Brausol finings

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guypettigrew
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Brausol finings

Post by guypettigrew » Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:39 pm

For some years I've been using auxiliary finings and isinglass to clear the beer in my king kegs. It works well, clearing most beers within 24-48 hours. The wort is always crystal clear going into the fermenter, so any cloudiness will be suspended yeast. Easily removed with the aux. and isinglass finings.

Very soon it'll be necessary to order more of both. MM supplies the isinglass, but not the aux. finings. Which means a 30 minute drive each way to my nearest home brew shop is needed. Or I pay postage costs from other suppliers.

But I've just found this Brausol stuff on the MM site.

The info doesn't specifically state it's good for dropping yeast out of suspension.

I've also found this Brewlab report which states Brausol is more effective than aux. and isinglass. The review says "non gluten beers" were selected. Don't know what this means, as normal beer contains gluten.

So, does anyone on here have any thoughts on whether the Brausol finings would be a good replacement for the auxiliary and isinglass finings?

Thanks.

Guy

ingo
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Re: Brausol finings

Post by ingo » Sat Sep 14, 2019 10:02 pm

It works fine near the end of boil and in young beer, but I can't compare it to isinglass. Main problem is the small dose (30-50 ml/hl) and the ridiculous prices for small packages. In "normal" (10 kg) quantities it's about E5.- /kg,

Ingo

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Re: Brausol finings

Post by PeeBee » Sun Sep 15, 2019 12:24 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:39 pm
… But I've just found this Brausol stuff on the MM site. …
Ah, the "Vegan" stuff! I've been messing with it for a few brews now 'cos it's so convenient (isinglass certainly isn't "convenient"). I generally use "Irish Moss" or one of its preparations ("Protofloc") as copper/kettle fining and isinglass ("Beer Brite") for fining in cask/keg. Oddly "Brausol", as "Ingo" hints, will do both! Reading the instructions for "Brausol" seems to suggest it's is better in its pre-fermentation role? I got a couple of 25ml test samples, if you've got 250ml you're committed now!

"Brausol" worked very well for me as a cask/keg fining … once. The other 2-3 times it didn't work so well (by that I mean "at all"!).

I was reading this recently:
https://www.murphyandson.co.uk/resource ... the-night/
There is obviously more to this fining lark than I thought! That bunch have a number of useful (and general) articles such as here:
https://www.murphyandson.co.uk/resource ... -articles/

(EDIT: I initially put "Brewbrite" not "Beer Brite". "Brewbrite" is NOT isinglass fining!)
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

Robwalkeragain
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Re: Brausol finings

Post by Robwalkeragain » Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:23 pm

Brausol if used correctly is about the most effective gravity fining product on the market. It works by forming a “net” that traps everything as it slowly drops through the beer. Trouble is it’s a nightmare to use in any sort of wide fermenter due to the ridiculously low dosage, so needs careful stirring.
It will drop the yeast to such a small level that priming is impossible without repitching. Great stuff! If anyone near Birmingham wants a good dollop of the stuff we buy it in at around £2.50/L which is much cheaper than the home brew shops.

guypettigrew
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Re: Brausol finings

Post by guypettigrew » Sun Sep 15, 2019 2:39 pm

PeeBee wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 12:24 pm

Isinglass certainly isn't "convenient".

"Brausol" worked very well for me as a cask/keg fining … once. The other 2-3 times it didn't work so well (by that I mean "at all"!).
Isinglass seems fairly convenient to me. The stuff I use is a good price. 20g for £4.56 lasts me for about 30 brews of 25L length.

It's easy enough to make up. 1.5g in 250ml of RO water, whizz it in a blender for 5 minutes, rest it in the 'fridge, repeat 30 minutes later. Nice homogenous gloop which does me for three brews. I always add a bit of sodium metabisulphite to stop contamination.

Any thoughts on why the Brausol worked well in the keg once, but not again?

Guy

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Re: Brausol finings

Post by guypettigrew » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:05 pm

Robwalkeragain wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:23 pm
Brausol if used correctly is about the most effective gravity fining product on the market. It works by forming a “net” that traps everything as it slowly drops through the beer. Trouble is it’s a nightmare to use in any sort of wide fermenter due to the ridiculously low dosage, so needs careful stirring.
It will drop the yeast to such a small level that priming is impossible without repitching. Great stuff! If anyone near Birmingham wants a good dollop of the stuff we buy it in at around £2.50/L which is much cheaper than the home brew shops.
Just had three attempts at replying. The site keeps jumping me out and deleting my reply. I'll try later!!!

