If you haven't... try using gelatin... OMG

I am a huge n00b and I did not think that gelatin would do anything, but I was wrong. Dead wrong. Other n00bs plz try gelatin!

I personally prefer Irish Moss but yeah clarifiers make a huge difference for such a small amount used.

I dont make a hoppy beer without it. I also use it when I add vanilla bean and the like to the secondary; anything that would add "deposits" that need help settling out.


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Whirlfloc in the boil and gelatine while cold crashing made filtering useless to me

Irish moss and Gelatin are for 2 different issues IMO. Irish Moss/Whirlfloc helps prevent chill haze. Gelatine helps clear out stubborn yeasties, and it does work well if your beer is already cold when it comes into contact. I just used it to clear a Kolsch in secondary, it was mostly clear 48 hrs later.

One watchout with gelatine, is that it works so well stripping out the yeast that it can also decrease the hop aroma (and flavor o a lesser extent) as these seem to latch on to suspended yeast. Try rousing that yeast some time in a small glass and you'll see what I mean. I used to use gelatine in IPA's, but now I generally don't for these reasons as there is flameout and dry hopping additions that seem to be affected.

I have an IPA fermenting now that I'll be using gelatin on for the first time. I plan to cold crash, gelatin, then rack to secondary (bringing back up to temp) and dry hopping before bottling.

I've also heard that gelatin pulling the yeasties out of the beer helps 'condition' the beer quicker so it doesn't taste so green.

solbes said:

One watchout with gelatine, is that it works so well stripping out the yeast that it can also decrease the hop aroma (and flavor o a lesser extent) as these seem to latch on to suspended yeast.

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Do you guys that have used gelatin have any issues with yeast and bottle conditioning?

UberHasselhoff said:

Do you guys that have used gelatin have any issues with yeast and bottle conditioning?

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Nope, no issues.


With hops, yes, I agree gelatin does strip out some character, but I find it strips some of the harsher character and leaves the delicious citrus/pine aromas. If you love throat burning bitterness, skip the gel. And maybe seek help.

Gel is also great for lagers.

Thanks Ty, will be giving this a shot.

mbbransc said:

I have an IPA fermenting now that I'll be using gelatin on for the first time. I plan to cold crash, gelatin, then rack to secondary (bringing back up to temp) and dry hopping before bottling.

I've also heard that gelatin pulling the yeasties out of the beer helps 'condition' the beer quicker so it doesn't taste so green.

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I'm pretty sure that dry hopping after the gelatin step is still going to result in hazy beer. A lot of the haze comes from dry hopping.

Always enough yesties to bottle carb with gelatin usage, even though it looks clear.

dtwhite said:

I'm pretty sure that dry hopping after the gelatin step is still going to result in hazy beer. A lot of the haze comes from dry hopping.

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I agree, there will be some haze (especially given how I'm planning on dry hopping this one). But it'll be clearer than if I didn't.

And what I'm hopping is a bigger benefit is there will be less yeast in the beer sooner than waiting for them to settle out. Hopefully my beer will be less 'green' and I'll be able to drink it sooner while the hops are all still there!

mbbransc said:

I've also heard that gelatin pulling the yeasties out of the beer helps 'condition' the beer quicker so it doesn't taste so green.

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Going to have to say no here. Yeast needs to hang around long enough to finish up 'biological' processes. Yeast is what conditions the beer by cleaning up after its gorging session of chewing up all those easily available sugars. If you drop out your yeast too fast....or rack to secondary too soon....your yeast will lose a lot of that ability.

Now...if you are using 'conditioning' in the way of lagering or aging for a few weeks in a keg before serving...then that is different and I wouldn't have input on that.

I've used gelatin a few times, it does an excellent job at clearing beer. However, it always seems to at a distinctive sweetness to my beer. I might be thinking about it too much, but I believe I can tell it's there. I haven't had many clarity issues when using Whirfloc tablets along with a proper hot and cold break. Kegging also seems to result in clearer beer.

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I haven't noticed the sweetness you are referring to. But I will say that yeast in suspension gives an extra bite to the bitterness (usually not in a good way), so maybe less yeast in suspension leads to a perceived sweeter beer?

sablesurfer said:

Going to have to say no here. Yeast needs to hang around long enough to finish up 'biological' processes. Yeast is what conditions the beer by cleaning up after its gorging session of chewing up all those easily available sugars. If you drop out your yeast too fast....or rack to secondary too soon....your yeast will lose a lot of that ability.

Now...if you are using 'conditioning' in the way of lagering or aging for a few weeks in a keg before serving...then that is different and I wouldn't have input on that.

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I put condition in quotes because that wasn't the exact word I was looking for. I mean conditioning in the sense of pulling yeast out of suspension as opposed to waiting for it to happen on its own.