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While I'm definitely still just a fanboy of AG and those who keg or rack into a secondary and have the patience and space but I need some advice. I find that I'm not happy with how the trub in my 1 liter PET bottles does not compact as quickly as I want it to and would like my second stein not cloudly 0 . My HBS guy suggested to use Keilosol and Chitosan as floc agents. Has anyone tried these? Where in the process does it work best and will it prolong the carbonation or conditioning as the viable yeast gets deposited too quickly. I hope to find a way to progress to AG but I really lack space and feel that Kit and Kilo is helping me learn with some pretty decent output.

Joeg wrote:While I'm definitely still just a fanboy of AG and those who keg or rack into a secondary and have the patience and space but I need some advice. I find that I'm not happy with how the trub in my 1 liter PET bottles does not compact as quickly as I want it to and would like my second stein not cloudly 0 . My HBS guy suggested to use Keilosol and Chitosan as floc agents. Has anyone tried these? Where in the process does it work best and will it prolong the carbonation or conditioning as the viable yeast gets deposited too quickly. I hope to find a way to progress to AG but I really lack space and feel that Kit and Kilo is helping me learn with some pretty decent output.

Personally, I found that for bottle conditioned brew, unless you pour the whole bottle at once, that second glass will be a bit cloudier as the yeast will get roused up from the bottom of the bottle just from the pouring action.

I use gelatin, it is cheap and easy to use. I fill the keg with the beer, place it in my keezer for 24 hours or so. After that I take a sanitized measuring cup, add a 2/3 cup of preboiled cooled water and mix in a teaspoon or so of unflavoured gelatin, the bulk barn has it in bulk quite cheap, but knox works fine as well. I then microwave it for 10-15 sec at a time up to 66°C to pasteurize. I then dump the gelatin mixture into the keg, give the keg a good swirl, connect the CO2 and purge. After 2 days or so you will have crystal clear beer, the first two pints will be cloudy, but after that, they will be extremely clear.

I am sure you could modify this for carboys, maybe cold crash overnight, add gelatin mixture, wait 2-3 days, and then rack to bottling bucket and bottle.

gm- wrote:I use gelatin, it is cheap and easy to use. I fill the keg with the beer, place it in my keezer for 24 hours or so. After that I take a sanitized measuring cup, add a 2/3 cup of preboiled cooled water and mix in a teaspoon or so of unflavoured gelatin, the bulk barn has it in bulk quite cheap, but knox works fine as well. I then microwave it for 10-15 sec at a time up to 66°C to pasteurize. I then dump the gelatin mixture into the keg, give the keg a good swirl, connect the CO2 and purge. After 2 days or so you will have crystal clear beer, the first two pints will be cloudy, but after that, they will be extremely clear.

I am sure you could modify this for carboys, maybe cold crash overnight, add gelatin mixture, wait 2-3 days, and then rack to bottling bucket and bottle.

My process is pretty much identical.

gm- wrote: I am sure you could modify this for carboys, maybe cold crash overnight, add gelatin mixture, wait 2-3 days, and then rack to bottling bucket and bottle.

Aha, I'll try this experiment and post when I have a result. Thanks for telling me about Gelatin, it makes sense.

Have you tried just putting the bottles in a cold fridge for 3 - 5 days before drinking? I think that would work nicely. At kegging time I usually have a pitcher full spare at the end, it's the last little bit (dregs) so it's pretty murky stuff. I put the pitcher in the fridge to chill it and so I can taste it/drink it, and by about the third day it's quite clear, by the 5th day it's very clear. The weizen leftovers I had became a crystal weizen within about 5 days.

Another measure would be to make the first pour from the 1L PET bottle to a beer pitcher, the whole thing, minus the dregs, then you are not constantly stirring up the yeast with repeated pours from the bottle.

GuingesRock wrote:Have you tried just putting the bottles in a cold fridge for 3 - 5 days before drinking? I think that would work nicely. At kegging time I usually have a pitcher full spare at the end, it's the last little bit (dregs) so it's pretty murky stuff. I put the pitcher in the fridge to chill it and so I can taste it/drink it, and by about the third day it's quite clear, by the 5th day it's very clear. The weizen leftovers I had became a crystal weizen within about 5 days.

Another measure would be to make the first pour from the 1L PET bottle to a beer pitcher, the whole thing, minus the dregs, then you are not constantly stirring up the yeast with repeated pours from the bottle.

Two really good solutions for sure. I keep my beer out of the fridge (it's only mid-sized) and refrigerate only for a few hours. Maybe I'll try make sure it's a bit lower in it and hidden at the back (wife lays bottles on their sides... ). I had a big litre + stein but found it was way too heavy to use comfortably so I'll get a pitcher or something like that. Awesome thanks

I use gelatin at the end of primary as I don't reuse my yeast. I have all but given up on secondary unless I'm lagering.

I just added Gelatin to 3 of my beers that are kegged and carbed. I'll let you know how it turns out in a few days. I'll also have another beer kegged tonight and will cold crash for 2 days and add Gelatin Monday night. I'll let you know if I find a difference in clarity between carbbed\uncarbbed beer.

The haze doesn't bother me personally, but I'd like to give it a "wow" factor when serving it to guests.

Tony L wrote:I use gelatin at the end of primary as I don't reuse my yeast. I have all but given up on secondary unless I'm lagering.

I also use gelatin, I rack to secondary and put the gelatin mix in there, wait two days and its clear.

I guess a lot of us use gelatin.

It's dirt cheap too. I have enough for 50 batches for like 3$

+1 for gelatin

I have a SS conical and always wanted to add Gelatin near the end of the primary. I don't want to open it up to air to add it. I would guess you have to swirl it around a bit too. It would be nice to keg clear beer.

McGruff wrote:I have a SS conical and always wanted to add Gelatin near the end of the primary. I don't want to open it up to air to add it. I would guess you have to swirl it around a bit too. It would be nice to keg clear beer.

Doesn't require much swirling. I dump it into the top of a keg already in my keezer and just let it sit. Works every time.

jeffsmith wrote:

McGruff wrote:I have a SS conical and always wanted to add Gelatin near the end of the primary. I don't want to open it up to air to add it. I would guess you have to swirl it around a bit too. It would be nice to keg clear beer.

Doesn't require much swirling. I dump it into the top of a keg already in my keezer and just let it sit. Works every time.

Same here.

For those adding gelatin, are you adding it before, after or during carbing?

LeafMan66_67 wrote:For those adding gelatin, are you adding it before, after or during carbing?

I typically rack to keg, chill the keg, add gelatin and then put the gas on.

I've done it after it was partially carbed before (worked fine), but it can make a mess when you add it to the beer.

AllanMar wrote:

LeafMan66_67 wrote:For those adding gelatin, are you adding it before, after or during carbing?

I typically rack to keg, chill the keg, add gelatin and then put the gas on.

LeafMan66_67 wrote:For those adding gelatin, are you adding it before, after or during carbing?

My beer was already carbed when I added it last night. I'll let you know how it works out. I've read online it will still work. True test will be when I get my perlicks on Thursday.

AllanMar wrote:

LeafMan66_67 wrote:For those adding gelatin, are you adding it before, after or during carbing?

I typically rack to keg, chill the keg, add gelatin and then put the gas on.

This is what I've been doing as well, but only for lighter, lawnmower styles. Ultra high clarity isn't that high on my priorities. Just curious as to what everyone else was doing.

I rack to keg, turn on the gas, chill overnight, add gelatin, then 48 hours later I pour two cloudy pints and it's clear sailing from there. I only carb @ 12psi so it's not carbed by the time I add gelatin.

Gelatin worked great in all carbonated kegs