Well?
(Oh, I do by the way).
:blink:
Do we all use Irish moss here?
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info-services
This is an area that I would like more opinions. When using irish moss, some of my beer turns out clear and some of it turns out cloudy. When not using irish moss, the same thing happens! It's possible that the irish moss is more consistent, but I don't know...I am tempted to try American moss...you know, off the ground.
QUOTE (info-services @ Mar 20 2005, 08:43 PM) This is an area that I would like more opinions. When using irish moss, some of my beer turns out clear and some of it turns out cloudy. When not using irish moss, the same thing happens! It's possible that the irish moss is more consistent, but I don't know...I am tempted to try American moss...you know, off the ground.
Well IS, there's plenty of things that can cause a haze in a beer, and Irish moss only helps with one of them. It's used (as I'm sure you know) in the boiler and is added around 15 minutes from the end of the boil. It helps the hot trub settle at the bottom of the boiler, thus reducing the amount that goes through to the fermentation vessel.
Other causes are:
Starch haze (incomplete conversion to sugar in the mash)
Protien haze (wrong mash pH or temperature, or using high nitrogen malt with an infusion mashing system)
Yeast haze (bottling/kegging too early, not allowing beer to mature, wild yeast contamination)
etc
Well IS, there's plenty of things that can cause a haze in a beer, and Irish moss only helps with one of them. It's used (as I'm sure you know) in the boiler and is added around 15 minutes from the end of the boil. It helps the hot trub settle at the bottom of the boiler, thus reducing the amount that goes through to the fermentation vessel.
Other causes are:
Starch haze (incomplete conversion to sugar in the mash)
Protien haze (wrong mash pH or temperature, or using high nitrogen malt with an infusion mashing system)
Yeast haze (bottling/kegging too early, not allowing beer to mature, wild yeast contamination)
etc
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info-services
So I was correct in that the moss had better results than going without. But about those other causes...do any of those effect flavor, or is it just looks? For me, I would guess that it would either be mash pH or the nitrogen thing. I can understand figuring out the nitrogen, but am I really supposed to use litmus paper in my mash? And what if it is wrong, how do I change it?
Should I ever expect perfectly clear beer even with the right techniques?
Should I ever expect perfectly clear beer even with the right techniques?
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Reg
- I do it all with smoke and mirrors
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IS
Yes you can brew clear beer with the right technique. I certainly have. Jim being a fully fledged masher can go into more detail on this, but the basic techniaue is to experient with your recipes taking careful notes of everything you do including your cleaning and sterilisation techniques and what you do to your water etc. etc.
When you get a nice clear brew duplicate the exact process fro everything including how long you mature the beer and so on...
Sounds dull
but it does work 
Yes you can brew clear beer with the right technique. I certainly have. Jim being a fully fledged masher can go into more detail on this, but the basic techniaue is to experient with your recipes taking careful notes of everything you do including your cleaning and sterilisation techniques and what you do to your water etc. etc.
When you get a nice clear brew duplicate the exact process fro everything including how long you mature the beer and so on...
Sounds dull
but it does work IS the only haze that will affect flavour noticably is that caused by wild yeast (or good yeast that hasn't settled yet).
You measure mash pH using pH indicator papers. Follow http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jim.dunleavy/mashing.htm for some tips on getting the right conditions in the mash (pH is covered about 2/3 of the way down the page).
You measure mash pH using pH indicator papers. Follow http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jim.dunleavy/mashing.htm for some tips on getting the right conditions in the mash (pH is covered about 2/3 of the way down the page).
Re: Do we all use Irish moss here?
I always do - my beer is quite clear. It seems to me that experimenting is just too hard. If you try leaving it out and the beer's like soup you've wasted a load of grain, hops, yeast, time, electricity, effort, ... and you've no beer 'til next month!Jim wrote:Well?
(Oh, I do by the way).
Mike
P.S. I have stopped adding finings because isinglass always made the beer taste of the sterilisation agent they put in it and gelatin just ends up as clear beer jelly on the bottom of the king keg. (nice jelly though).
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far9410
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Re: Do we all use Irish moss here?
I use protofloc, not sure what it does tho!
no palate, no patience.
Drinking - of course
Drinking - of course
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Befuddler
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Re: Do we all use Irish moss here?
What is the meaning of this necromancy?!
"There are no strong beers, only weak men"
Re: Do we all use Irish moss here?
Well....Befuddler wrote:What is the meaning of this necromancy?!
(a) it gives all those who posted years ago a nudge to come back and tell us if they've changed their minds
(b) we who remain are reminded of "the fallen" ... whatever happened to info-services? Four posts then gone.
HTH
I brew therefore I ... I .... forget
Re: Do we all use Irish moss here?
Andy wrote:A 6 year old thread resurrection, impressive!
...actually I just fancied looking at page 128boingy wrote:Yeah, good work Mike. Keep it up!
Mike.