Chill Haze

[Jimminator]

Okay, so my extra pale ale is carbonating, and tastes great, but looks like it has some chill haze issues. I'm not really concerned with this batch, but what do I need to do in the next batch to try to avoid chill haze?

Jim

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

use gelatin after any dry hopping but while conditioning cool , you'll need to pull it out into another vessel when done, just like pulling beer off yeast

 

[7 Slot Brewing]

For this batch, you can throw it in the fridge for a couple of weeks to clear up!

I did a cascade smash beer and was all excited because it was so light, and ended up with chill haze. Have had a couple bottles in the fridge for a couple weeks and now darn near crystal clear. And I should mention this was a dry hopped ale too. I think I took pictures, if I can find them I will post up the before and after.

There was another post that dove into the gelatin methods recently, it had a lot of good info.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I posted this, not sure if this is the one

http://www.craftbrewing.com/blog/cleari ... h-gelatin/

more info on the subject

http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2012/02/ho ... -haze.html

 

[Jimminator]

Great info guys, thanks! I had forgotten about just sticking the beer in the fridge and letting the haze settle out. That's what I'll try for this batch.... if I can wait.... .... .... :!:

Now I'm really kicking myself for forgetting the Irish moss in the boil, though.

 

[chessking]

Don't forget that gelatin, and cold conditioning work because proteins, fine particles and such drop out. Either on their own over time, or with the assistance of the added agents. What also drops out is hop oils that contribute to the aroma. Sometimes a good old hoppy beer has a haze that if cleared will reduce, change and subdue the intended hop character. If you dry hop to add hop oils to the beer, then clarify thus removing some of those oils, than you are working at cross purposes. Filtering can do the same thing. With a malt forward beer, with out any hop character, clearing has less, or no effect. That is why big hoppy beers are best if consumed fresh while the hops are most potent. In the case of an IPA or IIPA, clarity be dammed.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I agree, hoppy beers need to be consumed earlier to save that oil from dropping out over time so your never going to get a in your face hoppy beer that's crystal clear unless you over hop it and know what your doing

 

[ebstauffer]

I tend not to worry about haze as I have never (OK, rarely) not had it drop out over time. That being said, I have gotten into the habit of dropping in half a whirlfloc tablet toward the end -- say at the 10 minute mark -- of the boil. End up costing about a dime per batch. Does it work? Shrug, dunno. At least it makes me feel like Im doing something about the haze.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

crush the whirlfloc tablet up and trow it in it starts to fiz and acts like dry absorbent like you use in big spills so it grabs what ever is near by and takes it down to the bottom, the reason you put it in the boil is just to mix it up better

 

[Foster82]

So I have a batch of lager that I plan to add gelatin to, was wondering what is the best method to add it. I ask because it just dawned on me that when I pour my gelatin/water into my carboy there is a lot of splashing, which in turn could add O2. I would rather avoid the 02 and keep the haze. Maybe I am just over thinking this?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I started using old pinlock kegs as bright tanks for conditioning only, so I cut the liquid shaft 2 inches off the bottom and now that becomes my cold crash, gelatin and conditioning vessel.

first thing is to pull the beer from the main carboy into the keg using the auto siphon, pour in the gelatin, shake the keg up and put co2 into it and bleed, bleed , bleed.

set the pressure low around 5 psi, let that set for a week then pull the beer off using the auto siphon into the serving keg, carbonate the keg at 12 and let it set another week or 2, (don't forget to clean the pinlock keg) lol

 

[7 Slot Brewing]

.... I think I took pictures, if I can find them I will post up the before and after...

Not the beer with chill haze, but this demonstrates time and cold conditioning can make excellent appearance. FYI, Irish moss in boil is the only fining, and this is bottled.

 

[Jimminator]

Oly, Thanks! I doubt I have the discipline (or extra frig space) to cold condition too long but that makes me feel better that if I did, I might get beer as clear as yours. In the past, I had pretty good luck with Irish moss in the boil, and forgot it with this batch. It still tastes pretty darn good, though.

 

[7 Slot Brewing]

thanks for the compliment Jim. I had to get a stash going before I had the patience to wait it out. :lol:

 

[SwampWater]

I think that every time I add gelatin to my kegs. I still haven't come up with a solution to adding a gelatin mixture to a keg without splashing. I add it as careful as I can and purge the keg immediately. Shake it up a bit and purge again.