Brewing a clear beer is a goal for many brewers, both professionals and home brewers, as it is also not only appealing visually but also tends to represent a well-crafted brew. A clear beer gives the impression that the brewer has put in the effort to minimize the presence of haze-causing proteins and other particles, resulting in a cleaner, crisper, professional-looking beer. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the factors that affect a beer’s clarity, as well as provide you with an overview of the brewing process involved with making clear beer, and lastly, we will explore a few advanced techniques and tips you can use to make sure your beer is as clear as possible.
What is Clear Beer
A clear beer is one that is not hazy or cloudy as a result of being free of suspended particles left over from the brewing process. When you hold it up to the light, the light is able to pass through it with minimal scattering. Although not always true, taste-wise, it is typically thought to have a clean and crisp flavor, while a hazy beer such as an IPA is thought to have more of a fuller mouthfeel with complex flavors. The clarity of a beer can be an important factor in its overall presentation, and many beer lovers believe that a clear beer signifies a higher-quality product.
The Brewing Process
To make clear beer, the first step is to be very familiar with the brewing process. The following steps will provide a detailed overview of the process when a focus on the aspects that will impact the clarity of the beer:
Mashing and Lautering
Mashing is the first step in the brewing process, and it is when starches in the malted barley are converted into fermentable sugars. During this step, the grain bill is mixed with warm water in order to break down the complex carbohydrates. To produce a clear beer, it is crucial to maintain a consistent mash temperature, typically between 148°F and 156°F (64°C and 69°C). This helps prevent excessive protein extraction, which can result in a hazy beer.
Lautering is the process of separating the liquid, now called wort, from the spent grains. Proper lautering, including techniques such as recirculating the wort (vorlauf) and using a false bottom or manifold, will also help keep the haze-forming proteins and particles from entering the wort.
Boiling and Hop Additions
Boiling the wort serves several purposes, including sanitizing the wort, promoting the coagulation of proteins (called the “hot break”), and extracting bitterness from hops. A vigorous boil for at least 60 minutes helps proteins clump together and fall out of suspension, which improves the clarity of the beer. It’s important to keep in mind that the longer the boil, more of the hop compounds will be extracted, so be sure to adjust your hop additions accordingly to achieve your desired bitterness and flavor.
Another thing to keep in mind is that hops contain compounds called polyphenols; these compounds do contribute to beer haze. To help reduce the formation of haze, use hops that contain a lower polyphenol content. Another option is to use hop extracts, which have been manufactured so that they remove some of the haze-causing compounds.
Cooling and Fermentation
Once the boil is over, it is important to cool the wort quickly to the yeast’s ideal pitching temperature, which is usually between 60°F and 72°F (15°C and 22°C), depending on the yeast strain; it will indicate on the packet of yeast what the ideal temperature is. Rapid cooling helps to promote the formation of the “cold break,” which is where proteins and other particles that can cause a hazy beer to coagulate and settle out of the wort.
Once the wort has been cooled, yeast is added to start fermentation. During fermentation, the yeast consumes the sugars in the wort and produces alcohol as well as CO2. Making sure to maintain the proper fermentation temperature and pitching an adequate amount of yeast will also help ensure the beer turns out clear. Oxygenating the wort before pitching the yeast is also important, as it also helps to promote healthy yeast growth and reduces fermentation byproducts that can cause haze. This is the only time in the brewing process that oxygen is good; the rest of the time, you want to reduce the beer’s exposure to oxygen.
Conditioning and Packaging
After primary fermentation has finished, some brewers will allow the beer to condition in order to allow the remaining yeast and proteins to settle to the bottom of the fermenter.
This can include a secondary fermentation stage, where the beer is transferred to a secondary fermenter or carboy to age and clarify. Conditioning allows flavors to mellow and meld together while also providing time for the remaining particles in suspension to drop to the bottom.
Cold crashing is another technique commonly used during conditioning. It involves cooling the beer for 48 hours, typically to fridge temperatures between 32°F and 40°F (0°C and 4°C), which helps yeast, proteins, and other particles settle to the bottom of the fermenter, making it easier to rack the clear beer off the sediment. Most homebrewers will simply put the fermenter in a fridge for two days.
Finally, the beer is packaged, either by bottling or kegging, being sure to leave as much of the sediment on the bottom of the fermenter behind. Some home brewers prefer kegging, as it allows for easier control of carbonation levels and further clarification through cold storage.
Factors Affecting Beer Clarity
Various factors can affect beer clarity, to include ingredient selection, brewing techniques, and fermentation conditions.
Ingredient Selection
Selecting high-quality ingredients is a good first step in brewing a clear beer. Using low-protein malts, such as two-row pale malt, Pilsner malt, and Vienna malt, will help reduce the formation of haze or cloudiness in the beer. Also, choosing hops with lower polyphenol content or using hop extracts will also help.
Brewing Techniques
When it comes to following proper brewing techniques, some of the more important are maintaining a steady mash temperature, performing a thorough lautering, and making sure to have a vigorous boil. Doing so will help to reduce the proteins and compounds that cause haziness to form in the wort. And as discussed, cooling the wort as quickly as possible and maintaining good sanitation practices throughout the brewing process are also essential for for brewing a clear beer.
Methods to Improve Beer Clarity
Besides following all of the brewing techniques we discussed in this article, the following are two other methods commonly employed by many brewers to improve the clarity of their beer…
Fining Agents
Fining agents, such as gelatin, Irish moss, and isinglass, can be added to the beer to help clear it up even further. All fining agent works differently; some also have ingredients that some people do not want in their beer, such as gelatin, so it’s essential to do some research and choose the right one for you.
Filtration
Filtering your beer is another method used by come to make a clearer beer. It involves passing the beer through a filter medium to remove suspended particles, such as yeast and proteins. Filtration can be done at various stages in the brewing process, including pre-and post-fermentation. Brewers can use a range of filter systems, from simple gravity-fed setups to more advanced pump-assisted units. While filtration can produce exceptionally clear beer, it is important to understand that filtering the beer can remove some of the flavor and aroma of hoppier beers.
The Role of Clarity in Beer Flavor and Appearance
Clarity plays a significant role in both the flavor and appearance of beer. A clear beer often indicates to some that the brewer has taken care to brew a more polished, professional-looking product. In terms of flavor, while haze itself may not directly impact taste, however, the factors that do cause the haze, such as excessive proteins or suspended yeast, can influence the beer’s overall taste. For many people clear beer is often associated with a clean, crisp taste that allows individual ingredients and subtle flavors to shine through.
Last Call
Brewing a clear beer is not that difficult, although it does require a little more attention to detail at the various stages of the brewing process. By selecting the right ingredients, following proper brewing techniques, and using clearing methods such as fining agents, cold crashing, and filtration, you can make a great-looking beer that tastes delicious and will be sure to impress your friends and fellow beer lovers.
Keep in mind that making a clear beer is not just about aesthetics; it’s also an important part of the overall flavor experience. Depending on how you want your beer to taste will factor into whether you want to clarify it as much as possible. Many hoppy beers on the market now are desired for being hazy or cloudy. So use the techniques described only if you want a clear beer with a crisp, clean taste.
P.S. Be sure to grab your gift of Big Robb’s top 5 recipes from his brew pub; details are on the side of the blog or at the bottom if you’re on your phone. Cheers!