Gelatin

[ProperCharlie]

I have been thinking for a while about trying gelatin to aid clarity of a brew.
Would welcome any suggestions as to when to add, in what form, how much etc.
I’m always wary about opening the fermentation bin to add anything!

 

[AnimatedGIF]

I recently used it for the first time in a lager. I added it to the keg (are you kegging?) after transferring and chilling overnight. Ive never had such a clear beer.
I used half a teaspoon in 200ml water if I recall correctly.

 

[Its6pmsomewhere]

I've used it a few times in the past to speed things up, i added to the serving keg before racking, purge with CO2 after throwing in the gelatin and then pressure transfer from the fermenter so no/little oxygen exposure and had great results. I have 6 serving kegs now so have the capacity to lager and still have beer on tap but wouldn't hesitate to use gelatin in this way in a pinch. As for what form, I've used liquid and powdered and both had the same result, just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.

 

[Siscokid85]

Interesting... Ive always added to the fermentation bucket once ive cold crashed. I use the Dr Oetker sachets, I use 1.5 teaspoons in about 150ml of water for a 20-25l batch, sprinkle on top of the water and leave it for 20 mins, then stir it and put in microwave for 10 second intervals until I get to to 65 degrees C stirring very time so it is then dissolved, then I pour into the the fermenter and give a real gentle stir to, then leave another 3 days or so before I keg. Works wonders beer is always clear.

I Might try the same in the keg now going forwards.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I’m always wary about opening the fermentation bin to add anything!

Pull the airlock out then pour it through the hole in the lid. Much better than lifting the lid completely

 

[JockyBrewer]

The issue is in getting it mixed in with your beer without introducing lots of oxygen.

The best way I have found doing this is to add it to a keg before filling. It ensures complete mixing, and you can pre-purge your keg. Ideally you want your beer cold before going into the keg to help it pull down chill haze.

Dumping it into a keg after filling has had mixed results. You need to give the keg a bit of a shake to ensure it's mixed in.

Adding it to a fermenter also works, but you need to add it to finished beer and stir it in a bit to be fully effective, and that always seems to be an oxygen risk, and/or you're going to stir up trub into your beer.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I don’t use gelatine any more as, now I have nine kegs , my beers have longer to condition and clear before I get around to drinking them. But, when I did, this method always worked really well for me:

https://brulosophy.com/2015/01/05/the-gelatin-effect-exbeeriment-results/

 

[Siscokid85]

Pull the airlock out then pour it through the hole in the lid. Much better than lifting the lid completely

For highly hopped beers, yep totally agree, but for more traditional ales / pale ales like I tend brew then I have never had any issues with oxidation, CO2 is heavier than air, so I believe the blanket of CO2 produced by the yeast should sit in the bucket and protect it for a couple of minutes, I think the risk is so minimal..... and many beers are brewed in open fermentation vessels in the traditional commercial breweries.

Doing it in the fermenter does leave the crud behind and the trub is very jelly like and compacted after you transfer, but I don't think that is any advantage / argument for doing it in the fermenter.

That said, I like the idea of adding to the keg before you transfer, whether you pressure / closed transfer, if you can do it that way with similar results, then why take the risk.

Always learning and adapting the process...

 

[Agentgonzo]

CO2 is heavier than air, so I believe the blanket of CO2 produced by the yeast should sit in the bucket and protect it for a couple of minutes

This isn't the case. CO2 is more dense than air, but the turbulence created when you take the lid off (unless you are extremely careful and delicate) will just end up with a bunch of air mixing in return the CO2.

Imagine you had a fermenter full to the brim of fruit juice (which is denser than water) and that you have it sat at the bottom of a swimming pool. Now imagine you take the lid off the fermenter whilst underwater. You would expect a decent amount of mixing water and fruit juice as you took the lid off. The same principle applies with gases mixing

 

[Siscokid85]

O2 is more dense than air, but the turbulence created when you take the lid off (unless you are extremely careful and delicate) will just end up with a bunch of air mixing in return the CO2.

