To anyone here using this stuff, how are you using it? What do you think? Does it require downstream filtration to remove?
15g/hL (or about 3 grams per 5G) rehydated in cool water added at 10m to KO or halfway in whirlpool. Love the stuff. I personally think it will wipe the floor with brewtan. No need to filter as it is not harmful: PVPP is the stuff pill coating is made of. The reference to filtering is only to comply with RHB.
Thanks, I may have to give it a try.
It might work well in conjunction with Brewtan since, as I understand it, one works mostly on proteins and the other on polyphenols.
Is there a US source, or do I need to order it from Australia?
Is polyclar more for clarity or does it help to drop tannins too?
It works quite well on it’s own, but you’re correct that Polyclar attacks PP. No retail outlets for it here but my rep told me most breweries would hand out a little to the adventurous homebrewer. Myself, I got the real deal but I spent a year using what I reverse engineered: 2.4g LHBS polyclar plus 1/2 tab whirlfloc. I really think it’s the same. I have a few buddies that ran tests of their own on this and agree.
Yeah, I spoke too soon on getting some. Hadn’t checked my email for several days and ibrew had sent me a message saying that they discontinued Brewbrite in favor of Brewtan. So they’ll just send me extra Brewtan instead evidently. All good.
The reason it improves clarity is that it removes tannins/PP. To be “clear” ::) Polyclar Brewbrite is a mix of whirlfloc and polyclar(PVPP), polyclar is just PVPP.
I might try that blend, but there are different grades of Polyclar. I’ve used Polyclar VT, the coarse stuff that settles out nicely in the fermenter. I assume this is the one you use?
I use actual PBB now but not 100% sure what polyclar I used previously. It was LHBS Crosby Baker “polyclar”. Honestly, I don’t think it matters as the lower weight stuff is probably not available to homebrewer. That said, the various formulae of polyclar is confusing. RDWHAH
I don’t think Brewtan and PBB are similar AT ALL http://community.mbaa.com/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=1785a2cf-0d9e-4a58-b298-7df3965f3e67&forceDialog=0
Thanks. Yeah, I was kind of thrown that ibrew would discontinue Brewbrite in favor of Brewtan - Brewtan is great but, as far as I can see, bears no resemblance to Brewbrite. They would seem to coexist nicely. Who knows, I may make some.
Coexist > very true: I would have to dig for a cite but you already posted “The Ultimate” and this parallels studies. Brewtan in mash and PPB in boil FTW but like I said, I think PPB will wipe the floor with Brewtan in terms of overall results/impact.
In this article: https://www.academia.edu/15712485/Officiele_tekst_voor_Brewing_Science?auto=download it is shown that “pH adjustment (5.2) at mashing-in, combined with application of both PVPP and gallotannins in the upstream brewing process, seems promising because of the explicitly prolonged shelf life”: 10g/hL gallotannins and 10g/hL PVPP with three minutes contact time in the boil has the largest effect.
NICE PAPER! I will have to read later. There are many ways to skin the cat… The key is to find out what works best for you. Remember, nearly all these studies are on megaswill.
This reminds me to point out 2 things: First, PPB dosing is beer dependent. Higher ABV/Higher IBU gets more. Secondly, do not use PPB within 5m of any hop addition.
Awesome, thanks for posting. Good info.
Some notes about colloidal stability:
Definitely good stuff. Any thoughts as a preference between potassium metabisulfite and sodium metabisulfite in terms of effectiveness or side effects/aroma/flavor issues?
Brewing literature claims excess potassium in the mash is detrimental. Thats how sodium was chosen. Potassium is fine for cold side.
In your post on colloidal stability in the last highlighted section it says the use of vitamin C used on it’s own at packaging can be detrimental. I just bottled a batch with Vitamin C only, so we should add some SMB with the V-C at packaging, what do you do? And what is dhydro -asorbic acid, and what are it’s affect?
+1; I plan to fool with SMB/PMB but have not yet so no personal experience. I have been using ascrobic acid at kegging along with PPB in boil and I have really good stability but the real test would be IPA where there is dry hopping but have not brewed one yet to test. In my experience, PPB alone works great so long as no dry hop. A buddy of mine tested a PA where PPB was added halfway in whirlpool and said no hop fade after 6mo. I agree but never had a keg last that long. An interesting side note: on another forum someone sent HT/NEIPA to Ward and the K was off the charts! While K is normally present in beers, a few knowledgeable folks thought it was out of range and I am now seeing a correlation to higher level of K, LO brewing, and dry hopping: PMB or maybe AntioxC which has PMB.
Antiox-c for the win there. 