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Author Topic: Gelatin fining for pale ale?  (Read 3011 times)

Offline Iliff Ave

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Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« on: January 04, 2015, 08:43:42 pm »
My recently kegged pale ale is very hazy. Much more so than my usual beers which will drop clear with some time. Should I use gelatin finings or will that risk subduing the hop character?
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Offline santoch

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2015, 09:31:50 pm »
Have you cold crashed it yet?  If not, do that first.  Assuming a Cal Ale yeast, it will likely drop if you cold crash.

Is it carbonated?  If so, you need to de-carbonate before fining, or else you'll add a zillion nucleation points and lose a lot of beer.

You can always hit it with gelatin or other finings, then dry hop again, to regain hop aroma, if you lose too much.
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Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2015, 09:40:42 pm »
It is carbed, cold, and in the keg. I cold crashed before kegging but my sample was still very cloudy. Didn't realize I can't fine it when it is carbed. I used s04 which always floccs well for me. Not sure how I got these results unless it is just fine hop debris
On Tap/Bottled: IPL, Adjunct Vienna, Golden Stout, Honey Lager
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Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2015, 09:26:00 am »
I suppose I will just leave it instead of mess with it. I am used to reasonably bright beers so it bugs me more than it should. Maybe it just needs some time.
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Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2015, 09:31:01 am »
I suppose I will just leave it instead of mess with it. I am used to reasonably bright beers so it bugs me more than it should. Maybe it just needs some time.

FWIW, you sure can add gelatin to carbed beer. ive done it and cant say anything negative happened.
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Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2015, 09:42:46 am »
I suppose I will just leave it instead of mess with it. I am used to reasonably bright beers so it bugs me more than it should. Maybe it just needs some time.

FWIW, you sure can add gelatin to carbed beer. ive done it and cant say anything negative happened.

Ok cool. Should I worry about any hop character being stripped out as the beer clears?
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Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2015, 09:43:56 am »
I suppose I will just leave it instead of mess with it. I am used to reasonably bright beers so it bugs me more than it should. Maybe it just needs some time.

FWIW, you sure can add gelatin to carbed beer. ive done it and cant say anything negative happened.

Beat me to it, Ken. So have I, many times.  You may notice a slight reduction in hop character since some of the hop oils absorbed in the suspended yeast will drop out with the yeast, but you can still add some dry hops to the keg later on and end up with a clearer beer than you have now. On beers where I've decided to use gelatin, I increase my late hops a bit to compensate.
Jon H.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2015, 09:45:04 am »
I suppose I will just leave it instead of mess with it. I am used to reasonably bright beers so it bugs me more than it should. Maybe it just needs some time.

FWIW, you sure can add gelatin to carbed beer. ive done it and cant say anything negative happened.

Ok cool. Should I worry about any hop character being stripped out as the beer clears?

go check out the link i just posted in gen homebrew discussion related to test and gelatin...might help.

i'd try it-keep sample before gelatin and then compare to one after to see if you perceive any differences. you can always add hops to your keg.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2015, 09:46:12 am »
I suppose I will just leave it instead of mess with it. I am used to reasonably bright beers so it bugs me more than it should. Maybe it just needs some time.

FWIW, you sure can add gelatin to carbed beer. ive done it and cant say anything negative happened.

Ok cool. Should I worry about any hop character being stripped out as the beer clears?

Late to the game by a couple posts, but I've fined carbed beer several times with no worries.

Sometimes time and cold doesn't work fast enough.
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Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2015, 09:47:42 am »
Thanks guys. I hopped this beer up more than previous attempts and I really like the outcome right now however it is very young still. Maybe I will give it a couple of weeks to make further judgments and to see if it drops clear on it's own.

Man pushing that sulfate up to 200 ppm really made a difference...
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Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2015, 09:48:37 am »
Thanks guys. I hopped this beer up more than previous attempts and I really like the outcome right now however it is very young still. Maybe I will give it a couple of weeks to make further judgments and to see if it drops clear on it's own.

Man pushing that sulfate up to 200 ppm really made a difference...

+1 on sulfate. i go 250ppm and it was fantastic for me.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2015, 09:50:09 am »
Thanks guys. I hopped this beer up more than previous attempts and I really like the outcome right now however it is very young still. Maybe I will give it a couple of weeks to make further judgments and to see if it drops clear on it's own.

Man pushing that sulfate up to 200 ppm really made a difference...

+1 on sulfate. i go 250ppm and it was fantastic for me.

Yep, it brings the hops out front and center.
Jon H.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #12 on: January 05, 2015, 09:51:58 am »
one other thought. you might want to warm a sample up and identify if its chill haze or permanent haze...just for your own knowledge.

and if you do add gelatin (might be a good test and experiment for you) keep original pre gelatin sample so you can evaluate any loss in hoppiness.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #13 on: January 05, 2015, 10:05:15 am »
one other thought. you might want to warm a sample up and identify if its chill haze or permanent haze...just for your own knowledge.

and if you do add gelatin (might be a good test and experiment for you) keep original pre gelatin sample so you can evaluate any loss in hoppiness.

Good ideas. It seems to be permanent haze but I have researched the topic enough. The hydrometer sample out of the fermenter looked similar.
On Tap/Bottled: IPL, Adjunct Vienna, Golden Stout, Honey Lager
Fermenting: IPA
Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Gelatin fining for pale ale?
« Reply #14 on: January 05, 2015, 10:06:22 am »
one other thought. you might want to warm a sample up and identify if its chill haze or permanent haze...just for your own knowledge.

and if you do add gelatin (might be a good test and experiment for you) keep original pre gelatin sample so you can evaluate any loss in hoppiness.

Good ideas. It seems to be permanent haze but I have researched the topic enough.

http://www.love2brew.com/Articles.asp?ID=609
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest