fining in primary

[vdog]

Just after a bit of advice guys - I'm finding that my beers (specially the light ones) suffer from a bit of chill haze. Normally not a problem, but in my latest pale ale brew it was looking quite cloudy going into the fermenter. What I'm wondering is whether I can fine in the primary, how that's actually done, and whether it'll have an impact on conditioning once I bottle the batch? Appreciate any advice.

[Reviled]

Youve got a couple of options for fining, first off is to use a kettle fining like irish moss or koppafloc, this helps yeast and protein drop out after fermentation also apparantly..

Fining in primary - Gelatine for yeast haze, simply add a tsp of gelatine to some water at 75*c and stir well, add to fermenter and wait a day or two and all the yeast will drop out (but there will still be enough for carbonation)

Polyclar for chill haze, some plastic crap which makes all the protein particles clump together, this is added to primary or secondary fermenter at a cold temp, and then youll need to rack the beer off it after a day or two.. Apparantly this stuff works really well but its best to filter the beer..

[denimglen]

How are you chilling?

A good fast cool to as cold as possible will also help.

As above, kettle fine, hit up libertybrewing for some koppafloc.

No reason you can't fine in primary.

Gelatine or isinglass, I'm sure I've read isinglass will drop out chill haze. Gelatin doesn't I believe.

[vdog]

Chilling with an immersion chiller, usually takes about 15-20min to drop from boiling to about 15-20degrees. Generally add in some irish moss in the last 15 min, so not sure why I'm not getting rid of more of the protein. Maybe I need a longer rest for everything to settle post-chill, before I transfer to the fermenter?

[Mike Neilson]

I used to have this problem and sometimes it shows its head but now Ive learnt to condition the beer and it seems to disapear!!

[Doublehoppy]

How do you use the irish moss? I read that it's far more effective if it is left in a small amount of water for, say, an hour before adding to the boil.

[vdog]

I just throw it in straight out of the packet - will give the soaking a go with the next brew and see how it goes though.

Mike: I'm nowhere near disciplined enough for conditioning for a long time - the perils of being a thirsty greedy bastard...

[jt]

Fining in primary - Gelatine for yeast haze, simply add a tsp of gelatine to some water at 75*c and stir well, add to fermenter and wait a day or two and all the yeast will drop out (but there will still be enough for carbonation)

Is gelatine really that effective at ambient or slightly cooler?
I have a pale in primary, brewed two sundays ago. W1272 with Mateurop and caramalt.
The gravity's been steady a few days, says it should be finished. But I've still got quite a bit of yeast in suspension at the lowest I can get it this time of year, about 16, no fermentation fridge.

Should I gelatine at 16c or would it be a waste of time?

Cheers, jt

[MrC]

Is gelatine really that effective at ambient or slightly cooler?

It is effective but I think it moves some of the fining to the keg.  The beer won't be as clear when it leaves the fermenter but it will clear up well in the keg.

I think the reality is that some of it will still be in suspension when you keg and it will do the remaining fining in the keg when it's cold.  You'll have clear beer about two days after you chill it and a small layer of jellyeast on the bottom of your keg.  I've had a few like that, they need a little more elbow grease to move the yeast.

I've even added gelatine to the keg after cooling and carbonating.  Works well.

[jt]

Cheers chap, thanks for that.
I hadn't thought about the carryover effect on into the keg.

[jt]

Turned out a treat, thanks Mr C
A few days with the gelatine in primary ( the welly weather dropped it to about 14c) then kegged with a bit of force carbonation then 24 hours in the fridge.
First pint was full of yeast and hops, the next was good.

[MrC]

Good stuff.  A lot easier on the digestive tract too ;)

[Stu H]

The last beer I kegged I fined in the keg, and 2 weeks later I'm still getting this flaky crap in my beer. Do you think this is from the fining? Or something else gone wrong?