Chill Haze Removal/Prevention

[mentaldental]

I have just started brewing at a new location. In my old home I had a large cellar which was fantastic for brewing. Sadly I have to now utilise the garage.

I use a single step mash at 65C or so using principally UK pale malt and various specialty grains. I boil for 90 mins using Irish Moss of the last 10 mins, crash cool with a CFC to 18-20C and ferment at 20C or so using Safale S-04. I cask my finished beer because I can't be doing with bottling.

Everything was going well and my first brew had dropped clear and was drinking well. Then the cold weather hit and I now have a chill haze. The beer is currently at 6.5C. This could be a continuing problem. I would like some suggestions how to deal with this.

I guess I could:

1. Incorporate a protein rest in the mash schedule. (What temperature, how long?)
2. Fine with Polyclar.
3. Cold condition to precipitate the haze. (What temperature, how long?)
4. Increase the temperature of the cask. (At what temperature will the haze disappear?)
5. Invest in pewter tankards.

Anyone have any other ideas or more details of how to proceed? All advice gratefully received.

[Jim]

Not sure about prevention of the chill haze but if you can control the serving temperature up to 10 to 13C the chill haze should disappear - plus the beer will tast better. I would only worry about chill haze if I was making lager, which needs to be served cold.

[Garth]

wot Jim said..

6.5C is a bit too cold for beer, you're losing a lot of the flavour, masked out by the chill

I like beer around 14, so this is what my serving fridge is set at.

Even my local micro has chill haze and freely admits it

[mentaldental]

Not sure about prevention of the chill haze but if you can control the serving temperature up to 10 to 13C the chill haze should disappear - plus the beer will tast better. I would only worry about chill haze if I was making lager, which needs to be served cold.

10-13C sounds right since that would have been about the temperature before the recent cold spell. I see temp is going up from tomorrow so we shall see what happens.

Totally agree about the taste thing. I think the answer might be a temperature controlled serving area. Another excuse to play with a PID!

[subsub]

Or serve in pewter tankards

[mentaldental]

Just in case anybody cares the beer is now at 11C and the haze has gone. And yes it does taste better.

[ChrisG]

If the beer was chilled and then warmed up would the flavour return? Just wondered as my kegs are in the garage and it gets really cold in there.

[Jymbo]

You won't lose any flavour by chilling the beer - your taste buds just won't be able to taste it as well at low temperatures. Raising the temperature will allow the flavours of the beer to become more percetible to your taste buds.

[mentaldental]

wot Jim said..

6.5C is a bit too cold for beer, you're losing a lot of the flavour, masked out by the chill

I like beer around 14, so this is what my serving fridge is set at.

Even my local micro has chill haze and freely admits it

Having built an ATC 800 controlled beer fridge I have discovered that I too think 14C is about right! Great minds etc... blah blah blah.