Beer Clarity Issue

[cjmurphy87]

Thanks in advance for any help that can be offered.

I've been having issues with the clarity of beers I've brewed recently, and inconsistencies in clarity between batches that I'm scratching my head over. I'm hoping someone here can give me some guidance on what in my process might be leading to these issues.

Pale beers in particular seem to exhibit this more than amber or dark beers, but could just be random, as some darker beers have lacked clarity as well.

My most recent 3 brews have highlighted the extremes of this issue, however I have noticed seemingly random variance in the clarity of the finished beer for a while.

My last three brews (from most recent to least) where:

English IPA (Pale, flaked corn, Invert #1, EKG for hops throughout, 1.25oz dryhop) which has remained pretty hazy, much more than I would expect to be caused by just the dryhops. Wyeast 1098.

English Mild (Pale, C60, Black Malt, Invert #3, Fuggles and Hallertau, no late hop additions or dryhops), this came out crystal clear, looked as if it had been filtered, and left behind the cleanest keg I've had when it kicked. Wyeast 1469.

Leftover ingredient Lager which I threw together for a party on short notice. (pale, and a little bit of wheat, C10, and melanoidin, Citra, with about a half ounce dryhop), Extremely cloudy on a hefe or NEIPA level, even after a month and a half in the fridge it never cleared appreciably. Saflager w34/70.

My process is a fairly typical batch sparge process:

-Collect tap water through carbon filter, then treat with Camden tablet, and adjust mineral content and pH (citric acid) to desired profile using bru'n'water (my water is extremely soft, nearly a blank slate for mineral adjustments).
- Heat to strike temperature, mash in rectangular cooler for 60 minutes, stirring mash every 15 minutes.
-vorlauf, collect first runnings, sparge with 170* water, let sit 15 minutes, vorlauf, then collect second runnings.
-60 minute boil, irish moss at 15 minutes, cool with immersion chiller.
-drain into glass carboy, pitch yeast (only use a starter if yeast is old, or OG is high).
-2 to 3 weeks in primary
-add gelatin dissolved in hot water to carboy, immediately rack to purged keg using closed transfer. Place in 40*f keezer, burst carb 24hrs at 40 psi, reduce to serving pressure (13psi) and let condition for approx. 1 week.

 

[Wolfbayte]

Thanks in advance for any help that can be offered.

I've been having issues with the clarity of beers I've brewed recently, and inconsistencies in clarity between batches that I'm scratching my head over. I'm hoping someone here can give me some guidance on what in my process might be leading to these issues.

Pale beers in particular seem to exhibit this more than amber or dark beers, but could just be random, as some darker beers have lacked clarity as well.

My most recent 3 brews have highlighted the extremes of this issue, however I have noticed seemingly random variance in the clarity of the finished beer for a while.

My last three brews (from most recent to least) where:

English IPA (Pale, flaked corn, Invert #1, EKG for hops throughout, 1.25oz dryhop) which has remained pretty hazy, much more than I would expect to be caused by just the dryhops. Wyeast 1098.

English Mild (Pale, C60, Black Malt, Invert #3, Fuggles and Hallertau, no late hop additions or dryhops), this came out crystal clear, looked as if it had been filtered, and left behind the cleanest keg I've had when it kicked. Wyeast 1469.

Leftover ingredient Lager which I threw together for a party on short notice. (pale, and a little bit of wheat, C10, and melanoidin, Citra, with about a half ounce dryhop), Extremely cloudy on a hefe or NEIPA level, even after a month and a half in the fridge it never cleared appreciably. Saflager w34/70.

My process is a fairly typical batch sparge process:

-Collect tap water through carbon filter, then treat with Camden tablet, and adjust mineral content and pH (citric acid) to desired profile using bru'n'water (my water is extremely soft, nearly a blank slate for mineral adjustments).
- Heat to strike temperature, mash in rectangular cooler for 60 minutes, stirring mash every 15 minutes.
-vorlauf, collect first runnings, sparge with 170* water, let sit 15 minutes, vorlauf, then collect second runnings.
-60 minute boil, irish moss at 15 minutes, cool with immersion chiller.
-drain into glass carboy, pitch yeast (only use a starter if yeast is old, or OG is high).
-2 to 3 weeks in primary
-add gelatin dissolved in hot water to carboy, immediately rack to purged keg using closed transfer. Place in 40*f keezer, burst carb 24hrs at 40 psi, reduce to serving pressure (13psi) and let condition for approx. 1 week.

