Fining with Isinglass

[denimglen]

Anyone got tips on this stuff (Magi-fine 300)

I've tried it a few times now and doesn't seem to do much.

Mixed about 1 gm in about 200mL water. Added to cold (10C) beer. Left a couple days. Kegged. Still cloudy.

Wort is pretty clear leaving kettle. Doesn't seem to be any infection or anything.

[JoKing]

It's a bit of an anti climax when you get one - especially if you use the same base malt all the time! Once you know your water, and your malt... you'll get to a point where you start thinking that all the testing isn't necessary!

It is a means to an end though... so you have to do it to find out how to get the pH correct in your beers.

For me, especially when making paler beers was knowing how much "crystal" malt to add to the mash to naturally acidify it to the correct range. New Plymouth water is exactly 7, so I use approx 200g of any crystal type to bring it down to between 5 and 5.6. If I use 750g crystal, the mash will be pH5 (if I use Global Pils, or Golden Promise) and if I use 200g the mash will be pH5.6

Gladfield malt is a nightmare to get right! You cant actually acidify it naturally, unless you use Acid Malt.

[denimglen]

Yeah, I'm kinda hoping I don't get one and all my beers fall into the correct range! But even in that case it will be piece of mind. And I'll have a new toy, which is always good. Guess I could use it to check the pH of my StarSan.

I'm also thinking maybe the 5.2buffer is made for people with harder water in mind and my water here is pretty soft.

Gonna go see if the DSE near me has a pH meter.

[Doublehoppy]

Glen,

If it's not too late then you are welcome to borrow my pH reader. Have a play and see whether it's something you really need prior to buying.

Let me know - We can probably organise a handover as part of the case swap get together.

[denimglen]

Thanks mate, but bought one last night. Good addition to my crack lab with my heroin scales, flasks and all that :-P.

[Reviled]

Did a brew last night with my new PH meter, was 6.8 before the grains, added the grains and the juice of two non ripe lemons (didnt have any additives handy), rechecked the PH and it was at 5.5 which I was happy with, be interesting to see if it makes a diff, not much crystal in this beer, would be nice if it drops bright cos of the PH adjustment :o)

[Greig McGill]

Ahahaha, I'm really stoked to see I'm not the only one who uses lemon juice for pH adjustment! I did it once as I had nothing else on hand, and the beer came out great, so have used it superstitiously ever since!

[MrC]

How much lemon juice do you add Greig and to what size batch?

[Greig McGill]

Depends. 21L is my brew length. I only use it when using mostly pale malt, and use a decent sized lemon worth for just pale malt, and less depending on proportion of darker malts. Anything less than 85% base malt, I don't bother. I used to measure, and stopped when I was happy with it stabilising at 5.3. I also ran out of litmus papers so stopped caring. The beer tastes good! :)

[JoKing]

Did you check th pH after you mashed in - before you added the lemon juice? And where did you take the pH sample from... in the bag - or out of the bag?

[Reviled]

I checked the PH before I added anything, then I added the lemon juice and mashed in, and checked the PH again, I just stuck the probe straight in the mash after stirring really well, and it was stable at 5.5 which I was happy enough with to not bother with the extra 0.3 points..

[JoKing]

5.5 is perfect. I'm just curious what the pH would have been without the lemons.

[Reviled]

There was fuck all crystal in the recipe, 200gms, plus there was also fuck all lemon juice due to the lemons not being ripe and juicy, id say prolly only 1 lemons worth normally?

But, will it make my beer clear like my dark beers?