finnings in Stout (moved from Beer Banter)

[Trusty1]

howdy brew masters,

 

I have set my 2nd brew and it is foaming ferociously. In it I put a coopers originsl stout can, with brew enhancer #2 and i threw in 500g of the coopers light malt extract as well, thought I read to do that somehwere for a Guinness clone, along with the accompanying yeast and 1/2 a hops tab from Brigalow.

 

Anyway my Q is whether to add finnings to this concoction, or not? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Trusty

[PB2]

Welcome to the Brewers Guild!

 

Guinness, as we know it in Aus, on tap and from the 440ml can is:

Alcohol 4.2%ABV,

Colour 120 EBC,

Bitterness - don't recall without looking at my notes from work but the Orginal Series Stout gives a bitterness level a tad higher than Guinness.

Your recipe, assuming it's to 23 litres, will probably hit around 5.5%ABV!

Guinness doesn't carry any late hop character either...

 

As for finings, apart from me advising that a finings addition is not required, ask yourself why you use finings. Stout is a black beer...

[Trusty1]

Thanks PB2 - I have seen recipes on other websites for Guinness clones to add hops, fuggles I think it was. I am not really after an exact replica of the beaut thick black stuff from Ireland (been to the brewery - fantastic!) and from what I experienced today, 18 hours after pitching, I can hardly believe what i tasted after the first post yeast SG test! I don't know how long I will be able to contain myself!

 

Does what I've added sound OverTheTop, looking back I think I may have just well, convinced myself I read somewhere to add the 500gms of malt as well as the #2! PLUS, I read the instructions, add first to boiling water swirl to dissolve etc. then an hour or two later forgot, added it after the #2 and the stout kit, and yep, clumps! I scooped it all out and rinsed it, dissolved it in a seperate recepticle and then added it to the brew. pretty good save, i thought! And that is only the start of this bloody brew, I prepped it and pitched it up in our kitchen, pissing down rain, carrying the 23 litre fermenter down our back steps and slipped on the wet steps, crashing to the deck, injuring my back, smashed my elbow among other embarrasing outcomes (the neighbours didn;t see, I think!), and a plastic container full of wort in one piece! Another good save!

 

But back to finnings - from what I understand the purpose is to settle the particulates to the bottom of the vessel to eliminate as much residue as possible from the bottling process, so the question I suppose was not only for this brew, but for others I am planning in the future, will it be identified on each individual brew kit instructions if finnings are required? Or, do you reckon finnings are not really needed on most brews?

 

Thanks again.

 

Trusty

[Muddy Waters]

I've never used finings Trusty (But I am far from an expert). To date I've never had a beer (ale or lager) that when treated with the proper care in and out of the bottle that didn't look just like a bought.

 

Keep them upright, let them age, put them in the fridge at least a couple of days before you want to drink them, and decant them into a glass or jug for drinking. Having said that, if I am having a longneck alone I just pop the lid back on and put it in the fridge until I'm ready for a top up and I've never had a problem with excess sediment. But then again I was weaned on Sparkling Ale (or Muddy Waters as we called them).

[Trusty1]

Thanks Muddy, I think I might drop the finnings, I am a bit of a devotee of the muddys also, but was just following the instructions that came with the micro kit received as a gift at Christmas. I knew once I joned a site like this all things would become, ahem, clear!