NEIPA Clearing in Keg

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

I recently brewed a NEIPA, which turned out amazingly well. I was super happy with the result, and it was absolutely perfect in flavor and appearance, when poured fresh from the keg. The recipe and a picture of the finished beer are available here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/snow-peak-ipa.645130/

After about a week and a half in the keg, each pint started getting clearer and clearer, until now it almost looks like a Pilsner in the glass. The hop flavor has not subsided at all, and I even added whole hop cones to the keg. I am curious if anyone else has had issues with NEIPA clearing as it sits in the keg, and if you have any possible solutions to this problem. I know commercial breweries sell their NEIPA almost exclusively in kegs, and the beers are expected to be consistent in flavor and appearance with every pour.

I realize that a cold beer in a keg, clearing is almost inevitable over time, and I have even had Belgian Witbier drop completely clear after a few weeks in a cold keg. I would really appreciate any advice.

 

[TallDan]

 

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

Is this a dumb question? Did I answer it on my own? Is it just a universal problem? WHAT IS NATHAN FILLION TELLING ME!?!?!?!

 

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

I had read on HBT that using whirlfloc in the kettle is actually acceptable with this style, as the beer may be too "Chewy" or muddy if it is not used. I used a whole tablet which, in hindsight, may have knocked too much protein out of the beer for the hop oils and polyphenols to have anything to bind to. I am going to try dialing this recipe in with my next brew, and would love some advice.

 

[Sailingeric]

Like you and NEIPA clear in my keg. It now has a slight haze. Next time I am adding more oatmeal to see if that helps. Also like you, it still taste dang tasty. Maybe we can call it a new style, Mid Atlantic IPA.

 

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

Like you and NEIPA clear in my keg. It now has a slight haze. Next time I am adding more oatmeal to see if that helps. Also like you, it still taste dang tasty. Maybe we can call it a new style, Mid Atlantic IPA.

I am considering using flaked oats in my next batch. Was thinking of oat milk, but Brulosophy says it cleared like nuts.

 

[jjw5015]

You said the flavor has not subsided at all. So you're just chasing haziness for the sake of haziness?

 

[TallDan]

"beer should be clear"

"haze is an accepted flaw in NEIPA as it's a side effect of the fast turnaround, high hopping rates, and adjuncts that increase mouthfeel"

...

"my NEIPA is somehow flawed because it's NOT hazy"

 

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

I guess I see the flaw in my logic... lol. I don't want it to be hazy for the sake of haze, but I did notice the mouthfeel was better when it was hazy. I have also had witbiers drop totally clear, which is more of a problem, as it doesn't fit the style.

 

[Upthewazzu]

Ditch the whirlfloc completely and add some oats (flaked or otherwise). Try using Wyeast 1272.

EDIT: noticed that your recipe already has wheat. While it might help, it's certainly not guaranteed to haze things up. I use wheat in my Kolsch recipe and it drops crystal clear.

 

[TallDan]

Shake your keg every few days, that will keep it hazy.

 

[The_Bishop]

Enjoy the fact that you have now discovered that 'juicy' IPA does not need to look like the dregs from the bottom of a fermenter, and the whole 'hazy' thing is a bunch of bollocks.

 

[melville]

Use less total wheat (under 20%).
If you continue to use the malted wheat, definitely reduce the unmalted wheat (flaked).
Combine or substitute with a different protein, perhaps one that is malted.
Use a different yeast strain.
Dry hop much earlier (36-48 hours *post-pitch* depending on how rigorous your strain is).

 

[Clef051]

I used around 17% wheat and 11% oats for my last NEIPA, it stayed nice and cloudy didn't use any whirl floc, although I don't really use it in anything else either. no muddiness

 

[muledogus]

I know some think it's silly to want haze just for the sake of it but for me it is part of this beers profile and to be honest, I find the haze beautiful. For the heck of it I tipped a keg of an NEIPA I made a few times after it was clearing up. Attached are pics of the beer when it was brand new, a couple of weeks after kegging and now after the keg tip. All the haze came right back but I had to drink a really pulpy pint after the tipping. Maybe a gentle swirl would do the trick.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I think that hazy beers can be good beers but the idea that a clear niepa can't be a great example of the style is absurd, though I think I understand OP's thinking. I have had a hefeweizen drop totally clear and while I wasn't upset about it, it wasn't what I expected. Kinda reminds me of the BJCP styleguide's suggestion that a small bit of diacetyl is acceptable in most ales and even preferable in Scottish ales, though I don't know if I've seen any threads here asking how to induce diacetyl it in an otherwise clean beer.

Just goes to show the old adage 'one man's trash is another man's treasure' can apply even to cloudy, yeasty homebrew. I prefer my beers to turn out cloudy enough to coat the back of a spoon, if only just to keep the beer moochers at bay.

 

[day_trippr]

Prototypical NEIPAs really don't look like that murky cloud bomb...

Cheers!

 

[Upthewazzu]

Prototypical NEIPAs really don't look like that murky cloud bomb...

Cheers!

