MyQul
Chairman of the Bored
I've always had a problem getting really clear beer. It's not a massive problem but I do think a clear beer in nice glassware makes for a really appetising looking beer.
Near the end of last year I made a wherry. I swapped out the yeast for MJ liberty bell and used my brew bag to ferment it cool at 17C. The brewbag is huge so needs to go on the kitchen floor. As I have a bad back and cant lift a full FV so I racked the beer after it had finshed fermenting to a couple of 10L FV's with the intention of packaging the next day. Being as lazy as I am I then couldnt be bothered to do it the following day so did it the following week. When it came to bottling I was suprised at how clear it was ad how much yeast was in the bottom of the secondary. Then when I came to drink it, it was crystal clear as if it had been filtered or something. I thought that perhaps because the wort had been proffesionally made by muntons this may have had something to do with it or was it because I used a flocculant yeast (MJ Liberty Bell seems to be very English in that its quite flocculant) and racked to a secondary and left it for a week before packaging
I thought I'd have a go again doing a similar thing but with my next AG beer to try to find out which one it was. So I used a flocculant yeast again (MJ CaliLager, as I was making a pseudo lager/steam type beer) and racked to a secondary and left it for a week. When I racked it to a secondary it was fairly clear but not crystal clear so things were looking hopeful.
I've just packaged the beer into growlers and some clear bottles and it's extremely c clear now, I think by the time it's carbed up and ready to drink it should be crystal clear. So it proved it wasn't the proffesionally produced wort. But the methods.
There are of course lots of different way to get your beer clear such as adding gelatine (I cant because I'm vegetarian) or other post kettle clearing agents like polyclar/ inisglass or cold crashing your beer (I dont have a brew fridge or really an outside space to CC during the winter) But this is a really easy and low tech way to do it and is definatley the way forward for me for pale ales from now on. :)
If any one else wants to try this out I also suggest making sure you use kettle finings too (irish moss/whirlfloc/protafloc which is what I use). For flocculant dried yeast, Nottingham/Gervin Ale/Wilko ale yeast or Mangrove Jack Californian Lager yeast if your after something more clean or Mangrove Jacks Libery Bell/Mangrove Jacks Empire Ale if you want a more English style yeast for Bitters etc
Near the end of last year I made a wherry. I swapped out the yeast for MJ liberty bell and used my brew bag to ferment it cool at 17C. The brewbag is huge so needs to go on the kitchen floor. As I have a bad back and cant lift a full FV so I racked the beer after it had finshed fermenting to a couple of 10L FV's with the intention of packaging the next day. Being as lazy as I am I then couldnt be bothered to do it the following day so did it the following week. When it came to bottling I was suprised at how clear it was ad how much yeast was in the bottom of the secondary. Then when I came to drink it, it was crystal clear as if it had been filtered or something. I thought that perhaps because the wort had been proffesionally made by muntons this may have had something to do with it or was it because I used a flocculant yeast (MJ Liberty Bell seems to be very English in that its quite flocculant) and racked to a secondary and left it for a week before packaging
I thought I'd have a go again doing a similar thing but with my next AG beer to try to find out which one it was. So I used a flocculant yeast again (MJ CaliLager, as I was making a pseudo lager/steam type beer) and racked to a secondary and left it for a week. When I racked it to a secondary it was fairly clear but not crystal clear so things were looking hopeful.
I've just packaged the beer into growlers and some clear bottles and it's extremely c clear now, I think by the time it's carbed up and ready to drink it should be crystal clear. So it proved it wasn't the proffesionally produced wort. But the methods.
There are of course lots of different way to get your beer clear such as adding gelatine (I cant because I'm vegetarian) or other post kettle clearing agents like polyclar/ inisglass or cold crashing your beer (I dont have a brew fridge or really an outside space to CC during the winter) But this is a really easy and low tech way to do it and is definatley the way forward for me for pale ales from now on. :)
If any one else wants to try this out I also suggest making sure you use kettle finings too (irish moss/whirlfloc/protafloc which is what I use). For flocculant dried yeast, Nottingham/Gervin Ale/Wilko ale yeast or Mangrove Jack Californian Lager yeast if your after something more clean or Mangrove Jacks Libery Bell/Mangrove Jacks Empire Ale if you want a more English style yeast for Bitters etc