gelatin finings?

[simps984]

Hi all -

Would you advise against adding gelatin to my keg of recently force-carbed beer?

I racked to the keg this past Monday, let it sit under 30psi for two days, and now lowered to serving pressure. My beer isn't very clear, so I'm thinking I might throw in some gelatin.

Thanks!

 

[BierMuncher]

Hi all -

Would you advise against adding gelatin to my keg of recently force-carbed beer?

I racked to the keg this past Monday, let it sit under 30psi for two days, and now lowered to serving pressure. My beer isn't very clear, so I'm thinking I might throw in some gelatin.

Thanks!

It would be fine, but a few considerations:

• Make sure to add the mix gently. You don't want to introduce oxygen into the beer and you don't want the beer to foam up.
  
• If you have a long paddle, I would dip it gently into the keg and give just one slow swirl. Be very slow about it though...you don't want violent foaming.
  
• You're going to loose a bit of CO2 but it will re-balance after about a day at serving PSI. I wouldn't crank it up to try and re-force it.
  
• Your beer will continue to run a bit cloudy, but should move past the chill haze phase much faster. Just don't expect the first few pints to be perfect.

 

[modenacart]

I added to a pressurized keg and just dump it in with no stiring. I had the clearest beer I have ever had.

 

[BigKahuna]

I had the clearest beer I have ever had.

I must just not be good at this.
I have tried twice... I get funny little floaties and no clearing. What's up?
I guess time will tell....2 or 3 weeks isn't enough

 

[modenacart]

Mine cleaned up in two days. The first time, I boiled and it didn't work. The second time, I did as BierMuncher described and it worked like a champ. I got a LOT of slug, but after that cleaered, it was extreamly clear.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

How long can gelatin sit in the secondary? I'm using it for the first time either tonight or tomorrow because I forgot to add irish moss to the boil. Does cold crashing help the gelatin or will I not even have to bother?

 

[BierMuncher]

How long can gelatin sit in the secondary? I'm using it for the first time either tonight or tomorrow because I forgot to add irish moss to the boil. Does cold crashing help the gelatin or will I not even have to bother?

You'll see the effects of gelatin inside of 48 hours.

There's no "max" time for letting the beer sit. Crash chilling will always help all beer clear better/faster, gelatin or not.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

OK so I followed BierMuncher's method and when I was doing it I paid more attention to the method and not so much the amount - I ended up using a whole packet of Knox gelatin and now I have this sort of jello thing going on in the bottom of my bottles. Will it be OK as long as I'm careful when pouring the beer into a glass?

 

[BierMuncher]

It'll be fine.

For one..it is flavorless. Plus, since it's gelled, it's not soluble in the beer.

It might as well be a marble laying on the bottom of the fermenter.

 

[KnightBrewer]

I used BM's method and it worked amazingly well. I went from 3 weeks in primary, added the gelatine as BM describes and then crash cooled at 38 for 10 days, then racked to corny and force carbed as BM also describes, 3 days 30 PSI and 1/2 day at 12PSI. Worked like a charm, best, clearest beer I've ever crafted, enjoyed by ALL.

 

[Brutus Brewer]

I use a tablespoon per five gallon batch.

Mix it with hot tap water in a sauce pot, about 1 cup of water per tablespoon.

Stir it up and let it sit for 20-30 minutes to hydrate and bloom.

Put the pot on the stove and heat until it looks like it’s about to start boiling…don’t boil.

Cool slightly (I put my pot in a cold water bath).

Add it (gently) to the secondary (or keg) as you’re racking your beer.

Two Questions:

1. Do you have to worry about the water/gelatin solution not being sterile?
2. I am a bit confused as to the timing. You say add it to the secondary as you're racking your beer. Do you mean add to the secondary at transfer or add to secondary at bottling time?

I brewed the Centennial Blond and need to clear it up and would like to use this method, but want to verify that I'm doing it correctly.

Thanks,

 

[FishinDave07]

1. Nope. I'm not worried
2. I put the gelatin mixing in the secondary and then rack the beer from the primary on top of it to get a nice mixture. Remember that at this point, you DO NOT want to oxygenate/aerate your beer by shaking, mixing, etc.

 

[Brutus Brewer]

1. Nope. I'm not worried
2. I put the gelatin mixing in the secondary and then rack the beer from the primary on top of it to get a nice mixture. Remember that at this point, you DO NOT want to oxygenate/aerate your beer by shaking, mixing, etc.

So it would be safe to do step 2 above and let it set a time before bottling. That is my plan.

 

[TBLbrewer]

Two Questions:

1. Do you have to worry about the water/gelatin solution not being sterile?

I too use BierMuncher's method, but I heat to 180. This pasturizes the mixture. So no worries. I have also noticed a nice side effect to the Gelatin. The sediment I get in the bottom of my bottles pretty much sticks, so I have worry free pours, and get all of the beer out of the bottle.

