Forgot Irish Moss in boil

[VachonBrewCo]

Hey guys. My problem is pretty much in the title. My brew is cooling as we speak, and I thought I would sit down and type my recipe into my folder. I typed in Irish moss, and realized I never put it in the brew. I know that isn't the biggest problem in the world, but this is a light cream ale. I don't want it too look cloudy. Is there any way I can put the Irish moss in to the fermenting container? I also have whirlfloc tablets if that would be more effective at this point. Thanks for your help! Cheers.

 

[swackattack]

Just go for a longer primary. Around 4 weeks. Should compact yeast bed and be clear. Also rack very carefully as to not stir up sediment.

 

[VachonBrewCo]

Thanks! I also hear gelatin works well in the secondary.

 

[E_Marquez]

Gelatin and cold crash last few days before bottling.. should get you the same results.

 

[nukebrewer]

I've had good results adding gelatin at bottling.

 

[day_trippr]

I've had good results adding gelatin at bottling.

Isn't that a little late in the game?

Cold crashing is where it's at. No additives necessary, no need to wait four weeks (jeeze, I think I'd just buy the damn beer if I had to stick a four week wait in my pipeline!) just a spare fridge and a few days of patience...

Cheers!

 

[nukebrewer]

Isn't that a little late in the game?

Cold crashing is where it's at. No additives necessary, no need to wait four weeks (jeeze, I think I'd just buy the damn beer if I had to stick a four week wait in my pipeline!) just a spare fridge and a few days of patience...

Cheers!

It's never added any additional wait for me. Just normal chilling time drops everything right out. It's like on demand cold crashing with a little help. Here's the kind of results I've had with gelatin at bottling.

 

[day_trippr]

^ Lovely looking pours.

So where do the yeast/trubby bits end up when you "add gelatin at bottling"? I was expecting "the bottom of the bottle", which is fine I guess, though it seems easier to have dealt with it before you hit the bottling bucket...

Cheers!

 

[VachonBrewCo]

Isn't that a little late in the game?

Cold crashing is where it's at. No additives necessary, no need to wait four weeks (jeeze, I think I'd just buy the damn beer if I had to stick a four week wait in my pipeline!) just a spare fridge and a few days of patience...

Cheers!

Only problem is not everyone, including myself, has access to a spare fridge.

 

[day_trippr]

Only problem is not everyone, including myself, has access to a spare fridge.

Of course you're right. But if one has the space, Craig's List can radically minimize the monetary factor. I picked up two 17cf top-freezer fridges and a 10cf chest freezer for the grand total of $325 over a year - all under 3 years old and all with favorable E-Star ratings. The freezer is now a six faucet keezer, one of the fridges is now my cold-conditioning/carbing fridge, and the other is my fermentation fridge. By the time a keg makes it through the pipeline to the keezer, it's wicked bright...

Cheers!

 

[VachonBrewCo]

I picked up two 17cf top-freezer fridges and a 10cf chest freezer for the grand total of $325 over a year.

Cheers!

I'm not sure you would know this off the top of your head, but how much do you think running an additional fridge would add to the electric bill. I'm assuming not too much, but that's been a big factor between me and my brewmie.

 

[day_trippr]

I'm not sure you would know this off the top of your head, but how much do you think running an additional fridge would add to the electric bill. I'm assuming not too much, but that's been a big factor between me and my brewmie.

I do indeed know: I have a Kil-O-Watt and used it on all three units for a month each to satisfy my curiosity.

Our electric rate is 15 cents/KW here. The keezer used almost exactly 1 KW/day and the cold holding/carbing fridge used .9 KW/day, so figure 14-15 cents per each per day. The other fridge is my fermentation unit, and it uses much less energy when holding 65°F, just under .25 KW/day, so figure 4 cents for that unit in that mode. When it gets switched to cold-crashing mode it's back up a .9 KW/day during that period.

So figure around 34 cents per day on average for the whole operation.

fwiw, these are all fairly new units - the keezer was only two years old when I got it, one of the fridges was literally brand new/never used and still had all the little blue tape thingies holding the bins and shelves in place, and the other fridge wasn't quite a year old. All had good E-Star ratings as well.

In contrast, we had a 1970-ish 20 CF upright freezer years ago that was a total power hog and burned at least $25 of juice per month. It was a necessary evil as in those days our kids consumed a grocery store of food every day, but I was sooo glad to get rid of that thing once they were out on their own...

Cheers!

 

[VachonBrewCo]

Awesome man, thanks for all the tips. I was talking to my roommate and apparently his dad has temp controlled chest freezer we can use, that will fit perfectly in the basement as well. Now I'll just need to remember to rack into a bucket, not thinking my glass carboy is gonna do well with that temp change. Haha

Cheers.

 

[nukebrewer]

^ Lovely looking pours.

So where do the yeast/trubby bits end up when you "add gelatin at bottling"? I was expecting "the bottom of the bottle", which is fine I guess, though it seems easier to have dealt with it before you hit the bottling bucket...

Cheers!

Thanks! The yeast/trubby bits just end up on the bottom of the bottle as per your assumption, but it's not very much more than normal. I typically don't even notice it and am able to get just as much beer out of a bottle before the sediment threatens to come out.

 

[BrewLocal365]

The following also works wonders for dumping trub: cooling the wort as fast as possible (immersion chiller, counterflow, etc.), then performing a whirlpool and letting it sit under a sterilized cover for 30 minutes prior to form a cone, and then siphoning carefully via the outer edges of the brew kettle. Also, always cover the siphon with a fine mesh / paint strainer bag (both at this point and when transferring from fermenter to bottling bucket).

I do add Irish moss to improve the effectiveness and have never forgotten it, but all in all I get a very clear and near sediment-free brew without cold crashing. i don't have room at the moment for an extra fridge.