Irish Moss (whirlflock)

[AndrewQLD]

Irish moss helps the protiens coagulate and drop out of suspension. But when you toss it in it will foam violently at times and cause a boil over

 

[warrenlw63]

I heat mine on a bit of foil or a spoon ... Nah, forget that. :lol:

Crush it (half a tab to 40 litres), add it to 1/2 cup of boiling water, stir it and put it in the last 5 mins.

Warren -

 

[MHB]

After a bit of a read-through on my noted and my suppliers documentation:-

Kettle finings like Irish moss should be added at a rate of 4-8g/100L or around 6g / 100 L of hot wort, late enough to help the proteins condense and precipitate, but not so early that the fining it self is denatured. 10 to 15 minutes from flame out appears to be the accepted range.

For a 25 L wort the recommended dose would be 1.5g.
Whirlflock is ~50% Irish moss and a dispersant as they average around 2.5g this gives 1.25g of fining in each tablet.

1 tablet is well with in the recommended dosing range of 1-2g / 25 L.

The reason they are tableted and mixed with a dispersant is to prevent the problems of excessive foaming that can be caused by adding hydrated or powdered Irish moss.
The Whirl part of the name comes from the action of the dispersant, which causes the tablet to spin promoting mixing and as it dissolves slowly you get a reduced risk of a boil over.

So no need to powder them up, 1 tablet / 25 L tablet near the end (10-15 minutes out).

MHB

 

[Gough]

After a bit of a read-through on my noted and my suppliers documentation:-

Kettle finings like Irish moss should be added at a rate of 4-8g/100L or around 6g / 100 L of hot wort, late enough to help the proteins condense and precipitate, but not so early that the fining it self is denatured. 10 to 15 minutes from flame out appears to be the accepted range.

For a 25 L wort the recommended dose would be 1.5g.
Whirlflock is ~50% Irish moss and a dispersant as they average around 2.5g this gives 1.25g of fining in each tablet.

1 tablet is well with in the recommended dosing range of 1-2g / 25 L.

The reason they are tableted and mixed with a dispersant is to prevent the problems of excessive foaming that can be caused by adding hydrated or powdered Irish moss.
The Whirl part of the name comes from the action of the dispersant, which causes the tablet to spin promoting mixing and as it dissolves slowly you get a reduced risk of a boil over.

So no need to powder them up, 1 tablet / 25 L tablet near the end (10-15 minutes out).

MHB

[post="117125"][/post]​

So you reckon 1 tablet rather than 1/2 is the way to go Mark??

Shawn.

 

[Ross]

The reason they are tableted and mixed with a dispersant is to prevent the problems of excessive foaming that can be caused by adding hydrated or powdered Irish moss.

[post="117125"][/post]​

I throw a small handful of irish moss into the boil 10 mins from the end. I have never noticed any foaming whatsoever :blink: Am I just lucky?

Cheers Ross...

 

[T.D.]

MHB,

That's funny that you recommend 1 tablet in 25L. I'm not saying you are wrong or anything, but if anything, I've always heard people say that 1/2 a tablet was too much! Who knows! Looks like you've got some decent stats on the content of the Whirflock tables though...

I reckon I only remember to put it in for maybe one in five brews. I must say, the resulting beers are never much different in clarity. I think the clarity of the final product is affected by so many factors - ve had beers that have has whirflock in them that have been hazy, and other beers that don't have it in them that are crystal clear! That's why I try to remember to add it but if I forget I'm never too worried...

 

[Gough]

The reason they are tableted and mixed with a dispersant is to prevent the problems of excessive foaming that can be caused by adding hydrated or powdered Irish moss.

[post="117125"][/post]​

I throw a small handful of irish moss into the boil 10 mins from the end. I have never noticed any foaming whatsoever :blink: Am I just lucky?

Cheers Ross...

[post="117155"][/post]​

I usually get a bit of a minor foam up when I chuck mine in. Certainly nothing like a boilover or anything, but it does sort of hiss and foam up a little extra momentarily. I'd always just put it down to the ol' surface tension thing, same as with hop additions. I think Andrew mentioned 'violent foaming' in an earlier post, so maybe we've just been lucky thus far Ross?

Shawn.

 

[MHB]

It appears that 1 tablet / 25 L is the right amount rather than the tablet that has been the norm. I have always recommended a tablet but will change that, it often pays to check conventional wisdom live and learn!

I specifically mentioned Hydrated or Powdered forms as being linked to excessive foaming.
When you add the raw strands of Irish moss they take time to hydrate and disperse into the wort, this will reduce the risk of foaming, the trade off is a reduced efficiency.

MHB

 

[bindi]

I will add Half a tablet with the 10 min hops in the double batch [first ever double] I am mashing as I type This time I won't forget.
BTW it's a 'no chill' double

Edit spelling, again :angry:

 

[T.D.]

Oooo, flirting with death doing a no chiller double batch!!! May the force be with you bindi.

:lol:

 

[Borret]

Can't say I've had a foam up, but the do skoot nicely around the top of the boil as they fizz away. Almost like a cadbury advert.. :lol:

Brent

 

[Pumpy]

The reason they are tableted and mixed with a dispersant is to prevent the problems of excessive foaming that can be caused by adding hydrated or powdered Irish moss.

[post="117125"][/post]​

I throw a small handful of irish moss into the boil 10 mins from the end. I have never noticed any foaming whatsoever :blink: Am I just lucky?

Cheers Ross...

[post="117155"][/post]​

Ross a small handfull

I thought it was Irish Moss was a seaweed :blink:

Have I missed something I put half a tab :unsure:

Or do you have it floating around in the sea? where You live

Pumpy

 

[Tony]

Well that kind of makes sence Mark.

Most brewers brew 18 to 25 liter batches, usually cause this amount is managable and the equipment to do it is easier to get.

Why would they make a tablet that has to be cut in half each time you brew ???

I was originaly told to use a 1/4 of a tablet in 23 liters of AG wort. It was a pain in the arse trying to divide it up. So i went to half a tablet and it has always worked.

Bloody hell, that means i need 2 tablets / 50 liter brew.

Will try 2 in the next 50 liter batch and see if that helps any.

cheers

 

[T.D.]

May also help to explain why I haven't been all that blown away by whirflock - as I said, I've never really noticed much correlation between adding/forgetting it and getting clear/hazy beer.

 

[bindi]

Oooo, flirting with death doing a no chiller double batch!!! May the force be with you bindi.

:lol:

[post="117180"][/post]​

Thanks T.D. moving to the dark side of the force [and loving it]

 

[Darren]

There are many forms of Irish moss/Copperfloc. Never had boilover with irishmoss that looks like seaweed. Copperfloc that is a white tablet will cause a boilover. I usually use 1/2 tab per 65 litre batch.
One thing to consider is if you use too much it will affect your head retention.
1/4 tab for 25 litres is about right.

cheers
Darren

 

[razz]

Tony, I put a full tab in 42 lts and that works okay.

John

 

[Tony]

yeah the full pill in 50 liters has been working so why change it.

cheers

interesting to hear everyones different views though

 

[Doc]

I heat mine on a bit of foil or a spoon ... Nah, forget that. :lol:

If you have a set of scales accurate for measuring cocaine then they should be accurate enough for weighing irish moss/whirlfloc/koppafloc.

Gotta love using Jamilz quotes

Doc

 

[poppa joe]

I found some Irish Moss.in a sealed packet...from years ago..
Has to be nearly 30 yrs old
Whats my chances../????????????????
Pj