Gelatin fining. Brilliant!

I have a confession to make.  I can’t brew a clear beer to save my life.  I probably shouldn’t care as long as it tastes good – but I do.

Ideally you want to fix haze problems before you get to the finished beer.

• Complete starch conversion.  Check.
• Vigorous boil.  Check.
• Whirlfloc (or Irish Moss).  Check.

The only thing I could think to do differently is to chill the beer all the way down to 40ºF before racking to the fermenter and pitching yeast.

Usually it will clear up on it’s own after 1-2 months in the keg but that’s a long wait.

What’s the fix?

A 25 cent packet of Knox Unflavored Gelatin.  Here’s how to use it.

1. Rack the beer off of the yeast to a keg (or secondary fermenter if bottling).
2. In a small saucepot bring 1 cup of water to a boil then remove from the heat.
3. Wait a couple of minutes for it to cool slightly.
4. Sprinkle your package of gelatin into the pot of water. Whisk to combine.
5. Pour into keg or fermenter.
6. Wait 3-5 days.  The beer should clear up nicely.

Other notes and warnings

• Make sure you don’t boil the gelatin.  It will turn into jello in your beer if you do.
• You might get a little sediment in the first pour from a keg.
• I usually keg and carbonate the beer first.  If it hasn’t cleared up by the time carbonation is done then I add the finings.  It wouldn’t hurt anything to use them earlier though.
• If you carbonate naturally – even in clear beer there will be enough yeast in suspension to get the job done.

If gelatin doesn’t work you could try stronger fining like Isinglass – or one that works on other types of haze like PVPP (Polyclar).  Gelatin normally does a fine job for me though.  It stores well for several years and is easy enough to find at almost any grocery store.  Both real pluses when the homebrew shop is closed.

The beer in the picture was fined with gelatin and went from almost completely opaque to not-quite-brilliantly clear in just a couple of days.  So give this quick fix a try the next time a case of haze has your homebrew looking not so nice.

Don't do this.

Believe it or not, there’s actually a technique to opening a bag of malt.  One that doesn’t involve utility knives, blood or cursing.  Really!

Opening the malt sack correctly leaves it less prone to spilling since more of the bag remains intact.  You also won’t end up with a bunch of loose threads and plastic pieces in your malt.  On top of all that you can impress your beer geek friends with this cool trick.

The operation basically involves finding the “key” thread that unravels the stitching holding the bag closed.  Some are more difficult than others, depending on the equipment used to close the bag.  Weyermann and Great Western are pretty easy.  Best Malz gave me some fits, but I eventually got it to work.

Step by Step

1. Set the sack on the floor with the writing up and facing you.
2. Locate the stitching that holds the sack closed.  Frequently it’s a different color.


Singe stitch side



Double stitch side

3. Note that the stitching on the front and back of the bag are different.   One side will have a single stitch while the other has 2 or 3 threads.
4. This part is a little different depending on the maltster.  Try starting on your right and cut the first couple of loops.  You should find one thread that will start unraveling the stitching.  Sometimes it’s a different color from the rest.
5. Be patient, it can be difficult to get started.  Try pulling each thread away from the bag, perpendicular-like.
6. Once you find it, this should happen:


The magic thread - single stitch side

Sometimes it pulls from the double-stitched side, like this:



The magic thread - double stitched side

7. Once you get to the end, all of the excess thread will pull away cleanly.
8. Admire your work.  You rock!


That's one clean sack!

It would be really swell if every bag opened the same way.  After all, you don’t want to fumble around when you’re supposed to be showing off.  If you need more practice, try volunteering down at the local brewery.  Show them this trick and you might get hired on the spot!

No hops for you!  Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get any cones this year.  After talking to a few people in the homebrew club it sounds like I’m having 2 problems.

Problem 1. Lack of nutrients

Apparently the tomato fertilizer I was using just didn’t get the job done.

Solution: With any luck amending the soil with some home-made compost will help and I’ll look around for an alternate fertilizer over the winter.

Problem 2. Lack of sunlight

The area where I planted the rhizomes doesn’t get a whole lot of direct sunlight.  I figured it would be ok since most vegetation just gets burned up in the intense summer heat we get here.

Solution: In the spring I’ll trim back more of the surrounding foliage and make sure it stays clear.

In a few weeks – when the temperature starts to drop further – I’ll cut away what’s left of the bines and cover the mounds with a little mulch.  With any luck the 2 bines that grew fairly well will be even stronger next season.

I also need to pick out 2 more varieties to replace the duds.  Right now I’m leaning towards Amarillo and maybe Summit.  If you have a suggestion for a type that handles hot weather I’d like to hear it.

Installing your own thru-wall thermometers and valves is easy - with the right tools!

This is one of those jobs that just sounds intimidating – after all you can’t exactly un-drill a big hole in the side of your expensive brew kettle.  But it’s actually fairly simple if you have the right tools.

Unless you have welding equipment – or want to search around for someone who does – then weldless fittings are the next easiest option for the do-it-yourself-er.

You can piece them together yourself but the pre-assembled ones seem to be about the same price.  Once the bulkhead is installed then you can add on whatever device you want – thermometers, pick-up tubes, sight glasses, etc.

As for leaks – I’ve installed several of them and had no problems.  There are a few tips further down that will help you get a leak-free fit on the first try.

So what equipment do you need to install one then?

Tools:

1. Drill

2. Stepped drill bit

3. Cutting Oil

4. File set

5. Hammer and Punch

6. Ruler

7. Permanent Pen

8. Safety glasses and gloves!  There will be lots of metal shavings.

The stepped drill bit lets you make multiple hole sizes from one bit and is the correct tool for this job.

