When (what styles) to use whirfloc

SabreSteve

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So several brews in but just used whirfloc for the first time on my blonde ale. The sample I pulled looked beautifully clear compared to my previous brews. 3 of my next 4 planned brews are either dark (porter) or cloudy ( Belgian witbier and dunkles wiess) styles though. I'm wondering if I should still use whirfloc? Won't be able to see through the porter anyways and the other 2 are supposed to be cloudy. I'm wondering if it's still beneficial to drop out some of the "floaties" or if it's going to have my beer not looking right?
 
I always use whirlfloc, even in NEIPA's. You will appreciate the difference clarity makes in a porter, or stout. In a NEIPA there are other factors at play that bring about the haze. I am not sure about the Wit, or Dunkels, but I suspect that it would be beneficial for those styles as well.
 
Hey Steve! Thanks for this post as it sent me down a little bunny hole having this same issue and not having any idea what was in whirfloc. From the shallow dive that I did, I didn't see anything that was dictated by style but I think you are in the ballpark for sure with the lighter brews were the clarity is desirable for the appearance of the beer; the blonde is a blonde and not a hazy blonde. I don't know about you but that "shine" on my beer makes me shine and the more natural the path that I took to get there, the brighter I beam!

Pretty much from my third or forth batch, I have been tossing a teaspoon of Irish Moss into the kettle to help with clarity not giving it a second thought because it was part of the recipe. It's natural, it's cheap and Idunno....I guess it works...seaweed is good for you so...no harm! Well, whirlfloc is concentrated seaweed ...more is better right? Ehhh...maybe not. It's probably not going to matter in the quantity we are consuming in our batches but in the for what it's worth column, there are some concerns by the FDA in carrageenan which is derived from the same sea weed they make Irish Moss from and the primary ingredient of whirlfloc tablets. Do a little poking around to get your own conclusion but thanks for the tip to my curiosity!
 
After 2-3 batches i started using it and it really seems to help. I just kegged a stout and it’s has clarity to it. I don’t do anything else for clarity but I’m happy where it is.
 
I've literally never used it. I believe in the German way of making beer, which is ZERO additives. If clarity is all you're going for, then conditioning in fermentation is all you need to do. If you're still concerned, cold crash.

The beer I'm attaching is a Simcoe SMaSH with s04, and it was crystal clear. All I did was condition.
 

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Guess the picture isn't great, but that is sweat, not haze. The bottom you can see through. It was VERY clear
 
If you like it and the results it gives you then I say why not? I tend to use a half tablet every brew as I've done it that way for a long time and it's just become part of my process. I also use it in my darker brews and I appreciate their clarity.
 
I use it most brews, the only exceptions being beers I want hazy, for example, a Hefeweizen. I haven't done any tests to see if it makes a big difference so at this point it's kind of like flossing your teeth: There's really no science to support it but doing an experiment that could endanger peoples' health is unethical. So I'm taking it on faith...
 
I tend to use it unless I have a brain fart while brewing. Which is often. I also keg most of my beers and they drop clear - eventually - certainly by the time the keg kicks.
 
I use half a tab in every brew. Not done enough to see how much of a difference but it’s part of my process I put in the recipe builder automatically
 
I use half a tab in every brew. Not done enough to see how much of a difference but it’s part of my process I put in the recipe builder automatically
You're brewing a gallon at a time, right? That's still over-use according to the data sheet but not to worry. Worst thing that can happen is the baking soda used in the tablets can raise your beer's pH too much - you can compensate for it with acid at packaging. If the beer has a kind of "lifelessness" to it, try adding a couple drops of 88% lactic acid solution - that should brighten it up.
 
I use roughly half of a tablet for 5 gallons, they don't always break clean in half.
For smaller batches you may want to crumble it and add smaller measured amount due to the pH effect that Nosy mentions.
 
I use roughly half of a tablet for 5 gallons, they don't always break clean in half.
For smaller batches you may want to crumble it and add smaller measured amount due to the pH effect that Nosy mentions.
Yeah I used more like a third of a tablet cause that's how it broke :D
I might do it in the porter and not in the wheat beers since I want those somewhat hazy
 
You're brewing a gallon at a time, right? That's still over-use according to the data sheet but not to worry. Worst thing that can happen is the baking soda used in the tablets can raise your beer's pH too much - you can compensate for it with acid at packaging. If the beer has a kind of "lifelessness" to it, try adding a couple drops of 88% lactic acid solution - that should brighten it up.
Now I’m up to 1.3 (if using small BBM) or 2 gallons with a bucket since my keg holds 1.75 gallons. I should probably use 1/4 of a tab?
 
I've noticed no hangovers

Any beer with additives gives me a nasty headache

But if you're a responsible adult unlike me, I suppose it doesn't matter
 
I've noticed no hangovers

Any beer with additives gives me a nasty headache

But if you're a responsible adult unlike me, I suppose it doesn't matter
Well I never got hangovers until my 30s even though I drink a lot less now. I typically don't ever drink more than 1, maybe 2 a day unless I'm at some kind of get together or something
 
Now I’m up to 1.3 (if using small BBM) or 2 gallons with a bucket since my keg holds 1.75 gallons. I should probably use 1/4 of a tab?
If you can break them up that finely. I find they crumble pretty easily.
 
I just realized I toss a whole one in every batch out of habit even though I went from 42L to 21L and should probably break them up.
I don't honestly even remember what it does, I just do it as part of the brew.
 

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