Imagine you had a fermenter full to the brim of fruit juice (which is denser than water) and that you have it sat at the bot

OK, its denser, and if I am delicate the amount of oxygen being mixed in will be very minimal. Probably less than for every brew I have gently syphoned into an unpurged keg without splashing, without any noticeable oxygenation.

My opinion is that it is very much horses for courses, highly hopped beers - I get it, we need to minimize oxygen contact as these are susceptible, traditional styles I don't think the risks are as great. I just don't sign up to the blanket "don't take the lid off otherwise the universe will implode" theory that seems to have been cooked up in the home brew world.

Maybe I have been lucky, but as I said, if you can reduce the risk for no noticeable disadvantage - adding to the keg before transfer - then why not, its the way I think I will go.

 

[Agentgonzo]

My opinion is that it is very much horses for courses, highly hopped beers - I get it, we need to minimize oxygen contact as these are susceptible, traditional styles I don't think the risks are as great. I just don't sign up to the blanket "don't take the lid off otherwise the universe will implode" theory that seems to have been cooked up in the home brew world.

Absolutely.

Traditional styles don't suffer anywhere near as much. And if fermentation is ongoing or you are cask/bottle conditioning, the yeast will scavenge the introduced oxygen before it can cause much damage

 

[AnimatedGIF]

The reason I do it in the keg after chilling for 24hrs or so is to avoid the potential oxidation. The only time I have ever cold-crashed I had an oxidised brew because presumably oxygen came in through the airlock after the CO2 from fermentation dissolved in the beer.

 

[foxy]

OK, its denser, and if I am delicate the amount of oxygen being mixed in will be very minimal. Probably less than for every brew I have gently syphoned into an unpurged keg without splashing, without any noticeable oxygenation.

My opinion is that it is very much horses for courses, highly hopped beers - I get it, we need to minimize oxygen contact as these are susceptible, traditional styles I don't think the risks are as great. I just don't sign up to the blanket "don't take the lid off otherwise the universe will implode" theory that seems to have been cooked up in the home brew world.

Maybe I have been lucky, but as I said, if you can reduce the risk for no noticeable disadvantage - adding to the keg before transfer - then why not, its the way I think I will go.

Home brewers are their own worst enemy when it comes to oxygen uptake in a finished beer. There are very few threads about oxidised beer from home brewers. The reason is simple, home-brewed beer doesn't travel all over the country and it is stored well.
Ashton Lewis has an excellent article in the current BYO magazine titled Scavenging Oxygen. He dispels the myth of yeast taking up any excess oxygen, it's only common sense that if yeast did take up any residual oxygen there wouldn't be a problem with oxygen spoiling beer.

 

[DharmaBrewing]

Has anyone used mangrove jack's beer finings as an alternative to gelatine? Any pros or cons?

https://mangrovejacks.com/products/liquid-beer-finings

 

[.Peter.]

For highly hopped beers, yep totally agree, but for more traditional ales / pale ales like I tend brew then I have never had any issues with oxidation, CO2 is heavier than air, so I believe the blanket of CO2 produced by the yeast should sit in the bucket and protect it for a couple of minutes, I think the risk is so minimal..... and many beers are brewed in open fermentation vessels in the traditional commercial breweries.

Doing it in the fermenter does leave the crud behind and the trub is very jelly like and compacted after you transfer, but I don't think that is any advantage / argument for doing it in the fermenter.

That said, I like the idea of adding to the keg before you transfer, whether you pressure / closed transfer, if you can do it that way with similar results, then why take the risk.

Always learning and adapting the process...

so I believe the blanket of CO2 produced by the yeast should sit in the bucket and protect it for a couple of minutes

Unfortunately this is a fallacy

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Has anyone used mangrove jack's beer finings as an alternative to gelatine? Any pros or cons?

https://mangrovejacks.com/products/liquid-beer-finings

Not yet, but plan to try in a couple of weeks in a bitter that I need to clear quickly.

 

[ProperCharlie]

Pull the airlock out then pour it through the hole in the lid. Much better than lifting the lid completely

Thanks - so no need to stir in or anything then?

 

[Agentgonzo]

Thanks - so no need to stir in or anything then?

I don't.