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Message |
    
Tex Brewer
Intermediate Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 494
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 216.203.59.252
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 05:22 pm: | 
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I have a double IPA approaching two weeks in primary/secondary that still looks like cafe au lait. It appears the yeast will not drop out (WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast - reportedly a "medium flocculator"). I am dry hopping, but the appearance has not changed since adding the dry hops. What do you recommend as the best thing to help it clear up a bit? I'm ready to bottle in the next couple of days. Temperature is about 73 deg. |
Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 5951
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 63.118.227.254
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 05:46 pm: |
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I'd probably opt for gelatin. |
Tex Brewer
Intermediate Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 495
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 216.203.59.252
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 05:56 pm: |
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How long does it take to settle? Can I add it now and bottle in two days?
Any comments as the the relative merits of gelatin, isinglass, polyclar, and silica gel?
BTW, I said this is yeast, but there is likely a lot of whatever from the boil in there too. I used 1/2 Whirlfloc tab for 15 minutes, but what I racked into the fermenter was extremely muddy anyway.
(Message edited by texbrewer on October 16, 2009) |
Kevin Kowalczyk
Advanced Member
Username: Itsfunbrewingbeer
Post Number: 781
Registered: 10-2007
Posted From: 209.252.39.59
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 06:30 pm: |
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First chill it to 32F if you can. That should help everything drop out. |
Connie
Senior Member
Username: Connie
Post Number: 1474
Registered: 10-2000
Posted From: 76.17.52.96
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 08:37 pm: |
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A prime reason to do a secondary.  |
Kevin Kowalczyk
Advanced Member
Username: Itsfunbrewingbeer
Post Number: 782
Registered: 10-2007
Posted From: 209.252.39.59
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 08:41 pm: |
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As opposed to a secondary reason to do a primary? |
Connie
Senior Member
Username: Connie
Post Number: 1475
Registered: 10-2000
Posted From: 76.17.52.96
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 08:54 pm: |
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?? I guess I don't understand your statement.
We are talking about how to clear a beer that's in primary fermentation. |
Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 5952
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 71.217.153.228
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 09:13 pm: |
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Two days with gelatin is pushing it. I would add it now, give it a swirl to mix it up, then let it sit.
Two days at 32°F won't do squat to clear beer....you need around 3 weeks, at a minimum. After the beer gets carbed, though, storing the bottles at 32°F will certainly take some of the haze out over time....but at the expense at your hop flavor and aroma (those might get a little muted).
IIPAs are supposed to be somewhat cloudy, BTW. |
Tex Brewer
Intermediate Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 497
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 216.203.59.252
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 10:43 pm: |
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The beer spent a week in primary and now a week in secondary. I have made other DIPAs that were not nearly this cloudy. It's like coffee with milk. |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1823
Registered: 11-2002
Posted From: 98.66.33.82
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 12:31 am: |
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Connie . . I think Kevin was using his honed wry sense of humor!  |
Tex Brewer
Intermediate Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 498
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 70.244.204.114
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 02:37 am: |
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OK, I ended up getting Super-Kleer K.C. It is two liquids, kieselsol and chitosan, added sequentially an hour apart. They say it will clear in 12-48 hours. I'll update later.
O, and I pulled out the dry hop socks first. They've been in a week. Whole flower.
(Message edited by texbrewer on October 17, 2009) |
Kevin Kowalczyk
Advanced Member
Username: Itsfunbrewingbeer
Post Number: 783
Registered: 10-2007
Posted From: 98.212.3.11
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 04:13 am: |
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Chumley, I disagree with your statement that chilling the beer won't do squat to clear it. In fact I remember seeing photos (posted on this brew board, if I remember correctly) showing yeast dropping out of suspension in 24 hours after being chilled.
Dhack, you're right, I was being funny. I think Connie missed the joke because it didn't involve a turtle sitting on a fence post or a marine cold-cocking a university professor.  |
Nephalist
Member
Username: Nephi
Post Number: 206
Registered: 12-2005
Posted From: 71.134.197.30
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 04:23 pm: |
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I guess it depends on several factors, but last time I cold crashed a carboy I could see the settling in the upper third of the carboy after a day. It would have taken 3 or 4 days to get good settling at the very bottom. It depends... |
Dave Witt
Senior Member
Username: Davew
Post Number: 1351
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 68.57.245.38
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 07:33 pm: |
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I have had success adding gelatin to a keg 24 hrs before serving. I tapped off about a liter of beer the next day before it ran clear. I had no choice, it was before a party where I wanted pretty beer. |
Tex Brewer
Intermediate Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 500
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 70.243.116.133
| | Posted on Monday, October 19, 2009 - 01:03 am: |
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Report: 36 hours after adding the Super-Kleer K.C., I racked and bottled. It had cleared up some, but not nearly as much as I expected. I figured it would be a little hazy, but it was still beyond that. I even racked through a double boobulator (two panty hose ends inside each other at the discharge end of my Super Siphon)--hey, two boobs are better than one, I figure. This stuff is so fine that nothing appeared on the panty hose. Any thoughts as to what it might be? I think it mostly came from the brew kettle. Maybe my 1/2 Whirlfloc for 15 min. didn't work? I do a lot of swirling while cooling with my immersion chiller, maybe that broke up the trub?
Hey, I've hit 500 posts. Does that make me a Grand Poobah member or something?
(Message edited by texbrewer on October 19, 2009) |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10814
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Monday, October 19, 2009 - 02:11 am: |
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For what it's worth, 501-1000 posts makes you an "Advanced Member." I keep being reminded of Chumley's remark some years ago that he was a "throbbing member."  |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 3839
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 66.32.140.15
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 01:54 am: |
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Maybe it is still the yeast. What charges are kieselsol and chitosan and what are they supposed to attach to? Gelatin is supposed to be the best for yeast settling. |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10819
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 02:07 am: |
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My experience is that isinglass is even better than gelatin for clearing yeast haze, but it's not so easy to find. Gelatin works well enough, although it takes a little longer. Cold conditioning and time almost always work, too, if you can be patient. |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 2831
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 98.192.7.62
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 11:42 am: |
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You could always buy a $190.00 Buon-Vino filter...
But Patience is a virtue. What's the hurry? I don't even think about kegging before the beer is at least 5 weeks old. 2 week Primary, 2 to 3 week secondary, followed by at least one week of lagering at near freezing usually yields crystal clear beers. |
Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 5955
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 63.118.227.254
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 05:22 pm: |
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Kevin, I agree that with some yeasts, you can get some clarification of the beer quickly with chilling....if the clarification problem is solely yeast in suspension. But once in a while, I end up brewing a beer that is cloudy that chilling takes forever to clear. I think those kinds of hazy usually are proteins plus yeast. From Tex's description, I think that was/is the case here.
I lagered a wheat rye ale this summer that I skipped the beta-glucan rest on, and after 90 days, the beer was still cloudy. |
Colby Enck
Advanced Member
Username: Thecheese
Post Number: 578
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 24.229.200.120
| | Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 08:00 pm: |
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I find whole hops usually mean hazy beer for me. Don't know why, don't really care.
I also find that the last 2 or 3 pints in a keg are usually crystal clear. So you just need to drink the first 4.5 gallons, then you're golden. |
Miker
Advanced Member
Username: Miker
Post Number: 700
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 207.200.116.8
| | Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 10:35 pm: |
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I brew almost exclusively with whole hops and never have a haze problem - but do agree that the last 2 or 3 pints are always when the beer is the clearest, at a perfect carbonation level and is generally at its best.
Such a sweet, sad time. |
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