How often do you folks use irish moss? The only time I have had a recipe
call for it was in an oatmeal stout I made last fall. Should I be useing more?
shm 56,
irish moss is all i use, 15 minutes before flameout. i do NOT re-hydrate it beforehand and have been wondering if i am not getting the full benefit from it. :?
I think it was BYO that had an experiment with identical beers. One used irish moss and one didn’t Eventually they both cleared to the same extent, but the one with the moss cleared much faster. I always use it unless I’m making a hefe, but I don’t think it’s a big deal either way.
I have been considering using Irish Moss because I have brewed a few beers which lack clarity. However, I have read many people say since Irish Moss coagulates the proteins, it could potentially impact the head retention you get on your beer. Also in Palmer’s “How To Brew” book he recommends not using Irish Moss for extract-based worts (P. 279).
Currently, I have decided not to use Irish Moss because I only brew extract beers.
Cheers!
Irish moss by nature is used in the kettle the last 10 minutes of the boil. It will settle out the proteins in suspension. Even if you use it on a Hefeweizen, it won’t make much difference since the yeast used will be a low flocculating type.
At this point, (post fermentation), the moss addition will have had no effect, and the yeast is what is causing the haze.
