Obie’s Out of Bounds

Propane-Fired Fried Turkey and Steamed Clams

August 20th, 2009

Deep frying a turkey has a bad rap. It’s not just a redneck thang. In fact once you try deep fried turkey you’ll come back for more again and again. I’m sure you have seen videos of turkey fryers catching fire, some even inside a garage. Yes, fires have occurred, but if you are careful, set up the fryer away from all structures and combustibles, and lower the bird into the oil slowly there should not be any problem. Make sure the fryer is set up on a stable, flat surface and be sure to wear a heavy glove when you lower the bird into the oil in case of a splash. Now I just have to figure out a way to stuff the bird!

Deep Frying a Turkey
Butter Beer Injection Mixture:
Prep time 10 minutes; cook time 10 minutes

½ pound butter
½ can of beer
2 tablespoons Salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Garlic powder
2 tablespoons Onion powder

Combine all ingredients over low heat and stir until the salt is dissolved and sauce is smooth. Keep warm, but not hot, until injection.

Remove the gizzards and clean the bird with water. Pat the bird dry inside and out with paper towels. Inject the bird all over with the Butter Beer injection mixture. Try to use small portions for each injection so you spread it throughout the bird. Be sure to get the mixture into all the muscles. Mount the bird on the lowering hook and put on a thick, long glove. When the oil is at the high end of the temperature range below, slowly lower the bird into the hot oil. Fry the bird at 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit, for 3 to 3.5 minutes per pound. It’s done when the skin is a deep golden brown. Enjoy the best turkey you’ve ever had!

Steaming Clams (or whatever)

A propane “fryer” is also great for steaming clams, crabs and other shell fish. It can’t be easier. Put about three inches of water in the bottom of the pot. Fire it up and wait for the water to boil which doesn’t take long. Put the clams etc. (covered with spice mix if desired) in the steamer basket, lower it into the pot and cover with the lid cocked to the side. You’re ready to eat in 10 to 20 minutes depending on the number of clams. Just pull up on the basket every once in a while to see if the shells have opened.

Posted in Recipies | Comments Off

Sample Preparation for ROHS/WEEE Directive Analysis

June 9th, 2009

ROHS/WEEE directives require that product components of electrical equipment imported into a number of countries, notably the European Common Market, contain less than 1000ppm of Bromine, Br, Chromium, Cr, Lead, Pb, Mercury, Hg, and less than 100ppm of Cadmium, Cd. Direct-reader, hand-held X-Ray Fluorescence, XRF, instruments have become the choice for quick, efficient screening of products for these elements.

For these analyses the handheld XRF instrument is simply pressed against the surface of the product. The XRF technique only “sees” the very thin, top layer of the sample. Further, the XRF technique is very dependent on calibration with a matrix matched reference material prior to the analysis.

The purpose of this study is to determine if this method is applicable for the directive. This study examines the accuracy and reproducibility of XRF analysis of various electrical components both as received (heterogeneous) and when ground and blended (homogeneous).

For one investigation three circular samples were cut from populated circuit boards and the front and back sides of the samples were analyzed by XRF. The samples were then cut into small pieces and copper parts were removed followed by cryogenic grinding and pressing at 30 tons onto boric acid substrates prior to XRF analysis. The results are shown below, reported as parts per million:

Chromium

Sample	Front	Back	Pellet
1	0	0	32
2	0	0	1166
3	0	0	0

Bromine

Sample	Front	Back	Pellet
1	7726	8323	7287
2	8853	8853	5504
3	8305	8305	10626

Lead

Sample	Front	Back	Pellet
1	305	128	1903
2	181	485	1654
3	261	525	308

As can be readily seen the analytical results of the heterogeneous and homogeneous samples are very different.

In samples 1 and 2 chromium was not detected prior to grinding but found after grinding. Cr levels in sample 2 were very high.
Lead levels were significantly higher in ground samples 1 and 2.
Bromine exceeded the RHOS/WEEE limits in all cases.
Cadmium and mercury were not detected in any of the samples.

A more complete discussion and results from the analysis of additional types of samples, such as connectors and electrical components, can be found in the applications section of the SPEX SamplePrep website: www.spexcsp.com

Posted in Chemistry | Comments Off

Obie’s Out of Bounds wine wins Gold Medal!!!

May 22nd, 2009

A few months ago one of Obie’s wines was entered in a wine making competition sponsored by “Wine Maker International Magazine”. There were about 50 different categories ranging from various whites to many different reds to sparkling wines. In total there were thousands of entries.

Obie’s 2007 California Chateauneuf-du-Pape blend won a gold medal, the highest award, in the “Red Vinifera Blend” category, as shown in the certificate below. The blend contained approximately 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Grenache, 20% Petit Syrah and 10% Alicante grapes.

Obies Wine Gold Medal Certificate

Posted in Wine | Comments Off

Chemicals Responsible for the Oak Aromas in Wine

May 6th, 2009

I like red wine, I admit it. But I’ll also admit that I have trouble identifying the individual tastes and aromas in wine. I can always tell if I like a wine or not, I just can’t say “It’s spicy with hints of almond and cedar”….or whatever. I guess my nose isn’t what it should be after too many years in the lab. But that certainly doesn’t stop me from enjoying a glass. Being a chemist, I can appreciate the analytical approach of identifying the source and chemical compounds responsible for at least some of the aromas from a nice, heavy red. I believe that red wine should be aged in oak barrels. The oak is responsible for a lot of the character of the wine. “Obie’s Out of Bounds” performs the primary fermentation, perhaps 95%, in a large plastic tub then the very, very young wine is pressed and pumped into French oak barrels to age.

The species and source of the oak itself can be a major factor in the variation in the aroma profile of a wine. Oak species differ greatly. The French Pedunculate Oak (Quercus pedunculata = Q. robur) is known for its relatively faint aromas compared to French Sessile Oak (Q. sessilis and Q. petraea). American White Oak (Q. alba) can have a strong, distinctive aroma, sometimes considered overpowering in certain wines. In contrast, Oregon White Oak (Q. garryana) seems to have more similarities to the French oaks than to American White Oak.

Other factors are geographic origin, hybridization, growing conditions, age and genetic variation. The stave’s position on a trunk can influence its aroma composition as well as stave seasoning and kiln versus air drying. The cooperage process adds additional variability with barrel to barrel and even stave to stave variations from toasting.

Toasting: Lighter toasting aromas are usually attributed to oak lactones. As toasting increases, vanilla and caramel aromas associated with vanillin, furfural and 5-methylfurfural increase. At even higher toast levels these compounds decrease and are replaced by spicy (eugenol, isoeugenol, 4-methylguaiacol) and smoky characters (guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol).

Fermentation in barrel: When fermentation is done in the barrel aldehydes such as vanillin, furfural, and 5- ethylfurfural can be partially transformed by yeast into non-aromatic alcohols.

Synergistic effects: Compounds with chemical similarities are often released from oak together (such as eugenol, isoeugenol, or other volatile phenols). The combination of similar molecules can result in perceived synergistic sensory effects even when they are below their individual sensory thresholds. This can even occur between unrelated volatiles; for example oak lactone’s sensory threshold has been found to be 50-fold lower in the presence of vanillin.

Piney, resin, cedar and dill aromas: These aromas are often associated with American White Oak Quercus alba, and can be linked to high levels of cis oak lactone. Quercus alba can also contain relatively high amounts of terpenes; however, key compounds have not been identified.

Nutty, roasted almond and roasted hazelnut aromas: Nutty aromas may arise at least partially from the combined sensory effect of known volatiles coming from wine or oak. These include diacetyl (fatty, butter), free fatty acids (fatty, rancid), furfural and 5-methylfurfural (caramelized tones).

Cinnamon and nutmeg aromas: Cinnamon and nutmeg have both woody and spicy aromas and can be attributed to the combination of woody, coconut oak lactones and spicy compounds such as eugenol and isoeugenol.

Bread crust, toast and gingerbread aromas: Bread crust or toast character can be described as a yeasty flavor (from yeast byproducts in bread as well as in wine), or caramel aromas from carbohydrate byproducts such as furfural and 5-methyl-furfural, or smoky aromas from guaiacol, 4- ethyl-guaiacol. A gingerbread aroma, which may be less yeasty, can have additional contributions from spicy flavored compounds such as eugenol.

Disagreeable dusty or cardboard aromas: Chloroanisoles (TCA, TeCA and PCA) are powerful odorants with a musty, moldy odor generally referred to the “corked” smell. If wine seems “corked”, even prior to bottling, oak is one possible source of chloroanisole. Of course cork is the usual source.

Pharmaceutical, band-aid or horsy, sweaty aromas: Compounds responsible for these odors are 4-ethylphenol (4EP) and 4-ethylguaiacol and are byproducts of the yeast Brettanomyces. One should periodically screen for Brettanomyces activity during oak aging.

The information above was obtained largely from ETS laboratories, 899A Adams St., St. Helena CA 94574, 707 963-4806.
ETS analyzes oak aromas using solid phase microextraction headspace technology for sampling (HS/SPME) followed by analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GCMS).

