Beer not clearing

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
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orlando
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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by orlando » Wed Oct 25, 2017 4:23 pm

No need. Enjoy.
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guypettigrew
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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:52 pm

Great Wiki article.

Stokes' law, in essence, means things drop through fluids until they reach their terminal velocity--meaning maximum speed.

Different things have different speeds at which they drop through a liquid. In some cases, depending on the viscosity of the fluid and the thing falling through it, this means things won't ever reach the bottom. Luckily for us brewers, yeast really, really wants to get to the bottom of a bottle!

But yeast is a bit complicated, it ferments the remaining sugars in the beer and produces CO2 while it's dropping. Meaning it wants to float until the CO2 leaves the yeast cell.

Despite this, though, the yeast will still hit the bottom of the bottle eventually. Guaranteed. Finings hugely accelerate this process by clumping the yeast cells together and making them fall much faster.

Guy

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orlando
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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by orlando » Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:02 am

guypettigrew wrote:
Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:52 pm
Great Wiki article.

Stokes' law, in essence, means things drop through fluids until they reach their terminal velocity--meaning maximum speed.

Different things have different speeds at which they drop through a liquid. In some cases, depending on the viscosity of the fluid and the thing falling through it, this means things won't ever reach the bottom. Luckily for us brewers, yeast really, really wants to get to the bottom of a bottle!

But yeast is a bit complicated, it ferments the remaining sugars in the beer and produces CO2 while it's dropping. Meaning it wants to float until the CO2 leaves the yeast cell.

Despite this, though, the yeast will still hit the bottom of the bottle eventually. Guaranteed. Finings hugely accelerate this process by clumping the yeast cells together and making them fall much faster.

Guy
Spot on. =D> Cold is important too. :wink:
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

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

Capped
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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by Capped » Thu Oct 26, 2017 9:41 am

"Cold is important too". I know this is true - but why? Cold liquid is denser so should be more able to support stuff floating in it, right??

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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by guypettigrew » Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:34 am

Not much denser at the temperatures we're talking about. But a colder liquid has less energy so less movement in it to dissuade the yeast cells from dropping. I think!

Guy

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orlando
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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by orlando » Thu Oct 26, 2017 12:04 pm

It also encourages the yeast to shut down all activity including excreting CO2 which provides some bouyancy for cells in their slipstream. Why people with carboys talk about watching something akin to a Lava Lamp.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

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

TheSumOfAllBeers
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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:12 pm

guypettigrew wrote:Not much denser at the temperatures we're talking about. But a colder liquid has less energy so less movement in it to dissuade the yeast cells from dropping. I think!

Guy
Temp stability is key. Fluctuations will kick off convection currents which elevator the yeast back up, or worse still disturb the cake.

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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by sbond10 » Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:59 am

Sitting thinking about this I'm wondering if adding pectolase would of helped at sum point tried a bottle the other night and even though it's only been in the bottle 2 weeks it's amazing lovely hop bitterness and a nice marmalade kick sticky n sweet.
I thought I'd of avoided the pectin haze by using pectin free marmalade (dueers Manchester marmalade) the last time I brewed it, it was clear as a bell upping it seems to have brought in the pectin haze

Mitchamitri2

Re: Beer not clearing

Post by Mitchamitri2 » Wed Nov 01, 2017 7:07 pm

I never have been bothered so much about clarity - flavour is flavour. But I have a question - if a cold liquid is denser so theoretically should clear slower is that not offset by the solid needing to settle also being cold? If a warm liquid has a warm solid should that settle at the same rate as a cold liquid with a cold solid?

I honestly have no clue.

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Re: Beer not clearing

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:09 pm

Mitchamitri2 wrote:
Wed Nov 01, 2017 7:07 pm
I never have been bothered so much about clarity - flavour is flavour. But I have a question - if a cold liquid is denser so theoretically should clear slower is that not offset by the solid needing to settle also being cold? If a warm liquid has a warm solid should that settle at the same rate as a cold liquid with a cold solid?

I honestly have no clue.
Clarity in the finished beer is a good thing in my view. The wort going into my fermenter is usually crystal clear. So any murkiness can only be caused by suspended yeast.

For some people this isn't an issue. To me, however, the yeast gives an unwanted bitter taste and covers any subtle flavours in the finished beer.

As to your query, Mitchamitri2, warm everything will slow down the settle rate, as you say. But if our beer is at it's optimum serving temperature of about 12C, then the yeast should feel very ok about sitting on the bottom of the keg/cask/barrel.

Guy

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