humu1us
Member
My question: does anybody have a source of clean/pure gelatin? i.e. gelatin that doesn't stink
Background:
I brew with gelatin (animal collagen) for finings and find it is excellent to providing a very clear beer. I have used some gelatin I bought at the brew shop and I have used the Knox gelatin. Both smell like a wet goat when rehydrated, but I noticed the Knox was less nauseating than the brew shop gelatin. The stuff from the brew shop smells STRONG. I threw it away. I have a background in Biology and have worked in labs, and I know scientific/medical grade gelatin does not smell like anything. I think the gelatin we get smells because it is not very pure. I truly do not taste the gelatin whatsoever in my finished beer, so this is kind of an academic question I suppose. However, it bothers me a little that I am adding farm animal smell to my beer when I use gelatin. For now I will continue to use Knox, but if there was a better alternative I would go for it.
To avoid the LMGTFY syndrome, I did some research and one site from 2014 liked "Vital Proteins" https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2014/12/gelatin-brands/
There are several options for gelatin on Amazon. Aspen brand looked like a good option because one reviewer said it did not have a "barnyard smell" compared to some cheaper options. I will probably try one of these options off Amazon if nobody has any input, but thought we brewers should have this discussion, and I don't think we need to put up with the poor quality stuff at the brew shop (at least the gelatin I got). I think Knox is OK but I suspect there are better quality options.
Evidently, the food supplement subculture people go crazy for just eating and drinking gelatin in everything. That was interesting. This is great for me because I can claim that my beer is chock-full of healthy gelatin for treating arthritis and growing luscious fingernails and hair.
Background:
I brew with gelatin (animal collagen) for finings and find it is excellent to providing a very clear beer. I have used some gelatin I bought at the brew shop and I have used the Knox gelatin. Both smell like a wet goat when rehydrated, but I noticed the Knox was less nauseating than the brew shop gelatin. The stuff from the brew shop smells STRONG. I threw it away. I have a background in Biology and have worked in labs, and I know scientific/medical grade gelatin does not smell like anything. I think the gelatin we get smells because it is not very pure. I truly do not taste the gelatin whatsoever in my finished beer, so this is kind of an academic question I suppose. However, it bothers me a little that I am adding farm animal smell to my beer when I use gelatin. For now I will continue to use Knox, but if there was a better alternative I would go for it.
To avoid the LMGTFY syndrome, I did some research and one site from 2014 liked "Vital Proteins" https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2014/12/gelatin-brands/
There are several options for gelatin on Amazon. Aspen brand looked like a good option because one reviewer said it did not have a "barnyard smell" compared to some cheaper options. I will probably try one of these options off Amazon if nobody has any input, but thought we brewers should have this discussion, and I don't think we need to put up with the poor quality stuff at the brew shop (at least the gelatin I got). I think Knox is OK but I suspect there are better quality options.
Evidently, the food supplement subculture people go crazy for just eating and drinking gelatin in everything. That was interesting. This is great for me because I can claim that my beer is chock-full of healthy gelatin for treating arthritis and growing luscious fingernails and hair.
