File failed to load: https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/mathjax/2.7.1/latest/jax/input/TeX/config.js

Saturday, March 29, 2025

another all-grain guiness stout clone sort of

based on this recipe

based on this previous blog post - but I don't remember that!  I remember doing all grain for a Belgian beer.

I have the amounts of grain corresponding to the stout recipe minus amounts left over from the Belgian 

263 g Belgian Biscuit malt (0.58 lb)

250 g Belgian Munich malt (0.55 lb)

260 g Weyermann Melanoidin (0.57 lb)

3.3 lb of English 2-row

2.5 lb flaked barley

1 lb roasted barley

total:  8.5 lb


Temperature at 163 F, added the grains, temperature after stirring reads 158 F.  Temperature didn't really drop even after 20 minutes, so I added 1 L of cold tap water, this brought the temperature down to 150 F.  At 26 minutes into mash realized I forgot to add the flaked barley, added that.  Extended mash time by 22:37 - total mash time was 82:37.  Added 6 L of boiling water to attempt to raise temperature to 168 - temperature maxed out at 165.


Appendix A: temperature during mash

time    temp(F)    notes
0        158            heat off
5        159            keep heat off
10      156            keep heat off (had trouble reading thermometer so it was out longer and cooled off probably)
15      157            keep heat off
20      157            keep heat off. take lid off
24      150            added 1 L of cold tap water while checking temperature
26      149            added the flaked oats (forgot to add at beginning).  Turned heat on 2.5/7
30      149            turned heat down to 1.5
39      152            turned heat off
50      156            kept heat off
60      151            kept heat off

Appendix 2:  calculation of amount of boiling water needed to add to mash to raise temperature to 168 F



The specific heat of grain - estimates vary - will use ~0.4.  (Some references:  


homebrew mashout: calculation of how much water to add to mash to raise temperature to 168 F (75 C) to stop enzymatic activity

 I worked out the approximate math to figure out how much boiling water to add to a completed mash to for the mashout - to raise the temperature of the mash to 170 F to stop the enzymatic activity.

Using conservation of energy:  (heat content of individual components before) = (heat content of combined mixture)

$$ H_{mws} + H_{gs} + H_{aws} = H_{wf} + H_{gf} $$

starting individual terms of heat content are:

mash water at start:  $H_{mws} = C_w M_{mw} T_s$

* $C_w$ heat capacity of water

* $M_{mw}$ mass of "mash water"

* $T_s$ starting temperature


grain in mash at start:  $H_{gs} = C_g M_g T_s$

* $C_g$ heat capacity of grain

* $M_g$ mass of grain


add water at start:  $H_{aws} = C_w M_{aw} T_{aw}$

* $M_{aw}$ mass of add water

* $T_{aw}$ temperature of add water


final individual terms of heat content are:

water, final:  $H_{wf} = C_w (M_{mw} + M_{aw}) T_f$

* $T_f$ final temperature


grain, final:  $H_{gf} = C_g M_g T_f$


heat before = heat after

$$ H_{mws} + H_{gs} + H_{aws} = H_{wf} + H_{gf} $$

$$ C_w M_{mw} T_s + C_g M_g T_s + C_w M_{aw} T_{aw} = C_w (M_{mw} + M_{aw}) T_f + C_g M_g T_f $$


Solve for $M_{aw}$:

$$ C_w M_{aw} T_{aw} - C_w M_{aw} T_f = C_w M_{mw} T_f + C_g M_g T_f -C_w M_{mw} T_s - C_g M_g T_s $$

$$ M_{aw} C_w (T_{aw} - T_f) = C_w M_{mw} T_f + C_g M_g T_f -C_w M_{mw} T_s - C_g M_g T_s $$

$$ M_{aw} = \frac{C_w M_{mw} T_f + C_g M_g T_f - C_w M_{mw} T_s - C_g M_g T_s}{C_w (T_{aw} - T_f)} $$

$$ M_{aw} = \frac{C_w M_{mw} (T_f - T_s) + C_g M_g (T_f - T_s)}{C_w (T_{aw} - T_f)} $$

$$ M_{aw} = \frac{(T_f - T_s) (C_w M_{mw}  + C_g M_g)}{C_w (T_{aw} - T_f)} $$


The numerator is for the materials in the starting mash mixture (water + grain) - their change in temperature times their heat capacity - this is their energy change that will happen as a result of mixing in the add water.


The denominator is for the add water - it is the heat capacity times the change in temperature for the add water, and thus the energy change of the add water.


A lot of terms in here but all on the right side are known!


