gelatin VS super kleer Experiment

[jlangfo5]

So, I have 2, 6 gallon carboys of Munich Helles sitting in my fermentation chamber lagering right now at a chilly 35F, that once bottled will have lagered for 52 days.

I plan on adding some clearing agents in on February 22nd, 2 weeks before bottling, since I have 2 carboys, I have decided to perform an experiment. To one carboy, I will add gelatin, and to the other I will add super kleer, and I will drop the temperature of the beer right above it's freezing point for 2 weeks. I am very interested to see the before and after of both of the beers.

Would anyone on here be willing to comment about their experinces using super kleer to clear out a lager? I've heard very positive things about gelatin finings in beer, but most of what I have heard about super kleer come from it's use in wine making.

Will post pictures before and after!

 

[The542]

Looking forward to your findings...sub'd

 

[decoleur]

i mostly use whirlfloc and racking to clear my beer. interested in your results.

have you thought about testing isenglass as well?

 

[jlangfo5]

I would love to be able to test isenglass as well, but unfortunately I only have two carboys of beer to test on, and I wanted to test out two of the 'bigger' players in the finings market.

I could test it out on my next batch of lager though!

 

[Ramitt]

Great idea, I look forward to your findings.

 

[MrMista]

Yes this sounds very interesting.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Great idea, I look forward to your finings.

Fixed it for you. Sorry, couldn't pass up the pun.

 

[progmac]

i used super kleer in my cider and it was amazing. i have been hesitant to try it for beer. i am excited to see what you fine!

 

[ArcLight]

I added Isinglass to my lager at the start of lagering (beer was 37F) and am lagering it for 2 months. The Isinglass has sunk and created a stratification zone around 2 inches in depth at the bottom. I'm hoping that by lagering for 2 months that stuff continues to settle and I don't lose that much beer.

 

[jlangfo5]

All right Brewmiesters! In order to share fermentation space with my brother, who has some mead that he needs to cold stabilize, the experiment if being altered slightly.

I added the finings agents this evening already, and next Saturday, the 15th, I will bottle the beer that contains the super kleer finings. Four weeks after that, I will bottle the beer that contains the gelatin finings. This was done to open up some room for the mead to cold stabilize in the fermentation chamber, and will also present the opportunity to taste test the difference between the helles lager after 4 weeks of lagering and 8 weeks of lagering.


Since the beers should both be really similar right now, I only drew a sample out of one of the carboys, I am concerned that the beer might be a little bit on the clear side for a good experiment on fining agents.

Bulk:

In Glass:

 

[jlangfo5]

All right guys! I had some free time today, so I took both of the beers outside of the freezer so that I could take some pictures of both of them and bottle one.

First up, here is the picture of the beer that had the super kleer added to it.



Now here is the one that had the gelatin added.





Here is the beer pre-finings:

And here is the gelatin beer post-finings.

Here is one picture in the glass, with dark lighting.



Here is a picture in the glass with a little bit more light present.




Both of the beers in the glass came from the gelatin beer, and it's the one that I bottled today, the super kleer beer will sit in fridge for a few more weeks until I have time to bottle it.

The gelatin beer looks clearer than it did before, but I am not certain if it is because of the beer maybe being warmer and thus there being less chill haze, or if it was because of the finings them selves.

At bottling I added 2 packets of wine yeast along with the priming sugar, I hope that the beer doesn't cloud up in the bottles because of the yeast.

 

[globell]

and what were the results of this?

 

[DurtyChemist]

and what were the results of this?

The results are probably gone since this is almost 3 years old.