Single Stage Fermentation

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modenacart

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All the people who use single stage fermentation, do you get more cloudy beer than two stage? I just did a single stage and loved how easy it was, but my beer is really cloudy. I didnt use finnings when I brewed, but I fermented 14 days at 65 F and 19 days at 52F. when I kegged it, it was really cloudy. Will it clear up after a few days. Its still coming out cloudy after two days and four pints. I am pushing it at about 8 psi.
 
There really is only single stage fermentation. The secondary is for clearing not fermenting. With that time frame its not clear why your brew is cloudy unless you disturbed the trub going from primary to keg.

Was this an AG or extract brew?
 
It was AG. I did distrub the trub some, but not too much. It didn't look as clear as other beers I used finnings on. It has cleared some after the last two pints I drank since posting, but its still not very clear. Maybe some chill haze, but I don't know what that really looks like.

After the two more pints the beer doesn't have as bitter of a bit anymore. I hope it conditions and cleans up some more. Other than the bit its not too bad.
 
I just now tried my latest brew which for the first time has gone staight from fermentor to keg as I've read that quite a few people do: I also see a considerable amount of haze compared to the brews that I've previously sent to keg only after secondary. It still tastes pretty good but will have to see how it looks after a crash cooling period for a couple of days. I always (unless forgetting my step due to too much homebrew as brewing) use Irish moss fining agent in my brews. I usually don't care much if it is a bit cloudy as long as the taste is still good, but it does make me wonder.
 
I recently brewed the Centennial Blonde, it was only in the primary, no secondary. It was done fermenting in about 4 days, I left it for about 4 more days, and then crash cooled it. It will go into the keg later today or tomorrow, and it is as clear as I would ever want it to be. I have done this with my last two recipes, and they have come out great.
 
What do you mean by crash cooling it? Should I bring my keg down to about 35 F or so and let it sit for a few days to let more sediment drop out? If it does that should come up first and then clean up. I just poured another pint and its clearer than the last one.
 
Crash cool: throw the carboy into the beer fridge for a couple of days, so that you can get the cold break to settle to the bottom. THEN you go ahead and rack over to your keg, leaving the cold break and yeast and any other trub behind in the carboy.
 
I don't think of Irish Moss as a fining agent, since it's used in the kettle. I always think of finings as stuff added to fermenter or package. That said, Irish Moss added to the kettle will help precipitate haze-forming compounds in the break.

Are you getting a good, rapid chill of your wort before knockout? A good cold break, assisted by carageenan (Irish Moss), will remove most of the compounds that contribute to chill-haze formation.

There are a couple of ways you can attack the clarity problem with finings. First is Gelatin. Gelatin will precipitate yeast and chill haze proteins. Isinglass is another.

For my money, if you have a problem getting your beer to drop bright, fine it in the fermenter before racking to package. You can also fine in the cask/keg - this is especially effective with Isinglass, which denatures in warm temperatures. So - I'd use gelatin in the fermenter two to four days before racking to cask and chill the beer. Then I'd add Isinglass when racking.

That's what's worked for me! Works for real ale brewers in UK, too. ;)

Cheers,

Bob
 
I have used Irish moss for every brew before this one and never have had a problem with haze.

I chill using a cc chiller and it works great. The wort comes out the other end almost the same temperature as the coolling water. I figure the chiller is about 40 feet.

How do you use Isinglass, I guess at what ratios? I think I will try that. I have it currently sitting at about 35F hoping I can get more haze or yeast or whatever to drop out. I wouldn't really be concerned, but it has a bit of a bitterness I think is coming from yeast.
 
Last year I did a hefe and used irish moss(as i do in all my beers now!). I used liquid malt extract with all the starch converted. Some dme's and lme's don't convert all the starch so your hefe is nice and cloudy. I used 1010 american hefeweizen yeast from WYeast. 9 days after I pitched I kegged it. The first few days it was cloudy, kinda, the yeast was dropping out of suspension still. After a week it was crystal clear... a hefe was crystal clear! oops! It was good, but clear. I diddn't rack it to 2nd, just to the keg. All of my wimpy beers(5.5% and smaller, heheheheh :D ) I don't feel the need to toss in 2nd unless I want to dry hop them. I keg them and they all are crystal clear in about 3 days and 4-5 10 oz glasses(I run at 15psi... I always get good head!)
 
The more I read, the more confused I get. I'm nearly 2 weeks into an AG brew and my next move was going to be adding finings, leave a day or two then into the pan with priming sugar to bottle. Now I'm reading about secondary ferment, is that worth it? It'd have to go into the big kettle then back into the same fermenting tub.
 
There really is only single stage fermentation. The secondary is for clearing not fermenting. With that time frame its not clear why your brew is cloudy unless you disturbed the trub going from primary to keg.



Was this an AG or extract brew?


I do not use irish moss,but only two stage fermantation,the first one as fermentation ,the second one as clarification and in addition the third one to add sugar before bottling . The final beer is clear and has less waste (fondi in italian language)
AG brewing.



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