Unclear beer

[opalko]

I recently made the "15 Minute American Pale Ale" as described in the video podcast on the basicbrewing site here: http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=video

Briefly, it's a simple extract recipe boiled for 15 minutes with higher concentrations of hops to make up for the shorter boil time.

The beer turned out great - except for that fact that it is one murky, muddy looking beer - yuck! Don't get me wrong, it tastes great, but it just looks nasty.

I've made plenty of extract, all grain, and lately brew-in-a-bag beers over the last 15 years or so, but I've never had one turn out this murky. What gives? Higher concentrations of hops? I don't think I did anything different sanitation-wise. I never use irish moss or the like in the past...never had a need.

Ideas?
Cheers

 

[nefarious_1_]

It's possible you had an insufficient hot/cold break. Without being there and knowing your full procedure, it's hard to say what happened.

Did you wait for the proteins to coagulate and the foam to die down before adding the hops? How fast was the wort cooled after the boil?

Also, how long was the beer in the fermenter before bottling? What were your SG readings? etc.

All this, and more, needs to be taken into account...

 

[opalko]

I don't recall waiting for the foam to die down before adding, but then again I don't recall there being much foam. I usually do all-grain so this was sort of a throwback to the old days when I did extract.

Wort cooled nearly instantly after flameout - I have a CFC chiller that is set up ready to go right after the boil finishes.

Here's the exact recipe and gravity readings I had:

% 	LB 	OZ 	Malt or Fermentable 	ppg 	°L
83% 	5 	0 	Light Dry Malt Extract 	45 	8 
17% 	1 	0 	Crystal 60L 	34 	60

use 	time 	oz 	variety 	form 	aa
boil 	15 mins 	0.7 	Columbus 	pellet 	14.6
boil 	5 mins 	2.5 	Centennial 	pellet 	6.0
boil 	1 min 	2.0 	Cascade 	pellet 	7.5

OG: 1045, FG:1010 Single fermentation 2 weeks. Racked to keg afterwards, held in keg 2 weeks @45F 12PSI.

 

[nefarious_1_]

I highly doubt the amount of hops used in the boil had anything to do with this.

My guess is that you didn't wait long enough for the hot break to occur before adding the hops and the murkyness is attributed to proteins remaining in suspension. Get a more rigorous boil going to achieve a good hot break before adding your hops next time and use some Irish Moss to help coagulate excess proteins.

Again, without being there, these are only my thoughts on the problem.

 

[opalko]

I may try the gelatin thing...couldn't hurt at this point.?

 

[wildwest450]

I may try the gelatin thing...couldn't hurt at this point.?

Won't hurt, unless you use too much. The commercial stuff I got calls for 1/4tsp for a 5 gallon batch. If you use a whole packet, it will strip hop aroma.

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