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Better Clarity

ml2brew

Brewer
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
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Location
Grand Rapids, MI
I am looking for better clarity in my beer.  I have been reading the email on this topic and wondered about gelatin finnings.  What do you guys think about adding gelatin to the primary a few day before racking to secondary and then again before bottling.  Is this too much gelatin?  What are the disadvantages or advantages?  I do not know i just what to improve my clarity even more.
 
Hi,
  I just finished an article on this, and there is another one on clarity on the blog as well if you do a search:
    http://beersmith.com/blog

Cheers,
Brad
 
Thanks for your reply Brad, I have read you articles on this and benefitted greatly.  I guess to be real specific, can I benefit form adding gelatin finnings to my primary a few days before racking to secondary then again a few days before bottling, or will this have a negative result?  The blog says to add it a few days before bottling and usally that is what I do.  I am just curious if any one have experimented with adding it to primary before the transfer?
 
Hi,
  I don't think you would see much gain from the first addition, plus it could have the negative effect of forcing the yeast out of suspension before fermentation is complete.  The one before bottling is what you want.

Brad
 
There are numerous causes for poor clarity, so isolating which specific cause has found you may help eliminate the problem.  An incomplete list (below) might point you toward some things to check.  You may not need fining agents if one of these is easily correctable.  (Some of these are all-grain only.)  For me, recycling the entire first runnings thru the grain bed did the trick. 

Some grains (i.e., wheat & adjuncts) are inherently higher in protein & cellulose levels
Protein rests to break down same
Proper mash pH (5.2 to 5.5, usually)
Vorlauf recycling of first runnings
Proper sparge temps
Too-fast sparge can allow unfinished "starch bombs" to reach wort
Insufficient boil time
Insufficient boil vigor to coagulate proteins in a good hot break
Too-slow wort cooling to create a good cold break
Use an Irish moss/carrageen/whirlflock to aid in coagulation of proteins
Use more flocculent yeast
Keep in primary longer and/or use a secondary/conditioning phase to aid clarification
 
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