How To - Gelatine

[WitWonder]

So this is the result for me After chilling the beer to around 5 degrees for 48 hours, I boiled the kettle, left it for 5-10 mins and added 2 tsp of gelatine, stirred to dissolve then pitched into the fermenter and gently stirred. After about 24 hours I then added roughly 20g of polyclar, prepared in much the same manner. I left the beer for around 48 hours and kegged. The picture above is after 24 hours in the keg. I might also add the wort going into the fermenter was crystal clear... Yeast was Mangrove Jacks US west coast, the beer is an APA, no dry hopping but some 10 minute kettle additions was about it. Fermenter volume about 43L. I am F^&%ing sick of my beer looking like this! Any suggestions?

 

[Black n Tan]

I have found it is best to add the gelatine to chilled beer as you have done, but I would tend to add if after the wort has been chilled for only 24 hours to give it more time to work. I add the poolyclar after a further 48 hours and then give it up to 5 days before kegging. The colder you can get the beer the better it will work. When I used a chest freezer to ferment my beer was brilliant after cold crashing to -1C (follow the above process). Recently I moved to a commercial fridge and can only get the beer to about 4C and it no longer brilliant. So the lesson is a few degrees can make a huge difference. Can you get it colder?

 

[browndog]

Witwonder, it could be the result of chill haze from excessive hops or excessive protein from a weak boil, however, try this method. Brew and ferment your beer as you normally would. When you reach terminal gravity, crash chill to 1C and leave for at least 4 days. Then when you keg, add a cup of water with 1 teaspoon of gelatine (already dissolved of course) to the keg, the beer should be clear in 24hrs, the first glass will be muddy and will clear up from there. This is the method I use and it works a treat. Make sure when racking you don't get any trub in the fermenter.

 

[Pogierob]

beer 17 Jan 2015.jpg

So this is the result for me After chilling the beer to around 5 degrees for 48 hours, I boiled the kettle, left it for 5-10 mins and added 2 tsp of gelatine, stirred to dissolve then pitched into the fermenter and gently stirred. After about 24 hours I then added roughly 20g of polyclar, prepared in much the same manner. I left the beer for around 48 hours and kegged. The picture above is after 24 hours in the keg. I might also add the wort going into the fermenter was crystal clear... Yeast was Mangrove Jacks US west coast, the beer is an APA, no dry hopping but some 10 minute kettle additions was about it. Fermenter volume about 43L. I am F^&%ing sick of my beer looking like this! Any suggestions?

Well the gelatine worked, that beer is definately staying in your sideways glass..

Seriously though. Give it at least 48 after sitting in the keg, everything needs a bit of time to work. If it doesn't clear up after 2-3 days then as mentioned- chill haze.

 

[WitWonder]

OK well better results this time around. I found out that my gelatine was, ehem, three years past it's best before date so I got a new batch. I also used a different malt (Bairds) instead of the BB ale malt I've been using. The process - I rehydrated the gelatine by using cooled, pre-boiled water and added two tsp to about a cup of water. Let it sit for 20 mins or so, stuck it in the microwave on low for about 6 minutes. I also used the Polyclar per the instructions - kept it agitated for about 20 minutes on the stir plate before pitching. I also pushed the fridge down to 2 degrees as opposed to five. So, you know when they say change one variable at a time... We use a braumeister and the recipe was an IPA again so not much change from that side at least!

This pic is the day after kegging. Stuffed if I know why it's sideways...

 

[iJosh]

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

 

[Gigantorus]

I seek your wisdom chaps...

If I am dry-hopping for the last 5 days and add finings on say the 3rd last day - will it affect the dry-hopping in any way? Will it cease the imparting of flavour/aroma in any way?

Your advice thanks?

Cheers,

Pete

 

[WitWonder]

I seek your wisdom chaps...

If I am dry-hopping for the last 5 days and add finings on say the 3rd last day - will it affect the dry-hopping in any way? Will it cease the imparting of flavour/aroma in any way?

Your advice thanks?

Cheers,

Pete

The compounds you seek from adding hops to the fermenter will still be there after you add finings. Finings drop things out of suspension via molecular attraction of charged particles - your dry hops will end up on the bottom of the fermenter, still giving off the compounds we seek.


FYI This is the same beer as my previous post, with the addition of about a week in the keg. Pretty happy with that.

 

[TheWiggman]

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.

 

[doon]

I add it straight into primary. Some add it to beer thats already in keg

 

[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?