Brewers Best and Irish Moss experience

[Jutty]

Hello. I have brewed 6 now on 7 Brewers Best beer kits. They are fantastic!!!! My favs are the red ale, oatmeal stout and IPA but they're all delicious in their own way. My question: Every beer is quite hazy or for better words not clear. I first started with ice baths for my cold break. I made a wort chiller now which cools very quickly. It doesn't seem to make a difference. I tried Irish Moss on a repeat brew, the Red Ale. I noticed the beer was totally clear but "homebrew twangy". It had to age over twice as long to get rid of the twang. After that experience, I'd rather skip the Irish moss, in fact I now think the great flavours are in the cloudiness and the hell with the clear appearance. Any advice??? I will admit serving beer to guests, a first impression of a clear beer is nice.


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[SavaShip]

I guess my first question is, when are you putting the Irish moss in? It's supposed to be in the last 10-15 minutes of the boil. My general rule for the amount is 1/4 Teaspoon per gallon, which is nice because 1/4 teaspoon is one pinch. The only clones I've done were Gulden Draak, and Newcastle Brown Ale, both were spot on flavor-wise, and crystal clear to boot! I recommend sticking with the Irish Moss, clear beers instill confidence on those that you offer it to.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

IME you can't overdo it with Irish Moss. I've used up to 2Tbsp in a 5gal batch (experiment for a clear wheat). I've never noticed a difference in flavor solely from using IM. However, I only brewed 3 kits before going all-grain so I may be missing some of the nuisances of LME brewing.

 

[Jutty]

I used the IM a 1tsp/5gallon batch and yes added it at 15 min remaining on my boil. I just did a brew but was hesitant to use it again until I got some input back. My next is the pale wheat. Might use it but wheats are normally cloudy. We will see. Steeping grains, adding some LME or DME then boiling the hops. Is that classed as a partial mash as well?


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[boydster]

If there is no base grain, it is extract with steeping grains.

I have started using Whirlfloc instead of Irish Moss and I really like it.