How To - Gelatine

[Black n Tan]

I've never used finings before and want my Czech pils - which, to date tastes mighty fine in teh fermenter - to have justice done with clarity. I've currently got it sitting at 0°C and will have it that way until Sunday. I'm going to keg most of it and then bottle some.

Can I add the gelatine straight into the primary? To minimise O2 contact I'm not interested in racking to a secondary. Yeast won't be harvested.

That is my standard practice. I cold crash and then add the gelatine after 24 hours and then leave it a few days before kegging.

 

[Black n Tan]

Here's a post I made in another thread, but I think it's relevant.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/83110-gelatine-does-it-work/?p=1229644

I refer to something called Kieselsol. The stuff I buy is called StabiClar-30, but it's the same.

Cheers

Where do you source the stabilclar from?

 

[citizensnips]

Just my two cents....
I've only ever used koppafloc and gelatin and end up with crystal clear beers. If you're only kegging I would highly recommend adding your gelatin to your keg once it's chilled as it will result in pretty much megaswill filtered clarity. Make sure you give it time though, don't expect it to work over night. I generally find letting it work for a week results in pretty amazing clarity. This works for me as I let my beers just naturally force carb over a week. They always taste a hell of a lot better after they've been in the keg a little while anyway so that conditioning phase seems to fit together nicely. Just note that if you agitate your keg at anytime after the gelatin is introduced it will throw the gelatin and haze back into suspension resulting in cloudy beers....after a day or two of sitting still she'll be back to normal .
If your adding to primary and bottling I've found leaving it for longer than 48 hours does result in clearer beers just as it does in the keg, however what ever works for your process. Just make sure when you pull your fermenter out of the fridge to be careful not agitate it as the same issue will occur. Letting it sit on a counter for half an hour or so before bottling is also a good idea. Also assuming your bulk priming always rack from the top to ensure you don't draw out all the gelatin and crud from the bottom of your fermenter......don't get desperate when you get to the bottom of the fermenter and suck up the last 1/2 inch of beer, leave it there to ensure you get clear beers otherwise you just end up with the same problem you're trying to resolve.

 

[TheWiggman]

Thanks all. I'll go straight in the fermenter for the first run because I'm keeging and bottling, and will be transporting the keg. I would do PVPP but reading the results here, sounds like it'll be just and effective and speedy by using gelatine. Being omnivorous I wouldn't mind a bit of hoof in my beer.

 

[mofox1]

Should be one of those obvious things... but I'll ask away anyway. Never shied away from looking the fool.

Got a decently dry hopped galaxy pale ale in the keg, about 6-8 pints into it (that I recall, anyway). I can't think of any reason it won't work, but is dropping some dissolved gelatine into it now worthwhile?

Yes it tastes great now. Yes it will taste better if it looks better, because I'm shallow like that.

I'm assuming the only "detriment" to doing it now, is that I'll need to purge a larger headspace. And not drink from it for 24/48 hrs.... which I can see to be a problem.

Also - I have the "Davis" brand at home, which smells a bit "beefy" when re-hydrated... hoping it doesn't present in the beer. Noticed there was a bit of discussion earlier on in the thread, but were there any other brands that were more neutral? Or is the Davis brand okay?

 

[Barge]

Only problem that I can see is that, as the beer is carbonated, it'll foam up like a mofo. If you're quick with the lid I guess it won't get too messy.

Don't know about the brand. I've been using leaves from aldi and they work a treat. Can't see it being an issue though.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I only use post ferment finings to the keg at fresh fill/pre carbonated. (brewers gelatin). Done correctly as to everything I have read. It works.
I've gone total phobia of messing with the batch at all after pitching. Its left in primary unopened until kegging or bottling. If I bottle condition I don't add any finings and it clears with time. Clear when warm conditioned then chill hazed when refrigerated etc. Lager for a week and crystal clear.
So many good beers are cloudy anyway. Sometimes its best not to use finings.

Kegging is so cool tho. Skip the sediment in bottle conditioning thing and you can bottle draught beer knowing its already good.

 

[mofox1]

Cheers - yes it did foam up... but no problem because it was only about half full. It must have been a very large 6 to 8 (cough 16 or 18) pints.

