BEER FINING

Five Things You Should Know

TOPICS

• What Makes Beer Hazy• The Five

- Grain Types- Kettle Fining- Wort Cooling- Yeast Type- Post Fermentation Fining

WHAT MAKES BEER HAZYProtein Tannins* Yeast Sugar

* Tannins are compounds found in plants that precipitate the creation of proteins and other organic compounds.

GRAIN TYPES• Grains lower in protein yield clearer beers• Wheat and flaked barley & dark malts

contribute more protein• Use pale two row or or pale extract as your

base malt- 6 Row has more protein but is beneficial

because it has more diastatic power, making it more efficient at converting it’s starch to sugar

KETTLE FINING• Force protein and tannins to coagulate• Irish Moss and Whirlfloc tablets

- Irish Moss = red algae called Chondrus crispus - Used to thicken milk, ice cream and processed

meat- Whirlfloc tablets are made of Irish moss and talc.

- The talc is added to form a tablet. - One whirlfloc tablet per 5 gallon batch

• Add during the last 15 minutes of the boil

Irish Moss

Coagulated Proteins and Tannins

WORT COOLING• The goal is to cool boiling wort to room

temperature in 15 minutes or less• Rapidly chilling boiling wort forces more

coagulation of proteins and tannins• The faster you cool the wort the more

coagulation you get• Coagulated protein and tannins fall out of

solution faster

YEAST TYPE• Choose medium to high flocculant yeast

strains for a clearer beer• Flocculation is the degree to which yeast

clump together• Highly flocculant yeast strains clump more

and fall out of solution faster• Low flocculant yeast will remain in your

beer longer and will contribute to haziness

POST FERMENTATION FININGType Notes

Chilguard

• Chilguard is Silica gel (the same stuff you see packaged in packaged good in a paper packet to control humidity and prevent spoilage).

• Made from sodium silicate which is a naturally occurring mineral. • Silica gel is made by processing sodium silicate into granular or beaded form. • Used by brewers in the fermenter a few days before kegging or bottling.• Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon in 1 cup of hot (non-boiling) water before use in 5 gallon batch.

Gelatin

• Collagen derived from hooved animals• Use unflavored gelatin…PLEASE!!• Dissolve 1 teaspoon in a cup of hot (non-boiling) water• Allow a few days before bottling or kegging

Isinglass or Biofine

• Collagen derived from fish bladders• Must be mixed with an organic acid before use• Homebrew stores sell it already premixed for instant use. • Allow 4-5 days before bottling of kegging

Polycar• Made with powdered PVPP plastic• Added to the fermenter @ 2 tablespoons per 5 gallons• Mix with 1 cup of warm water

Lagering

• Proteins and tannins don’t remain suspended at lower temperatures• Carbonate beer before lagering if bottle or keg conditioning to avoid killing yeast before carbonation

completes. • Lagering temperature should be 10 degrees below primary fermentation temperature• Stonger beers need to lager longer• Recommended lagering times: 3 - 4 weeks at 45°F, 5 - 6 weeks at 40°F, or 7 - 8 weeks at 35°F.

Filtering

• Accelerates the removal of yeast, proteins and tannins• Can also remove some small impurities that agents cannot (Eg. 1 micron small)• A 1 micron filter is the recommended filter size. Smaller sizes may strip flavor and color• Some production breweries use smaller filters to strip bacteria for shelf stability• Kegging? Filter before carbonating. Do keg-to-filter-to-keg transfer. then carbonate• Bottling? If you filter then bottle condition you will reintroduce some impurities

✓Fining agents are positively charged so they attract proteins, tannins, and yeast

✓Consider that some agents are synthetic and some are not vegan friendly

✓Lagering & filtering require no additional agents

✓Filtering can strip away flavor and color so you may need to adjust your recipe

REFERENCES• Wikipedia: Chondrus crispus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chondrus_crispus

• Wikipedia: Silica gel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silica_gel

• Wikipedia: Tannins: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin

• BeerSmith.com: 6 Tips for Crystal Clear Home Brewed Beer: http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/03/26/6-tips-for-crystal-clear-home-brewed-beer/

• BeerSmith.com: Fining Agents – Improving Beer Clarity: http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/12/30/fining-agents-improving-beer-clarity/

• BeerSmith.com: Filtering Home Brewed Beer: http://beersmith.com/blog/2010/08/27/filtering-home-brewed-beer/

• How to Brew by John Palmer: Chapter 10 section 5, When to Lager: http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10-5.html