gelatin

I want to add gelatin to a lager batch to clarify it on the way to the secondary. Can it just be gelatin from the grocery store or is it a special brewing gelatin?

I use Knox UNFLAVORED gelatin. Works perfect.

So how much Knox Unflavoured Gellatin? How do you prepare it? Boil with some water? where do you add it. Do you rack on top of it?

I take 1 package and mix into slightly cooled boiled water and mix well. I add that mix into 34 - 38f beer in secondary while the beer is cooling down to lagering temps and mix well without aerating my beer. Then it stays there until my lagering is finished, usually a month or two.

I have been using 1/2 package (1 tsp or 3.5 g) in 100ml of cooled boiled water. Sprinkle on top and heat the water gently untill the gelating is completely dissolved. Do not bring water to a boil again. Then add to beer. Works like a charm.

boo boo said:

I take 1 package and mix into slightly cooled boiled water and mix well. I add that mix into 34 - 38f beer in secondary while the beer is cooling down to lagering temps and mix well without aerating my beer. Then it stays there until my lagering is finished, usually a month or two.

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I'd say that gelatin and lagering are somewhat counter productive. While lagering, you still want to have yeast activity to clean-up the beer. I suggest that you add the gelating 1 week before the lagering is done and you rack the beer to a serving keg. This is not as important if you let your primary fermetation go all the way to the FG of the beer. In this case the yeast had enough time to clean-up. Also, if you crash your beer into lagering, yeast activity will stop anyway.

Kai

All my fermentation is finished when I rack and lager. My last lager, a Dortmunder, won't get any gelatin as the lagering will flocculate the rest of the yeast anyway.
You are right in that a little yeast helps condition the lager.

went grocery shopping tonight and got the Knox Brand gellatin. Just wondering what effect this has on the yeast? Does it somewhat affect the yeast, cause we still have yeast that continues on even after the secondary into the bottles??

But I am very excited about getting a clearer brew, earlier on...

If you are bottle conditioning you may have to add back yeast at bottling time. The gelatin will cause most of your yeast (along with other haze forming compounds) to settle out of solution. The result is very clear (mostly yeast free) beer. You may have trouble bottle conditioning unless you add some yeast back. This is also why Kai mentions that it may be counter-productive pre-lagering as the yeast is still working while a beer lagers.

Matt

EDIT: double post somehow (sorry)