Chill Haze

[kylewag]

I have an issue with chill haze. I did almost the same recipe last year with no problem (different hop schedule though). I actually tried harder this year NOT to get chill haze and did anyway. Extract recipe, partial boil both times.
No Haze Batch: Didn't pay attention to hot break, good cold break, no kettle finings, no steeping grains, "finishing hops" boiled for 5 minutes. 1 oz hops boiled for 60 min, 2 oz for 5 min. All extract boiled for 60 minutes.
Chill Haze Batch: Got a great hot break, fast cold break, used Whirlfloc, 8oz Caramel 40L steeping grains, "finishing hops" added at flameout. 1/2 oz hops boiled for 60 min, 1 oz for 15 min, 1.5 oz at flameout. Late extract addition - 4 lbs added with 15 minutes left in boil.
So, which of the variables is most likely to have made the difference? Late addition of DME? Not boiling the "finishing hops"? The use of steeping grains?
I was most surprised that the Whirlfloc and good hot break batch is the one with the chill haze problem. It looked great in the hydrometer test jar and looks great in bottles still conditioning at room temperature. But the portion in the keg is still hazy after a week. I think a couple more weeks may clear it up too, I'm just curious which of those variables may have caused this.

 

[lumpher]

At first glance I don't see anything that could have caused haze. I've done all those many times over the years, including times when I've done all those and not been hazy (the beer, not me; I'm always hazy)... Did you use a different yeast or hops?

 

[kylewag]

This time I used .5 oz Citra - 60 min, .5 oz Citra + .5 oz Cascade - 15 min, 1 oz Citra + .5 oz Cascade flameout. Last time I used 1 oz Columbus - 60 min, 1 oz Cascade + 1 oz Centennial - 5 min. Also, late extract addition of 4 lbs DME this time. I boiled all extract for 60 minutes last time. I did a batch earlier this year with late extract addition and it was crystal clear. It did not have late hops though. I was wondering if it may be polyphenols from the late hops addition.

 

[ncbrewer]

Was there a difference in how fast these batches were chilled?

 

[kylewag]

Was there a difference in how fast these batches were chilled?

Maybe, depending on how you look at it. The non-chill haze batch was only bottles. The batch with chill haze was partially kegged. I have a small keg (1.5 gal) and that's what had chill haze (which has cleared up BTW after 2 weeks in the fridge). The bottles are still conditioning @ room temp for another week or so. I will try one of them and see if the same thing happens. If so, I will keep a 2 weeks supply in the fridge at all times so they will have time to clear before I drink them. Not that it really matters, they all taste the same, but it sure looks better when they're clear. I guess I'm just too impatient to drink my beer.

 

[ncbrewer]

I was wondering about how fast the wort got from boiling down to pitching temp?

 

[kylewag]

Ok. That makes sense. I didn't time them but if anything the batch with chill haze cooled faster since the tap water was likely cooler when I brewed that batch a few weeks ago. I live in the Seattle area and we've only had about 3 days this year when it was warm and that wasn't one of them. Ha! The no chill haze batch was brewed in the heat of summer last year. We had already had a couple spells of 100+ temperatures. Same amount of wort & same immersion chiller, just tap water both times.

 

[ncbrewer]

I have an ongoing problem with chill haze. I think it's because I chill with an ice water bath, and it takes about an hour to get to pitching temp. I can get rid of the chill haze by using lots of Irish Moss, but that kills the head retention. Alternately, if I leave the bottles in the fridge for 7 - 9 days it drops clear. That's similar to what you mentioned. Really not a bad work-around if it's practical for you.

 

[Kickass]

I battled chill haze until I stared cold crashing and using gelatin (about 10 years). I could never really avoid it and just accepted that my beers would be cloudy unless I could cold store them for a month or more. Good luck.