An observation on chill haze

[guypettigrew]

Chill haze is something I've often read about, but never seen. Well, my education is now complete!

Having moved just under a year ago but not yet been able to build somewhere to store the finished kegs of beer, they are sitting in the garage. Currently at 29.5C!

To make the beer enjoyable I've been running 1 litre amounts into plastic bottles and putting them in the 'fridge.

After leaving them a couple of hours the beer is fine to sup. But if I don't drink all the bottles in the 'fridge they are left in until the next day. By which point they are completely hazy. Impossible to see through the beer.

As the beer warms up again to drinking temperature it magically becomes crystal clear again.

Fascinating!

Guy

[Kev888]

Supposedly chill haze can appear right up towards 20c, but thankfully I've not experienced that. For me, it doesn't normally show itself at coolish room temperatures, and is insignificant even at typical ale/cellar temperatures. So these days I only bother to do anything about it if the beer is being taken somewhere, such as to a party, where it may end up in a fridge.

[chris2012]

Intriguing! I've had hazy beer, but it hasn't dissipated thus far with temp increases :'(

Gelatin can remove chill haze can't it?

[Kev888]

If it doesn't vanish when warmed, then it isn't going to be chill haze - rather some other kind of permanent haze. This can be from heavy doses of late/dry hops, suspended yeast, proteins, infection etc. Insufficient calcium can be a contributor too.

Yes, gelatin can help with chill haze - it is best to first chill the beer so that the haze is present for the gelatin to get at. Crash cooling alone can also help, or just storing the beer cool and waiting will encourage it to form and drop out eventually. Or in the case of ales, just not serving them too cool will go a long way...