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BE-256 and Biofine

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  • BE-256 and Biofine

    Trying BE-256 yeast for the first time and having trouble getting it to clear with biofine. Is this just a matter of needing more settling time or do I need to add more biofine, change temperature, etc.?

    It's been sitting with 1L of biofine in 5 bbl of beer at 30°F for about 5 days - still quite hazy. Any advice besides "wait longer?"

  • #2
    Originally posted by Woolsocks View Post
    Trying BE-256 yeast for the first time and having trouble getting it to clear with biofine. Is this just a matter of needing more settling time or do I need to add more biofine, change temperature, etc.?

    It's been sitting with 1L of biofine in 5 bbl of beer at 30°F for about 5 days - still quite hazy. Any advice besides "wait longer?"
    Hi Woolsocks,

    What is your fining procedure? Are you dropping yeast and stirring the tank when you dose the biofine? If not then the Biofine may be dropping to the bottom of the tank and doing nothing.

    Typically using a high degree of sanitation and parts staged in sanitizer, I would:

    Add 5 to 10 PSI to the tank as needed
    Clear the racking arm and re sanitize, attach a gas line with butterfly closed and position racking arm at 45 degrees (10 oclock)
    Drop yeast from bottom to beer
    Depressurize tank
    Using sanitized pitcher etc . add Finings in through the top of the tank; closing quickly to avoid O2
    Quickly open butterfly on racking arm allowing CO2 to stir the tank at 10 to 12 PSI
    Stop once tank is up to 5 PSI (This timing allowed for a good stir)
    Clearing should be apparent within 24 to 48 hrs

    Different Beers may require more of less BioFine but 1 to 2 liters to 10 BBL should be good. Your temp is right. If you still have haze even after stirring then the nature of the haze may be different than just yeast/ standard proteins that fall from solution and most likely caused earlier in the process. Question the mashing or kettle finings and seperation process in your whirlpool. Anywhere you can clear in the process makes your job easier at this point.

    I hope you find this helpful.

    Best Regards,

    Don Marcil
    Brewery Design Consultant
    Stout Tanks and Kettles LLC
    support@stouttanks.com
    Buy quality commercial brewing and home brewing equipment including brew kettles, conical fermenters, mash tuns, hot liquor tanks, brite tanks, kegs, IBC totes, Wine Tanks, brew in bag, brewhouses, and more.

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    • #3
      Like stated above, mixing is very important. Dosage rate will vary with beer and yeast strain. I have heard it works best to carbonate after fining has settled, but have not found much difference myself. Less is more on the dosage. Inject inline during transfer, throughout transfer. Re-circulate with pump if that's your thing. Crash and wait.

      My personal experience with this strain is that it flocculated well on its own and did not require a fining agent, however I used a decent amount of calcium in the water profile. I am assuming you have used this fining method in the past on other beers with good results? Are you sure the haze is yeast? If it is protein it may not bind with the biofine at all. You got a microscope?

      You could always dump any settled solids, re-mix and wait longer, but I would not recommend this. I would suggest you just wait longer. Or buy a small 20x20 plate filter.

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      • #4
        If your dose is too high, you will probably get what is called "fluffy bottoms". It will never really settle out compactly. Your dose, 1L in 5 bbl is 200mL/bbl. That is double the dose I use on my most difficult strains, you probably have fluffy bottoms. The other thing to look at is how it is stored. Biofine should not be stored cold, it will crystallize and loose concentration. I have had this problem with biofine before from BSG, switched to Nalco 1072 from Country Malt because of it. I had to educate them on storage, to make sure, as well as I found from the manufacturer the correct density that it should be, even got a formula to calculate the percentage based on a hydrometer reading. I reccomend testing every jug you get with a hydrometer, reading should be 1.220. If it differs, shoot me a pm, ill share that formula with you.

        Oh yes, and as others have said, mix well into beer under 30F. I like to take the yeast off first too, usually will crash for a day or two before, and dose in line on the way to the brite tank, leaving most of the yeast behind.

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