I fiddled around with finings way back when, but once I recognized I am not submitting to competitions and realized a bit of haze doesn't affect flavor, I stopped bothering. (and cleaning gelatin out of bottles is a PITA)
That being said, now that I have a cellar that stays <15°C year around (great for fermenting and lagering lager beers
), I do get really excited, when a brew clears up after a bit of conditioning. What bugs me though, it is still really hit-and-miss and though ingredients do seem to play a role, my process/equipment is probably mostly at fault, when a beer doesn't clear up within a month or two.
Now that I (newly) have a grain "mill" (Victoria style) and will be henceforth crushing my own, here is to hoping for some increased consistency! (Efficiency has already improved
)
PS, here is my 1st ever Pilsner attempt last year (Pils / Saaz SMASH), which turned out to be my best ever and one of clearest ever brews...
...every attempt since has been with other hops and not nearly as clear, but I am still trying and soon will do the SMASH again.