What is the Stuff Floating in my Beer?!

I brewed a cream ale and when I was bottling I used gelatin as a fining agent. I just opened the first bottle and there are large chunks of [protein coagulation?] suspended throughout the beer. Is this a result of the gelatin? The beer has no off flavors and tastes great, just stuff suspended in it. Anyone have this happen before? Think it will settle in the bottles?

How long after you added the Gelatin did you bottle?

I put it in my bottling bucket, gave it a stir, and started bottling. I kegged half of the batch and i guess it got sucked out with the first beer (which i always toss away) because that was just fine.

Well, there's your problem! You're supposed to let finings do their work and settle out for a few days (or even weeks) before bottling.

shot0rum247 said:

I put it in my bottling bucket, gave it a stir, and started bottling. I kegged half of the batch and i guess it got sucked out with the first beer (which i always toss away) because that was just fine.

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You put the priming sugar in your bottling bucket, or the gelatin in your bottling bucket?

I don't use gelatin or other finings, but my understanding is that you use gelatin in the secondary on cold beer to clear it by removing suspended yeast. If you put it in the bottling bucket, you'll have beer jello in the bottom of your bottles, I'd think. The gelatin will settle out in a few days in secondary (particularly with cold beer) and then you rack off of it, to your bottling bucket.

YUP...I was afraid you'd say that.

YooperBrew said:

, you'll have beer jello in the bottom of your bottles

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MMMMM Beerrr Jigglers......

Alright, well that's really no good. Will it settle in the bottles in some time or should I just let my friends drink it from the bottle without telling them.

BigKahuna said:

MMMMM Beerrr Jigglers......

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So how long till they coagulate into one squishy mass? Forget Jello shots in wimpy flavors like lime and strawberry, real beer lovers dig beer flavored jello shots!!!

shot0rum247 said:

Alright, well that's really no good. Will it settle in the bottles in some time or should I just let my friends drink it from the bottle without telling them.

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Note to self- no beer swaps with shotOrum.

Well, it'll settle in the bottles, especially when it's chilled before serving. Hopefully, it'll just be a little bit in the bottom and you can pour off of it just like you would pour off of any sediment. I'd definitely recommend that you try it yourself before offering to any friends who may be surprised by some thick beer.

YooperBrew said:

Note to self- no beer swaps with shotOrum.

Well, it'll settle in the bottles, especially when it's chilled before serving. Hopefully, it'll just be a little bit in the bottom and you can pour off of it just like you would pour off of any sediment. I'd definitely recommend that you try it yourself before offering to any friends who may be surprised by some thick beer.

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Did you just now bottle this? If you did, you might be able to salvage it by putting it back (gently, with no splashing!) into a carboy and let it sit (especially if you have a cold place like a fridge) for a few days to allow the jello to coagulate and fall to the bottom.

YooperBrew said:

I'd definitely recommend that you try it yourself before offering to any friends who may be surprised by some thick beer.

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ooooh wait, he may be onto something here!!! Forget gummy BEARS, it's time now for gummy BEER!!!!

Thanks all, I think that was my first and last swaree into post fermentation fining...Ill live with cloudy beer. Ya, I won't be doing any swaps with this one :-(

shot0rum247 said:

Thanks all, I think that was my first and last swaree into post fermentation fining...Ill live with cloudy beer. Ya, I won't be doing any swaps with this one :-(

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We're just kidding you- we really hate to hear of a bad gone bad. I'm just way too childish to not laugh a little bit. Believe me, I've made my share of mistakes and thank goodness I can laugh at them.

I guess the best thing to do now is either fix it by dumping them all back into a carboy, or to wait and see. Either way might give you perfectly fine beer.

Just give 'em time. The stuff should settle. You'll just have a lot of bottle sediment.

shot0rum247 said:

I brewed a cream ale and when I was bottling I used gelatin as a fining agent. I just opened the first bottle and there are large chunks of [protein coagulation?] suspended throughout the beer. Is this a result of the gelatin?

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I brewed the JZ cream ale (no finings, but did use whirlfloc) and I've got some blobby floaties as well. I wonder if it's the corn.

At least I only bottled half the batch and put the rest in a keg, so all the gummies got sucked out. So if the stuff doesnt settle (they've already self carbed) I at least got to enjoy half the batch . This one can go down into the mistakes I can hopefully laugh at.

You're a genius! You have made the first Boba Beer! Accolades, groupies and fame shall be yours!!

Excuse the noob question, why not just Irish Moss in the boil?

I bottled a simple wheat recipe a couple of weeks ago, and had a HUGE amoutn of Trub. All of the bottles have large amounts of sediment in the bottom, and when I pick up a bottle it's got a bunch of white flakes floating around? I realize it's a wheat and it's supposed to be cloudy, but the flakes are alarming. Will they crash to the bottom, once I refrigerate these? I poured one into a glass, and it was full of them.