[taeagan]

Curious what others are doing out there to fine beer that is already carbonated.  I'm not that keen on the idea of de-pressurizing the corny keg, opening it up, and dumping a fining agent in there.  I'd be worried about introduction of oxygen, loss of carbonation, and the possibility of some kind of crazy foaming accident once the fining is dumped in. 

[theDarkSide]

I would think you could purge the headspace in the corny with CO2 before sealing back up.  Although I don't know because I don't keg...yet...KEGGING SYSTEM ARRIVES TOMORROW!!!!!  WOOHOO!!

Sorry...

[tom]

All concerns. Purging the headspace with CO2 afterwards should prevent oxidation and carbonation loss. Foaming can definitely haappen, just be quick.

Or just use a stoneware mug!

[redbeerman]

I fine carbonated beer often and have never had a problem with foaming, oxidation, or loss of carbonation.  I add the gelatin solution, give a it swirl with a sanitized spoon, seal it back up, and purge with CO2.

[Kaiser]

I fine carbonated beer often and have never had a problem with foaming, oxidation, or loss of carbonation.  I add the gelatin solution, give a it swirl with a sanitized spoon, seal it back up, and purge with CO2.

Same experience here. And yes, sometimes you have to be quick. Real quick . Most of the time it doesn't foam up that quickly, though. "Cap on foam" is a good practice for bottling beer. Why not "close corny lid on foam"

Kai

[matt]

I usually add my finings (gelatin) right when I start carbing the beer and after I let it chill for a day or so. How it usually works is that I rack to the keg, hook it up to the co2 and place it in my keg fridge. The next day I add my gelatin, put the lid back one, purge the headspace once or twice and give the whole thing a gentle shake. Back in the fridge it goes where it will sit for another day or two. The first pint has the gunk in it and after that it's pretty clear. Since I use the 'set it and forget it' method to carb there isn't much to worry about with foam during the first few days. I read somewhere that you want to cool it first so the chill haze stuff forms first. Then you add the finings. Don't know if it's true but my beers are very clear.

[Kaiser]

I add it to carbonated beer because I rather have the beer clear on it's own during lagering. Only if it has a very subborn haze do I feel the need to fix it. By that time the beer is already carbonated.

Kai

[bluesman]

I add it to carbonated beer because I rather have the beer clear on it's own during lagering. Only if it has a very subborn haze do I feel the need to fix it. By that time the beer is already carbonated.

Kai

+1

It's all cosmetic anyway.

...but if you're competing...now that's a different story altogether.

[Kaiser]

Unless intended, I don’t like cloudy beer and I take a lot of pride in the appearance of my beers. Just as much I don’t like additional steps that should not be necessary, which is why I aim to control my process such that it produces clear beer w/o fining or filtering. Most of the time I get that but on occasion it get cloudy beer for no apparent reason. Maybe at some time I spend the effort to troubleshoot one of these batches.

This isn’t saying that cloudy beers have to be inferior. I’m just a very visually oriented person and feel that I need to satisfy the eye as well as the palate. That visual orientation is also why my website has so many pictures and graphs.

Kai

[matt]

I add it to carbonated beer because I rather have the beer clear on it's own during lagering. Only if it has a very subborn haze do I feel the need to fix it. By that time the beer is already carbonated.

Kai

true - I do mostly ales so I like them to clear up quickly so I can get to drinking them. I don't like cloudy beer either, whether its from haze or other stuff (yeast, fermenter gunk, etc).

[skyler]

As much as I hate when my beers are too cloudy, I am too lazy to do anythiung about it once it is keged. Oddly, I usually have the opposite problem: cloudy styles coming out clear. Nothing is more sad than having your wit go all translucent on you.

[babalu87]

I fine carbonated beer often and have never had a problem with foaming, oxidation, or loss of carbonation.  I add the gelatin solution, give a it swirl with a sanitized spoon, seal it back up, and purge with CO2.

Same experience here. And yes, sometimes you have to be quick. Real quick . Most of the time it doesn't foam up that quickly, though. "Cap on foam" is a good practice for bottling beer. Why not "close corny lid on foam"

Kai

Bottles dont have those cool grey and black connectors 

Yes, it will foam up but nothing like a Dunkel I brewed using the Gruenschlauchen method!!!!!!!!! 
Mt Vesuvius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kai had a good laugh at my expense about that one