Cloudy Wort...I mean really cloudy

[RobertsIPA]

Decided to try a heavy hopped pale ale last weekend. Used Chinook s as the bittering Hop, with Citra as the aroma Hop. Mash roll 5.2kg Maris Otter, with 200g Wheat Malt. Chinook in at 90 mins with Citra at 15 mins and a further dose of Chinook at 10 mins remaining with 3g Irish Moss. Gravity whirlpool when draining wort from the kettle and allowed to cool overnight. OG 1043 (not as high as hoped for). But on measuring OG I was disappointed at how cloudy the wort was. Fermentation kicked in fine, and there’s an abundant cover over the wort in the FV.

I normally get a relatively clear wort on other Pale ales. Planning on putting >60ml adjunct finings into the cask and maybe get some isinglass to add after >4wks conditioning.

Any thoughts/advice/answers as to why the wort ships be so cloudy? Or should I be patient and see how the beer develops in first the FV then cask???

 

[Pugh]

Did you stir the mash a lot/more than usual? Apparently that adds to the cloudiness. Sediment settles out when I use my hydrometer too, but I think that much of it settles out during my fermentation.

I don't mind my beer being cloudy though and so I never add finings, but that's down to the individual I suppose.

 

[jMac]

The wheat would have added some cloudiness but at only just under 4% of your grain bill I can’t see as that would be the issue. What was the crush of the grains like? Was it particularly fine/floury? My vote goes to patience. I’m sure it will be fine and much of the cloudiness will drop once the yeast does too. You might just have more trub than usual.

jx

 

[RobertsIPA]

Thanks fellas for your replies. mclaughlinJ hit the nail on the head... patience!!! As you can see from the attached photo the beer in the FV is already remarkably brighter compared to how the wort looked when I kicked off fermentation!

I use the wheat malt to encourage a decent foamy, creamy head on my beer.

Pugh reference clarity I’m kinda with you... but having been brought up in a Marston’s pub I saw my father’s battle with beer that occasionally may have had a slight haze to it - and which the punters then shunned! With various brews I’ve made clarity hasn’t been perfect, but it’s tasted just fine. I also face the ‘struggle’ with chill haze. I’m not one for Ale at ambient temperature, so my in-use cask goes in my beer fridge in the garage. Sadly it’s a standard fridge so I can’t set the temp as high as 10-12degC, so I usually have a haze on my Pale Ales.

 

[AdeDunn]

You could try Crisp Clear Choice malt, supposed to help with chill haze. Alternative is some form of finings.

Me, I'd rather have chill haze than use any finings. As my wife always says (I may be paraphrasing here slightly), I want to drink it, not date it.