I lagered a Maibock for 8 weeks at 32 deg. It was clear as a bell when I transferred to the keg. Now that I’m serving it, it’s cloudy as hell! Used 2206. 52 % Vienna, 48% Munich. Used whirfloc in boil. pH of mash was 5.4. Any ideas on what may have caused this?
The first couple pints will probably be cloudy. Beer will look clear most often at room temp, but will develop a chill haze after being chilled. Seems like after 8 weeks it should be pouring crystal clear after you draw off the first couple pints.
Probably just settled out yeast. Pull a few more and it should clear back up.
I’ve pulled enough that any unsettled stuff should be out already. That’s what’s confusing.
So if you let the beer warm up again, is it still hazy?
If you pull a small sample and warm it up, does the haze disappear? If so, and you’re neither vegetarian nor a stickler for reinheitsgebot, you can use gelatin at a ratio of 1/2 tsp to 1/4 cup hot water per keg. Super clear beer in about 2 days.
I’ll try warming it up tonight and see what happens.
+1
For a long time I was anti-gelatin. It stinks when you heat it up to dissolve and I loath where it comes from. But I just recently used it on a Czech pils, and damn, that beer cleared bright and beautiful in 2 days. Might have to start using it more often on my lagers… ugh, it’s a compromise for me, that’s for sure…
Chill haze was the first thing I thought of, but from the original post I assumed it was lagered at 32 and then transferred to the keg. If it was clear at 32, it shouldn’t have chill haze.
Was it transferred to the keg and then lagered at 32?
wait for it… wait for it…
clear in fermenter at 32F after 8 weeks should be beer clear in keg (may sound silly …was keg cleaned well of everything including any cleansers?). i could only see it getting cloudy if during transfer you sucked up sediment, but that should have settled and poured that off with first few pints or so…this is perplexing.
Poured a glass last night, left it on the counter looked at it this morning. It was still cloudy. I lagered it at 32 for 8 weeks and THEN transferred to the keg. That’s my confusion. How could it be clear in the carboy, plenty of time for everything to drop out, and then be cloudy when I’m pouring out of the keg!?!?
How does it taste?
- something in the keg
- something in the draft lines
- something in the transfer process
Try a new tap and see if that makes a difference. How are you pouring it? Through a picnic tap? a draft tower?
when you say it was clear in the fermenter, how was this observed? through the siphon tube or was the carboy see through?
How does it taste? I can only point towards infection at this point… very strange.
Tap on my beer fridge, I’ll switch lines tonight.
Tastes great, pretty sure its not an infection.
I believe my process was the same as a Dopplebock earlier this year, with the same yeast, clear as a bell.
Arrhhgg!!!
coiul dyou have left some starsan in the keg? I bet it wouldn’t take much to make it all cloud up. you might not even notice a taste difference.
I had that same thought.
I thought it was “don’t fear the foam.” Or does that apply mostly on the fermentation side?
I’ve kegged with some star san foam in the keg and not found that it impacts clarity.