Irish moss and clarifying agent?

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Gustavo

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On my next batch I plan on using Irish moss to help clarify my beer, just had a couple concerns. Would I still need to use A clarifying agent @ secondary? Is it recommended ? Also will this take away from the body of the beer? Or should I use just a clarifying agent and no Irish moss?
 
I have used Irish Moss (when I remember to) since the beginning. The times I do, my beer is super clear and I have never used anything in conjunction with it or used a secondary unless I am dry hopping. In the small amount you use it, Irish Moss will not change anything as far as taste or mouth feel.
 
There are 2 types of finings. Some you use in the kettle, some you use post fermentation. Kettle finings help remove potential haze creating proteins and other "stuff" by causing them to clump up and fall to the bottom so you can rack off of it.

Finings like gelatin are used post fermentation. They encourage the yeast to drop out of suspension a little faster. Its nothing that time, cold storage or both can't accomplish though.

Both have their use if you know where your haze is coming from.
 
Yes to Irish Moss or Whirlfloc in every brew. Only had chill haze on my first batch where I didn't cool it quickly and didn't use the kettle finings.

I've tried Isinglass in a few brews (Kolsch's) and gelatin in one (current IPA). Both worked well if the beer was cold crashed down to mid/upper 30's first. Give it another couple of days cold and most of the yeast drops out in the bottle/keg. Isinglass is very easy. The gelatin took more work to hydrate and mix into solution, but was a tad cheaper. The added bonus of the gelatin is that your yeast forms a jelly in the bottle bottom, so you can pour out almost all of your beer from the bottle.
 
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