What Is The Best Fining Agent?

I'd like to know what is the best fining agent.

I don't use them as I make mostly American ales, AIPA's, brown ales and stouts, and don't do comps.

But I may moving into making a lot more lagers, and of isinglass, irish moss, Polyclar (plastic dust), and gelatin, which is the BEST?

Is there a cost vs. performance situation?

In the boil or post fermentation?

I like Whirlfloc in the boil. Seems to work a lot better than Irish Moss. I use 1/2 tablet in a 5 gallon batch.

If my beer isn't clear once its cooled down in the kegerator, I use gelatin in the keg.

I've only ever needed whirlfloc. Cold crashing and whirlfloc have made it so that I have never used finings in any of my beers. My wines, however, have been a whole different story.

YooperBrew said:

Cold crashing and whirlfloc have made it so that I have never used finings in any of my beers.

Click to expand...

True. There is nothing like a few weeks in cold storage to clear a beer. I've had a Hefeweizen (no whirlfloc) clear in the keg. I didn't even think that was possible.

Its not cost effective to use in every batch but sparkolloid is the best ive found. it will clear anything in beer/wine/mead and it doesnt seem to impact flavor. It also works very quickly, its recommended to wait a couple of weeks but most of its work is done in a few days.

If your doing lagers, they should clear nicely with just whirlfloc.

What you've asked is essentially, "Which is best? Hammer, screwdriver, socket wrench, or welder?"

Each of the items you listed are specific tools best suited to much more specific circumstances than you've...er...specified. I've used each, and will continue to use each in the situation best suited to the tool. The trick is to learn the appropriate circumstances for each.

I prefer Isinglass for fining English-style cask ales. I prefer gelatin for fining beers that won't clear by patience and cold. Isinglass will work multiple times if the beer is roused; gelatin won't. Polyclar has an opposite ionic charge than Isinglass, which makes it useful if used in conjunction with another fining agent. Hell, if you're doing fruit beers, you forgot what many consider a fining agent: pectic enzyme. The list goes on.

Yes, there can be a cost/performance/PITA tradeoff. Isinglass can come in a variety of ways, for example; the least expensive requires a level of skill and process involvement that can quickly become a PITA, but the most expensive is the easiest to use.

Whirlfloc is essentially highly-processed Irish Moss. It's technically a kettle coagulant, not a fining agent, because fining agents are used post-fermentation. I agree that Irish Moss added to the end of a vigorous boil will improve clarity. Of course, this assumes you're already aggressively chilling your bitter wort; all the Whirlfloc in the world won't help a beer with piss-poor cold break due to poor chilling.

So the short, glib answer is this: No one ingredient is "the best". They've all got different uses. Your job is to learn what those uses are.

Regards,

Bob

A little help...

Yeast finings = gelatin and isinglass (gelatin must be used below 50°F and can also remove tannins, isinglass is superior for yeast and can be used up to 60°F... it also precipitates lipids, improving head retention)

Chill haze fining = Polyclar

Protein (Kettle) Finings = Irish Moss and Whirlfloc

There are many other types of finings and wort/beer clarification methods, but those are the most common for homebrewers.

menschmaschine said:

A little help...

Yeast finings = gelatin and isinglass (gelatin must be used below 50°F and can also remove tannins, isinglass is superior for yeast and can be used up to 60°F... it also precipitates lipids, improving head retention)

Chill haze fining = Polyclar

Protein (Kettle) Finings = Irish Moss and Whirlfloc

There are many other types of finings and wort/beer clarification methods, but those are the most common for homebrewers.

Click to expand...

And in my experience, for lagers you don't need yeast finings or chill haze finings,as those things are 'cleared up' though lagering. Cold makes a world of difference in light colored beers- because it causes the excess suspended yeast to drop out, and the chill haze goes away after about three-four weeks of lagering.

I make mostly APAs and IPAs and prefer a clear beer. I've never had a cloudy lager. This is assuming of course a good hot break, and a good cold break after the boil. Time and cold seems to be the main helpers. That said, if I had a pesky cloudy beer, I'd start with the "smaller" finings first. What I mean by that is to start with simple (like gelatin) and work my way up to more complex (KC SuperKleer). I think that unless you were planning on filtering, the simple gelatin finings would be adequate.

I usually don't fine my beers if I'm using a well flocculating yeast strain. Well, usually not at all... Unless I would enter it in a competition or brag about it somewhere. But what I can say is that I really don't like irish moss. I find that it tends to make your beer taste like sea water, even in small doses... ;p I guess I'm a bit more sensitive than many others, cause at the latest homebrew competition I visited, about 1/3 of the beers tasted like irish moss.

Now, if I use anything at all, I use a product similar to whirfloc that is extracted from irish moss, but without the aroma.

I haven't tried using gelatin, but some people I've talked to say that it might strip you're beer for some aroma, at least if used extensively.

And by the way, if you have picky vegan friends, they probably won't like it if you served them beer fined with isinglass (cod) or gelatin (pork).

Just my two cents, in order for beer.
Time, time, Irish moss, cold crash, gelatine.
I tend to always use the Irish moss to get rid of chill haze.
Time and cold crashing down to 40F seems to work very well for me.
Ciders and meads I use gelatine if and only if time has been exhausted. IE, it has been 6 months and still a strong copper colour when it should be clearing.

YooperBrew said:

And in my experience, for lagers you don't need yeast finings or chill haze finings,as those things are 'cleared up' though lagering. Cold makes a world of difference in light colored beers- because it causes the excess suspended yeast to drop out, and the chill haze goes away after about three-four weeks of lagering.

Click to expand...

+1. I don't even use kettle finings on my lagers and they are very clear. I use Whirlfloc on my ales.

The only time I've ever used gelatin was with Windsor yeast.

