Geletin Finings Boo boo - help?

[beer4myhorses]

I went to add my geletin finings on Day 8 like the recipe recommended. I let the finings sit in cold water for an hour. They dissolved. Then, I brought my bucket over to put them in, and before I broke the lid open, I noticed bubble, bubble. So, I did not add the finings because I thought mixing things up while it was still fermenting would introduce oxygen and that would be bad. Did I do the right thing. I put a cap on the finings solution and plan to heat it up tomorrow or the next day. Can I hold this around for a while and it will still do its job, or do I need to get some new geletin powder and start again?

Thanks!

[BDawg]

8 days is very young for most beers except possibly those that start under 1.040.
Give it at least another week.
Then, rack, chill for a day or two, THEN hit it with some new gelatin.

HTH-

[beer4myhorses]

so, wait until day 15 or so, then 2 days chill, then add geletin, then let that sit for another week, totalling 3 weeks or so before bottling? Can you outline the timeline for me? The recipe says let the gelatin work for 8 days.
Thanks

[BDawg]

Yes, that's about right.
The yeast work on their own schedule, not yours. Give them the time to do so, and you will be rewarded with MUCH better beer.

If you can't wait that long, then you simply aren't brewing enough. Keep filling your pipeline to the point that you don't even FEEL like racking another carboy. Laziness from overload needs to kick in. Believe, me, if you brew enough, then it will. And THAT'S when your beer will be able to age appropriately -- when you have so much backed up and ready that you can't drink it all fast enough.

[ChrisKennedy]

8 days is very young for most beers except possibly those that start under 1.040.
Give it at least another week.
Then, rack, chill for a day or two, THEN hit it with some new gelatin.

HTH-

Healthy fermentations should not have byproducts that take a week to clean up.

[Cutt]

True, there may not be a whole lot to clean up; however, another week won't hurt either. Assuming it's not a big imperial, two weeks should be fine before adding gelatin. The yeast has finished and you're just clearing. Personally, I just use Irish Moss in the boil, though I brew mostly ales and a little haze doesn't bother me (it's usually clear, though). Just don't wait 2-3 months to rack/clear and you'll be fine.

[BDawg]

Chris-

I agree that your statement is true, but it is only achievable by pros and experienced home brewers who understand proper fermentation characteristics and conditions. It does not generally apply to the hoards of new home brewers out there who tend to rack off the primary yeast FAR too early, and generally do not build up the required yeast populations, dissolved oxygen counts, and controlled temperature conditions for optimum fermentation. How many newbies use an oxygenation stone or propagate yeast starters on their first few batches? Did you? I sure didn't. I read and followed the crappy directions that told me to bottle after 7 days.

Getting them away from the "mad rush" mentality and slowing them down, getting them to pay attention to the yeast and the principles behind fermentation are all good things. Let's face it, we want them to ENJOY what they produce, not give up on it after a batch or 2 because it didn't finish tasting like Dale's Pale or Old Chubb on the first try.

[ChrisKennedy]

If you know what to taste for, tasting it should be your guide. Until then, I suppose waiting X amount of time after the end of fermentation is a good way to go. I didn't really get the impression that he was all that new to brewing either. New to gelatin maybe. I was just making a general statement about the taste of a beer that is done fermenting. I do believe it is important to learn whether or not you had a healthy fermentation or a less than ideal fermentation, and then go about the steps in identifying why the fermentation may not have gone as smoothly as you would have liked.

But you are right, it is safer to wait longer than to rush it.