How much Irish moss?

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StewJo

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The standard amount of Irish Moss is 1tsp added with 15min left of boil.

Is more better? How much is too much? Why?

Thanks in advance.



Upcoming: American Honey Wheat
Primary: A high gravity "steam" in a 62degree cellar
Secondary: nothing right now.
Conditioning in bottles: a "steam" and a Red.
 
I use a heaping teaspon (when I remember too that is, this just reminded me I forgot to on my last brew :D) worth. Not sure how much is required to harm the beer, but I guess you could add a whole bottle's worth and find out ;) A good teaspoon worth seems to help, so thats all I use. Using more would probably just be wasteful.
 
I use a fat teaspoon (again when I remember) and it works well. Last batch was cloudy as all get out until secondary because I forgot but prior was clear on transfer to secondary because I didn't forget. Its worth the addition if you can remember. I tend to put it in the same dish as the 10 minute hops add to try and remember.

MP Wall
 
Too much will just clog you funnel filter with irish moss, it swells and gets jelly like when it re hydrates. 1 teaspoon is fine, you are just wasting it if you use more.
 
I teaspoon or a whirlfloc tablet work pretty well. I also sanitize a large (24 x 24) nylon grain bag, line my primary with it, and use it to filter out the gunk from the wort. It's easier than a strainer, gets more stuff out, and helps produce clearer beers IMHO.

This is a timely thread, in that I just finished an American Amber ale and realized at the end, while I was cooling using my wort chiller, that I forgot the $!*$!! whirlfloc tablet. So, I added the tablet, returned the wort to boil for about 15 minutes, stirred and then cooled the wort.

Not to hijack the thread, but in the future when I mess up like this, and I will, should I just admit defeat, or is there some other patch (like adding this or something else to the primary or secondary)?
 
Thor said:
Not to hijack the thread, but in the future when I mess up like this, and I will, should I just admit defeat, or is there some other patch (like adding this or something else to the primary or secondary)?

there are fining agents that can be used in the secondary. gelatin or polyclar (or something like that... they are little shavings of plastic). I can't remember all the types available.

I have used gelatin (once), but I am not convinced it was worth the effort. It just seemed like yet another chance to infect a batch.

-walker
 
Walker said:
there are fining agents that can be used in the secondary. gelatin or polyclar (or something like that... they are little shavings of plastic). I can't remember all the types available.

I have used gelatin (once), but I am not convinced it was worth the effort. It just seemed like yet another chance to infect a batch.

-walker
Isinglass too....FISH GUTS.
puke.gif
 
I've used bentonite and polyclar both. Bentonite is just negatively charged clay that you slurry up in 180 degree water and dump in the secondary. It works fine for floaties and chill haze but takes a while to settle out it seems. I had a couple beers side by side in the fridge and you can really tell a difference between batches (bentonite vs. control) as far as chill haze goes.

Polyclar is just fine, fine plastic (it's actually packing for pills) that you stir into a slurry. It also pulls out haze and cloudies. I'm using it in my secondary right now. Supposedly it works great.

WOT
 
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