Letting beer settle before pitching yeast

[MashBag]

I have to to say I fixed it with a protein rest at 50c. But then, with a highly modified grain, a protein rest can leave the beer feeling a bit thin.

Also found water treatment to reduce my "hard as nails" water helped..... Go figure?

 

[Clint]

I let the chilled wort settle in the kettle before transfer to the fv.
During transfer I pitch the yeast so it gets mixed in the turbulence of the falling wort.

 

[MashBag]

Best solution I found for chill haze was to use a tankard

 

[The Baron]

I think there are many factors that cause chill haze and it is usually down to process, If you use Proto/Whirlfloc it creates the breaks that drag down some of the proteins from the malts with it but not all. I let as much settle that out which takes some of the protein with it the remaining I then take out with Gelatine before bottling and maybe that's why I never have a problem.
Proteins that are left can then react with Polyphenols created by hops so one would think heavy hopping can be more of a risk for chill haze but this can be got away with as a hazy is not bad but generally it will drop out with time and be at the bottom of the bottle or barrel.
I am no scientist but if you put cleaner wort in with the trub and any proteins it has dragged with left behind the beer will be clearer at the end.
We cheat this with Protofloc etc and Gelatine/finings at the end or a cold crash which makes more fall to the bottom hence less protein to haze but this is not fool proof 100% but generally helps.
I am sure process is one of the main factors in removing these unwanted parts in the wort.
I can only report on experience as I have said I do understand some of the chemical process but no expert
If this helps any brewers so be it but as I have said it works for me so if not broken

 

[Little Rock Brewing]

I transfer the wort into 10 litre plastic buckets (with lids) when I've cooled it to around 50C. I then leave it in the buckets overnight to cool to 18C or so. Then I tip each bucket into the fermenter, leaving the settled out trub behind. I add the dried yeast before the second bucket is poured so it is mixed in and aerated nicely. Works for me.

 

[MashBag]

Thanks for posting that. I do

I transfer the wort into 10 litre plastic buckets (with lids) when I've cooled it to around 50C. I then leave it in the buckets overnight to cool to 18C or so. Then I tip each bucket into the fermenter, leaving the settled out trub behind. I add the dried yeast before the second bucket is poured so it is mixed in and aerated nicely. Works for me.

Thanks for posting that. I do something similar and was beginning to think I was bonkers.

I turn off and run away after boil. Next day. Open the tap into 3 buckets. Add yeast. Rinse the BM20 and then return it for fermentation. I then bottle direct from the BM20 warm a week later. Makes a smashing pint and really time efficient.

 

[DocAnna]

One of the ways I have found to clear a persisting haze is to warm to about 18 or even 21 degrees, hold for a few days then crash chill to -1 or even better -3. This has worked a couple of times for me with hazes that just wouldn't clear despite holding at a cold temperature for a while. Sadly this is terribly empirical which sort of feels a betrayal of my need to be science based.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I have brewed a Czech Pilsner today - I transferred into a pre-fermenter to let the cold break etc settle and then racked to the actual fermenter.

It was my first time trying this, and although I lost a few litres, it was worth it for the crystal clear wort, and perhaps less chill haze at the end. I cannot believe how much crap I must normally get in my fermenter.

I just had an aha moment when I realised that I often have chill haze and the yeast may be carrying the crap with them as they go.

Will plan for a bigger batch next time and more losses, so I don't end up short.

How many others do this?

I don't get this at all Tess. I mostly use DME and sometimes a mini-mash and a reduced volume boil.

 

[The Baron]

I just whirlpool with a big spoon and leave to settle in the kettle before putting into the FV and I get clear beers and no chill haze

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I whirlpool too and leave for 20 mins, but as @Agentgonzo has said, the counter-flow chiller brings some of the crud with it.

One of the downsides of the Grainfather setup.

I'm yet to discover if what I'm doing is going to affect the clarity of the final beer though. Will let you all know.

Right now the beer is at 95% of expected attenuation.

