Looking for some tips and links (clearing/kegging/process)

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theimp

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I'm looking for a few tips on a few things and most probably some links.

First off I would like a suggestion on the best/most accurate carbonation chart there is, I am trying to get my carbing correct and having a couple problems figuring out my best route.

My beer seems either flat or too carbed, can't seem to get it 100% at the moment. I am force carbing (co2 tank in the kegerator)

Second, I want to try and get my beer 100% clear like the pros do if possible. I use a filter but it isn't crystal still. Maybe I am being too fussy.
Was thinking of lagering my next batch to see what happens but any other tips would be great. I'm only using the most basic kits right now (brewers wort, morgans/coopers etc cans.)

Third, any more tips and links on kegging that could help would be great. I am reading things as often as possible and trying to learn as much as I can.

Thanks for any help :mug:
 
If you're using co2 to carb the beer, you're "force carbing". If you're not force carbing, I assume you're using priming sugar for natural carbing. It'd be much harder to control the exact carb level with priming sugar, I'd think.

Anyway, there are quite a things you can do for clear beer. One is during the boil- use kettle finings such as whirlfloc. Make sure you get a good hot break and a good cold break- that will prevent most haze. If you use a flocculant yeast, that will also ensure no yeast haze.

I don't filter, or use other finings, and my beer is crystal clear. It takes those things I mentioned (hot break, cold break, flocculant yeast) and then time and cold temperatures. Cold crashing the beer encourages any floaties to fall out. With time, just about any beer will clear- but if you combine it with cold temperatures (as in during kegging and keeping in the kegerator), it will clear right up.

If the carbing of your kegerator seems wonky, I'd try making sure the temperature is exact, the regulator is exact, and ensure that the lines are at least 6' long and chilled. Warm lines, short lines, etc, will cause foaming and "knock" the carbonation out of suspension causing seemingly undercarbed beer. That'd be the first thing I'd check.

Basic kits are fine to use! You can still get superclear beer and great results. I'd add a whirlfloc tablet with 10 minutes to go in the boil and make sure the boil is nice and hard. I'd make sure to chill to under 70 degrees within 20 minutes (to get a good cold break), and use a more flocculant yeast like nottingham rather than S05. S04 is a good one for clear beer, but it must stay under 70 degrees or it'll taste pretty estery.
 
Yooper said:
If you're using co2 to carb the beer, you're "force carbing". If you're not force carbing, I assume you're using priming sugar for natural carbing. It'd be much harder to control the exact carb level with priming sugar, I'd think.

Anyway, there are quite a things you can do for clear beer. One is during the boil- use kettle finings such as whirlfloc. Make sure you get a good hot break and a good cold break- that will prevent most haze. If you use a flocculant yeast, that will also ensure no yeast haze.

I don't filter, or use other finings, and my beer is crystal clear. It takes those things I mentioned (hot break, cold break, flocculant yeast) and then time and cold temperatures. Cold crashing the beer encourages any floaties to fall out. With time, just about any beer will clear- but if you combine it with cold temperatures (as in during kegging and keeping in the kegerator), it will clear right up.

If the carbing of your kegerator seems wonky, I'd try making sure the temperature is exact, the regulator is exact, and ensure that the lines are at least 6' long and chilled. Warm lines, short lines, etc, will cause foaming and "knock" the carbonation out of suspension causing seemingly undercarbed beer. That'd be the first thing I'd check.

Basic kits are fine to use! You can still get superclear beer and great results. I'd add a whirlfloc tablet with 10 minutes to go in the boil and make sure the boil is nice and hard. I'd make sure to chill to under 70 degrees within 20 minutes (to get a good cold break), and use a more flocculant yeast like nottingham rather than S05. S04 is a good one for clear beer, but it must stay under 70 degrees or it'll taste pretty estery.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips. I changed my first post. What I meant to say was I'm not burst carbing (or atleast I wasn't) but I am using co2 to force carb the beer.

And by basic kits I meant brewers wort/extra cans not any grains/mash or anything. The cans have some boiling process so maybe I could try your suggestion out.

It has been in the keg for about a week now and it still looks hazy after being put through the filter. Wanted to get that perfect crisp look if possible.

It hasn't got any yeast or sediment but still looks hazy not so much cloudy.
 
I done a slight burst overnight with 20 psi rather than the 12 I was going to use for set and forget and it seems a lot better. Think I just need to leave it a little longer now to get the flavour better, still tastes a little bit too much of carbon.

