Chill Haze

[randyrob]

Hey Guys,

20 something batches and i've finally got some chill haze:



only thing i can think off i've done differently is used Barrett Burston Galaxy Pilsner Malt

which i never have used before and increased my batch size from 25L to 40L.

i wonder if my 4 ring burner isn't up to the job of keeping a nice hard boil of 50L of starting wort.

Here's a pic when the boil started to take off:



it seemed good enough, took a bit longet to get up to the boil than 30L.

i'm not really interested in patching it up and using Polyclar VT, i was more interested in fixing the problem

i know many people seem to have chill haze with Marris Otter but i've never had a problem, could it have been my base malt?

Rob.

EDIT: oy yeah i boiled this batch for 75 minutes.

 

[randyrob]

ok i've been mulling this over in my head for the last few minutes and i think one contributing factor could be i only used a standard 25l batch wirlflock addition.
hmm....could that be it?

 

[randyrob]

another one is my brewing gear has moved house and i'm using a different water source.

d'oh so many variables when u think of it.

 

[haysie]

relax....... u will work it out. plenty more to be concerned about re. brewing, haze is ok. depends if you want too impress the chemist from "fosters" if it tastes great drink it!! sorry i cant answer ur question :icon_offtopic:

 

[goatherder]

I'm interested in what you find out randyrob. I suspect it isn't the water but it may be either the whirlfloc, the intensity of the boil or the new malt. How about brewing a 25l batch with the new malt or switching back to your normal malt with a 50l batch? That would eliminate one variable.

 

[Tony]

Hi mate.

there is a good chance its a combo of a few things as you said.

New malt........I got this with IMC ale malt. first 2 beers i made with it looked like i put milk in the keg. went to a thick mash 52 deg protein rest (1.8 liters/kg) and infused to mash temp with boiling water after a 15 min rest. End result was a briliantl clear beer.... unfiltered.

also water is a big one...... Haze will be formed if your mash pH is out, the water in tamworth had a high ph. I used to spen a fortune on acid for my pool trying to keep it down under 8pH. My pale beers suffered from chill haze and i had to resort to large amounts of acidulated malt to clear it up. gives the beer a tang though.

moved to the hunter valey and i havnt had to buy acid for the pool here. water is much lower pH and i have much less problems.

maybe a bit of CaCl in the mash and a quick protein rest. I find the protein rest really helps the break forn up better as well. Its bigger and chiunkier and drops out faster.

hope this helps

cheers

 

[Guest Lurker]

What suburb did you move from/to. If you go from a groundwater source suburb to a dam source suburb, it does change the water significantly in Perth. Plus what everyone else said. Plus another possible, if you have upsized your batches, maybe you have a less well mixed mash with some doughballs hiding in it. So yeah, check the water pH and maybe adjust, mix the mash well, get a good rolling boil, maybe boil a bit longer (I do 80 mins as standard), use a bit more whirlfloc, see how that goes.

 

[Tony]

I never boil for more than 60 min and add my bittering hops at 45 min.

I dont think really long boils are mecessary for clear beer...... not at my place anyway. I good rolling boil is more important if you ask me.

this beer was 100% pale ale malt, in the keg 1 week unfiltered, i think it was the 3rd schooner from the keg.

Its even clearer now.

cheers

 

[Tony]

just thought of something else...... did you use lots of late hops or dry hop?

that will do it too.

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

I have taken the lazy ******* route and am experimenting with Polyclar ( thanks Andrew).
Just split a batch of Belgian Pale, and will post results.

Sorry I can't give you a solution Rob, chill haze haunts me occasionally, but not every brew. Can't pin it down though.

 

[goatherder]

It seems to haunt me every time I use Bairds Maris Otter and mostly not with other malts.

 

[Tony]

funny........i have used bags and bags of MO and never had a problem with it...... even at 100% grist.... no haze.

I think it comes down to different brewin g systems......... different beer results.

