Why Is My Beer Cloudy

[dalpets]

Hi everybody,

This brew I used, according to label instructions, copperFlock in the boil & Isinglass & Polybar in the secondary, but still my beer is cloudy.

Could someone suggest what the problem is?

Thanks

 

[cdbrown]

Do you cold condition your beers to help knock most of the yeast out of suspension? Is this bottled or kegged? If bottled take care when pouring into a glass as you could easily stir up the yeast sediment which would be sitting at the bottom of the bottle.

Polyclar is more for removing chill haze, while isinglass can help clear particles and haze (from what I've read). They both work best when the beer is cold.

 

[dalpets]

Do you cold condition your beers to help knock most of the yeast out of suspension? Is this bottled or kegged? If bottled take care when pouring into a glass as you could easily stir up the yeast sediment which would be sitting at the bottom of the bottle.

Polyclar is more for removing chill haze, while isinglass can help clear particles and haze (from what I've read). They both work best when the beer is cold.

I am bottling, not kegging. Is kegging the answer? Yes, it was cold conditioned for 14 days at 5*C with the addition of isinglass & polycar in the secondary.
I'm ready to bulk prime & bottle today.

Cheers

 

[felten]

If it was all grain I would suggest maybe starch haze

 

[manticle]

It's cloudy now but seeing as it isn't bottled yet, check how it is in 2 weeks. (I mean bottle it and forget it for two weeks)

 

[dalpets]

If it was all grain I would suggest maybe starch haze

It was a partial.

 

[Acasta]

After you brew, do you cool? Do you add everything from the kettle into your fermenter? Maybe consider only draining the clear stuff from kettle.

 

[dalpets]

After you brew, do you cool? Do you add everything from the kettle into your fermenter? Maybe consider only draining the clear stuff from kettle.

For this brew I used hop & grain socks, the copperflock & a sieve into the fermenter. I'm actually wondering, though, if there is any method that amatuer brewers use, immediately prior to bottling (no kegging), to filter the beer without losing the yeast count for effective bulk priming.

cheers
dalpets

 

[manticle]

Are you racking onto your priming solution?

 

[earle]

Is it just a hydro sample thats cloudy or the whole brew?

 

[dalpets]

After you brew, do you cool? Do you add everything from the kettle into your fermenter? Maybe consider only draining the clear stuff from kettle.

Yep to 48*C with copper coil chiller then added water to fermenter to bring down to fermenting temp.. I strain into the fermenter

 

[dalpets]

Are you racking onto your priming solution?

Just this minute finished bottling. refrigerating at 18.5C now (for 14 days).

I'm not sure I understand your question, mate.

Come again please.

 

[dalpets]

Is it just a hydro sample thats cloudy or the whole brew?

The whole brew, earle.

 

[manticle]

Just this minute finished bottling. refrigerating at 18.5C now (for 14 days).

I'm not sure I understand your question, mate.

Come again please.

Racking means transferring the beer to another vessel. It's done for various reasons, one of which might be to ensure the priming solution is mixed properly. A side benefit is that it leaves the bulk of the yeast behind which leads to clearer beer.

If you have most of the yeast left in the vessel and have added priming solution, you might stir up all the yeast/trub/debris you've worked hard to leave behind.

Anyway see how the bottles are in a fortnight.

 

[argon]

+1 for starch haze. If you've cold conditioned and used finnings and you're still getting cloudy/hazy beer then you've got starch haze. Starch haze is typically caused by under extra ting the mash, leaving long chain starches in the beer.

If this is the case, you may need to adjust your ph and ensure you are converting the starches in the mash.
Hope this helps
A

 

[dalpets]

+1 for starch haze. If you've cold conditioned and used finnings and you're still getting cloudy/hazy beer then you've got starch haze. Starch haze is typically caused by under extra ting the mash, leaving long chain starches in the beer.

If this is the case, you may need to adjust your ph and ensure you are converting the starches in the mash.
Hope this helps
A

Part of the problem with this brew was that I working blind without a recipe (the supplier of the grain/recipe went out of business) So this was a brew completely in the kettle for 60 mins, with no pH adjustments & it may have required 90 mins for all I know . No mash tun was used. The sparging that I did was perfunctory & rudimentery, to say the least. That will teach me to take for granted Youtube videos, sparging using a kettle full of hot water on the grains on a sieve. Not very scientific! Now I am on AHB amongst seasoned brewers I know you can't brew a good beer as simply as that. So your comments about under extracting makes a lot of sense.

My next brew will be my first all grain brew using the equipment depicted in my gallery so I should be able to lift my game.

Thanks for your insightful comments.
Cheers
dalpets

 

[felten]

What grain did you use?

 

[dalpets]

What grain did you use?

Sorry, I don't know the answer to that (see my previous post to Argon). It was a master brew (with grain) from Grumpies in SA.

 

[dalpets]

Racking means transferring the beer to another vessel. It's done for various reasons, one of which might be to ensure the priming solution is mixed properly. A side benefit is that it leaves the bulk of the yeast behind which leads to clearer beer.

If you have most of the yeast left in the vessel and have added priming solution, you might stir up all the yeast/trub/debris you've worked hard to leave behind.

Anyway see how the bottles are in a fortnight.

Yes, I racked into a secondary. When I bottled there was still some trub in the secondaty so I siphoned rather than than use the fermenter tap port to avoid picking it up.

See Argon's thread and my reply. I think he may have hit the nail on the head with under extraction.

dalpets

 

[np1962]

Sorry, I don't know the answer to that (see my previous post to Argon). It was a master brew (with grain) from Grumpies in SA.

How old was the kit?
Nige