How can I make my beer more clear?

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Tbnguy

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I understand that taste is far more important than looks, but still I would like to try and make my next batch more clear if possible. I've only made 2 batches so far, and about to start my 3rd this weekend. Both batches I have made have been pretty cloudy. I've made a Brewers Best IPA kit and a BB Summer Ale kit.

I let them sit in the primary bucket for 3 weeks, and bottle condition for 3 weeks. The last one I also made sure to strain everything when dumping from kettle to the primary. My first batch has been in the bottle for over 2 months and still not clearing up.

I'd rather not spend $50 on a carboy to use for a secondary. Is there anything else I can try? I heard that addng something like Irish Moss can help. Can I add something like this to an ingredients kit? And if so, when would I add it? I'm planning on brewing a pumpkin ale or some sort of winter ale this weekend and could use any tips.
 
Yeah get some irish moss or whirlfloc tabs. Cold crashing will also clear it up more. Adding gelatin will clear it up even more than that.
 
Sometimes not cooling the beer down quick enough to pitching temperatures after boil can cause the beer to become cloudy when refrigerated. Its known as chill haze.

I have used isinglass which is a clarifying agent you uses after primary or during secondary. It works pretty well.

Take read on this too - http://***********/stories/techniques/article/indices/23-clarity/490-conquer-chill-haze
 
I also read that chilling the beer down to 30-31 deg. F can also get rid of the chill haze. Im guess it so cold that the proteins coagulate and fall to the bottom.
 
I chill my kettle of wort in an ice bath. Then leave them in primary till a stable FG is reached. Then 3-5 days more to clean up & settle out more. They go into bottles in covered boxes for 3-5 weeks at room temp. Then at least 5 days in the fridge,but 2 weeks is way better. Thicker head & better carbonation result. And they are very clear to crystal clear.
 
Secondary in a carboy would help a bit, but you said you didn't want to spend money on a carboy. I use Irish Moss in all of my beers, and I get pretty good results. Of course, it depends on the style you're brewing. Anything with wheat is usually a little cloudy. Anything that is dry-hopped may also have some haziness. But Irish Moss can be added to any recipe (I think) at the last 10-15 minutes of the boil. One teaspoon should be enough for a 5g batch. I've never used gelatin or whirlfloc, but I've heard people have good results with them as well. I suggest Irish Moss and maybe cold conditioning after fermentation is complete to clear up your beer.
 
whirlfloc/irish moss, cold crash, make sure your fermentor is settled before you rack (don't shake it up moving it right before you rack), gelatin.

also, it's a little easier to get clear beer if you keg. while your bottle may settle out and get clear while it's conditioning, it's all going to get stirred up again while you pour the beer. when you let a keg sit, everything settles out and is pumped out in the first couple of beers.
 
3 day cold crash and gelatin. couldn't believe how clear it was.
i don't always do this though, if the beer/ale looks at least semi clear around the time I'd bottle, then i usually just live with it. if its something i may send to a competition or bring to the brew-club, i may do this.
 
Gelatin. You can skip the whirfloc and everything else. 3-5 days of cold temperatures with gelatin and your beer is like glass.
 
In my limited experience, whirlfloc seems to have a small effect, gelatin even more, but can "dull" the taste, as it takes hop particulants with it... unfortunately, so can just time in a carboy. So, you kind of have to compensate - if you want really clear beer, do all the whirlfloc, gelatin and crashing, but also let it sit a while too (maybe an extra 2-3 weeks over "normal") and at the same time, increase your hops ~25 IBUs or so and you'll get a similar tasting beer that's fairly clear. On the other hand, you could just relax and drink cloudy beer - it'll be ready quicker and have lots of taste :) Best of luck with it!
 
Thank you so much for the help everyone. I don't mind the cloudiness so much but am planning on giving some of these away around the holidays if they turn out decent. I think I will try the Irish moss or perhaps the gelatin.
 
Whirlfloc is the best. It's just a pelleted irish moss, basically (there may be some other ingredients?) but it works amazingly. I wish I had a picture of all the break I had on my last brew to show you.
 
I use only whirl floc and was having some chill haze issues. At first I was using primary for a week or so and then secondary for a week or two.
I quit using secondary and used the primary for two to three weeks then bottle conditioned for a couple weeks then refrigerate for a couple weeks or so and ended up with brilliantly clear beers.
I used to store my beers in the high 60's f and then I'd refrigerate before drinking and always had chill haze. After keeping in the fridge for a couple weeks or so the beers poured clear like commercial beers.
 
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