SPEX CertiPrep sells a selection of single and multi-component wine standards (pdf) for GC, GC/MS, HPLC, and HPLC/MS analysis.

Posted in Chemistry, Wine | Comments Off

Obie’s Things to do in Chicago

April 20th, 2009

Jazz and Blues Clubs

Buddy Guy’s Legends – Premiere blues club, open 7 nights, 754 Walbash, 312-427-0333

Jazz Showcase – 59 W. Grand & Clark, 312-670-2473

Andy’s Jazz Club – 11 E. Hubbard, 312-642-6805, early start

Blue Chicago – 1 cover, 2 locations, 4 blocks apart Blues@bluechicago.com

Blue Chicago # 736 Clark, 312-642-626
Blue Chicago # 536 Clark & Ohio, 312-661-0100,

Howl at the Moon – Dueling pianos! – Near Dearborn & Hubbard

Back Room – Quiet & classic, 1007 N. Rush, 312-751-2433

Green Mill – 4802 N. Broadway, 773-878-5552, Northend

Kingston Mines – 2 live bands per night, 2548 N. Halsted

Second City Comedy Club – 1680 N. Wells, 312-644-4032

Restaurants

Café Ba Ba Reeba – Spanish Tapas; 2024 N. Halsted, 773-935-5000

Billy Goat Tavern – “hole in the wall” 3 blocks from Courtyard Hotel

Fogo de Chao – Brazilian featuring 15 different meats, 661 LaSalle, 312-932-9330

Mambo Grill – Mexican, 412 North Clark, 312-467-9797

Geja’s – Fondue, 340 W. Armitage, 773-281-9191

Maggiano’s – Italian with a piano bar, North Clark, 800-983-4637

Scoozis – Fun Italian, good bar, see and be seen, 410W. Huron, 312-943-5900

Twin Anchors – BBQ ribs, 1655 N. Sedgwich, 312-266-1616

Greektown – Lots of Greek restaurants, Greek Islands, Artopolis, 200 S. Halsted

Chicago Pizza – Try Uno, Due, Gino’s East, Giordano’s, etc.

Charlie Trotters – Top 10, 816 W. Armitage, 773-248-6228

Mortons of Chicago – I’m not into steaks but it’s a great Steakhouse, 1050 North State, 312-266-4820

Posted in Travel | Comments Off

BPA and Phthalates in Laboratory and Consumer Water Sources

March 24th, 2009

Patricia Atkins, Thomas Mancuso,
Vanaja Sivakumar and Ralph Obenauf

Spex CertiPrep, Metuchen, NJ 08840

Abstract

The study examined the phthalate and bisphenol A (BPA) levels of several popular commercial bottled waters, municipal tap water, various samples of laboratory water from commercial sources, well water, and water from de-ionized filtration systems. In addition, the study attempted to discover whether the phthalate and BPA levels increased after being heated under conditions comparable to temperatures reached inside an automobile during the summer. Samples were extracted then tested for phthalate and BPA levels by GC-MS. The concentration of phthalates and BPA found in all the commercially bottled water samples and the municipal water sources were below EPA RfD (oral reference dosage) guidelines. The EPA, defines the RfD as: ‘…an estimate (with uncertainty spanning perhaps an order of magnitude) of a daily exposure to the human population (including sensitive subgroups) that is likely to be without an appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime. The RfD is generally expressed in units of milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (mg/kg/day).’ In addition, the exposure of bottled water to heat did not significantly increase the concentration of phthalates. BPA was not detected in any of the bottled water or municipal water sources. The water samples taken from consumer Point-of-Use (POU) systems varied greatly in the level of phthalates and BPA depending on the type of system and the amount of water flushed from the system prior to the samples being taken. Samples taken from a stationary POU system had increased levels of phthalates compared to samples taken after the stationary water was flushed from the system. Samples taken from one of the POU systems were found to contain small amounts of BPA, well under the guidelines of the EPA’s RfD.

To request a full copy of this very informative white paper, please visit the SPEX CertiPrep website.

Posted in Chemistry | Comments Off

Flux Fusion Energy Costs: Electricity versus Gas

December 23rd, 2008

When comparing the benefits of electric powered fusion units versus gas fired units, one factor that is often overlooked is the running costs. Obviously the costs go beyond just the raw price of the gas and electricity, but here we will just focus on the cost of electricity consumption of the KATANAX K2 Electric Fluxer versus that of a typical 3 or 4 unit gas burner.

The K2 electric unit:
The instrument takes about 15 minutes to heat up to a hold temperature of 1000^oC. At a power of 2750W (i.e. the max power) we have a ramp-up energy of 2750 W x 15 min / (60 min / hr) = 688 W/hr = 0.688 kWh (maintaining the holding temperature of 1000^oC uses 1.38 kWh).

