Protein haze?

[reinstone]

First off I usually make brilliantly clear beers. The beers in question are normally very clear. I have used the same recipes and water treatments, whirl floc and fast chills.

I noted that in two pilsners I made recently that there was a haze after conversion to the wort. I got a negative iodine test but the mash never really cleared. Ph was in range verified by a good calibrated ph meter. Temps were fine. All else was the exact same.

These beers were made a few weeks ago and have spent a week lagering. I use accelerated fermentation so the beers were crash cooled.

I can use fining agents but normally don't need them.

Any ideas? Best malz Pilsner used. Everything went well on brew day but the wort cloudiness

 

[ASantiago]

Are you fairly certain the cloudiness is protein-related? It couldn't be yeast?

If the latter, any chance the wort was very low on calcium, preventing flocculation?

 

[reinstone]

Calcium was above 75 ppm. It could be yeast but I'm just concerned because the post boil hydrometer was cloudy. I usually have really clear wort post boil.

 

[reinstone]

You know how the wort on top of the mash becomes clear? This never happened. It wasn't real cloudy. Just not what I'm used to. I mashed forever at my normal temps. Checked ph and conversion over and over. No issues except the wort was never clear. It's weird.

I have made a few beers since without having this problem.

 

[ASantiago]

You know how the wort on top of the mash becomes clear? This never happened. It wasn't real cloudy. Just not what I'm used to. I mashed forever at my normal temps. Checked ph and conversion over and over. No issues except the wort was never clear. It's weird.

I have made a few beers since without having this problem.

Other than suspended yeast, all I can think about is maybe having used a large portion of 6-row, or lots of wheat, or something related to the milling of the grains, maybe too dusty?

I recirculate my mash, so I know exactly what you are talking about in terms of very clear wort.

 

[stpug]

Maybe not the answer but some lager strains require low calcium (<40 ppm) for good flocculation. This is counter-intuitive but true, nonetheless.

 

[reinstone]

Same grist and mill settings as before. The beer is also real cold about 32 f so maybe I'm drawing the bottom of the kegs and above has cleared already.

 

[hunter_le five]

Anything with a high amount of pilsner malt has always been the most difficult for me to clear, in terms of chill haze (not sediment or yeast). Eventually enough cold aging will do it though. Gelatin helps.