Cloudy beer

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dene McDonald on April 28, 2015 at 10:06am

I never usually notice a problem. I've had one that didn't seem to clear but the others have been fine. My process is similar to yours, the only real difference being that I chill with my immersion chiller while recircing, and when I'm down to temp I take the chiller out, whirlpool with a spoon, and let it sit ffor 20 minutes before I pump it across. I generally use either a hop spider or hop bags.

Permalink Reply by Cain Harland on April 28, 2015 at 10:42am

I have just started using gelatin for my last 2 brews and it makes a huge difference to clarity. Just a tsp of supermarket gelatin dissolved in about 1 cup hot water into the fermenter once the beer has reached cold crash temperature and give it a shake.

Do you a) recirculate through the CFC back to grainfather or b) go straight from grainfather to fermenter via the CFC (as their videos suggest)? a) cools the whole brew evenly b) cools some very fast but the some stays hot for a long time. I'm not sure how this effects clarity but there's a big difference between a late or flame out hop that's been cooled evenly to one that's sat at 90c for 20min waiting to chill.

Permalink Reply by Mark Weusten on April 28, 2015 at 11:11am

I recirc in the grainfather until it gets down to 55 degrees (seems to be as low as it will go) then I pump out to fermenter. Temp coming out is 24c. I have a couple of Pale Ales in fermenters at the moment so will try the gelatine addition.

Permalink Reply by Mark Thomas on April 28, 2015 at 1:05pm

Maybe try CF chilling straight out into the fermenter. I've always done that and all of my beers have been clear (after settling down in the keg for a few weeks)

Permalink Reply by Mark Weusten on April 28, 2015 at 1:36pm

Worth a shot Mark

Permalink Reply by David R on April 28, 2015 at 2:06pm

I've not had a problem, I brewed an APA with 60% Pilsner, 32% Maris Otter and 8% Crystal20, turned out beautifully clear. I use koppafloc and cold crash, no gelatin.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Weusten on April 28, 2015 at 2:31pm

David do get a vigorous rolling boil, I dont even when using in doors.......

Permalink Reply by David R on April 28, 2015 at 4:48pm

No not vigorous, but strong enough to boil over [just] when I turned my back for a few minutes list time!

Permalink Reply by Mark Weusten on April 29, 2015 at 10:23am

Where do you guys buy your grain from?

Permalink Reply by David R on April 29, 2015 at 10:53am

Brewers Coop www.brewerscoop.co.nz

I get them to crush it and have hit my target 73% efficiency with the Grainfather, just single-step mashing, nothing fancy. They don't have a mail order website and I usually buy in-store, but I phoned them yesterday morning with a grain order and it arrived here [Whangarei] this morning. Great service!

Permalink Reply by Mark Weusten on April 29, 2015 at 1:45pm

I get most of my grain from brewshop online looks like others do too so thats not it. I am getting terrible efficiency, I just calculated on my last APA it was 62%.Was your target efficiency from a 60 minute mash?

Permalink Reply by Peter Smith on April 29, 2015 at 3:37pm

Are you giving it a bloody good stir every 20mins of the mash???    Stir it like it owes you money!   In my 50L Sanke keg 3v system I bank on 70-72% no stir - 75-77% if stirred.   I get a better eff if I batch then fly BUT I never batch sparge for lower gravity beers, rather assume lower eff and fly sparge until runnings gravity drop too far.  Mash for 75 mins stiring every 20 ish, then it takes about 20 mins to start running clear with a hot infusion to try and lift temp to around 75C   Sparging with 78ish and that normally takes around 20 mins

I crush my own via 2 roller mill and crush quite fine, have no stuck yet.

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