[denny]

Clarity Ferm has been a topic if discussion here in the past.  Chris Colby's Beer and Wine Journal has published the most extensive tests I've seen, both of its ability to lower gluten levels and taste impact.  Great info!

http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-iii/

[HoosierBrew]

Pretty interesting stuff. It wouldn't matter if there was a big difference to the final product, but it looks like there isn't.

[klickitat jim]

Last year I bought about 20 tubes of it. Im not glutenphobic, I was hoping for clearer beer. I ran out and did not buy more. I noticed the clarity ferm beers were constantly clear, but not necessarily any more clear than my clearer beers since I stopped using it. In other words you can rely on having fairly clear beers more often with clarity ferm. But you can still make just as clear beer without it, if you don't screw up... I'd say that the clarity ferm beers seem slightly less bodied than non, but its barely noticible unless tested side by side.

[AmandaK]

I still believe there is a difference, especially in mouthfeel. The Clarity Ferm beers were thinner and bordering on insipid. Yes, I had no issue with a stuffy nose after drinking beer, but that is little to give up for the body it removes. An experiment that says "all samples reported tasting good" doesn't really explain anything.

[HoosierBrew]

I'm not surprised to hear that it strips away some body/flavor.  Pretty much every fining agent I've used has had the potential to strip away some of the beer's character - gelatin, polyclar, biofine (though not as much as the others). I compensate when I use them by upping my hopping levels a tad, as the ones that work by dropping yeast effectively also drop out the yeast-absorbed hop oils as well. It just reinforces the fact that it's not hard to get clear beers if you use good practices, including time, temp, and pH control. On the times I use fining, it's usually related to getting a beer on line in shorter notice. I find I do less 'short notice beers' as time goes by. The ones that drop clear naturally are almost always the ones I like best.

[klickitat jim]

Agreed, but clarity fermentor isn't a fining its an enzyme that breaks down proteins

[HoosierBrew]

Yep, it's late. Consider it a tangent then.

[klickitat jim]

 No problem.  I knew what you meant.

[HoosierBrew]

Well actually, it is formulated to help eliminate chill haze so it is a fining agent of sorts. But it works by dropping out haze causing proteins instead of yeast, which many of the other fining agents drop out. But dropping out the proteins evidently also eliminates or (greatly reduces) gluten content in the final beer. So it can serve both purposes. It's all good.

http://www.whitelabs.com/other-products/wln4000-clarity-ferm

[denny]

The way I interpreted the triangle test was that any difference in body was undetectable.  Did you guys interpret it differently?

[HoosierBrew]

The way I interpreted the triangle test was that any difference in body was undetectable.  Did you guys interpret it differently?

That's how I read it too, Denny. But I've never used it, so that was all I had to go on. Sounds like Amanda and some others have noticed a difference though. Maybe the amount you use comes into play (?).

[denny]

The way I interpreted the triangle test was that any difference in body was undetectable.  Did you guys interpret it differently?

That's how I read it too, Denny. But I've never used it, so that was all I had to go on. Sounds like Amanda and some others have noticed a difference though. Maybe the amount you use comes into play (?).

Maybe.  The test in the article was pretty rigorous.  I'd be curious if those who say they've noticed a difference have done similar testing.

[klickitat jim]

Not me. Ive made and consumed about 20 plus beers with it but never did a triangle. But based on what I experienced I have no doubt in the articles findings.

[GolfBum]

There is a brewery by me that uses this in all their beers except their wheat. To me their beers do have a less full body and their hoppier IPAs don't really taste all that hoppy to me, until I have a couple of them. I haven't done a side by side evaluation but the beers do feel light bodied. I am interested in hearing from somebody with celiacs trying a beer with clarity ferm and see how they respond.

[morticaixavier]

I interpreted the results as indicating that a three step mash had more effect on the body of the beer than the clarity ferm. I don't have enough personal data to confirm or refute but I am planning on getting some more and giving it a try again soon.

I brewed a pale ale with it and a couple friends of mine that are celiac really enjoyed it and had not negative side effects.

One really important thing I got out of the article was to not disturb the trub while bottling if you are after the gluten reducing properties as the samples that the author said read high in gluten even with clarify ferm were ones with more trub. So if you are planning on serving it to celiac people you should probably keg condition and leave an inch or so of beer in the fermenter to avoid trub carryover as much as possible.