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Author Topic: New Tweak With Whirlfloc/Carrageenan  (Read 1786 times)

Offline klickitat jim

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New Tweak With Whirlfloc/Carrageenan
« on: March 26, 2018, 01:07:18 am »
I have always used whirlfloc at 1/2 a tab last 10 min. I've always thought it was just for gathering and settling proteins etc in the boil and didn't do much for us post boil. I cant honestly say it does much, because ive forgotten it before and still made beer that was not noticeably different.

I stumbled onto some info indicating that I might be missing out on something, especially in my whirlpooled beers. From what I understand now, it starts "working" almost immediately, and it starts to fail to work almost immediately. It tapers off. The longer it is at high temps and being moved around, the less it's able to do its job. Eventually its entirely denatured and not doing anything. Apparently the end of boil instructions are assuming you are fast chilling and settling right away.

So, given that it is soluable above 140F, and apparently time is of the essence, I'm going to try adding it when it makes the most sense. My next brew day will be a pair of whirlpooled IPAs. Hops go in and hold at 170F for 30 min. So I'm going to add the whirlfloc at the end of whirlpool. Above 140F for solubility, above 161F for pasteurization, and it will only be about 10-15 minutes before it's in the fermentor. Coincidentally this adds reason to why I choose 170F for whirlpool hops. Below significant isolmerization, but above pasteurization. Ding ding ding!

It will be interesting to see if I find a noticeable difference, and if I do, is it an improvement. Or if I just quit using it altogether.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2018, 01:21:41 am by klickitat jim »

Offline chezteth

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Re: New Tweak With Whirlfloc/Carrageenan
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2018, 05:41:49 am »
I'll be interested to hear your results. I don't typically perform a whirlpool. However, if your results prove positive I will definitely have to consider when I add whirlfloc in the kettle especially if I start performing a whirlpool.
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Brandon

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Offline yso191

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Re: New Tweak With Whirlfloc/Carrageenan
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2018, 07:54:59 am »
That is interesting.  Where did you read/discover that?  I've not heard that before.
Steve
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Offline BitterItDown

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Re: New Tweak With Whirlfloc/Carrageenan
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2018, 08:15:47 am »
More calcium in your brewing liquor should also help with proteins dropping out of solution.

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: New Tweak With Whirlfloc/Carrageenan
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2018, 02:20:14 pm »
That is interesting.  Where did you read/discover that?  I've not heard that before.
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Offline Wilbur

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Re: New Tweak With Whirlfloc/Carrageenan
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2018, 04:19:41 pm »
A note on this, I've been looking for more info and found the BSG "Wort & Beer Clarification manual" by Ian Ward. He has a table on pg 11that shows time to reduce gel strength by 25 minutes. If I remember correctly wort pH should be ~ 5-5.2. Gel strength at 100 C is reduced by 25% in 30 minutes at that temperature. At 80C (176 F), it takes 300 minutes to reduce the gel strength by 25%. It seems like your approach is good, although it might not make as much of a difference as you hope.

https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/Resources%5CCraftBrewing%5CPDFs%5CBrewing_Processes_and_Techniques/WortandBeerFiningManual.pdf

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: New Tweak With Whirlfloc/Carrageenan
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2018, 04:55:54 pm »
I can't imagine there being much room for improvement. I'm almost out of whirlfloc and if I see no diff between no whirlfloc, whirlfloc at 60, and whirlfloc at end of whirlpool, I might just skip it going forward.