[gmac]

Anyone ever heard of these?  I got them at my local (and can I say, crappy) wine shop to try to clear up some beer but I have no idea what they are.  I asked they girl at the store if they were gelatin or what they were.  She said "No, they're sparkloid".  Apparently that is one of the elements missing from my periodic table.

There's no instructions for use on the package, all it says is "Enough to clear 90L of wine". 

Yes useless, but it's all they had and for a couple bucks I brought them home hoping that someone on here was smarter than the lady at the wine shop.

[gordonstrong]

It's called sparkolloid.  I use it to clarify mead.  You mix it with water, bring it to a boil (I whisk to make sure it's well mixed), then pour it in.  Works fairly fast for me, although it doesn't always compact well.  Cold crashing after using it and giving a chance to work helps the sediment compact better.

Here's a link from the manufacturer: http://www.scottlab.com/product-204.aspx

I'm away from home but I know I describe it in the mead exam study guide on the BJCP web site.  Take a look; it will describe the dosage for homebrew size batches.

While I use it mostly for mead, I have used it on beer before.  It works.  Best to use it before you carbonate it.

[gmac]

I'm sorry Gordon but I can't find the reference you mentioned in the mead information.  Could you post a link?  I may buy some gelatin finings or something else if this isn't that good in beer.

[gordonstrong]

http://www.bjcp.org/mead/Mead_Study.pdf see section 13.4.