Jelly Like Drop-Out

[Laurentic]

Hi,

I have occasionally have had some jelly like deposits in my boiler after a boil and am wondering what it is - like perhaps, is it a protien drop out?

I am brewing using a Grainfather G30, grain is Maris Otter Pale malt, Crystal Malt medium, Rice Hulls and Black malt. All hops are all leaf hops - Fuggles, EK Goldings, Challenger and Styrian Goldings. Water treatment is AMS in all water used in the brew, calculated against recent analysis from Wessex Water, 1 tsp Burton Water Crystals at start of boil and 5g Irish Moss at 10 mins before end of boil.

The jelly like deposits are found on the side of the boiler and on the mesh bags holding the hops.

Odd thing is it doesn't happen every brew, but today I had quite a bit.

Any ideas anyone?

Chris

[guypettigrew]

My guess is it's the Irish moss. There's too much of it!

I use Protafloc tablets, at a rate of 0.5-0.7 grams for a standard 23L brew length. That's about 1/4 of a tablet. The 1/4 tablet is put into a bit of water when the boil starts which rehydrates it. The slurry is tipped into the boil 3-4 minutes before the end.

It'll be interesting to hear what others think.

Guy

[JonB]

Irish moss sounds right to me, I've had this with both Protofloc and Irish Moss (I think they're derrived from the same seaweed?)

I think it's actually the finings themselves that have turned into jelly in the boil. I do find it sometimes in the cake of gunge in the bottom of the boiler, that being said I've noticed it more recently because I've been using double the quantity advised by the manufacturer (~1/2 tsp/23L) and it produces some of the clearest wort I've ever seen in the fermenter...

[MashBag]

Yes indeed. I had it too. Irish moss.

[Cobnut]

Interesting.

I simply chuck 1/2 a protofloc tablet into the boil about 10 mins before the end. Never noticed any jelly-like gunge.

Why do you rehydrate, Guy?

[guypettigrew]

Interesting.

I simply chuck 1/2 a protofloc tablet into the boil about 10 mins before the end. Never noticed any jelly-like gunge.

Why do you rehydrate, Guy?

Two reasons, neither of them particularly scientific. Firstly because it seems to me it might help disperse the Protofloc faster in the boil. Secondly, because I forgot the 1/4 tablet a few times , but it's harder to forget a small jug of water with the Protofloc in it!

Guy

[WallyBrew]

Why do you rehydrate, Guy?

Two reasons, neither of them particularly scientific. Firstly because it seems to me it might help disperse the Protofloc faster in the boil. Secondly, because I forgot the 1/4 tablet a few times , but it's harder to forget a small jug of water with the Protofloc in it!

Guy

When these types of products first started to be used in the late 1970’s early 1980’s they were designed to be added to the boil “as is”. To aid their dissolution they contained sodium bicarbonate which at wort pH would readily react and effervesce thus effectively blowing the tablets apart.

I doubt protofloc is any different.

[guypettigrew]

Fascinating! Thanks for that bit of information. The tablet certainly disperses fairly quickly when it's dropped into a bit of water.

Next time I'll try dropping it straight into the boiler at the same time as the yeast nutrient.

Guy

[lord.president]

My guess is it's the Irish moss. There's too much of it!

I use Protafloc tablets, at a rate of 0.5-0.7 grams for a standard 23L brew length. That's about 1/4 of a tablet. The 1/4 tablet is put into a bit of water when the boil starts which rehydrates it. The slurry is tipped into the boil 3-4 minutes before the end.

It'll be interesting to hear what others think.

Guy

I’ve never understood why this isn’t sold in the size it needs to be.I inevitably end up with a bag of halves at some point.