1st Attempt at AG

[SiWHU]

Hi Stephan - When you mentioned that you'd let it clear before bottling, are you able to explain what you woudl have done to achieve this?

I'm interested to know whether you would have moved it to another vessel and thus off the yeast cake at the bottom or done something else?

 

[Stephan]

Now you are testing my memory. And this may be total rubbish. I used to take out about a pint(kept in the fridge) a couple of days before the bulk cleared. If you had a decent hot break,and then a cold break you get to know when it is clear. Add the stored pint to the bulk ,stir and then bottle into primed(a little bit of sugar)bottles.

Leave to mature by which time the beer should have fermented enough to give it some `gas` but not enough to cause bottles popping,be crystal clear and ready to pour-carefully as you do not want any sediment in the glass.

 

[clibit]

To get beer clear there are a number of things you can do:

1. Strong boil/ quick chill
2. Irish Moss/Whirfloc/Protofloc in the boil
3. Use a flocculent yeast, one that clears well.
4. Allow time in the FV to settle
5. Cold crash the beer before bottling.
6. Add gelatin dissolved in water before cold crashing

And avoid high protein adjuncts like wheat, flaked barley, oats and very dark malts in pale beers.

 

[HebridesRob]

To get beer clear there are a number of things you can do:

1. Strong boil/ quick chill
2. Irish Moss/Whirfloc/Protofloc in the boil
3. Use a flocculent yeast, one that clears well.
4. Allow time in the FV to settle
5. Cold crash the beer before bottling.
6. Add gelatin dissolved in water before cold crashing

And avoid high protein adjuncts like wheat, flaked barley, oats and very dark malts in pale beers.

7. Don't dry hop

 

[clibit]

7. Don't dry hop

Knew I'd forget summat!

 

[SiWHU]

Yeah, I use Irish Moss myself and dry hop using a muslin bag. I get a good hot break and generally chill with an immersion chiller which provides an equally good cold break. As a result, most of my beers turn out quite clear. The only one I had which didn't, was an AG APA which I allowed to chill over night and then put in a PB. Was still very drinkable though. :drink:

Even so, a lot of my brews still don't look crystal clear at bottling time - they generally take a good 3-4 weeks in the (cold) garage after secondary fermentation before they clear down. That's why I was more interested in whether there was a method from 25 years or so ago, that we had all forgotten, which would clear the beer down prior to bottling.

 

[HebridesRob]

Yeah, I use Irish Moss myself and dry hop using a muslin bag. I get a good hot break and generally chill with an immersion chiller which provides an equally good cold break. As a result, most of my beers turn out quite clear. The only one I had which didn't, was an AG APA which I allowed to chill over night and then put in a PB. Was still very drinkable though. :drink:

Even so, a lot of my brews still don't look crystal clear at bottling time - they generally take a good 3-4 weeks in the (cold) garage after secondary fermentation before they clear down. That's why I was more interested in whether there was a method from 25 years or so ago, that we had all forgotten, which would clear the beer down prior to bottling.

Not really. The process would have been...
boil 60-90 mins with hops; Irish moss last 20; ferment four days - a week; rack into an air tight container under air lock (possibly add finings) and leave for a 2-4 weeks or so; bottle.

Cold crashing is new. To clear your beer by cold crashing, it seems, you need to get down to 4 degrees C.
http://foodbeerstuff.com/cold-crashing-faq-home-brewing/

I'm experimenting with gelatine fining and cold crashing to try to get bright clarity faster. Not too impressed by the result so far and it seems that fining before bottling can result in the yeast not sticking firmly to the bottom of the bottle, which kind of makes it worthless if true.
http://brulosophy.com/2015/01/05/the-gelatin-effect-exbeeriment-results/

 

[clibit]

I'm experimenting with gelatine fining and cold crashing to try to get bright clarity faster. Not too impressed by the result so far and it seems that fining before bottling can result in the yeast not sticking firmly to the bottom of the bottle, which kind of makes it worthless if true.
http://brulosophy.com/2015/01/05/the-gelatin-effect-exbeeriment-results/

Interesting, keep us posted.

 

[HebridesRob]

Interesting, keep us posted.

in my brew days thread...
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=531274#post531274

 

[Stephan]

Yeah, I use Irish Moss myself and dry hop using a muslin bag. I get a good hot break and generally chill with an immersion chiller which provides an equally good cold break. As a result, most of my beers turn out quite clear. The only one I had which didn't, was an AG APA which I allowed to chill over night and then put in a PB. Was still very drinkable though. :drink:

Even so, a lot of my brews still don't look crystal clear at bottling time - they generally take a good 3-4 weeks in the (cold) garage after secondary fermentation before they clear down. That's why I was more interested in whether there was a method from 25 years or so ago, that we had all forgotten, which would clear the beer down prior to bottling.

I suspect very little has changed,brewing has been around for a long time. Why should your beer be crystal clear when bottled?-you have just added that pint containing enough yeast to condition the bottles. Then it takes time. Brewing for fun is/was in my case great. It`s only at competition level do we get fussy-every bottle entered should be pristine,correct colour top and that is before it is even opened.

 

[spook123_uk]

Well, I've already drunk all of the kegged stuff (forgot photos!). The bottles have now cleared so here it is....
This had failure written all over it when I was mashing and look what I ended up with!
It tastes great and is absolutely crystal clear (even with dry hopping in the FV). Like a more subtle US IPA in the end. Still good an kicking at just over 5% too.

 

[cheapbrew]

that looks nice, good rescue job :thumb:

 

[clibit]

Intermashional Rescue! :thumb:

 

[Covrich]

Great job , looks good!!