56 replies to this topic

[Joe]

I have been adding 1/2 teaspoon (per instructions on the bottle I have) per 5 gallons and while the beer definitely is much clearer than anything I have brewed in the past (except an IPA that I left on the basement floor for about 10 months - that was pretty clear!), it's still not that sparkling crystal clear that I see in Ken's pics. So when I rack my alt to secondary this week I'll try a full tablespoon (6 times what I am currently using).I also have a suspicion that part of that crystal clarity that you keggers are achieving is because you're letting the beer sit in your cold fridge for quite awhile before you tap it. I could be wrong though. I would love to get that crystal clarity you guys are getting. We'll see how the alt goes.I'm not convinced that cold crashing is necessary unless you're not using an agent like whirlfloc and using a wort chiller to coagulate the cold break. That should take care of the chill haze.

[Big Nake]

I have been adding 1/2 teaspoon (per instructions on the bottle I have) per 5 gallons and while the beer definitely is much clearer than anything I have brewed in the past (except an IPA that I left on the basement floor for about 10 months - that was pretty clear!), it's still not that sparkling crystal clear that I see in Ken's pics. So when I rack my alt to secondary this week I'll try a full tablespoon (6 times what I am currently using).I also have a suspicion that part of that crystal clarity that you keggers are achieving is because you're letting the beer sit in your cold fridge for quite awhile before you tap it. I could be wrong though. I would love to get that crystal clarity you guys are getting. We'll see how the alt goes.I'm not convinced that cold crashing is necessary unless you're not using an agent like whirlfloc and using a wort chiller to coagulate the cold break. That should take care of the chill haze.

There are other things too (as I'm sure I've mentioned countless times... to everyone's displeasure) like a vigorous boil, Whirfloc, a quick chill, allowing everything to settle, racking from brewpot to primary, not racking from primary until fermentation is complete, the gel solution in a secondary and then some cold time in the keg. That first part (the first 5 things mentioned) may help to keep a lot of the stuff that causes cloudiness out of the beer in the first place. The last steps (the last 3) help clear up what may make it to the last steps. There's also polyclar (and divergan F) which we haven't discussed here. It's supposed to eliminate or drastically reduce chill haze. I used to use it, but I don't bother anymore. Some people also like isinglass and other products (SuperKleer?) that are supposed to drag everything down like gel does. Cheers.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

There are other things too (as I'm sure I've mentioned countless times... to everyone's displeasure) like a vigorous boil, Whirfloc, a quick chill, allowing everything to settle, racking from brewpot to primary, not racking from primary until fermentation is complete, the gel solution in a secondary and then some cold time in the keg. That first part (the first 5 things mentioned) may help to keep a lot of the stuff that causes cloudiness out of the beer in the first place. The last steps (the last 3) help clear up what may make it to the last steps. There's also polyclar (and divergan F) which we haven't discussed here. It's supposed to eliminate or drastically reduce chill haze. I used to use it, but I don't bother anymore. Some people also like isinglass and other products (SuperKleer?) that are supposed to drag everything down like gel does. Cheers.

I'm sure this helps to a degree but what is the difference if it would just settle out in primary anyway?

[Big Nake]

I'm sure this helps to a degree but what is the difference if it would just settle out in primary anyway?

You mean add the gel to primary? Not sure if that's what you're asking but if so... I wouldn't want to harvest and reuse that yeast if it had gel in it.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

You mean add the gel to primary? Not sure if that's what you're asking but if so... I wouldn't want to harvest and reuse that yeast if it had gel in it.

no - I meant trying to keep break material out of the primary.

[DaBearSox]

I'm not convinced that cold crashing is necessary unless you're not using an agent like whirlfloc and using a wort chiller to coagulate the cold break. That should take care of the chill haze.

I am convinced...I bottle condition so chill haze is a bigger issue since i dont have a keg sitting and chilling for awhile. I also use whirlfloc and an immersion chiller and usually get down to pitching temps <30 min...i whirlpool and let the kettle sit for about 45 minutes and let all the break material settle out. The wort is crystal clear going into the carboy...When I do not cold crash before racking on gelatin chill haze shows up....I have a common that is just ready for drinking that I didn't chill down before going to the 2ndary and the chill haze is back.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I am convinced...I bottle condition so chill haze is a bigger issue since i dont have a keg sitting and chilling for awhile. I also use whirlfloc and an immersion chiller and usually get down to pitching temps <30 min...i whirlpool and let the kettle sit for about 45 minutes and let all the break material settle out. The wort is crystal clear going into the carboy...When I do not cold crash before racking on gelatin chill haze shows up....I have a common that is just ready for drinking that I didn't chill down before going to the 2ndary and the chill haze is back.

