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Some updated thoughts on beer clarity/fining agents..


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#21 HVB

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Posted 19 September 2017 - 07:00 PM

Thanks Drez, good info here.

Another dumb question: is the 1-L jug of Biofine ready to use, right out of the jug?

Just give the jug a good shake, dose out the needed amount of Biofine, and go?


Yes good to go. Measure, dump, recap and Done!

#22 Bklmt2000

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Posted 19 September 2017 - 07:02 PM

Yes good to go. Measure, dump, recap and Done!

 

Awesome-sauce.  I just pulled the trigger on the 1-L jug from AiH.

 

I will (eventually) get KenLenard-clearTM beer, so help me. 



#23 Big Nake

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Posted 19 September 2017 - 07:07 PM

Awesome-sauce.  I just pulled the trigger on the 1-L jug from AiH.
 
I will (eventually) get KenLenard-clearTM beer, so help me.

You'll owe me some royalties for the name but it's pretty reasonable. :P

My only conclusion is that gel solution is doing something for me based on some other part of my process, my water, etc. That's not to say that BioFine wouldn't work better for me but my beers have been really clear lately so I have no idea if it's brewtan, whirfloc, water composition, pH, etc. but I should just stick with gel solution... it works for me.

#24 Bklmt2000

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Posted 19 September 2017 - 08:29 PM

My only conclusion is that gel solution is doing something for me based on some other part of my process, my water, etc. That's not to say that BioFine wouldn't work better for me but my beers have been really clear lately so I have no idea if it's brewtan, whirfloc, water composition, pH, etc. but I should just stick with gel solution... it works for me.

 

I think this hits at the heart of homebrewing: do what you know works for you, your water, your process, etc. that produces the beer you want to drink.

 

Would Biofine work for you? Maybe.  But if you're happy with your results (and we've seen the pics, your process works well), and the answer is "yes", I'd say don't change what's working for you, which is gel.

 

In my case, I have some confounding issues that need hammering out.  Could gel be one?  Again, maybe. 

 

Again in my case, I will revamp/rethink some of my processes, so that I can get beers that are bright, yet hoppy as hell, without trading one for the other.

 

My Holy Grail is to make a beer that is as hoppy as Pliny the Elder that looks like a filtered pilsner.



#25 Big Nake

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Posted 20 September 2017 - 05:47 AM

Remember too that I used that WilliamsWarn clarifier which is similar to BioFine in its makeup (colloidal silicon dioxide solution) and while I eventually got it to work decently, I never got it to work as well as gel solution does for me. But again, my beers are at cellar temp when I transfer to a keg and the beer gets cold after that. So someone who transfers to a keg with beer already cold and uses BioFine (or this WW stuff) and drops the clarifier into the keg first... they may have much better results than I would by adding it afterwards and stirring it in. Yes, I could chill the beer prior to kegging it but why do that when I seem to have my own personal answer?

On the topic of hoppy beers that are clear... you have a challenge. Drez says that BioFine clears well without compromising hop character so that's a really good start. I'm lucky that my "hoppy" beers are nothing like what you guys would consider HOPPY so if gel does strip out hop character, it's not really killing me.

#26 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 20 September 2017 - 03:17 PM

My buddies use biofine at their brewery. They love it. I've never had a non clear beer from them. They rack beer from the conical into a keg with the biofine in it, then they use co2 to to circulate the biofine/beer solution for a few minutes. Clear beer within hours. Caveat is that the beer needs to be 34 to work really well.

#27 Bklmt2000

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Posted 20 September 2017 - 07:17 PM

My buddies use biofine at their brewery. They love it. I've never had a non clear beer from them. They rack beer from the conical into a keg with the biofine in it, then they use co2 to to circulate the biofine/beer solution for a few minutes. Clear beer within hours. Caveat is that the beer needs to be 34 to work really well.

 

Good info, thanks Schwanz!  :frank:



#28 MyaCullen

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Posted 21 September 2017 - 07:15 AM

Obligatory.... Biofine

$5 a batch is pretty steep



#29 Bklmt2000

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Posted 21 September 2017 - 07:27 AM

A 1-L bottle set me back a little less than $50; let's call it $50 in round numbers.

 

My research indicates that a dosage of between 5 and 8 mL seems to be what people are saying is the most effective for a 5-gallon batch.

 

So, if that's the case, one could expect to get b/w 125 - 8mL doses and 200 - 5mL doses per liter.

 

and if that's the case, then the cost/batch would be between $0.25 and $0.40, depending on the dose.



#30 MyaCullen

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Posted 21 September 2017 - 07:50 AM

A 1-L bottle set me back a little less than $50; let's call it $50 in round numbers.

 

My research indicates that a dosage of between 5 and 8 mL seems to be what people are saying is the most effective for a 5-gallon batch.

 

So, if that's the case, one could expect to get b/w 125 - 8mL doses and 200 - 5mL doses per liter.

 

and if that's the case, then the cost/batch would be between $0.25 and $0.40, depending on the dose.

now I'm listening!!!

 

that is borderline cheaper than gelatin


Edited by miccullen, 21 September 2017 - 07:52 AM.


#31 Bklmt2000

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Posted 21 September 2017 - 07:55 AM

now I'm listening!!!

 

:D I thought the same thing you did earlier; when I first started looking at Biofine, all I saw were the 1 or 4 fl oz bottles, and I agree completely, they are mucho spendy.

 

Link to the AiH 1-L Biofine jug:  https://www.homebrew...ter_p_5749.html



#32 denny

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Posted 21 September 2017 - 01:42 PM

I contacted the manufacturer of Whirlfloc. The head Chemist recommends 5 minutes. 1 tab is good for 12 gal.

#33 Bklmt2000

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Posted 21 September 2017 - 04:00 PM

Thanks Denny, much appreciated.  I figured I was doing at least one thing wrong, and this ices it.

 

Never too soon to re-evaluate one's brewing process, yeah?



#34 neddles

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Posted 21 September 2017 - 04:38 PM

I contacted the manufacturer of Whirlfloc. The head Chemist recommends 5 minutes. 1 tab is good for 12 gal.

Thanks for that. Ive seen way too many different recommendations. Been using 10 minutes and a full tab forever.

#35 positiveContact

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Posted 22 September 2017 - 07:57 AM

I contacted the manufacturer of Whirlfloc. The head Chemist recommends 5 minutes. 1 tab is good for 12 gal.

 

that's exactly what I do.  I must have gotten good info from somewhere.



#36 positiveContact

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Posted 22 September 2017 - 08:03 AM

I use WF and brewtan-b.  here is a wheat beer I've had on tap for a while.  it's been about this clear after probably a month or so and it still has hops in the keg.

 

it's pretty humid right now so the glass started sweating right away but I assure this is crystal clear beer.

 

q5qIklH.jpg



#37 positiveContact

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Posted 22 September 2017 - 08:12 AM

part of the problem is my phone tried to focus on the background.  I swear this beer is clear!



#38 denny

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Posted 22 September 2017 - 08:52 AM

Yeah, I've found that BTB, whirlfloc and cold crashing give me crystal clear beer.



#39 positiveContact

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Posted 22 September 2017 - 09:06 AM

Yeah, I've found that BTB, whirlfloc and cold crashing give me crystal clear beer.

 

it could just be a matter of how fast people want stuff to clear.  I'm okay with some initial non-clear beer if it tastes good.



#40 MyaCullen

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Posted 22 September 2017 - 09:56 AM

that's exactly what I do.  I must have gotten good info from somewhere.

I've been using 7 minutes and half tabs, which I thought was a recommendation from the old GB




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