Vexxing Chill Haze issue that makes no sense to me...

[fastricky]

OK, I understand what chill haze is and how to combat it. Here's my process:

- I use Whirlfloc, I personally don't think it does much, but I do use it.
- After a dyacytl rest, I'll crash the beer down to 32 degrees for 3 days
- It then gets filtered thru 2 plate filters (the first course pads and the 2nd with 'sterile' pads, tho' I'm certain the micron level of the 'sterile' filter isn't really sterile). At this point the beer is razor sharp clear.
- Then it sits at room temp for over a week while it force carbs
- I then chill again overnight to counterpressure bottle, and the friggin' haze is back again!

How is this possible? When I filter the beer it's at 32 degrees so I would imagine I'm filtering out any chill haze forming compounds...

Help me understand what is happening...

 

[Airborneguy]

Describe your mashing process. Chill haze can start there because of how the proteins form.

 

[DannPM]

Chill haze fades over time. Give it a week or two and the haze will precipitate out into sediment at the bottle of the bottle (that has always what happens for me)

 

[fastricky]

Mashing process: I use a false bottom kettle and fly sparge. Not sure what I should mention specifically...?

The part that makes the least sense to me is the beer is filtered at close to 32 degrees. When it's recooled for bottling it's at no cooler than 44 degrees. So how did the chill haze occur???

 

[Airborneguy]

There are aspects of your temperature rests that can affect chill haze formation. Are you getting complete conversion? Maybe your water is way out of wack? Are you getting a good rolling boil? That helps coagulate and drop out the proteins that create chill haze.

 

[fastricky]

I do a single infusion mash - usually at @ 152 degrees. Yup, total conversion (my efficiency is @ 84%) Water is excellent (NYC) and I supplement it with a few salts, (no more than 1-2 grams). Boil is excellent - cold break should be great but I'm using a counterflow chiller so that might be going into the fermenter. Still I rack about the trub...

 

[Airborneguy]

We're doing pretty much the same thing, except for the filtering. If you are in Manhattan, you get different water than me. Every other borough is the same. I dump everything into my fermentor, but I leave it in the primary for 3 weeks minimum, which I find gets almost all of my beers to clear.

I occasionally get chill haze in my bottle conditioned beers. I believe this comes from me not having stable temperature area for them to condition. I just bring them upstairs on the top floor and wait a few weeks.

Are you sure you're not being overly critical of your beers?

 

[faithinchaos]

nm

 

[fastricky]

For sure I'm being hard core, but given my process, the constant chill haze makes no sense!!!

 

[samc]

Does this happen with all your beers? How about a recipe? Show us.

The only chill haze I've had was on my last brew, which was 50% wheat and the only brew I've ever filtered. 5 gallons was clear from start to finish and the second 5 gallons hazy - weird.

 

[user 70770]

Given how much trouble you've gone through to clear up your beer, this problem is indeed vexing. One thing we don't know is how long you mash. I use to do 60min infusion mashes and I had hazy beer issues. I met a guy at the brew store one day who told me he'd been doing 90min mashes for 20 years with good success. So I gave that a shot and it helped substantially the clarity of my beers. Second, I'd try going without salts on your next batch just to see if that could be the issue. I'm with you on that it's unlikely salts in small quantities should cause any issues, but at this point we shouldn't eliminate any detail.

As a last resort, maybe after you've tried the last two issues without success, I'd start looking into skipping filtering. Maybe your introducing something foreign in your beer when passing it through the filters. If all else fails, then maybe you need to be equip yourself with some patience and allow the beer to clear up once it's kegged.

 

[fastricky]

Thanks for the input gents, I appreciate it.

I know that previous to filtering the beer is HAZY with yeast, even after crashing for 3 days. Post filtering it is as clear as can be.

I mash for 40 minutes typically...

Now I know if it were possible to keep the beer cold the whole time (while carbing and storing) I'd be fine, but alas, such are the limitations of NYC apartment living.

I have tried not using salts and that wasn't the issue. The only thing I can deduce is that the 'sterile' filter pad is nowhere near sterile as claimed, and it isn't filtering out all the haze causing particles, so when the beer is warmed up then cooled down again, the chill haze forms again.

I just bought pads from a different supplier to see if that makes a difference. I know a lot of folks are reading this saying RDWHAHB, but I derive a lot of pleasure from a clear beer, so I gotta take this to the brink!!

 

[fastricky]

I'm pretty sure I've traced the problem: the filter pads.

I'm filtering now with pads from a different vendor and the filtration is going much slower than it used to with the old brand indicating to me the new pads are closer to the micron spec indicated. I'll repost once the beer has been carbed and rechilled.

 

[curlyfat]

Good to know you figured out your issue. I use an identical process (except the second filter is "medium", not "sterile") and never have any haze issues. I don't even filter that cold. My filtration for 10 gallons takes about two hours, so yeah, it's fricken slow! Who were you getting pads from before, and who now? I use the ones from AHS.

 

[fastricky]

Well, we'll see what happens come bottling time... but I'm pretty sure this will make a difference.

The better pads are from More Beer.