do you use clarifying agents?

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How often do you use a clarifying agent?

  • never

  • 1-25% of the time

  • 26-50% of the time

  • 51-75% of the time

  • 75-99% of the time

  • always

Results are only viewable after voting.
simzy

simzy

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A recent thread brought up the question, but it seems that the easiest method is to strain your trub/hot break before transfering your wort into the primary.

I'm just curious how often you all use clarifying/finning agents if at all.
 
Yeah obviously (for me anyways) it all depends on the style. I have been using Irish Moss. Amazing how quick my Nutbrown cleared out. Looks fantastic. Although, my Amber APA I just left in the basement and setting in the bottles did fine. It just takes longer.
 
I've used Irish moss, filtering and isinglass. Depends on the style & how it clears.
 
I was using irish moss, but made the switch to Whirlfloc. Whirlfloc is an irish moss product but I get far better results. The clarity of the wort when draining from the kettle was startling after I made the switch.

I also use gelatin to help drop out the yeast in the secondary.
 
I used to forget the Irish moss and yeast nutrient additions to my boils until I started putting them on the actual recipes. SWMBO is a stickler for following directions, so once it's typed in the recipe, it will be done. Hmm... I should type other "instructions" on that recipe.... oops!
 
I also use Whirlfloc in every batch...but let me run somthing by you.

My LHBS guy told me the actual time to throw in was 5-10 min for best results and the "in time" at 15 min is not for homebrewing scale but more commercial.

Has anyone ever heard this or is he blowing smoke up my pooper
 
When I voted, I wasn't thinking about IM. I was thinking about KC finings, gelatin, etc. In fact, I use IM whenever I can. Why the hell not? I've "inherited" like, hell, 10 packets of the junk. I have so much of it, I always use it.

I've only used KC (shellfish) finings once, but it helped immensely. My Imperial PunkinPie was cloudy as all hell, because of all the punkin solids that simply would NOT drop. Even after a month and a half+ in secondary. Goopy! So I added the KC, and it was substantially clarified within 3 days.
 
Whirlfloc on everything but hefeweizens. I have the two-stage shellfish stuff, but I haven't yet tried it.
 
Used IM on my first couple extract kits that came with the stuff but haven't used anything since going AG.I researched enough to determine that it was an added expense i didn't need.It's mostly an aesthetic thing i think.We brew for ourselves and clarity isn't a big deal.Then again,besides whirlpooling my wort,i don't strain going into the primary either.As a result,i get a good inch or so of compacted trub in the bottom of primary,1/4 to 1/2" in the secondary and a millimeter or two in the bottom of the bottles.Works for us:D .
Cheers:mug:
 
[I was using irish moss, but made the switch to Whirlfloc. Whirlfloc is an irish moss product but I get far better results. /QUOTE]

I agree. My last couple of batches I have used whirfloc and they have turned out much clearer.
I was thinking of gelatin and polyclar when you said clarifying agents. I use gelatin in my lagers and any light colored beer.
Click to expand...
 
I use "protafloc copper finings" 15 mins from end of boil in all but stouts and wheat beers. This is the quote from pack "protafloc is a blend of seaweed extracts and activity adjusters.its use achieves good coagulation of unstable proteins enabling rapid settling of hot and cold breaks."
And i agre,it does exactly what it says on the pack.I dont use anything else.The beer drops bright in 7 to 14 days.
 
omniscientomar said:
I used to forget the Irish moss and yeast nutrient additions to my boils until I started putting them on the actual recipes. SWMBO is a stickler for following directions, so once it's typed in the recipe, it will be done. Hmm... I should type other "instructions" on that recipe.... oops!
Click to expand...


That is the biggest reason I use a whiteboard to write out ALL my times and additions.

I sometimes use adjuncts like dextrin which go in at the same time as the IM, I used to screw up adding things and missing time marks until I took the time to write every recipe on a whiteboard that includes mash temps, times, sparge volumes, first wort in, start of boil, all the hop drops and clarifyers and adjunct additions.

I bailed out on flaked Irish Moss in favor of the very finely ground version and it works much better. The trub in the pot has the consistency of thick pudding now.

Cheers,

knewshound
 

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