Whirlfloc tablets

[Dmay]

Anyone ever use the Whirlfloc tablets? The guy at the brew store said it would clarify my brew. I just threw one in the wort, Kinda excited to see how it works.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I've used them on 2-3 batches and they seem to work really well, better than Irish Moss. Those tablets are good for 10 (or 20?) gallon brews so I usually cut them in half with a hacksaw for my 5g batches.

Most of the time (like yesterday) I forget to add any kind of clarifying agent.

 

[the_bird]

That's interesting that you say they work better than Irish Moss. Aren't they just a different form of IM, or am I insane again?

 

[Dmay]

It does say Irish moss on the outside of the package

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

That's interesting that you say they work better than Irish Moss. Aren't they just a different form of IM, or am I insane again?

They are concentrated Irish Moss (at least my understanding). I believe they're mostly carageenan without the other 'stuff' in Irish Moss.

 

[EvilTOJ]

I put them in every batch unless it's superdark like a black stout, or a hefewiezen which is supposed to be cloudy. I put it in at the beginning of the boil instead of 15 minutes to the end. I haven't seen any difference either way, but at the beginning of the boil it supposed clears 'better'. Oh and watch for boilovers when adding it in!

 

[Ivan Lendl]

Anyone ever use the Whirlfloc tablets? The guy at the brew store said it would clarify my brew. I just threw one in the wort, Kinda excited to see how it works.

Yup...every batch.
To help clarify your beer a good hot break and cold break also helps.

 

[david_42]

Odd how most books & homebrewers will say 10-15 minutes, but the instructions on my packet say at the beginning of the boil. Mostly I don't use it, but I'm on the dark side.

 

[dcbrewmeister]

I throw one in about ten minutes from flameout. I do it then because I don't want it to try to clarify before the boil is done. IMO it does a really good job, and no, I don't bother cutting them in half either.

I also don't use them in dark brews either.

 

[KopyKat]

On another forum, a guy who claimed to have talked to the maker of the tablet said it works best if used in the last 5 minutes of the boil. Apparently the longer it boils past that, the less effective it is. It does something to degrade the carageenan in the tablet. I don't know if this is true or not.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Bah.. maybe half a tablet at the beginning and half at the end. :cross:


This is not the same as the shellfish stuff, is it? I know a few people with that allergy and I would try to be careful when brewing beer since I doubt most people with a shellfish allergy would ever even think to ask whether there is a shellfish additive in a homebrew.

 

[KopyKat]

This is not the same as the shellfish stuff, is it?

Didn't find any crabs or shrimp in mine but I will look closer next time.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

This is not the same as the shellfish stuff, is it?

I think you're thinking of Isinglass, although its made from fish guts (sturgeon) rather than shellfish.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

I think you're thinking of Isinglass, although its made from fish guts (sturgeon) rather than shellfish.

Yeah. I think that's what I'm thinking of. There's no fish guts in whirlfloc, is there?

 

[Buford]

Whirlfloc is just processed seaweed I think. I used the tablets for the first time with my last brew. They kind of sound like alka-seltzer when you throw them in.