Chill Haze!?!

I brewed an ESB some weeks back and got the worst chill haze I have ever had. Totally clear in the bottle at cool room temperature, but clouds up at 38 degrees. Now I know that it doesn't have any effect on taste at all, but it disturbs my guests and gets on my nerves. The stuff tastes great. But this beer should be clear. Recipe: (Irish moss added by the way). Added the usual other stuff but is it the Caravienne Malt? Imcomplete recipe but just regular DME and hops.

Did a one hour, 150 degree steep (baby mash) and sparged with a lot of 170 degree water.

12 oz. Belgian Caravienne Malt
2 oz. Extra Dark Crystal Malt (Caramel 120)
1 tsp. Gypsum
1/4 tsp. Calcium Chloride
1 tsp Irish Moss

Am I right to think the chill haze is coming from the husks or what?

Just serve it in ceramic mugs and all will be forgotten...

Next time toss in a lb of 2-row, Belgian Caravienne Malt really needs to be converted and it doesn't have any enzymes itself. Serve it at a slightly higher temperature. 38F is too low for an ESB's flavor to come through anyway.

david_42 said:

Next time toss in a lb of 2-row, Belgian Caravienne Malt really needs to be converted and it doesn't have any enzymes itself. Serve it at a slightly higher temperature. 38F is too low for an ESB's flavor to come through anyway.

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Thanks David 42. A light just went off in my head (no not from drinking beer). Doh! Of course flavoring malts probably don't have conversion enzymes in them. Inactivated by the toasting? Then why the heck am I going through a mini-mash step with the Caravienne Malt??? Next time I will add some 2-row. Thanks for enlightening me.

treehouse said:

Am I right to think the chill haze is coming from the husks or what?

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Thats the thing man, there are multiple factors for chill haze. Boil wasn't vigorous enough, didn't chill fast enough, extra proteins, etc etc


Unless this is a competition beer, I really wouldn't worry about it.

treehouse said:

Now I know that it doesn't have any effect on taste at all, but it disturbs my guests and gets on my nerves.

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If someone offered me free homebrew that was chill hazed, I wouldn't be disturbed If I offered a guest a cloudy homebrew and they were disturbed, next time s/he's get a good ol' BMC.

MariaAZ said:

If someone offered me free homebrew that was chill hazed, I wouldn't be disturbed If I offered a guest a cloudy homebrew and they were disturbed, next time s/he's get a good ol' BMC.

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I'd take any homebrew, i wouldn't care if it was chill hazed... If my guest was rude enough to turn down a Magnificent Home Brew because it looked 'cloudy' then that person wouldn't even get a BMC...


Treehouse, My method to reduce chillhaze is to shock the hell out of the wort... I put a whole ice tray into the sink fill with a little water to get the cube to fuse together. Then place the hot wort on top of them... Stir the wort while using the sprayer on the outside of the pot, stir the opposite direction of the sprayer... If the ice water gets warm drain and refill... After the initial stir get a vortex going and leave it, put the lid on and get whatever you haven't done ready... You'll notice when you open the pot again that a bunch of stuff has fallen to the bottom.