Using gelatin with no way to cool

**lurker18** · 08-04-2009, 01:23 PM

I am in the process of making up a IIPA, and have a lot of hops floating at the top. I am going to give it another week to dry hop, but if these don't fall out, I am thinking about gelatin. I am using a water bucket towel cooler right now, but can only get it down to low 60s. Reading around, gelatin needs to be used in the 30-40s. I can't do this right now, will the gelatin still work in the 60s?

babalu87 · 08-04-2009, 01:25 PM

I dont think so

rsmith179 · 08-04-2009, 01:45 PM

You can use gelatin without cooling the beer, but the performance will not be as great. I added gelatin into my Cream of Three Crops at room temperature and I feel that it worked just fine at room temp. Within a few days, everything dropped out and the beer is crystal clear.

You can also use a product called Polyclar. That works very well for both wine and beer. I have used Polyclar more than gelatin and have had awesome results. Plus, the Polyclar isn't made of hooves like the gelatin is!

greenleer · 08-04-2009, 01:50 PM

From what I understand, gelatin is used as a yeast fining. I'm not sure it how effective it will be at helping hops to fall out...particularly if you're talking about whole leaf hops.

**lurker18** · 08-04-2009, 02:02 PM

Sorry, it is for broken up pellets. Half of them have fallen out, but there is still a fair bit on top. If they aren't out by next weekend (2 weeks dry hopped, after 1 week fermenting), I'm not sure they will ever fall out. There is very little airlock activity right now, maybe a bubble a minute at most, so I'm not sure what is keeping them up there.

**dstar26t** · 08-04-2009, 02:11 PM

Spin the carboy 1/4 turn back and forth quickly and they'll fall out quicker. Keep it from splashing too much though. You could also transfer to another carboy by putting a gallon paint strainer over the suction end of the auto siphon or racking cane with a rubber band. Prior to transferring, prep your gelatin and pour it into the carboy you are transferring to. It'll mix in with the beer nicely during transfer. It would work better if you could cold crash but this may work as well.

rsmith179 · 08-04-2009, 02:13 PM

They should fall out on their own, but racking will also help the cause. I would recommend racking to a secondary after you're done dry hopping. This will help you get a much more clear beer. I personally would not add any finings into my batch until it was off the yeast cake, separated from the hops, in a secondary.

**lurker18** · 08-04-2009, 02:59 PM

Thanks for the responces. I think I might try the screen on the autosiphon thing. First time I have dry hopped anything, so I am not sure what to be looking for or how long it takes.

menschmaschine · 08-04-2009, 05:33 PM

Gelatin will only work effectively below 50°F. Isinglass, another yeast fining, is more effective than gelatin and can work as high as 60°F. Polyclar is a chill haze fining and isn't very effective for yeast fining.

**weirdboy** · 08-04-2009, 05:53 PM

Do you have a picnic cooler that you can put the fermenter in? I am able to cold crash my 5 gallon batches to 35F and maintain that temp using a picnic cooler and ice bottles.