Which finings are people using .. ?

[Danny]

I've gone through a few in the last year or so and have seen the 1ltr bottle from H&G ... good value for money at 3.99 suff for 100gl but how have people found it ?

[steve_flack]

The proper isinglass from H&G is the best stuff you can use - you must keep it in the fridge though.

[Reg]

The proper isinglass from H&G is the best stuff you can use - you must keep it in the fridge though.

What's the shelf life once you've opened it Steve?

[mysterio]

I buy the 1L isinglass from H&G too, works a charm. I use it in the primary after fermentation.

[steve_flack]

What's the shelf life once you've opened it Steve?

I don't know. I tend to use it pretty quickly as I use about 100ml of triple strength isinglass in a 5G batch. With time I believe it degrades to collagen (gelatine) so will still work only not as well.

[adm]

I buy the 1L isinglass from H&G too, works a charm. I use it in the primary after fermentation.

Is that premixed, or do you need through the whole elaborate mix the hell out of procedure....?

Also - if you use it in the primary, then don't you stir up all the yeast from the bottom when you mix it - in which case I presume the finings pull it all out of suspension again, but would it be more efficient if you racked to secondary, then fined it ?

I've only used finings once and used the two part KwiCleer in secondary which worked well. I've got a few of the BeerBrite sachets from H&G to try as well. Was put off the idea of isinglass by the stories of how hard it is to mix and how bad to store....

[Aleman]

Is that premixed, or do you need through the whole elaborate mix the hell out of procedure....?

It's premixed, they do sell the dried, but I wouldn't recomend using those

If you use it in the primary, then don't you stir up all the yeast from the bottom when you mix it

The correct way to use it is to add auxiliary finings in the primary, sure if you stir the living daylights out of it you'll mix up all the settled yeast, but you can just gently mix it into the surface layer, and it will disperse through the entire batch, and very little of the yeast layer is disturbed.

in which case I presume the finings pull it all out of suspension again, but would it be more efficient if you racked to secondary, then fined it ?

Having used Aux finings in the primary, you then add (a much reduced qty) of isinglass to the secondary. then rack the clear beer to the cask/keg. In commercial practice Isinglass is normally added tot he cask as it is shipped out to the pubs.

I've only used finings once and used the two part KwiCleer in secondary which worked well. I've got a few of the BeerBrite sachets from H&G to try as well. Was put off the idea of isinglass by the stories of how hard it is to mix and how bad to store....

The commerciall stuff sold fromthe H&G is pretty good to use and although its BB is only 6 weeks from mixing, it retains a great effect after 3 months and then starts to go downhill . . . When it becomes as effective as gelatine.

The best way to determine how much to use is to do a fining test. You pull 6 halves from the secondary, and add 1, 2,3,4,5,6 ml of isinglass (1ml to the first 2ml to the second . . . and 6ml to the sixth) to the samples. You can see the glasses clear, and you select the sample that clears quickest and has the most stable and smallest 'floc'. Then you scale it up, 1ml in a half pint is equivalent to 1 pint per BBL (288pints - so 1.97ml per pint) or 15.7ml per Gallon ~ 78.8ml per 5 gallon batch (3.5ml/L) of course if the test shows that you need 3 ml in 1/2 a pint you use 3 times that or 45ml/gallon

[mysterio]

It's liquid isinglass, so I just draw some beer from the tap on my primary then mix it in gently, trying not to kick up too much sediment. Yeah, it probably would be more efficient to do it in a secondary, but this works fine for me - plus, i'm lacking in secondary vessels and don't like taking risks with oxidation. I'm not a huge fan of fining in the keg - I don't have a nice tidy set up so I always end up disturbing the sediment when i'm switching taps or adding gas.

[adm]

Thanks Guys!

No the next question is just who the hell discovered that adding fish guts to beer made it clearer....and just what were they doing at the time!

[Dennis King]

Thanks Guys!

No the next question is just who the hell discovered that adding fish guts to beer made it clearer....and just what were they doing at the time!

[Reg]

Thanks Guys!

No the next question is just who the hell discovered that adding fish guts to beer made it clearer....and just what were they doing at the time!

According to Wheeler, "Home Brewing - the CAMRA Guide", 'The earliest mention of the use of isinglass for clearing beer was in "Every Man His Own Gauger" published in the year 1695!'...

...So however they found it out, they were probably wearing hose and a felt hat whilst they were doing it!

Reg

[agentgonzo]

I've got a 1L bottle of liquid isinglass (the same stuff as H&G but from LHBS). When saying it needs to be kept in the fridge, is this only after opening? I'm sure that it's sat on the shelf for months (I'm sure the H&G stuff is the same). Will this affect it?

[steve_flack]

Proper Isinglass must be kept cold at all times - even before opening. I'm not sure your LHBS stuff is the same as H&G. H&G are basically repackaging commercial Isinglass from Murphy's.

[Damfoose]

I have used various diffrent finnings so far and found beerbrite to have been the only one that has cleared a beer for me, This may be down to me or due to incorect usage I really dont know as i followed the package instructions to the letter pertty much

[Graham]

I have used various diffrent finnings so far and found beerbrite to have been the only one that has cleared a beer for me, This may be down to me or due to incorect usage I really dont know as i followed the package instructions to the letter pertty much

I guess that your trouble with other types of isinglass finings has been the quality of the stuff that you have been given coupled with highly optimistic instructions almost to the point of witchcraft. The issue of finings glaringly demonstrates the appalling lack of brewing knowledge possessed by the home brewing industry, and the persistent desire of the industry to make things appear to be easier than they really are makes matters worse.

Liquid finings if not stored correctly will be no good at all. Many types of dried finings, if used to the instructions supplied, simply will not go into solution, and again will not work for various reasons.

Without access to a good supplier that knows what he is doing, the safest and easiest isinglass for the home brewer is the pre-hydrolysed stuff such as Beer Bright. Beer Bright does very much what it says on the packet too, although I think that mixing for one minute with a fork is a little optimistic, a blast with a stick-type hand blender for two minutes would be more appropriate. Regretfully the (oldish) packet that I have does not say how much stuff in total is in the packet, leave alone the isinglass, which is just one of the ingredients. (It is high time that the home-brew industry in general started to comply with a few trading standards, particularly their web sites). Basically you need at least 1.5 grams of isinglass powder for 250 millilitres of isinglass solution, I assume that Beer Brite meets this.