Update post gelatin. It’s been 5 days at 31 after adding the gelatin and the stringency has reduced slightly but not altogether gone. It’s not quite as immediate as the beer was a week
Ago, so I’ll call that a win. At this point it’s more like a west coast ipa, similar bitterness but not quite as “clean” as stone. I assume that’s from the high cohumulone of the Vic secret. Partially thinking the whirlpool just added a lot more than brewers friend predicted. I apparently didn’t note my actual whirlpool temp, but my target was 170 (not adding heat or actually whirlpooling, just steep) so it was probably right there if not slightly below. Predicted ibu was low 40s but tasting more like 70, Assuming the stone comparison holds.
Also helping the west coast comparison is I overshot my og and ended up around 1.010. It doesn’t register as totally dry though, likely driven by the high chloride.
And the most interesting, though perhaps slightly expected, aspect is the beer has actually cleared considerably. Obviously the gelatin helped there but it also suggests to me the initial haze was yeast derived and not polyphenol derived, as it should have been. As I notes in my previous post, I had some unexpected referm despite dry hopping at 60.
@Dgallo pointed out that Conan is still active around 60 so we’ll call it that. Could also be the less flocculent a20 half of the a24 I used but considering other brewers on here that regularly use a24 aren’t seeing clearing over time, I don’t necessarily think that was it. Might also have been the 45% wheat (30%malted, 15% flaked) but again, seems unlikely.
On the plus side, 3 weeks from kegging, the hip aroma is much stronger now. Might be from some clearing but also probably just normal age. Classic Citra tropical/fruit is in the background with an interesting strawberry up front, assuming from the VS.
In the end i only have 2-3 oz of Vic secret left, which I will reserve for dry hop only (no whirlpool next time). This was also my last harvest of A24, and I’ll be switching back to London 3. A24 was good but didn’t knock my socks off, and for whatever reason was a little less predictable in terms of fg on the three beers I used it on. I’d use a24 again but time to switch it back to where it started.
Pics for reference. Same glass.