Nearly there :) you guys here are great for helping me out on this kegging road. My technique just needs fine tuning I think.
 
I use a combination of "burst" carbing and set-it-and-forget-it. I typically cold-crash my fermenter, so I put the keg on the gas at the appropriate pressure for the seving temperature and shake for about 20-30 minutes, then just leave it in the kegerator (still on the gas) for about a week. The carbonation is usually about spot on (or maybe a little low) after that. If you use higher pressures, you risk over-carbing the beer and then it becomes a real pain to get the extra gas out of solution.

As for clarity, I usually add about 3g of gelatin to the keg before racking. If you get a good cold break, it'll pull everything down in about a day or two. Lately, though, it's been taking about 10 days since my immersion chiller doesn't seem to be too happy with 80 degree cooling water.
 
gr8shandini said:
I use a combination of "burst" carbing and set-it-and-forget-it. I typically cold-crash my fermenter, so I put the keg on the gas at the appropriate pressure for the seving temperature and shake for about 20-30 minutes, then just leave it in the kegerator (still on the gas) for about a week. The carbonation is usually about spot on (or maybe a little low) after that. If you use higher pressures, you risk over-carbing the beer and then it becomes a real pain to get the extra gas out of solution.

As for clarity, I usually add about 3g of gelatin to the keg before racking. If you get a good cold break, it'll pull everything down in about a day or two. Lately, though, it's been taking about 10 days since my immersion chiller doesn't seem to be too happy with 80 degree cooling water.
Click to expand...

That's another thing, I use the clearing agent in the beer before I filter to drop all the yeast to the bottom.

I think that is gelatin and shell fish extract (chitosan) Might try adding a little gelatin in the keg aswell.

Also need to figure out a way to lager my beer, I've never cold crashed it before. I brew it at 23 roughly, secondary and add clearing agents, then filter into the keg and carb.

Does carbonation add some haze until it is absorbed proper?
 
I wouldn't add a post-boil fining agent more than once. I dont' think it'll harm anything, but I just don't think it's necessary. If you have the ability to cold crash, it'd help immensely. A lot of the haze-inducing compounds precipitate out when the beer is chilled, so your fining agent gets a chance to work on them as well as the yeast.

CO2 itself won't affect the clarity of the beer in any way.
 
gr8shandini said:
I wouldn't add a post-boil fining agent more than once. I dont' think it'll harm anything, but I just don't think it's necessary. If you have the ability to cold crash, it'd help immensely. A lot of the haze-inducing compounds precipitate out when the beer is chilled, so your fining agent gets a chance to work on them as well as the yeast.

CO2 itself won't affect the clarity of the beer in any way.
Click to expand...

Yeah cold crashing / lagering will probably be the extra step I need to do to get it crystal clear. Got an old chest freezer laying around so might put it to use for that.

And didn't think it would, just checking :)
 
theimp said:
That's another thing, I use the clearing agent in the beer before I filter to drop all the yeast to the bottom.

I think that is gelatin and shell fish extract (chitosan) Might try adding a little gelatin in the keg aswell.

Also need to figure out a way to lager my beer, I've never cold crashed it before. I brew it at 23 roughly, secondary and add clearing agents, then filter into the keg and carb.

Does carbonation add some haze until it is absorbed proper?
Click to expand...

Forgive the minor thread drift. Is gelatin one thing? And, chitosan a completely different thing? I am allergic to shell fish and need to avoid it.
 
Goose5 said:
Forgive the minor thread drift. Is gelatin one thing? And, chitosan a completely different thing? I am allergic to shell fish and need to avoid it.
Click to expand...

The stuff that comes with the clearing packets I use is called kieselsol it isn't anything to do with shell fish.
You can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finings
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloidal_silica

It isn't actually gelatin as far as I know, but similar.

Chitosan is a shell fish extract http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitosan

I would read up on it before using it, the chitosan packet has an alergy warning on it.

Gelatin/kieselsol shouldn't give you any problem, I would also guess Kieselsol on its own wouldn't be worth using anyway.

The stuff I use is called Super Kleer. There is probably others with the same ingredients so be careful.
 
Yooper said:
What's your filtering system? Any small filter should filter out all the suspended particles and even all of the yeast if you go to .5 micron.
Click to expand...

It's a euro filter. The beer hasn't got any yeast or sediment in it, the filter works great. It just has this haze to it that is stopping it from looking crystal clear.

I'm going to pull off a pint tonight and see how it looks now it has been cold in the keg for a week.

Might look clearer now. Will post back later with results.
 

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