Home Brewing Guide to CLEAR BEER

Beer clarity doesn't sound hard but there are some tricks to getting it just right. In this video I show you my home brewing guide to brewing the clearest beer possible. From brew day to packaging, learn the tips to get to beer clarity heaven.
EQUIPMENT (Affiliate Links):
Irish Moss: amzn.to/3lEH0YJ
Whirlfloc: amzn.to/3otzAJn
Biofine Clear: amzn.to/3rGJ9H6
Super Klear: amzn.to/3rDagCH
Sparkolloid: amzn.to/3GkqhSo
Bentonite: amzn.to/31BOKDI
Pectic Enzyme: amzn.to/3ptZbkR
Brewing Equipment ► www.amazon.com/shop/thebrusho
NOTE: Some links are affiliate links, for which I get a small kick back if you use when shopping!
DISCORD INVITE: / discord
0:00 Intro
0:24 Clear Beer?
1:00 Protein Haze
1:23 Yeast Choice
1:44 Hops
2:13 Brew Day Fixes
2:38 Kettle Finings
3:25 Cold Break
3:53 Cold Crashing
4:35 Lagering
5:09 Fining Agents
5:46 Biofine Clear
6:01 Super Klear
6:24 Cider & Wine
6:59 Filtration
7:11 Clarity

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

I absolutely think clear beer matters! If the style says clear, I try to make it clear, cheers 🍻

[@TheBruSho]

Nothing is more disappointing then expecting a clear beer and it not being one. So I hear you on that!

[@billybass4189]

Thanks for showing all the best options, should be helpful in future brews.

[@josefchristophrosel]

Love the format and the content!

[@Worksk8spec]

Surprised you didn't mention anything about vorlauf or recirculation of the mash. A well settled grain bed is an excellent filter.

[@oldrikky]

This doesnt mean I dont get a hazy beer sometimes. Still happens now and then. Keep up the good work.

[@slowpaddlebrewnbbq]

Great video, really well presented and some products I've never tried.

[@richardhoekstra5672]

You probably have the best home brew channel man!

[@TheBruSho]

Thanks so much for saying that!

[@Taras75357]

Excellent!!! It is important to note the Style of the Beer...the haze is important in certain styles as the components of the haze add to the mouthfeel/flavor/texture of the beer.

[@TheARguy15]

I like wheat beer varieties the most, so cloudy beer is not an issue for me. I've mostly stuck to wheat ale varieties in my home brews, but this is good info for getting clear beer. Thanks

[@Ruffway64]

Your correct, some of the beers I brew I would like to see them clear, others I do to really care.

[@danlittle3041]

Your videos are always interesting, informative, fun and well produced. Thanks for your efforts

[@TheBruSho]

Thank you I appreciate that a lot!

[@Eddie-hk5sf]

What a fantastic video! Thanks a lot for the info. I've been using Voss Kveik lately and the clarity from that is amazing so I haven't had to try much else, but now I know if I have to. Cheers

[@TheBruSho]

Yeah that yeast is a magical thing. Makes brewing a lot easier

[@don8498]

GREAT VIDEO! I actually just stick with a 14 day primary w a 7-10 day secondary. After secondary fermentation I cold crash for 2-3 days. I find with 2-3 weeks fermentation including a secondary rack off the yeast and a few days to cold crash I can maintain delicious beer with decent clarity. This keeps the beer free of unnecessary off flavors in my humble opinion. ☮️ 🍻

[@alvaradobrewhouse6387]

Great video Trent! Clarity in my home brew has been hit or miss for me, but it's gotten better plus this video will help.

[@TheBruSho]

Yeah hope you can figure it out, sometimes there is an easy fix, other times it can be tricky

[@timothyrichards5823]

Good content. Very informative

[@TheBruSho]

Thank you! 🍻

[@crabmansteve6844]

As far as mash times go, I've found that for any style outside of Belgian Trappist beers and really big beers like porters and stouts, any mash time over 40mins is massive diminishing returns. There has been a few videos out about this now and everyone seems to reach the same conclusion. 90% conversion happens in the first 20 minutes.

