Beer clarity question?

wagesgt903 · Dec 15, 2012

So I am partial mash/extract batches with full five gallon boils. Cool down is now down to under 20 minutes from boil to yeast pitch with a good cold break. I try to avoid siphoning as much of the trub as can when transferring and cold crash before it goes into the keg. Question is my beer never ends up super clear until about two weeks after being in the keg. Any ideas or is this just normal?

Yooper · Dec 15, 2012

wagesgt903 said:
So I am partial mash/extract batches with full five gallon boils. Cool down is now down to under 20 minutes from boil to yeast pitch with a good cold break. I try to avoid siphoning as much of the trub as can when transferring and cold crash before it goes into the keg. Question is my beer never ends up super clear until about two weeks after being in the keg. Any ideas or is this just normal?

It isn't really "normal" as my beer is often clear right after fermentation ends, but it might be very common.

I have a couple of questions. First, is the wort clear after you chill and put it into the fermenter? My wort is super clear, and it's easy to take a hydrometer reading. Do you get a good cold break?

What yeast strains are you typically using? Some yeast strains take much longer to clear the beer than others, and that could be a part of it.

When you cold crash, the beer really should clear nicely. After you cold crash is it debris-free but still hazy?

wagesgt903 · Dec 15, 2012

That's the thing after fermentation it is super clear. As for yeast strains just depends on the batch. Sometimes dry but lately when I can I use the wyeast activator packs.

Yooper · Dec 15, 2012

wagesgt903 said:
That's the thing after fermentation it is super clear. As for yeast strains just depends on the batch. Sometimes dry but lately when I can I use the wyeast activator packs.

If it's clear originally, but then hazes up when cold, then it's "chill haze". Chill haze will clear up after a while at cold temperatures- that's probably why it does go away eventually.

Is your cold break really a great cold break with lots of globs? I noticed that when I have a really great cold break that I don't get chill haze. Whirfloc in the last 15 minutes of the boil helps a lot with that!

wagesgt903 · Dec 15, 2012

Cold break is always pretty good. As far as tablets I use them on all my batches. If it is just chill haze is there anything else I can do?

Yooper · Dec 15, 2012

wagesgt903 said:
Cold break is always pretty good. As far as tablets I use them on all my batches. If it is just chill haze is there anything else I can do?

I can't think of anything. Hot break is important too, but you don't always get a hot break with extract. It's weird, because I don't get chill haze at all with whirfloc and chilling quickly. It could be the brand of extract you're using? I don't know- that's simply a guess!