I've always just cold crashed and never used gelatin because I've heard gelatin strips some flavors from the beer. What's your opinion on this?
Has anyone experienced ill effects of using gelatin?
I'd put the flavor loss in the beer mythology category. If you do use gelatin chilling the beer well beforehand is pretty much a requirement. One of the things gelatine will help floc out of the beer is chill haze but you have to create it first for the gelatin to do its thing. If you feel, as some do, that gelatin reduces the hops a bit then add a little extra hop to the next batch.
You might want to reintroduce racking to your process though, if you'd previously given up on racking to secondaries, as it will keep the goo out of your bottles or kegs.
Nope. Not a valid reason to use a secondary vessel. Careful racking and ample time/cool temperatures to allow settling of particulate will suffice.
I've experienced gelatinous goo in a sufficient number of secondaried/tertiaried/quaternaried batches of brew now (3 or 4) that I think an extra step in between gelatin and bottling/kegging is not such a bad idea if it will prevent recurrence. Keep in mind that a small amount of the gelatin actually floats and/or remains suspended in the beer, even if aged for a good couple of months as I have done, so an extra step will get more of this out.
Keep in mind that a small amount of the gelatin actually floats and/or remains suspended in the beer, even if aged for a good couple of months as I have done, so an extra step will get more of this out.
I would suggest that those who claim to lose hop flavor and aroma to do side by side test for yourself with brews that are brewed very near each other. That's the only way to find out for yourself if it makes a difference.
I always cold crash, and I use gelatin if I need the beer to be finished clearing fairly quickly. Otherwise, I likely have the time to just let it cold crash a bit longer.
You're all right, I'm all wrong. God I love these interwebs.
Happy brewing.
Nope. Not a valid reason to use a secondary vessel. Careful racking and ample time/cool temperatures to allow settling of particulate will suffice.
You're all right, I'm all wrong. God I love these interwebs.
Happy brewing.
Yep, I do double brew sessions. I feel it is a trade off between aesthetics and aroma, the ones I crash and add gelatin to, I'll try to amp up the late additions to compensate.
Thanks for all the input. Since I usually cold crash at 35*-40* for 3-7 days depending how quick I need it done doesn't sound like gelatin is really a benefit for me. One more question though.
If gelatin is used in primary how would that affect harvesting the yeast?
Interesting question - does gelatin leave extra residue or some sort of thick sludge at the bottom of the fermentor? With my setup, I bottle right from primary, and while I already tilt it so the trub collects more at the back, I wouldn't want any more stuff to have to avoid getting into my bottles. I see where Marshall Schott (and I am sure many of you) leaves an inch of beer in the primary when racking out, but I can't do that - even in my little LBK, an inch of beer is at least a bottle, and I struggle to get a full case (24) of 12oz bottles as it is.
I guess I am trying to say, I am interested in using gelatin, but don't want to screw up anything I already have going.
I completely understand where you're coming from. But that highlighted word is a major problem for me in coming to a conclusion.
If you're only able to cold crash for 3-4 days, I absolutely believe and can attest to gelatin working. If you can cold crash for a week or even longer, then, as I said before, I don't see any need to add it.
If you're wanting to harvest the yeast from the bottom, I would say it's also not a good idea to use gelatin. It will make it much harder at least to try to scrape the gelatin from the yeast and doing it that way. At that point, you're likely risking an infection.
I would suggest that those who claim to lose hop flavor and aroma to do side by side test for yourself with brews that are brewed very near each other. That's the only way to find out for yourself if it makes a difference.
I always cold crash, and I use gelatin if I need the beer to be finished clearing fairly quickly. Otherwise, I likely have the time to just let it cold crash a bit longer.
Also as a side note there is no such thing as a tertiary or quaternary vessel. There may be multiple rackings from secondary to secondary however.
Primary-secondary-secondary-secondary.......-secondary- final packaging.
If you're only able to cold crash for 3-4 days, I absolutely believe and can attest to gelatin working. If you can cold crash for a week or even longer, then, as I said before, I don't see any need to add it.
If you're wanting to harvest the yeast from the bottom, I would say it's also not a good idea to use gelatin. It will make it much harder at least to try to scrape the gelatin from the yeast and doing it that way. At that point, you're likely risking an infection.
While the terminology is admittedly ambiguous and contentious, I don't think anyone actually uses the terms as you've described, Gavin. Indeed, the term "secondary" itself is misleading, as it is short for "secondary fermentation," and of course there is no actual fermentation occurring at that point in the process. It is merely a conditioning step, or sometimes dry hopping. Big breweries call them "Brite tanks" because it is used to allow the beer to clarify ("drop brite"), while simultaneously carbonating.
Nevertheless, if one insisted on referring to the conditioning vessel as the "secondary" vessel, it would indeed make sense to refer to any subsequent transfers in kind. i.e, the tertiary vessel, quaternary vessel, etc., regardless of the futility and pointlessness of such transfers.
In wine and cider making multiple rackings are common on the homebrew scale. This is where the terminology I mentioned is most valid, although it applies to any homebrew venture where the brewer uses multiple rackings.
Have you done any side by side experiments to prove that there isn't a loss of flavor or aroma?
Do you transfer between stagesAfter primary I drop the temp as low as I can (varies between mid 50's and low 30's depending on fermenter size). Then I fine with gelatin and wait 24-48 hours, then keg. I do this with all of my beers; pale ales, belgians, kolsch, double and triple IPA's.
I always use gelatin and cold crash. However, I've got a couple of batches now that I've split in order to do a controlled gelatin test. Both batches had exactly the same hops / dryhops. All of them are in kegs now, carbonating, and I should be able to do a aroma test in a week or two. I'll take pics and post here (if I remember )
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