Help with Chill haze please

So, I'm not sure on the exact quantity, but I would estimate that I've brewed around 50 batches since going AG. In the past I've had some come out clear, and others a bit hazy, but this summer I haven't had a single beer that was truly clear. I use irish moss, and have even tried to double the amount lately with no success. On a lot of my ales I don't really care, but on the lighter ones I would like to be able to make them sparkle.

My Process:
Double infusion mash (protein rest for 20 mins at 122ish, then sacc rest for 60 mins at 148-154 depending on style) followed by 10 min mash out.
Vorlauf until I can see my fingerprints through the clear hose (2-3 quarts).
Fly sparge, heating the runnings gently once 1 gal has been collected.
Vigorous boil for 90 mins (I usually get hot break almost to the lip of my keggle).
Gravity drain through CFC into fermenter (chill from boiling to 65ish)
Pitch yeast etc.

I get awesome cold break into the fermenter, and from my understanding that shouldn't re-dissolve at fermentation temps. I cold crash after kegging and draw off and settled yeast.

I could use gelatin I suppose, but is there something different that I could do to not have to start using gelatin? In these lighter beers I'm not using any wheat or adjuncts except my blonde that has 1.5 lbs flaked corn.

Finally, I'm personally not concerned about the haze other than that people comment on how my beer is "obviously homebrew" because of it. I'm probably just looking to fix something that's not broken, but I've been thinking of entering a couple of competitions and I'd like to be able to get rid of it before that.

I have been battling the same issue. I have only tried once but was suprized with the results of cold crashing in the primary.

How is your pH? You want to keep your mash below 5.5 or polyphenols will floc together creating haze. Try using Polyclar to help some.

I had used Irish Moss with mixed results in the past. I went to whirfloc tabs three months ago and haven't had a problem with chill haze since. You could also try Clarity Ferm from White Labs.

In 13 years, I have never made a batch that DIDN'T have chill haze during the first couple weeks at serving temps. They all eventually clear up after being cold for a while.

I do use the 5.2 stabilizer and test PH, so that's hopefully not it. I will try cold conditioning longer, and cold crashing primary.

Like I said this is more of an annoyance than a problem, so I don't know if I'm ready to jump up to clarity ferm yet.

How are you testing pH and what is your water profile?

Walker said:

In 13 years, I have never made a batch that DIDN'T have chill haze during the first couple weeks at serving temps. They all eventually clear up after being cold for a while.

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+1

In 24 years of brewing I have not had a batch that has not presented chill haze. 90+% will clear after about 3 to 4 weeks conditioning. The only time I have used finings is with Kolsch yeast that never flocs.

For me chill haze is unpleasant and a detractor from the beer. There is no reason your light beers (low SRM) should not look like a commercial example for clarity (to the naked eye).

I also use sauermalz in all of my light beers and mash around 5.3pH. So mash pH while a factor should not be a delimiter in achieving clarity.

m.

the gelatin won't solve your problem on it's own, but i've read that if you chill the beer first and THEN rack it onto gelatin then you're golden. I'm trying that out in these next couple days, we'll see how it goes.

other than that, use cold + patience. some beers of mine take weeks in the firdge to get clear and pretty, others just take 4-5 days. mystery to me too. even my hefeweizens clear up.

Used gelatin for the first time a couple of batches ago. Added gelatin (1 week) after cold crashing my primary (4 days) in the keezer. Beer came out CRYSTAL clear. I've never had a beer come out that clean -- so +1 to gelatin~

Keep in mind appearance is only three points.

Is this new? I haven't noticed it before.
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/CLARITY-FERM_CHILL_HAZE_PREVEN_P2719C57.cfm

I have used gelatin with good results. I can serve brilliant beer in just a few weeks time. I have a rough fermentation schedule in my Popcorn Cream recipe. It's not a cure all. I tried it on a American Rye and it stayed cloudy. It still cleared after a month in the keg.

Ok, I think I'll give gelatin a try. I think that I need to finally get off my butt and invest in a chest freezer and some more kegs so I can just let them cold condition longer.

As far as water I'm brewing with Portland, OR tap water, which is super low in everything. I add 5.2 buffer, and test with indicator strips, I believe they're methyl red, but that's off the top of my head. anyway, I always mash in the 5.2-5.4 range, and rarely ever add any water salts.

I have used a 1 micron canister filter a few times, and my beer has been crystal clear

trigger said:

Ok, I think I'll give gelatin a try. I think that I need to finally get off my butt and invest in a chest freezer and some more kegs so I can just let them cold condition longer.

As far as water I'm brewing with Portland, OR tap water, which is super low in everything. I add 5.2 buffer, and test with indicator strips, I believe they're methyl red, but that's off the top of my head. anyway, I always mash in the 5.2-5.4 range, and rarely ever add any water salts.

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The real trick is to keeping the runnings under 5.5, not just the mash. Acidify your sparge water if necessary. And yes, get that chest freezer, you won't be sorry.

I've also noticed that beers with a lot of late hop additions or dry hops tend to have more haze too, but figure it's more the hop oils causing this than proteins. Does using gelatin in these kinds of beers reduce the hop flavor/aroma noticeably?

I've noticed that my beers made with Maris Otter as the base malt take significantly longer to clear than made with pilsner or Briess 2-row. My American Ales with drop clear in a week with Briess, it takes a month with MO

Bensiff said:

The real trick is to keeping the runnings under 5.5, not just the mash. Acidify your sparge water if necessary. And yes, get that chest freezer, you won't be sorry.

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My sparge will get close to 6 so I used to add phosphoric acid to the sparge water. I think I could taste it so I stopped and just used my liquor straight. No difference in clarity but it does taste better. Under 6 is fine.

Conroe said:

My sparge will get close to 6 so I used to add phosphoric acid to the sparge water. I think I could taste it so I stopped and just used my liquor straight. No difference in clarity but it does taste better. Under 6 is fine.

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How's your crush? If it's too fine it can encourage haze as well.

The proteins that cause chill haze are extremely light when they do come out of solution at colder temps. So it can take them a REALLY long time to drop, and even when they do, the slightest movement can re-suspend them. So you can cold crash to make them show, but you've got to wait for them to drop. Gelatin should not only speed up the process, but more importantly, bind them together so they don't re-suspend on racking.