I'm interested to see if my old ale will eventually clear up with extended aging. I bottled this beer after 3 weeks of primary at room temps + 2 weeks of <50F temps. No gelatin was used. I did use whirlfloc.

[DaBearSox]

I'm interested to see if my old ale will eventually clear up with extended aging. I bottled this beer after 3 weeks of primary at room temps + 2 weeks of <50F temps. No gelatin was used. I did use whirlfloc.

It should...I have an old ale a little over a year old, i used irish moss but wasn't using gelatin at that time...been stored in a 55-60 degree basement...its perfectly clear...we'll see what my appearance notes say when the judge sheet comes back in a few weeks.

[Big Nake]

no - I meant trying to keep break material out of the primary.

Same reason, Zym. If I'm going to harvest and reuse yeast, I want as little break material and hop schputz in there as possible.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

update: I just went and checked on the AIPA that I racked onto the gelatin and it does look like it might be clearing up a little better than normal (hard to tell when looking through a carboys worth of beer). One odd thing though - it's like the gelatin got into some of the starsan foam that was trapped at the top of the carboy. The foam has mostly died down but some strands that look like clear boogers are hanging from the shoulder of the carboy down into the beer. Has this ever happened to you guys? Did I not dissolve the gelatin well enough perhaps??

[DigitalTaper]

Sounds normal, the first pint or two is always goopy after I add gelatin to clear a keg.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Sounds normal, the first pint or two is always goopy after I add gelatin to clear a keg.

right - that has settled to the bottom though which I would expect. This is actually hanging in free space, dangling into the beer.

[Big Nake]

Zym: I think it's fine. I usually try to get all of the Starsan foam out of the carboy but I could see the gel reacting with the foam and creating some clear boogers (I've never typed that before...)As for the first couple of pints being "goopy"? Never had that problem, that I know of. Is this a result of gelling in the keg as opposed to the secondary? I haven't used gel in a keg. Cheers.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Zym: I think it's fine. I usually try to get all of the Starsan foam out of the carboy but I could see the gel reacting with the foam and creating some clear boogers (I've never typed that before...)As for the first couple of pints being "goopy"? Never had that problem, that I know of. Is this a result of gelling in the keg as opposed to the secondary? I haven't used gel in a keg. Cheers.

It must be a result of gelling in the keg. I think I should be able to avoid the vast majority of the goop when I transfer to keg though.

[Big Nake]

It must be a result of gelling in the keg. I think I should be able to avoid the vast majority of the goop when I transfer to keg though.

It seems to me that the small amount of yeast in the secondary combines with the gel & sinks to the bottom forming a pretty stable mass. If you pick the carboy up and move it, it will break & float, but it seems relatively easy to get the beer into the keg while leaving almost all of the schputz behind... yeast & gel. Even still, if gel got into the keg, it should settle and get drawn off quickly.

[DaBearSox]

Sounds normal, the first pint or two is always goopy after I add gelatin to clear a keg.

You might be using too much...I go with a half pouch for 5 gallons...

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

You might be using too much...I go with a half pouch for 5 gallons...

I decided to use the whole pack this first time around b/c I figured I really wanted to make sure I'd see the effects of the gelatin. Next time around I'll probably try half a pack.

[Joe]

I have used 1/2 teaspoon for 5 gallons and still get the goopy strands on the side. I think it has to do the the starsan foam, which I always have lots of in the carboy when I rack the beer on top. Didn't hurt the MLPA and it is brilliantly clear now.

[DaBearSox]

I have used 1/2 teaspoon for 5 gallons and still get the goopy strands on the side. I think it has to do the the starsan foam, which I always have lots of in the carboy when I rack the beer on top. Didn't hurt the MLPA and it is brilliantly clear now.

That's really interesting....I usually try to get a lot of the foam out of my carboy...I even rinse a little (I know its a no rinse) to get some more of the foam out and never had sanitation issues. I do still get some foam in there from the autosiphon...the only thing that looks goopy is the bottom of carboy and the sides. Since I use better bottles there are little ledges that catch falling yeast/gelatin...i gently rock the carboy so that i can get this gunk off the ledge...I think in the beer the gelatin mixture still looks somewhat like gelatin, i can tell because i can see defined peaks and valleys on the bottom of the carboy. It probably has a different density or whatever (I am no science major) but when i rack off of it it returns to a liquid mixture in the end.

[Joe]

My carboy is usually 1/5 full of star san foam - if not more - when I rack beer into it. It doesn't hurt anything. And the little gelatin stringies it causes don't hurt anything either. Anything that potentially makes it into the bottle will just settle out anyways.I used to be an obsessive foam rinser - no more! I don't think rinsing really causing a problem, it's just not necessary.