Holy Gelatin!

[Newton]

Alright so I know that use of gelatin as a clarifying agent has been discussed extensively, but I just wanted to add my first experience with it. I brewed a bitter using Coopers yeast a last month and this beer sat in primary for 3 weeks and a keg for 3 weeks, 1.5 of that at 34 degrees. As of 3 days ago, this beer was about as turbid as I've seen with just a ton of yeast left in suspension, and a rather yeasty taste. So 3 days ago, I degassed the keg and poured half a packet of knox gelatin (rehydrated at 170) and let this beer sit chilled. Just poured my first pint and wow this is one of the clearest homebrews I've seen. Man that gelatin really did a bang up job. This beer is so sparkling brilliant (even at 34 degrees), that it almost looks like its been filtered or something.

 

[Malric]

I don't think I've ever seen 'knox' gelatin and I don't normally use finings. Was this something that you got at the grocery store?

 

[chumpsteak]

Plain Knox gelatin is awesome for clarifying.....

 

[djfriesen]

@Malric

Yeah, it's a product used for making jams and jellies and can usually be found with the canning supplies in the grocery store. Might be in with the actual jams and jellies, too. Haven't shopped for it in a while.

 

[C-Rider]

I think I'm sold, so how much would I put in a 1.75 gallons as it ferments?

 

[day_trippr]

I think I'm sold, so how much would I put in a 1.75 gallons as it ferments?

You wouldn't put any finings in your beer "as it ferments".

Well after it's done fermenting, you could weigh out a half gram of gelatin, mix it in some boiled water cooled back down to 170°F, then add that to the fermented brew...

Cheers!

 

[Liquisky]

Did the taste improve, or just the clarity?

 

[MrManifesto]

Did the taste improve, or just the clarity?

clarity...

 

[nmber0nestunna]

taste generally improves when using gelatin to clear my beers. drops the yeast out of suspension and gives it a cleaner crisper taste imo. i use 1 gram in 1/2 cup water per 6 gal batch. "bloom" gelatin in hot water for 20 min. 160 for 15 min. cool then add to kegged cold beer. i usually force carb while doing this and i get brilliantly clear beer a majority of the time.

 

[Newton]

One interesting thing to note is that it appears that gelatin not only took out the yeast, but also eliminated the chill haze in the beer. This beer is almost as brilliant as bud light (@34 degrees)...which is odd...in 40 batches of homebrew, I've yet to see a beer this clear. I wonder if its because I used more like 3 grams of gelatin as compared to the recommended 1?

 

[C-Rider]

You wouldn't put any finings in your beer "as it ferments".

Well after it's done fermenting, you could weigh out a half gram of gelatin, mix it in some boiled water cooled back down to 170°F, then add that to the fermented brew...

Cheers!

Mahalo, put some on the shopping list.