 

[Gosassin]

Has anybody done this with apple cider? If it works to clear the cider, do you think it would make sense to add the gelatin/water mix to the secondary at the same time as, say, some apple juice concentrate (intended to promote carbonation)? Or, would it be better to add the gelatin to the secondary, wait for it to clear, then transfer to bottles with some sugar added to the bottom of each bottle for carbonation? THANKS!

 

[TBLbrewer]

Has anybody done this with apple cider?

I have done this with cider. I Added the gelatin to the secondary, and then racked the cider on top. I did not add any apple concentrate though. I imagine if you add the gelatin to the secondary, and then add the concentrate at botteling, you would be fine. I would add the sugar to the botteling bucket though. It is al ot easier to hit the large whole in the top of the bucket rather than the small one in the top of a bottle.

The cider turned out really clear, and all of the sediment stuck to the bottom of the bottle. Gotta love worry free pours. In fact it stuck so well I had to fill the bottles with hot water and let them set for awhile to clean them.

 

[BigKahuna]

I will put my faith blindly in Biermuncher. :rockin:

Should be like a list of 10 commandments here.....

1. I will not question BierMuncher
2. I will make Apfelwein.
3. Yooper is NOT the Man...in fact...she's not even A man!


on and on and on and on


You get the point.

 

[Wables]

So...a question about gelatin. Will it affect dry hopping? I just added knox gelatin to 2 carboys of IPA that have been dry hopping for a week.

 

[Gosassin]

I imagine if you add the gelatin to the secondary, and then add the concentrate at botteling, you would be fine. I would add the sugar to the botteling bucket though.

Thanks, TBLb; I think that's what I'm going to do, 'cos I want to let it sit in secondary for a few weeks.

 

[FSR402]

I have 20 gallons of beer I would like to do this to but I was thinking of doing it in the primary. Anyone see a problem with this? I want to keg this stuff this weekend so I don't want to use a secondary. That and all 8 of my carboys are full.

 

[Ceedubya]

are there particular styles of beer that see a greater rewared with the gelatin? I am brewing an octoberfest (lagar) and am just about to the point of a diacytel rest, then into secondary and step down to lagar.

Would I benefit from the geletin, or is it not worth the effort? I am planning on a long secdondary at lagar temps of 6-8 weeks.

 

[lustreking]

After lagering for 8 weeks, I'm pretty sure that it won't be necessary.

 

[greggor]

So...a question about gelatin. Will it affect dry hopping? I just added knox gelatin to 2 carboys of IPA that have been dry hopping for a week.

Just added gelatin (disolved in 170 F water) straight to my cornie, dry hopped (pellets in a muslin bag suspended from the cornie lid) at the same time let it sit 4 days at 38 F.
Beer is crystal clear and has a great dry hop taste "No worries".

 

[NikolausXX]

Well I got the knox from hyvee for a couple of bucks. Looks like there is enough in there to do several batches. I added to my heffeweizen, due to previous post saying it was crystal clear. I want to make a clear Krystalweizen. I dont know if recipe is different for krystal or not, but dont care, more of an experiment. I dont have any filtering, and am not too concerned about the end product as long is it does not effect taste! We will see. I need to mark off my boil pot. My secondary is filled to the carboy bung, well 1 inch under!

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I use a tablespoon per five gallon batch.

Mix it with hot tap water in a sauce pot, about 1 cup of water per tablespoon.

Stir it up and let it sit for 20-30 minutes to hydrate and bloom.

Put the pot on the stove and heat until it looks like it’s about to start boiling…don’t boil.

Cool slightly (I put my pot in a cold water bath).

Add it (gently) to the secondary (or keg) as you’re racking your beer.

I have a light lager that is very cloudy after a week in the fridge. Can I add it to the better bottle now, or is it too late?

 

[modenacart]

I have a light lager that is very cloudy after a week in the fridge. Can I add it to the better bottle now, or is it too late?

You can, its not too late.

 

[TBLbrewer]

You can, its not too late.

+1 on not to late.

Just remember it will take about three days to see results after you add the gelatin. Another tip on this is don't cool the gelatin to much before you add it. Hot liquid rises to the top, and as it cools slowly sinks to the bottom taking all the unwanted stuff with it. If you put it in cool, it is liable to sink right through and not take much with it.

 

[modenacart]

I added to my heffeweizen, due to previous post saying it was crystal clear. I want to make a clear Krystalweizen. I dont know if recipe is different for krystal or not, but dont care, more of an experiment.

I lost a lot of the flavor when I fined my heffe. I was not happy with the result. Next time I won't add gelatin.

 

[Korben]

Has anyone just added the Gelatin to primary after fermentation is complete? I was planning on adding it to my primary letting it set for about 3-5 days, crash cool for 2-3 days. I would then rack it onto some priming sugar (probably 4.5 ounces instead of 5 ounces due to crash cooling increasing the dissolved CO2) and then bottle? Also, will it take longer for the beer to carb up with this method?

 

[neuron555]

If you are not going to use a secondary, you can add it a few days before you bottle. I just used gelatin for an APA, and it is already carbed pretty well after 10 days.