Clearing before kegging

Time and temperature. I hate using finigs and find that it's really unnecessary if you give the beer a few days to a couple weeks at a cold temp. Even without the cold temp, it'll clear eventually...just takes a little longer.

------------>Denny

"Hate" is a pretty strong word, and you are influential. Do you not like finings because of the inconvenience or because of a flavor effect? A number of folks, myself included, think gelatin is a nice way to get clear beer in a hurry. What say ye to the masses? Ken

I don't use the word hate lightly, but in this case it fits. I don't care to add anything to my beer I can get away without, especially something like gelatin. It's a personal decision, and I wouldn't presume to make it for anyone else...if you like it, use it. Personally, I don't see the point.

--------->Denny

So, how much gelatin should you add, and when? Do you add it while it's in the secondary? I have 5gal of beer in the secondary I was going to keg this weekend that hasn't cleared up yet. Should I add it before I keg? How long before I keg should it be added?

Thanks for the advice, - Oops

Denny, you either have the patience of Solomon, or a whole lotta brew gear. I'm curious, how many kegs DO you have full at the moment? By the way, thanks for sharing. Red

Boil about 3/4 cup of water, take it off the stove, and add a packet of Knoxx. Get it dissolved as best you can and add it to the secondary, being careful not to pour it on the glass. Make sure there's enough room for it. Gently stir it into the top half of the beer. (You don't want to stir up the sediment.) It will do it's magic on the whole batch in as little as two days. Just keep an eye on it by shining a flashlight through it. Ken

I fully concur with Denny here. I never use finings other than Irish Moss in the boil, partly because I have vegetarian friends and wouldn't give them beer with animal products used in it but mainly because my beer clears well without it anyway (OK it could possibly be a gnat's more 'crystal clear' but not much) and if you overdo gelatin or isinglass you can screw up the beer you just put so much effort into making.

I suspect Denny uses quality ingredients, You don't have to wait forever for beer to clear before kegging if your malts are good quality. I have no problems using Warminster or Munton pale malts (both Maris Otter)

Gelatin opinions seem to be based on emotion, with maybe a snob factor thrown in. I'll stay with it, as needed. I like my beer. Yes, it's a personal decision. *sniff* *sniff* ; ) Ken

Ken, I've REALLY got to take exception to the "snob factor"....I don't feel like I'm any better than anyone else just because I don't use gelatin or Polyclar or anything else. I just don't like putting that stuff in my beer.

----------->Denny

Right at the moment, it's 5 kegs. One of them is the cloudiest beer I've ever made...it's an impy IPA that looks like a hef! But ya know what? It tastes divine! I really don't care what it looks like when it tastes that good...I'll happily drink it anyway.

------------->Denny

It has nothing to do with snob factor. If you overdo the amount of either gelatine or isinglass you can seriously screw up the beer and if you really overdo it you can get a thick gloopy mess (newbies can do this if they don't wait long enough for the beer to clear and add another load of finings especially if the finings weren't stored properly at some point).