PowPow

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I'm looking for a vegan alternative to be used as a fining agent. Most people use gelatin och isinglass, but is there any vegan alternative? I've read about agar agar but haven't found anyone that has been successful using that.

I usually just use Irish moss in the boil, and my beers get clear enough. Except when i dry hop..

I will try to do a "cold crash" but i wont be able to get it colder than about 8C (46F)

Any ideas?

RM-MN

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Gravity will do the same as a fining agent but it takes a bit longer. I have used gelatin on only one batch and the other batches come out just as clear with time in the fermenter and time in the bottles. My dry hopped beers will be cloudy when I bottle but by the time they are carbonated and matured for a while they turn out clear too.

kombat

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Time, cold, and/or filtering would all be vegetarian-friendly ways to clear your brew, although personally, I don't see the problem with using gelatin. It doesn't end up in the finished beer - it simply falls through the beer, precipitating sediment to the bottom. Your guests don't end up actually consuming any gelatin, so the resulting beer should still be vegetarian-safe.

timdurning

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I use whirlfloc in the boil and have gotten some really clear beer. I believe it's made from seaweed, so that should be okay to use in place of the gelatin.

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Drinking: Bavarian Hefeweizen, Chinook/MO SMaSH
Fermenting:White House Honey Ale, Surly Bitter Brewer clone, Belladonna Took's Mild
On Deck: American Pale Ale?

www.timdurning.com

PowPow

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How long does it usually take before your dry hopped beers turn out clear? I have just dry hopped once before. I guess i drank that batch to fast

It's actually for my own sake. I'm aware of the fact that the gelatin will drop out, but I would prefer not to use it at all anyway.

joerose

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I always thought vegans can't have gelatin, most vegetarians I know have jello.

PowPow

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That's what I use as a fining agent in the boil. But now I'm looking for a fining agent to put in the fermenter before bottling to drop out some of the yeast and hop particles. Whirlfloc will not do that.

PowPow

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True, let's call it a vegan alternative instead.

shelly_belly

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Bentonite
Sparkolloid
Kieselsol
Polyclar

ludomonster

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If you aren't dry hopping, you shouldn't have much hop matter in the fermenter. It's acceptable to have a little bit of cloudiness due to dry hopping, but it's usually not noticeable. As for yeast cloudiness, a high flocculating yeast will settle and form a fairly compact yeast cake.

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Bottled: Old Freckled Men, Berlin Mart Cider, Creamer Ale II
English Mother****er, Do You Drink It Pale Ale
C4 Pale Ale (Centennial, Challenger, Cascade, Citra hopburst)

Gone: Honeybadger Wheat Ale, Bad Amba Jamma, Badder Amba Jamma, Slam Dunkelweizen, Creamer Ale I, Robust Porter