[@johnmyers473]

Great job as always Trent! Very helpful! I add whirlfloc. I think Kolsch and Pilsner should be clear but I like a haze in an IPA. I did a cold crash on my all grain Kolsch and then bottled and sat for two weeks at 68 degrees in basement then in frigid for a month and it’s super clear and really good!

[@TheBruSho]

Nice! Yeah kolsch is definitely one of those must be clear beers

[@TroubleBrewing]

Another great video, ton of info packed in here. One thing I would add is you can get a floating dip tube as well to avoid that yeasty pours from a cold crashed keg.

[@TheBruSho]

Oh great point! That is a big one for speeding up the clear pours thanks Matt!

[@rachelmalin8851]

So informative, great video! 🍺

[@TheBruSho]

Thank you! 🍺

[@TheAlchemistsBrewery]

This must be your wife...

[@TheBruSho]

@@TheAlchemistsBrewery She's the other half of TheBruSho!

[@TheAlchemistsBrewery]

@@TheBruSho I figured it out because the comment was the first and in the first 5 minutes...

[@PetraKann]

It depends on what is causing the non-clarity of the beer. Sometimes a hazy beer is part of the character of the beer. Taste, mouth feel, aromas etc are sometimes altered when you over-clarify your beer. Taste, aroma etc are king

[@ulissessanchez6832]

dry hopping during biotransformation actually helps to clarify a beer.

[@oldrikky]

Great vid. I dont use clearing agents. After normal fermentation I siphon my beer to another fermentation bucket with the required bottle sugar added. After a few days (checking sg) I siphon it into my keg and put it into the fridge. Normally it only requires pouring a half glass of beer to get the last tiny bit of haze out. Works for me and only costs an extra few days. Greetings from the land of tulips.

[@TheBruSho]

Hey if that works that’s all that matters! Cheers

[@user-hq3kq4zl5b]

...

[@williamrodrigues2902]

Great video! I've noticed with my nut brown ale, after a week in the keg it cleared right up. I'm a wheat beer kind of guy, so cloudy beer is ok by me.

[@TheBruSho]

Thanks! And yeah I like dark beers so I don’t usually notice either way but for the occasional light beer it’s nice to be clear

[@williamrodrigues2902]

@@TheBruSho I agree. My next brew will be a Pilsner. I'll try to get it clear to impress my friends.

[@tomknight2366]

I almost always toss a little Irish Moss in the last 5 minutes, but mostly don't think terribly about clarity unless it's a specific style detail where it needs to be especially clear or especially hazy and leaving it an extra week generally does a lot. I keep a thing of bio fine around for the couple times I've needed it though. I had learned it as being 'best vegan option' but didn't know the full breakdown of the origin of all the others, great breakdown!

[@TheBruSho]

Thanks so much and yeah I am about the same with my level of concern with clarity

[@kennycelt]

Great vodeo, definitely going to try a couple of these options! What about whirlpooling, is there any benifit to clearing your beer from whirlpooling? Sláinte 🇮🇪

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Good topic! If I want a beer to end up crystal clear I'll usually use the same process every time: Whirlfloc on the hot side and finings on the cold side. Occasionally I'll have a beer that is hesitant to clarify, but at that point a few more weeks of cold storage usually does the trick. Cheers!

[@TheBruSho]

Father Time always wins in the end!

[@AlbeeSoaring]

If you cold crash can you still bottle condition? Or does this remove all the yeast?

[@timothyhurst1698]

I really like your videos Trent!! Detailed info and a variety of alternatives!!

[@TheBruSho]

Thanks so much, I’m sure I missed some options but wanted to cover as much as I could

[@markbarber7839]

Clarity is a nice finishing touch. I'll be adding more kegs to get more beer in the system. My bottled beer is clear after 3 mths or so. Nice would be to have at least 2mths in kegs.

[@TheBruSho]

It adds a extra crispness IMO!

