Clarifying brew kit beer

[xpoc454]

I've done my 3rd brewer's best kit. Ive started with it cause it was simple to start with.
I use the kit and sit the beer in the primary bucket for about 7-10 days and than secondary for about 2 weeks.

What suggestions do you pros have on clarifying the final product?
Ive read on here about irish moss which I did use on my second batch.
Ive also heard about finings like polyclar.
Someone told me not to use finings cause it will take to much stuff out.

Anyways, any suggesitons would be appreciated.
thanks
jim!

 

[loopmd]

I used polyclar in my last batch. Also, if you can, it is a good idea to put it somewhere cold for a few days during the final week in secondary. This is "cold filtering". I did that along with the polyclar and got a much better final product, but the only thing is I don't know which one did the job

 

[xpoc454]

Does the polyclar have any bad effect on the yeast if you are going to be bottle conditioning?

Also, at what point do you add the polyclar?
thanks

 

[NUCC98]

Does the polyclar have any bad effect on the yeast if you are going to be bottle conditioning?

Also, at what point do you add the polyclar?
thanks

Not sure about the affect on the yeast for bottle conditioning. I'm in the same boat as you on that one. I'm almost at the point where I'm going to add it, though. Basically, from what I've read, you can toss it in to your secondary a couple days before you bottle it.

Back to the yeast question, though. Part of me thinks they wouldn't have something available to add to your beer if it was going to get rid of something you need to carbonate it......I could be wrong though.

 

[xpoc454]

Yeah, i was told by the local shop that something you can add will take out everything , including the yeast. They said it was good for when you are putting it in a cornelius keg and are going to carbonate it with a tank. I just cant remember what the ingredient was they mentioned.

 

[NUCC98]

Yeah, i was told by the local shop that something you can add will take out everything , including the yeast. They said it was good for when you are putting it in a cornelius keg and are going to carbonate it with a tank. I just cant remember what the ingredient was they mentioned.

This article looks good: http://byo.com/mrwizard/1277.html

I guess the bottom line is that if you use Polyclar, you have to pitch more yeast when you bottle and add the priming sugar.....

 

[D-brewmeister]

I guess the bottom line is that if you use Polyclar, you have to pitch more yeast when you bottle and add the priming sugar.....

I might be using [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif]isinglass in my Alt beer that is currently in secondary, and suppose that I will therefore need to add some extra yeast before bottling. I suppose I shouldn't need to use liquid yeast, as the beer has already done its major fermentation, and any characteristics from the yeast have already established themselves. So should I just use some plain jane powdered yeast, like coopers ale or something? (the option I would lean towards as it is much cheaper than the Wyeast German ale Activator I used for the ferment)
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[NUCC98]

I might be using [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif]isinglass in my Alt beer that is currently in secondary, and suppose that I will therefore need to add some extra yeast before bottling. I suppose I shouldn't need to use liquid yeast, as the beer has already done its major fermentation, and any characteristics from the yeast have already established themselves. So should I just use some plain jane powdered yeast, like coopers ale or something? (the option I would lean towards as it is much cheaper than the Wyeast German ale Activator I used for the ferment)
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Hmmmm......I think, first off, dry yeast should suffice. But I think you'd probably want a nice neutral dry yeast, like you said, so it doesn't throw any more flavors into the mix. According to howtobrew.com, looks like Nottingham's might be the way to go:

Nottingham Ale (Lallemand)
A more neutral ale yeast with lower levels of esters and a crisp, malty finish. Can be used for lager-type beers at low temperatures. High attenuation and medium-high flocculation. Fermentation range of 57-70°F.

 

[xpoc454]

A guy at my work told me he somehow uses the polyclar , but some how he uses a small mount of the yeast cake at the bottom to help with the bottle conditioning.
But after reading up more, it sounds like polyclar is some kind of plastic? You wouldnt want to use the yeast at the bottom if its going to be putting plastic into your bottles?

Maybe gelatin would work better since its natural, im still cnfused if i got this all sorted out anyway.

 

[uglygoat]

pour your beer into an opaque glass, that way you can't see if it's clear or not...

seriously, i don't use irish moss, finninngs or any of that stuff.

i let the wort settle in the kettle and use a cane to rack it off the trub and hop sediment at the bottom. same thing from primary to secondary and secondary to bottling bucket. i have beer as clear as stuff i can buy in the store by paying carefull attention to my racking. leaving most of the hop goop and protein behind in the kettle is the most important thing imo. also i don't move the carboys after they've been filled.

 

[wwgiese]

I've done my 3rd brewer's best kit. Ive started with it cause it was simple to start with.
I use the kit and sit the beer in the primary bucket for about 7-10 days and than secondary for about 2 weeks.

What suggestions do you pros have on clarifying the final product?
Ive read on here about irish moss which I did use on my second batch.
Ive also heard about finings like polyclar.
Someone told me not to use finings cause it will take to much stuff out.

