I see a lot of folks using products to make the beer clearer. I am more wondering, does this change the taste any? I have not used any of these products and keg and drink my beers how they come out. I try and limit the amount of trub and hop matter by using bags but I am sure some still gets thru. I have a floating dip tube on my keg, so I am sure that helps as well. But in reading a few posts, it seems some use products to clear the beer even more. Is this more a personal preference? Still new to the beer world and thought I would ask. If this is a question that is out of line or not pertinent please feel free to close it. Also, if it needs to be moved to another subforum, please do so. I was not sure where it would best fit.
Anyway, any input would be appreciated as this might be something to add to my list of things I should do.
We used Biofine at the brewery that I worked at. It did not add any flavors to the beers. Small amounts are available to homebrewers online. I saw 1 oz. bottles of it from More Beer and a few other places. You might be able to get larger amounts online as well.
Polyclar is another clarifier, but I have never used it. I normally just resort to using gelatin or let the beer set in the lagering freezer for a few weeks to clarify it. The first glass out will be murky but after that the beer pours clear.
I have used both biofine and gelatin with great results. Gelatin is much cheaper in price than biofine. There are other options available too, I will paste. You can buy larger amounts of biofine but depending on your batch size and how often you brew you may want to consider how large of a container you need. Biofine has a shelf life, but I have kept in the refrigerator for months w/o issues. At this juncture in my brewing I have ceased using any clarifying agents including whirifloc. Boil kettle filtration, time and 35* works just as great as any clarifier IMHO.
Take a look at Morebeer, there are more options than what I pasted.
Briefly used beer clearing methods and stopped.
I’m fine with beers that are a little hazy. Bottled
(20 oz) beers are in fridge about 10 days before
drinking, some are a little hazy, some are clear. I keep 9
beers in fridge at all times. When i drink one it’s
replaced by one from basement, and then goes to the back of the line.
Biofine or other silicic acid finings agents work great. I’ve used them to fine 60 bbls of beer (1800 gallons) of beer perfectly bright! Gelatin also works well. I definitely agree it isn’t necessary. Most hazes are flavorless and certain yeasts are able to drop bright all on their own. Time also will clear just about any beer to brilliantly clear.
It’s doubtful you will have any off flavors from using fining agents if used at the correct dosage.
But if you want brilliantly clear beer in just a couple of weeks fining agents work well–they work best when the beer is cold (close to 32F/0C)
I only have experience with gelatin. It works well and I don’t think it changes the flavor.
But, I rarely need it. I use whirlfloc in every batch. My beers clear on their own after about 1 week in the keg. I do use a floating dip tube. I also mainly brew with these yeasts; Bry-97, S04, Verdant, Diamond, 34/70, S23.
I also add salts to style and lactic acid and target 5.4 PH in the mash.
I used to use gelatin, the packets from the grocery store, but haven’t done it on the last several batches. On the plus side, it clears the haze caused by unfloculated yeast, which makes the beer taste as if it had been lagered, saving a lot of time. The minus side is more about what’s in gelatin and whether that’s something you want in your beer.
If it changes the flavor at all it is probably for the better.
But, lately I haven’t used any finings other than whirlfloc in the boil. I like to let the keg clear naturally as I consume it. It’s always at its most beautiful just as the keg is about to kick.
Previously used gelatin (which worked fine/no flavor issues), but switched to Biofine out of respect for a few friends who are vegan. No flavor issues from that either. Sometimes I forget though so time and cold works as well as long as I don’t jostle the kegs, but I use HopStopper screens also, so that helps.
I’ve used most of the ones mentioned, including isinglass.
I wasn’t going to chime in, but the topic of vegan and biofine came up. There are two products referred to as Biofine.
The one just called Biofine is not vegan.
The one called Biofine-clear is vegan.
Polyclar/PVPP is also vegan friendly, as it is a polymer. It drops out haze causing polyphenols. Polyphenols also cause astringency. I once read that Polyclar can be used to drop out astringency. I had an astringent lager that I tried it on, and it removed the astringency.
Time and gravity will remove most haze and even astringency if the time period is long enough.
I think the first step with clearing a hazy beer is figuring out the root cause. It could be biological (low floc yeast, contaminants, etc), protein-polyphenols, beta glucans (oats, wheat, etc), or water chemistry (calcium oxalate).
This could explain why certain products work on some beers but not others. I recall Ken was having an issue with some of the products on the market with some of his beers.
I have settled on Brewtan B in the strike liquor, mash pH control, 50+ ppm Ca in the mash, lautering clear wort to the boil kettle, whirlflock in the boil, whirlpooling the bitter wort before transferring to the fermenter, pitching a lot of healthy flocculant yeast strains, cold temp and time post fermentation. This combination works well for me.
I also used to use gelatin routinely but rarely use it anymore. I tried it again recently on an Altbier I used K-97 on and it helped a little but that beer became brilliantly clear after is sat in the keg a while.
I use that Clear Beer Draught System device in the primary fermenter and rack clear to keg every time; doing it that way means less floating systems are needed for my kegging. It is a great product.
Trong’s floating dip tube (FLOTit 2.0) gets good reviews from some friends. I have the clear beer draft system. It does leave half pint or so of beer behind.
Thanks to all who replied. I have a floating dip tube in my keg and it seems to take care of most of it. I might try the Whirflock next time and see what happens, but the last few batches I have made have been well received by both me and my brother. I have a few more recipes I am going to try so we shall see. Once again, thanks to all who replied. I appreciate all the input.
I think I might go back to Irish Moss.
It takes about 2-3 months before a batch is in drinking rotation.
The current batch has less sediment in bottom of bottle than any before.
I accurately measure cane sugar for each bottle, but this batch has
less carbonation, not bad just less.
Is it possible that Irish Moss also drops out suspended yeast ?
It’s the only thing I can think of.