87 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

Hope it works as good for you as it does for me.

I plan to use it the same way I use gel which is in the keg, cold but not carbed. I guess I will follow your suggestion and use 1-2 tbsp per 5 gallons and see how it goes.

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

I found it last night on Amazon for $21 a liter. Williamswarn brand. The MJ yeast resists gel precipitation for some reason. I'm ready to pull the trigger on this stuff. Thanks Drez

httpss://www.amazon.com/WilliamsWarn-Clarification-Agent-Home-Brewing/dp/B00N37FIRM/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496961587&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=silicon+dioxide+beer+clarifier

Interested in picking up some this. What is the shelf life of this fining agent?

[Big Nake]

Interested in picking up some this. What is the shelf life of this fining agent?

Someone in the comment section said that they were still using it a year after buying it and it still worked very well. I remember some stuff they used to have that should be kept refrigerated but I think this stuff stays at room temp, dark, cool, etc. Maybe Drez can add more.

[HVB]

Someone in the comment section said that they were still using it a year after buying it and it still worked very well. I remember some stuff they used to have that should be kept refrigerated but I think this stuff stays at room temp, dark, cool, etc. Maybe Drez can add more.

I keep mine in the fridge.  I know shelf life is 24 months un-opened, not sure opened but I do not have any concerns but maybe I should.

[Big Nake]

Someone in the comment section also said to keep it at room temp and I think I read somewhere not to allow it to drop below 40°. Of course we could be talking about completely different products but when this stuff arrives I will be checking the label for proper usage and storage information. One person said to use a tablespoon for 5 gallons and another said 1 fl ounce (30ml). That's a big difference. I'll also assume that the best usage is on cold, flat beer in the keg.

[HVB]

Someone in the comment section also said to keep it at room temp and I think I read somewhere not to allow it to drop below 40°. Of course we could be talking about completely different products but when this stuff arrives I will be checking the label for proper usage and storage information. One person said to use a tablespoon for 5 gallons and another said 1 fl ounce (30ml). That's a big difference. I'll also assume that the best usage is on cold, flat beer in the keg.

What I have always seen is " between 1/4 tsp and 2 tbls".  I can tell you from experience that I tend to use 1t in non-hoppy beers and 2T in hoppy beers to make them clear.

[Big Nake]

My WilliamsWarn clarifier arrived yesterday. I also happened to keg this amber ale yesterday so I allowed it to chill overnight and this morning I would ordinarily prepare a gel solution. Instead I used the clarifier. The label says to use approximately 1ml of clarifier for every liter of "beverage". I thought that 20ml was a lot so I just poured what looked like about 1-2 tbsp. in there and called it good. I started the carb and on Tuesday this keg would be ready. I'll pull a glass or two out of the keg with a cobra tap and see how the clarifier worked. If the beer is not clear I'll add more clarifier so I have a feel for how much to use in the future. Also, the label on the clarifier says nothing about keeping it cold. There is a sticker of some kind (like a barcode) on the front of the container but I can see through it and underneath it says not to allow the clarifier to get below 5°C or 40°F. So it's just sitting on the shelf in my beer bunker. In other news, the MJ's M76 yeast is "in transit" and will arrive "between June 29 and July 11" and is being shipped by "Royal Mail". WTH. That doesn't sound very good with respect to yeast. Will dry yeast be okay on what sounds like a "journey"?

[neddles]

20ml = 1.35 tbsp.

[Big Nake]

20ml = 1.35 tbsp.

 

20ml seemed like a lot more than that.  Okay, so I'm on the right track hopefully.  Also, I'll just say that my beers over the past year have really been clear.  This stuff would have to be magic to clear the beer better than a gel solution but I am optimistic and you can't beat the convenience.  It could be the Brewtan or the fact that I switched over to using gel solution in the keg when the beer is cold that has made the difference lately.  I will report back. 

[neddles]

 

20ml seemed like a lot more than that.  Okay, so I'm on the right track hopefully.  Also, I'll just say that my beers over the past year have really been clear.  This stuff would have to be magic to clear the beer better than a gel solution but I am optimistic and you can't beat the convenience.  It could be the Brewtan or the fact that I switched over to using gel solution in the keg when the beer is cold that has made the difference lately.  I will report back. 

I can't tell a difference in results with gelatin and Biofine. Biofine is more convenient to use.

