Cloudy beer all of a sudden

[greenxpaddy]

I think I'd rather have Silicates than Isinglass, like Moorbeer.

I don't use ether for my consumption....but sadly publicans/cask marque etc just want clear pints

[Martin G]

Interesting, I'd been considering doing an 80C 'heat' rather than boil and using an impeller or propeller to stir things up. Perhaps clarity would be a cost. I liked the idea of trying the lower temp to reduce heat de-naturing the hop oils and reduce harshness of darker grain, but also for the hell of it really, to see what happens. I also make a hop tea for FV/cask hopping, not noticed cloudiness, but it is quite a low amount and I don't tend to stir and mash it up.

[darkonnis]

Paddy, I realise that this is not quite the same as this article is to do with sparging, however it is to do with use different temperatures on grains and the resulting clarity.
May be of some use: http://braukaiser.com/blog/blog/2009/05 ... -sparging/

or not *shrug*
Cooky

[greenxpaddy]

Thanks for that. interesting.

I have been thinking of the cold steep process and protein break down during a long boil.

If the malt of 2013 is higher in nitrogen I might even consider a two hour boil since my boil is not as vigorous as most.

For those who steep to create extract to get two gyles out of one mash... my advice would be to boil the extract for the usual boil length for any beer, 60 mins.

That said, the use of 'auxiliary finings', 'adjunct finings' seems to be a 'cure all'. However, those beers I have added these to clear very well but look rather anaemic, like all the goodness has been stripped out of them. I kind of feel that the long boil reduces the protein chain lengths which reduces haziness at real ale temps but those short chain proteins still gives a certain body. If you get an inefficient boil and hazy beer, stripping the proteins out by using adjunct finings strips nearly all of the proteins out and it's a different beer altogether.

[Martin G]

Or we invent a new cloudy style based on the taste, give it a name and require it to have haze.

[darkonnis]

Amber Storm

[greenxpaddy]

Update

Sods law now I have bought auxiliary finings in that I have discovered the probable reason for the cloudy beer was this:

I have recently moved to a mash mixer using a hand-drill and plasterer's paddle. Much easier but maybe too aggressive.

Consequently I now need to recirculate for much longer than previously as the mash bed is taking longer to resettle after top up and stir. I did this yesterday but it took 15 mins recirculation to get to clearer wort - but definitely not clear.

In the past I have been fine with just 2 tabs protofloc per bbl. This was the figure I read in an article somewhere in an industry magazine. This may be an acceptable dose for very large breweries who recirculate wort until visibly very clear (like I used to get) and if you pay particular attention to wort clarity before sending to copper but for me with my new set up and for speed 4 tabs/bbl is my recommended dose and nearer to the generally accepted dose rate on this forum.

I can report crystal clear wort to fermenter using this procedure. The protafloc created lovely caulifowers of cold break just as I have had in the past. I was not seeing this with a 2 tab dose.

So I don't think the clarity was down to the nitrogen levels in the malt.

The only other change in process was I sparged a bit cooler. The mash was restricted to 73 degrees C mash out rather than touching 75c. Don't think that was a factor though.

[Goulders]

Are the cauliflowers cold or hot break (not that it matters). I "no chill" and get the cauliflowers with protofloc.

[darkonnis]

Paddy, when using tablets remember that tablets contain different amounts of active agent. For example the ones I have are 1 per 23L batch, I'd only go with guidance given on packaging of that tablet or if using the powdered version which is more likely pure floc agent.

Good that you got this sorted though. How is the brewery going anyway?

[greenxpaddy]

How is the brewery going?

I used to run a brewery...it now runs me.

Can't produce enough. Not enough space and not enough time. I suppose it's perfect but I want to supply everyone who wants it and that makes me feel under pressure all the time. I only boil once every two weeks really.

Mistakes are costly though. I recently lost 10 cases to acetobacter.

[barney]

Livin' the Dream!

[greenxpaddy]

Not feel like it this week!

[barney]

What you doing tomorrow?

[gnutz2]

So what your saying is you need more casks and somewhere to store them?

Then you could brew twice a week, hell maybe 3 times a week

[greenxpaddy]

Need more room for everything!!

Barney, in and out dropping collecting etc etc. racking, bottling. Hoping to fit in a small brew haha!