Clearing wheat-heavy beer

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willc76
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Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by willc76 » Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:58 pm

Right - I don't know why I did this, I knew it would be a disaster, but spurred on by something I read on the web I added half a kilo of whole wheat flour to my mash in my last brew (head retention etc and had no wheat malt).

Apart from causing all sorts of stuck mash problems which were finally overcome, I now have really quite thick looking and hazy brew. Fermentation is over just, and the buckets are now in the garage which is quite cold.

Will the wheat haze finally drop out over time? And when it does, bearing in mind the buckets have been in the cold, will the yeast be dead and make it difficult to prime the beer with extra sugar in the barrels?

My next brew will be straight forwards and will just work.....,

thanks in advance

Will

Scotty

Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by Scotty » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:06 pm

Firstly, 500g of wheat flour is a hell of a lot to add to a brew, I doubt very much that you will be able to clear it.
Secondly, yeast goes dormant when subjected to colder temperatures so when you prime, move the keg to somewhere warm for a week or so to allow the yeast to consume the fresh sugars.

willc76
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Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by willc76 » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:09 pm

It was a 50l brew, but yes it is a lot. I directly replaced the 500g wheat malt with flour which was admittedly stupid!

Thanks for your advice on the priming, I guessed that would work but good to hear it.

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jmc
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Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by jmc » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:48 pm

Scotty Mc wrote:Firstly, 500g of wheat flour is a hell of a lot to add to a brew, I doubt very much that you will be able to clear it.
Secondly, yeast goes dormant when subjected to colder temperatures so when you prime, move the keg to somewhere warm for a week or so to allow the yeast to consume the fresh sugars.
+1

Some wheat beer brewers add a small amount of wheat flower to keep the brew cloudy in bottles, so I imagine it could take an age to clear.

I'd just prime then let it sit in the warm for a couple of weeks, then chill for a week or more and drink it cloudy.

willc76
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Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by willc76 » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:55 pm

well, I'll bottle it and serve it as witbeer (kind of tastes like it actually, pale malt and lots of citrusy late appollo hops) - and then not be such a tool another time!

gnutz2

Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by gnutz2 » Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:41 pm

Fine it.

willc76
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Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by willc76 » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:26 pm

Cheers Gnutz2. I have a pot of isinglass in my box of tricks. Is that what you're thinking? Or maybe gelatine?

darkonnis

Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by darkonnis » Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:23 pm

Hang on a second. How long has it been sat out there in the cold? Yeast does go dormant at cold temperatures thats true, however sustained cooling causes them to sink to the bottom and there wont be enough in suspension to successfully prime. As you obviously want clearer beer, pitch a bit of new yeast before you bottle, along with your sugars etc.

gnutz2

Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by gnutz2 » Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:57 pm

willc76 wrote:Cheers Gnutz2. I have a pot of isinglass in my box of tricks. Is that what you're thinking? Or maybe gelatine?
I would chill it down as low as you can then add auxilary finnings followed by isinglass, it that doesn't clear it then call it a lesson learned.

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far9410
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Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by far9410 » Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:35 pm

or just tell everyone that its awheat beer(ish) and supposed to be cloudy
no palate, no patience.


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dean_wales
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Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by dean_wales » Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:15 pm

far9410 wrote:or just tell everyone that its awheat beer(ish) and supposed to be cloudy
+1
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liquidman

Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by liquidman » Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:26 pm

I'd be tempted to leave it in the primary for a week before touching it mate.

I'm always suprised by how much crud drops out just because of the cold, and ultimatly, if you do choose to fine it after a week ransfer it to a secondary and treat it. It will be clearer because you've left let some of the crud drop out before transfering to a secondary than if you fine it immediatly, and you may choose you like it cloudy...

A

Derby Dabbler

Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by Derby Dabbler » Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:29 pm

Chimay say that they add 5-10% wheat flour to chimay white so its not totally bonkers. Chimay comes out relatively clear in the end. Wheat flour used to maintain permanent haze is added to the copper rather than the mash tun so that it will stay fixed in solution. keep a steady nerve. should end up nice.

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Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by willc76 » Fri Dec 07, 2012 3:04 pm

Extraordinary to remark, after little more than week and a half in the primary it's fairly clear, without any finings. Has been in the cold garage for nearly a week.

I was definitely NOT expecting that. Another home brewing lesson learnt. As with the advice above, I'll repitch a little bit of yeast when bottle/barreling.

I'm pleased to accidentally keep experimenting for everyone else's benefit! #-o

But by the way, it leads to a hideously stuck mash so I wouldn't bother!!

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seymour
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Re: Clearing wheat-heavy beer

Post by seymour » Fri Dec 07, 2012 3:35 pm

willc76 wrote:Extraordinary to remark, after little more than week and a half in the primary it's fairly clear, without any finings...
Great news. Good job sticking to your guns.
willc76 wrote:...But by the way, it leads to a hideously stuck mash so I wouldn't bother!!
Don't say that 'til you've tasted it, this may be the best-bodied beer you ever brewed. To aid such a mash next time, simply include rice hulls or oat hulls (inert, organic, husky mass intended to make it a courser medium to sparge through.) Or, simply split-up your brewday. Mash in the evening, then leave the tap open to drip into your boil kettle all night, then boil in the morning. It's a convenient, less labor-intensive way to brew and leads to very high efficiencies.

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