The typical “oxide” fusion method lasts 20 minutes from start to finish and uses 2065W of energy.
2065W x 20 min / (60 min) = 688 W/hr = 0.688 kW/hr (same as heat-up)

There are three different ways one can use the instrument and each has a different energy usage:

Start from cold state then run only one fusion:

Energy = (ramp-up) + (fusion cycle) = 0.688 + 0.688 = 1.38kWh per fusion

Continuous fusions:

24/7:Daily = (average power) x (hours per day) = 2065W x 24 = 50 kW per day

Instrument always on, but fuses only a fraction “f” of the time:

Power = (f %) x (average fusion power) + (1-f %) x (standby power)
Daily eg: fusion 30% (f=30%) avg power = 1577 W; Daily=1577W x 24h=38kWh

The typical gas unit:
For this discussion we will focus only on consumption/cost of gas.

From internet information it appears the maximum gas consumption is approximately 19L of propane gas per minute. The expansion ratio of LPG is approx 250:1, therefore 1 liter of LPG yields 250L of propane gas.
At a consumption rate of 19 L/min (maximum), 1 liquid liter of LPG will last 250/19 = 13 minutes, meaning the unit uses about 5 liters of liquid LPG per hour.

For comparison to the three cases above:

Not applicable for gas units
Continuous fusions, 24/7

(Liters per hour) x (hours in day) = 5 x 24 = 120L/day

Fusions only a fraction “f” of a day

(Liters per hour) x (hours in day) x (f /100)
Example: fusions 30% of the day (f=30%) = 5 x 24 x 0.3 = 36L/day

The calculations for the gas unit are not as concise as for the electric unit, as the average consumption of gas in an approximation.

The Relative Costs:

Obviously the costs of LPG and electricity vary all round the world and are dependent on the time of year, economic factors, etc. The costs below, for the discussion here, were from recent UK rates.

Case 2, Continuous fusions:

Electrical unit uses 50kW per day. In the UK a domestic kW costs approx 12p, therefore the total cost would be 50 x £0.12 = £6.00
LPG unit uses 120L per day. In the UK LPG costs 55p/L so the total cost would be 120 x £0.55 = £66.00

Case 3, 30% of time spent doing fusions:

Electrical unit uses 38kW/h per day. 1 kW costs approx 12p in the UK, so the total cost would be 38 x £0.12 = £4.56.
LPG unit uses 36L/day. LPG costs 55p/L in the UK, so the total cost would be 36 x £0.55 = £19.80

I would stress again that these calculations use a number of assumptions and therefore are not completely accurate. However it appears that the energy costs are approximately 4 to 10 times higher for a gas burner unit compared to the electric the K2 unit.

Posted in Chemistry | No Comments »

Calories in various wines and other alcoholic drinks

November 21st, 2008

The table below lists the approximate calories in an average (115ml or 4 oz) glass of wine. Wine can contain up to 15% alcohol by volume and alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. The more alcohol a wine contains the more calories, obviously. For comparison, on average, the same 115ml of beer has 60 calories, light beer 35 calories and non-alcoholic beer 20 calories, but no one I know stops at 115ml. Note that one gram of fat contains 9 calories and soda….forget it. I think I initially switched to wine to lose weight, dry red of course. Find more information on beer at: http://www.brewery.org/library/.

Alcohol in Wine

Wine	# Calories
Alcohol-free Wine	37 calories
Champagne	100 calories
Dry Red	83 calories
Dry White	77 calories
Rose	82 calories
Sparkling White	92 calories
Sweet White	103 calories

Alcohol in Fortified Wines

Fortified Wine	# Calories
Bianco Vermouth	167 calories
Ginger Wine	190 calories
Martini Bianco	150 calories
Martini, Extra Dry	150 calories
Martini Rose	180 calories
Martini Rosso	192 calories
Port	170 calories
Sherry	140 calories

For comparison

Drink	# Calories
Beer, 12oz	175 calories
Beer, light, 12oz	105 calories
Beer, non-alc, 12oz	60 calories
Cosmopolitan, 4oz	200 calories
Gin & Tonic, 7oz	200 calories
Long Is Ice Tea, 8oz	780 calories
Margarita, 8 oz	280 calories
Martini, 3oz	200 calories
Mojito, 8oz	215 calories
Rum & Coke, 8oz	185 calories
Vodka & Tonic, 8oz	200 calories

Posted in Wine | No Comments »

Downtown London… interesting places you don’t find in a travel book

November 10th, 2008

Wine Bars

Gordon’s wine bar… A MUST, basement down Villiers St. next to Charring Cross Station. Very old, buy a bottle and drink it in the arched candle lit rooms or outside in the courtyard.

