Adding gelatin

[crupp]

All,

My new neighbor is excited to learn to brew. Unfortunately…he always shows up during the last 15 minutes of my brew day. This time, I forgot to add my whirlfloc. I have 10 gallons of Dark Mild that looks like mud. I don’t have a filter, so I thought I would give gelatin a try. I've never done it before...

How do you do it?

How long does it normally take?

I have my beer in kegs right now. Should I rack off or go ahead and serve? It’s a Dark Mild, so I don’t plan on it lasting very long.

Thanks in advance!

[bcmaui]

Tips I have got from Saco de Toro that are working extremely well for me - my beer is crystal clear after waiting a couple of days and dumping a glass or two of mud:

"I add the same amount of finings regardless of style; it's based mainly on volume of beer. My typical fining rate is 1tsp/5 gal. The gelatin you've found is the same stuff I use.

A few tips:

1) Only add finings to cold beer. Things such as haze-causing proteins will only precipitate out of solution and be available for binding with the gelatin at cold temps.
2) Mix up a gelatin solution and add that to your finished beer. I prefer to flash boil (2-3 min) 4oz of water in an Erlenmeyer flask (w/foil on top), let it cool for a few minutes, then add a teaspoon of gelatin. This will keep everything sanitary. Make sure to swirl things while your adding the gelatin to avoid clumping. Once the gelatin's fully dissolved, you're ready to add it to your beer. You don't need to wait for the fining solution to cool.
3) Wait 24-48 hours and dispense the first 8-16 ounces of "muddy" beer. Voila, you should have clear beer after that point.

In addition to clearing yeast and haze-causing proteins, gelatin is one of the only things that will bind to polyphenols. Removing excess polyphenols makes for a much cleaner tasting beer IMO."

This is what I use and found at my local restaurant supply:

http://www.amazon.com/Knox-Unflavored-G ... B001UOW7D8

[Fritz Eye]

Great thread and I have used this method as well for 2 of my beers which have worked amazingly well.
BC Maui have you noticed a drop in hop flavor and bitterness using gelatin?
Have a great holiday all.

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

Tips I have got from Saco de Toro that are working extremely well for me - my beer is crystal clear after waiting a couple of days and dumping a glass or two of mud:

"I add the same amount of finings regardless of style; it's based mainly on volume of beer. My typical fining rate is 1tsp/5 gal. The gelatin you've found is the same stuff I use.

A few tips:

1) Only add finings to cold beer. Things such as haze-causing proteins will only precipitate out of solution and be available for binding with the gelatin at cold temps.
2) Mix up a gelatin solution and add that to your finished beer. I prefer to flash boil (2-3 min) 4oz of water in an Erlenmeyer flask (w/foil on top), let it cool for a few minutes, then add a teaspoon of gelatin. This will keep everything sanitary. Make sure to swirl things while your adding the gelatin to avoid clumping. Once the gelatin's fully dissolved, you're ready to add it to your beer. You don't need to wait for the fining solution to cool.
3) Wait 24-48 hours and dispense the first 8-16 ounces of "muddy" beer. Voila, you should have clear beer after that point.

In addition to clearing yeast and haze-causing proteins, gelatin is one of the only things that will bind to polyphenols. Removing excess polyphenols makes for a much cleaner tasting beer IMO."

This is what I use and found at my local restaurant supply:

http://www.amazon.com/Knox-Unflavored-G ... B001UOW7D8

+1. My local supermarket carries Knox unflavored. I microwave 1/2 cup of water for 1 minute. I let it cool, then add 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin, and stir. I add it to the fermenter 3-4 days before kegging. Most of my kegs will sit a week before I start drinking them way too early. Like bcmaui said, after a couple of pints I have clear beer.

[crupp]

Thanks to all of you. Looks like I'm adding gelatin tonight!

[brewerTristan]

Has anyone found that using gelatin makes kettle finings unnecessary? I first started fining with gelatin after running out of whirlfloc and forgetting to pick more up before a brew day. I fined that beer and haven't bothered using whirlfloc or other kettle finings since. Beer is plenty clear enough using only gelatin.

[Oktober]

I add it to the fermenter 3-4 days before kegging. Most of my kegs will sit a week before I start drinking them way too early.

+1 to this. If you can add the finings into the fermenter just before you rack, you'll leave behind a lot of the sludge in the fermenter (assuming you rack carefully). If you cold crash the beer 1-2 days before kegging, add your finings just as your cold crash and things should be clear when you transfer over.

Hope this helps.

-Okt

[Mills]

I just fined an amber and an old ale like this. As usual, I have tried to make this more difficult than it really is in the past.
I just use a sauce pan with a cup of water, boil for a few, let it cool off for a bit then toss in half a pack of knox gelatin and let it sit a bit. I always go with cold beer, but break the keg seal then kick the co2 back on to force any dust that may want to fall into the keg out. Then vent off a few times, and turn the keg upsidedown real quick, then wait a day and it is crystal.

Mills


PS Crupp, I should have a bottle of JZ's schwarzbier for the brew bubbas thing. it will be 15 days old when we try it. I am doing tasty's lager regimen...