Irish Moss in NEIPA?
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First I want to say that I am preparing to make a NEIPA for the first time so am no expert. As I understand it this style is supposed to be at least hazy if not quite cloudy and Irish Moss is meant to clarify a beer so you may not want to use it.
Upthewazzu
Well-Known Member
Do not use irish moss or whirlflock.
I have not used any clarifiers in my NEIPAs, but interestingly enough, the Fort Point recipe that is supposed to be from the head brewer at Trillium that was published in BYO calles for whirlfloc.
I followed the recipe, but can't speak to the result as it's only been in the fermenter for about 5 days. I'll post back next week.
I followed the recipe, but can't speak to the result as it's only been in the fermenter for about 5 days. I'll post back next week.
Weezy
Well-Known Member
Pretty darn counterproductive. 
TravelingLight
Well-Known Member
I always use moss/whirlfloc in my NEIPAs. No other fining (except cold crashing, but is that really fining??). I'm brewing my 5th NEIPA this weekend and haven't seen an issue yet. IMO, by not using moss/floc, you'll end up with too much protein break in the beer, leaving it chewy. I could be wrong, but that's my peon brain thoughts on the subject.
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I brewed a NEIPA last brew for the first time. I added whirlfloc as I normally do without really thinking about it. With 20% flaked adjuncts and and a crap ton (Imperial not Metric) of hops the two kegs I have on tap show no signs of clarity or a lack of mouth feel. I'll probably leave it out next time just to see and save myself a step.
I was just listening to an episode of the Experimental Brewing podcast and they were talking to a guy who brews tons of NEIPA (forget his name) and he uses Irish Moss for this exact reason. I don't think Irish Moss is going to clear up a NEIPA, just drop some proteins that you don't necessarily want. I don't buy the counterproductive point people bring up.
With that being said, I don't use it in mine, but that's more about me being lazy than anything. lol.
Does most of the haze come from the low flocculation of the yeast and the massive amount of dry hops? If so, doing anything to clear before pitching yeast and hops should be ok. I have brewed quite a few NEIPAs and really have never paid attention to the haziness, I am more concerned about aroma, mouthfeel and taste.
I drink quite a bit of trillum, Alchemist and tree house when I can get it and using the conan strain seems to create the right amount of haziness.
Chris
I drink quite a bit of trillum, Alchemist and tree house when I can get it and using the conan strain seems to create the right amount of haziness.
Chris
I use whirlfloc in mine. I really like using it- but I don't like the "orange juice" look to my beers. I don't mind a little hops haze (or even a lot), but I don't want a ton of protein haze.
The two I have on tap right now are a little hazy, but not totally opaque like orange juice.
I love Trillium's beers, but really it's up to you what your goals are. I want my beer to look really great, and a murky beer doesn't look great to me.
The two I have on tap right now are a little hazy, but not totally opaque like orange juice.
I love Trillium's beers, but really it's up to you what your goals are. I want my beer to look really great, and a murky beer doesn't look great to me.
FWIW, I never use irish moss or whirlfloc in my NEIPA, and have no issue with body or mouthfeel. Get a nice hazy / cloudy easy drinking end result. I typically cold crash for 2 days before kegging.
I think this really hits on the main concern. I'd probably opt for the same approach myself, if it weren't for my "customers " (neighbors, family). They remarked very positively on the color and haze of my batch without the moss, so that's just how I do it now. The flavor is probably the same with or without using any of those fining agents.
Good question, and here's the funny part: most people in my area are using Wyeast 1318 to make their NEIPAs. But if you look up that strain you'll see it has a high flocculation! So I am assuming it's mostly hop haze since that's what I use and usually get a very hazy beer.
Agreed. I use wlp007 for some very clear west coast IPAs however, I currently have a haze bomb on tap using the same yeast. Quarter pound of hops in the whirlpool and another in a dry hop (for each 4 gallon batch I do) with 20% flaked grains makes more sense than the yeast. Also, I'm not sure the "capacity" of one whirlfloc tablet. 1 tablet in 8 gallons with one each pound of flaked oats, barely, and wheat may have so much protein in there that the whirlfoc did its regular job but that was indistinguishable in the final product of this beer.
Just some thoughts.
Just some thoughts.
I left out that part as well; the flaked grains I use would certainly add to it.
My NEIPA with 1318 is a little hazy, with hops haze I assume. But it's not murky. I will try to remember to take a picture of it this evening when I get home.
hopbrad
Well-Known Member
I think haziness is from the hops, murkiness is from the higher % of oats. Once I started getting into the 15% range, it stayed juice like even after 2+ weeks in the keg.
I usually use 5-8% flaked oats in most of my beers in addition with wheat (5-30%) depending on the beer...saison, wit, stout, pale ales, IPAs etc.
Ive done multiple hop experiments...large whirlpool, dry hopping on day 2 of fermentation, double dry hopping. Used various yeast and they all eventually drop out pretty darn clear and I don't use any finings.
It wasn't until I doubled the oats, that the murkiness stayed.
The last 50 gallon batch we did was a partigyle IPA and Pale.
The IPA, late hopped, whirlpooled and double dry hopped split into multiple fermenters with 007, 1318, conan, 644, s-05. all murky.
The pale ale. all boiled hops. split with 1318, 007 and s-05. some dry hopped, some not. I'd say about 1/2 the hop additions as the IPA. but all were still murky. water profile was the same 150/100 in favor of chloride
I like hazy IPAs, the murkiness doesnt matter to me, but serving it to people that dont know the trend, they always raise an eyebrow. And then after they taste it, theyre like whoa! ok, nevermind. so it would be great to get the flavor profile without the murkiness. if thats possible.
I usually use 5-8% flaked oats in most of my beers in addition with wheat (5-30%) depending on the beer...saison, wit, stout, pale ales, IPAs etc.
Ive done multiple hop experiments...large whirlpool, dry hopping on day 2 of fermentation, double dry hopping. Used various yeast and they all eventually drop out pretty darn clear and I don't use any finings.
It wasn't until I doubled the oats, that the murkiness stayed.
The last 50 gallon batch we did was a partigyle IPA and Pale.
The IPA, late hopped, whirlpooled and double dry hopped split into multiple fermenters with 007, 1318, conan, 644, s-05. all murky.
The pale ale. all boiled hops. split with 1318, 007 and s-05. some dry hopped, some not. I'd say about 1/2 the hop additions as the IPA. but all were still murky. water profile was the same 150/100 in favor of chloride
I like hazy IPAs, the murkiness doesnt matter to me, but serving it to people that dont know the trend, they always raise an eyebrow. And then after they taste it, theyre like whoa! ok, nevermind. so it would be great to get the flavor profile without the murkiness. if thats possible.
I just checked my recipes for NEIPA in Beersmith and I have always added whirlfloc. This post caused me to check the NEIPA that I kegged yesterday and it is not clear it looks like a Hefe. If it spends more than 2 weeks in the keg it will clear up. For now it is a race to the bottom.
