Beer turned black after gelatin?

[Reelale]

The beer is dark. It's obvious. Darker than a wit should be. And much darker than prior to gelatin (as described). It's not yeast, it's not lighting, it's darker. I've never seen gelatin change the color like that. It changes the opaqueness, making it clearer, but not that drastic. Maybe if we keep telling ourselves it will lighten up, it will.

 

[D0ug]

I don't think we will have a satisfactory idea of what is going on until we see a smaller sample as Yooper has (repeatedly) suggested.

Pix or it didn't happen!

 

[lafolielapper]

There is such a simple solution to this problem. OP...would you please draw a sample and put it in a hydrometer test tube and take another pic. Otherwise, quit this nonsense.

 

[dpeanut7]

I....don't....know....what...to....say. The sample is clear as DAY, and somewhat light? (which is somewhat unfortunate being that its a wheat, but whatever, as a brewer, I learned how to clear my beer, that's what I care about, becoming a better brewer.

I will still post a picture in a bottle when I get back, but at this point, I don't think it matters. I guess, does anyone know WHY it's like this then??? It wasn't the lighting, since I moved it out of the closet for my second post, and it was still dark. This brewing shizz is crazy.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

It's perfectly normal, jeez!

It appears darker because it is clearer and light doesn't just bounce right off it like when it's loaded up with creamy white yeast. It penetrates and disperses. That's why the thin tube sample looks lighter... light doesn't take as long to go through it. Physics FTW.

 

[D0ug]

How did it taste?

 

[dpeanut7]

It tasted very similar to the pre-gelatin sample. My palate honestly isn't that great yet. Sorry.

 

[brockettbrews]

what is the conclusion, should you add gelatin to a wheat beer???

 

[passedpawn]

what is the conclusion, should you add gelatin to a wheat beer???

Yeast has a very distinct taste. After you've been brewing for a while, you'll be able to decide whether you want that yeast taste in the beer you are creating. If you take a sample of the beer while the yeast is still in suspension you'll definitely be able to taste the yeast.

If you do (i.e., for a german hefeweisen or belgian wit), then

• you should use a poorly-flocculating yeast (Wyeast 3068) so that the yeast stays in suspension,
• you should NOT use gelatin,
• you should pour the bottled beer in a manner to get the yeast into suspension in the glass, in the case that it's settled

If you don't want that yeast flavor (i.e., an american wheat beer and most other beers), just add gelatin or cold crash and rack very carefully when bottling.

 

[JonM]

1) OP posts question
2) Yooper responds immediately with the right answer.
3) We spend three days babbling about other possibilities
4) Yooper was right.

Listen to Yooper.

 

[Yooper]

1) OP posts question
2) Yooper responds immediately with the right answer.
3) We spend three days babbling about other possibilities
4) Yooper was right.

Listen to Yooper.

Oh, no, I'm not an authority at all! I just have lots of experience with clearing and carboys- mostly with wine. I've had golden color wines look dark in a carboy once clear and worried about it- until I pulled out a sample and saw that it was pretty light after all.

What's really weird is if you actually witness the clearing process- it clears from the top down. so, the top of the wine/beer can look black while the middle is still very light. Sort of like a "black and tan" beer- that markedly different. It is sort of freaky until you see it happen a few times!

 

[Reelale]

Well, I'll be! Looking at the carboy picture was misleading. It looked almost "stoutish" in color in the carboy to me. The smaller sample certainly is much lighter.

 

[Yooper]

Have you ever brewed a beer before? Have you ever watched it ferment? I don't care if you pitched 25 vials in a black beer and it flocced, it would not look like that. Whats worse is to tell a new brewer ( if this thread isn't complete BS) that nothing is wrong with it. that is completely ridiculous!

Why? What's wrong it it? It looks darker in the carboy, that's for sure, but the beer looks fine and seems perfectly fine.

 

[bob1006]

I just made an American wheat here is what it looks like in the carboy. In a glass its a pale color. About 3.3 on the srm scale.

 

[logan3825]

If you don't want that yeast flavor (i.e., an american wheat beer and most other beers), just add gelatin or cold crash and rack very carefully when bottling.

or use a high flocculating yeast. I use US-05 for American wheats.

 

[Joos]

Why? What's wrong it it? It looks darker in the carboy, that's for sure, but the beer looks fine and seems perfectly fine.

Must be the lighting of that photo, but that carboy looks black. Clear beer is not black ( with the obvious exceptions).

 

[brewingmeister]

I....don't....know....what...to....say. The sample is clear as DAY, and somewhat light?

just as I predicted srm under 10....well under. looks like it's around a 6-7 from the pic.

my kind of wheat....without yeast...