Raven1469
Well-Known Member
Okay, thanks to you, HBT members, I tired something new with my fermentation/kegging process.
Usually if I'm making a Pale Ale or IPA or something I want to be super clear, I will use a Whirlflock tablet in the boil if I can remember. This time I tried a few new things after a lot of reading on these forums.
This time I was making Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde and used a Whirlflock tablet during the boil (at 15 left in the boil). After fermentation was done (seven days later) I put four frozen two liters of water in my Coolbrew bag with the carboy to drop the ambient temp down. Ambient with those four went from 68 degrees room temp to 37-41F bag temp. After two days of cold crashing the beer in the carboy, I racked to a keg and added Knox gelatin (also put 30 PSI on the keg). I put the keg back in the Coolbrew bag for another two and half, three days, replacing the frozen two liters every 24-36 hours.
Today, I racked the beer out of one keg to another with priming sugar. I poured just a little into a glass to check the clarity, and WOW! It is CRYSTAL clear. I'm super impressed with this process. I've never cold crashed but I do know I've let a keg sit at room temp for a month or two and when I put it in the kegorator it was super clear but this process was so quick to get the beer so clear. Total time from carboy to crystal clear beer was a little less than 2 1/2 weeks (including fermentation time). I think that's pretty darn quick.
This was the first time I've cold crashed and used gelatin, and if I want a clear beer I will use them again! It might be over kill to use Whirlflock, cold crash, and gelatin, but this will be my process if I want crystal clear beer quickly.
Once again, thank you HBT members for answering my questions and all the info!
Much love!
Usually if I'm making a Pale Ale or IPA or something I want to be super clear, I will use a Whirlflock tablet in the boil if I can remember. This time I tried a few new things after a lot of reading on these forums.
This time I was making Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde and used a Whirlflock tablet during the boil (at 15 left in the boil). After fermentation was done (seven days later) I put four frozen two liters of water in my Coolbrew bag with the carboy to drop the ambient temp down. Ambient with those four went from 68 degrees room temp to 37-41F bag temp. After two days of cold crashing the beer in the carboy, I racked to a keg and added Knox gelatin (also put 30 PSI on the keg). I put the keg back in the Coolbrew bag for another two and half, three days, replacing the frozen two liters every 24-36 hours.
Today, I racked the beer out of one keg to another with priming sugar. I poured just a little into a glass to check the clarity, and WOW! It is CRYSTAL clear. I'm super impressed with this process. I've never cold crashed but I do know I've let a keg sit at room temp for a month or two and when I put it in the kegorator it was super clear but this process was so quick to get the beer so clear. Total time from carboy to crystal clear beer was a little less than 2 1/2 weeks (including fermentation time). I think that's pretty darn quick.
This was the first time I've cold crashed and used gelatin, and if I want a clear beer I will use them again! It might be over kill to use Whirlflock, cold crash, and gelatin, but this will be my process if I want crystal clear beer quickly.
Once again, thank you HBT members for answering my questions and all the info!
Much love!
