IPA trouble getting dry hops to settle, even with gelatin and cold crash

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Alexholsch

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Hey guys, I brewed an IPA and I´m currently on day 19 of fermentation. Its been cold crashed and gelatin for 4 days at 0-2 C*. My procedure for the gelatin was adding 1g of gelatin for every gallon of beer and 2oz of water for every gram of gelatin: came out to 10gr of gelatin in 20oz of water for my 10 gallon batch. So 2 days ago I tried a pressure transfer from the unitank into my cornelius keg. I was only able to fill about 3/4 of a keg in over an hour, I kept having to disassemble the keg couplers and cleaning them of hop matter. I decided to let it condition for 2 more days, but again i had the same issue; although I did dump a good amount of hop cake from the bottom port. Pretty sure more time would definitely help get all the hop matter to sediment but im trying to get these beers out quickly since im selling them at a nano brew pub, not to mention I really enjoy clear beer. So apart from more time im thinking of trying out inline filters, hop bags/socks, maybe even investing in a bright beer tank. Just wondering if anyone has had success with any of these techniques? or if they have any other recommendations? I think its worth noting I also added super moss in the kettle. Cheers ! Oh the recipe is below.

6.4% / 15 °P
Recipe by
alejandro holschneider
All Grain

BB60 Pale Ale​

70% efficiency
Batch Volume: 28 L
Boil Time: 60 min
Mash Water: 21.52 L
Sparge Water: 18.12 L
Total Water: 39.64 L
Boil Volume: 33.61 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.055

Vitals​

Original Gravity: 1.061
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBU (Tinseth): 60
BU/GU: 0.99
Colour: 14.6 EBC

Mash​

Temperature — 66 °C — 60 min

Malts (7.97 kg)​

7.2 kg (90.3%) — Avangard Pale Ale Malt — Grain — 5.9 EBC
400 g (5%) — Briess American Honey Malt — Grain — 65 EBC
200 g (2.5%) — Weyermann Carapils/Carafoam — Grain — 3.9 EBC
170 g (2.1%) — Weyermann Acidulated — Grain — 3.5 EBC

Hops (381 g)​

26 g (23 IBU) — Simcoe 12.7% — Boil — 60 min
5 g (5 IBU) — Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) 15.5% — Boil — 50 min
25 g (9 IBU) — Cascade 6.7% — Boil — 30 min
28 g (7 IBU) — Cascade 6.7% — Boil — 15 min
28 g (10 IBU) — Centennial 9.1% — Boil — 15 min
37 g (2 IBU) — Centennial 9.1% — Boil — 0 min
37 g (3 IBU) — Simcoe 13% — Boil — 0 min
56 g — Cascade 5.5% — Dry Hop — 4 days
56 g — Centennial 10% — Dry Hop — 4 days
28 g — Simcoe 13% — Dry Hop — 4 days
20 g — Cascade 5.5% — Dry Hop — 4 days
20 g — Centennial 10% — Dry Hop — 4 days
15 g — Simcoe 13% — Dry Hop — 4 days

Hopstand at 70 °C

Miscs​

3.055 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Mash
10.182 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Mash
1.591 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Sparge
5.307 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Sparge

Yeast​

1.3 pkg — Fermentis US-05 Safale American 81%

Fermentation​

Primary — 20 °C — 5 days
Diacetyl/Flocc — 22 °C — 3 days
Dump yeast/dry hop — 18 °C — 1.5 days
Dry hop "free" rise — 20.5 °C — 3 days
Gelatin/Biofine — 0 °C — 2.5 days
FV/Keg — 5 °C — 2 days
Carbonation: 2.4 CO2-vol

Water Profile​

Ca2+
118Mg2+
0Na+
8Cl-
58SO42-
208HCO3-
16
 
Those stainless steel dry hop filters work great for me.

Screenshot_20220607-214015_Chrome.jpg
 
Just checking, you had gas to gas on the fermenter and keg or a spunding valve set to a psi or two below the fermenter pressure?

I normally ferment, drop yeast at end either pre dry hop and after the diacetyl rest or during, depends if DDH.
Often do the dry hop one at falling krausen and then second is after a cooling to 14 celsius. Then cold crash and dump hops and more yeast. Then super F finings for a couple of days. I have the last part of ferment with spunding so it's already carbing and this saves time. I transfer closed under pressure at that cold crash temp and then in keg it is able to warm a bit to keg fridge temp but it's ready to go straightaway.

