Beer just refuses to clear.

marshbrewer · Dec 15, 2018

I bottled an ESB several weeks ago, and it was as clear as a bell. It went cloudy during carbing, which is fairly normal, bit now is steadfastly refusing to clear, with just an inch or so of clear beer in the top of each bottle. The beer tastes fine, if a little yeasty, so I don't think it's infected. Any ideas what could have caused this?

xozzx · Dec 15, 2018

How long have you had it in the cold? How cold you got it?

marshbrewer · Dec 15, 2018

Just checked my brewing records, and its only 3 weeks @ garage temps, so between 1° and 10°- thought it was much longer! Probably needs a bit longer.

xozzx · Dec 15, 2018

jjsh said:
Just checked my brewing records, and its only 3 weeks @ garage temps, so between 1° and 10°- thought it was much longer! Probably needs a bit longer.

3 weeks < 10C should be enough to clear it. Did you use a different yeast from normal? Maybe a wheat beer yeast would not clear easily?

marshbrewer · Dec 15, 2018

Normal mash, and it was clear as a bell going into the bottle, it's just become cloudy after carbing up.

Martybhoy · Dec 16, 2018

If you're storing it between 1° and 10°C, could it be chill haze?

What was the grain bill?

terrym · Dec 16, 2018

You could compare one bottle at room temperature, one at cellar temp say 13*C, and put another in the fridge to see what that does.

marshbrewer · Dec 16, 2018

Right, I've brought one in to gradually warm up to room temperature, so we'll see what happens.

The grain bill was;

4 kg - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (80%)
0.5 kg - German - Munich Light (10%)
200 g - United Kingdom - Crystal 60L (4%)
100 g - Flaked Barley (2%)
200 g - United Kingdom - Extra Dark Crystal 120L (4%)

Martybhoy · Dec 16, 2018

The flaked barley will produce haze easily. Have you used it before? I avoid it in anything other than dark beers.

peebee · Dec 16, 2018

A chill haze would seem likely. But what @terrym didn't say is a chill haze may take a while to disappear when warmed - the haze is protein matter coming out of solution and it doesn't necessarily dissolve back in again readily. "Lagering" is a process to stabilise beer against chill have (and for other things) and it was done over long periods giving time for the haze to settle. "Cold conditioning" is performed on beers other than lager for the same reason. If warming it to room temperature does work, you can expect the haze back if you cool the beer again.

You may have to just accept cloudy beer until it has settled long enough in the cold (which might be months).

A less traumatic reason is the cold beer is not going to condition quickly and the yeast haze, which you have said is accepted as "normal", is not clearing quick because the cold apathetic yeast hasn't given up yet.

If it is an "infection", which you should never presume until it's obvious (beer tastes filthy), it'll let you know soon enough. If it is an "infection" and you are very lucky, it might even be improving the beer (these "funky" wild fermentations are all the rage at the moment).

marshbrewer · Dec 16, 2018

Sorry, should have clarified; the bottles were kept at 20° for 2 weeks to carb up, then 3+ weeks at garage temps to condition. This us my usual procedure.

I have been using flaked barley for a while, and haven't had this problem before, although I am aware it has a reputation for causing cloudy beer. I started using it instead of torrified wheat that I felt gave a sort of shredded wheat hint to my beer that I wasn't a big fan of.

The bottle I've brought in does appear to be clearing.....

marshbrewer · Dec 16, 2018

Ok, after a while in our house at around 20°, or started to clear and I was able to pour 3/4 if a bottle of clear beer, which tasted good. One straight out of the garage was totally hazy and tested not so good. It's obviously a beer that doesn't suit being served cold, chill haze aside.

It's a fairly strong ale, north of 6%, so if I leave it alone for several months, will the chill haze clear, or will it always be hazy?

peebee · Dec 16, 2018

Leave it alone, undisturbed and in the cold, and it should clear. Eventually the haze particles will pack down on the bottom where they won't re-dissolve with a bit of warmth. For the future: I understand copper finings (Irish Moss, Protofloc, etc.) are good at removing chill haze forming proteins well before they become a problem. I didn't think chill haze had any effect on flavour, but it might come with an over-riding perception that the beer is below par?

But I'm not the person to best advise on chill haze. I only brew one or two beers a year that I might serve cool enough to be in the realms of chill haze. For most of my beer I consider 12C "too cold".

Beer just refuses to clear.

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