Super Cloudy Wort

[LordofMisrule]

A friend and I recently tried to brew a strong Belgian style ale. After boiling the wort for 60 minutes or so, it had settled into a beautiful coppery liquid, and a bit of break. We then added pellet hops, and it turned a little cloudier than usual, even by the standard of a pelleted wort.

Having heard about using the cold-steeping method to improve the flavour of dark grains, we cold steeped some Special B for a couple of hours and strained the liquor through a sieve and pitched the liquor, based on the understanding that that there were no starches to convert. the Wort then became opaque, moving from copper to a wood brown.

I understand there may be some very fine particulate, but I was hoping that after two days it might have begun to settle, which it hasn't. Furthermore, the yeast we pitched hasn't begun to ferment the wort, which it should have done, given that we used liquid yeast at an OG of 0.071, could the particulate be effecting this, or am I just fussing? Is there any chance that this Wort will Clarify?

 

[tgolanos]

After boiling the wort for 60 minutes or so, it had settled into a beautiful coppery liquid, and a bit of break. We then added pellet hops, and it turned a little cloudier than usual, even by the standard of a pelleted wort.

I'm a bit confused about when you added your hops. Did you add them AFTER you boiled your wort? If so, you'll end up with very low bitterness in your beer.

...but I was hoping that after two days it might have begun to settle, which it hasn't. Furthermore, the yeast we pitched hasn't begun to ferment the wort, which it should have done, given that we used liquid yeast at an OG of 0.071, could the particulate be effecting this, or am I just fussing? Is there any chance that this Wort will Clarify?

Are you 100% sure your beer is not fermenting? How are you determining it isn't? Take a hydrometer reading to find out what is happening. If your OG is unchanged, go get some dry yeast and re-pitch.

If your OG measured 1.076, that's a big beer (+1.060). One vial of liquid yeast with no starter is a royal underpitch. With liquid yeast, you're best to make at yeast starter and aerate your wort afterwards. There are a ton of yeast starter calculators online that you can use to determine how big of a starter you'll need for your beer.

 

[kh54s10]

How recently is recently? I wouldn't get worried about the fermentation starting for at least 3-4 days if you pitched one pack of yeast in a 1.071 wort. That would be a big underpitch and will delay the start.

I wouldn't worry about the cloudiness until fermentation is almost done. The fermentation will stir things up keeping it cloudy for a while. It will start to settle when the fermentation is done. If really cloudy it might take a cold crash to get it really clear.

 

[LordofMisrule]

Hi Tgolanos

We boiled the wort down to a reasonable volume, then added hops in 3 grouts (60 mins from flameout, 30, and 15). I've used starters before, but I didn't know there were calculations we could have used, I'll be sure and look them up.

The beer has been stored in my friends' house, and he can confirm that there are now small bubbles, so my first statement was incorrect, it is fermenting, albeit without Krausen.

Thanks!

 

[day_trippr]

Just for clarity, this was a two hour boil?

Cheers!

 

[helibrewer]

When I add steeping liquor separately, I had it at the end of the mash, just before runoff.

 

[LordofMisrule]

Just for clarity, this was a two hour boil?

Cheers!

It was closer to 3, but yes, a very long boil

 

[IslandLizard]

Adding the wort ("liquor") from separately steeped dark grains after the boil is a good method. I always do that and with great success flavorwise.

I wait with adding it until the wort has chilled down to around 170-180F. As long as the wort remains at 165F or above, it is pasteurized.

Now you may have had some starches and finely suspended grain dust in your steeped potion, while your hops also add a bunch of trub, as does the hot and cold break. They will all settle out after fermentation is done. Any residual haze left can be easily removed with cold crashing and/or gelatin fining afterward and a bit of patience.

Once you pitch yeast, your wort becomes beer.

As said before, 1 pack of liquid yeast is a bit of an underpitch, so the yeast may struggle a bit to finish out. Read up on how to make a starter. It's very simple, and part of brewing.

I think a 3 hour boil is a bit of overkill. What was the reason?

 

[brokebucket]

Simple solution: put it in a bucket instead of a carboy. It may be cloudy, but you wont know it.

Also, have you done gravity checks on it? Is it still not fermenting, or are you going by airlock activity?

While a beer is fermenting, it will be VERY cloudy. When it is done, it will all drop out.

Cloudy wort does not mean cloudy beer. In fact, the opposite can be true:
http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/