If I do get a blockage I fire CO2 back down the liquid line or a bit of boiled water and ascorbic acid forced with CO2.
 
Hey guys, I brewed an IPA and I´m currently on day 19 of fermentation. Its been cold crashed and gelatin for 4 days at 0-2 C*. My procedure for the gelatin was adding 1g of gelatin for every gallon of beer and 2oz of water for every gram of gelatin: came out to 10gr of gelatin in 20oz of water for my 10 gallon batch. So 2 days ago I tried a pressure transfer from the unitank into my cornelius keg. I was only able to fill about 3/4 of a keg in over an hour, I kept having to disassemble the keg couplers and cleaning them of hop matter. I decided to let it condition for 2 more days, but again i had the same issue; although I did dump a good amount of hop cake from the bottom port. Pretty sure more time would definitely help get all the hop matter to sediment but im trying to get these beers out quickly since im selling them at a nano brew pub, not to mention I really enjoy clear beer. So apart from more time im thinking of trying out inline filters, hop bags/socks, maybe even investing in a bright beer tank. Just wondering if anyone has had success with any of these techniques? or if they have any other recommendations? I think its worth noting I also added super moss in the kettle. Cheers ! Oh the recipe is below.

6.4% / 15 °P
Recipe by
alejandro holschneider
All Grain

BB60 Pale Ale​

70% efficiency
Batch Volume: 28 L
Boil Time: 60 min
Mash Water: 21.52 L
Sparge Water: 18.12 L
Total Water: 39.64 L
Boil Volume: 33.61 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.055

Vitals​

Original Gravity: 1.061
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBU (Tinseth): 60
BU/GU: 0.99
Colour: 14.6 EBC

Mash​

Temperature — 66 °C — 60 min

Malts (7.97 kg)​

7.2 kg (90.3%) — Avangard Pale Ale Malt — Grain — 5.9 EBC
400 g (5%) — Briess American Honey Malt — Grain — 65 EBC
200 g (2.5%) — Weyermann Carapils/Carafoam — Grain — 3.9 EBC
170 g (2.1%) — Weyermann Acidulated — Grain — 3.5 EBC

Hops (381 g)​

26 g (23 IBU) — Simcoe 12.7% — Boil — 60 min
5 g (5 IBU) — Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) 15.5% — Boil — 50 min
25 g (9 IBU) — Cascade 6.7% — Boil — 30 min
28 g (7 IBU) — Cascade 6.7% — Boil — 15 min
28 g (10 IBU) — Centennial 9.1% — Boil — 15 min
37 g (2 IBU) — Centennial 9.1% — Boil — 0 min
37 g (3 IBU) — Simcoe 13% — Boil — 0 min
56 g — Cascade 5.5% — Dry Hop — 4 days
56 g — Centennial 10% — Dry Hop — 4 days
28 g — Simcoe 13% — Dry Hop — 4 days
20 g — Cascade 5.5% — Dry Hop — 4 days
20 g — Centennial 10% — Dry Hop — 4 days
15 g — Simcoe 13% — Dry Hop — 4 days

Hopstand at 70 °C

Miscs​

3.055 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Mash
10.182 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Mash
1.591 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Sparge
5.307 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Sparge

Yeast​

1.3 pkg — Fermentis US-05 Safale American 81%

Fermentation​

Primary — 20 °C — 5 days
Diacetyl/Flocc — 22 °C — 3 days
Dump yeast/dry hop — 18 °C — 1.5 days
Dry hop "free" rise — 20.5 °C — 3 days
Gelatin/Biofine — 0 °C — 2.5 days
FV/Keg — 5 °C — 2 days
Carbonation: 2.4 CO2-vol

Water Profile​

Ca2+
118Mg2+
0Na+
8Cl-
58SO42-
208HCO3-
16
might help to add what type of fermenter you are using along with any mods you have done to it considering processes are typically tied to the equipment you are using. for example, I use a fermonster with floating dip tube which draws the beer from the top when kegging, so the only time I might get a clog is when 99% of the beer is already transferred and the dip tube hits the trub/hops.
 
