Lots of Grapefruit Flavors!!!

[BilltownBandit]

Last friday (Sept. 30th) I brewed a pale ale. Here's the recipe for the 6 gallon batch

FERMENTABLES
3.15lbs of golden malt
6lbs of pilsen malt
.5 lb of honey malt

HOPS
.5oz Chinook (60 min)
1oz Citra (15 min)
1oz citra and 1oz cascade at flameout

YEAST
Wyeast American Ale 1272

It's been a few days since and the gravity is sitting at 1.02 and it's at 70 degrees. When taking a reading i tasted a bit, naturally. It was amazingly similar to grapefruit juice, especially because it isn't fully fermented and still sweet. haha, i am not kidding if someone would have told me that it as a glass of grapefruit juice i would have totally believed it. Im pretty excited about how it is going to turn out!
However, I am not sure when to go for the secondary, because I don't often do one. I would really like to see this turn out crystal clear so I am going to do one. Anyone have advice?

OG- 1.056

It's been 3 and a half days since pitching and the gravity is down

 

[mcaple1]

don't secondary

 

[BilltownBandit]

What makes you think that secondary is a bad idea?

 

[makomachine]

Agree - no secondary needed. Leave it on the primary and you'll get crystal clear beer - no worries. I don't secondary any of my beers - primary to keg on every batch - and they couldn't be any clearer. I can see how you get grapefruit with this combo. Chinook has a nice rough bittering and Citra is very fruity. Might have to try a chinook bittered Citra beer to see how it turns out.

 

[Jakemo]

You'll lose hop aroma the longer it sits

 

[BilltownBandit]

allright... thanks guys! I appreciate it!

 

[Jakemo]

Does sound real good though, might have to make something similar myself!

 

[BilltownBandit]

Yeah! I'm pretty excited about it... I just hope she turns out clear. Hoping to get my bud light buddies to get on the hop bandwagon with this one

 

[HollisBrewCo]

add some gelatin right to the primary, not totally necessary but it will get you cleat beer.

 

[BilltownBandit]

How much gelatin... and if you could tell me... how does that work? I have heard of guys doing it but I guess I just don't know the science behind it...

 

[android]

it binds to the proteins in the beer and makes them fall out of solution. you can do it, but it works a lot better if you do a cold crash with it. for this one, just let it sit for a few weeks in the primary, then rack it off into your bottling bucket and bottle it up. it will clear even more in the bottle as it conditions.

 

[BilltownBandit]

I keg... So I get a cold crash for that...

 

[Jakemo]

My beer turns out crystal clear if I let it sit at room temp and condition till it's done, then toss the bottles in the fridge for a couple more weeks. Not only does it make them crystal clear, but it also helps the flavor a lot!

That's one huge advantage I see to bottle conditioning, is that the beer gets a much better chance to condition as it carbonates. I feel like force carbing doesn't give the beer as much of a chance to really cold-condition, which, YMMV, makes a pretty substantial difference in the finished product.

 

[RosewaterFoundation]

Might have to try a chinook bittered Citra beer to see how it turns out.

I've done this (plus a few other hops), and it has turned out fantastic.

 

[HollisBrewCo]

Gelatin is collagen (same as isenglass but isenglass has more collagen) it works because the gelatin/collagen molecule has a net positive charge. Yeast, proteins and polyphenols have a net negative charge in the cell wall/ on molecule. The gelatin/collagen attracts the yeast, protein and polyphenols (it does not Target any one in particular) and falls out of suspension.
As for the amount that will vary depending on the beer and the amount of clarification desired. I do large batches and generally use at least 1 package I feel like that works well for me as I crash cool too. I would not use more than a half packet give or take for 6 or so gallons of beer.
My procedure is to use boiled and cooled water (I pre make about 2 gallons at a time and put it sanatizing mason jars) though this may not be necessary I'm overly careful sometimes. When the water is at 170 I put the geletine in and let it bloom for 10-15 minutes. I pour the warm gelatin in the cold beer and leave it fpr a few days to a week to drop clear.
I would do a search for gelitine as my method is by no means the only one or best one.

 

[BilltownBandit]

ended up pretty good. Only been in the keg for 2 days and she taste and looks great already. Lets be real, It's getting me ****faced...

 

[Apendecto]

How's the aroma now?

 

[BilltownBandit]

Smells great. Has a bit of a hop forward smell but is very balanced. that small head also laces all the way down the glass.

 

[BilltownBandit]

Citrus scent, not super strong, but certainly hop forward.

 

[DannPM]

Do you think the yeast in the primary look down and say "dude it is crowded as hell down there, I'm going to hold off on flocculating till secondary man." Really?

NO! When you rack to a secondary you're disrupting all the sediment that is slowly falling back randomly into suspension, actually delaying the clarification process. It is more dense as the depth increases. Racking distributes it all over again.

Conditioning on a healthy yeast cake is beneficial anyways.

 

[FloatinAway]

A secondary vessel will do nothing to clear a beer, in and of itself. Thats just time passing and allowing more stuff to drop out. Don't believe the "you have to rack to a secondary hype". Secondary fermentation happens (in general) in the beer after just a few days and lasts for a fews day wherever the beer is. Autolysis is not happening to any great extent in four weeks at proper temps. Yes there are reasons for a transfer to a secondary vessel, but clarity or another fermentation are not technically sound reasons. But as always, homebrewing is a hobby and we all like to tweak and play, so by all means have fun and try anything and everything.

 

[daksin]

Just a side question: I usually (can't say I've paid too much attention) see people who keg recommending gelatin. Will gelatin leave enough yeast in suspension to bottle condition? I'd like to do this with a big beer that has a pretty low floc yeast in it right now.