 

[enoch]

I have used gelatine on a carbed keg by putting the dissolved gelatine in a pet bottle with a carbonator cap on it and counter pressure filling back into the keg.
Works a treat.

 

[nosco]

I have put gelatine straight into a carbed keg with great result. But I have a feeling gelatine only works on yeast haze. It won't work on protein haze, polyclar does and nothing works on hop haze. Is this correct?

 

[mofox1]

I have used gelatine on a carbed keg by putting the dissolved gelatine in a pet bottle with a carbonator cap on it and counter pressure filling back into the keg.
Works a treat.

Well that would have saved me a bunch of co2.

Next time, gadget. Next time.

 

[fraser_john]

I have put gelatine straight into a carbed keg with great result. But I have a feeling gelatine only works on yeast haze. It won't work on protein haze, polyclar does and nothing works on hop haze. Is this correct?

This byo article says it works on yeast and proteins... linky I use it almost 100% of the time during lagering or cold conditioning and have very little chill haze issues anymore. Love it.

 

[pist]

Just poured my first beer fined with gelatine and im impressed. Really helps to force us05 to drop which really seems to want to hang around. My dry hop has all but disappeared though so might throw more in next time

 

[peekaboo_jones]

I'm 2 years into kit/extract brewing with temp control and bottling only. Recently moved to using gelatin after a year of cold crashing and Gelatin does pretty very well. A couple of times I've rushed the process and bottled to quick after adding gelatin (36hr mark approx) and there was too much fluffy gelatin in the bottled beer.
3 plus days is better, ideally 6-7 days. 750ml bottles, first pour is clear as any filtered commercial beer. Second pour is more hazy but less then non-gelatin bottled beer.
Hop aroma, I haven't really noticed any difference, but I usually do flameout additions as well as dry hop, so it may be assisting?

 

[Beamer]

i started doing this method 5 brews ago, awesome results i now gelatine in my second vessel in which i cold crash. Pretty cool to be able to watch tele through your pilsner.

 

[shacked]

Are there any implications when leaving beer with gelatin in it for extended periods of time? I transfer from primary to a keg and leave in the keg for up to 5 weeks - depending on beer style (in the fridge) before transferring to the keg fridge, carbonating and serving. I was thinking of adding gelatin when I transfer from primary to the keg but that would mean the gelatin would stay in the keg for up to 5 weeks.

 

[fishingbrad]

I gelatin just before carbonation.

can I ask why you would leave a keg 5 weeks without carbonation ? if I've read your post correctly.

 

[shacked]

5 weeks is usually lagering. Other than that, it's just until another tap becomes available

 

[TheWiggman]

I do it regularly with lagers Shacked, can't noticed a difference between them taste-wise.

 

[Beamer]

Are there any implications when leaving beer with gelatin in it for extended periods of time? I transfer from primary to a keg and leave in the keg for up to 5 weeks - depending on beer style (in the fridge) before transferring to the keg fridge, carbonating and serving. I was thinking of adding gelatin when I transfer from primary to the keg but that would mean the gelatin would stay in the keg for up to 5 weeks.

I did this with a kolsch that sat in my lagering fridge 6 weeks, no taste difference, but an extremely bright and clear beer.

 

[jhsbaker]

I have a Munich Dunkel that is currently cold conditioning. I'll be away for about 2 weeks, then planning to bottle as soon as I'm back. Would it be ok to leave it after adding gelatine for this period of time prior to returning and bottling?

 

[goatchop41]

You don't have to worry at all about gelatin doing anything bad flavour-wise, even after long periods. It doesn't add any flavour or have any negative effects. You can bottle beer that has been fined with gelatin and age it with no ill effects

I have a Munich Dunkel that is currently cold conditioning. I'll be away for about 2 weeks, then planning to bottle as soon as I'm back. Would it be ok to leave it after adding gelatine for this period of time prior to returning and bottling?

That'll be fine. Even though it should be lovely and crystal clear after that time, there will still be enough yeast left in suspension to allow carbonation in the bottle. Maybe it could take a little longer to fully carbonate (maybe 3 weeks instead of 2?), but shouldn't be an problem

 

[cliffo]

I used to regularly filter my beers but rarely do it these days except for Kolsch/lagers.

I'm about to keg a couple of ales that I've chilled in the fermenters to just above freezing and am going to use gelatin on these beers.

