Gelatin finings, maybe I messed up

[Jfclem62]

Today I finally got around to begging my Kolsch. I read a couple of techniques about using gelatin and when to do so. I decided that I would boil a 1/4 cup of water to sanitize it and let it cool. Once cooled I added a 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin to it, stirred to let it dissolve. About 15 min passed before I got finished transferring the beer to the keg. After I threw the keg in the fridge, I noticed in the cup there was some gelatin clumped together. The size of a large marble maybe. So my question is, did I wait too long before I added it to my beer? And if so, can I just add more to the keg? The Kolsch is delicious and all I need is for it to clear up a bit!!! Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Jtvann]

I usually add gelatin to cold water and microwave it for 15 sec increments while stirring. When I hit 165 max, I dump it in hot.

I think it mixes better cold? Not sure where I read that.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I don't think you waited too long. I've read a few different ways that people use gelatin. I always run with the Brulosophy method and it's served me well.

- 1/4 cup cool water
- 1/2 tsp gelatin
- Sprinkle gelatin into water
- Microwave in 7 sec bursts to get to 145 - 150*F (usually about 4-5 bursts)
- Stir with thermometer in between bursts to monitor temp
- Add to keg

The caveat to this, and @Jtvann touched on it, the beer should be cold. I've never tried using gelatin on warm beer but others have and documented it and from what I remember, it doesn't work well. The beer needs to be cold. At least below 50*F, preferably below 40*F.

Give the gelatin you added a few days. If it doesn't get it where you want it, you could try and do it again to see if it improves. The only thing I don't know is if that clump you mentioned will break up and dissolve or if it will stay a clump and not really help you much.

 

[bgmac]

You didn't heat the water up with the gelatin. That's why you had clumps. Next time, do what Rob posted and heat it up in the microwave and dump it in warm with the keg cooled to fridge temps.

 

[wepeeler]

I've used Gelatin a few times and had zero luck. Biofine works 1000x better and faster, for me. Biofine is already a liquid and much less hassle. YMMV.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I've used Gelatin a few times and had zero luck. Biofine works 1000x better and faster, for me. Biofine is already a liquid and much less hassle. YMMV.

Biofine definitely seems more convenient, but never used it.

What's been your experience with it @wepeeler ? Do you get brilliantly clear beer with it or is it mediocre clarity?

I've loved using gelatin. While it's not so user friendly, I get brilliantly clear beer after about 2-3 days. The pictures below is my most recent use of it. The picture isn't the best as my phone sucks but you can see the sticker detail through the glass. You could definitely read some fine print through it. However, if Biofine works just as well, hell, I'd give that a shot.

 

[wepeeler]

Biofine definitely seems more convenient, but never used it.

What's been your experience with it @wepeeler ? Do you get brilliantly clear beer with it or is it mediocre clarity?

I've loved using gelatin. While it's not so user friendly, I get brilliantly clear beer after about 2-3 days. The pictures below is my most recent use of it. The picture isn't the best as my phone sucks but you can see the sticker detail through the glass. You could definitely read some fine print through it. However, if Biofine works just as well, hell, I'd give that a shot.

View attachment 669368View attachment 669369

I've used it 4x and never gotten brilliantly clear beer. And it's not like I was using it on a witbier or something with crazy high proteins. I did an Fall Amber ale that took FOREVER to clear out and still wasn't brilliantly clear. Then a Blonde ale which never really cleared. I've used Biofine 2x on my Kolsch, and it's crazy clear. Not in 2-3 days, but within a week or so it was. +1 Biofine for me. Less hassle too, imo.

 

[Riley Henderson]

I used gelatin for the first time about a week ago where I heated up the water (3/4 of a cup) to just under a simmer where it was hot enough that I could feel the heat while hovering my hand over the measuring cup, from there added about 1 tsp to the water and mixed it until fully dissolved.

2 days later (last Friday) when I had the day off and was going to start 2 new batches I also racked this batch with the gelatine to a new carboy just as I don't keg (too much of a cost at this time) and it was looking pretty clear. Although I never had too much issues with clarity of beer just as I tend to be pretty lazy or as I like to call it patient. Although this batch is one I've been working on and ageing for over 2 months now and have been as meticulous with as possible so I'm hoping this gelatine would do something extra for the clarity. I will be bottling this weekend and hopefully from there I can really see the different results from the past batches.

We'll see how it turns out in a few weeks

 

[Gnomebrewer]

so I'm hoping this gelatine would do something extra for the clarity. I will be bottling this weekend and hopefully from there I can really see the different results from the past batches.

We'll see how it turns out in a few weeks

As previously said, gelatin really needs to be added to cold beer. Had you chilled before adding it? If you didn't, it won't hurt anything, but won't do what it's meant to either.
The best thing (IMO) about gelatin to fine is that it removes chill-haze. Chill haze forms from proteins and tannins in beer binding together at cold temperatures. It doesn't exist at warm (ferment) temperatures, so can't be removed until the beer is cold. So, if you add gelatin to warm beer, it might help drop some solids if the beer wasn't clear, but you'll still get chill haze once the beer is chilled. FWIW I don't bother with it anymore - beer drops clear with time in the fridge anyway (my avatar pic didn't have gelatin, just plenty of chill time).

 

[Riley Henderson]

I guess I should of mentioned that I did a small cold crash to it as I live up in Canada I had placed my carboy in my unheated garage for the full day of adding the gelatin; put it in the garage around 7:30 am last Wednesday, did the gelatin around 8pm and left the beer in the garage until the Friday when I transferred it to the new carboy.