21st, Tim Tepatti will be brewing an All-grain
beer, and several other people will be brewing extract beers.
We will be behind Merchants warehouse on Michigan Ave at Howard
(Across from Jacobsons) from about 10:00 to 5:00, this is mainly
as a public demonstration, but participants will get a 15% discount
that day on brew supplies. This is an excellent opportunity to
meet with the public, talk about your favorite hobby, learn more
about all-grain beers, and maybe do your first brew under the
helpful eyes of other club members. Bring some ingredients and
your primary fermenter, we will have 2 burners and pots set up
for brewing extract beers, so come on down & join us!
(Sorry for the late notice, but this
was arranged after last meeting)
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Last updated 10/17/96 |