Question about whole hops and clarity

[Truble]

So I did my first brew with whole hops 8 days ago. I used some organic Cascade that my wife's herbal shop gets. I was pleased with them other than the fact that I thought I used too much (measured wrong). I racked it to the secondary last night, and I was amazed at how clear the brew was!!!! it was clearer than some of my other finished products. I could clearly see the bottom of the bucket when it was 1/2 empty. No haze or anything! My question is whether any of you get clearer beerw using whole hops? Do they trap more of the protein break in the boil pot and keep it from getting into the secondary? Do they aid the break process in general? I started at 1.053 and ended up at 1.010, so I know that it is not a watery brew or anything, and it tasted great- pretty crisp and light bodied.

Just curious-if so, I am stuck on whole hops!!!

 

[Truble]

looks like I might be the only one who has experienced this. hmm.......I guess I will try to replicate it in the next brew to make sure that it isn't something that I did without knowing.

 

[david_42]

There have been other strings on this, but I've always found pellets make a huge mess in the primary. I haven't really seen much difference in the secondary. That doesn't stop me from using them for bittering.

 

[Truble]

Well, there was also some pellet hops in this brew, and I am used to that mess. Just wondering if the whole hops absorb a lot of that junk (the cold break, etc) during the process. I would not be obsessing normally, but the clarity after 1 week is incredible compared to my other brews, and I want to understand why so that I can replicate.

thx

 

[Janx]

Well, I only use whole, and my beer turns out pretty clear usually. I don't know if there's a connection.

But it's not difficult to guess that grinding a dried flower to a fine dust and adding it to your beer isn't going to *help* with clarity

But then, grinding a delicate, aromatic herb to a fine powder doesn't do much for any of its desirable characteristics. Down with pellets!

 

[j_oracle]

[FONT=&quot]I have had beer that fall "very bright" in the secondary but all my beer once chilled will haze up.

I have tried: protein rests, enzyme salts (Burton), reducing break pick up in primary. The only thing that makes my beer "clear" out the faucet is long cold chilling. 2 weeks at damn near freezing normally does the trick. I have used PolyClar but the results very, so I took it as a waste of money.

Normally after a 7-10 day primary once beer is transferred to the secondary the beer falls bright within a day or so. But again your beer may be clear at room temp. but once chilled may haze up.

Just my take.[/FONT]

 

[Truble]

Yeah. I do get a little chill haze on my brews. I was just comparing this brew to my other brews that used the exact same method for everything except the mini mash and the whole hops. I will report back when it is bottled/chilled, though this is the base for my Rasberry Ale, so adding fruit will change the whole situation, I think.