What is irish moss?

[cellone]

What is it? I have a recipe book and it's added to every recipe .

[Stomach]

I think its seaweed. You can get it in homebrew shops. Used for clearing I think!

Quite possibly the vaguest post I have ever written!!

[cellone]

I thought it might be.

[Monkeybrew]

As stomach says, it's a type of seaweed that is added in the last 10 minutes of the boil in small quantities (3g in a 23L brew).

It helps to create a good cold break in extract and AG brewing to aid clearing of malt proteins that cause chillhaze.

Or something like that!

[seymour]

Yep, seaweed. Chondrus crispus or carrageen to be exact. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chondrus_crispus

If you value crystal-clear beer (many of us argue that shouldn't be a necessity of homebrew/real ale, but I digress...) then Irish Moss is a good ethical/ecological solution because the alternatives, isinglass requires dead fish and gelatin requires dead animal hooves.

It's fun to imagine, though, how the brewing properties of unpleasant-looking seaweed were discovered

[cellone]

This is why I love this site. I've learnt so much in one night.

I thought if you lagered/conditioned at a lower temp than your serving temp it sorted out the chill haze. Looks like my new brew will be sweet and cloudy .

[seymour]

...Looks like my new brew will be sweet and cloudy .

Liquid bread, baby! Them's yer vitamins.

[cellone]

See where your coming from but I bake all our bread and if I ended up with crystal clear dough I might lose my love for yeast and life.