Using Irish Moss

[BrewingRugger]

I am new to using irish moss in myh brewing, and have been told that I need to rehydrate it before I use it, but in many videos that I have seen people just take a measuring spoon and drop it straight into the wort. Which way is best.

 

[Slowfro]

The few times I've used it I just tossed it right in the wort from the bottle. I did that for the first handful of batches, and moved away from using it since I can make clear/clean beer without it. You'll get a lot of mixed advice on it from people on the site, but a lot of people use it when they start brewing and stop shortly after.

If you're going to use it, just throw it in, but I'd urge you to do 2 identical batches, use irish moss in 1 but not the other and see what you think.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

I can't tell you with any certainty which way is best, but I've done both, and both ways seemed to work the same for me. I stopped rehydrating the irish moss after I noticed that my beers were clearing up just fine with out rehydrating. I merely take a couple of pinches and drop right into the boil 15 minutes prior to the end.

I'm not sure, but my guess would be that one advantage to rehydrating it beforehand would be that it might require less quantity each time, so that might save you some material/money over time. I could be wrong, though.

TB

 

[Tiber_Brew]

The few times I've used it I just tossed it right in the wort from the bottle. I did that for the first handful of batches, and moved away from using it since I can make clear/clean beer without it. You'll get a lot of mixed advice on it from people on the site, but a lot of people use it when they start brewing and stop shortly after.

If you're going to use it, just throw it in, but I'd urge you to do 2 identical batches, use irish moss in 1 but not the other and see what you think.

Another good point. I've skipped irish moss before, and did my usual cold-crashing with good results. I second the idea of doing a couple batches of the same recipe with and without the irish moss and see if you notice a difference.

TB

 

[headbanger]

Agreed... I always just pitched it dry, never hydrated. I only add to darker brews nowadays as it throws the color off a bit on clear beers. Some complain of resulting off flavors too but I've never noticed it in my brews.

 

[Yooper]

I don't use it any more, but I found that rehydrating it in about 1/4 cup warm water really improved the results. I switched to Whirfloc a couple of years ago, which I like better.

 

[KoedBrew]

bump for whirlfloc!

 

[SauceBoss]

ive pitched it dry and had pretty good results.

 

[Homercidal]

I've never rehydrated, but can't comment on effectiveness either way since I've also made clear beer without using it. I might want to try whirlfloc as well. Have to pick that up at the store next time!

 

[BDogD]

I used Irish Moss way back when, usually rehydrated. Then I switched to Whirlfloc - so easy to just drop in that tablet along with some Servomyces. I tried SuperMoss HB, which also works great, but you are supposed to dissolve it in some warm wort before adding. Whirlfloc is the easiest IMO. I suppose I could try the SuperMoss by just adding it like Whirlfoc. Has anyone tried that?

 

[badhabit]

My understanding is that the Irish Moss works by absorbing the protiens in the beer. Anything that you would do to introduce the possibility of protiens to absorb before using, like hydrating, would reduce the effectiveness.

 

[TheVille]

So if you strain your wort does that limlit the effectiveness of the moss or is its work already done by then?

 

[Simps]

I recently bought some living irish moss and have been growing it on my balcony. Does anyone know if you can use fresh moss or does it have to be dried? It looks a lot different when it's alive which makes me think you might have to process it a special way. Does anyone grow their own moss and process it for use in brewing? Any info on this?

 

[Yooper]

My understanding is that the Irish Moss works by absorbing the protiens in the beer. Anything that you would do to introduce the possibility of protiens to absorb before using, like hydrating, would reduce the effectiveness.

Irish moss works to coagulate the proteins, not absorb them. Water doesn't affect that ability, and you get better results with rehydrating.

So if you strain your wort does that limlit the effectiveness of the moss or is its work already done by then?

No, you can strain if you'd like. Irish moss and whirlfloc work by helping to coagulate protens. When I use it, I get great big globs of break material. It helps prevent chill haze in the finished beer, due to this.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Oddly enough, using powdered fish guts does the same thing.

 

[Chefencore]

I used Irish moss for the first time last night. This is my second batch of an English bitter. I noticed a few hours after I pitched a lot of clumps floating around he wort, and the krausen looks darker and denser. Is his due to the IM?

 

[rcrabb22]

Oddly enough, using powdered fish guts does the same thing.

You just have to wonder who thought of throwing fish guts in a beer to clarify it. Certainly it was an accident gone good.

Or Else

"Hey Smitty!!! Let's throw some fish guts in our beer and see what happens!!!!!"

 

[Kokopuff829]

You just have to wonder who thought of throwing fish guts in a beer to clarify it. Certainly it was an accident gone good.

Or Else

"Hey Smitty!!! Let's throw some fish guts in our beer and see what happens!!!!!"

Thing is they were powdered... My question is why was he powdering fish guts...

 

[Yooper]

I used Irish moss for the first time last night. This is my second batch of an English bitter. I noticed a few hours after I pitched a lot of clumps floating around he wort, and the krausen looks darker and denser. Is his due to the IM?

Yeah, that definitely looks like coagulated proteins (break material)!

 

[Chefencore]

Yeah, that definitely looks like coagulated proteins (break material)!

I actually did use it once before, but put it in the hop bag, not even thinking. It did not have the same result. Good to know though. Thanks

 

[Tiber_Brew]

You just have to wonder who thought of throwing fish guts in a beer to clarify it. Certainly it was an accident gone good.

Or Else

"Hey Smitty!!! Let's throw some fish guts in our beer and see what happens!!!!!"

I think they discovered that the fish matter had a negative charge like Irish moss, and theorized that it would attract the positively charged proteins and settle out as particulates - just like Irish moss.

Indeed, the first to try this had to acknowledge the possibility that they'd end up with a rancid beer, but hey, it works!

 

[badhabit]

Irish moss works to coagulate the proteins, not absorb them. Water doesn't affect that ability, and you get better results with rehydrating.



No, you can strain if you'd like. Irish moss and whirlfloc work by helping to coagulate protens. When I use it, I get great big globs of break material. It helps prevent chill haze in the finished beer, due to this.

Good to know!