Can adding gelatin to secondary mess with gravity?

Fairly new to AG (9 batches). Brewed an IPA 10 days ago, brought a keg of Biermunchers Centennial blond to a party this weekend and caught hell from a german brewer because mine "wasn't filtered". I've always known that once I got things going I'd worry about clarity better than I get from crash cooling in my kegerator..... but now I decided to step up.

Went to the lhbs today and got Irish moss for tomorrows brew and gelatin for the IPA. This was Carlson's gelatin and I followed the directions by adding 1/2 teaspoon to water for 1 hour then boiling to dissolve. Then I let it cool and racked to secondary glass carboy before I racked the IPA.

I took a gravity reading using a baster from the top of the carboy. The reading was 1.002. Can gelatin screw with your readings? Is it possible the sample was blended and mostly gelatin water? I'm not too concerned, and don't normally post questions but the estimated OG on this batch was 1.062 and I came in at 1.066 (new Barley Crusher). Now, 10 days later I'm already that far below the estimated FG. By the way the fermentation temp has been a consisten 68.

Sorry about the long post, just wanted to answer all those followup questions I normally see.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: AG IPA
Brewer: Fletcher's Brewhouse
Asst Brewer:
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (42.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.41 gal
Estimated OG: 1.062 SG
Estimated Color: 12.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 76.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.96 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 86.96 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 8.70 %
0.50 lb Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.35 %
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 46.8 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (30 min) Hops 14.1 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (10 min) Hops 15.8 IBU
5.00 gal Denver, Colorado Water
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 11.45 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 14.31 qt of water at 170.1 F 154.0 F


Notes:
------


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I cannot say for certain but having read many posts of users experiences there was never a mention of lowering the gravity. Did you take the sample shortly after adding the gelatin because it may have messed up the sample if it was still on the surface.

yes... added gelatin to bottom of secondary, then ipa, then took sample from top. Probable the gelatin just came to the top and that was my sample. Here's hoping.

Never used the stuff but I think most add it to the top and it settles to the bottom. Did the instructions say to use it in that manner?

Instructions didn't say so I asked the owner of the lhbs and he recommended that approach. Theory was that it should mix together yet not add much oxygen.

but now that you mention it.. a floculant should always be added to the top and dropped to the bottom. We'll see.

Yep,live and learn.

Story of my life. Thanks for the input.

holmesinco said:

Fairly new to AG (9 batches). Brewed an IPA 10 days ago, brought a keg of Biermunchers Centennial blond to a party this weekend and caught hell from a german brewer because mine "wasn't filtered". I've always known that once I got things going I'd worry about clarity better than I get from crash cooling in my kegerator..... but now I decided to step up.

Click to expand...

because it wasn't filtered? Hmmmm, yeah well someone needs to learn more about beer then... the German.


I do not filter nor do I use gelatin or any other clarifying agents and if this isn't clear enough, I don't know what you want:



time and cold conditioning, all it takes.

z987k said:

because it wasn't filtered? Hmmmm, yeah well someone needs to learn more about beer then... the German.


I do not filter nor do I use gelatin or any other clarifying agents and if this isn't clear enough, I don't know what you want:

time and cold conditioning, all it takes.

Click to expand...

I know....

Wasn't it over when they bombed Pearl Harbor?

I would have laughed in his face, handed him a Bud and told him to come back when he finished with his training wheels.

I use irish moss because I do think it helps, tried gelatin once and it did nothing that time will not do. When I did use it, it was for a mead that just would not clear after 8 months, yes there is a limit to my patience and it expires after 2 months.

It should not have had the impact of lowering the SG, I would give it a week and check it again. It takes around 3 days to slowly settle down from my limited experience.

But for your ego, have a homebrew, and if you like it remember to have a good cut down the next time you see him. (BTW - The Japanese bombed Pearl, kind of upset the Germans because it threw America into the war.) Sorry, I live there so the history is important to me.

Kauai_Kahuna said:

But for your ego, have a homebrew, and if you like it remember to have a good cut down the next time you see him. (BTW - The Japanese bombed Pearl, kind of upset the Germans because it threw America into the war.) Sorry, I live there so the history is important to me.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I have a nasty habit of throwing out movie lines every once in a while. This happened to be a reference to the Belushi quote from Animal House.

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

"Germans?"

"Forget it, he's on a roll."

crackin up, i love that line

You shouldn't boil the Gelatin. It denatures it and destroys it clarifying abilities.

Oh I know this is the right forum for me: when it's anti-filter! I say bring on the taste!!!

I've never tried gelatin before, but am also thinking about just seeing what it does to a lighter beer. Also makes sense to me that you would have to give it time to precipitate down the beer before taking a gravity reading. By the time its conditioning, I don't take gravity readings.....just the occasional taste test. Though I recently tasted my Russian imperial stout and have promised myself never to sample it again (at a little over a month old, it's tasting phenomenal)!

Wow...that's nice and clear. I usually end up with a little haze in mine...doesn't affect the taste so I never worry about it.

Kauai_Kahuna said:

...(BTW - The Japanese bombed Pearl, kind of upset the Germans because it threw America into the war.) Sorry, I live there so the history is important to me.

Click to expand...

Senator Blutarsky would disagree

Who am I to ague with Animal House.