Some questions about clearing

[TheOneEyedDog]

So tomorrow I'm going to attempt my first 5 gal all-grain batch. A big step up from my previous 1 gal extract beers.

I was just curious about how to get the clearest beer possible through bottle conditioning also while lacking a fridge for cold crashing. I've read up on gelatin and would like to try it but I still can't seem to find a definitive answer on if there will be enough yeast left to carbonate in bottles. I also won't have a way to bring the temperature down for the gelatin so I guess it's pretty much out of the question regardless. Finally, I plan to throw in a Whirfloc tablet with about 10 minutes left in the boil, hoping for that to help the clarity a little.

Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance!

 

[flars]

I use time to clear my beers. Fermentation is usually complete when I check SG about day 10 to 12. CO2 has off gassed, letting sediments drop out, by day 18 to 21. Twenty-one days after the start of the active fermentation is usually bottling day. Unless there are other things to do. I'm in no rush to bottle at a certain time.

Dry hopping, in the primary, can add a few extra days before I bottle.

 

[TheOneEyedDog]

Thanks for the response! As hard as it may be to resist bottling so I can drink sooner, I'll give the extended fermentation a go.

 

[RM-MN]

I use time to clear my beers. Fermentation is usually complete when I check SG about day 10 to 12. CO2 has off gassed, letting sediments drop out, by day 18 to 21. Twenty-one days after the start of the active fermentation is usually bottling day. Unless there are other things to do. I'm in no rush to bottle at a certain time.

Dry hopping, in the primary, can add a few extra days before I bottle.

Time does wonders for clearing beer. Once I have bottled the beer I give it even more time to finish clearing. I've even had a hefeweizen that I wanted to be hazy clear up completely by letting the bottles sit on the shelf. If you've been making 1 gallon batches, having 5 gallons at a time will have the last of the bottles having set for a while which will help them clear. You also might like the flavor change that beer goes through while sitting quietly on the shelf.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

As posted above, yeast will drop out with time.

But chill haze is more likely to destroy the clarity of your beer. Whilst it does reduce with a long refrigeration time (weeks), gelatine is best for removing it. Unfortunately, in my experience, it won't work unless you chill the beer first. Whirlfloc, a good, strong rolling boil, rapid chilling and time are your best bet for clear beer if you don't have refrigeration. Apart from that, don't be scared of a bit of chill haze - the beer still tastes just as good. Also, dry hopping (hop resins) will cause haze in beer.

 

[unionrdr]

In my experiences, using whirlfloc in the boil helps. Getting the hot wort down to 75F or so, then topping off with chilled spring water to recipe volume reduces chill haze come fridge time. The chill haze forms as the bottles cool, then settles out like a fog in a couple of days. If it takes weeks to settle or clear, you may have a starch haze problem from incomplete conversion in the mash.

 

[Puddlethumper]

+1 to most of the above. Clarity is affected by suspended trub and by proteins. The trub will settle out with enough time. The proteins, not so much.

Whirfloc or Irish Moss added toward the end of the boil will definitely help with clarity. I use Irish Moss on every batch and am a believer.

Gelatin will help clear the beer of proteins but I'm not a fan. I think it strips some of the hop flavors from the finished beer. You can get around this by dry-hopping in the keg or secondary after adding the gelatin. If you are bottling it takes a little juggling but it can be done. (Others may disagree so keep in mind that YMMV.)

My suggestion is to let the beer ferment to final gravity (you don't need to leave it much longer if your fermentation temps were correct). Wait a day or so to be sure you are at FG, cold crash if you can, then bottle it up. There is plenty of yeast left in suspension to carbonate the bottles. Let them set for a couple of weeks at ~70F and put 'em in the fridge. The longer they stay in the fridge the clearer they will get and, to some extent, the better the flavors will marry. (IPA's and APA's have a more limited shelf life.)

But even after an extended stay in the fridge the beer may not be as clear as you want. But it will probably taste great. Save the worries over clarity until you can drop the bucks on the equipment to satisfy that desire. Even then you will need to spend some time perfecting your techniques. Remember, learning to brew is a process that will probably take some time. I've been at it long enough that I should have it perfected but I don't. Cut yourself some slack and enjoy the learning process!

Cheers!