Cork and Bottle Wine Bar… almost as neat as Gordon’s, wider wine and food selections. In the basement with interesting little carved-out rooms. 44-46 Cranbourn St. just off Leicester’s Square near the tube stop.

Bedford & Strand Wine Bar… 1A Bedford Street just off the Strand near Charing Cross, nice selections and atmosphere. Not as crowded.

Café Des Amis…upscale wine bar near royal Opera House and Covent Garden, Bow St to Horal to 11 Hanover Place (alley) 020 7379 3444

The Savoy Hotel on The Strand is a famous old hotel and really neat to just go, have a glass of wine and take in the atmosphere

Covent Garden…good shops, stalls, good street performers, nice wine bar/restaurant in bottom of stall area, great restaurants and pubs.

Mexican

La Perla Mexican Bar… 28 Maiden Lane, WC2 near Covent Garden. Mexican food and drinks.

Also Café Pacifico… 5 Langley Street, W2 Locations in Paris also.

Wahaca Mexican Market Eating… Neuvo Mexican, Maiden Lane Covent Garden

Jazz & Blues clubs

Ronnie Scotts…premier jazz club of London. Frith street in SOHO, go to listen not great food, some great acts some mediocre

“Ain’t ‘nuthin But” blues club on Kingly St., near Oxford Circus and Carnaby Street, young crowd, somewhat seedy, may not like it, local blues bands, open mike Sunday starts 4pm.

“Spice of life” blues, Cambridge Circus, Tuesdays

“Adelaide Road Pub”, blues, Clark Farm tube station, Tuesdays

“Heathcote Public House” blues jam Leytonestone tube station, E11 bus, Wednesday

“Globe Public House”, blues, Morning Lane E8, Monday

“Town Hall”, blues, Mare St., Bethnal Green tube station, Bu 254

Around London

Dirty Dick’s Pub, near the Liverpool Street Station, financial district (One of???) The oldest Pubs in London, est 1745.

Great Queen Street, Queen Street, Traditional English food

Carnaby Street, Oxford Circus, good shopping, trendy shops, Liberty dept store, great Soccer/Rugby store, interesting pubs

Camden Town, lots of “crazy” young people; too much “flea market” to imagine, ethnic food, old London Locks/Boats, very crowded on weekends , really neat but had a real bad fire and I am not sure how much is left.

Old Spitafield Market, the Brickline Market and the High Sunday Market. New and old things and lots of ethnic food from everywhere in a very crowded and diverse neighborhood. Similar to Camden Town, near the Liverpool tube stop

SOHO, “Bohemian” area, very, very interesting people watching, china town….be careful

Tourist musts

Greenwich observatory museum, take the Thames river boat shuttle, great views, stand on the prime meridian, read about the longitudinal clocks before you go, I love mechanical antiques.

Tower military museum, really great dark ages armament neat tour by the beefeaters, royal jewels.

Westminster Chapel, very historic. War rooms.

Posted in About Obie, Travel | No Comments »

Cork Taint in wine

October 30th, 2008

Cork Taint in Wine If you ever opened a bottle of wine and immediately were hit with a pungent odor (not vinegar) you know what I want to discuss here: “
Cork Taint” or wine that is “Corked”. The term “Corked” is a broad term that people use to describe many undesirable smells and tastes in wine arising from spoilage to storage conditions to wooden barrels to just bad grapes. However the chief cause is believed to result from the compound, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, TCA. The human threshold for TCA is in the single-digit parts per trillion, varying by several orders of magnitude depending on an individual’s sensitivity. The smell has been described as mold, wet dog, phenol, chlorine, and others. While harmless, TCA can make a wine undrinkable, except perhaps by me. SPEX CertiPrep has been working on detection limits and the development of reference materials for 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole. As you may know most cork comes from cork trees grown in
Portugal. The production is mostly from mom and pop business where the bark is striped, spread out to dry and treated with a chlorine containing chemical. The chlorine chemicals are believed to react with phenolic compounds in the cork resulting in cork taint, i.e. 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol. Some people believe these phenolic compounds come from fungi in the cork or in the air. A number of vintners are beginning to use twist off caps for white wines, as un-classical a way of sealing wine as it is, because it provides a great seal. For reds, synthetic corks are not as good as they should be, but they are improving and will eventually compete with natural cork, especially if cork taint continues to be a problem. www.spexcsp.com

Posted in Chemistry, Wine | No Comments »