[@Demymaker]

Hello, use with fluctuating results both gelatin and "silice" (it should be as biofine), is a 30%solution ... how much do you suggest on a size of 10L? The technical data sheet of this product (Spindasol SP1) indicates 10-30 gr of solution for 100 liters then 1-3 gr on 10L but gives this value if used in boiling ... Biofine seems to be the double in post fermentation.

[@JusBrewing]

A splash of biofine is the easiest way I've found! I bought a big 1KG bottle and just leave some at the bottom of each keg now, clears it up by the time it's done carbonating!

[@JusBrewing]

Btw I bought it for the Light Lager video I did where I used your recipe and processes! Had I not brewed that beer I probably wouldn't have gotten that big tub of Biofine 😂

[@TheBruSho]

@@JusBrewing hahah I need to get a big tub at this point. I’m going through small bottles fast and the value is in the big container.

[@JusBrewing]

@@TheBruSho yeah i got it for $40 at my LHBS, the 1 liter is 33 ish small bottles

[@cmsense8193]

The biofine does not interfere with the yeast during carbonation?

[@dr.t6034]

I envy your sunny location. I brewed today in the UK and it was raining and freezing cold. I agree about the gelatin. Used once and thought it not right to have animal byproducts in 🍺. Also smells bad. I just use half a protofloc tablet now and leave for X weeks to clear. Time also improves the taste of the 🍺. Thanks for the entertainment.

[@TheBruSho]

Thanks for watching, and yes I feel lucky to have sunny weather most days. Motivates me to get out and brew!

[@richardwilkinson77]

Great video Trent! I see you also have the issue of wort wicking up your mash bag and over the side of your kettle. This causes me a lot of mess when it drips. Have you found a way to prevent this?

[@TheBruSho]

No I haven’t, usually just spend some time cleaning right at the end of brew day and doesn’t take too long. But let me know if you do find a way

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I do whirlfloc (Irish moss / protafloc) almost religiously in every brew and would love to see a side by side difference of not using it! I’ve tried using the vegan biofine clear stuff and that does work well but only when I remember to use it correctly!

[@TheBruSho]

Yeah for a while I wasn’t sure about whirlfloc or Irish moss but when I found out it helps with chill haze too I haven’t looked back

[@forgotten_hero_360]

I use water filter

[@mitchmason8386]

Kölsch is a must clear beer in my opinion

[@TheBruSho]

Completely agree

[@Jason4Star]

Can you cover how to use Irish Moss? Add it at what point on Brew day? At 3:10 you state that Whirlfloc is dropped in "at the 15 minute mark", but I don't know if it would be the same for Irish Moss ( I prefer to use Irish Moss). Also is it limited to only using it on brew day, or can it be added when siphoned into the carboy? I dunno, just thinking. Thank you for posting the video

[@TheBruSho]

I don’t use it a lot but pretty sure it’s the same timing as whirfloc. And I think it also has to brew day. Something about the heat and the proteins clumping together for a clearer wort

[@ayushyembarwar]

Any suggestions for brewers wanting to clarify their bottled beers (as much as bottled beers can be clarified)?

[@TheBruSho]

You can still use all the clarifiers that keggers use, shouldn’t effect carbonation. But bottle conditioning will always leave some sediment. So store your bottles up right in the fridge and carefully pour.

[@patchdurant2562]

Hi Trent you missed out Clarity Ferm which combats chill haze and also makes your beer gluten free.

[@TheBruSho]

Great call out! Sorry for missing that but your absolutely right!

[@eddyviera5737]

I give the beer a few days after i see no activity in the airlock and throw the carboy in the fridge for about a week and my beer is clear

[@joshbarr6390]

On the super kleer product, do you mean days one and two of fermentation?

[@TheBruSho]

Post fermentation I believe for best results

[@HOMEBREW4LIFE]

cold break 4 life!!!

[@TheBruSho]

Ooh miso hungry from that!

