Excessively cloudy homebrew

RobertR · May 11, 2020

I brewed a Honey wheat from an extract recipe. They didn’t have the blown dried honey so I added 1 lb of raw honey. OG was 1.063. Recipe says 7-10 days fermentation. FG Was 1.013 after 9 days. It looked very golden in color but cloudy and thick almost like Orange juice. I put it in my Cornelius keg under pressure for two days at 17 pressure and 45 degrees. I did a test pour and it still looks thick and cloudy. You can’t see through it. Smells fine but tastes sweeter than when I’ve done this brew in the past. Was it the raw liquid honey? If I let it sit for a while under pressure will some of the yeast settle out? Thoughts?

Nagorg · May 12, 2020

Not sure what yeast you used or how much but 1.013 seems like it might not have been quite finished. Did you check SG for a 2-3 days to be sure it wasn't dropping any more? If it wasnt finished, thats going to contribute to the sweetness due to residual sugars left behind.

Did you use any finings? Wheat beers will have a tendancy to be hazy but OJ would be an extreme.

YMMV but 9 days seems a little quick for kegging a 1.063 OG beer. Regardless, a little more time in the fermenter may allow more yeast to drop out of suspension and give additional time to be sure that fermentation is truly finished. I typically dont even think about packaging until at least 2 weeks have past and usually wait until 3. No need to rush. I've actually seen a slow ferment take a full 3 weeks before the gravity stopped dropping though that was an extreme example.

As to kegging, are you agitating the keg to force carb? If so, thats certainly going to rouse any yeast and contribute to cloudiness. Yes, more time sitting in the keg at cold temps will also help the yeast to drop. Other than that, 2 days on CO2 at 45 degrees doesent seem like enough time for carbonation if you just let it sit. My keezer is set to 38 degrees and my CO2 is usually around 13 psi and it takes a good ~8-10 days before its carbed well.

RobertR · May 12, 2020

Nagorg said:
Not sure what yeast you used or how much but 1.013 seems like it might not have been quite finished. Did you check SG for a 2-3 days to be sure it wasn't dropping any more? If it wasnt finished, thats going to contribute to the sweetness due to residual sugars left behind.

Did you use any finings? Wheat beers will have a tendancy to be hazy but OJ would be an extreme.

YMMV but 9 days seems a little quick for kegging a 1.063 OG beer. Regardless, a little more time in the fermenter may allow more yeast to drop out of suspension and give additional time to be sure that fermentation is truly finished. I typically dont even think about packaging until at least 2 weeks have past and usually wait until 3. No need to rush. I've actually seen a slow ferment take a full weeks before the gravity stopped dropping though that was an extreme example.

As to kegging, are you agitating the keg to force carb? If so, thats certainly going to rouse any yeast and contribute to cloudiness. Yes, more time sitting in the keg at cold temps will also help the yeast to drop. Other than that, 2 days on CO2 at 45 degrees doesent seem like enough time for carbonation if you just let it sit. My keezer is set to 38 degrees and my CO2 is usually around 13 psi and it takes a good ~8-10 days before its carbed well.

The target S.G. after fermentation was 1.012 according to the recipe. I have done this recipe many times and have been anywhere from 1.014 to 1.012 when done. There was no bubbling in the airlock. I only use Spanish Moss for clarity. I have been reading since about clarifying additives but to date I have never used them.
I usually place it under pressure and let it force carb for several days, up to a week. According to the Danby chart a good wheat beer temp is 45, and 17 psi gives a equilibrium Co2 at 2.65, I knew it wasn't carbed yet but wanted to look at its presentation in my glass. I was just shocked at the amount of cloudiness and wondered if I could syphon it out of the keg after the yeast settles under pressure, then clean the yeast out of the keg and put it back in and under pressure again?

Nagorg · May 12, 2020

RobertR said:
The target S.G. after fermentation was 1.012 according to the recipe. I have done this recipe many times and have been anywhere from 1.014 to 1.012 when done. There was no bubbling in the airlock. I only use Spanish Moss for clarity. I have been reading since about clarifying additives but to date I have never used them.
I usually place it under pressure and let it force carb for several days, up to a week. According to the Danby chart a good wheat beer temp is 45, and 17 psi gives a equilibrium Co2 at 2.65, I knew it wasn't carbed yet but wanted to look at its presentation in my glass. I was just shocked at the amount of cloudiness and wondered if I could syphon it out of the keg after the yeast settles under pressure, then clean the yeast out of the keg and put it back in and under pressure again?

Beer is finished when its finished regardless of what a recipe says though its good to have a point of reference.

I wouldnt siphon the beer out of the keg. You are just asking for O2 exposure problems unless you can do a closed transfer into another keg with CO2. But this probably isnt needed anyway. Any yeast that does settle should stay put at the bottom unless you rouse it. Its pretty normal to get a bout a pint of more yeasty beer on the first pour or so but it should clear as the yeast is drawn from around the pickup tube. Even cloudy hefe's will clear with enough time.

S-Met · May 12, 2020

RobertR said:
The target S.G. after fermentation was 1.012 according to the recipe. I have done this recipe many times and have been anywhere from 1.014 to 1.012 when done

This may be correct when following the recipe to the letter; however, was anything different this time?

RobertR said:
They didn’t have the blown dried honey so I added 1 lb of raw honey.

Ah, that's right, a variable. This means that you can follow the recipe as a guide, but must understand that it will not be exact.

I don't know much about dried honey other than the water is removed. Regular honey adds water and sugar. I am honestly just making a guess, but I would guess the raw honey addition should have dropped the fg by another 2-3 points. Additionally, honey may be a little slower to ferment depending on how well it was mixed into the wort and may take a little more time to clear as you added raw unfiltered product.

So... now what...? Enjoy your sweet cloudy brew. Take notes for next time. RDWHAHB. Cheers

Jayjay1976 · May 12, 2020

Yeah as others have said, it needs time. I would forget about it for 6-8 weeks and then pull a pint. The first one will have most of the sediment but after that it should be much clearer. Also, the flavor will change when it is fully carbonated and it may continue to dry out a bit as it ages.