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Author Topic: Gelatin Fining  (Read 8739 times)

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #45 on: March 17, 2015, 02:21:30 pm »
Since "we're not making jello" i assume the only reason for the high temp is to aid in dissolving the gelatin, correct?

The gelatin dissolves easily doing the Bertus thing. I don't know, different methods I guess. I never wanted to let it boil because I'd heard stories of brewers getting little 'Jello' chunks in the first pint or two - didn't want to chance having Jello floaties. You don't get that the way I do it because the gelatin doesn't congeal since it doesn't boil. The brewers here that boil don't talk a lot about floaties so it must not be that common.

The first time I ever fined with gelatin, I must have boiled it.  Who knows, it was many years ago.  I added it to the fermenter and then bottled.  I had chunks of jello in some of my bottles.  Pretty nasty.  didn't use it again for years.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline jeffy

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #46 on: March 17, 2015, 03:49:22 pm »
Take a cup of beer from the keg, stir in a package of unflavored Knox gelatin and let it bloom for a minute.  Put this is the microwave until it hits about 160F, but no hotter than 180F.  Pour this onto the cold beer and quickly shut the bale in case it starts to foam up.  You can do the same thing with the beer in the fermenter, but it works best when the beer is cold.

Thanks jeffy! I'm reading this as an already carbonated keg right?

Yes, but it works either way.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
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BJCP judge since 1995

Offline euge

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #47 on: March 18, 2015, 06:04:42 am »
Ah. Thanks jeffy...

Pitched the gelatin solution into a 35* fermenter. But, knowing that I can do this with a carbonated keg is invaluable.
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #48 on: March 18, 2015, 06:07:09 am »
Yep, I've used gelatin in a carbed keg many times. Actually that's the norm for me when I use it.
Jon H.

Offline kwdriver

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #49 on: March 18, 2015, 06:44:54 am »
Yeah everytime I rack my beer out of my conical into my kegs I add 1 cup of water with a packet of gelatin disolved in it. I then hook the kegs up to CO2 and let them carbonate over time. Works like a champ.

Offline euge

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #50 on: March 23, 2015, 10:20:15 am »
I pitched as instructed into the fermenter four days ago. Just looking into the fermenter the beer looked clean. Kegged yesterday and am drinking it today. First 6oz was quite clear. Second was more clear. Third kolsch glass is bright as in "last beer in the keg" bright!

I am convinced it works. Furthermore, the beer at 3 weeks tastes conditioned; more like 6-8 weeks along in the conditioning process.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline Werks21

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #51 on: March 23, 2015, 11:30:19 am »
Finned my first keg ever with this method this weekend. It was easy and cheap. I'm excited to see/consume the results this week.
Jonathan W.
Snohomish WA

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #52 on: March 23, 2015, 01:53:36 pm »
I chilled my current batch of Dunkel. Its at 31º right now. So, I took a cup of distilled water and added one pack knox gel. Stirred it in with my sanitized thermometer (44º). In 20 min I will nuke n stir about 20 seconds at a shot until it reaches 150-160º. Then I'm dumping that into my primary.

I can keg or bottle. How does gel fining in the primary effect bottle conditioning? Still plenty of yeast for carbing?

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #53 on: March 23, 2015, 03:05:04 pm »
I chilled my current batch of Dunkel. Its at 31º right now. So, I took a cup of distilled water and added one pack knox gel. Stirred it in with my sanitized thermometer (44º). In 20 min I will nuke n stir about 20 seconds at a shot until it reaches 150-160º. Then I'm dumping that into my primary.

I can keg or bottle. How does gel fining in the primary effect bottle conditioning? Still plenty of yeast for carbing?

You should be fine bottling.  I think the actual amount of yeast you need to carbonate is far less than you might think.  The only problem I ever had bottling with gelatin is what I mentioned above.  Some chunks in the bottom of some bottles.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #54 on: March 23, 2015, 03:37:21 pm »
I chilled my current batch of Dunkel. Its at 31º right now. So, I took a cup of distilled water and added one pack knox gel. Stirred it in with my sanitized thermometer (44º). In 20 min I will nuke n stir about 20 seconds at a shot until it reaches 150-160º. Then I'm dumping that into my primary.

I can keg or bottle. How does gel fining in the primary effect bottle conditioning? Still plenty of yeast for carbing?

You should be fine bottling.  I think the actual amount of yeast you need to carbonate is far less than you might think.  The only problem I ever had bottling with gelatin is what I mentioned above.  Some chunks in the bottom of some bottles.
Thats what im hoping. Seems like you'd have to filter to get below the needed amount of yeast.

It was interesting watching the changes. At room temp it was cloudy. At about 115º it turned clear and had a ring of foam. Above 145º it was clear and no foam. Thats where I quit zapping and dumped it in the primary.  Sealed it up and gave the fermenter a little rocking swirl to make sure it got spread around.

I have high hopes. I'd really dig consistently clear beer.

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #55 on: March 23, 2015, 03:40:39 pm »
I have high hopes. I'd really dig consistently clear beer.

I really only use gelatin on stubborn batches.  But, yeah, clear is nice.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #56 on: March 25, 2015, 11:02:19 pm »
For anyone who has mistakenly boiled the gel. Do the jello chunks float? I poured a couple pints off the IPA that I probably boiled the gelatin for. Its every bit as turbid as before. So I'm picturing gelatin dumplings floating around doing nothing. By the way I re gelled it using the correct method.

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #57 on: March 26, 2015, 08:01:29 am »
My recollection is that they were in the bottom of the bottles.  But I don't recall for sure.

I guess if they were in the bottles, they might have been floating in the fermenter or I sucked up some trub and gelatin when bottling.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline euge

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Re: Gelatin Fining
« Reply #58 on: March 26, 2015, 09:13:03 am »
I was real careful to avoid getting any sediment in keg. I decanted about a liter, set it aside and filled the keg. Then drew off the remaining 3 liters which got some gelatin sediment in them and they took another 2-3 days to drop and clear in the fridge.

So IMO the brewer still has to be careful when racking when using this technique. I've bought expensive imports like LaChouffe and every single one of them had big globules of gelatin floating in the bottom of the bottle. Turned my stomach actually as it appears totally out of place and unpalatable in beer.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis