Good afternoon! I bought a pale ale kit from my local homebrew store. I started to unpack it and the Irish Moss is missing. I don’t have any time to go back and get some. I heard unflavored gelatin is a good substitute. But I have no idea how much to put in, when to do it and a good name brand. Help please.
Thanks!
You can do without it if you have to, it just helps sink the gunk in your wort. Your finished beer may, or may not, be a little less clear and you will probably have more sediment in your fermenter. Taste will not be effected.
I think we have all made batches where we forgot it.
Thanks, Pete! I’ve only been brewing for almost 4 months. It’s been a fun learning process.
Gelatin is used post fermentation
If nothing else, time will do you good.
I stopped using IM years ago. It helps drop out break material quickly from the boil. But other than that it doesn’t seem to affect clarity as opposed to not using it. And my beers get as clear as I want them.
Good to know. I was thinking it was a necessity. I’ll have a backup using unflavored gelatin.
Gelatin is not a substitute for Irish Moss. IM is used in the boil and gelatin is used after fermentation is complete. You’ll be “fine” with neither.
Do you bottle or keg? I am not sure how to use gelatin in a bottle.
To be clear (no pun intended) German Brewers use neither gelatin post fermentation nor IrishMoss in the boil (if they want to stay reinheitsgebot compliant) and their beers turn out pretty darn clear – course they may filter or centrifuge. As mentioned, gelatin isn’t really a sub for IM they are used for two separate purposes. IM is a kettle fining and gelatin is a post fermentation fining. The best use for IM is to settle out hot break out of the beer. Arguably this is more important on all-grain than extract and if you hit you pH on AG you could argue it isn’t important at all anyway.
If you do want to use the gelatin mix some up and pour it in the primary at the end of fermentation and gently swirl to disseminate and let it rest a few extra day (preferably cold).
Clarity is going to depend on a lot of factors and yeast choice will be one of the biggest factors. For instance, English yeasts will generally drop much more bright than German yeasts. But hazes can be issues as well. Usually hazes are flavorless.
I don’t find a little haze a big detractor from a homebrew, personally.
In was under the impression that as long as something doesn’t end up in the beer, it’s Rgebot compliant. Which means IM would be OK. Is that not the case?
When bottling the gelatin is added before cold crashing so it had done its work before the beer is transferred from the fermenter into the bottles.
Ah. Makes sense.
A quick search came up with this:
“The revised Vorläufiges Biergesetz (Provisional Beer Law) of 1993, which replaced the earlier regulations, is a slightly expanded version of the Reinheitsgebot, stipulating that only water, malted barley, hops and yeast be used for any bottom-fermented beer brewed in Germany. In addition, the law allows the use of powdered or ground hops and hop extracts, as well as stabilization and fining agents such as PVPP. Top-fermented beer is subject to the same rules, with the addition that a wider variety of malted grains can be used, as well as pure sugars for flavor and coloring.”
So I don’t know if that applied to IM or gelatin. I would think not with IM since if you use too much you can taste it. Gelatin certainly isn’t vegan.
I am not knowledgeable about German brewing practices, but I do have a copy of Technology Brewing & Malting by Kunze, and he does specifically state that the use of silica sol preparations (what would be available to us as Biofine Clear or Silafine) to improve clarity and filterability of the beer is in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot. And he goes on for several pages about how they are to be used.
I don’t believe he specifically states that PVPP is Reinheitsgebot compliant, but it’s heavily implied (and he does note in contrast that PVP, being water soluble, is not permitted). He does spend a few pages discussing how it can be used for stabilization and binding of polyphenols. Interestingly, it can be regenerated with a hot caustic wash and reused.
There’s a fair bit of info about filtering as well. Check out the intensity of this flow chart:
I’m still pretty confident that neither IM or gelatin are not reinheitsgebot compliant. I could be wrong! But I’m not wrong about not needing IM. While it it only subjective evidence I feel like my beers taste better without it. Plus I always forget anyway! 
I would love to see a blind triangle on flavor from I’M. I have never heard anyone else claim that and I certainly don’t notice it. Of course that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
I’m sure you have to over use it to really taste it, which I have heard reports of. I’m not trying to cause anyone to stop using it – IM is used in all kinds of things. I stopped using it because I ran out and never noticed a difference in the finished beer as far as clarity goes.
As long as we are down this road of unsubstantiated claims though, I have heard some professional brewers say they get heart burn with beers that use silicic acid. 'Course I still use Biofine Clear.
I think I can tell a difference when I forget it, but that’s also untested.
Meaning … it tastes better when you forget? j/k