[@eliasbram3710]

if i can see 2 yards through my glass (or see straight after 4 glasses) I usually not interested in that particular brew

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

How are you using biofine? Just adding into the keg then racking beer on top? Sure beats using those "animal parts"

[@TheBruSho]

Yeah I usually put it in keg first. Although I’ve read it performs better when the beer is chilled first. But haven’t done any testing on that to confirm or deny

[@salvadortorres608]

How much of the Biofine would you add to a 5 gal. Batch?

[@TheBruSho]

10-20ml is my go to these days

[@PartyTimeBrewing]

Father time will haunt my nightmares! I'm starting to think about clarity a bit more now. I just like pouring a super bright beer (although none of mine are)! I can't believe you don't like a sprinkle of hooves and organs in your beer...

[@TheBruSho]

Hahah yeah I’ll pass on that, I’ll take a cloudy beer instead

[@ahernandez223]

How do we reduce water waste when brewing

[@TheBruSho]

That’s a great question and something I strive to be better at. I reuse my chill water on brew day in the garden but if you want to use even less you can go with a no chill method. I might have to make a video on this topic!

[@oldrikky]

@@TheBruSho Yes please. Its a concern of mine as well.

[@denizesantana9123]

Protein rest does a great job,i observe

[@TheBruSho]

That’s interesting I’ll have to give that a try!

[@janstewart2041]

What if you’re bottle conditioning? Can you still wait that long for it to clear or will it not bottle condition?

[@TheBruSho]

It should still be able to bottle. Or you can bottle with some fining agent and your priming sugar. Then by the time it’s carbonated it should be clear, as long as you let the yeast settle to the bottom

[@janstewart2041]

@@TheBruSho I may save the trub in case it’s flat after a week or three

[@janstewart2041]

I’ve watched some videos on carbonation problems. I’ve had a flat beer that wouldn’t carbonate before after racking and clearing

[@TheBruSho]

@@janstewart2041 you could try adding some dry yeast. Just to ensure things carbonate. There should be some calculators online to help with dosage for that

[@janstewart2041]

@@TheBruSho would you dose the bottles or the batch itself and let sit a bit before bottling

[@forgotten_hero_360]

I use Coffee instead of instead of Hops

[@joshuaweezorak7042]

maybe im weird but i like em hazy

[@TheBruSho]

Haha hazy is definitely a vibe

[@Unsub-Me-Now]

I am not concerned with clear beer. Most of the times I finish the beer before it even clears in the keg.

[@TheBruSho]

Haha I hear that! #MBC

[@2289273]

Sup bru, saw this earlier today, just about video idea, go more in depth about washing yeast and reusing, theres few videos about it but not really explained in detail

[@TheBruSho]

That would be an excellent video. Thanks for the reco!

[@mustyditch4703]

Ha ... Funny I don't like crustaceans in my beer but am okay with pork / beef. I am the polar opposite of you. Hahaha!!!

[@TheBruSho]

Haha I don’t prefer either in my beer!

[@Tomtiburon]

🍻👍🍻👍🍻👍🍻👍🍻👍🍻

[@TheBruSho]

Cheers! 🍻

[@TheAlchemistsBrewery]

How to get clear beer? Lager

[@TheBruSho]

If you're patient then yes!

[@GenusBrewing]

You forgot centrifuge! Every home brewer just needs to drop 40-50k and they can have perfectly clear beer every time!

[@TheBruSho]

Hahah how could I forget!

[@drumkendrum]

Wish you would of talked about gelatin more 🤷🏼

[@TheBruSho]

Haha not sure what more I would say, I don’t use it but there are other channels that have done videos on it

[@Waymeytc]

