FININGS TYPES, USE AND GENERAL INFORMATION COPPER FININGS Copper finings, as the name suggests, are added to the copper during the latter part of the boil to assist in the coagulation of protein, helping it to settle out as trub. If excessive protein remains in the wort it will cause a haze in the finished beer. Although satisfactory clarity may be obtained without recourse to copper finings, a protein haze is one of those things that will only become apparent when it is too late to do very much about it. It is virtually standard practice for a brewer, commercial or amateur, to use copper finings during the last few minutes of the wort boil.
Irish Moss Irish moss is the traditional form of copper finings and has been in use for at least one-hundred years. Traditional Irish moss is derived from chondrus crispus, a seaweed that is found on the Atlantic coastlines of the Northern hemisphere. It is abundant upon the rocky Irish west coast which accounts for its common name, but it can be found on the west coast of Britain too. These days different types of seaweed and blends of various seaweeds are used. It is a charge-based fining system in which the negatively charged molecules of Irish moss attract positively charged protein molecules towards it, which form larger, heavier flocs which then settle out.
Irish moss is used at between 50 and 150 milligrams per litre, depending on conditions. For a twenty-five-litre batch of beer, this works out between 1.25 and 3.75g, which is difficult to measure accurately even if an accurate small weighing-scale is available. The amount of Irish moss required is variable depending upon how much protein is present, which is also dependent upon the type of malt and how much of it there is. This is proportional to original gravity. The average figure of 100mg per litre, is probably the target to aim for in the absence of better information. In common with all charge-based fining systems it is important not to overdo the dose, because this can have the opposite effect to that desired and actually stabilise the protein in solution, although the application has to be grossly overdone for it to really be a problem. However, the types of protein that contribute to head retention may be removed or reduced if too liberal a quantity is used. Irish moss is available in various forms, ranging from a fine powder to something resembling granules, and also in flakes, so it could be misleading to give a volumetric measurement, such as a teaspoonful. It is added to the copper ten to fifteen minutes before the end of the boil. Powdered Irish moss should be hydrated by mixing it into a thin paste with a little water, wort or beer before use. Protafloc/Koppaclear Protafloc is a concentrated seaweed-based copper finings that is extracted from a blend of seaweeds using an alkali extraction process. It is supplied in both powder and tablet form and is used in the same way as Irish moss, added to the boiler about ten minutes before the end of the boil. Being a refined extract it is more concentrated than raw Irish moss and about a quarter of the amount is required to achieve the same ends. This is 10-50 milligrams per litre, giving an average of 30 milligrams per litre. AUXILIARY FININGS Auxiliary finings are optional post-fermentation finings that are used in conjunction with isinglass finings to produce brilliant clarity in cask-conditioned beers, but they must not be added at the same time as isinglass. Auxiliary finings have a strong negative charge which attract positively-charged particles to it, swamping their positive charge and forcing them to have a net negative charge. The beer then contains only negatively-charged particles, thus when isinglass (which is positively charged) is added later, all the particles are attracted to it, which aggregate until they are heavy enough to drop out of suspension. This greatly enhances the performance of isinglass; not only is a brighter beer the result, but the quantity of isinglass required is usually less than half the normal dose.
www.brewersselect.com 1 Organic Auxiliary Finings Organic auxiliary finings are similar to, and behave in the same way as, copper finings, but they are NOT a substitute for copper finings. Like copper finings they are usually based on seaweeds and possess a negative charge. Auxiliary finings are added post fermentation, usually to the cask at the time of filling. They must not be added at the same time as isinglass finings because they possess opposite charges will cancel each other out, making both the auxiliary finings and isinglass finings ineffective. Auxiliary finings should be added at least twenty-four hours before isinglass finings. Composition of auxiliary finings vary, but they are usually added at a rate of between 1 and 3.5 millilitres per litre. 2 millilitres per litre is a reasonable average which amounts to 50 millilitres per 23 litre batch, which is at least easy to measure.
Silicated Auxiliary Finings Silicated auxiliary finings are an inorganic form of finings based on sodium silicate. Silicated finings are available in various forms; some are wholly inorganic finings, others are blended with organic auxiliary finings mentioned above. Like organic auxiliary finings they possess a negative charge and will attract positively charged proteins, only this time silicated finings have increased effectiveness against the types of protein that contribute to non-biological hazes. It reduces the possibility of a chill haze being formed in the final beer by removing some of the components that cause it. Silicated auxiliary finings are very fast acting and are a useful addition to a beer to give that professional polish. Brupaks auxiliary finings are silicated. They are added at the rate of between 2 and 7 millilitres per litre. with 4 millilitres per litre as a reasonable compromise.
BEER FININGS This is the act of removing yeast and some other stuff from the fully fermented beer. Finings are usually added to the cask after the beer has been matured for a while, particularly if auxiliary finings have been used beforehand. It has to be said that most beers brewed with a good yeast will clear down without fining, given time. The main reason for fining is to speed up the clearing process or to deal with a difficult yeast. It is not normal to fine beers destined for bottling because the yeast needs to pack down firmly on the bottom of the bottle, whereas fined bottled beers tend to have loose, fluffy bottoms which makes the beer difficult to pour without disturbing the yeast and clouding the beer. Isinglass or gelatine can be used as a fining agent. Isinglass is the superior product, when fresh, and is the stuff that commercial breweries use. Unfortunately isinglass is not stable and has a poor shelf life, making it difficult for home brewers to use effectively.
Isinglass Finings NOTE: NOT VEGAN/VEGETARIAN INCLUDE FISH SWIM BLADDERS
Isinglass is made from the gas bladder of certain tropical fish, often of the sturgeon variety, although several species are suitable. The gas bladder, sometimes known as the swim bladder, is basically its adjustable buoyancy tank. Isinglass is added during maturation in cask to assist in flocculating yeast out of suspension thereby improving clarity. Isinglass is another charge-based fining system, only this time it has a positive charge which attracts negatively charged particles, mostly yeast. This is what commercial brewers use.
Ready-for-use isinglass; that is the liquid, has a shelf life of only four to eight weeks, and only then if the temperature has been maintained below 15°C. At temperatures above 20°C it rapidly denatures becoming ineffective as a result.
Isinglass Floc Isinglass is available as powders and flocs which are intended to be made up into ready-for-use finings. Flocs appear as large flakes. Flocs are usually mixed at 6 grammes per litre with low alkalinity water. Deionised water or low alkalinity bottled water can be used. The solution should be between 12°C and 16°C when mixing. It is best to make up this type of finings five or more days in advance.
Isinglass Paste Isinglass paste is another way to make up ready-for-use finings, but it is still quite difficult and requires preparation some time in advance. It also requires a high-speed mixing to facilitate mixing. Isinglass paste is used at 36g litre + 3.6g citric acid per litre. The citric acid is usually supplied with the paste.
Isinglass Usage Ready-for-use isinglass finings is used at a rate of between 8 to 20 millilitres per litre of beer. This is between 200 and 500 millilitres of finings for 23 or 25 litres of beer. The lower the temperature of the beer, the greater the fining action will be. If the beer is chilled sufficiently to throw a chill-haze before adding the finings, a substantial amount of the chill haze component will also be removed, giving a more stable beer.
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