Last Minute Kolsch Substitution

[Brew Engineer]

I trasfered to a secondary this weekend, to let it lager a little in my basement. I took it out of the temp control, and its pretty close to 55 in the basement.

I orginally fermented for two weeks at 60. I'm still getting a little percolating action on the airlock. It was VERY cloudy! The sample tasted pretty good, but more bitter than I expected.

It'll be another 4 weeks before I try it again. I'll keep you posted!

[Thirsty Boy]

Its gonna stay cloudy too,

that wyeast kolsch strain wont floc out for love or money. It also tastes like crap when its yeasty...

crash it, gelatin, filter if you've got one, pull out all the stops to make it clear. It looses all its delicateness and just doesn't taste right when its not diamond bright.

I'd also let it rise in temperature at teh end of fermentation for a good while, not so much as a D rest, but to get it to finish out, that yeast goes pretty slow for the last few points of gravity.

[Brew Engineer]

Thanks- The last few days before I transferred it, I brought it up to about 64.

I haven't been able to sneak the keg system past the wife yet, so teh past few brews I've been using a tap-a-draft system. It's great, easy, but no control on carbonation level.

Should I try a clarifying agent (gelatin) in the secondary before I bottle/minikeg?

Or should I run out and buy a keg set-up?

[BDawg]

Yeah, do it, but make sure you crash cool it all the way down to the low '30s when you use the gelatin. You want to have as much of the chill haze proteins as possible present when you add it.

[speculation ahead]
You may want to consider going for the double whammy by dosing it with isinglass too. Gelatin and isinglass have opposite charges and they will work together to pick out the things the other misses. I've never tried both, but from what I've read, they can clear up a seriously hazy beer when used together. I am not sure if you need to add them together or add 1, wait, then the other. My suspicion is to wait and let the first one settle, so that the opposite charges will attract the shit in the beer, not each other. I could be wrong, but it might be worth checking out.

HTH-

[Bugeater]

While I have not done that with both, I would think you would want to use one, wait a few days and then use the other. If you did both at the same time they would simply take each other out and not necessarily take out anything else.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[Brew Engineer]

After about a 1 1/2 weeks at 55 degreese, the beer has cleared considerably.
I just got a couple kegs, and I'm working on getting a system set up, and I'm interested in using gelatin once I rack to the keg. Is there any special kind of gelatin to use? or can I just buy unflavored gelatin at the grocery store?

[LBrewski]

This is the method a friend told me about:

"Use one pack of Knox unflavored gelatin for 5 gallons of beer. Boil about 10 oz of water, let it cool to 150-160 degrees, add the gelatin and let it dissolve, then dump the gelatin mixture in your beer before the mixture gets cooler than 120 degrees, then gently agitate the keg or carboy."

I recently did this but only used 1/2 the pack and it worked great - my pale ale was clear 4 days after I kegged it.

[KlosterFocke]

Check this thread:
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/vie ... php?t=1731

I use 1/2 pack of Knox from the grocery store. Activate, dump on cold beer in your keg, agitate, and let it sit for a 3-4 days in the fridge. Shoot it over to the second keg and enjoy.