Noob questions on finings and cold conditioning ale in the keg

[Reelale]

Talk about information overload! Just do a search on using gelatin, and you'll find hundreds of procedures as well as dilutions. I went with 1/2 teaspoon per 1 cup of water @ 170 degrees for 5 gallons. Anybody have the "real answer"? Also, if using gelatin, will carbonating it in the keg affect it, or should you use this on flat beer? It's really not a cold-crash, as it's spent it's time in the secondary.

And, if you want to age an ale, can you do it in the keg, refrigerated and under gas? Is there a better way? I needed to get it out of the secondary, but it ain't ready to drink yet, I think. It's the Thunderstruck Pumpkin ale and went 14 days in primary, racked to seconday for 11 days, and just kegged. Put around 12 lbs of CO2, then pulled the gas connect off.

Should I go ahead and put 12 psi gas on it and let it go? Or should I wait and let the gelatin do what it is going to do. Any help with this brew will be greatly appeciated, as always. By the way, tastes really good. Added original amount of spices in Yuri's recipe 1 minute till flameout. I think adding the spice tea would have been way too much spice.

 

[Dos_Locos_Brewery]

Your procedure with gelatin is OK. The ale can carbonate, clear, and age in the keg.

 

[shortyjacobs]

I primary 3 weeks, keg, age at room temp until I get impatient, move keg to fridge, add gelatin, carbonate, serve.

I age at room temp because it will mellow faster at room temp, (all those nice reactions happen faster). However it will only clear well, (gelatin or no), when cold.

I have also decided to add gelatin after carbonating, and that's worked just fine, (I just poured it in and closed the keg up again quick to prevent a fountain.

For me, I use one packet knox unflavored gelatin, add to cold water, wait 20 minutes, heat to around 180F, (really, until it looks almost ready to simmer), let sit for 5 minutes to fully pasteurize, then dump into the keg hot. The thermal mass of 200 mls water vs 5 gallons cold beer means I can dump it in hot without worrying.

 

[Reelale]

I primary 3 weeks, keg, age at room temp until I get impatient, move keg to fridge, add gelatin, carbonate, serve.

I have also decided to add gelatin after carbonating, and that's worked just fine, (I just poured it in and closed the keg up again quick to prevent a fountain.

For me, I use one packet knox unflavored gelatin, add to cold water, wait 20 minutes, heat to around 180F, (really, until it looks almost ready to simmer), let sit for 5 minutes to fully pasteurize, then dump into the keg hot. The thermal mass of 200 mls water vs 5 gallons cold beer means I can dump it in hot without worrying.

Thanks for the quick replies. Shorty, how long do you age in the keg before refrigerating, typically? Is it a set time or does it just depend? I've never thought about gelatin after carbonation, but it sounds like my idea of cabonating now will work, even with gelatin.

I too have used 1 packet with one cup, but I read here that too much gelatin can reduce the body of beer. If that is the case, I would just like to use the minimum needed to clear. And there are hundreds of ideas on what that minimum is.

 

[Reelale]

Your procedure with gelatin is OK. The ale can carbonate, clear, and age in the keg.

And thanks to you too "two crazies"? I sounds like you've done this too.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Thanks for the quick replies. Shorty, how long do you age in the keg before refrigerating, typically? Is it a set time or does it just depend? I've never thought about gelatin after carbonation, but it sounds like my idea of cabonating now will work, even with gelatin.

I too have used 1 packet with one cup, but I read here that too much gelatin can reduce the body of beer. If that is the case, I would just like to use the minimum needed to clear. And there are hundreds of ideas on what that minimum is.

LOL, aging, yeah, about that. So far every keg I've racked into has gone straight into the keg except for one. That one was a Edwort's Haus ale, and it stayed in the basement for 1.5 weeks, only because I made it as a 10 gallon batch, and the other 5 gallons went into the kegerator.

SO, I don't have the patience for a lot of aging yet. I don't have the pipeline to be able to afford that luxury. I hope to have that luxury soon however...