Question RE: Gelatin Fining

[ircbrewing]

Hi all -

I know this has been beat to death as I have searched the forum, but I wanted to see if I have this down right. I have been brewing for 3 years, but never really cared too much for clarification beyond a whirlfloc in the boil at 15 minutes to go.

But, I want to see what the rage is all about. I have found that after about 2-3 weeks in my keg my beer does tend to settle out and become much brighter, but that 2-3 weeks is generally about the time the keg starts to get empty, so I don't get my fully clear beer until the end of the keg most times and I find that I would prefer it from the get go. So, I shall try gelatin.

What's not clear to me is does this work after you have put the beer on gas? So for instance, if

1. I were to transfer from primary into my keg,
2. Go ahead and get the gas going for 24 until the beer gets cold,
3. Get my gelatin solution ready and add it to the keg after it has been on gas for 24 hours
4. Then rehook it up, purge any oxygen and let it finish burst carbing and clarifying at the same time for 48 more hours.

Or, do I need to

1. Transfer from primary to keg
2. Add keg to kegerator to cool without gas overnight until cool
3. Add gelatin solution and wait another 24-48 hours for gelatin to do its work
4. Burst carb for roughly 72 hours.

Thanks for any input!

 

[brew703]

For me, I cold crash temps to about 35-38 degrees in fermenter, then add gelatin and let sit 1-2 days then transfer to keg.
I've never done gelatin fining in a keg. Not sure I would do that.
With gelatin and gas, I get very clear beer in a short amount of time.

 

[Rob2010SS]

You're fine to go with your first plan. This won't hurt the fining process. You'll have a bit more junk in the bottom of the keg after your done but it comes out easily. I just did this process on a beer of mine recently, pretty much verbatim on how you stated it:

Transfer to keg
Hook up gas and purge, let chill for 24 hrs
Add gelatin
Reconnect gas and purge again
Continue burst carbing

Worked like a charm

 

[Ezemcgee]

So the leftover gelatin "sludge" in the keg isn't a big deal? I'm thinking of kegging my next brews, brewing in a garage in Florida during July/August, to streamline my production and cut time.

 

[Rob2010SS]

No, it won't be a big deal. I should say, I haven't had any issues with it.

 

[ircbrewing]

Thanks to all who have replied. @Ezemcgee I have heard on various podcasts that fining the keg is perfectly fine. The only thing you contend with is gelatin in your first couple of pours. All gelatin should settle at the bottom of the keg and will get sucked out by the dip tube. Those first one or two pours typically have settlement anyways, except now they'll have settlement plus gelatin.

I had just never heard if gas effected the gelatin's ability to fine. I guess I will give it a whirl then!

 

[brew703]

Is there a benefit of fining in the keg vs fermenter?

 

[Auger]

Its easier for me to get kegs in and out of the keezer than a bucket or carboy, to cold crash. I've done it with carboys in the keezer when I had the space, then siphoned clear beer into a keg and then carbonated. Unless I'm planning on traveling with a keg and want to maintain bright beer, I find its easier to combine the steps and do it all at once.

 

[ircbrewing]

Is there a benefit of fining in the keg vs fermenter?

This could be total BS, but I wanted to avoid doing it in the fermenter because I am afraid that during the racking process, I will inevitably end up racking a small amount of settlement into the keg where there would not be any geltin to help settle it.

To me, by fining in my final vessel the gelatin will fine the final product and maximize the amount of particulates dropped out of suspension that will be sucked up through the dip tube on the first couple of pulls.

 

[tmendick]

I gelatin in the keg all the time, usually while carbing...double duty.
Although, I usually transfer the clear beer to a new keg a few days after I gelatin

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I always gelatin in the fermenter. If during racking I end up sucking some sediment into the keg it will still settle to the bottom relatively quickly and get sucked out on the first pour. I'd rather a little goop than all the goop in the keg.

 

[brew703]

Maybe I'll give it a try. Although fining in the fermenter has worked fine for me.

 

[ircbrewing]

Maybe I'll give it a try. Although fining in the fermenter has worked fine for me.

I'd say don't change it then! I have a brew jacket fermentation control. I guess I could theoretically use that to cool my beer down in the fermenter to 40-45 degrees and add the gelatin and then rack to keg. My only concern there is the additional exposure to oxygen when I pop the lid to add the gelatin to the fermenter. I'd almost rather add it to the keg since it's already exposed during racking and quickly purge out the oxygen with C02 when I close the keg.

 

[tmendick]

My only complaint about gelatin-ing in the fermenter is the oxygen that gets introduced into the beer as it cools down to gelatin/cold crash temps.

 

[brew703]

I may try it on my next batch just to see if i notice any differences.

 

[Jtk78]

My only complaint about gelatin-ing in the fermenter is the oxygen that gets introduced into the beer as it cools down to gelatin/cold crash temps.

There are ways to combat this. (For the record, I disagree with the notion of using an S style airlock. While the vessel man not collapse, there certainly is oxygen being sucked into the head space.)

Here is a thread on how I prevent suck back, but there are other ideas.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/fermonster-back-suck-back-closed-transfer-fix.646893/

Because I was able to prevent this, I also cold crash and fine with gelatin in the fermenter. Usually by the middle of the first pour, the beer is very clear. Saves me having to open the keg and move things around in a pretty tight kegerator. Just works better for me.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I use gelatin in the keg after a 24 hr chill. Dump the pressure, add the gelatin (slowly), recap, gas and purge and gas it up again. Wait 48 hours then tap off a 1/2 pitcher. Drink it if it's clear.

 

[Auger]

I recently put together a spunding valve to finish fermentation in a keg, another mthod for minimixing oxygen ingress during cold crashing. I rack to a keg after 4-5 days of primary fermentation and put on the spunding valve. After fermentation completes, I put the keg on gas and put it in the keezer. If it is a beer I'm fining, I open up the keg, add gelatin, seal it back up and purge a few times to minimize oxygen. Seems to work alright other than you get a lot more trub in the keg than when you rack after fermentation has completed and the yeast has dropped somewhat.