Chill Haze

[PerthRod]

Advice needed..........I have brewed a few AG Belgian style beers which (even if I say so myself) have turned out very nice. They clear well in the bottle and remain clear at room temperature but as soon as I put them in the fridge they turn cloudy. Take them out the fridge and they clear again within hours. Where am i going wrong here?

 

[Duxuk]

I get the same. Since I mainly brew ales it's not an problem but when I've brewed continental style I just think of it as a feature. It doesn't do any harm in Hoegaarden!
BTW I BIAB which is notorious for chill hazes.

 

[AdeDunn]

I did a test brew recently using Whitelabs Clarity Ferm, which is supposed to reduce chill haze (and gluten..). I'll let you know the outcome, it's sat in second vessel at the moment as the airlock was still blooping occasionally.

 

[Dutto]

You are doing nothing wrong except maybe trying too hard. The ways I avoid "Chill Haze" problems are:

1. I don't chill any of my brews. (Domestic refrigerators became common in the UK less than 50 years ago.)
2. I brew stouts, milds and porters where I can't see a haze even if it's there.
3. I never worry about "Chill Haze" because A) It does no harm. and B) If anyone complains they can go and drink somewhere else.

Enjoy!

 

[Gunge]

I'll take it for granted that you are using Irish Moss or one of its derivatives at the end of the boil. I've found that chilling the beer to just above freezing for a week whilst still in the FV at the end of fermentation, completely eliminates future chill haze. Took me decades to find that out... I can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.

 

[PerthRod]

You are doing nothing wrong except maybe trying too hard. The ways I avoid "Chill Haze" problems are:

1. I don't chill any of my brews. (Domestic refrigerators became common in the UK less than 50 years ago.)
2. I brew stouts, milds and porters where I can't see a haze even if it's there.
3. I never worry about "Chill Haze" because A) It does no harm. and B) If anyone complains they can go and drink somewhere else.

Enjoy!

I can live with not chilling beer at this time of year..............but I find it really needs chilled in summer.
Funny thing is I have also done Marzen, Wheat Beer and IPA (all AG) and never had any "chill haze" issues with any of them - only seems to happen with Belgian style beers. (I have also used Brewferm kits and had the same issue)

 

[PerthRod]

I'll take it for granted that you are using Irish Moss or one of its derivatives at the end of the boil. I've found that chilling the beer to just above freezing for a week whilst still in the FV at the end of fermentation, completely eliminates future chill haze. Took me decades to find that out... I can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.

Yes - I use Irish Moss...........will try chilling/cold crashing with the next brew.

 

[MyQul]

If your getting chill haze it means your not chilling your wort fast enough after the boil has finished. If you only get it with belgian styles and everything in your brewing process I dont think it is chill haze. Although it does sound as if it is from your description

 

[Gunge]

If your getting chill haze it means your not chilling your wort fast enough after the boil has finished. If you only get it with belgian styles and everything in your brewing process I dont think it is chill haze. Although it does sound as if it is from your description

Everyone needs a CFC! My wort goes from 90C+ to 20C in the few seconds it takes to travel from the inlet to the outlet. 'Course I end up with all the break material in the FV but don't be fooled; that is a Good Thing. Ask the yeast. And the subsequent crash cooling for a week after fermentation only helps further.

 

[foxbat]

CFC's aren't a free lunch. Unless you're lucky enough to have a Blichmann Therminator then they're hard to clean, and hard to know you've cleaned them because you can't see inside. Then there's the flow rate. Not a problem for ale brewers but if you're brewing with pilsner then you want the full volume down below the SMM to DMS conversion temperature of 70C as fast as possible. Then you want to be stirring continually as you transition down to the DMS boiling point of 37C so that any DMS still in the wort gets to meet the surface and boil off. Immersion chillers are better suited to doing that.

