AVOIDING CHILL HAZE?

[trucker5774]

I dont have a problem with most of my brews as the are served around the 12C mark. However, if I choose to cool one a little further, say below 10C, I get a haze. I seem to have a good cold break. I thought perhaps steeping was to blame, but even in brews which have gone from boiling to 22C in 30 mins sill suffer.
Could there be some other part of my method or ingredients which commonly cause this "problem"

[mysterio]

It's just a fact of life when brewing, there's some things you can do to minimise it

- Whirlfloc/protafloc in the boil

Post fermentation:

- Cold conditioning 0C for a couple weeks
- PVPP (polyclar)
- Silica gel (auxilliary finings).

[OldSpeckledBadger]

I've just bought a keg of mild in from the shed and it's got a chill haze. I bet it won't have by tomorrow night though

[trucker5774]

I use Protafloc in the boil. Do'nt get me wrong, it's no big deal, but a pint looks better clear. I have a lot of friends who, even though they know the beer should be warmer, still prefer a cold one now and again. It's a bit like the head on a pint.....or the wine issue for me..............I don't get the snobbery thing about cost and a hint camel's ear wax with a mushroom flower after glow. I just like it or I don't. I even enjoy a chilled red now and again.........
..........anyway, it looks like I'm stuck with the haze for my "chilled guests"

Sticking to dark ale could be the answer!

Thanks so far guys.

[mysterio]

I'm stuck with the haze for my "chilled guests"

Not if you use one of the products I mentioned. Couple of quid from the HBS. I remember Wez used to have persistent haze problems until he discovered auxilliary finings.

[trucker5774]

So it's ME that needs to chill. I will try the longer cold period and polyclar (at the time of bottling I presume) Thanks again chaps

[trucker5774]

Thanks Chris, I knew there must be a reason I hadn't tried polyclar. I may go back to barrels one day, even if its just to use may beer engine and get that head Ive been after!

[Philipek]

How can you tell if a beer's cloudy when cold? The glass gets all misted up with condensation. If I serve my beer too cold, I have to repeatedly wipe the glass to see if it's clear or not.

Cold conditioning is the latest thing I've been looking at. My latest beer's been conditioning at room temperature for about 1 week, I've stuck it on the porch which is at 7 degrees right now. I've never done cold conditioning before, I've just stored the beers at room temperature for 4 weeks.

[trucker5774]

Here we are , a FULL TWO DAYS into the cold conditioning...........still hazey ............I could never be patient enough to make wine

[Capped]

Here we are , a FULL TWO DAYS into the cold conditioning...........still hazey ............I could never be patient enough to make wine

Ha! I make those 5 gallon express wine kits for the missus. Says on the label that they're ready in 14 days. Thanks to my top-secret acceleration techniques I've done one in 5 days,11% vol and uber clear! They're dreadful really but she likes that sorta stuff. Saves her from fat-necking all my beer I suppose. Anyways,my beers are generall star-bright at room temp but give 'em 3 hours in the fridge and they're well hazy. No problem- I hate cold beer so they get one hour in the fridge,no more!

[arturobandini]

I get occasional haze because my cooling is such a long drawn out process (bath tub!). I also have nowhere to store my beer that's consistently cool enough for cold conditioning.

However, I have recently moved to using a Beer Engine to dispense via a beer chiller, configured for Ale temperature, and eventhough the beer is stored at room temperature (no haze) then pulled through the chiller I'm still not getting any haze in the finished pint. Even when I've cranked the chiller right down to hand numbing temperatures to serve Flager (fake lager served via a Beer Engine!) to friends there has been a crystal pint served. I'd rather place this down to my new setup than any improvement in my brewing but it could be either or.