46 replies to this topic

[DaBearSox]

I am particularly interested in this b/c I will be transferring a Light summer ale to the 2ndary after work today. From the research i have done on gelatin it seems like this is used primarily for yeast in suspension, and doesn't work that well on proteins. I also read that it does work on the proteins but you have to get your beer good and cold before transferring so the gelatin can latch onto the chill haze. If it really only helps for yeast in suspension I probably will not use it. But if anyone can clarify that it will get rid of some of that chill haze I think I may just have to try it...Plus any amount for a 5 gallon batch and the exact process information?

[chadm75]

Read up about 15 replies in this thread....Ken describes the process in an email he sent me.

[Big Nake]

On the topic of chill haze, proteins, etc., here's my experience: the process I list out on my site produces very clear beer in almost all cases. I'm not sure if the Whirfloc/rack the beer from brewpot-to-primary step reduces the amount of proteins that will eventually end up the beer or if the gel solution helps with chill haze or what. Chill haze does not seem to be an issue in my beers even if I use something like flaked barley or something in the mash. I should also say that my beers that go from secondary to keg get sent to the fridge (set to about 35°), get chilled overnight and then force-carbed for 48 hours at 30 psi and then they sit in that spare fridge until they are sent over to the draft fridge. My sparge fridge (used only to house full kegs, yeast and hops) holds three 5-gallon cornies and my draft fridge holds 2. So I have 5 cold kegs at any given time and the amount of time the "waiting" kegs sit in the spare fridge depends on how long the draft fridge beers take to drink. All of that means that these beers are getting some amount of cold storage before they're served. I get a glass or 2 of semi-cloudy beer and then (depending on the beer), very-to-crystal clear beer. This English Ale I just had on tap (made with 1099) was ultra-clear because the yeast was a high-floccer. Cheers.

[DaBearSox]

Read up about 15 replies in this thread....Ken describes the process in an email he sent me.

ok got that part....now when racking from the secondary to the bucket do i just rack normally or should i leave another half inch or so above the visible trub

[Big Nake]

I think that the gel & everything that it drags down eventually becomes a part of the sediment on the bottom of a secondary so I would just rack as normal and try to leave the visible solids behind. Even if some small amount of gel made it to bottles (or a keg), you'd never know it because it's completely dissolved and undetectable. Cheers.

[DaBearSox]

I think that the gel & everything that it drags down eventually becomes a part of the sediment on the bottom of a secondary so I would just rack as normal and try to leave the visible solids behind. Even if some small amount of gel made it to bottles (or a keg), you'd never know it because it's completely dissolved and undetectable. Cheers.

good looks...going to try this tonight and see if I can tell any difference...its the chill haze that gets me....time and irish moss has been my solution to everything else

[ncbeerbrewer]

I see there has been plenty of talk of the additives to help clear your beer. No discredit to any of that, I have used whilfloc a good bit too. I have found great success in cold crashing. I do this from primary to secondary and then kegging all the beers too. I find that cold crashing alone really helps with the appearance as well. Many different ways to successful clear beer no doubts.

[MyaCullen]

I see there has been plenty of talk of the additives to help clear your beer. No discredit to any of that, I have used whilfloc a good bit too. I have found great success in cold crashing. I do this from primary to secondary and then kegging all the beers too. I find that cold crashing alone really helps with the appearance as well. Many different ways to successful clear beer no doubts.

I don't wanna poo poo anybody, but one of the clearest beers I have ever Made was a simple American Wheat 50/50 2-row/ Gambrinus Red wheat Malt. Sure it was cloudy for a couple weeks, but after 4 weeks in the keg @ 35 degrees that thing went crystal clear on me. No Moss or Whirfloc at all.

[chadm75]

Here's an update from my last batch of MLPA. I've had four bottles in the fridge for about the last three weeks. I pulled one out tonight and boo-yah...crystal clear! Hmmmmm...I think I'll have another!

[CarlosM]

Ok, my first beer, Ken's MLPA, came out hazy. I would like to know how do you get clearer beer. This is not a big worry for me, but it would be nice. I have read how an effective cold break can get you clearer beer, but I have not read anything that really describes the technique or what is happening.So, how do you make clear beer? Please describe the technique, psot pictures of cold break if possible.Thanks!Rich

my good sir, his recipie calls for i believe 10oz malted wheat. so it will take longer to drop out and clear

[MyaCullen]

my good sir, his recipie calls for i believe 10oz malted wheat. so it will take longer to drop out and clear

time , and cold clears all beer even hefe

[SchwanzBrewer]

But, will it be consumed before its clear

[CarlosM]

time , and cold clears all beer even hefe

i said LONGER damn it!

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

My process is to use Whirlfloc in the boil. 1/2 tab per 5 gallons for 5 minutes.

I can attest that whirlfloc makes a difference. I have an ESB that's pretty hazy that didn't get any whirlfloc while all of my other beers clear up pretty well. I'm starting to think this ESB will never clear up - at least it tastes good though

[chadm75]

I'm going to racking my Blonde on top of some gelatin in the secondary tonight and am uber excited about seeing the results. I had a couple of MLPA's las tnight and were super clear after a few weeks in the fridge.Do I have a problem if I'm already craving another brew at 8:39AM?!?!

[earthtone]

I dunno about you folks but I noticed the biggest change in clarity when I began leaving behind the cloudy sludge in my boil pot. Previously I had been dumping everything in, now once I have chilled it down to pitching range I remove the wort chiller and whirlpool the pot really fast and let it settle out for about 20 minutes. Then I rack out of the pot leaving behind a good half gallon of cloudy, protein filled, hoppy wort. Making sure this doesn't end up in your fermenter is important for clarity I believe... I had been using whirlfloc previously and didn't notice a real nice clarity increase until I stopped dumping the boil pot into the fermenter!

[aquahijo]

I had been using whirlfloc previously and didn't notice a real nice clarity increase until I stopped dumping the boil pot into the fermenter!

Were you straining the wort before dumping it into your fermenter?

[SchwanzBrewer]

Update:After 6 days in the fridge one beer has finally cleared up. Unfortunately the other 5 did not survive the ordeal, they were killed by muggers.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Were you straining the wort before dumping it into your fermenter?

I strain - I'm not sure how much of the break material I'm catching this way. I mainly do it so I don't have to bag my hops

[DaBearSox]

So i have been using the gelatin method that ken posted on the first page for a few batches now. I get them down to like 35 degrees and rack onto gelatin into the 2ndary. Seems to clear it out really quickly and also reduce some chill haze. I just cracked open a British summer ale that I bottled on May 10th last night. This was the first batch that I had tried the gelatin as a fining. The beer tasted fine, a nice and bitter light beer, but there were all these little particles floating around in it....This is the first beer I have noticed this in and it was the first with the fining so I am wondering if i did something in the process wrong. The carboys weren't stirred up at anytime and at least sat 6-7 days after racking to the 2ndary. It was also transferred to a bottling bucket...anyone else have this problem?Oh and here's another one - I had an ESB racked on some gelatin in the fridge. Took it out on thursday to replace it with a primary. Came back on monday and there are like 3-4 yeast globules floating on the top. I am guessing this is because of the temp change over the weekend - but not really sure...Any answers??I may just have to stick to the time and cold method from now on...but at least i am still learning