The reason I commented on wine sanitation is because of personal experience. About 15 years ago my brother and I sampled a batch of wine we had made. It was so vile that I spit mine on the floor, Steve being more polite swallowed his (sip, not a mouthful).
I then left to pick up parts, within 100 yards I had to pull over because I was violently nauseous. When I returned Steve was in bed with nausea/fever/chills when I called poison control they said wine poisoning was common and very dangerous. Sanitize Sanitize Sanitize
Greg
> Mead
> fermentations are typically slow - no need to worry about the
> academic
> hypothesis of CO2 bubbles stripping away aromatics.
So if you get caught in the rain, is it better to run quickly to shorten
the time (although hitting more raindrops) or walk slowly, hitting fewer
raindrops yet being in the rain for a longer amount of time?
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I used to use Minnesota Fire but they moved to a new and yet unknown
location. They offered a quick fill program and were reasonably priced.
Welding shops will refill your tank but you need to go there, drop it
off, and wait for a few days.
I understand your concern
Rick
Does anyone have any home-brewed English Bitters or English Pale Ales that
they could bring to the club meeting on Saturday? We'll be discussing
Bitters as our Style-of-the-Month, and it would be great to taste some
along with our discussion.
Thanks!
-Al
Mike writes:
> Saturday, 1-4, meeting at Water Tower Brewing in Eden Prairie.
> I don't think we'll have sunny warm patio weather so what better
> reason do you need to spend a couple hours indoors?
>
> & English Pale Ales". We'll need a handout with some basic style
> info, a couple recipes, a little history, and a quick talk about
> your research. Let me know if you can help out.
I assume we will pick up our apple cider too?
BTW, I brewed a Bitter last Friday and it went something like:
90% base malt
5% DWC Cara Munich (or dark crystal)
5% wheat
Northern Brewer, 45 minutes, ~17 IBUs
Styrian Goldings, 20 minutes, ~8 IBUs
Styrian Goldings, 0 minutes, ~4 IBUs
East Kent Goldings, 0 minutes, ~4 IBUs
English ale yeast
OG 11P (1.044 SG)
rick
>Mead fermentation doesn't
> adhere to
> a mathematical equation. It is really quite different than brewing.
The second statement I can agree with. However, I would imagine if you
did a yeast cell count, knew the amino acid makeup of the must (that's
what you mead guys call it isn't it?) knew the original sugar content
(and the breakdown of the sugars), had precise temperature control, and
understood the EMP for the particular yeast you were using, it would
indeed be quite mathematical and repeatable. Actually quite easier than
brewing, in the respect that in brewing you add different malts,
different mash temperatures, etc.
Of course, that is not why we ferment anything--we enjoy the art side of
the science. But the science is still there, and follows very precise
rules.
David Berg
President, Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild
Head Brewer, Water Tower Brewing Company
http://www.mncraftbrew.org
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Don't forget the full-body condom.... :-D
- Al
"Rick Oftel"
<Rick.Oftel@t To: mba(a)thebarn.com, lvitt4(a)yahoo.com
oro.com> cc:
Sent by: Subject: Re: Sanitation in mead and wine
mba-bounce@th
ebarn.com
10/31/2002
04:57 PM
Leo et al
I am surely not a sanitation expert but have a few thoughts about
cleaning and sanitation. Hopefully these was raise a few other
comments and even a few flames. That's ok too.
If you are a mechanic, wash your hands like you were a doctor.
If you are a doctor, wash your hands like you were a mechanic.
Germs fall down - they don't jump
Start a siphon by filling your serialized racking cane and tube with
very hot water. Clamp the hose end closed with a hemostat while
inserting the cane into the top vessel. Remove the clamp and allow some
sludge to run down the drain. Divert the clean must, beer, mead,
whatever into the lower vessel. Cover the open areas of both containers
with plastic wrap.
Turn up the temperature of your hot water heater when you are brewing or
bottling.
Time can be your ally when soaking dirty glass carboys.
Filling glass carboys slightly above the top radius makes brush cleaning
much easier.
Use hot water to rinse out no rinse chemicals. The volume to surface
area ratio of small tanks significantly increases the quantity of
residual chemicals that can find their way into your favorite beverage.
This is the same reason a elephant doesn't need much hair.
Rinse and Disassemble your kegs every time they are empty. Don't forget
the relief valve
Disassemble and clean your picnic taps every 2 weeks. Throw them away
if the rubber stinks.
Disassemble and serialize your C02 system 2 times each year.
Mix up a small batch of sanitizer and put it in a spray bottle for usage
on corny fittings and connectors.
Rinse your bottles with a bottle washer using the extra hot water from
your cranked up hot water heater.
Boil your bottle caps in RO water to prevent mineral deposits
Boil your snap top gaskets in the same water. Bleach them first to
restore color.
Disassemble your valves and inspect their internal areas. Determine if
you should do this regularly.
Disconnect process hoses fittings, pumps, and all non CIP fittings when
they are not being used.
Hang all hoses with ends down so they dry.
Don't reuse dusty yeast.
Visually inspect every vessel, tank, or bottle BEFORE filling.
Inspect every "gift bottle" for that nasty "ring around the collar!"
Close your windows and turn off the fan when pitching yeast.
Stay tuned - Don't touch that dial.
