Finings Adjunct

Description

Using the product
How much of the product to add
Most beers will require an addition of auxiliary finings at a rate between 100ml to 500ml
per hl. It is important to note that if auxiliary finings are being used with isinglass, it must
be added before the isinglass.
Where to add auxiliary finings
Auxiliary finings can be added at one of several points:
Into the fermentation vessel
The auxiliary can be added to the fermentation vessel either through the CIP spray ball at
the top of the tank or pumped through the outlet valve of the bottom of the tank. The
addition should be made at the end of fermentation, as the vessel goes onto chill. The
residue fermentation and convection currents are sufficient to mix the product.
Into the beer main feeding the racking heads
This method can be combined with proportional metering to ensure the correct rate of
addition. The auxiliary is added first followed by the isinglass finings if required.
Into the cask before it is filled
The appropriate quantity of auxiliary is put into the cask before filling. If the filling rate is
fast and turbulent, isinglass can then be added towards the end of the fill or after.
Into cask when in pub cellar
Auxiliary finings can also be added to cask beer in the pub cellar to a beer with a
persistent haze, and Finings Adjunct is well formulated for this work.
Using auxiliary finings with isinglass
When using auxiliary finings with isinglass it is important to add it before the isinglass.
Otherwise they will not clarify the beer properly. This is because the two products carry
opposite charge and will react with each other rather than the hazes on the beer that they
are designed to clear.
Into the beer main feeding the racking heads
This method can be combined with proportional metering to ensure the correct rate of
addition. The auxiliary is added first followed by the isinglass finings if required.
Finings Optimisation
Auxiliary finings should be optimised at the same time as isinglass finings as they are
used together. This should be carried out on a regular basis and certainly when a new
seasons’ malt comes on stream. Usage rates need to be optimised both to ensure
economic cost is achieved and in order to gain the best possible results. Over fining can
cause hazes just as under fining can leave hazes: it is not a case of more finings always
giving better clarity. An easy way to check your beer fining performance is by using 500ml
plastic bottles. An optimisation is run by making trials to optimise the rate of Isinglass
addition within the range of 0.4—1.6 litres per hl by adding 2, 4, 6 and 8 mls of RFU
Isinglass to 4 labelled 500 ml bottles and mixing well. Samples containing Auxiliary
finings within the range 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 litres per hl are set up to run concurrently.
After an appropriate time interval, which will vary with beer type, an assessment is made
of the optimum rate of isinglass required to fine the beer. This will not necessarily be the
brightest beer, since the Auxiliary will improve the polish. With the Isinglass we are
looking for the point at which an extra pint of Isinglass appears to add only excess
bottoms, with no appreciable improvement in clarity. This rate of Isinglass is then added
to all the sample bottles of Auxiliary finings, mixing well. It is then quite easy to check the
effects of three or four re-settles as required.
Once an optimum rate has been assessed, it is important to keep a check to ensure that
it is going to work. Take a sample of the beer, either from FV after fermentation or from
the Conditioning Tank/Racking Back. Add to this the equivalent rate of Auxiliary and mix
well. An hour or so later add the optimum rate of Isinglass and remix. Within a short
period of time you should see floc formation and clarification of the beer occurring. You
can then have peace of mind that the beer should fine well in trade.
However the real purpose of this verification is to find the one occasion when the beer
doesn’t fine. If you do not get a satisfactory result in a milk bottle then you are highly
likely to experience a problem in trade. This simple procedure means that you have an
early warning of a potential problem, and that you can take the necessary corrective
action whilst the beer is still in one tank and under your full control.
Addition of an 300 ml per hl of Auxiliary for example is rather easier in a tank in the
brewery than it is in 40 firkins spread far and wide in the trade.
Clarification products
Murphy and Son will carry out free finings optimisation for our customers. For Isinglass
and Auxiliary optimisations please send in one litre of your unfined beer. All samples
must be in plastic containers, fully labelled and accompanied by a cover letter with full
contact details.
Guidelines for use
DO
• Check that the product is within its shelf life before use
• Ensure that auxiliary finings are well mixed into the beer before adding isinglass
• Carry out optimisation trials to determine the correct rate of use
• Read the Safety Data Sheet prior to use
DO NOT
• Mix Auxiliary and isinglass before they are added to beer
• Add isinglass finings before auxiliary finings—it rarely works
• Add too much auxiliary finings. Tank bottoms will be very loose with high beer
losses
• Allow the product to have prolonged contact steel and aluminium.

Additional information