Boiling

• 1

  Set to boil at least 5 gallons of wort in the kettle. Wort is the liquid extracted by mashing grains. When boiled, impurities are removed and the flavors become more pronounced.

• 2

  Add 1 tsp. of Irish moss or one tablet of whirlfloc to the wort during the last 10 to 15 minutes of the brewing process. Boiling beer finings for a longer amount of time decreases their effectiveness. Both Irish moss and whirlfloc tablets contain positively charged particles that bond to the negatively charged proteins to form an insoluble particle. Look for the clumps of protein that gather together and drop to the bottom of the kettle.

• 3

  Strain the beer through a nylon straining bag or cheesecloth. Straining separates the insoluble particles from the beer.

Fermenting

• 1

  Dissolve the fining agent in hot, not boiling, water. For chillguard, use a half tsp. in a half cup of hot water. For gelatin, add 1 tsp. to 1 cup hot water. These are the amounts needed for 5 gallons of beer.

• 2

  Add the mixture to fermenting beer approximately three to five days before bottling or racking.

• 3

  Remove beer from the fermentor when it is ready. Strain it through a nylon straining bag or cheesecloth to separate the proteins.