A slightly irrelevant side note - but another thing I did differently this time is shook the FV before I pitched the yeast. It made a massive difference to how quick the ferment started. And after 24 hours, the lager yeast (without the kveik) had gone from 1.056 to 1.041.

I'm now on day 4 and it's at 1.017. Not much more to go now. The BJCP guidelines say FG of 1.013 - 1.017.

 

[JockyBrewer]

I'm now on day 4 and it's at 1.017. Not much more to go now. The BJCP guidelines say FG of 1.013 - 1.017.

As a BJCP judge I'll recommend not to be guided by the numbers they put on the guidelines for OG, FG etc. They're a useful starting point to know roughly how strong/bitter/dry a beer is, but the perception of the finished product is really what matters.

 

[JockyBrewer]

Chill haze is a bit of a bugger because it's caused by low weight polyphenols that only bind to proteins when they get cold.
That means to clear them you usually need to keep the beer cold for quite a long time undisturbed (although finings added once the beer is cold accelerates this).

I've also seen chill haze in commercial beers from sizeable breweries many times too - when a cask beer has ended up in the keg cellar so it's being served at lager temperatures (5C instead of 11-12C). That to me shows that it's not just a home brew thing, and that unless you take special process steps against chill haze it will usually appear.

 

[MashBag]

A slightly irrelevant side note - but another thing I did differently this time is shook the FV before I pitched the yeast. It made a massive difference to how quick the ferment started. And after 24 hours, the lager yeast (without the kveik) had gone from 1.056 to 1.041.

It will. All yeast needs a good amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) to get it going. Fermentation is Aerobic first and then moves into anaerobic when it produces alc.
Your mash has just had all of the DO boiled out of it. I use balloon whisk and give it a whisk.

I suspect you haze might be your water? Have you seen your local authority water report?

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I suspect you haze might be your water? Have you see your water report.

Yes I have my water saved in Brewfather so it can be altered if necessary, but no it's not that, as I use 100% tesco bottled water for most of my brews, and sometimes Spotless Water.

Yes I'm aware about the dissolved oxygen etc - my point was how much faster it went when I did it properly instead of just making do with the splashing motion from the transfer. Probably should've explained that better!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

As a BJCP judge I'll recommend not to be guided by the numbers they put on the guidelines for OG, FG etc. They're a useful starting point to know roughly how strong/bitter/dry a beer is, but the perception of the finished product is really what matters.

Thank you JB, your replies always make a lot of sense and are very helpful.

AND I appreciate that you don't patronise when you are explaining something.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

unless you take special process steps against chill haze it will usually appear.

I do have some NBS clarity that I used to use, but it says it makes it gluten free, and I have a silly thought in my head that it might take some flavour away. Clearly not true, but I'm daft

 

[MashBag]

Yes I have my water saved in Brewfather so it can be altered if necessary, but no it's not that, as I use 100% tesco bottled water for most of my brews, and sometimes Spotless Water.

Heres an interesting thought... Lots of people had troubles with water due to the drought, water companies blended water from all over they place. I am still trying to understand the chemistry

Do you test your bottled water? did you notice any changes?

 

[MashBag]

Yes I'm aware about the dissolved oxygen etc - my point was how much faster it went when I did it properly instead of just making do with the splashing motion from the transfer. Probably should've explained that better!

Sorry misunderstood.

 

[JockyBrewer]

I do have some NBS clarity that I used to use, but it says it makes it gluten free, and I have a silly thought in my head that it might take some flavour away. Clearly not true, but I'm daft

I don’t think it will, but I should really try it myself on the beers I want crystal clear. I'll add some to my next order and see. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[nidge]

I always rest my cooled wort before transferring to the fermenter to let the cold-break settle out, always have.

It doesn’t necessarily produce clearer beer (there are many factors at work here) but I’ve always felt it wrong to put crap in with the good stuff. For the same reason I always skim off the hot break too.

Might be a daft question but every days a school day, skimming the hot break off rather than Stirling in , Is this common practice ? I thought the hot break was like a protein the wort needed to be healthy.