Author: Marshall Schott
Some people seem to take pride in the fact their homebrew is hazy, usually alluding to the idea that the haze contributes greatly to the overall character of the beer, that it’s something all homebrewers should be proud of, as it symbolizes it was made by hand.
I’m not one of these people. At all.
One reason I don’t prefer hazy beer is that I enjoy sleeping next to my wife, though only slightly less important is the fact bright beer always tastes better to me. Even styles that allow for some cloudiness, like Saison, I still tend to prefer once they’ve dropped clear. I accept that my eyes may be biasing my taste buds. I have a feeling the sentiment that hazy beer is good comes solely from the reality that producing crystal clear beer can be a pain in the ass requiring either a filtering contraption or more time than most of us are interested in giving.
Brewers have developed numerous strategies for battling this annoying issue such as protein rests and using kettle finings like Irish Moss/Whirlfloc. My typical process includes the latter as a matter of course, even so, I still occasionally produce annoyingly hazy beer. I often use highly flocculant yeasts, cold crash, leave about an inch of beer in the carboy post racking, and wait a few days before tapping carbonated kegs in an attempt to pull clear beer from my taps. This usually does the trick, though as I’m sure many can relate, there are instances where a beer simply refuses to drop clear even after weeks in a cool environment. The culprit here is often chill haze, which very simply put, occurs when proteins in the beer come together as the temperature decreases, thereby increasing the opacity of the liquid; if you’ve ever let a hazy beer warm up and noticed it became very clear, you’ve experienced chill haze.
A couple years ago, I started hearing about brewers who routinely used gelatin to fine their beer, many swore it worked like magic, while others noticed little impact at all. I was intrigued, but too lazy to try it out for myself, as the large majority of my beers would clear up within 1-2 weeks of being kegged. It wasn’t until a few buddies and I brewed the same beer using the same exact recipe using our usual methods that I was inspired to try gelatin for myself. Brad, one of the five participants in the Brewer’s Thumbprint xBmt, was the only brewer to use gelatin to fine and his beer came out with commercial clarity, all the others were hazy as hell. I hit the web and discovered that while gelatin did seem to help with beer clarity, some folks complained it also reduced hop character in their beers, arguing that the aromatic oils were pulled out of suspension along with the haze producing compounds. It was time for me to put it to the test!
| PURPOSE |
To investigate the qualitative differences between a beer fined with gelatin and one receiving no post-boil fining.
| METHOD |
I’d been wanting to make a hoppy American Pale Ale mashed low and fermented with WLP002 for awhile, I figured this was as good a time as ever.
To Clear Or Not To Clear Pale Ale
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 gal | 60 min | 41.2 IBUs | 4.9 SRM | 1.051 | 1.013 | 4.9 % |
| Actuals | 1.051 | 1.014 | 4.9 % | |||
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pilsner (2 Row) Ger | 6 lbs | 58.18 |
| Pale Malt (2 Row) US | 2.312 lbs | 22.42 |
| Vienna Malt | 1 lbs | 9.7 |
| Honey Malt | 8 oz | 4.85 |
| White Wheat Malt | 8 oz | 4.85 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy | 5 g | 60 min | First Wort | Pellet | 15 |
| Galaxy | 13 g | 25 min | Boil | Pellet | 15 |
| Columbus (Tomahawk) | 7 g | 5 min | Boil | Pellet | 12.9 |
| Columbus (Tomahawk) | 15 g | 15 min | Aroma | Pellet | 12.9 |
| Galaxy | 15 g | 15 min | Aroma | Pellet | 15 |
| Mosaic | 9 g | 15 min | Aroma | Pellet | 11.5 |
| Galaxy | 28 g | 5 days | Dry Hop | Pellet | 15 |
| Columbus (Tomahawk) | 20 g | 5 days | Dry Hop | Pellet | 12.9 |
| Mosaic | 19 g | 5 days | Dry Hop | Pellet | 11.5 |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Ale (WLP002) | White Labs | 67% | 65°F - 68°F |
Notes
| Water Profile: Yellow Bitter in Bru’n Water Spreadsheet |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |
The wort was produced using my typical 10 gallon batch sparge routine.
