Beer Forum

Hello... like the title says this is probably a stupid question. I was just thinking and wondering that since most of the clarrifiers work by being coagulants (like a gel) does this mean they raise the density of the water? Could this affect a brew by giving it a false gravity reading? I was hoping Bill Nye the Science Guy was a brewer and would be able to answer this one.
Any way I was just wondering.

It may raise the density for a very short period of time. But it is acting as a coagulant that will collect other heavy particulates to it and draw them out of solution as it settles. The finning doesn't stay in solution it settles. So the reverse would be more likely in regards to gravity reading. I think it makes little difference on the gravity of the liquid, however. There may be a Bill Nye of home brewing that will give you a more scientific answer.

Such a tiny amount is used that, even if it didn't settle out, the effect on gravity would be quite minimal.

Also, keep in mind that density is not the same as viscosity. Making something coagulate is about the latter. Sometimes high density goes along with high viscosity (think corn syrup: density > 1) sometimes it does not (think corn oil: density < 1).

6thstreetbrewer wrote:It may raise the density for a very short period of time. But it is acting as a coagulant that will collect other heavy particulates to it and draw them out of solution as it settles. The finning doesn't stay in solution it settles. So the reverse would be more likely in regards to gravity reading. I think it makes little difference on the gravity of the liquid, however. There may be a Bill Nye of home brewing that will give you a more scientific answer.

The clarifier will pull some of the particles out of solution and cause them to drop out of the solution. They'll collect at the bottom of the container. I haven't compared the same solution before and after adding clarifier, but I'm guessing that you would need a really precise way of measuring the specific gravity in order to see much difference (read this as expensive.) It might be fun if you've got a college nearby though. Find a chemistry professor who drinks (hint, find any chemistry professor) and give them some of your beer. Then mention what you are interested in. They'd probably do it just for grins.

ScienceGuy wrote:

6thstreetbrewer wrote:It may raise the density for a very short period of time. But it is acting as a coagulant that will collect other heavy particulates to it and draw them out of solution as it settles. The finning doesn't stay in solution it settles. So the reverse would be more likely in regards to gravity reading. I think it makes little difference on the gravity of the liquid, however. There may be a Bill Nye of home brewing that will give you a more scientific answer.

The clarifier will pull some of the particles out of solution and cause them to drop out of the solution. They'll collect at the bottom of the container. I haven't compared the same solution before and after adding clarifier, but I'm guessing that you would need a really precise way of measuring the specific gravity in order to see much difference (read this as expensive.) It might be fun if you've got a college nearby though. Find a chemistry professor who drinks (hint, find any chemistry professor) and give them some of your beer. Then mention what you are interested in. They'd probably do it just for grins.

Come on now. You ought to know not to look for the chemistry professor, but the grad students.