Gelatin

[humpadilo]

After the fermentation is complete and I transfer to a keg with gelatin. Should I store the keg in warmer temperature or in the fridge? Does it really matter?

[NervousDad]

I use tasty's method, that is posted on this forum. Chill the keg down and carb prior to adding gelatin.

[Ozwald]

I put the gelatin in the keg, let it bloom, rack on top from the fermenter & put it on the gas. I had 1 keg (out of 20ish) that just refused to carb. My theory is that the gelatin created some sort of a barrier on the top preventing the CO2 from going into solution... which is a pretty easy fix... shake it. Every other keg I did with this method was pouring perfectly in 10 days without me touching them after kegging.

[TheDarkSide]

Gelatin does work better when cold, so I'll crash in primary, get the gelatin setup and put in bottom of the keg then rack on top of it. I've never carbed it up before using gelatin though. Once I have it carbed, I don't like opening the keg for anything.

[Ozwald]

I forgot to make that part clear in my process: "put it on the gas" = placing it in the cold kegerator & slow carbing. I have a really shitty regulator from KegWorks (which is on par with the rest of the worthless shit they sell) so I don't change pressure. My serving pressure is the same as my carbing pressure & I use long liquid lines to compensate. The gauge is obviously wrong, but I'm guessing I'm at 12ish PSI. Same as DS, after I fill the kegs & close that lid, the next time they get opened is when they're empty.

[NervousDad]

How does the gelatin work if it's on the bottom? Do you shake it up? I'm curious if that's why I have carbonation problems on some of my beers.

[Ozwald]

How does the gelatin work if it's on the bottom? Do you shake it up? I'm curious if that's why I have carbonation problems on some of my beers.

That's why I put it in first. Just like filling a bottling bucket, as you rack on top of it, the gelatin gets evenly mixed in.

When it fully gels it'll either sink to the bottom to be poured off, or float to the top which I use as an indicator that the keg's about to blow. The 1 keg I had carb problems with I'm attributing to disturbing the keg causing more of the gelatin to float, creating a barrier at the top. Can't prove it, but giving the keg an occasional shake fixed the problem. Unfortunately I drank 2/3's of a keg of semi-flat beer before I figured it out.

[brewinhard]

I have had the same issue that Oz is describing with regards to gelatin interfering with proper carbonation. A good shake will take care of it but then it takes another few days for the beer to clear up again.