Brewing additives are anything that is added to beer with an intent to do anything except add fermentable sugar (see fermentable adjuncts) or add a specific flavor to the finished beer (see flavoring agents). These can include substances added to the mash or the boil or during fermentation or bottling. The most common brewing additives are finings, used to clear the finished beer, and water treatment agents designed to change the water chemistry or mash pH.
Contents
Finings
Clearfine
Type: Fining Use: Secondary Time: 1.0 days Use for: Clarity Notes: Commercial blend of animal collagen and polysaccarides that helps rapidly precipitate yeast and tannins. Mix with 2 oz cold water and add after fermentation has completed.
Gelatin
Type: Fining Use: Secondary Time: 5.0 hours Use for: Clarity Notes: Clear, unflavored gelatin can be purchased from your grocer. Aids in settling yeast. Prepare in 1 pint of water by heating gently until dissolved. Add before bottling. Do not boil.
Irish Moss
Type: Fining Use: Boil Time: 10.0 min Use for: Clarity Notes: Fining agent that aids in the post-boil protein break. Reduces protein chill haze and improves beer clarity.
Isinglass (Liquid)
Type: Fining Use: Secondary Time: 7.0 days Inventory: 0.00 tsp Use for: Clarity Notes: Keep liquid form refrigerated. Isinglass is widely used by commercial brewers to aid clarity, but is not as popular for home brewers due to stability. Aids in settling proteins, tannins and yeast.
Papain
Type: Fining Use: Secondary Time: 4.0 days Use for: Chill Haze Notes: An enzyme extracted from papaya. Helps reduce protein chill haze. Add 0.5 gram at end of secondary fermentation, allow several days for it to work. Available from herb and spice shops.
Polyclar
Type: Fining Use: Secondary Time: 1.0 days Inventory: 0.00 oz Use for: Chill Haze Notes: Plastic powder that reduces chill haze by removing tannins and proteins. Add to secondary after yeast has settled. Amounts vary by manufacturer -- check instructions before adding. Do not boil.
Whirlfloc Tablet
Type: Fining Use: Boil Time: 15.0 min Use for: Clarity Notes: Aids in clearing yeast and chill haze. Easy to use tablet form.
Other additives
Amylase Enzyme
Type: Other Use: Primary Time: 3.0 days Use for: Fermentation Notes: Enhances fermentation and lowers final gravity by breaking down complex starches. Produces light bodied, high alcohol beers. Add when pitching yeast.
Name: Ascorbic Acid
Type: Other Use: Bottling Time: 5.0 min Use for: Preservative Notes: This is Vitimin C. Adding at bottling time to wine and soda as a preservative. Not recommended for beer due to the off flavors it might add.
Heading Liquid
Type: Other Use: Bottling Time: 5.0 min Use for: Head Retention Notes: Aids head formation and retention. Mix into beer before bottling.
Malto-Dextrine
Type: Other Use: Boil Time: 5.0 min Use for: Adds Body Notes: Malt bases sugar that is less than 5% fermentable. Increases the body and mouth-feel of the beer and adds slight sweetness.
Yeast Nutrient
Type: Other Use: Primary Time: 3.0 days Use for: Fermentation Notes: Gives yeast nutrients for healthy fermentation. Not needed for most beers, but good for those with a high percentage of adjuncts. Add before yeast.