 

[MyQul]

Everyone needs a CFC! My wort goes from 90C+ to 20C in the few seconds it takes to travel from the inlet to the outlet. 'Course I end up with all the break material in the FV but don't be fooled; that is a Good Thing. Ask the yeast. And the subsequent crash cooling for a week after fermentation only helps further.

I've never found it makes much difference wether you have all the trub in the FV or very little. The only difference comes if you want to bottom crop

 

[BREWERS DROOP]

Have you tried Clarity ferm? I use it all the time for gluten reduction it works very good for clarity.

 

[PerthRod]

Haven't tried that.....Will give it a go next time.

 

[ExpatBrewer]

Have you tried Clarity ferm? I use it all the time for gluten reduction it works very good for clarity.

It does work well, but its a fairly expensive way to clear beer!

 

[ACBEV]

Maybe it is or isn't chill haze. I don't know either! For Belgian style beers I use Wyeast Belgian Ardennes 3522, always crystal clear.

One of the great and versatile strains for the production of classic Belgian style ales. This strain produces a beautiful balance of delicate fruit esters and subtle spicy notes, with neither one dominating. Unlike many other Belgian style strains, this strain is highly flocculent and results in bright beers.​

 

[BREWERS DROOP]

It does work well, but its a fairly expensive way to clear beer!

It’s £2.20 worth paying for not being ill,don’t have much choice.

 

[JonBrew]

Hi Rod.

I used to get bad problems with chill haze in all my beers. However, over the past 1-2 years I've made some changes which have greatly improved the clarity of my beer if not completely removed chill haze. Some have already been mentioned.

1) Chill your wort rapidly. I'm also in Perth as it happens and with the current ground water temps this time of year my immersion chiller can cool my to near pitching temps in about 10 mins.
2) Minimise cold break carry over to the fermenter - this one is debatable (some think it makes no difference) but I whirlpool, let everything settle for a good 30 mins or more than rack off crystal clear wort from kettle to the fermenter via a ball-valve tap
3) Cold crashing/conditioning at 0 degrees or even -1 degrees C for a period of time.

I think 3) is probably the most important. I once heard a podcast where Dr Charlie Bamforth said that chilling the beer to -1 degrees C for a period of 24 hours will have major effect of beer clarity, even more so that holding it at 1-3 degress C for a week or more.

Best of luck!

 

[PerthRod]

Hi Rod.

I used to get bad problems with chill haze in all my beers. However, over the past 1-2 years I've made some changes which have greatly improved the clarity of my beer if not completely removed chill haze. Some have already been mentioned.

1) Chill your wort rapidly. I'm also in Perth as it happens and with the current ground water temps this time of year my immersion chiller can cool my to near pitching temps in about 10 mins.
2) Minimise cold break carry over to the fermenter - this one is debatable (some think it makes no difference) but I whirlpool, let everything settle for a good 30 mins or more than rack off crystal clear wort from kettle to the fermenter via a ball-valve tap
3) Cold crashing/conditioning at 0 degrees or even -1 degrees C for a period of time.

I think 3) is probably the most important. I once heard a podcast where Dr Charlie Bamforth said that chilling the beer to -1 degrees C for a period of 24 hours will have major effect of beer clarity, even more so that holding it at 1-3 degress C for a week or more.

Best of luck!

Thanks for that Jon...that's given me a few options to consider.
I like the sound of an immersion chiller..........I currently float my brew bucket in a rhino/trug filled with cold water in order to cool it but it takes a couple of hours and three changes of water to get it down to pitching temperature.

 

[Dutto]

Here's a photograph of both my first and second attempt. The second attempt is the one I use! It just fits inside the Boiler.

 

[Sadfield]

@PerthRod Do you use Pilsner/Lager Malt on your Belgian ales and other malt on the Ales that don't have this chill haze issue? Or add wheat to the Belgians?

Less kilned pale malts such as Pilsner have a higher nitrogen content that can lead to chill haze. More nitrogen = more protein = more haze.

The duration of the cooling of your wort is definitely worth improving, although not entirely the problem as other beers are OK.

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