The benefits of gelatin

[drunkatuw]

I came home from vacation and saw a few bubbles in my secondary which looked like an infection. Rather than freaking out and posting a picture of the infection here, I figured I'd add some gelatin to drop the yeast out of suspension (the good yeast and the bad yeast) and rack to a keg as soon as possible. So I dumped in a cup of water and gelatin last night and surprisingly 12 hours later when I woke up almost all the yeast had dropped out. I was amazed at the color difference in just 12 hours.

It's a little hard to tell from the picture with the flash, but I added the gelatin to the carboy on the left and the one on the right is untouched. In person, the color difference is huge.

 

[Stevorino]

so how did the beer turn out?

 

[Conehead]

I agree. I brewed back to back recipes and tasted one with gelatin and one that wasn't added yet. Besides being clearer, it just tasted clean.







Conehead

 

[drunkatuw]

so how did the beer turn out?

I put 5 gal into the keg on Monday night and I plan to move the next 5 gal to a keg tonight or tomorrow. It'll be a couple months before I taste either of them. They're at the end of my queue, I have 5 kegs ahead of the oktoberfest. But the warm flat hydro sample tasted pretty good and it was crystal clear.

 

[PalmBeachPaul]

Question: Can I use gelatin if I bottle my beer or just work only if you keg?

 

[BierMuncher]

Question: Can I use gelatin if I bottle my beer or just work only if you keg?

You can use it if you bottle, but plan on an extended conditioning time to get to proper carbonation levels.

 

[King of Cascade]

Question: Can I use gelatin if I bottle my beer or just work only if you keg?

you could use gelatin if you bottle but add some yeast back at bottling. It may sound silly to take it out then put it back but it tends to settle out faster and better if you add gelatin.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Sure you can use gelatin if you bottle. Works best w/ the brew cold, but helps either way. I have had success using gelatin to cut the time from kettle to glass, however w/ proper aging and cold conditioning of either the keg or secondary, I have found it isn't needed.

 

[PalmBeachPaul]

Thanks guys, I want to make my beer more clear, so I'm planing to leave my HPA in the secondary for about 4 weeks at 35 degrees, I wasn't sure if gelatin is good for me.
If I add gelatin and bottle, how long should I wait before putting a 12oz in te fridge?
BierMuncher, I'll brewing your Centennial Blonde next week, any advice?
Thanks a lot for your help

 

[Stevorino]

I put 5 gal into the keg on Monday night and I plan to move the next 5 gal to a keg tonight or tomorrow. It'll be a couple months before I taste either of them. They're at the end of my queue, I have 5 kegs ahead of the oktoberfest. But the warm flat hydro sample tasted pretty good and it was crystal clear.

If you remember, send me a PM when it's all done-- I'm interested to see how the Gelatin helps out!

 

[KingBrianI]

gelatin has other benefits too. for instance, i feel all warm and fuzzy inside everytime a drink a beer since i know i'm doing my part to control the cow population, even on days where i have chicken or fish meals.

 

[drunkatuw]

I kegged the second 5 gal of Oktoberfest on Friday after 2 days with gelatin and the hydrometer sample was crystal clear. I took a ton of pictures, but it was hard to get a good one with the lighting in my basement.

 

[cwhill]

I use gelatin in every batch and I bottle. My most clear beer was BM centenial Blonde. It also had so little sediment in the bottom of the bottle you could easily drink it from the bottle. I've never made any attempt to "add yeast" back in as some are saying so I'm not sure what that means? I have never had any issue with carbonation either. They always carbonate within a week or so. I don't drink them for several weeks but I have ample carb within that week. So when someone says add yeast back in do you mean when I'm racking to pull some off the bottom of primary or seconday into that is going inot my bottling bucket?

 

[drunkatuw]

I've never bottled (started with kegging), but I believe that when most people add yeast, they sprinkle a little dried yeast into their bottling bucket.