Once I keg them, they will sit at room temp for several weeks until they get called up for duty.

With this in mind, when would be the best time to use gelatin?

- In the fermenters (I reuse my yeast - does this have any impact?)
- In the keg at the time I transfer from the fermenters; or
- Leave it until I'm putting the keg in the serving fridge, open the keg and add it then?

Cheers,
cliffo

 

[laxation]

Trying this for the first time with a cloudy ipa

Looking forward to the results!

Will have to move the fermenter from fridge to a table to keg, but hopefully I can do that without mixing it around too much

 

[mtb]

Godspeed laxation. There's some belief that gelatin strips hop aroma so consider preparing a post-gelatin dry hop if you find it's lacking in hoppy goodness.

I used to regularly filter my beers but rarely do it these days except for Kolsch/lagers.

I'm about to keg a couple of ales that I've chilled in the fermenters to just above freezing and am going to use gelatin on these beers.

Once I keg them, they will sit at room temp for several weeks until they get called up for duty.

With this in mind, when would be the best time to use gelatin?

- In the fermenters (I reuse my yeast - does this have any impact?)
- In the keg at the time I transfer from the fermenters; or
- Leave it until I'm putting the keg in the serving fridge, open the keg and add it then?

Cheers,
cliffo

Just noticed nobody got back to you cliffo.. will give you my $0.02 now if it helps at all. Gelatin in the fermenter for sure. It has never impacted yeast reuse for me and sources elsewhere state the same.

 

[laxation]

I'm gonna keg it Wednesday night so unfortunately won't have time to dry hop again. Hopefully it doesn't get rid of too much, I didn't dry hop the first time as much as maybe I should have

 

[cliffo]

Just noticed nobody got back to you cliffo.. will give you my $0.02 now if it helps at all. Gelatin in the fermenter for sure. It has never impacted yeast reuse for me and sources elsewhere state the same.

Cheers, I went ahead with using it in the fermenter with seemingly no issues in reusing the yeast.

Beers are quite clear and much easier/less work than filtering.

 

[Gloveski]

Cheers, I went ahead with using it in the fermenter with seemingly no issues in reusing the yeast.

Beers are quite clear and much easier/less work than filtering.

For what its worth I prefer in the fermenter seem to end up with clearer beers only do in Keg if running low on supplies. Also have reused yeast with no issues

 

[Fred]

There have been a number of brewers getting great results with gelatine as a fining lately so here is a tutorial on how to prepare and add it.

Start with 200ml of room temp water. You can choose to boil this first and cool if you wish but Ive found this unnecessary since it will be pasteurised later on. But if you must then a tip is to use the micro wave to quickly boil and then chuck it in the freezer. Now add 2 level tea spoons of unflavoured gelatine and allow to stand for 10 min. This lets the gelatine bloom which is much like rehydrating dried yeast and will now look fluffy.

View attachment 18350 View attachment 18351

Give it a swirl to mix in the gelatine and gently heat on the stove/microwave to 75C. Heating the gelatine too hot or even boiling will denature it and it will loose the fining ability making it useless.

View attachment 18352 View attachment 18353

Hold the solution at 75C for 15 min to pasteurise then add to secondary/keg when rack to mix it well, you do not have to wait for it to cool before adding it to the beer. You should also only add it to beer that has been chilled. If added to the keg then give it a bit of a shake if youre unsure of it being mixing correctly and allow to sit cold for 3 days. The first pour from a keg will also be cloudy with yeast, just the same as if you had left a keg to sit for a number of weeks to clear.

Gelatine does not 'set' on the bottom of the keg, so if you move it after clearing it will once again become cloudy just like a keg without gelatine. Gelatine works by clumping together yeast and increasing the particle size which allows it to fall out of suspension faster.

Thats its start enjoying your clear beer.

wow! thanks for this clever idea! I want to use this gelatin technique real soon!

 

[Fred]

Godspeed laxation. There's some belief that gelatin strips hop aroma so consider preparing a post-gelatin dry hop if you find it's lacking in hoppy goodness.



Just noticed nobody got back to you cliffo.. will give you my $0.02 now if it helps at all. Gelatin in the fermenter for sure. It has never impacted yeast reuse for me and sources elsewhere state the same.

do you have photos on the outcome?