Brewing is a sensitive science. With all the microscopic processes happening in every brew, there’s lots that can go haywire, producing beer with funky flavors, stale taste, or even an odd look.
However, haziness is a bit more complicated than good or bad. In the right styles and situations, an opaque appearance can beguile the senses. What would a hazy IPA be without its signature cloudiness or a Belgian lambics without its murky characteristic in your glass?
Natural compounds play a critical role in the sensory experience of every cold one, whether you want them to or not. Here’s what novice brewers should learn about the source of haze and how best to filter it out when it clashes with your desired style.
The Science Behind Hazy Beers
In a nutshell, the haze in your beer consists of clusters of insoluble materials. That means boiling water, wort, or fermented beer will not dissolve the insoluble on their own.
But what makes a beer hazy specifically? Well, your beer’s haziness can stem from several possible sources.
- The combination of polyphenols and protein molecules remaining in the beer after grain mashing can result in a murky yet tempting draft. Typically, you’ll see this if you’re dry hopping heavily after fermentation has started.
- Haze can also stem from yeast cells bounding at the end of fermentation, especially if you pick a strain with a low-flocculation rate (one that clarifies more slowly).
- Unwanted haze can also happen if wild yeast or even bacteria make it into the brew. Typically, this is caused by poor sanitation practices, which can happen at various stages of the brewing process.
Again, whether this is good or bad depends on the beer you’re making. If your blonde ale or lager is swirling with particles (outside of chill haze), you’ll need to bring your brewing recipe back to the drawing board or find ways to implement the right beer clarifying agent.
Removing Unwanted Haziness
When it comes to removing haze, what you can do depends on the root cause. Yeast or bacteria don’t give you much recourse. They’re a learning lesson, prompting you to select different yeast or maintain better sanitation next time.
However, the non-biological particles (proteins, polyphenols, or even calcium) can be rectified by altering the density of the particle or decreasing the difference between fluid and particle density. One way that brewers see success is kettle fining. Using a carrageenan-containing red seaweed like Chondracanthus chamissoi, Chondrus canaliculatus, or Chondrus crispus can help remove the suspended proteins. When heated, the carrageenans in these red seaweeds are extracted and since the polysaccharide molecules carry a negative charge, positively charged proteins become bonded to them.
As the wort cools, the large particles created by their bonding drop out of suspension, adding clarity to the beer. Better yet, this can accelerate the rate of clarification as well as decreasing the aging time. The trick is to get the right mix of red seaweed with the protein in your fermenting beer. Otherwise, you might lose the volume of your brew and the number of bottles at the end of the process.
Though hazier styles are having their day, you still want to get clearer beer styles just right; not only to boast your skills, but to partake in the art of making great beer.
Now that you know what makes a beer hazy, let’s supply you with the ingredients to simplify your next brew. Reach out to Acadian SeaPlus™ and we can connect with suppliers of clarifying agents near you!
Learn more about clarifying agents
Related Articles
Want to Brew the Best Beer? Start by Storing Brewing Ingredients So They Last
Chondracanthus chamissoi: The Beer Clarification Agent for Brighter Beer
Is Your Craft Beer Vegan Friendly? Here’s How to Find the Right Beer Clarifying Agent