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cloudy beer after chilling

BloodyKnuckle

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Hurst, Texas
after racking my beer and conditioning at room temp the beer is clear but after chilling the beer is cloudy. The beer is a blonde with lemon juice and lemon zest
 
I think you are dealing with 'chill haze'.  There is a lot of info on it if you google that term.
 
thanks I will look that up.
I have been brewing for years and this is the first time I have had this happen.
??? ???
 
Chill haze is something that is usually associated with lager, not ale.  Then again ale is not traditionally served at the near freezing temperatures that cause a pilsner made from under-modified malt that was mashed without a protein rest to haze up.

Maybe the acid from the citrus has an effect.  Either way if it's just cosmetic I wouldn't worry about it.

Now if you've also got rings in the necks of the bottles, or bottles that start to foam up when you uncap them, then you've likely got an infection. But clear beer that clouds up in the fridge isn't worth stressing over. Maybe it's something you could figure out how to do on purpose.  Patent it and get rich!
 
Maine Homebrewer said:
Chill haze is something that is usually associated with lager, not ale.  Then again ale is not traditionally served at the near freezing temperatures that cause a pilsner made from under-modified malt that was mashed without a protein rest to haze up.

Maybe the acid from the citrus has an effect.  Either way if it's just cosmetic I wouldn't worry about it.

Now if you've also got rings in the necks of the bottles, or bottles that start to foam up when you uncap them, then you've likely got an infection. But clear beer that clouds up in the fridge isn't worth stressing over. Maybe it's something you could figure out how to do on purpose.  Patent it and get rich!

+1

I only worry about chill haze when I'm going to be entering a beer into competition.  Usually though, when I'm expecting a comment about chill haze on my score card, I don't get a negative comment.  I attribute that to the fact that most beers in a competition has warmed up enough by the time that they are judged, that the chill haze has disappeared by the time the judges pour it, due to the warmer serving temperature frequently found in a competition!

Ales are usually judged at the preferred serving temperature.  Lagers are sometimes judged at ale serving temperatures.  When I used to judge, I would sometimes notice that the first few lagers fresh out of the fridge might have chill haze, where all of the later ones that I judged didn't have it.  Luck of the draw or bad luck of the draw, when you have a chill haze issue.  I always made note of a really cold lager first out to be judged  that was crystal clear in my comments!  Once I got to the later lagers in that category, it was difficult to judge for appearance.  You can't really tell sometimes if a lager served warmer, through no fault of the brewer, had a chill haze issue.
 
I'm not sure its just a lager thing. Everything I ever read about it had to do with procedure and not ingredients. Maybe its just detected easier in lagers? 
 
I did the reseach on "chill Hazing" and found that it is caused by protein suspended in the beer and when  the beer is chilled the proteins bind together and then can be seen. If I let the beer sit at the lower temps. the protein should settle to the bottom of the bottle.
I was worried about the cloudiness because I am going to enter it in a competition.
Hopefully when they test the beer it will be warm and clear.
"remember the best view is though the bottom of the glass"

 
BloodyKnuckle said:
I did the reseach on "chill Hazing" and found that it is caused by protein suspended in the beer and when  the beer is chilled the proteins bind together and then can be seen. If I let the beer sit at the lower temps. the protein should settle to the bottom of the bottle.
I was worried about the cloudiness because I am going to enter it in a competition.
Hopefully when they test the beer it will be warm and clear.
"remember the best view is though the bottom of the glass"

Chill haze is just an artifact of insufficient cold break. A bit more irish moss can do the trick, as can chilling faster to a lower temperature.

In competition, it is worth one point, at best. It is flavorless, odorless and has no effect on mouthfeel. Just asthetics. Most judges learn to ignore it, unless the beer is milky from it.
 
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