Cheapest clearing agent

[el-zonko]

Up until now, I haven't been clearing my brews before stillin'

Think that partly accounts for the slightly homebrewed taste.

It's too hot here (weather wise) to clear. Waited over a week in some cases after decanting into a second barrel - still not clear.

I can get imported wine clearing agents - but they're expensive! Each 25L batch would cost me about 2 USD. Relatively speaking, that's quite a lot to add on the expenses.

So I was wondering what I could search for. I know bentonite is one example - but when I searched for it, I got kitty litter. I am not that keen on putting kitty litter in my hooch.

Other suggestions?

[rubber duck]

Clearing does not account for the home brew taste your experiencing. I run my washes dirty, the home brew taste is from refined sugar and pushing for high abv. Try inverting your sugar and don't go past 10%, see if that helps.

If you want a cheep clearing agent try gelatin.

[Husker]

Other suggestions?

Cool temp, absolute non-disturb of wash, and time.

Also, racking once or twice to remove the dissolved CO2 helps allow the solids to drop.

H.

[kiwistiller]

if you absolutely must hurry, try gelatin + cold crashing. 1 tablesppon of gelatin per 25L of wash, prepeared like this:
add gelatin to 1 cup of hot tap water in a small pot, let sit to "bloom" for 20 mins or so. then gently, gently, gently heat up the pot, stirring often, to 170F, then remove from the heat, let cool for a couple of minutes (not completely) and then add it to the top of your fermenter and give it 24 hours. This will only accelerate the cold crashing process - it won't work in a warm wash. I do this for my beers, but I don't bother for spirits. Ferment bigger volumes, and then you have more to distill and can spend the time waiting for nature to do it for you.

[mfradman]

I'm with rubber duck on this, I use a fermenter with a tap at the bottom, I let the mash set until it is nice and clear. There is about two inch's of settlement on the bottom. The first few oz will come out cloudy and after that I get a nice mash. I never have anything in the boiler that burns or causes a issue in any way. I think trying to clear your mash is a wast of time and money. I also use a cheese cloth if I get anything chunky.
mfradman

[frozenthunderbolt]

Egg white can also work as fininings - whip some into a portion of your must then add the whole shebang back into your primary, leave it a few days/a week - it will work like the gelatin so long as its not too hot

[blind drunk]

I used some sort of clearing agent once on some stubborn white wine and the wine tasted like fish for a long time. I do like a little white wine with my fish but fish in my wine, not so much.

[rad14701]

I used some sort of clearing agent once on some stubborn white wine and the wine tasted like fish for a long time. I do like a little white wine with my fish but fish in my wine, not so much.

Nothing like some good fish wine to perk you up...

[frozenthunderbolt]

I used some sort of clearing agent once on some stubborn white wine and the wine tasted like fish for a long time. I do like a little white wine with my fish but fish in my wine, not so much.

Nothing like some good fish wine to perk you up...

Tried fish wine. terrible stuff. left me with an awful haddoc the next morning

[blind drunk]

I used some sort of clearing agent once on some stubborn white wine and the wine tasted like fish for a long time. I do like a little white wine with my fish but fish in my wine, not so much.

Nothing like some good fish wine to perk you up...

Tried fish wine. terrible stuff. left me with an awful haddoc the next morning

Holy mackerel, you guys are funny.

[rtalbigr]

Like Husker said de-gassing helps a lot. In fact, clearing agents or finings often will not work without de-gassing first. Racking a couple a times will help but de-gassing with a whip and drill motor is the best method. I always rack into a carboy and want a slow flow and direct drop so there is a lot of splash. I have two racking canes, a 1/4" for that and then a 1/2" for when I'm racking out of the carboy into my pot. Cool temps help some but de-gassing is the most inportant. Had the AC go out last week and the temps in my house were from 80-90F for 4 days. I had 3 carboys full of single malt wash but because I had de-gassed w/in those four days the yeast fell out of suspension and I had a nice clear wash.

But like Rubber Duck, I really don't worry much about clearing and often run dirty, just keep the heat down and run slow. I have a 2700 w element and only use full power for about 30 min to get temps up and then mostly use only 7-900 w, even on strip runs.

Big R

[skweeks]

Holy mackerel, you guys are funny.[/quote]


OH MY COD too funny

My two cents: I like having a 3 wash system going. one bubbling, one settling, and one cleared and ready for the pot. I use time, and as cool temp as i can get it to let the wash clear. The three wash system, if u keep it up, is great. You always have somethin for the boiler while other stuff is workin away. I also stir the crap out of it after a wash is dry to let the co2 out, then let it settle. Now i have also ran a "dirty" wash too when time was limited. My biggest concern is making sure the wash is dry. If you have to run a dirty wash,,,just do it slowly.it'll be ok.Slight tase difference sometimes but definately ok.
G.

[skweeks]

Btw ,
I am up here in canada and man i tell ya.. i love doin it in the winter. After a batch is dry i pop it out on the back deck overnight and the yeast falls like a stone.
Its a bit harder in the summer but thats what large beer fridges are for
G.

[el-zonko]

Ha ha ha thanks for your replies guys. Funny stuff. I love this plaice.

I used egg white and it worked somewhat. It's HOT here though. 35 degrees today.

Will try gelatine.

Sure it will be a different story in the winter!

Z

[Dnderhead]

Iv been doing wine for awhile now and you have to whait no matter what you use.clearing agents can be beneficial for stubborn trub. but for most its not worth it.your just adding something more you have to wait to clear.

[kiwistiller]

El-z - try to find a cheap old fridge or freezer on whatever secondhand goods website is common around your neck of the woods. You can normally pick them up for almost nothing. Then, if you want to get really obsessive about your ferments, you can put a dual channel controller on it ($25 on ebay ex hong kong) and precisely cater to your yeast's whims, and crank up the cold for fast flocculation after they're done. If you're just using bakers yeast it might not be worth the trouble, but if you're going the extra mile and using specific rum / whisky / whatever yeasts you might as well keep them happy (gets you the desired cogener profile). I do my rums (EDV493) at 30-35C, whisky at 26C (Safspirit Malt), and neutral (danstill C or uviferm 43) at whatever the garage floor is, because who cares if it's going into a reflux column Then you dial in 0.1C and watch the yeast plummet.

No point trying gelatin unless you can get the wash cool.

[Bayou-Ruler]

Time is the cheapest clearing agent I have found.

[rtalbigr]

Time is the cheapest clearing agent I have found.

+1. Got some metheglyn I started 5/12 and just this week it finally cleared up really nice. Now for some more time, at least six mo to age some. Can't wait.

Big R

[HookLine]

Time is the cheapest clearing agent I have found.

+2

Even in warm weather it does not take long for a wash to clear after the fermenting has completely stopped. 2-3 days is usually enough for me, and I run an internal heating element.

[Ourownzoo]

I have used bentonite in wine clearing, it works it's referee to as kitty litter only because itsbmade from a type of clay not that you use actual kitty litter

[clearspirit]

I used some sort of clearing agent once on some stubborn white wine and the wine tasted like fish for a long time. I do like a little white wine with my fish but fish in my wine, not so much.

Nothing like some good fish wine to perk you up...

Tried fish wine. terrible stuff. left me with an awful haddoc the next morning

Owwww!!! and