Feedback

Here is a link to some of the best technical references I have yet to read regarding proper use and applications of clarification agents.

Interesting to note what is said about the carrageenan products (Irish Moss) that they are added to the kettle solely to cause them to go into solution but they are actually only effective when the temps drop.

When I brewed extract, I didn't find any sort of clarification agent to be necessary. The ingredients, or process, or whatever just resulted in clear beer. Five batches back I switched to AG, and quickly discovered the changes of more trub and the need for clarification. I got some Whirlfloc and it works wonders, basically crystal-clear looking beer going into the secondary. I was given a jar of a 5-Star product called "Super Moss HB Carrageenan" which I assume is just some sort of essence of Irish Moss.

"RudeLead," too bad that you can taste the Irish Moss, but it's that way sometimes, and there's a good chance it's inherited. It's like the old test in high school genetics where you pass around the paper strips and see who can taste the chemical PHTH and who can't. We love cilantro, but I have a friend who can't eat it, because it tastes like soap to her. Maybe that 5-Star Turbo Moss is refined enough that it'd work.

I haven't used Irish moss or anything for my last string of lagers (aside form priming sugar they were in compliance of the reinheitsgebot). After two weeks at 30F they are all perfectly clear.

I have a couple of questions, if I may...

I took a hydro sample yesterday from my Dogfish head clone. It has been in primary a week, and the sample was crystal clear. However, I put it in the fridge to drink later, as it was only 8 am when I took the sample (2 fermentors = nearly a pint of sample!). When I took it out after mowing the grass, it was very cloudy (but tasted great!). So, this must be chill haze, right? All of my beers have been a bit cloudy, and I would like to get rid of it, for aesthetics.

Secondly: How to get rid of it? I possibly could cold crash, but would have to empty my beer fridge to get one of my fermentors in at a time. This seems less than ideal, so is there an agent I can use warm, or will work at bottling time? I do bottle, so am a bit worried about using polyclar in case I remove all the yeast and they don't carb! Or do I simply have to cold crash in bulk?

Thanks!

If it is chill haze, Polyclar is your best bet. But the beer needs to be cold. Polyclar is a polyphenol (chill haze) fining agent, not a yeast fining. Even if it did remove yeast, you could always add a little dry yeast at bottling time.

Guess I'll have to clear out my fridge then! I did check it again, and I might be able to get both buckets in...

My LHBS did not have polyclar. But he did have Super Kleer KC, a two step fining agent. One is positive, and one is negative. Will this remove too much yeast if I bottle? Should I chill before using it? Or should I use gelatine instead?

You can't remove enough yeast with fining to prevent bottle-conditioning. Total conditioning time may take slightly longer, but that's it. Long lagering can precipitate enough yeast to require re-seeding with new yeast, but not fining with agents.

While I've never used Super Kleer, the instructions I found online indicate that chilling is unnecessary.

Bob

Those who use irish moss do you use it every brew?

I do use whirlfloc on every brew, and when needed I'll throw in the Super-Kleer KC finings. I use it cold and it will clear up a young pale ale overnight. Stuff costs 2 bucks per 5 gallon addition, and I make 10 g batches, so I only use it when I need beer clear quickly. Usually I depend on temperature rests to clear post-fermentation.

I've only ever used Irish moss. Sometimes I forgot to use it. I've also added crash cooling to my repertoire. I've been looking at Whirlfloc lately though, as I've just run out of Irish Moss.

There is some good info in this thread.

The best fining agent I've found for clear beer at the tap is time and cold. *shrug*

mysteryberto said:

Those who use irish moss do you use it every brew?

Click to expand...

On anything that might be somewhat see thought. I don't bother on stouts but otherwise, sure.

I have recently heard about the amazing results from Biofine Clear. Anyone tried it and have a process for me? It is only recently available to homebrewers but I have been told it is so good you can get rid of your filter!

AlchemyBrewing said:

I have recently heard about the amazing results from Biofine Clear. Anyone tried it and have a process for me? It is only recently available to homebrewers but I have been told it is so good you can get rid of your filter!

Click to expand...

Yea me too. Who here has tried it. Iheard about it on a recent BrewStrong, some brewer was talking about using it instead of isinglass (no dilution during transfer to 2econdary, better, faster results, etc)

SOOOOOoo...
Who has used this? Tell us about it.

_

I think it was Colin Kominsky from Downtown Joes in Napa on the Sunday Session.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

AlchemyBrewing said:

I have recently heard about the amazing results from Biofine Clear. Anyone tried it and have a process for me? It is only recently available to homebrewers but I have been told it is so good you can get rid of your filter!

Click to expand...

Yea me too. Who here has tried it. Iheard about it on a recent BrewStrong, some brewer was talking about using it instead of isinglass (no dilution during transfer to 2econdary, better, faster results, etc)

ChristianAlpha-RuBrew said:

Yea me too. Who here has tried it. I heard about it on a recent BrewStrong, some brewer was talking about using it instead of isinglass (no dilution during transfer to 2econdary, better, faster results, etc)
SOOOOOoo...
Who has used this? Tell us about it.

Click to expand...

AlchemyBrewing said:

I think it was Colin Kominsky from Downtown Joes in Napa on the Sunday Session.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Click to expand...

Yes, thank you. But..

Please tell me about Biofine if you have used it. Especially compared to geletin, or isinglass.

LINK - Poll: FININGS - Which do you like best and why compared & vs nothing used. - Fermentation Finings

LINK - Poll: KETTLE FININGS - Which works best and why compared & vs nothing used. - KETTLE Finings

We have a need for a subcatagory for an old subject... FININGS UNDER - Home Brew Forums > Home Brewing Beer >

.

Yes. Biofine Clear is amazing. Im drinking a 6 day old grain to glass Amber.