APA Question

[Longtrain]

Just made an APA from a Brewers Best Kit, added 1/2 Whirfloc, into the fermenter, trub at the bottom, starting to ferment.

Question, BB recommends a secondary, to assist in clearing for 2 weeks. Since I added Whirfloc will I get clear beer in the primary or should I go to a secondary as recommended? Never used a secondary or Whirlflic before. Thanks.

 

[Calder]

Racking to secondary does not result in clearer beer, nor does it speed up clearing. An argument can be made that it actually slows clearing as many 'light' particles that have taken a week or two to almost reach the bottom in Primary are mixed back in and have to start settling out all over again.

Unless it is something you feel you must do, or you have a legitimate reason to rack to secondary, you will be better off leaving it right where it is.

 

[oceanic_brew]

I really don't know why the beer kits are still recommending a secondary. Each transfer of beer you do increases your chances of infection (exposure to air and new surfaces plus transfer equipment)

You'll find nearly 9 out of 10 homebrewers avoiding secondary now. Leaving your beer on the yeast cake has proven to help clean up many of the off flavors attributed to fermentation.

Yeast flocculation characteristics and their environment are the main attributing factors in a clear beer. To add to this there are a multitude of errors that can cause a cloudy or hazy beer that a secondary will have zero influence on.

Some professional Brewers will recommend to let the beer completely clear before bottling, this isn't bad advice since by this point your beer has seen adequate aging and refining and will result in a better quality product upon packaging but many of us homebrewers have success letting the clearing happen in the keg or cold conditioning for a week or two in a bottle

Good luck

 

[oceanic_brew]

I should mention that we wait until it tastes decent also before kegging but most of us keg cloudy beer from time to time or always depending on style

 

[C-Rider]

Go w/their time frame but all in the fermenter. Your beer will clear and if you rack carefully it will bottle clear.

 

[jerbrew]

No secondary. Bottle it after their time frame and let it continue to settle out in the bottle while it carbs.

 

[Longtrain]

Thanks to all, I suspected only a primary, good to get confirmation.

 

[kh54s10]

IDK, Whirlfloc is usually added to the boil not to the fermenter. It helps coagulate proteins, helping to clear the beer. There is no need for a secondary. The beer should clear in primary in less than 2 weeks. Maybe as little as 5 days, depending on a lot of factors. Wait 10-14 days after brewday and you should be able to bottle/keg the beer. Stable gravity is the ultimate indicator.

 

[Sadu]

I like clear beer, and find that whirlfloc/Irish moss in the boil, plus cold crashing, plus gelatin, plus at least a few days in the fridge before serving always results in a nice clear beer.

Depends on the style too, with an APA I actually like a bit of cloudiness to give that hazy burnt orange colour and don't usually try too hard with clearing them.

 

[PADave]

I've found that using Whirlfloc, primary for 3 weeks, and a careful pour out of the bottle results in a quite clear brew. I'm in the give it time and don't disturb it camp. Once the fermenter is sealed up I don't touch it, unless adding dry hops, till bottling day 3 weeks later, which is when I take the only FG reading.

 

[Longtrain]

Whirlfloc was added to the boil of course, I am amazed how clear it got even before I pitched. I understand it will churn while fermenting and the settle down. I just kegged a mildly cloudy IPA, that for some reason wouldn't completely clear. It tastes great, I have no problem with it, but some sampling didn't go for the cloudy. So, more for me I guess. ;-) BTW, I keg almost everything now, save a few bottles to transport.

 

[Calder]

I like clear beer, and find that whirlfloc/Irish moss in the boil, plus cold crashing, plus gelatin, plus at least a few days in the fridge before serving always results in a nice clear beer.

...... What would you expect?!? You used pretty much everything there is in the arsenal!

I don't use Irish Moss (Daughter is allergic to it - Carregeenan). I don't cold crash. I do use gelatin. I find my beers pour clear, even with only a few hours in the fridge.

 

[oceanic_brew]

My IPA's tend to be a little more cloudy for a bit. Some are meant to be that way.

 

[Longtrain]

I made another APA using a Brewer's Best kit following their directions and using Whirlfloc @ 10 minutes. Fermentation went well and the fermenter was cold crashed with gelatin. It has been over three weeks and the beer is still very cloudy. So, about 10 days ago I made another batch using a la carte supplies that I had on hand, including Muntons LME. All went well and after 36 hours post gelatin, it is clear, really clear.
The same equipment and processes were used for both batches, except for the brand of the LME. The 2nd batch is what I normally get, not cloudy beer after 3 weeks.
I kegged the first batch, topped with CO2 and am going to just let it sit for quite a while as the second batch will be ready to drink shortly.
I'm stumped, but won't be using BB kits, since my a la carte way works as expected.

 

[redarmy990]

Heres a picture of my first ever brew an APA, didnt use any clearing agents or cold crashing.
For me its not clear enough, just wanted to know what other more seasoned brewers thought. There aint much lrft in the glass but it tastes good.

 

[Longtrain]

Since I only make partial grain, extract kits, I've only had problems with clearing with Brewers Best kits, kits from Midwest, or copy kits that I put together using Muntons LME have no problem clearing using gelatin and cold crashing. I added Whirlfloc to the mix, didn't help the BB kits clear. Although the BB kits are hazy, they taste fine, and I guess are in vogue now. My last BB kit is in a keg under CO2. I'll post when it finally clears.

 

[ericbw]

I like whirfloc. It's cheap and just makes sense.

Since you made a recipe without buying the kit, you'll save money, too!

 

[Longtrain]

Since you made a recipe without buying the kit, you'll save money, too!

Yup, figured that out a while back, a LHBS had 3.3 lb cans of Muntons on sale, so I picked up a bunch, unfortunatly it's almost gone now, need to restock. I keep a few lbs of Belgium Aromatic Malt in the freezer, hops and yeast in the frig. Pretty much ready to go. This is fun!

 

[Longtrain]

Got around to kegging the Brewers Best APA kit, it is very tasty and with all the family in for the holidays we almost kicked it. But, it didn't completely clear, maybe 75%. It was fine in light of that cosmetic flaw.

 

[BrewSomeMore]

Cold crashing helps. Gelitin. Time. Depends on yeast strain, protein and hops. I used to use whirlfloc, now it just clears in the keg.

 

[Longtrain]

I used gelatin and cold crashed it, didn't work on these kits, works crystal clear on all my other batches.

 

[seabrew8]

Just made an APA from a Brewers Best Kit, added 1/2 Whirfloc, into the fermenter, trub at the bottom, starting to ferment.

Question, BB recommends a secondary, to assist in clearing for 2 weeks. Since I added Whirfloc will I get clear beer in the primary or should I go to a secondary as recommended? Never used a secondary or Whirlflic before. Thanks.

Can you cold crash? Probably the best way to clear beer besides filtering.

Edit: Never read your last post!