The stepped drill bit is the only tool you might not have used before.  Its cone-shape allows you to make a variety of hole sizes with a single bit.  You could also use a hole saw, but I think this is a better option.  They’re kind of expensive at the big-box stores.  But you can get a fairly cheap set at the discount tool stores – like this one at Harbor Freight – that will be more than adequate for this task.

You will also need a small bottle of cutting oil to lubricate and cool the bit.  Most hardware and probably some automotive repair stores will have it.  Don’t try this without it.

Step by Step

Standard Disclaimer: Using tools is dangerous.  Wear your safety gear.  Don’t get metal shavings or oil in your eye.

Start by measuring the location of the hole.  For a valve/dip-tube setup you want to get as low as you can but make sure you’re above the down slope on the inside of the kettle so that the whole thing fits flush against the kettle wall.

You might want to mount a thermometer a little higher up so that it’s out of the flame.  If you have a small volume kettle consider mounting the thermometer to one side of the valve.  This way probe is sure to be submerged even if the kettle is only partially filled.  Don’t forget to account for the size of the dial before you drill! You don’t want it to interfere with the valve when installed.

There’s probably some clever way to transfer the measurement to the outside of the kettle but I just eyeballed it.

Mark the spot with a permanent marker and then use the hammer and punch to make a small indentation.  This will keep the drill bit from wandering on you.

You could make a small pilot hole with a regular drill bit (use one designed for metal!) but I didn’t find it necessary.

Align the drill bit and go to town.  You’ll need a fairly high speed and a firm pressure to get things going.  Once you start to make a little progress stop and add a few drops of oil to keep everything from overheating.

It will take awhile to get the hole started but once you get to the stepped portion the whole operation goes quite quickly.  If you start to get any smoke stop and apply a bit of oil.

For a 1/2″ bulkhead you’ll probably need a 7/8″ hole but stop 1 or 2 steps early to test fit.  It’s easier to drill out one more step than to deal with a hole that’s too big…

When the hole is the correct size use your files to clean up any burrs.  Then and clean up the metal shavings and use a soap and water to clean off the oil.

Finally, install your bulkhead.  It really only needs to be hand tight and then maybe 1/4 to 1/2 turn with a wrench.  The little o-ring shouldn’t be deformed.  Over-tightening is a big source of leaks.

And that’s pretty much it.  Depending on what type of device you’re adding there will probably be a few more bits to thread together but the hard part – which wasn’t really that hard – is done!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever actually verified that your hydrometer measures gravity accurately.

I never gave it much though either.

Then one day I was buying a couple of new hydrometers – to replace the several that I broke of course – and decided to give it a try.  Out of the box, one hydrometer was off by 2 points, the other by 3…

Hardly the end of the world, but when you’re trying to hit those gravity numbers exactly, the accuracy of your instruments is at least a little relevant.

Thermometers are even worse.

I have one of those long-stemmed kind, with the analog dial.  I use it for checking mash temperatures because it’s easy to move around in the mash and make sure the temperature is even throughout.  4 or 5 degrees difference is again sort of a big deal when you’re trying to hit a specific mash temperature.

I swear it needs to be calibrated every other time I use it.  Between getting bumped, stirred and just plain tossed around it’s almost always off when I check it.

So we know it’s something that needs to be done.  But how?  And how often?

Calibrating your instruments sounds like kind of a pain, but it’s actually pretty simple.

Hydrometers

These are the easiest because it only needs to be done once.  There’s no adjustment on the standard “glass with lead weight and paper scale” type.

Get a jug of distilled water from the grocery store – make sure it’s distilled, not spring or drinking water. The mineral and ion content will throw off the reading otherwise.

Next, check the calibration temperature on your hydrometer.  It’s usually 60ºF but it should be labeled somewhere on the scale.

Pour a sample of the distilled water into your hydrometer jar and make sure it’s at the correct temperature. Put it in the freezer or somewhere warm for a couple of minutes if not.  It needs to be pretty exact or the reading will be off.

Then just take a reading with the hydrometer.  It should read 1.000 exactly. If not just make a note of the difference and adjust your wort/beer readings accordingly.

Unless it becomes damaged, the hydrometer shouldn’t change from it’s original calibration.  So you should only need to test it once.

Refractometers

Just like the hydrometer.  Take a sample of distilled water at the calibration temperature – again usually 60ºF (the scale should show the temperature) and make sure it reads 0 Brix.

Many models have a calibration screw you can adjust if it’s incorrect.  If yours doesn’t then just make a note of the difference and apply it to future readings.

Thermometers

The standard way to check your thermometer is to put it in a cup of ice water, which should read 32ºF and then into a pot of boiling water which should read 212ºF (depending on your elevation above sea-level).

That never works for me.

When I set the dial to 32º in the ice water – boiling is off the scale.  Same thing happens when I do it the other way around.  Besides, I’m not trying to measure boiling or freezing- I want to measure things in between.

So I’ve found an even easier way. I bought a glass lab thermometer for $8 at the homebrew store.  This one I verified to within 2ºF at both freezing and boiling.

Now, when I’m heating the mash water at the beginning of the brew day I use the lab thermometer to take a reading at about 150ºF and then calibrate my other thermometers to that. Since I’m just waiting for the water to heat anyway there’s no extra time invested in making a quick check.

Testing your equipment doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult.  But making sure you’re taking accurate measurements each time is one more piece of puzzle that is consistently brewing high quality beer.

Photo by Kevin Dooley