Fining in primary?

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
Badseed1974

Fining in primary?

Post by Badseed1974 » Sun Feb 19, 2017 9:51 pm

Hey all :)

I'm planning to try out gelatin in my next brew for the first time. I don't normally transfer to secondary before bottling, and I just wondered if I'd be OK fining in primary?

Thanks :)

User avatar
orlando
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7197
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:22 pm
Location: North Norfolk: Nearest breweries All Day Brewery, Salle. Panther, Reepham. Yetman's, Holt

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by orlando » Sun Feb 19, 2017 10:14 pm

Badseed1974 wrote:Hey all :)

I'm planning to try out gelatin in my next brew for the first time. I don't normally transfer to secondary before bottling, and I just wondered if I'd be OK fining in primary?

Thanks :)
I've done it but if the beer has already mostly cleared you could rack to a keg containing the gelatine. Bottling is different though. If bottling I suppose you could fine then add a syrup stir and rack to bottle.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

Badseed1974

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by Badseed1974 » Sun Feb 19, 2017 10:42 pm

[quote="orlando"][quote="Badseed1974"]Hey all :)

I'm planning to try out gelatin in my next brew for the first time. I don't normally transfer to secondary before bottling, and I just wondered if I'd be OK fining in primary?

Thanks :)[/quote]

I've done it but if the beer has already mostly cleared you could rack to a keg containing the gelatine. Bottling is different though. If bottling I suppose you could fine then add a syrup stir and rack to bottle.[/quote]

No kegs here I'm afraid so I'm stuck with bottles :(

I normally prime the time consuming way of adding sugar to bottles so no need to disturb the brew in primary too much, I just wondered really if there are any reasons I'm unaware of that I should avoid fining in primary. I've had a search online but it seems most folk transfer to secondary first ( I would do this but I currently only have one FV that fits in my rather compact brew fridge)

User avatar
Jocky
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2738
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by Jocky » Mon Feb 20, 2017 9:36 am

I gelatin in primary very successfully.

I use the gelatin 24-48 hours before bottling. Longer works better, but 48 hours seems to be plenty long enough.

To get the full effect you need to chill the beer down as well as possible. I'll turn my temperature controller down to 0 (or -1) 48 hours before fining.

When you add the gelatin swirl it in very gently to avoid rousing any sediment. Equally if you have to move your fermenter between fining and bottling again be very gentle, and give it a little time to settle out.

Finally, when racking out of the fermenter tack from the top and don't be too greedy to avoid picking up sediment again.

Follow these hints and your beer will usually be sparklingly clear, even with a heavy dry hop.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

TheSumOfAllBeers
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:54 pm

I have used gelatin a few times to assist clarity on my pale beers, on one occasion the effect was stunning. Haven't quite nailed the process yet though.

Badseed1974

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by Badseed1974 » Mon Feb 20, 2017 7:13 pm

[quote="Jocky"]I gelatin in primary very successfully.

I use the gelatin 24-48 hours before bottling. Longer works better, but 48 hours seems to be plenty long enough.

To get the full effect you need to chill the beer down as well as possible. I'll turn my temperature controller down to 0 (or -1) 48 hours before fining.

When you add the gelatin swirl it in very gently to avoid rousing any sediment. Equally if you have to move your fermenter between fining and bottling again be very gentle, and give it a little time to settle out.

Finally, when racking out of the fermenter tack from the top and don't be too greedy to avoid picking up sediment again.

Follow these hints and your beer will usually be sparklingly clear, even with a heavy dry hop.[/quote]



Thanks Jocky, that's good to know, some good tips there as well :-D

WalesAles
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3899
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:07 pm
Location: South Wales UK.

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by WalesAles » Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:19 pm

orlando wrote:
I've done it but if the beer has already mostly cleared you could rack to a keg containing the gelatine. Bottling is different though. If bottling I suppose you could fine then add a syrup stir and rack to bottle.
Jocky wrote:I gelatin in primary very successfully.

