infection after gelatin addition?

[hopsgo]

I had just finished dry hopping, FG was stable - aroma and taste were perfect - I didn't have time to bottle for a few days, so I decided to try gelatin fining for the first time.

Two days later, when I began to bottle rack, the smell and taste were super off. Not appealing at all. I'm not sure how it can change so quickly, but I am worried that I infected the beer with the addition of gelatin. Maybe I added it too hot, or didn't sanitize it properly before hand.

I bottled anyway, because I'm hopeful, but I am pretty disappointed and nervous that I ruined my beer.

Does this sound possible?

 

[ba-brewer]

Two days seems pretty quick for a beer to turn, but it is possible that it got infected from adding gelatin. Seem like if you chilled the beer to add gelatin the lower temp would slow things down. What did it taste and smell like?

Also how much gelatin and what was your process for adding it?

I do know that the jar I use for heating gelatin smell like cow crap but I have never notice that smell make it to the beer.

 

[hopsgo]

I don't have the means to cold crash, so I didn't. I figured it may not fine as well, but from what I've read, that seemed like the biggest risk.

The aroma/taste went from super strong hops, citra and amarillo, to sort of funky or musty.

I used 1 tsp of gelatin to 3/4 cup water. I softened the gelatin and then added hot water, around 150F. I didn't boil it first, but it was filtered. I think that may have been the first mistake, but also think I may not have cooled it down enough before I added it.

I removed the dry hop bag and then gently poured the gelatin mixture down the side wall to avoid splashes/agitation.

I was very tired that day and a maybe overconfident because it's a high gravity beer, ABV almost 8%.

What is your process? I'm not sure I'll try it again for a long time..

 

[eric19312]

I follow the process more or less as described on the brulosophy site. 1/2 tsp gelatin in 1/2 cup filtered chlorine free water. Let it bloom 10 min. Heat in microwave to about 160. Pour it into fermenter of chilled beer. I pour it in hot right down the middle. Flush with CO2 and wait 24hrs before

 

[SlitheryDee]

I follow the brulosophy method as well. I sanitize the cup first and then put the gelatin and water in it. Then I heat it in 10-15 second bursts until it reaches about 160F, stirring with a thermometer in between bursts. I let it drop back down to 150, not because I think the heat is going to hurt the beer, but because I want to give it plenty of time to pasteurize before I pour it in. Then I just pour it into the fermenter.

Even though it's recommended to chill then beer before adding the gelatin, I've used gelatin right before chilling and right after and it seemed to work equally well.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, the reason why most gelatin users advise to chill the keg first is you can't get rid of chill haze unless it exists...

Cheers!

 

[hopsgo]

I did sanitize the cup actually. I just didn't cold crash...

The only other thing I did that day was replace my blow off tube with a standard airlock because it was clearly unnecessary at that point.

 

[ba-brewer]

I rack to a keg from primary then chill the keg for a few days to ensure the formation of chill haze. I bloom the gelatin for 20min in bottled spring water then heat in the micro wave in 20sec bursts until over 160F. I pour into the middle of keg with no stirring. I repurge the keg and let it go a few days. I carbonate the whole time it is in the cooler.

I use 3.5gm for a 5gal keg. 3.5gm is half a packet of knox gelatin not sure what that is in volume.

If I were to add to a warm primary I think would add in the middle and give a gentle stir instead of doing it against the side to make sure it got distributed.

I started using gelatin because my wife did not like drinking hazy beer, but she is getting less picky so I have been using it less often normally only when I am in a rush for beer. Also even though I don't think I can taste/smell the cow thing the way it smells sort of bothers me and most beer clear with enough chill time anyways.. I bought some agar agar to see if that works without the smell but have not tried it yet.

 

[hopsgo]

Well, I'm going to pray that I don't get any bottle bombs and that it is at least drinkable, but I have a feeling that I won't be proudly passing this one around, ha.

Thanks for sharing all of your experiences.

I'll post an update in a few weeks if it tastes worthy of one.

 

[ba-brewer]

good luck to you on your beer. I am always amazed on how the flavor of some beers change over time.

Would not hurt to do a extra thorough cleaning of your equipment that came in contact with that beer. Might want to try to figure out the possible source of the contaminate, it is possible it happen when the gelatin was added but it could of happen before then too, it was just you could not taste or smell it yet.