Summer Irish Red still cloudy

[labarres]

My second brew is a Summer Irish Red that I picked up from Austin Homebrew. Followed all the directions (note the 1st sentence, this is only my second brew) however I have some concerns.

2 weeks in primary, 3 almost 4 weeks in secondary.

#1- When I transferred to the secondary I noticed a STRONG alcohol smell
#2- Beer is still cloudy, and is more of an orange color than a deep red... not clear at all, resembles a hefe.

So my questions are... Why is the beer still cloudy after all this time? And should I anticipate drinking moonshine over an Irish red when its time to taste?

Thanks for any feed back!

 

[onipar]

I'm not sure about everything, but I can say with all certainty that you *won't* be drinking moonshine. :cross: What was your OG, and did you take any FG readings yet? With those two things, you can calculate what ABV you've got on your hands.

I'm not sure why it's still cloudy or why it's not red, but if you post the recipe, maybe someone could help. My gut says that you should just give it more time to clear. There are ways of clearing it (gelatin comes to mind), but I have absolutely ZERO experience with those things, so I'll leave it for someone else to explain.

Hope that helps a little.

 

[poislb]

For your next brew, leave it in the primary for one month...no secondary, after the month is up cold crash it in the fridge at 37-40 degrees for 3 days. Rack into bottles there after the cold crash and wait another 3-4 weeks for bottle conditioning, that should clear your beer right up. Ya can aslo add irish moss or a tablet to your boil 15min prior to flame out (cant remember what the tablet is called

 

[hops2it]

If you happen to have a spare fridge with adequate space, throw the secondary in there for a few days and see if you get some clearing.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

Did you use Irish moss? Tossing it in the boil helps with clarity. The tablet mentioned above is called Servomices or something like that.

Even if the beer is cloudy going into the bottle, then there is still some hope. Once carbonation is complete stick the bottles in the fridge for a few days. You will get some trub on the bottom of teh bottles, but the beer should be much clearer.

 

[Gunfighter04]

I've got the same exact beer from AHS sitting in the keg right now. I've got to say it is the clearest beer I've done to date. It's been my experience (I've brewed it twice) that a good hot break and cold break are key to clarifying. How long did it take to cool? I got mine from boiling down to ~80 in about 20 minutes.

 

[new2brew1]

Thanks for the feed back. To answer some of the questions.
- I did not use irish moss (didnt know that was an option)
- I did not take an OG
- The wort took about 35 mins to cool... and I actually cooled it to about 70. Crazy fermintation, had some "spillage". Switched the blow off valve to a bottle with some water & vodka (found instructions off this site).

Just got a 5 gallon keg, was going to use that rather than bottles. I will try to cool the secondary down for a few days & see what happens.

Thanks again for the feedback. I will have to say, even with head scratching its still a lot of fun.

 

[birvine]

Sometimes my brews are a bit cloudy and need a bit more time to clarify and/or clarify once the bottles or kegs are cooled down in the fridge.

B

 

[PIGMAN]

I'd rather have a cloudy beer that tastes good, than a clear beer that doesn't. If your beer tastes good, then you did well. You can always work on the clarity issue. A lot of the experienced brewers on this forum advocate longer time in primary, and no secondary, and their beer comes out clear.

 

[Changeduser123]

What yeast did you use ? Maybe it has a small flocculation rate.

Also, cold conditioning will definitely help clarify this beer.

 

[motleybrews]

I'm having the same issue with the same kit. I wasn't able to take a OG or FG as the "kit" i bought at one of the LHBS (one i will NEVER go to again. the guy was a jerk, pushy, and from what i've heard after the fact, his kits are never complete) didn't come with a hydrometer. i went to my other LHBS to get a bottling bucket and a few other things that the kit was missing (hydrometer, drilled out bung, and a few other things).

But it was in the primary for about 2 weeks, and because it wasn't clearer, i transferred to secondary. its been in there for 2 days, and you can't see through it. its smells like it should, and i pulled a swig out when i was transferring, and the taste is on point. this is my first brew.