How rigorous is your boil? My beers got clearer after I got a propane jet burner. Yku dont want to overdo it, but a more pronounced hot break may help clear the beer.

Also, how quickly do you chill? A quicker chill may help clear the beer.

Variations in either step may cause variations on the clarity.

Also, the Brulosopher folks that not filtering kettle trub from the fermenter may increase clarity of the finished product. http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/

I don't keg or use gelatin, so I cant speak to those processes.

 

[cjmurphy87]

Thanks for the reply,

I have a 55k BTU propane burner, and maintain a reasonably vigorous boil.

I have a DIY chiller that drops the wort to room temperature in about 15-20 minutes depending on time of year.

Other than using a hop spider (which I often only use for flavour and aroma hops), I don't take any steps to prevent trub from getting in the fermenter, there's usually about an inch to an inch and a half at the bottom of the carboy once it settles out after filling.

I'm wondering if it might be a mash pH issue given that it seems to be much worse with lighter beers, which could have a higher mash pH without correction. I haven't been able to find much clear information on pH and clarity though.

 

[RealRayDizzle]

chilling would produce "chill haze" for first couple weeks. Is the beer clearing up after 2-3 weeks? I converted an old chest freezer into a carbonation chamber. I set it at 34 deg, slow carbonate according to chart, then move to my serving fridge that is at 40 deg. I guess in a sense I lager everything, but if i get impatient then beer is cloudy for about 2 weeks.

 

[cjmurphy87]

No, not clearing after 2-3 weeks.

 

[David SEMich]

I'm having a very similar experience with similar equipment/process. Looking at temperature is interesting. My last two batches have not cleared after 3 weeks in keg. I boil on propane and get a good rolling boil; it takes a little longer when it's 45°F outside. My basement is considerably cooler from November into the winter as well, 62-64. I use a heating pad and blanket to keep the fermenter nearer to 65°. WLP023 was much happier than WLP090 but still takes 2+ weeks in primary.

They all taste good; I just think of them as a variation on NEIPA

 

[Conehead]

Is your PH correct for every brew?

 

[Soulshine2]

How rigorous is your boil? My beers got clearer after I got a propane jet burner. Yku dont want to overdo it, but a more pronounced hot break may help clear the beer.

Also, how quickly do you chill? A quicker chill may help clear the beer.

Variations in either step may cause variations on the clarity.

Also, the Brulosopher folks that not filtering kettle trub from the fermenter may increase clarity of the finished product. http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/

I don't keg or use gelatin, so I cant speak to those processes.

same here, except Im electric

 

[Homergah]

Initial guess is that it is ph related. What do you use to check ph? If you use a meter, do you perform regular and proper calibration? If you don't use a meter, then you really don't know your ph.

I've had clarity issues once or twice that were caused by too fine crush, over sparging, and really poor processes in general. I know that doesn't help, just my experience.

 

[cjmurphy87]

I do not presently have a means of testing pH, and just rely on bru'n'water.

Is high pH something that can cause a clarity issue in the finished beer? This is what I've been trying to establish before taking the plunge and buying a meter.

 

[David SEMich]

I don't have means to test the water/mash. I have the city water system report and use BeerSmith and/or Bru'n'water to adjust.

 

[Wolfbayte]

I do not presently have a means of testing pH, and just rely on bru'n'water.

Is high pH something that can cause a clarity issue in the finished beer? This is what I've been trying to establish before taking the plunge and buying a meter.

https://byo.com/article/the-principles-of-ph/

 

[Father Dattan]

I don’t think it’s th pH. If it had been too wrong, you would have of tastes that you would recognize as bitter. My2c is the gelatin process. I cold crash for a week at 2 degrees Celsius, i.e. 35-36 Fahrenheit. After the first day of cold crash, I add the gelatin, on the 7th day I transfer to kegs.
I started filtering between kegs, but after I tried gelatin, I don’t need to.