West Coast Brewer Home Brewing Blog

Tag: cold crashing

Beer clarifiers – Is everybody clear?

Have you ever finished up the fermentation of an IPA or pale ale, excitedly poured yourself a pint only to be dismayed that that it looked more like a hefeweizen?

 

That is where beer claifiers come in.  Different parts of the home brewing process can contribute to chill haze or cloudiness in a finished beer.  Too high of a pH or temperatures in excess of 170 F during the mash can lead to tannin extraction from the grains which will cloud and cause off flavors in your beer.  Additionally, excess protein from big lighter colored beers can contribute to haze.

 

One of the best solutions that I have found to combating haze is a beer clarifier called whirlfloc. Whirfloc is a blend of irish moss and kappa carrageenan that encourages the precipitation of haze causing materials such as tanis, proteins and beta glucans.  Best of all, whirlfloc is inexpensive and easy to use.  About 10 minutes prior to the end of your boil, toss 1 tablet of whirlfloc into the kettle for every 10 gallons that you are brewing (half a tablet for a 5 gallon batch).  The whirlfloc bind with the heavier solids and sinks with them to the bottle of the kettle.

 

Whirlfloc can be purchased here: Click Here For Whirlfloc

 

Another great way that I use of fighting of haze in a beer is to cold crash at the ending of fermentation.  To do so, I will knock my fermentation chamber temperature down to about 35F which will help the yeast and other residual solids in the beer precipitate to the bottom of the fermenter.  I will typically allow the beer to crash for a week or two at that temperature prior to racking to a keg.  This can also help clean up the flavor of a beer by removing excess yeast, prior to moving it to a keg or holding tank.

 

Just let me know if you have any questions on whirlfloc, cold crashing or any other beer clarifiers.

 

 

Beer Clarifier

Beer Clarifier

Cold Crashing

Cold crashing or cold filtering is a common method used to clarify beer. When a beer is cold crashed, it is chilled down to approximately 35 F and left for several days to several weeks. During that time, yeast and other solids tend to clump together and fall to the bottom of the fermenter or holding tank. The clarified beer is then racked above the layer of sediment and potentially ran through a filter if additional clarification is desired. Cold crashing or filtering is not appropriate for some beer such as a hefeweizen or certain Belgian ales where a yeasty flavor or hazy beer is desired.

Cold Filtering

Cold filtering or cold crashing is a common method used to clarify beer. When a beer is cold filtered, it is chilled down to approximately 35° F and left for several days to weeks. During that time, yeast and other solids tend to clump together and fall to the bottom of the fermenter or holding vessel. The beer is then racked above the sediment layer and potentially passed through a filter if additional clarifying is desired. Cold filtering is not appropriate for some beer styles, such as hefeweizens or certain Belgian ales where a yeasty flavor or hazy beer is desired.