The boil happened, hops were added, the wort was chilled quickly with my JaDeD Hydra IC, carboys were filled and placed in my fermentation chamber, the yeast was pitched, and The Black Box was set to control the temperature to 65°F in order to suppress ester formation. After about 5 days, the krausen began to fall, fermentation activity was slowing, and I was nearing my target FG- it was time to dry hop.
A couple days later, I pulled hydrometer samples from both beers and confirmed they had reached FG.
Up until this point, both beers had been treated exactly the same, it wouldn’t be like this for long. Prior to starting this xBmt, I’d read a few different ways people fine with gelatin, many seemed to prefer using it in the keg while others advocated for racking the beer to a secondary carboy and adding the gelatin to that. I chose a slightly different method, one that required very little in the way of changing my normal routine.
Step 1: Cold crash beer until it is below 50°F. I turned my regulator down one night and it was at 45°F the next morning.
Step 2: Make gelatin solution. I followed my friend Brad’s method of combining 1/2 tsp Knox Unflavored Gelatin with 1/4 cup cool water then microwaving it in short (7 second) bursts until it reached 145-150°F, stirring with the end of a thermometer between each burst.
Step 3: Add gelatin solution to primary.
That’s all I did. I let the beers continue crashing to 32°F, which they were at by that evening, then let them sit an additional 32 hours or so. Packaging time came and both carboys were moved to a table, this is when I noticed an interesting difference in the appearance of the trub layer.
I’m not sure if it was caused by the gelatin or not, but I’ve never seen such a chunky layer of trub. I wondered if this might have been caused by the coagulating effect of the gelatin. Each beer was kegged using my standard procedure, at this point they both looked very similar.
The full kegs were placed in my keezer and left alone to carbonate for… errr… I was too excited to see if the gelatin worked and pulled some samples after only a day in the keg.
Okay, I’ve been thinking about how to approach writing about this next part. I usually try to save any discussion of differences for the results section, but since the primary reason people use gelatin is for clarity, any pics would reveal that difference before the results are presented, assuming it worked. Well…
It worked. It worked real good. It worked so good I almost couldn’t believe it.
I let the beers sit in the keezer for another 5 days before sharing them with tasting panel participants, mainly to allow them to finish carbonating, but I also wanted to give the batch that wasn’t fined with gelatin a fighting chance. The time definitely helped one of the beers…
The difference in appearance only became more stark, with the gelatin fined beer dropping as bright as any commercially filtered beer I’ve seen, while the non-gelatin beer was super hazy, hazier than most beers I make, something I attribute to the 2 oz dry hop charge. They didn’t even look like the same beer, how would they compare in terms of aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel?
| RESULTS |
In total, twelve people participated in the tasting panel, all were blind to the nature of the xBmt. To reduce the chances of bias due to the obvious differences in appearance, I opted to provide samples in scientifically engineered opaque polystyrene vessels. Each taster was presented with 3 samples, 2 non-gelatin and 1 fined with gelatin, then asked to identify which one was different than the others. The participants who accurately selected the different beer were asked to complete another more detailed survey comparing only the 2 different beers, still unaware of the difference between them. Given the number of participants in this xBmt, 8 (p<0.05) would have had to accurately select the different beer in order to conclude that gelatin had a significant effect on the overall character of the beer. Of the 12 people on the tasting panel, only 5 accurately selected the gelatin-fined beer as being different than the others. While slightly more than chance (4 or 33%), not even half of the experienced panel of tasters were capable of distinguishing differences in aroma, flavor, or mouthfeel between the beers.
Despite the non-significant results from the triangle test, I thought some readers may find the information from the second survey, taken by the 5 participants who were accurate on the first survey, at least somewhat interesting.
Aroma
Three tasters preferred the aroma of the beer with no gelatin while the other 2 preferred the gelatin-fined beer; similarly, 3 tasters thought the aroma of the no gelatin beers was somewhat similar to the gelatin-fined beer, while the others perceived them as being not at all similar.