Anyways, any suggesitons would be appreciated.
thanks
jim!

best thing you can do is get as much trub out of the fermenter before pitching as you can. Then scim off the trub on top of the fermenter (if you are using a bucket for the primary as I do) a few days in to the primary and rack as soon as the fermentation starts to slow. I usualy even rack again after fermentation is over then refrigerate the carboy for a week or so till it is clear. Then you know it will be clear when you pour a cold glass of the finished product. I dont see much use for finnings.

 

[Brewman]

I use the Irish Moss, secondary fermentor and when going to move the beer to the bottling bucket I move the fermentor a few hours before so that anything that was stirred up will re-settle and then use a racking cane.....

 

[homebrewer_99]

One trick I learned was when bottling use a couple of clear glass bottles. This way you can look at your brew and the clearing progress and sample along the way

 

[xpoc454]

Thats a good idea, i might try that.

 

[xpoc454]

I just had a question in my mind come up.

If you were planning on adding something to the secondary to clear the beer up and than take a small amount of the yeast from the bottom and put in your bottling bucket to bottle condition, would people suggest polyclar or the gelatin stuff?

A friend of mine says he uses polyclar and makes his beer crystal clear, then he takes his beer out and puts it in his bottling bucket. He then sucks up a couple table spoons of the yeast on the bottom for the bottle conditioning part. He says it works great.

My problem is, isnt the polyclar some kind of syntheic stuff, do you want the small amount of it in your bottles from the yeast? The gelatin stuff sounds at least a bit more natural?

thanks
jim

 

[Janx]

Gelatin is usually ground up bones and hooves of animals, so you can decide if you want that in your beer as well. I know I sure don't.

In any event, you're always going to get at least a little in your bottles no matter how careful you are. If you put it in your beer, then some will get into the bottles.

 

[xpoc454]

Gelatin is usually ground up bones and hooves of animals, so you can decide if you want that in your beer as well. I know I sure don't.

In any event, you're always going to get at least a little in your bottles no matter how careful you are. If you put it in your beer, then some will get into the bottles.

Well if I dont mind ground up bones and hooves in my Jello it probably ok in my beer. Im not so sure about Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone in my beer though.

 

[bikebryan]

I used polyclar in my last batch. Also, if you can, it is a good idea to put it somewhere cold for a few days during the final week in secondary. This is "cold filtering". I did that along with the polyclar and got a much better final product, but the only thing is I don't know which one did the job

A minor nit: What you are describing is not cold "filtering" as no filtering is involved. It is called cold "conditioning" and yes, there is a very large difference!

 

[loopmd]

A minor nit: What you are describing is not cold "filtering" as no filtering is involved. It is called cold "conditioning" and yes, there is a very large difference!

Cold-filtering is a way of clarifying beer with a shortened lagering
time. Beer (lager particularly) becomes clearer with extended storage
which allows proteins and other particles to coagulate and settle out
of suspension. The beer can then be drawn off and bottled. One way to
reduce the time required is to chill the beer causing these molecules
to "clump" and be easily filtered out. The up-side is that the time
from brewing to finished product is shortened, thereby boosting
productivity. The down-side is that cold-filtering also removes many
components which contribute flavor and body to beer.

Got the above from this link. I guess I don't see the very large difference.

 

[AlaskaAl(e)]

I just had a question in my mind come up.

If you were planning on adding something to the secondary to clear the beer up and than take a small amount of the yeast from the bottom and put in your bottling bucket to bottle condition, would people suggest polyclar or the gelatin stuff?
_______________________________________________

I've never added any yeast to anything before bottling. I just siphon from sec. ferm. to the bottling bucket and go from there. Am I missing something by not adding any of the yeast from the bottom?

 

[hawktrap74]

i usually just siphon into bottling bucket adding priming suger at the start of the siphoning. i have never had a problem with clarity carbonation or alcohol content( i mean never whoaaaaa) lol

 

[xpoc454]

I was talking about using clarifyers that end up taking a lot of stuff out including yeast by sending it all to the bottom of the 2nd fermenter.

If you just suck off the top after doing this, I assume the yeast count still floating in the beer is going to be pretty low for bottle conditioning.

So, I have seen people say they take a little out of the bottom to help with the bottle confitioning.

 

[NUCC98]

I was talking about using clarifyers that end up taking a lot of stuff out including yeast by sending it all to the bottom of the 2nd fermenter.

If you just suck off the top after doing this, I assume the yeast count still floating in the beer is going to be pretty low for bottle conditioning.

So, I have seen people say they take a little out of the bottom to help with the bottle confitioning.

OK, so I bottled my Hellesbock last night. This was the batch I was going to use the PolyClar on. I let it sit for a good 3 weeks in the secondary, so I took a chance on not adding clarifiers to it. It was a light color that was actually quite clear for a home brew. I thin I'm going to shy away from clarifiers if I'm still bottling. I removes the doubt of whether or not there's enough yeast left, etc. Maybe if I start kegging....no need for yeast there!