Offering Analysis, some prices/tests uploaded (Water tests, Hops, Beer, Wine, Spirits, Microbiology)

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

So, once again, new here, looking to help people with answering some of the potential questions that may require more than what google can provide. So I've uploaded a book with a small portion, but pertinent to this forum, of our tests that we offer. I can assure you if you need it done, I can figure it out, or in most cases, we already do it. If I were to upload all of our tests it'd rival War & Peace.

Feel free to shoot any questions, if you're more comfortable with messaging me you can do that or email me at [email protected]

Enjoy!

 

[Homercidal]

I'm no aware of any current vendor that is selling this kind of testing. It might certainly benefit the homebrewer community to have access to this kind of thing.

 

[bitteritdown]

I'm no aware of any current vendor that is selling this kind of testing.

White Labs does analytical testing.

Ward Labs does water testing.

In any given locality there's probably a lab that'll test water, though the other items may be a gamble.

 

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

Homer: I was hoping I could be of some service.

Bitter: Yes a google search would tell you that there are other labs that can provide those services. However, I'm not here advocating for the services of those labs, nor do I know the turn around times, overall quality, or reliability of those labs. I do know what I'm capable of, but thank you for, well I'm not sure, but thanks anyway.

 

[bitteritdown]

Bitter: Yes a google search would tell you that there are other labs that can provide those services. However, I'm not here advocating for the services of those labs, nor do I know the turn around times, overall quality, or reliability of those labs. I do know what I'm capable of, but thank you for, well I'm not sure, but thanks anyway.

You are a professional are you not? You certainly present yourself as such.

 

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

You are a professional are you not? You certainly present yourself as such.

I'll make note of your professional critique. Thanks for being so helpful.

 

[ajdelange]

Only comment is that it seems a little strange that you are using pycnometers for density/SG measurements when most labs (including TTB's) use densitometers. Much faster! Curious as to why you do it this way. How can you only charge $30 and pay the tech for the time it takes to do a pycnometer measurement cover your overhead and show a profit?

 

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

Only comment is that it seems a little strange that you are using pycnometers for density/SG measurements when most labs (including TTB's) use densitometers. Much faster! Curious as to why you do it this way. How can you only charge $30 and pay the tech for the time it takes to do a pycnometer measurement cover your overhead and show a profit?

Agreed 100%, that was the way it was done when I got here, also me being the one that does it most of the time. We are actually purchasing a Mettler Toldedo DM40. It is one large price tag, but it is, as you said, going to make life a lot easier.

 

[bitteritdown]

I'll make note of your professional critique. Thanks for being so helpful.

Your professionalism is much appreciated. Do you have any other questions for me?

 

[ajdelange]

Mettler Toldedo DM40. It is one large price tag...

Yes, the things are worth more than my car. Actually given the condition and age of my car probably several times more.

I'll pass along one tip. The big problem when measuring beer is that entrapped gas comes out of solution in the U-tube when it vibrates and this throws off the measurement. This is a problem with a pycnometer too, of course, but a tiny bubble or two is a much smaller percentage of the volume in a pycnometer than it is in a densitometer U-tube. So here's a good method for degassing beer. Let it warm to near test temperature (20 °C). Now draw 50 - 100 mL up into a good sized syringe through a piece of tubing with the Luer connector that you will plug into the maching (I assiume the MT machine use Luer connectors - the Anton Paar ones do). Now fold the tubing over to seal it, hold the syringe vertically and pull the plunger down. This will create a partial vacuum and CO2 will rush out of the beer. Help it along by shaking vigorously. Release the fold in the tubing to let the gas out of the syringe and advance the plunger until all gas is expelled. Now repeat this process a couple of times. Advance the plunger again to the point where the tubing is filled with beer and connect it to the instrument. Force some beer into the U-tube vigorously to sweep out any bubbles clinging to the interior wall of the tube connecting the syringe to the machine. Check the camera or inspection port to be sure the U-tube is free of bubbles. The Anton Paar machines can detect the presence of bubbles even if you can't see them. Don't know if the MT machines have this feature or not. The Anton Paar rep said that this is a better method than the one they recommend which is, IIRC to clamp the instrument output line and press on the plunger thus applying pressure to the sample which keeps gas bubbles from forming. If you think about what happens when you blow into a long, limp balloon, you's suspect as I do that this added pressure would stiffen the U-tube and thus change its resonant frequency. A simple experiment on DI water should tell if that's really the case but I never did that experiment.

Be sure to measure several times. That's the reason you want 50 or so mL in the syringe when you start. I have noticed a drift in readings which I can't explain except to conjecture that the interior of the U-tube isn't really wetted with the beer on the first or second sample.

 

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

Yes, the things are worth more than my car. Actually given the condition and age of my car probably several times more.

I'll pass along one tip. The big problem when measuring beer is that entrapped gas comes out of solution in the U-tube when it vibrates and this throws off the measurement. This is a problem with a pycnometer too, of course, but a tiny bubble or two is a much smaller percentage of the volume in a pycnometer than it is in a densitometer U-tube. So here's a good method for degassing beer. Let it warm to near test temperature (20 °C). Now draw 50 - 100 mL up into a good sized syringe through a piece of tubing with the Luer connector that you will plug into the maching (I assiume the MT machine use Luer connectors - the Anton Paar ones do). Now fold the tubing over to seal it, hold the syringe vertically and pull the plunger down. This will create a partial vacuum and CO2 will rush out of the beer. Help it along by shaking vigorously. Release the fold in the tubing to let the gas out of the syringe and advance the plunger until all gas is expelled. Now repeat this process a couple of times. Advance the plunger again to the point where the tubing is filled with beer and connect it to the instrument. Force some beer into the U-tube vigorously to sweep out any bubbles clinging to the interior wall of the tube connecting the syringe to the machine. Check the camera or inspection port to be sure the U-tube is free of bubbles. The Anton Paar machines can detect the presence of bubbles even if you can't see them. Don't know if the MT machines have this feature or not. The Anton Paar rep said that this is a better method than the one they recommend which is, IIRC to clamp the instrument output line and press on the plunger thus applying pressure to the sample which keeps gas bubbles from forming. If you think about what happens when you blow into a long, limp balloon, you's suspect as I do that this added pressure would stiffen the U-tube and thus change its resonant frequency. A simple experiment on DI water should tell if that's really the case but I never did that experiment.

Be sure to measure several times. That's the reason you want 50 or so mL in the syringe when you start. I have noticed a drift in readings which I can't explain except to conjecture that the interior of the U-tube isn't really wetted with the beer on the first or second sample.

Thank you sir, that is immensely helpful, I'll definitely use this when we start analyzing with it here in the near future.