I do BIAB. For a few years now, I am not terribly diligent in fast-chilling my wort after the boil. I used to do an immersion chill but got tired of leaks, circulation issues, and wasting water. I do a single ice water bath to get the wort cool enough to put in a plastic fermenter and then put in a beverage fridge to get to pitch temp.
no issues with infection or oxidation. However, I’m wondering if the slow cool down affects beer clarity and, if it does, whether it’s temporary or if it creates a sustained degree of cloudiness.
the reason. I ask is because I brew a lot of lagers and I can get them to clarify but not quite to the level I’d like and this question is part of my troubleshooting process. I appreciate any commentary or advice.
‘No chill’ brewing can cause clarity issues as rapid cooling promotes the cold break and proteins and Polyphenols settling out. Also, do you use any cold side finings? Cold crash?
Not sure what you do about water, but correct pH during mash and sparge go a LONG way in final clarity.
Thanks. I use whirlfloc at the 15 minute mark and also cold crash for at least 48 hours before kegging. I don’t get this problem to the same degree when making ales, but lagers are proving to be a tougher nut to crack when it comes tO clarity. Gelatin does help some but not completely.
Also, I don’t measure mash ph because I ended up breaking two ph meters and I grew tired of dealing with them. I use beersmith to estimate ph and will adjust with salts or use acid malt depending on malt bill.
Gelatin should help, along with the cold crash. I use Bru’n water for my water additions. I’ve played around with Beersmith water calc and it gave me different values. I used to check my pH but Bru’n water ALWAYS had it within .01 of my target so I no longer bother.
You say you deal with this more with lagers than ales. Often, we use different mash temps with these two. What are your mash rests for lagers? I’ve ran across higher protein malts that wreak havoc on clarity with lagers.
Start with your mash pH to ensure you’re getting complete conversion. Any unconverted starches are going to cause haze.
In regards to mash and ales vs. lagers- often lagers are mashed at lower temps, to ensure a ‘drier’ finish for drinkability. However, these lower temps can slow conversion. And, some malts are higher protein, not just floor malted grains. Not all malts are ‘hot’ malts and highly modified.
