Gelatin

Here's a data point for gelatin!!!

I had a cloudy belgian that had been in primary for a month, so I moved to secondary for another 3 weeks or so and added one packet of gelatin in a cup of water. The results speak for themselves, but in truth, the picture doesn't even do it justice. This is a very very clear beer.

Now, of course, people want to know about carbonation. Well, this beer was bottle conditioned and carbed up nicely in under two weeks (the beer had been sitting for 40 minutes or so and still has a bit of head left), it's just got a little bit more to go.

It's a beauty! I've only ever used finings with my mead, never with beer. I may need to give it a shot!

Awesome, this is the exact info I've been looking for. I want to see if I can hurry up clarifying a bit when I rack to secondary next week (assuming fermentation completes) so i can give my beer 3 weeks in the bottle before Christmas - just wasn't sure if I'd still be able to bottle carb, or of I should consider repitching at bottling.

How much gelatin did you use?

I've been considering finings but I've read that they can strip some of the flavor/body from the beer...

I use gelatin fairly often for fining in the secondary, one packet in one cup, just like Humpsalot described. I've never noticed a difference in flavor or body from my unfined beers. They are brilliantly clear very quickly, though, even the dry hopped ones.


TL

Sir Humpsalot said:

Here's a data point for gelatin!!!...The results speak for themselves, but in truth, the picture doesn't even do it justice. This is a very very clear beer.

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Welcome to the club Sir Humpsalot...

Yup, I used it on my holiday cider bc I'm not going to carb it and MAN it's freaking clear and only took a day or 2 awesome stuff!!

Is it just unflavored Jellow brand?

I love gelatin. I use the bulk stuff from ebrew (and other places I suppose). Much cheaper than buying Knox packages. I don't think it is unflavored Jello, but I'm not %100 sure about that.

rohanski said:

Is it just unflavored Jellow brand?

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I think it's like "Knox" or something. Jello brand may make it. It comes in smaller packets and is unflavored. Baking goods sections usually have it.

I'm like Mr X though. I buy it by the pounds from HB suppliers. Pretty darn cheap and lasts for ever.

I buy the Knox packets. I don't remember how expensive they are, but I also don't remember caring, so it can't be that bad. If you can buy it in bulk for cheaper, though, go for it. I'll look into that, myself.


TL

Hey Sir Humpsalot did you cold crash it after you added the gelatin?

Rudeboy

Does this help chill haze at all?

I think the Knox packets are on the order of $1 for a box of 4 packets. Not the most expensive part of the process by any means.

Sorry, I was asleep. To answer questions:

No I don't cold crash. I don't have a convenient way of doing that. As for chill haze, I can't really say because I've never had a problem with chill haze before. I guess it can't possibly hurt chill haze, but I don't know how much protein the gelatin pulls out. I think of it more as being a thing to get rid of yeast. But maybe proteins too. I don't know.

And yes, one packet of knox to one cup of water. I will look into the bulk buying though.

As for it stripping flavor, well, maybe it does. But even so, you're still far better to be using gelatin than to be filtering. So at worst, it's somewhere in between.

I don't think gelatin helps clear chill haze. It has more to do with removing yeast and heavy particles. Polyclar works for chill haze as well as cold conditioning.

BierMuncher said:

I think it's like "Knox" or something. Jello brand may make it. It comes in smaller packets and is unflavored. Baking goods sections usually have it.

I'm like Mr X though. I buy it by the pounds from HB suppliers. Pretty darn cheap and lasts for ever.

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I just left the warehouse for ebrew and got some, they told me it was medical grade binding plastic that is used in making pills.