Flavor
Four tasters preferred the flavor of the no gelatin beer while the other taster perceived no detectable differences; in terms of similarity, 2 reported the beers were not at all similar, 2 thought they were somewhat similar, and 1 felt they were exactly the same.
Mouthfeel
Three tasters chose the no gelatin beer as having better mouthfeel white the others preferred the gelatin-fined beer; 3 tasters believed there to be some similarity between the beers, while the other 2 experienced them as being exactly the same.
Overall, the beer that was not fined with gelatin was preferred by 3 tasters and the gelatin-fined beer was preferred by 2 tasters. When asked to guess which beer was fined with gelatin, again from an opaque cup, 2 tasters chose correctly, 2 chose the no gelatin beer, and 1 selected no detectable differences.
My Impressions: First off, I really enjoyed this beer, the 002 imparted great malt character but not enough to drown out all the hops. I absolutely will be fermenting more American styles with this strain! As far as comparing the beers, I do believe I noticed some very slight differences between them. My experience, which was absolutely biased, matches that of the folks who claim fining with gelatin slightly reduces hop character, as the no-gelatin batch did seem to have the subtlest bit more hop aroma and perhaps a touch more body. But here’s the kicker:
I totally preferred the beer that was fined with gelatin!
Not only did I perceive the hop character as being mostly intact, but I experienced the beer as more crisp and refined, like a great commercial quality beer. Plus, it looked gorgeous!
| DISCUSSION |
I’ve used gelatin in most of the beers I’ve made since analyzing this data, it has worked amazingly well, clearing beers up within a day or so of being packaged. While anecdotal experience may differ, the results of this particular xBmt seem to indicate that fining with gelatin does not significantly impact the aroma, flavor, or mouthfeel of beer. And it’s damn cheap! I paid $10 for enough gelatin to fine over 100 batches of homebrew, as each packet is good for about 3.5 carboys worth of beer. If you’re looking to end your haze problems, this may be just the solution!
Something some of you may find important: gelatin is non-vegetarian, so if you are or you brew for someone who is, consider using another fining product such as Biofine Clear or Polyclar.
If you have any thoughts about this xBmt, please do not hesitate to share in the comments section below!
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284 thoughts on “exBEERiment | The Gelatin Effect: Impact Fining With Gelatin Has On An American Pale Ale”
Great Article. If anyone has read Dave Line’s book “Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy” First Published 1978 I think. He uses Gelatin as fining exclusively. Of course, in 1978 there were very little alternatives like we have today. I’ve used gelatin my entire career, great to see it’s making a comeback!
I might have missed it in the article but how was it added to the beer? Sprinkled, swirled around, or just dumped in? Thanks.
blended with water, heated up, then poured into the cold beer.
So I shouldn’t chill the gelatin solution back down before pouring into the beer?
Nope, just toss it in warm, let the beer cool it for you 🙂
I just added some to a stubborn best bitter that has been in the corny in the fridge for three weeks. Should I shake up the keg to mix the gelatin solution or just pour it in?
would have been interesting also to know if you did the test with clear glasses, if the bias would have affected the outcome of the test. should do another test with a beer, 1st as you did originally, then with the same people another test a day later with same beer in clear glasses to know if the clarity changes their opinions at all.. im sure it would , i understand why you did it blind to know about the affects of the clearing, but would also be interesting to know how the overall look of the beer affects their opinions, as I too Like a polished beer.. just feels better drinking it to me.. thanks for your efforts, good report.. cheers John Mundo Maya Brewing Company.
Are you concerned about getting an infection without boiling the water used to dilute the gelatin? Do you simply use regular filtered water and heat it up in the microwave?
No, not worried at all. I use unfiltered tap water.
When I fine with gelatin (and I usually do), I simple add ~5 more IBU(s) in the kettle to account for the expected loss in the glass. Pretty unscientific but that’s how I roll.
The presumed loss? Our testing seems to suggest there isn’t a perceptible loss.
