Brewing Master

Question:

3. A semi-silly question. How well does maple syrup work?

Wonderfully.

Response:

Maple syrup is great, but the grades to emit different alcohol levels/flavors. Generally the earlier runs have a higher sugar content, while runs later in the year tend to have a more "mapely" flavor. Can someone add to this?  I have used amber with gret maple results, and it is generally cheaper.  In this neck of the woods, I have an acquaintance who has a tree farm and produces the syrup for Old Sturbridge Village, in MA. Bruce http://www.vinotheque.net

Response:

Use the dark "Grade B" to add flavor. Grade A and better usually means more sugar and less flavor and lighter color. If you want to try a snattering of the maple flavors, many, many places in Vermont, Mass and New York make a 4 pack with the different grades. If you plan to use maple syrup this year, and live in the Northeast, buy it sooner than later. The price is going to go up this season! Maple syrup is great, but the grades to emit different alcohol levels/flavors. Generally the earlier runs have a higher sugar content, while runs later in the year tend to have a more "mapely" flavor. Can someone add to this?  I have used amber with gret maple results, and it is generally cheaper.  In this neck of the woods, I have an acquaintance who has a tree farm and produces the syrup for Old Sturbridge Village, in MA. Bruce http://www.vinotheque.net

– James Tomlinson Give a man a beer, and he wastes an hour. But teach a man how to brew, and he wastes a lifetime!

Response:

1. For the past several months, we’ve been using bleach for our sanitizing agent. And while it certainly works, we’ve found that it requires a lot of rinsing (i.e. lots of water i.e high water bills) in order to make sure it’s gone. Is there anything better?

If you send me your snail-mail, I’ll send you a sample of BIO-SAN to test out.  It’s a no-rinse cleaner/sanitizer that is environmentally safe, (Even meets Canada’s tougher guidelines) 2. A freind of mine is getting ready to move into a remote part of Alaska. She’s somewhat interested in brewing her own beer. Her main problem, though will be if somthing needs replacing, it may be either weeks or months before she would be able to. are there any web sites online that I could pass along to her that would show her how to homebrew "guerilla-style (for lack of better terminology)?

There are stores in Alaska, perhaps an owner is monitoring this file. Hopefully someone else can help you on this one. 3. A semi-silly question. How well does maple syrup work?

Maple syrup is a great ingredient when used as an adjunct or additional sugar.  It can be used in Wines, beers, and even Meads!  You will still need to get malt and hops, though if you want to make beer. Dare to leap, where others fear to tread Bruce http://www.vinotheque.net

Response:

3. A semi-silly question. How well does maple syrup work? Maple syrup is a great ingredient when used as an adjunct or additional sugar.  It can be used in Wines, beers, and even Meads!  You will still need to get malt and hops, though if you want to make beer. What about brewing something similar to mead, using maple syrup instead of honey?  Has anyone tried it before, or have an idea how it might turn out?  Would pure maple syrup have to be used, or could a commerrcial brand (ie: Log Cabin) be used.  I use commercial brands as an adjunct in brewing. Phil

Yes it has been done- replace the honey with pure maple syrup at about an equal basis. Don’t use Log Cabin or other artificial stuff because a. it’s mostly corn syrup and only has artificial flavoring, and b. it’s FULL of preservatives and other chemicals like artifical flavoring. People have also used maple sap, and it’s probably maple season now. -georg weather feels right for it. too bad i’m too far away from my folks maple trees.

Response:

3. A semi-silly question. How well does maple syrup work? Maple syrup is a great ingredient when used as an adjunct or additional sugar.  It can be used in Wines, beers, and even Meads!  You will still need to get malt and hops, though if you want to make beer.

What about brewing something similar to mead, using maple syrup instead of honey?  Has anyone tried it before, or have an idea how it might turn out?  Would pure maple syrup have to be used, or could a commerrcial brand (ie: Log Cabin) be used.  I use commercial brands as an adjunct in brewing. Phil

Response:

1. For the past several months, we’ve been using bleach for our sanitizing agent. And while it certainly works, we’ve found that it requires a lot of rinsing (i.e. lots of water i.e high water bills) in order to make sure it’s gone. Is there anything better?

Iodaphor.  You can let it air dry.  It’s easy to use as well but it’s a bit more costly than bleach.  It has served me well for the past year. 2. A freind of mine is getting ready to move into a remote part of Alaska. She’s somewhat interested in brewing her own beer. Her main problem, though will be if somthing needs replacing, it may be either weeks or months before she would be able to. are there any web sites online that I could pass along to her that would show her how to homebrew "guerilla-style (for lack of better terminology)?

She should be able to get everything she needs via mail order.   I don’t have any sites off hand but a quick check the the brewery http//hbd.org/brewery (I think that’s the right url) or a quick search of Yahoo, etc. should yield many sites to choose from. 3. A semi-silly question. How well does maple syrup work?

I hear it works well in small quantities but I have never used it (well except for pancakes and such). – Mats White To send Email, replace ‘Beau-Gus’ with ‘ori’. Gotta keep that SPAM down, thanks. Happy Brewing! "Of Doctors and medicines we have plenty more than enough….. what you may, for the love of God, send is some large quantity of beer" — Dispatch to London from the colony, New South Wales, 1854   Support the anti-Spam amendment  http://www.cauce.org/

Response:

1. For the past several months, we’ve been using bleach for our sanitizing agent. And while it certainly works, we’ve found that it requires a lot of rinsing (i.e. lots of water i.e high water bills) in order to make sure it’s gone. Is there anything better? 2. A freind of mine is getting ready to move into a remote part of Alaska. She’s somewhat interested in brewing her own beer. Her main problem, though will be if somthing needs replacing, it may be either weeks or months before she would be able to. are there any web sites online that I could pass along to her that would show her how to homebrew "guerilla-style (for lack of better terminology)? 3. A semi-silly question. How well does maple syrup work?

Response: