Irish Moss Use?

posted by Harebare "If I had a dime for every time I finished chilling and looked up on the window sill and saw the Irish moss sitting there, happily hydrating in a juice glass..."

I read this and was wondering why I just put the tsp into my boiling wort. Does everybody hydrate it first? Thats one of the great things about forums like this , I get to read what others are doing and learn a lot.

Cheers

Steve

I've never read that Irish Moss should be hydrated before adding to a boil. I just take a pinch and add it 10-15 minutes before I shut off the propane. My last batch called for an Irish Moss addition at 60 minutes. I thought that was odd, but decided to give it a try, anyway. Pretty weird-looking stuff. Would no doubt raise some eyebrows if anyone were to look at the baggie I keep it in.

I thought Roy was Irish and Moss was English

I have never found definitive information on why to rehydrate Irish Mosh for brewing.  When using in foods, there is some compelling reasons.  They could be the same.  Boiling wort is a hostile environment and maybe cells don't get the change to rebuild and the carrageenan is not fully bonded or something. 

Re-hydrating always works.  Is easy to do and there is no reason not to.  Why not hedge your bet and rehydrate.    Or give it a test by splitting the boil and fermentation with one half hydrated and one dry.  I wouldn't bother since hydrating always works for me.

Interesting - just for fun I looked at the package and it just says add to boiling wort - nothing about hydrating. I don't think getting it wet first does any damage - but cannot think of what getting it wet first does before getting hot wet...I think my beers have always been nice and clear the way I am doing it. Does any body have any instruction printed on the package of Irish moss that state to hydrate it first?

I always just throw it in,this is the first I ever even heard of hydrating it

Hi,

A couple of years ago I read something where they recommended hydrating Irish Moss powder before using it in a boil. Unfortunately I cannot remember why this was the case.

Regards,
Slurk

I've never hydrated Irish Moss.  The directions say add 1 tsp. to 5 gallons of wort. I simply sprinkle it on top of the boiling wort.

I think it's recommended to maximize the potential for negative/positive charged elements to attract.  But it works without rehydration just like dry yeast does.  Hard to tell what the difference between "maximized effect" and "other" might be.

I have read about people rehydrating irish moss, but never seen very strong arguments either for or against it.  I would think that it would work fine either way.  The very first package of irish moss that i bought said to add it at the beginning of the boil.  Based on that, it is just what I have always done.  I have gotten in the habit of adding it in the container with my first hop addition.  That helps me to remember it and not forget it.