[chandlergr]

I tried using gelatin to fine for the first time recently, but it does not seem to be working, at all. I used 1/2 tsp first, waited 36 hours and no change. Tried again with 1 tsp and still no change after 24 hours. What's more is there was not even any gooey junk poured when testing. This makes me wonder if the gelatin is just floating on the surface and not dropping thru the beer. Does this happen? Any ideas what I am doing wrong? This was all done on about 3.5 gallons of kegged and carbonated beer. 

Thanks!

[HoosierBrew]

What did you do with the gelatin - did you heat it with water first ?  And I assume the keg was cold when you added ?

[chandlergr]

Both times the gelatin was added to 1/4 - 1/3 cup room temp water and rested for 20 mins and then heated to 170F the first time and 150F the second. Yes the keg was at 35F for both additions.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

i heat it up to about 155F and stir it all in until dissolved. then put it into keg first (did you do this?), rack cold beer on top and then give the keg a good rocking back and forth for a minute.

works great every time.

[HoosierBrew]

Both times the gelatin was added to 1/4 - 1/3 cup room temp water and rested for 20 mins and then heated to 170F the first time and 150F the second. Yes the keg was at 35F for both additions.

That's pretty much what I do. Did you stir it into the keg? I stir it in, but very gently.

[chandlergr]

No stirring was done either time, I guess that is the missing factor. I will trying rocking the keg a bit when I get home and see if that does anything!

[dmtaylor]

Gelatin mostly only removes yeast.  If your haze is caused by anything else such as starch or protein or polyphenols, it might not work well at all.  In that case, try Polyclar.  If that doesn't work, you might have a starch problem that nothing might solve but to ensure proper mashing next time around.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

No stirring was done either time, I guess that is the missing factor. I will trying rocking the keg a bit when I get home and see if that does anything!

are you racking on top of gelatin or did you just pour gelatin in the keg after you fill it?

[chandlergr]

Gelatin mostly only removes yeast.  If your haze is caused by anything else such as starch or protein or polyphenols, it might not work well at all.  In that case, try Polyclar.  If that doesn't work, you might have a starch problem that nothing might solve but to ensure proper mashing next time around.

See this is why I suspected, but a beersmith article (which are not always totally accurate in my experience) about fining agents said gelatin was good for proteins and tannins but did not mention yeast. My beer is already yeast free, so I went with gelatin. The beer is a wheat so it of course has a greater level of protein that all barley beers and I used less whirlfloc than I usually do for this brew so I was trying to 'fix' the protein haze with a fining agent. Good to know that gelatin is not super protein effective, but other than inadequate mixing this does not explain why the gelatin has not found its way to the bottom of the keg yet.

[chandlergr]

No stirring was done either time, I guess that is the missing factor. I will trying rocking the keg a bit when I get home and see if that does anything!

are you racking on top of gelatin or did you just pour gelatin in the keg after you fill it?

Poured gelatin mix into keg after filling and carbing.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

Gelatin mostly only removes yeast.  If your haze is caused by anything else such as starch or protein or polyphenols, it might not work well at all.  In that case, try Polyclar.  If that doesn't work, you might have a starch problem that nothing might solve but to ensure proper mashing next time around.

See this is why I suspected, but a beersmith article (which are not always totally accurate in my experience) about fining agents said gelatin was good for proteins and tannins but did not mention yeast. My beer is already yeast free, so I went with gelatin. The beer is a wheat so it of course has a greater level of protein that all barley beers and I used less whirlfloc than I usually do for this brew so I was trying to 'fix' the protein haze with a fining agent. Good to know that gelatin is not super protein effective, but other than inadequate mixing this does not explain why the gelatin has not found its way to the bottom of the keg yet.

unless you made jello- and a big clump formed! presume you haven't had any thick first pours with sediment?

[chandlergr]

Gelatin mostly only removes yeast.  If your haze is caused by anything else such as starch or protein or polyphenols, it might not work well at all.  In that case, try Polyclar.  If that doesn't work, you might have a starch problem that nothing might solve but to ensure proper mashing next time around.

See this is why I suspected, but a beersmith article (which are not always totally accurate in my experience) about fining agents said gelatin was good for proteins and tannins but did not mention yeast. My beer is already yeast free, so I went with gelatin. The beer is a wheat so it of course has a greater level of protein that all barley beers and I used less whirlfloc than I usually do for this brew so I was trying to 'fix' the protein haze with a fining agent. Good to know that gelatin is not super protein effective, but other than inadequate mixing this does not explain why the gelatin has not found its way to the bottom of the keg yet.

unless you made jello- and a big clump formed! presume you haven't had any thick first pours with sediment?

Nope no thick pours, no gooey jelloey mess, just the same beer. The gelatin had certainly not solidified into jello before adding, just a viscous mixture.

[HoosierBrew]

FWIW, I remember making a beer where I used some flaked wheat - not a lot, under 1/2 lb. I wanted to clear it up a bit and used gelatin. It cleared the wheat protein haze completely out. I'm sure at higher levels of flaked grains it gets tougher.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

post a pic of the beer.

[chandlergr]

post a pic of the beer.

Ok I will post pics of the gelatin 'fined' beer and the same beer without gelatin added (have two kegs of it and I just added gelatin to one for comparison) when I get home. Will not be for about 1.5 hours tho.