I know many will disagree and that’s OK. These are my thoughts:
How long has this beer cold conditioned/lagered? I believe time in the cold will drop the proteins and tannins out of suspension.
Was the wort clear when transferred to the boil kettle? I believe leaving behind proteins and tannins in the mash tun contributes to clear beer.
Did you boil this wort an hour? I believe an hour boil gives more opportunity for protein and tannin removal.
Did you cool quickly? I believe a quick chill to pitch temp aids in protein dropping out of solution.
When you used gelatin was the beer cold? I believe gelatin works best when the beer is cold and chill haze has forms.
Also, yeast selection. Some yeast just drop brighter than others.
1. The beer was brewed on 6/27 and the keg just blew on Monday. So the keg sat cold (say, from 7/7) for two months before it was emptied.
2. The wort is almost always crystal clear going into the fermenter. Occasionally it's mildly hazy and I had that one with Kick Carageenan that was quite cloudy but that beer ended up being pretty clear going into the keg.
3. All of my boils are 30 minutes. Could be a factor.
4. My chilling is with an immersion chiller so my chilling is VERY quick in the winter and spring and a little slower in the summer and fall but I typically get from boiling to about 75° (then an ice bath for as long as an hour after FO) in about 10 minutes.
5. Yes, gel solution is always added to cold beer (35° ish)
6. The yeast might be in question but I feel like it's not yeast strain-dependent. This helles was 2124. Maybe I should get some 2278 (high-floccing) and see what happens there. Thanks BB.