🙄in fact, its a malt problem nowadays. With highly modified malts with a low nitrogen content, protein resting must now be avoided to prevent body and head degradation. Farmers can reduce fertilisers and the focus is more on the sugar than on the other ingredients in the malt that form body and flavour. That's farming today, it's all about quantity and cost saving. In the UK they take this to extremes, so much so that the malts become quite unstable, subtly wrong mash pH and the beer is ruined - it either has no body but is clear, or is incredibly cloudy and almost impossible to clarify. That's just the ‘ale way of thinking’ - lightweight malt, sloppy mashing, ingredient-orientated not process-orientated. It works, but it's not pretty. Especially as ale yeasts don't need that much amino nitrogen to thrive. But the efficiency is poor, so the malt is always made lighter to increase the efficiency. In Germany it used to be the other way round - quality was more important here than quantity, the malts are generally somewhat heavier because they are grown on heavier and more nutrient-rich soils (similar to America). Here, more emphasis was placed on the process, so that greater efficiency could generally be achieved, as the protein was largely incorporated into the original wort. Lager yeast, which is common in Germany and America, also requires more amino nitrogen, so this approach was appropriate. This could also be easily incorporated into the automated brewing process of large breweries. Nowadays, however, beer quality in Germany has deteriorated dramatically, especially in large breweries. The malt is also becoming lighter here in order to save money on fertilisers. As a result, there is not much left that could be unfermentable, the large breweries still get everything they can out of the malt, there is no flavour left, the beer is wonderful to clarify - but the wort is then just hopped sugar water with amino nitrogen. Perfect for large industries and beer drinkers with no demands on flavour. Small breweries, on the other hand, especially in the Rhineland but also in Franconia, are adapting their mashing process more and more in the direction of what the English are doing - higher mash pH values (to avoid too much protein degradation), less resting, high-short/hoch-kurz mash or even single infusion, yes, even with German malts this is possible nowadays, in Belgium no different to us Krauts. Is it possible to brew a completely crystal-clear beer with a heavy and flavourful body without having to give up anything and without using clarifying agents? Yes you can! I've tried it myself and it's very easy. The German Purity Law prohibits clarifying agents that can't be filtered out afterwards. We have adapted our brewing method accordingly, but it's also a question of the quality of the raw materials. There are two solutions: Malt with a high protein content or malt with a low modification, usually one also means the other. Brew with 75-100% chit malt, mash your first rest at ~55°C(around 131°F), rest for half an hour or longer, you can't go wrong. Then add a specific amount of boiling water to your mash tun for saccharafication rest (63 - 68°C/145-154°F) do as you like or want like its common for you at this point) When you have finished, go to 78°C/172°F to extract the rest of the malt and bring it into solution. Then continue as usual You can ferment it with ale or lager yeast, but for the sake of shelf life it might be better to use lager, because this wort contains a lot of amino nitrogen, but also a lot of stable high molecular protein, but very little trub and undissolved protein. The brewer's mashing process is much more precise than the maltster could do in the malt house. It is always better to control the wort composition in the mash tun than to leave it to the maltster in the malt house. Yes, of course it's more work, but if you want to achieve perfection, are not passionate, want to avoid clarifying agents and still brew a crystal clear and incredibly full-bodied beer, then this is the only way to go. Give it a little more flavor and color, pointed malt is very light with a lot of enzymes, it is perfect for decoction mashing, you can also experiment well here. The Bohemian triple decoction mash, which was practically developed for this type of malt, is also perfect for regulating both the melanoidin and maltose caramel content, it is perfection in the process-oriented brewing technique. But of course very time-consuming and complex. In Germany we say: Good things take time. The only problem is that this type of malt is hardly available today. Only "Best Malz" and Ireks still produce chit malt. Crisp in England has now added chit malt to their permanent range - for whatever reason, chit malt is not an English tradition, its thoroughly German. In America, where the craft malting scene is thriving, there is also an increasing supply of spitz malt, sometimes called wind malt if it is virtually unfermented, but people don't dare to brew 100% with it. Although it is possible and produces great beers, as a brewer you can take everything in the process into your own hands.

[@tikitorturedmf]

Thanks for this video. How much BioFine Clear do you use for 5 gallons?

[@TheBruSho]

Usually about 15mL or .5oz

[@ericbenefiel6075]

@@TheBruSho do you add bio fine then rack beer to keg or just add to keg after racking

[@TheBruSho]

@@ericbenefiel6075 I’ve found it works best when the beer is cold. So either works but beer should be cold first. Just know if you do it in keg you’ll have a pint or two of yeast at first

[@ericbenefiel6075]

@@TheBruSho thanks !!!!