Kolsch hasn't cleared

[Stieger2012]

Hey everyone,

I am want to bottle this as soon as I can but it's not as clear as I'd like.

Yeast is Wyeast 2565, pitched it March 23. Fermented at 59 degrees OG was 1.046, FG is 1.012 today. Tastes great! What are the chances of it clearing if I let it sit longer?

 

[Natdavis777]

Drop in some gelatin if you like. Last time I used that yeast, I used gelatin and it was good to go in about a week.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

If it tastes great, then cold condition it. 32F for a week will make it shine right up!

 

[Black Island Brewer]

You could also bottle it now, let it carbonate, then cold condition the bottles. I prefer to bulk condition, so the precipitated chill haze stays in the fermenter.

 

[Stieger2012]

I don't have the ability to cold condition....fermentation chamber is on the list. Unless putting it in a swamp cooler packed with ice might work?

How much gelatin should I use? Does it need to be sterilized before adding it?

 

[Singletrack]

You said you are bottling, so I don't think cold conditioning the fermenter makes sense. Go ahead and bottle. After conditioning, you can cold crash the bottles to drop the yeast. IMO it is not important to have clear beer into the bottle; I want clear beer coming out. Kolsch can be slow to drop, but that is okay for bottle conditioning.

 

[Stieger2012]

Ok sounds like a plan! I'll bottle it up and crash after it carbs up. Thanks for the help!

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

I love 2565 but it takes a while to clear in the keg, like months. I would just bottle and let it settle in the bottle. Also I really like the little extra flavor you get from a little yeast in suspension in my kolsch, so dont sweat it too much.

 

[thejuanald]

I love 2565 but it takes a while to clear in the keg, like months. I would just bottle and let it settle in the bottle. Also I really like the little extra flavor you get from a little yeast in suspension in my kolsch, so dont sweat it too much.

Yeah I used 2565 for the first time and did it in two subsequent batches and it is taking forever to clear in the keg. It's cleared pretty much in the bottles, though.

Sorry for an off topic question, but I used it for a wheat that was kegged a few days ago and I get a bit of a sour taste, is that from the residual yeast in suspension? I know it's not infected, so if it isn't from all the yeast still in suspension, maybe it could be from all the mango and peach I used?

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

Yeah I used 2565 for the first time and did it in two subsequent batches and it is taking forever to clear in the keg. It's cleared pretty much in the bottles, though.

Sorry for an off topic question, but I used it for a wheat that was kegged a few days ago and I get a bit of a sour taste, is that from the residual yeast in suspension? I know it's not infected, so if it isn't from all the yeast still in suspension, maybe it could be from all the mango and peach I used?

sorry I dunno, I don't get any sour notes from 2565.

Also to the OP and others: I have reused slurry (NOT WASHED) for this yeast for 4 consecutive batches over about 6 months, with each generation the beer clears faster as i'm selectively dumping (kegging) those buggers that haven't cleared yet. I haven't noted a change in the flavor with subsequent batches. Washing would just select the yeast which doesn't flocculate well and have the reverse effect. It's poor-mans natural selection but it works. :rockin:

 

[thejuanald]

sorry I dunno, I don't get any sour notes from 2565.

Also to the OP and others: I have reused slurry (NOT WASHED) for this yeast for 4 consecutive batches over about 6 months, with each generation the beer clears faster as i'm selectively dumping (kegging) those buggers that haven't cleared yet. I haven't noted a change in the flavor with subsequent batches. Washing would just select the yeast which doesn't flocculate well and have the reverse effect. It's poor-mans natural selection but it works. :rockin:

Thanks anyway. Yeah one batch that is just the wheat beer without any fruit additions doesn't get any sour notes, the other, that I just kegged used frozen mango and peaches and I definitely get a bit of sourness. Sorry for the thread jack.