Guy

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Re: Brausol finings

Post by guypettigrew » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:03 pm

Robwalkeragain wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:23 pm
Brausol if used correctly is about the most effective gravity fining product on the market. It works by forming a “net” that traps everything as it slowly drops through the beer. Trouble is it’s a nightmare to use in any sort of wide fermenter due to the ridiculously low dosage, so needs careful stirring.
It will drop the yeast to such a small level that priming is impossible without repitching. Great stuff! If anyone near Birmingham wants a good dollop of the stuff we buy it in at around £2.50/L which is much cheaper than the home brew shops.
Aahh, priming. Haven't done it for years! Once my beers get to about quarter gravity they are chilled to 12°C for 12 hours or so. Then chilled further to 4°C for 24 hours.

The beer's then dropped into a keg with auxiliary and isinglass finings. It's clear in about 24 hours and conditioned in about 3 days. It improves if left for a longer time.

Do you think it would be possible to use Brausol in the same way as the auxiliary and isinglass finings? Or might the Brausol settle so much yeast out there wouldn't be any secondary fermentation to condition the beer?

The cost isn't a problem. 250ml at £15 gives me enough for about 30 brews at 25L. 50p a brew!

Guy

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Re: Brausol finings

Post by Robwalkeragain » Sun Sep 15, 2019 5:23 pm

When you say a quarter gravity, do you mean around 1.010 from 1.040 or 1/4 of your estimated FG, ie 1/4 fermentability left? Are you force carbing, or using the remaining fermentables to condition the beer?

It won’t be possible to referment if the brausol is effective without adding fresh yeast back in. As you say it really can be that effective (the sales rep told me it was “too good”.) It’s worth considering doing as CBC-1 (or more or less any cheap ale yeast) can be dosed back into keg with the required amount of cells with almost no clarity loss.
guypettigrew wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:03 pm
Robwalkeragain wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:23 pm
Brausol if used correctly is about the most effective gravity fining product on the market. It works by forming a “net” that traps everything as it slowly drops through the beer. Trouble is it’s a nightmare to use in any sort of wide fermenter due to the ridiculously low dosage, so needs careful stirring.
It will drop the yeast to such a small level that priming is impossible without repitching. Great stuff! If anyone near Birmingham wants a good dollop of the stuff we buy it in at around £2.50/L which is much cheaper than the home brew shops.
Aahh, priming. Haven't done it for years! Once my beers get to about quarter gravity they are chilled to 12°C for 12 hours or so. Then chilled further to 4°C for 24 hours.

The beer's then dropped into a keg with auxiliary and isinglass finings. It's clear in about 24 hours and conditioned in about 3 days. It improves if left for a longer time.

Do you think it would be possible to use Brausol in the same way as the auxiliary and isinglass finings? Or might the Brausol settle so much yeast out there wouldn't be any secondary fermentation to condition the beer?

The cost isn't a problem. 250ml at £15 gives me enough for about 30 brews at 25L. 50p a brew!

Guy

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Re: Brausol finings

Post by guypettigrew » Sun Sep 15, 2019 6:00 pm

Apologies. 1/4 gravity means down to about 25% of the OG.

No force carbing, the remaining fermentables always do the job.

Seems like it may be best to carry on with auxiliary and isinglass finings. Easy enough to do, and works well for me.

Guy

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Re: Brausol finings

Post by PeeBee » Mon Sep 16, 2019 6:19 am

guypettigrew wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 2:39 pm
PeeBee wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 12:24 pm

Isinglass certainly isn't "convenient".

"Brausol" worked very well for me as a cask/keg fining … once. The other 2-3 times it didn't work so well (by that I mean "at all"!).
Isinglass seems fairly convenient to me. The stuff I use is a good price. 20g for £4.56 lasts me for about 30 brews of 25L length.

It's easy enough to make up. 1.5g in 250ml of RO water, whizz it in a blender for 5 minutes, rest it in the 'fridge, repeat 30 minutes later. Nice homogenous gloop which does me for three brews. I always add a bit of sodium metabisulphite to stop contamination.

Any thoughts on why the Brausol worked well in the keg once, but not again?

Guy
That's why I put "convenient" in quotes. There will always be someone with a different view of what "convenient" is. So what you say probably isn't wrong, but for me it also reinforces my opinion!

I've not used that "Magicol" stuff, but I've had some. It has a use by date stamped on it. Tip: Pay attention to the use by date! Poo :-& ! I have been told the use by date transfers to whatever you put it in - not backed that opinion up but I stopped using isinglass in any long-term storage beer. And having knocked isinglass for this and that fault, I still think it's the best fining by far.


Why did the Brausol work once? Probably because I was more vigorous mixing it in? But I was using it in a protein rich beer that should normally be cloudy. And it came out not star bright (this beer, "cold mashed", is bound to have a protein haze) but came out a beautifully clear translucent colour (like some jellies). Note: This beer I fermented under pressure (in the keg!) so couldn't fall foul of the alleged ability of Brausol to remove all remaining yeast from the beer.
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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