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Author Topic: Fine particulate matter in suspension  (Read 3381 times)

Offline jimbo2

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Fine particulate matter in suspension
« on: January 25, 2013, 02:22:19 pm »
Hi all.

I am new to homebrewing and have a quick question which I have not been able to find a good answer for.

I have an otherwise good brew (hit all the marks, tastes good) chilling (literally) in my closet.  I brewed without any finings.  After primary racked and dry hopped with pellets.  They have broken apart over the past week and now I can see a billion hop particles floating around.

I don't mind the haze, and I don't mind some bottle traub.  What I don't want is a crap load of hops leaf in every mouthful.

I have some mesh bags that would catch bigger particles but let yeast pass.  I was thinking about boiling, soaking in my starsan solutions and then putting on the end of my siphon hose when racking to bottling bucket.

Good idea or bad?

Offline davidgzach

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2013, 02:30:25 pm »
I would crash cool for a few days or if that is not an option, just wait it out.  The beer should clear. 

IMHO, running through a mesh strainer before bottling is begging for oxidation.

Dave

EDIT: Others may have experience with gelatin.  I do not....

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Offline a10t2

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2013, 02:39:33 pm »
I brew exclusively with pellets and they always drop out after a few days of cold crashing (~2°C). If that doesn't get it where you want, try fining - my recommendation would be BioFine Clear at 1 mL/gal.
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Offline weithman5

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2013, 02:57:00 pm »
i dont think it is necessary to strain. everything should settle a few weeks at near freezing temp or with finnings.  however, if you really wanted to preclude this you could make a makeshift filter out of sanitized cotton sponge, or even the grain bag. and put it inside the bottleing tubing at the spigot.  this way there would be no real chance for oxidation. however if there is much particulate this would clog quite quickly i would think
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Offline Hokerer

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2013, 04:06:00 pm »
Another option is to line your bottling bucket with a paint strainer bag.  Rack as usual and then gently (and gently is key as you don't want oxidation) lift the bag out of the bucket taking the particles with it.
Joe

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2013, 04:11:01 pm »
I've had good luck with plain ol' gelatin.  But I use it to drop yeast and not hop particles.

I have also found that time and cold clears a beer better than anything else.

If all else fails, you can just strain it through your teeth.
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Offline erockrph

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Re: Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2013, 04:48:26 pm »
Another option is to line your bottling bucket with a paint strainer bag.  Rack as usual and then gently (and gently is key as you don't want oxidation) lift the bag out of the bucket taking the particles with it.

+1 to this. I do it all the time and it catches the vast majority of the hop bits.
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2013, 07:16:10 am »
And if you don't want to wait it out at all, just filter it as you serve it by pouring through some cheese cloth into the pitcher or glass.  I have seen that done with very old and rare wines.
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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2013, 09:13:07 am »
And if you don't want to wait it out at all, just filter it as you serve it by pouring through some cheese cloth into the pitcher or glass.  I have seen that done with very old and rare wines.

wouldn't pouring beer through cheesecloth knock the carbonation out and make it really foamy?
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Offline jimbo2

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2013, 10:30:07 am »
Thanks all for the replys.  :)

What I found was that the black cap on my auto-siphon racking cane did a good job at blocking most of the bigger flakes of hops.  Those that made it thru stayed at the bottom of my bottling bucket below the spigot line.  And the very few that floated up didn't make it past the tip of my bottle filler.  Crisis averted.

Stupid me didn't do a great job stirring the bottling sugar into the beer so once I got about 35 bottles in I could see excess syrup flowing into my bottles.  I guess some will be more carbonated than others.  C'est La vie.  My motto (for now) is flat beer and flat women are still beer and women.. everything else is just a bonus!

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2013, 10:51:54 am »
Stupid me didn't do a great job stirring the bottling sugar into the beer so once I got about 35 bottles in I could see excess syrup flowing into my bottles.  I guess some will be more carbonated than others.

Might want to separate out those last bottles.  If things were so uneven that you could see the excess priming sugar, they'll be in danger of getting way overcarbonated.  Possilbly to the point of becoming bottle bombs.
Joe

Offline jimbo2

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Re: Fine particulate matter in suspension
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2013, 11:22:43 am »
I drank them  ;)