Gelatin in secondary or after?

[Thurston Brewer]

I've been fining with gelatin after the fermentation is complete by racking to a separate container, adding gelatin and waiting 48 hrs or so, then racking again for priming and bottling.

I just read an article where they recommend putting the finings right into the secondary when you rack from the primary. That would sure be simpler, and would cut out one whole racking step, but I would be concerned about the gelatin interfering with attenuation.

What do you guys do? What would you recommend?

 

[GFHomebrew]

I've been racking from my brew bucket after fermentation has ceased into my keg then putting my 1/2 cup 80ish centigrade water mixed with 1/2 teaspoon gelatin as per brulosophers detail.
I have put it in bottom of keg then transferred beer through it to mix it with beer I think this works fine. My last beer was clear within 2 weeks from brew day I cold crashed and finned in brew bucket then transfered to keg after 3 days and I added gelitin to keg as well at bottom at time of transfer so sorta double finned it and it is crystal clear.

Great thread but thirsty I'm looking to others finning procedures

 

[Thurston Brewer]

Man! I should have added an option to the poll for keg fining!

I've always bottled so I don't much think about kegging...

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Finings in kettle always , primary if at all in FV ....I don't use a secondary so no option for me

 

[Thurston Brewer]

Finings in kettle always , primary if at all in FV ....I don't use a secondary so no option for me

That would not be gelatin, though, in the kettle?

 

[GFHomebrew]

I think Mark just uses either seaweed or polyclar

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Whirlfloc ....sounds better than seaweed mate !
Only just bought some polyclar for fining before bottling ...it's plastic
i'd use just about any part of any animal i'd shoot in the face if it made my beer better

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I use Whirlfloc in the boil, works great, I also use gelatin in my kegs but not till the beer is down to 34F, clears beer very well using both

 

[GFHomebrew]

I'm a seaweed man myself in the kettle that is. So gelitin works on haze right? Something about negative charged particles or something in the beer? Isinglass works on positive charged particles?

 

[Wood House Hall]

I just tried Super-Kleer after secondary and during a cold crash. It worked great - brightest irish red ale I've ever made.

I made a post in this subforum about it with photos.

 

[Nosybear]

I didn't answer the poll because my option isn't there. Gelatin works by attracting the protein haze from the beer so key is to get the beer as cold (and hazy) as possible before adding it. So I add gelatin to secondary AFTER fermentation is complete but once the beer is as cold as possible, about 1 degree C (33 F) using my equipment. Super-Kleer is a two-stage fining - the first stage (Kieselsol) attracts the tannins and the second stage (Chitosan) attracts the proteins. And it is my go-to fining for pilsners, crystal clarity.

 

[Nosybear]

...not to forget the seaweed (Whirlfloc is Irish moss, seaweed, bound together with some baking soda to release it) in the kettle.

 

[Thurston Brewer]

Well, my main purpose was to find out if anyone uses gelatin during fermentation - in the secondary or unitary (for those who don't use a secondary). I always fine with gelatin after fermentation (would essentially be the same if you did it in a fining bucket, in the bottle or the keg). Seems like using gelatin during fermentation might cause attenuation issues.

Just curious...

 

[Nosybear]

Gelatin during fermentation wouldn't work.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Well I'm glad you've posted this thread thirsty I've definitely learnt something from it. So with my current batch fermenting ATM I'll cold crash this at 0c for a few days till whenever I feel like Kegging. But I'll add gelitin once it's at 0c.