RR.... you will have to experiment to sort it if you want to use this malt. I like the IMC ale, thats why i worked on the protein rest to solve the haze problem. Its a PITA but its results are worth it in the long run.

cheers

 

[Ross]

. My pale beers suffered from chill haze and i had to resort to large amounts of acidulated malt to clear it up. gives the beer a tang though.

I agree, should only be used in small amounts. I've tried using citric acid as well, but i could taste it in the brew, so never again. Maybe, you should have used polyclar & hopefully cleared it up without ruining the taste B) .

Cheers Ross

 

[Tony]

Im with RR on the subject of getting it right to start with. less chemicals and additives the better IMO. I like to get things right to start with. not fix it after i have got it wrong.

I have had some polyclar in my fridge for 12 months now. someone sent it to me to try, i think it was ash in perth, but i dont plan to use it. I plan to brew without chill haze.

thats just me and my incesant perfectionest personality

cheers

 

[Ross]

Tony,

You use kettle finings don't you?? Polyclar is basically a post ferment fining & it provides a very good fix for haze issues, I personally have no issues using it against any other finings. I wouldn't call it a chemical or an additive, as it's an inert plastic, that drops completely out your beer. Preferable in my book to adding acids etc to your mash, which are chemicals & additives. B)

Cheers Ross

 

[Keith the Beer Guy]

Polyclar is basically ... I wouldn't call it a chemical ...

Ahhh, Ross; I see you subscribe to the The George W. school of definitions.

Keith

 

[Ross]

Ahhh, Ross; I see you subscribe to the The George W. school of definitions.

Keith

- I don't believe it's any more an additive than say whirlfloc...

 

[NickB]

Hi,

I noticed that since I've started boiling very vigorously for at least 60 mins, that chill haze has become a distant memory. This, along with a good dose of kettle finings (I use Koppafloc - about 1/2 - 1 tsp per 25L about 15 mins before the end of the boil). I know Ross and others advocate a 90 min boil, which may help as well (I've yet to try it as I always hit my volumes with a 60 min boil).

Also, at least a week or two of cold conditoning will really help drop out any haze, yeast, proteins etc left in suspension. If you keg, filtering would also be an option of course!

BTW, I bottle, don't measure my mash PH, and I No-Chill as well (that's a whole 'nother can of worms...etc....!!!)

Cheers

 

[randyrob]

What suburb did you move from/to. If you go from a groundwater source suburb to a dam source suburb, it does change the water significantly in Perth. Plus what everyone else said. Plus another possible, if you have upsized your batches, maybe you have a less well mixed mash with some doughballs hiding in it. So yeah, check the water pH and maybe adjust, mix the mash well, get a good rolling boil, maybe boil a bit longer (I do 80 mins as standard), use a bit more whirlfloc, see how that goes.

Hey Guys,

i've moved from Cannington to East Cannington but my brewing gear moved from Cannington To East Vic Park.

i've done another mash and have implemented as much suggested as possible.

used 2-3% accidutated malt in mash, mixed my mash very well, boiled for 90 minutes, used the correct amount
of wirlfloc. couldn't do too much about the boil tho as i'm forced to brew outside where i'm brewing i've got
a windguard but pretty sure the wind takes away a bit of the flame/heat away. as soon as i find somewhere
else inside to brew i'll be doing that as well.

i've got a NASA Burner to use in place of the 4 ring burner just haven't had a minute to fit it yet, so that will
improve my system and give me a nice hard boil!

i'll grab a ph meter for my next brew and start monitoring that.

wanna know the real clinch, the brew subject to chill haze is my xmas case

i just brewed a double batch so i could drink a keg of it and evaluate it for myself before subjecting
the sandgropers to it.

i'll find soon enough if this batch is a goer or not.

it's all good fun Rob.

thanks for everyones help on this!

 

[bindi]

Only one of the beers on tap has chill haze, and you know what? I would not swap it for the other 3.
Just enjoy the taste.