I use the gelatin 24-48 hours before bottling. Longer works better, but 48 hours seems to be plenty long enough.

To get the full effect you need to chill the beer down as well as possible. I'll turn my temperature controller down to 0 (or -1) 48 hours before fining.

When you add the gelatin swirl it in very gently to avoid rousing any sediment. Equally if you have to move your fermenter between fining and bottling again be very gentle, and give it a little time to settle out.

Finally, when racking out of the fermenter tack from the top and don't be too greedy to avoid picking up sediment again.

Follow these hints and your beer will usually be sparklingly clear, even with a heavy dry hop.
orlando, Jocky,
I`ve been brewing for 4 years and never felt the need for gelatin, always had clear beers.
However, driving home from Notts today, MrsAles on the phone, me thinking about HB (whilst observing all traffic around me and driving
in a safe and correct manner), I said to MrsAles, open a new tab on your phone and buy me some gelatine please.
I`ve got 20Lt to bottle and I am going to try this gelatin thing.
MrsAles said `I`ve got some gelatin in the kitchen cupboard`! :D
So I did the usual thing with the gelatin mix, but instead of pouring it in the FV and mixing it in, I gently poured it through a fine mesh
colander spreading it all over the beer surface. No mixing.
I am going to buy a little watering can if I decide that gelatin is the way forward! :D =D>
I will move the FV from the beer shed to the `Bottling Station` (kitchen) on wednesday and bottle thursday.

WA

guypettigrew
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2626
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:10 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by guypettigrew » Mon Feb 20, 2017 11:18 pm

Confused, WA! Why bother with gelatine if you've always had clear beers?

Guy

User avatar
IPA
Under the Table
Posts: 1731
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:29 am
Location: France Gascony

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by IPA » Tue Feb 21, 2017 7:52 am

Just pour the gelatine into the, preferably, secondary FV. DO NOT STIR. It will sink to the bottom and form a firm layer with the yeast.
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)

WalesAles
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3899
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:07 pm
Location: South Wales UK.

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by WalesAles » Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:09 am

guypettigrew wrote:Confused, WA! Why bother with gelatine if you've always had clear beers?

Guy


Guy,
ELC! :D
I wanted to try this to see if the beers clear quicker than normal.

WA

TheSumOfAllBeers
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:57 am

Gelatine will remove chill haze too, if you can get the temp down

User avatar
Kev888
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7701
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:22 pm
Location: Derbyshire, UK

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by Kev888 » Tue Feb 21, 2017 11:51 am

Re the watering can idea etc; don't overlook the ability to disinfect whatever is used (in fact the whole procedure needs a little bit of care in that respect, because the gelatine shouldn't be boiled).
Kev

guypettigrew
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2626
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:10 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by guypettigrew » Tue Feb 21, 2017 2:29 pm

WalesAles wrote: Guy,
ELC! :D
I wanted to try this to see if the beers clear quicker than normal.

WA
Ah, makes sense. How long do your bottled beers usually take to clear?

What does ELC mean? Google was no help to me on this. Perhaps 'experiential learning curve'?!

Guy

WalesAles
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3899
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:07 pm
Location: South Wales UK.

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by WalesAles » Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:39 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
WalesAles wrote: Guy,
ELC! :D
I wanted to try this to see if the beers clear quicker than normal.

WA
Ah, makes sense. How long do your bottled beers usually take to clear?

What does ELC mean? Google was no help to me on this. Perhaps 'experiential learning curve'?!

Guy
Guy,
ELC is the `Easily Led Club`! :D Of which I am the Founding member. You are now a fully paid up member too!
Depending on which beer, usually 2 - 3 weeks to clear.

WA

McMullan

Re: Fining in primary?

Post by McMullan » Tue Feb 21, 2017 6:15 pm

2-3 weeks? You need some ELC gelatine! It needs chilling to work well. Don't like the stuff myself. The first and last pints out of the keg tend to be not for drinking. It seems to prevent yeast packing down.

Post Reply