[Big Nake]

I can't tell a difference in results with gelatin and Biofine. Biofine is more convenient to use.

Are you adding it to cold beer in the keg? How much are you using for 5 gallons? If it works the same then I guess the benefit would be convenience and time-saving. I assume it's more expensive since gel is cheap but I think I would take the convenience factor.

[neddles]

I add it to cold beer in the keg. 15ml/1 tbsp. usually gets the job done. If not I can still add a second one without going over the recommended amount. Not sure If I have needed to do that though.

 

I like it for quick convenient clearing of a beer I am going to dry hop. I close transfer to a keg, get it cold for a few days minimum and then with the gas on about 5-10 psi I will unscrew the PRV and inject via syringe the biofine while CO2 is being forced out the PRV hole. Replace the PRV and keep it cold until it clears and then close transfer to a keg with waiting dry hops.

 

Im pretty sure at this point that hop stripping issues I have had in the past were due to dry hopping while there was still some yeast present. Add the gel or biofine at that point and you will lose some hop goodness with it and may need to dry hop again.

Edited by neddles, 11 June 2017 - 09:07 AM.

[Big Nake]

LOL, I changed the title to reflect the derailment into biofine talk.

I did that because tonight I'm going to sample this amber ale where I used the WilliamsWarn clarifier for the first time. Lately it's gone like this: Beer #1 from the tap is quite cloudy. Beer #2 is noticeably clearer and I consider it pretty much GOOD from that point on. If this stuff is equal to a gel solution then I should see something like that tonight. If it goes past beer 2 or 3 and it's still cloudy, I will BOO! very loudly. More later...

[HVB]

LOL, I changed the title to reflect the derailment into biofine talk.

I did that because tonight I'm going to sample this amber ale where I used the WilliamsWarn clarifier for the first time. Lately it's gone like this: Beer #1 from the tap is quite cloudy. Beer #2 is noticeably clearer and I consider it pretty much GOOD from that point on. If this stuff is equal to a gel solution then I should see something like that tonight. If it goes past beer 2 or 3 and it's still cloudy, I will BOO! very loudly. More later...

You can boo but there is no denying that it is easier than gel.

[Big Nake]

You can boo but there is no denying that it is easier than gel.

Easier but not as effective = boo to me. I want clear beer and I'm used to preparing gel so I don't consider it difficult or inconvenient. Now if the biofine works as well or better, then it's all good. I will report back.

In other news, my Mangrove Jack's M76 dry Bavarian lager yeast arrived today from a place called 24/7 Homebrew in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. They threw in a little packet of some sort of powdered sanitizer too. I threw the yeast in the fridge and I will brew with it at some point. I plan to just pitch both packets into a 5 gallon batch of beer and see how it goes. I know that I got very good results with just ONE pack of S-189 but it seems like Chils and others have mentioned some lag in the MJ yeasts so I'm using it ALL in one batch with the hope of using it on 3-4 batches total. Cheers.

[HVB]

Easier but not as effective = boo to me. I want clear beer and I'm used to preparing gel so I don't consider it difficult or inconvenient. Now if the biofine works as well or better, then it's all good. I will report back.

How much did you use?  I would assume, from my experience you should be clear in 3 pints.

 

https://www.brews-br...pint/?p=2532074

[Big Nake]

I was in a hurry so I poured what looked like about 2 tbsp. in there. The directions say 1ml per gallon of beverage and neddles set me straight that 20ml is about 1.35 tbsp. so I used the right amount or possibly a smidge more. We shall see.

[Steve Urquell]

Ken, I got my MJ yeast from Ritebrew. They have the cheapest shipping on little stuff like this--I think ~$1.

[Big Nake]

I was reading some homebrewer reviews and many people have mentioned that the MJ yeast is slow to start. One guy mentioned rehydrating two packs of this M76 in 200ml of boiled/cooled water and letting it sit for 15 minutes and then "pitching the entire cream" into a 1.053 helles. He said that over 48 hours went by with no activity.

[Big Nake]

Okay, glass number one of amber ale is underway and there are two good signs. Number 1 is that the beer is delicious. This is the one I dropped some late NUGGET pellets into. Really nice flavor... I'm happy with it. Number 2 is that this first glass is really cloudy. When the first glass is really cloudy you assume it's because so much sludge has been dragged down by whatever fining agent you used. More later...