Beer turned black after gelatin?

[dpeanut7]

OK, so I made a Brewer's Best Witbier, and everything was going great. Fermented down to the prescribed final gravity, smelled great, sample tasted decent after 2 weeks in the primary.

Then came the black death. I racked to a secondary carboy (brand new, but I washed with Oxy clean, then sanitized).

Then I added 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin. As directed on the package, I added the gelatin to a pan of 1 cup water, let sit for 1 hour, then brought TO a boil and stopped, cooled, and funneled into the carboy. After perusing the forums, I learned you aren't supposed to boil the gelatin, but the package originally said so.

When I woke up in the morning, the carboy was VERY dark (blackish). I'm going to Europe tomorrow, so I'm just going to leave it for 2 weeks and relax (not SUPER worried).

Also, I understand WitBiers are probably supposed to be cloudy, and I understand some people are against secondaries. So please don't hammer me on those 2 topics. I wanted to free up my primary vessel, and my first beer was uber cloudy, so I wanted to try out the gelatin.

Any idea what this could be? Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate the help (for this issue and weeks of answers I've found by simply searching the site)

 

[dpeanut7]

I've attached pictures of the beer after racking, and then what I found in the morning after the gelatin took hold. In the 3rd picture, you can see little blobs, those look to be pieces of gelatin.

I just poured it in. Was I supposed to stir or anything? I wouldn't want to oxidize...

 

[Yooper]

It's darker, that's for sure! But that's because the gelatin "grabbed" floating particles (yeast) which are white and make the beer look lighter. Since it's now clear, the beer will look darker.

To really see the color of the beer, sanitize a wine thief or turkey baster or something, and take out a sample and put it in a glass. You'll see that the beer isn't black!

 

[JonM]

What the rusty f...

That's something I've not seen before. Post a picture of whatever you put in there. The Jar of gelatin and a heaping teaspoon of the contents.

EDIT: Is this a case of bad lighting? Is it as dark as it looks in the picture?

 

[dpeanut7]

I'll post in a minute. It is partially bad lighting, as when I take it out, its not AS bad. But it is definitely something I have not seen before, and it is definitely still DARK brown.

 

[dpeanut7]

1st two were just taken. It seems to be lightening at the bottom. Anxious to see what it looks like when I get back from my trip. Hopefully it isn't stripping the light from my beer and thats why its lighter at the bottom... haha.

 

[dpeanut7]

Honestly, the flash from my camera made this look a lot lighter than it does to the naked eye as well.

 

[passedpawn]

Like yooper said, it's just darker because the yeast is falling out. It will be much lighter in t he glass.

Don't worry.

 

[Atonk]

Wow - never before seen the likes. Please keep us updated when you return.

 

[Joos]

Did you use grape gelatin? Thats not " dropping out yeast"!

 

[dpeanut7]

No, I don't believe it was grape gelatin. It was gelatin from my LHBS, so I'm assuming it is absolutely da bomb gelatin made for this purpose.

I'll definitely post a picture of this in a clear bottle when I get back!

 

[Joos]

No, I don't believe it was grape gelatin. It was gelatin from my LHBS, so I'm assuming it is absolutely da bomb gelatin made for this purpose.

I'll definitely post a picture of this in a clear bottle when I get back!

Sorry man. Not trying to give you **** (well maybe a little), but that isn't right at all. Did you taste it? What was the recipe?

 

[onthekeg]

I call Shenanigans.

 

[dpeanut7]

I cant imagine what shenanigans id be pulling. If i was, it eould be costing me 5 hours of my life and $40. I think the recipe was 3.3# lme 2# wheat dme and 2 of another dme. I didnt add anything extra, and the beer tasted decent as i racked to the secondary. Havent tasted this yet, dont want to. I will when im back from my trip. Hopefully it clears.

 

[passedpawn]

Thats not " dropping out yeast"!

Yes, it is.

 

[RDWHAHB]

I third yoop and passed. There are no yeast and particles for the light to bounce of off.

 

[brewski08]

grape gelatin, dropped out yeast, bad lighting...all irrelevant.

one thing we can all agree on: you must call this beer "the chameleon".

that is all.

 

[lafolielapper]

so...enough already, take a pick in a hydrometer tube or something other than a secondary. I agree with Yoop though...looks "darker" but clearer as a result of the particles falling out of solution.

 

[Bobby_M]

You do know a Wit is supposed to be cloudy right?

 

[D0ug]

You do know a Wit is supposed to be cloudy right?

He mentioned that in the first post and asked us not to harass him about it.

 

[dpeanut7]

Haha, thanks Doug. It was more about wanting to try gelatin. Wish i used it on my kolsch and left the wheat cloudy.

 

[wildwest450]

He mentioned that in the first post and asked us not to harass him about it.

Don't put gelatin in a wit if you don't want to be harassed.

 

[dpeanut7]

Don't put gelatin in a wit if you don't want to be harassed.

Very helpful, snob.

 

[passedpawn]

Very helpful, snob.

wildwest gets away with a lot because of his avatar. And I, for one, am a supporter.

 

[brewingmeister]

Wheat beer or not it looked like there was still an active ferment going on that you stopped with the gelatin. The color change was the yeast going from suspension to the bottom.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Wheat beer or not it looked like there was still an active ferment going on that you stopped with the gelatin. The color change was the yeast going from suspension to the bottom.

This is the most likely answer

 

[brockettbrews]

i add gelatin to my beer but i use knox gelatin. never had that happen!!! Hope you like dark beer lol!! I think it will be ok!!!

 

[brockettbrews]

did you add black food coloring too the gelatin???

 

[dpeanut7]

wildwest gets away with a lot because of his avatar. And I, for one, am a supporter.

Supporter of what? Harassment? I mean i can handle it, hes just a person on the internet. Irrelevant to me.

 

[dpeanut7]

Wheat beer or not it looked like there was still an active ferment going on that you stopped with the gelatin. The color change was the yeast going from suspension to the bottom.

I mean, im a noob, but it was at the expected FG for 3 days, was in the primary for 14 days total before racking and addition of gelatin. Could there still be fermentation after that?