Great info! Do you believe it to be OK to use a fining agent like Irish Moss in addition to using gelatin?
Totally.
I’m not sure if you answered this before nor have I seen this when I’ve looked through a portion of the comments.
Will gelatin powder in the packet pick up flavors from other spices and such? I’ve never used gelatin before, but am considering it now since I got into kegging. We have a few packets in our spice cabinet and the paper packet it sits in smells like some spices that were once next to it. Do you think that would carry over to the beer?
I kind of want to test it, but I don’t want to ruin a batch of beer for something so trivial.
I honestly don’t know if proximity to other spices will impact the gelatin’s flavor, as I keep mine in a cupboard dedicated to brewing supplies, but I’m highly doubtful it’s an issue.
Thanks for all your work, it’s much appreciated. Does the gelatin impact yeast washing afterward?
Not in my experience, not one bit.
Nice article. My experience as well.
Have you ever tried chitosan? One of my friends is vegan. I’m wondering what the dose would be for a 5 gal batch and it seems like 2g/liter is the standard for cocktails and wine.
I have not.
A little late here but chitosan is not vegan.
I would like to try fining in the fermenter after cold crashing, but because I use the SS Brew Bucket removing the lid to pour in the gelatin gives me pause… I worry about oxygenation affects from exposing the head space to air. What’s your thoughts on fining a bucket vs. carboy type fermentation vessels?
I’ve fined many times with Brew Buckets, I just try to be gentle.
Is nesesary Use boil sterilized water? Or just dechlorinated tap is fine?
Would you change anything in your process if bottling (aside from temperature adjusted priming sugar)?
Jay from Littleton
Nope, this method works fine for bottle conditioning.
I see this thread has become dormant. Wondering if you did a 2ndary rack. I do, and some beers clear perfectly, and some not. I, like you, prefer clear beer. I have a plate filter, but if a simple step like adding gelatin can make things easier, and less cleaning I’m all for it.
I just dug through this post a few days ago looking for the gelatin/water dose numbers. I do not use gelatin very often but am beginning to think it just will not hurt to clear up the beer. I have a bitter that would not drop clear after two months in the keg. London ESB yeast. I added gelatin, shook the keg well and let it sit 48 hours before I tapped a clearing pint. It definitely cleared the colloidal particles very nicely. I think it will clear up a bit more. Before hand, I put a sample under the microscope. There was still some yeast present – not nearly enough to cause the haze problem I was having. There was also a whole lot of colloidal material. I also had a pin cask with the same beer that I figured best to open up and add gelatin. Threw in some more primary sugar to make up for the loss of CO2. It will need to sit up for a week or two at ferm temp. Time will tell. I have only had this kind of problem with that particular English bitter recipe and that yeast. My typical procedure is to keg after primary and treat with gelatin (if I use it) and crash. Most of my beers clear up nicely on their own. I suppose it might be nice to push for a more brilliant clarity by using gelatin more often. After this last episode, I just might.
I’ve tried to find evidence that the “don’t boil it” advice had any scientific support and failed so far. The work that I found suggested no significant denaturation of gelatin up to boiling temperature. I find an atomic force microscope study that there was some sort of transition around 160F for collagen but they found no transition in that range for gelatin. Yet I read multiple beer exports claiming there’s a risk to loosing effectiveness if you over heat your gelatin. My wife who’s a great cook, and has microbiology and medical degrees, thinks that’s bunk.
Love the xbeeriments… I’m doing an AG Affligem Blonde clone right now that I plan to speise (and carbonate) directly in the keg a few weeks before hooking it up to CO2. Would you recommend crashing the keg and adding the gelatin a few days before speising it? Or would you add it after carbonating with speise, even though it would require bleeding off the CO2 from the headspace to add it, then hooking it up to CO2? I’m trying to simulate bottle conditioning but put it on tap. It’s a 10 gallon batch, so 5 will be treated as above, and the other 5 will go straight to force carbonation with no speise. Thoughts on this and how the two might differ, if at all?