chill haze???

What causes chill haze? I made a IPA that is clear in the bottle but after chilling it gets hazey. I didn't use any irish moss or wirlflock by the way.

sub-zero said:

What causes chill haze? I made a IPA that is clear in the bottle but after chilling it gets hazey. I didn't use any irish moss or wirlflock by the way.

Click to expand...

From How To Brew (John Palmer)

At the end of the boil, it is important to cool the wort quickly. While it is still hot, (above 140°F) bacteria and wild yeasts are inhibited. But it is very susceptible to oxidation damage as it cools. There are also the previously mentioned sulfur compounds that evolve from the wort while it is hot. If the wort is cooled slowly, dimethyl sulfide will continue to be produced in the wort without being boiled off; causing off-flavors in the finished beer. The objective is to rapidly cool the wort to below 80°F before oxidation or contamination can occur.

Rapid cooling also forms the Cold Break. This is composed of another group of proteins that need to be thermally shocked into precipitating out of the wort. Slow cooling will not affect them. Cold break, or rather the lack of it, is the cause of Chill Haze. When a beer is chilled for drinking, these proteins partially precipitate forming a haze. As the beer warms up, the proteins re-dissolve. Only by rapid chilling from near-boiling to room temperature will the Cold Break proteins permanently precipitate and not cause Chill Haze. Chill haze is usually regarded as a cosmetic problem. You cannot taste it. However, chill haze indicates that there is an appreciable level of cold-break-type protein in the beer, which has been linked to long-term stability problems. Hazy beer tends to become stale sooner than non-hazy beer.

Thanks that would make since I did cool it slowly. Guess i need to drink it quick so it dosn't go stale.

sub-zero said:

Thanks that would make since I did cool it slowly. Guess i need to drink it quick so it dosn't go stale.

Click to expand...

That's usually what I end up doing.

hmmm. I no chill and don't have chill haze. I guess 24 hours is still considered "rapid cooling".

I dont know I use an ice bath and have done the same with all my brews this is the first I have had chill haze with. The only difference on this batch is the lack of irish moss. I thought it may have had something to do with it.

Palmer's explanation isn't the whole story. Chill haze is proteins combined with polyphenols (e.g., tannins). Proteins alone don't cause chill haze.

is there any way to get rid of it once you have it in your beer??

sub-zero said:

is there any way to get rid of it once you have it in your beer??

Click to expand...

Yes, with a chill haze fining like Polyclar. Cold storage may help over time as well.