24 replies to this topic

[Stains_not_here_man]

Simple enough question. Do you prefer using gelatin in the fermenter before kegging, to minimize crud that gets into the keg, or right in the keg and just deal with a couple cloudy pints?

[djinkc]

When I used it I put it in the keg.  Makes harvesting yeast a bit cleaner since I bottom dump from a conical.  I still have the last pack from a box I bought years ago.  I quit using it because I don't care about clarity.

[neddles]

I do it in the keg when I use it. But it can be done both ways. Ideally you want the beer cold when you do it.

[Mike Green]

cold crash in the keg

[Big Nake]

Yep. I used to do it in a secondary which I now skip. So I go primary -> keg -> fridge to chill it -> add gel solution -> force-carb -> pull off first pint of uber-cloudy beer. You want the beer to cloud up as much as possible (by getting it cold) so the gel can drag everything down. My beers have gotten clearer doing this and I think the brewtan is helping with clarity as well.

[Stains_not_here_man]

I'm cold crashing the primary now, my thinking was to just go ahead and do the gelatin in a couple days since it will already be cold, then keg a couple days later, any drawback to this?

[djinkc]

I can't think of any other than waiting another few days to tap it.  I forgot what you're fermenting in - if you can see it maybe the cold crash will be enough to clear it.

[Steve Urquell]

Cold crash primary. Gelatin in keg. Rack on top of gel. Maybe chuck 1/2 pint of cloudy stuff.

Edited by Steve Urquell, 25 January 2017 - 05:05 PM.

[HVB]

Cold crash then biofone in the keg.

[Bklmt2000]

I'm cold crashing the primary now, my thinking was to just go ahead and do the gelatin in a couple days since it will already be cold, then keg a couple days later, any drawback to this?

 

Not really; that said, if you want to harvest the yeast from the primary, i'd recommend on kegging first, saving the yeast in a sanitary manner, then gelling in the keg as the others have suggested.

[Stains_not_here_man]

I can't think of any other than waiting another few days to tap it. I forgot what you're fermenting in - if you can see it maybe the cold crash will be enough to clear it.

It's in a bucket... I don't mind waiting another couple days, just trying to figure out what will be easiest and/or best. I figure that if I put gelatin in the fermenter then I avoid that cloudy first couple pints. On the other hand, in the keg the beer will be clearer to start with, since the cold crash will leave a bunch of stuff behind, so maybe that means even clearer beer at the end of it all....

[djinkc]

Just guessing but with extract I really don't think you will have all the sputz to drop out.  Best I have is try it and see what works best at your place.  That first one will be nice after the time off !

[Big Nake]

Not really; that said, if you want to harvest the yeast from the primary, i'd recommend on kegging first, saving the yeast in a sanitary manner, then gelling in the keg as the others have suggested.

Was going to mention this. I have no idea if "gel in the yeast" is an issue but I always harvest from the bottom of primaries so I wouldn't want there to be gel in there, personally. So instead I just allow the primary to sit for a few extra days so everything settles (I have racked some very clear beer from primary), then rack to a keg, chill it, gel it, carb it and that way your yeast in the primary is gel free.

[Bklmt2000]

Was going to mention this. I have no idea if "gel in the yeast" is an issue but I always harvest from the bottom of primaries so I wouldn't want there to be gel in there, personally. So instead I just allow the primary to sit for a few extra days so everything settles (I have racked some very clear beer from primary), then rack to a keg, chill it, gel it, carb it and that way your yeast in the primary is gel free.

 

You. Me. Eye to eye. 

[Big Nake]

You. Me. Eye to eye. 

Although... what if. What if. What if you gel in the primary and then harvest that yeast (with gel already in it) and then pitch it into the next beer and THAT beer looked like it was filtered because there was gel in there from the start! Are you with me? Who's with me? Let's all gel our beers as soon as we pitch the yeast!    Or... we don't have to. 

[Stains_not_here_man]

Just guessing but with extract I really don't think you will have all the sputz to drop out. Best I have is try it and see what works best at your place. That first one will be nice after the time off !

This will actually be my second. First batch was pretty hazy when chilled which is why I wanted to try this.

[neddles]

This will actually be my second. First batch was pretty hazy when chilled which is why I wanted to try this.

Did you use any kettle finings?

 

…on the hazy batch or the current one?

Edited by neddles, 25 January 2017 - 08:55 PM.

[Big Nake]

Yeah, whirfloc in the kettle and some amount of time to let the wort settle. Then rack/transfer as much of the clear wort as you can leaving as much schputz in the kettle as possible. Whirfloc is your friend, a gel solution is your friend and Drez says that Biofine is your friend but I never tried it. Honestly, I consider myself a clear-beer freak and what I get from my approach is very satisfactory to me. Proper pH, whirfloc, gel.

[neddles]

Yeah, whirfloc in the kettle and some amount of time to let the wort settle. Then rack/transfer as much of the clear wort as you can leaving as much schputz in the kettle as possible. Whirfloc is your friend, a gel solution is your friend and Drez says that Biofine is your friend but I never tried it. Honestly, I consider myself a clear-beer freak and what I get from my approach is very satisfactory to me. Proper pH, whirfloc, gel.

Biofine does work nicely. I get about the same results with it as with gelatin but the nice thing about Biofine is you don't have to boil water and mix it up and get it in the beer before it becomes jello. You just take it out of the fridge, dose it, and add it. It's easy. I'd use it more if any of my regular online haunts carried it.

[Big Nake]

Biofine does work nicely. I get about the same results with it as with gelatin but the nice thing about Biofine is you don't have to boil water and mix it up and get it in the beer before it becomes jello. You just take it out of the fridge, dose it, and add it. It's easy. I'd use it more if any of my regular online haunts carried it.

I have three local suppliers and when I ask them about it, they tilt their head like a dog does when you say something it doesn't understand. I could probably order it but I have enough gel and although there *is* that extra work involved, I am so used to it that I don't necessarily mind it. Next time I order something online (like White Labs which I also can't get locally), I'll look for it.

Did anyone tell Stain that he had to send bottles of his delightful brew to everyone in the beer forum?