Oops I overlooked that piece lol. A uni tank is a conical typically that also allows you to add pressure up to a specified limit so people can ferment under pressure and/or carb in it. It’s not brand specific as lots of companies make them now
 
I use a Clear Beer floating dip tube with screen in me fermenter. Dry hop, cold crash a couple days, gentle CO2 closed transfer to kegs.

The only problems I've had are setting the temp too low and ice forms in the beer, which stops/prevents the transfer.
 
Where is the pick-up tube (racking arm) located in your unitank?
Is it a rotating racking arm? If so, use it to your advantage, starting higher up.

If the pickup tube is located near the bottom of the cone, in or close to the trub layer, it's very possible trub gets transferred, causing your clogging issues.
The other problem can be larger hop bits floating on top (hop carpet) when using a floating pickup without an adequate screen (filter).

Dry hop matter tends to be in 2 places in a fermenter/unitank, either floating on top (hop carpet) or sank to the bottom.

I doubt gelatin helps much with settling out hop trub bits larger than dust, it's mainly meant for coagulating yeast, removing (yeast) haze.
I guess you haven't looked inside the unitank to see what the cause of the issue was at the time?
 
Just checking, you had gas to gas on the fermenter and keg or a spunding valve set to a psi or two below the fermenter pressure?

I normally ferment, drop yeast at end either pre dry hop and after the diacetyl rest or during, depends if DDH.
Often do the dry hop one at falling krausen and then second is after a cooling to 14 celsius. Then cold crash and dump hops and more yeast. Then super F finings for a couple of days. I have the last part of ferment with spunding so it's already carbing and this saves time. I transfer closed under pressure at that cold crash temp and then in keg it is able to warm a bit to keg fridge temp but it's ready to go straightaway.

If I do get a blockage I fire CO2 back down the liquid line or a bit of boiled water and ascorbic acid forced with CO2.
i got a get some spunding valves for my FVs for sure
 
Where is the pick-up tube (racking arm) located in your unitank?
Is it a rotating racking arm? If so, use it to your advantage, starting higher up.

If the pickup tube is located near the bottom of the cone, in or close to the trub layer, it's very possible trub gets transferred, causing your clogging issues.
The other problem can be larger hop bits floating on top (hop carpet) when using a floating pickup without an adequate screen (filter).

Dry hop matter tends to be in 2 places in a fermenter/unitank, either floating on top (hop carpet) or sank to the bottom.

I doubt gelatin helps much with settling out hop trub bits larger than dust, it's mainly meant for coagulating yeast, removing (yeast) haze.
I guess you haven't looked inside the unitank to see what the cause of the issue was at the time?
hey i got the racking arm as far up as possible, i have not looked into the unitank im letting the beer sit at 1 C for a couple more days. Thanks for the input!
 
might help to add what type of fermenter you are using along with any mods you have done to it considering processes are typically tied to the equipment you are using. for example, I use a fermonster with floating dip tube which draws the beer from the top when kegging, so the only time I might get a clog is when 99% of the beer is already transferred and the dip tube hits the trub/hops.
im using in this case a SS brewtech unitank with rotating racking arm and glycol chiller with cooling coils.
 
Thanks everyone im seeing most of you are using a floating dip tube with a screen. Im going to give this a try for sure.
 
Is the beer clear? I ask because that seems to be 2X the amount of gelatin that I use and have always seen recommended (1/2tsp for 5 gallons). If I did the conversion right, you used 10g which is around 2.4tsp. Not sure if this could be part of the problem or not - just tossing it out there.
 
Hi!.. how did the process ended???
I have now my first IPA in UNITANK. (130 lts aprox). 6 days ferment + 2 Temp free, removed trub 1 day, dry hop (Aprox 500grams of hops, quite dont remember right now) 5 days, COLD CRASH 4 days BUT! one day i got problems with my electricity and temp raised to 10°C.
After that, foamy beer. OK Crashed again.. Dump some more HOPs trub..
Its been some days now, crashed, the hops wont settle down, they keep coming out the racking arm.

1) The option of the filter is no good.. for that amount of hops i would need 6.. (i have 3) and they hold some % of flavour / aroma ..
2) I'm considering buying an external filter...
 
Thanks everyone im seeing most of you are using a floating dip tube with a screen. Im going to give this a try for sure.
Hey, did the floating dip tube with screen work any better? Which one did you buy?I'm having the same issue with excessively hoppy beers. I also have an SS brewtech Uni - 1/2 BBL
 
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