Texasspur21
Member
This is the 3rd beer I've brewed and it's also the clearest one. Just 2 hours after racking to the fermenter I am able to see this. Does anyone know what it is and why it forms in the middle of the fermenter?
Thick Layer of Protein?
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TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
It's alive, it's alive!!!!!!
Looks like cold break, coagulating of proteins as they cool.
Looks like cold break, coagulating of proteins as they cool.
Texasspur21
Member
I did put a whirlflock tablet in at 15 min. Does that not happen with Irish moss? Is it not good?
Texasspur21
Member
So this is normal then? Or should I do something different to prevent it?
No, you WANT that!
Whirlfloc is Irish moss, but in a tablet form and it seems to work much better, at least for me.
All of that break material will fall to the bottom and leave clear beer behind. Those coagulated proteins are what would cause chill haze in the finished beer, so that is why you add the whirlfloc to help them flocculate and fall out.
TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
Yes, you did well, that beer is off to a good start.
And it looks like you may be in Texas, where abouts in the state are you?
Texasspur21
Member
Perfect. Thank you for the help everyone.
Looks like youre in Houston? I'm in San Antonio. The next area I'm going to tackle is water quality and pH. The water here out of my tap is very high 7s. Do you have any suggestions on that?
TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
My suggestion is to go to heb, buy 2 5 gallon water containers and use their RO machines to buy base water and add minerals back as needed. There is a lot of science to adding the minerals, but there are some really good primer threads on the subject here on hbt.
TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
Oh, and welcome to hbt, I love San Antonio....wish I could live there!
Texasspur21
Member
Ok. I'll be checking into that. There's a packet of minerals at the homebrew store too I'm going to look in to. It should be fun.
Texasspur21
Member
Thank you. It is nice here. I wish I could move out into the country though lol.
I live in Rockport, on the coast, in the winter. By Texas standards, we are neighbors!
I agree with the RO water at HEB. In Rockport, there are other water "stations" that look like windmills- as long as those are 100% RO water, those are good too. A good idea is to get a TDS meter, to double check the RO water.
If you get RO water, all you need is calcium chloride, gypsum, and some lactic or phosphoric acid and you'll be all set. Very rarely, you'll need some baking soda for stouts and porters. We can help you with that.
phendog
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Dittos. I think Whirlfloc works much better than Irish Moss. That is a good looking cold break. Should make for clear beer.
TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
Oh and most of the places have stickers on them that have the latest service date on them. The store by me changes the filters pretty frequently, which gives me a feel good on the water quality.
And I also wish I could move to the country, at least you are close to the hill country!
Oh, we're not close to the Hill Country at all- we are on the coast, near Corpus Christi. We fish everyday so want to be on the water.
Even with the filter changes, you will want a TDS meter because it will give you an indicator of the RO member's ability to get rid of the alkalinity.
Texasspur21
Member
Perfect. Thanks for the help! I'm a yankee as well, born and raised in Green Bay, WI. We went to the yoop every year to ski. The cold break is now mixed in due to the vigorous fermentation off a 3 day starter. Trying to figure out how to remove this cold break for the future. I'm going to use a secondary wort chiller on ice(which I already planned on making and have all the parts.) combined with a vigorous whirlpool. Has any one tried this? Filtering the wort into primary through a hop spider. Would it clog too easily?
TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
Whoops, I meant to quote the OP!!! That is what I get for having a few beers and posting.
Do you have any recommendations on a TDS meter? I run without one now, but it would probably be a good investment.
TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
There is nothing wrong with having the cold break in the fermenter. You can strain it out, I did when I first started. Nowadays I whirlpool during cooling and let it settle In the middle of my brew kettle. I still get some cold break in my fermenter, but not too much.
They are cheap at Target or Walmart- they are about $20 or so.
You can let the wort sit a bit, and then siphon it to a fermenter, if you want to remove some of the cold break. It's not necessary, though, and will actually be nutritive for the yeast. It will compact tightly to the bottom when fermentation is over.
atcsat
Well-Known Member
You said this was the clearest beer yet. Is this the first time you used the whirfloc?
Texasspur21
Member
No, I used it in all 3 I've brewed. What I meant was these are the lightest grains I've used so the cold break I just learned of is much more visible.
