KETTLE FININGS - Which work best and why compared & vs nothing used.

[Brewdouche-RuBrew]

Experienced Homebrewers

We need your input. Please conciensiously post your comparitive observations. Please dont post short uninformative statements, and please for John Barleycorns sake dont talk out yer butt. Please have used at least 2 of these, and contrast them, and/or vs (none used) if possible. Or suggest better alternatives not listed.

Speaking for myself. I use bentonite exclusively in wine making because all my research says it has the best cost/benifit/negetive/positive ratio of all the fining agents...other than TIME. Could or should I use this in my secondary.

For two years now I have not fined my beer, at all, and would now like to get more of the yeast out before kegging, and/or/to the bottle. Without filtering.

Reference:
Irish moss, or carrageen moss
Whirlfloc tabs
Super Moss Tech Sheet

Thanks for all your input.

We have a need for a subcatagory for an old subject... FININGS UNDER - Home Brew Forums > Home Brewing Beer >

 

[Priemus]

I dont use anything cept a physical whirlpool to try concentrate hop sludge. Beers have always been clear apart from the odd chill haze 1 out of 5 brews, but that was probably more to do with me not cooling wort fast enough.

Edit:
I know I'm not comparing two finings, sorry. But my point is that in 3 years of brewing I'd never felt the need to use any.

 

[Yooper]

I think Irish moss works fine, but I've had much better results with a tablet of Whirfloc in a 5-10 gallon batch. Much more obvious amounts of hot break and cold break, with greater wort clarity, and clearer beer.

 

[jeffmeh]

I tend to use Irish Moss in the boil, and a cold crash after fermentation, sometimes using gelatin 48 hours into the cold crash. I make the decision regarding the gelatin when I take my FG hydro sample, about 3 weeks into fermentation. If the beer is already fairly clear, I might skip the gelatin. The second to last beer was an Old Speckled Hen clone, and I went with the cold crash only. The last one was a Kolsch, and the hydro sample was full of Wyeast 2565, so I went with the gelatin.

This has been working great for me with full-volume, single-vessel, BIAB and No-Chill.

 

[Henrythe9th]

+1 above but I have started to experiment with using none , I read somewhere that kettle finings may cause the cold break to be more in volume but "fluffier" in consistency.

 

[samc]

Irish moss worked well. You are suppose to rehydrate it so an extra step.

Whirlfloc works better and is easier. I find however that I need to use 2 tablets in 11 gallon batch for proper break.

Never used Super Irish.

 

[Brewdouche-RuBrew]

Thanks guys this is exactly the kind of clear concise feedback I was hoping to have shared. More level 10 beer nerdz please chime in.

 

[Rhoobarb]

Looky heyah now.

 

[Brewdouche-RuBrew]

I think I will e-mail a few major online retailers, and have them send me a single dose of each and do a side by side batch of 1G BOILS.

We have a need for a subcatagory for an old subject... FININGS UNDER - Home Brew Forums > Home Brewing Beer >

 

[Brewdouche-RuBrew]

My research reveals to me that this a corporate scam.

Reference:
Irish moss, or carrageen moss - Chondrus crispus, is a species of red algae

Whirlfloc tabs - Same only ground more, and pressed into tablets with talc

Super Moss Tech Sheet - Same only ground more, and mixed with corn suger to aid blending & dosing.

 

[Got Trub?]

I have used all three over the years. For convenience (not having to rehydrate plain old Irish moss) I prefer the super moss/whirlfloc. I currently use Super Moss as my LHBS carries it, but not whirlfloc, and I have a 4oz container that will last another year or two. The Super Moss is substantially cheaper so unless someone does a convincing side by side that shows better fining and a better beer as a result I won't be switching.

GT