$T_f = 75.5 \degree C$

* desired final temperature

* this is just an example from one recipe may vary


$T_s = 65.5 \degree C$

* measure this value to use in the calculation

* this is just an example


$C_w = 1 \frac{cal}{g \degree C}$

* specific heat of water


$M_mw = 10 kg$

* mass of the water used to mash

* this is just an example from one recipe may vary


$C_g = 0.4 \frac{cal}{g \degree C}$

* specific heat of grain 

* there is wide variation here see below for references


$M_g = 3.4 kg$

* mass of grain

* this is just an example from one recipe may vary


$T_{aw} = 100 \degree C$

* temperature of add water

* typically it is boiling water but can adjust as needed



specific heat of grain references:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/specific-heat-of-grain.246356/

https://ojs.openagrar.de/index.php/JKA/article/view/375/1207

Thursday, June 29, 2023

perseverate

Perseverate - "repeat or prolong an action, thought, or utterance after the stimulus that prompted it has ceased"

It helped me - a lot - to realize I was doing this - here's my journey.

I have to actively work against perseverating.  A mentor told me, "Why do you let things live rent free in your head?" I realized that what I considered "idle time" for my mind was actually valuable and I shouldn't waste it.

I spent entire bike rides to/from work - or woke up in the middle of the night - replaying conversations - redoing arguments.  It made me irritable and sad and defensive. I realized life is too short - of all the possible things I could be doing this was not a priority!

It wasn't an immediate change and the work is ongoing but I've tried to build habits to manage it. Initially I would distract myself when I realized I was starting, I would pinch myself.  Gradually I was able to very deliberately try to start a different train of thought.

I try to think about a puzzle or riddle or mathematical challenge.  I also preempt by listening to audio books, or at night reading about an interesting topic (thanks Wikipedia/astronomy!)

instagram  post

twitter thread

Monday, March 27, 2023

homebrew cider second attempt: backsweetening


NB this didn't work that well b/c I should have also added potassium metabisulfite.

Tue Feb 22, 2022

 5 gallons cider, Carlson Orchard - pasteurized but no additives (especially no potassium sorbate)

1 yeast packet (1 oz.) Red Star Premiere Blanc (formerly champagne yeast)

Sterilized equipment (carboy, funnel, airlock).  Poured cider into carboy, added yeast, put on airlock.

Friday Mar 18, 2022 9:40 PM

Added 2.5 tsp of potassium sorbate.  Mixed carboy thoroughly

*** should have added postassium metabisulfite ***. Sorbate stops yeast from dividing, does not stop them from fermenting.

backsweetening reference

backsweetening calculation

1st batch of hard cider came out very dry - assume it is between 0 and 9 g/L sugar based on reference above.  Assume it is 0 g/L, then if I get it to 9 g/L, it is at the boundary between dry and medium and will be sweeter than previously, but definitely not too sweet.  If it starts at 9 g/L

target 9 g/L = 2.1 g / cup
initial volume:  5 gallons * 16 cups/per gallon = 80 cups

x = # cups of apple cider to add
sugar amount:  (24 g/cup) * (x cups)

total volume:  x + 80 cups initial volume

sugar concentration (g/cup) s = 24*x / (x + 80)
target concentration:  2.1 g/ cup

2.1 = 24x/(x+80)
2.1*(x+80) = 24x
2.1*x + 168 = 24x
21.9*x = 168
x = 7.67 cups

What happens if initial amount of sugar is not zero?
residual sugar amount:  80 cups * (y g/cup residual sugar)
sugar concentration is:  (24*x + 80*y) / (x + 80)
assume x=8 from above, then sugar concentration is:
s = (192 + 80*y) / 88 = 2.2 + 0.91*y
if y is 2.1 g/cup then sugar concentration is:
s = 2.2 + 0.91*2.1 = 2.2 + 1.8 = 4 g/cup

This is still in the "medium" cider range, closer to the dry end of the scale.

Sunday, March 20, 2022

quick notes on using a corny keg

link to website with description of parts of keg

 out port:

  • is for liquid to come out 
  • labeled out on keg
  • use long dip tube that reaches to bottom of keg with it

in port

  • is for gas to go into the keg
  • labeled "in" on keg
  • the keg post has notches on the base to identify it (notches are cut through the edge of the hexagonal wrench mating surfaces)
  • use short dip tube with it
lid
  • to seat the lid make sure to use high pressure - 30 psi
    • could try reversing the direction of the lid

Sunday, April 4, 2021

Would be possible to generate artificial gravitational waves that could be detected with the current detectors (LIGO, VIRGO)?

There has been a stunning revolution in astronomy over the past ~6 years with the detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO and VIRGO consortium.  Now that we are detecting "naturally" made gravitational waves, I've been wondering could we generate them artificially - and detect them?

Would be possible to generate artificial gravitational waves that could be detected with the current detectors (LIGO, VIRGO)?  Short version - seems like no.  Sources that have currently been detected are mergers of black holes and neutron stars that are 10's to 100's of megaparsecs away, so first I consider reducing the mass and having the source be closer - and this still requires incredibly large masses moving very fast (now in close dangerously close proximity!)

I also tried a quick idea about using motion of electrons within atoms to generate gravitational waves, but electron motion is not that much faster, and the mass of the electrons is much too small.  Motion of atoms within molecules would not achieve the required speeds and thus would require even more mass.