BrewmanBeing
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Can I add a clarifier such as Irish Moss or Whirlfloc at bottling? I seem to remember yes.
homebrewer_99 said:Finings are used prior to bottling (tried them once and DO NOT recommend them).
Whirlfloc and Irish Moss are intended to coagulate proteins in hot wort - i.e., help settle the hot break to the bottom of your kettle. Once the wort is cooled, the intended effect is lost. If you add either product to your hot priming solution, proteins in the priming solution will coagulate, but there will be no effect on the already cool beer when you prime.BrewmanBeing said:Well, when I prepare my primer, I boil a little bit of DME in water, why can't I add whirlfloc to this?
BrewmanBeing said:So is there anything that isn't either from an animal or synthetic
As already stated, Irish Moss and Whirlfloc are not suitable as "fining agents" at bottling time.BrewmanBeing said:So is there anything that isn't either from an animal or synthetic that I can add to my beer prior to bottling to assist in clarification in the bottle?
I seem to remember having success with Irish Moss in this regard but don't want to risk it since I am not sure. Perhaps some experimentation is in order.
the_bird said:The whole idea of a synthetic fining is that it will attract proteins and drop out of suspension. By the time you drink the beer - they're gone.
www.bacchus-barleycorn.com said:Protein Coagulation
During the wort boil, certain types of proteins can be coagulated. These proteins are primarily responsible for haze formation in the finished beer. However, the boiling temperature alone will not coagulate the proteins. Coagulation and precipitation require the action of the bubbles formed during a vigorous boil. Because these proteins are electrically charged molecules, providing a substance of the opposite charge will enhance the coagulation. Irish Moss, carragheen, is a seaweed that when added when added at the rate of 1 teaspoon to a 5 gallon batch the last 15-20 minutes of a rolling boil helps attract coagulated proteins into clumps causing their precipitation during the cool down period. The importance of a vigorous, rolling boil for protein coagulation cannot be emphasized enough.
Finings usually work best when added to the fermenter (instead of the individual bottles) toward the end of fermentation. That keeps all of the precipitate in the bottom of the fermenter and out of the bottles.feedthebear said:I think the difficult trick to using it in bottling would be to get it uniformly dispersed in the beer. It might be better to add it to the secondary, mix gently, and let it sit a couple weeks longer.
Ok, that's an interesting dilemma. I really don't have issues with bottle sediment - I just slow my pour as I get to the bottom of the bottle and stop as the sediment starts to creep toward the neck. I rarely leave more than a few drops of beer in the bottle with that method. I'm really not sure how to make the sediment more "sticky" - especially if you want ease of cleaning.BrewmanBeing said:I'm actually less concerned about clarity. What I want is to be able to pour the beer out into a glass completely, and not get any sediment. I want something that makes the sediment stick to the bottom of the bottle, but that can be easily washed out.
CarbonSnake Filter System: The CarbonSnake is an inexpensive, easy to use carbon purification system which will remove unwanted odors and flavors from fermented alcohol bases (i.e. distiller’s yeast, nutrient blends, SuperYeasts and TurboYeasts) and ethanol distillates (grain or sugar alcohols). Essentially, the unit is composed of a spigot which will fit on any standard bottling bucket, and a hose which is attached to the spigot, filled with 60 grams of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and a small coffee filter strainer at the bottom, above the outlet valve. Product flows from the bucket through the filter hose. Each GAC should do at least a 5-6 gallon batch.
No problem with taste or stability.AdIn said:Why not? Is there some kind of taste impact or stability. I just used isinglass for the first time, seem like it did the job, secondary cleaned pretty nicely.
As long as it's not a Weizen, I use Irish Moss...it's algae. What's more natural than seaweed? Just use it in the boil.BrewmanBeing said:...So is there anything that isn't either from an animal or synthetic that I can add to my beer prior to bottling to assist in clarification in the bottle?...I seem to remember having success with Irish Moss in this regard but don't want to risk it since I am not sure. Perhaps some experimentation is in order.
Evan! said:Brewman:
Here's an idea that might save you alot of ruined beer---
Rack into your bottling bucket. Then, rack a small amount of that (4-8 bottles worth) into a sterilized container. Then, measure out your priming sugar, and separate it into two batches: one big batch that you'll use for the main portion of the beer, and one small batch that you'll use for the 4-8 experimental bottles.
When you boil your priming solution, do two boils, and add moss to the small batch, just a little bit. Then, mix the solutions in accordingly, and you have yourself a control batch and a test batch. If those few test bottles end up with good floc properties and no apparent taste or smell problems from the moss, then consider your experiment a success.
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