Using gelatin: step-by-step (i.e., "take two")

I've always had good results of adding my gelatin/water mixture hot. I know some people have this killed yeast worry, but the 1/4 cup of hot water isn't going to bring 5 gallons of beer to a temp high enough to kill all the yeast. I still bottle condition (this years tax return is for a kegarator), and have never had an issue with beer carbonating.

 

I used gelatin infrequently, back when I bottle conditioned all my home brews. I only used it when I felt there was undesired haziness or tannic astringency to the beer that I wanted to pull out. I wasn't concerned about killing the yeast with 1/4 of hot water, but I was a little concerned that the gelatin would pull some yeast cells out of the beer and prolong bottle conditioning. My guess is this is probably true only to some nominal extent. Nevertheless, I would stir in a ~1/4 tsp of dry yeast with my priming sugar at bottling. Probably was unnecessary.

@GeeL I think your write up looks good with regards to gelatin prep and addition. Not sure about the force carbonation, as I have always added gelatin to the fermenter. I wonder if carbonation affects the settling time of gelatin or the interaction of proteins in the the gelatin with proteins and tannins in the beer. Carbonation will drop the pH some and protein chemistry usually shows some pH dependency, but I'm guessing that whatever the effect is turns out to be small potatoes.

 

Stir package of gelatin into room temperature water. Let "bloom" for 15 minutes. Heat mixture to around 170-180 degrees. Let cool slightly if paranoid about killing yeast. Stir into fermented beer in primary or secondary. Let it do its thing for 2 or 3 days. If you're able to chill below 40 degrees for a day it will speed the clearing greatly.

 

I boil 8 oz. water, then chill to 150. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. gelatin on surface and let bloom for 15 min. Stir with sanitized spoon to mix. Let it settle for a few minutes and repeat stirring. Gently pour onto surface of cold beer in keg. Seal and purge. Gently swirl keg to mix. Carbonate as usual. After a few days pour off a pint of murky brew. After another few days pour off a pint of almost clear brew. After another few days enjoy crystal clear brew.

 

This is more or less the way I do it. Let it sit in a 1/2 cup of 70-80 degree water for 20 minutes, stick in the microwave and set the timer for a minute. Keep an eye on it in the microwave and when it looks "clear" take it out (the full minute isn't always necessary). Let cool slightly and pour into my already chilled keg.

 

I stir 1 tsp into 2/3 cup room temp water, warm it to 170 in the microwave, stir it up a bit to dissolve, then dump it hot into my chilled, carbonated keg - no shaking or stirring necessary. Purge and wait two days. Pour off a half pint or so of sludge, then read the newspaper through your glass of crystal clear beer. It truly works like magic! I'm not sure what happens if you jostle the keg after that.

 

I add 1 tsp gelatin to 2/3 cup room temp. water at let bloom for 15 minutes. Heat for 45 seconds or so, stir and let sit to cool slightly. I then pour this into an empty keg and rack the beer onto the gelatin. Purge, chill and carbonate over a week. 1 pint or so of sludge, then clear beer!

 

A lot of things/concentrations/temps will work...just don't boil it.

 

I boiled it this Friday and added to a beautiful XPA.


Then dumped the whole goddamn bucket on Sunday 'cuz of burnt bacon taste.


Somebody shoot me.