Using Knox gelatin for the 1st time

[shimbii]

I've used knox for some of my kegged blondes and lighter pale ales with great results although I've never done a side by side comparison of the same brew with and w/o using the gelatin so I don't know if there is a taste difference in IBU's like one previous poster mentioned. All I know is that the beer I have used it on have turned out perfectly clear after cold crashing in the keg and they have tasted great. I just used gelatin in a keg that I dry hopped with an herb ball in the keg. We'll have to see how that one turns out after cold crashing.

By the way, I always use one pack of knox in 1 cup of water. I think it's one tablespoon per pack. I haven't tried using less yet but I might try using half that amount next time to see how it works.

 

[brelic]

When you say to mix the gelatin in with *cold* beer, do you mean lager temps? Or can I mix it in with my ale in the secondary that will condition around 58 F or so?

 

[Duckfoot]

I had my beer cold crashed already (low 40's) when I added the gelatin... Either way, cold crashing after you add the gelatin will help as well...

 

[ian-atx]

I just did the gelatin thing, using biermuncher's instructions/suggestions. I did rack on top of the gelatin instead of mixing it in on top of the beer. Then threw it into the fridge and kicked the temp down.

Looks awesome after 2 days. I haven't had a chance to get a sample or anything, but the beer is definitely looking much clearer than before. I don't see the need to add gelatin to every beer, but this one was problematic, and I wanted to clear it sooner rather than wait on it.

 

[GLoBaLReBeL]

So I just used the knox gelatin in my carboy. It has been 2 weeks and the airlock bubbles had been done for the last 2 days. I put 1 teaspoon of knox into 1/2 cup of water. let sit for 10 minutes, brought up to around 170F, then let cool down to around 90-100F, then added to carboy. I've thrown it in the fridge and i looked and the airlock is going crazy again. . . is this normal?

 

[KhellendrosXS]

So I just used the knox gelatin in my carboy. It has been 2 weeks and the airlock bubbles had been done for the last 2 days. I put 1 teaspoon of knox into 1/2 cup of water. let sit for 10 minutes, brought up to around 170F, then let cool down to around 90-100F, then added to carboy. I've thrown it in the fridge and i looked and the airlock is going crazy again. . . is this normal?

Airlock activity is not a sign that fermentation is done, just that the vigorous fermentation is over. You really need to take gravity readings with a hydrometer over the course of several days to make sure the gravity isnt dropping. Once its stable fermentation is over and you can move on to the next step.

What you probably did is stir up some yeast when you moved the carboy and they are going back to work. Pull it back out of the fridge and let your yeast finish the job or youre going to risk bottle bombs when you add your priming solution.

 

[pnh2atl]

I tried using gelatin today. I took a before picture and I'll take an after pic in a few days. It is a Boston Lager clone that has been lagering for almost 3 weeks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29472420@N00/4319854387/

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

I was considering adding some gelatin to a pale ale I have going. However, I want to harvest the yeast from this batch and don't feel like going through the work of transferring it to a secondary.

Can I just add gelatin to the primary? And will this effect my yeast harvesting procedures?

 

[motobrewer]

+1 to the above questions

 

[mghtbgiant]

great thread! i brewed a kolsch at the end of the season last year (im in northwestern IL) and it was in secondary all winter. i have also been insisting on putting it through the 4-week cold lager period but my beer fridge is in the garage, and it wasnt WARM enough to do so. i finally was able to put the kolsch in the fridge and in another week i will try my hand with the gelatin. ive read this thread a few times and figure on going with 1/2t in 1/2C water. im just going to pour the solution on top and let it do its thing. im not one for clarity in beer, but thought id give it a shot for experimentation.

keep up the good work!

 

[Clifton]

Before and after pictures. I used 1.5 grams per lamarguy's suggestion.

 

[billtzk]

Thanks for the before and after pictures Clifton. The condensation on the carboys or maybe glare from the flash obscures it just a bit, but it looks like a pretty significant difference. How did it look in the glass when you poured it after carbing up?

 

[Clifton]

They aren't the greatest pictures but you can see my temperature probe behind the carboy in both pictures. In the after you can see it all the way down in the before you lose sight of it after the first couple of inches.

In the glass these were some of the most clear beverages I've ever produced.

 

[billtzk]

I hope I get similar results. This is my first time to use gelatin. I've never really cared about a bit of chill haze in the past, but I brewed an American amber ale that has quite a lot of chill haze, and I'm hoping I can clear it up. The beer was already carbed up in my keezer.

I made up a 1.5 gram solution and added that to the 5 gallon keg of carbed beer. I just disconnected it from the gas, let off the pressure, opened it up, poured in the solution, put the lid back on, shook up the keg, and put it back on the gas. If this works, I'll do the same to the other 5 gallons.

From everything I've read, I figure I'll need to leave it alone for a two or three days before I pull another pint. Or does it take longer than that to clear?

 

[billtzk]

The gelatin did the trick. My beer is very clear now. It's good to know that the gelatin will work in an already carbed up keg.

 

[Brewnoob1]

I was just going to ask if this will work in an already carbed keg. Did the first pint pull all the gelatinous goo off the bottom of the keg and it was clear from then on out? Doesn't this risk some sort of clog in your beer tube inside the keg?