Yeah, that's the interesting part about all of this. I was in Portland, ME for my brothers wedding back in July and had about 20 or so different NEIPA's. Most, if not all, were hazy-ish, but nothing like some of the pictures that people post on here.

Most of them looked like the middle pic (the one next to the red crock-pot) posted above.

 

[MakeDankBeer]

mentally tastes fuller when its cloudy

 

[day_trippr]

Agreed, the middle pic is the closest to what I've had from the likes of Treehouse, Trillium, et al.
I don't know why folks try to end up with something totally opaque...

Cheers!

 

[Qhrumphf]

I've had Alchemist and Lawsons beers drop 100% bright.

And I thought most of these were limited quick-distro cans (IE we're releasing on X date, come buy a 4pk and drink em fast).

If the flavor and aroma are right, don't sweat it.

If you want haze for haze sake, I've read and tried everything I can think of from playing with adjunct levels to chloride levels to hopping rates to which particular days I dry hop to with/without finimgs to fermentation schedules to crashing or not, and found at the end of the day it's yeast strain. Simply some strains will biotransform and create permanent (or nearly) haze and others will not.

Try using London III (WY1318). I've had the most luck keeping a hazy appearance the longest with that strain. Kveik yeast will work too (I don't remember for sure which particular strain but I think Kveik Voss) since it basically doesn't flocc (although it's a different haze and super susceptible to hop creep). Conan reportedly should too (although I haven't played with it personally and experience with those who do says it'll drop bright like the rest).

 

[brewswithshoes]

May not help keep it in suspension, but I read somewhere on here about folks that were swapping gas diptubes for longer ones. Idea was that on every pour the new gas entering would bubble/mix up the haze. I think I read it in a post about keeping Hefe's "yeasty" looking instead of clear.
May help keeping it looking the way you want.

 

[MakeDankBeer]

To be fair, there are probably thousands of commercial examples of both, complete opaque murkiness and some that more resemble unfiltered ipa's.

If you want them to resemble super murkiness, look at flaked wheat and dry hop schedule,yeast. None of mine have ever "cleared" up keg(3 weeks max) maybe I drink them to fast ?

 

[BrewMan13]

My first crack at the style started to noticeably clear at 4 weeks. Left a sample out on the counter for observation, and the material settling out was like a fine white powder on the bottom of the glass.

 

[Dextersmom]

Give the white labs sach brux trois a try. solid yeast with fruity / pineapple esters and slight funk akin to brett (although not a brett). I've had some really nice murk that doesn't settle out even with fining agents.

 

[jonwilliams48]

I’m on week 7 of my NEIPA and it’s almost perfectly clear. The last keg only lasted about 3.5 weeks. The beer has changed in mouthfeel and even flavor. But while it’s no longer “hazy” it’s still a total juice bomb and still deliscous and better than anything at the store I can get my hands on. So I’m just enjoying the journey of this beer and not worrying about haze.

 

[FruityHops]

Use 15% - 20% of a flaked adjunct (wheat, rye, or oats) in your grist, whirlpool or hop steep with about 1 oz/gal, and dry hop near high krausen with about 1 oz/gal. If you do those three things I guarantee your NEIPA will never clear of haze. You could use whirlflock and gelatin and such a beer would still be permanently hazy. I don't see the point of using whirlflock or gelatin with NEIPA though.

 

[wepeeler]

Use 15% - 20% of a flaked adjunct (wheat, rye, or oats) in your grist, whirlpool or hop steep with about 1 oz/gal, and dry hop near high krausen with about 1 oz/gal. If you do those three things I guarantee your NEIPA will never clear of haze. You could use whirlflock and gelatin and such a beer would still be permanently hazy. I don't see the point of using whirlflock or gelatin with NEIPA though.

You should look into some of the new discussions regarding the neipa or hazy ipas. Most commercial breweries and reputable home brewers have stopped doing biotransformation dry hopping. The latest trend has been to drop yeast before dry hopping. The idea is that hop oils bind to yeast, and when the yeast drops, it takes hop oils with it. Whirfloc and gelatin are more for pulling out unwanted proteins and "green" flavors in beer that affect longevity ie packaging and/or shelf life. I mention Scott Janish as he's been doing a lot of research into this. He's even written a book - "The New IPA". He uses whirlfloc and gelatin on all his beer (from homebrew and now in his commercial brewery). I asked him if he thought it would be beneficial to drop yeast, then gelatin, then dry hop, and he thought that would be a very interesting experiment. I've since done it, and I feel the hop aroma and flavor sticks around a bit longer.

 

[moreb33rplz]

FWIW (and take with grain of salt I've only brewed 2x NEIPA), mine stay hazy for about a month in the keg, or about 6 weeks past brew day.

- Used S-04 or Conan
- No whirfloc/irish moss
- used about 10% flaked oats and 10% malted wheat
- a crap ton of flameout hops
- a moderate crap ton of dryhop (1 oz/gallon) about 7-10 days into fermentation - let sit for 3-5 days, do a soft cold crash to 55, then keg

They both looked like typical commercial versions of the style