I went bottle my beer today, only to find that it needs more time. Rather cloudy and it also could drop a bit more. Patience is something I am learning!
Let down, but a lesson
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grittanomyces
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Did you transfer to secondary, or just bottle from the primary fermenter?
I know there are many here who preach that secondary is unnecessary, but if you're bottling and don't have a way to cold-crash it, then your beer is going to come out hazy and with a lot of yeast if you don't.
Also, the quicker you can cool the wort should help too.
How long did you give it? Because I think your issue may be more related to method, but if you bottled right after fermentation around 7 days, then you definitely did not give the yeast long enough to clean up (condition) and most of it to drop.
I know there are many here who preach that secondary is unnecessary, but if you're bottling and don't have a way to cold-crash it, then your beer is going to come out hazy and with a lot of yeast if you don't.
Also, the quicker you can cool the wort should help too.
How long did you give it? Because I think your issue may be more related to method, but if you bottled right after fermentation around 7 days, then you definitely did not give the yeast long enough to clean up (condition) and most of it to drop.
I typically give most of my beers 4 weeks to ferment and another 4 weeks to condition followed a week in the fridge and my beers may not be perfectly clear, and do have a bit of sediment, but I'm good with it, and I don't usually use any clarifiers. But even my 3/3/1 beers are good enough for me.
I don't have a way to crash cool at the moment. About 1/2 tbsp gelatin dissolved in hot water usually clears it rather effectively in 3-4 days. After they're bottled and carbed the time in the fridge usually makes a nice solid yeast cake on the bottom. A few batches I've even been able to completely up-end the bottle with no yeast coming with the beer.
OP
OP
It has been in the primary for 3 weeks, but it is a big beer. It has come down from 1.084 to 1.014, but like I said, it is cloudy. I have no way to cold crash, except our fridge and might not win me any browny points. (She just looked at me, with the look.) Should I try gelatin? Will it effect an IPA negatively?
Puddlethumper
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Even though a beer has finished fermenting doesn't mean it will drop completely clear at that point. The best way to clarify the beer is to cold crash at 40F+/- for 3-5 days. Gelatin finings can help but gelatin also requires that you get the beer cold. So if you can't cold crash then you can't really use gelatin effectively either.
I'd suggest you go ahead and bottle it and let it carb up. A few days/weeks in the fridge at serving temp will probably clarify it pretty well. Cold temperatures will clarify the beer, regardless if it is in your fermenter or in the bottle. But you should pour carefully to avoid pouring off the sediment in the bottom of the bottles.
Cheers!
grittanomyces
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Have not used gelatin, so take that advice from others above, but adding whifloc or irish moss to the end of the boil, cooling the wort quickly, and transferring to secondary to leave a lot of the yeast behind, all will help.
flars
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Give it time. Take another SG sample in a week. Fermentations go on their own schedule.
OP
OP
I may have a process issue (that is me not wanting to admit it) that caused my cloudiness. Although, I think that I have rectified the issue. Let me explain. We bought a house with a glass stove top. It took an hour to get a boil going. The cook top is one that turns on and then off. I kept it on there, but only sporadically had a rolling boil. To fix the problem I bought a propane burner today and some whirlfloc. The next brew should, hopefully, go more smoothly. You are all to thank for this, I reviewed my brew notes and reread your posts. This pointed to my problem. I am going to bottle and drink my cloudy IPA, because it is an honor thing, but you all have helped me to push on and figure things out.
