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Learn to Clear Your
Homebrewed Beer
Now that you have
learned to brew your own beer and have been waiting for about a
month for your beer to be done brewing, you may be thinking that
you would like your beer to be a little clearer. Your beer being
hazy will not actually change the taste of the beer, however it
will not look that appealing and if you offer it to friends or
family, you know there is a high probability that they will turn
it down. No need to worry there is actually a few different ways
to clarify your beer that work well and will not change the
flavor.
The reason your beer
becomes hazy is due to infection, the introduction of foreign
particles into the bottles, and mainly yeast cells and
non-microbiological particles. Many times the yeast does not
settle out of the beer, depending on the yeast strain, there will
be fluctuation that produces problems when settling. The bigger
problem of the two is the non-microbiological particles because
they are harder to remove from the beer. Also,
non-microbiological particles are proteins, lipids, carbohydrates,
and/or metal ions that are produced and should be removed in each
stage of the brewing process.
Also, when brewing
all-grain beer the clarity does get affected by the fine dusty
starch and husk particles. These are created during the milling
process. However, you can remove these particles through sparging
and recirculating the wort through a mash bed prior to run off.
During the wort boil, proteins coagulate. When a successful boil
takes places there is a more efficient coagulation of proteins
that occurs and these then create large flocs. These larger floc
are easily removed and the removal of poly phenolic material, this
reduces the haze that occurs during chilling. The most successful
boil begins with a high wort pH and enough proteins present. Boil
around 215 degrees F for an hour. Also, you can try using
clarifying agents near the end of the boil to help remove
additional particles for a clearer beer.
Next, the cooling of
the wort can cause the proteins to interact with poly phenols.
There is a cold break that occurs and during this cold break it is
very important that there is enough precipitation as possible.
This can be done through rapid wort cooling. You will force cool
the wort at 50 degrees F; this will create the break you are
looking for, with a precipitation of 32 to 41 degrees F. Cooling
the wort until it is slushy is best, this will reduce the need for
clarifying agents.
Then, when
fermentation takes places there are a few different physical
changes that happen and this can produce particles. First the
yeast reproduction creates more yeast cells and a lower pH that
facilitates the interaction of protein and poly phenols. When the
alcohol level is increased the viscosity is decreased. The longer
you wait to drink the beer the clearer the beer will be.
The best clarifying
agent to use is Irish moss; it is seaweed that is gathered along
the North Atlantic. Sometimes it is also called carrageen because
this is the active ingredient. Use 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons of
wort, added during the last 15 minutes of the boiling process.
There is also a similar product called Whirlfloc that comes in a
tablet and you use 1 per 5 gallons.
Using any of these
methods will help to produce a clearer beer that also has more
appeal.
Article Source:
http://www.beermaven.com |
