musikguru6

Recipes 

So I brewed my first beer, and it turned out great I ordered my second recipe kit from AHS, a double chocolate stout, and I'm looking at the beer clarifiers that are offered. Are any of these worth it? When and why would you need to use them, like for specific beers, or just in general?

Thanks for any help guys!

beerdad

Recipes 

If a little haze doesn't bother you don't worry about claifiers. It's just a cosmetic thing that doesn't affect the taste. I have only used whirlfloc tabs. They work well. If you get them only use 1/2 tab per 5 gallons it's more than enough.

malkore

Recipes 

I like irish moss. add near end of the boil and it helps make a clearer beer. a secondary for anywhere from 1-6 weeks can help too, but really depends on the beer style.

for example a stout or porter is really too dark to worry about haziness...so clarifying agents just help get more yeast out of suspension for bottling or kegging.

however a beer that should be crystal clear, but uses a yeast that doesn't have much flocculation (ability to sediment out) might need something like gelatin to clear it up.
I've used some yeasts that were so flocculent, the beer came out of primary looking pristine.

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Malkore
Primary: English Mild
On tap: Pale Ale, Lancelot's Wheat, English Brown Ale, Steam Beer, HoovNuts IPA
Bottled: MOAM, Braggot, Raspberry Melomel, Merlot, Apfelwein, Pyment, Sweet mead, Cabernet
Gal in 2009: 27, Gal in 2010: 34, Gal in 2011: 13, Gal in 2012: 10

BierMuncher

Recipes 

Yo obviously don't need a clarifier for a dark stout.

But...I use irish moss the last 5-10 minutes of boil and then add gelatin to the secondary for my lighter beers.

This Session Haus Ale was only two weeks old and just the third draw out of the keg.

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BierMuncher Tried & Trues:
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boo boo

Recipes 

Finnings help stabalize your brew in addition to helping it look clear.
Most of us don't worry if our brews have a bit of chill haze, but
a nice clear looking beer is a pleasure to look at.
Look at BierMunchers picture above and tell me with a straight
face that that don't look great.

Man that looks yummy.

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Shoopdog

Recipes 

Munch my friend, that is one fine looking beer

gresc

Recipes 

Munch, that Ale is Museum quality !

SW Brewer

Recipes 

Before gelatin in the secondary:

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2842961920087675042gNCDvH

After gelatin in the secondary:

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2785288790087675042yoicti

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Primary2: Air
Secondary1:Anchor Liberty Clone
Secondary2:Red Hawk Ale (Extract)
Secondary3:Air
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Bottled:Northern Brewer IIPA
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BierMuncher

Recipes 

Yep SW B...

Looks like my brewshop bench.

Any gelatin naysayers need to give it a try and then serve it up (in clear glasses) at their next party.

I find in not-so-coincidental that as soon as I started serving beer conditioned with gelatin, that people started requesting that I brew for "occasions" like Halloween parties, Turkey Day (Friday after Thanksgiving) football games and other holidays coming up.

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*******
Check Out My Rolling Kegerator

BierMuncher Tried & Trues:
Tits-Up IIPA (3-Time Medalist), Black Pearl Porter, Kona Pale Ale, Outer Limits IPA, Centennial Blonde (4.0%), Nierra Sevada (SNPA), SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde,

WOP31

Recipes 

Irish moss and cold conditioning if you have the means to do it.

Cheers

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