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i have beer that won't clear itself. Gelatin and isinglass is not vegan. Activated charcoal can create off-flavors.

Can diatomaceous earth be used? Probably, like activated charcoal, I would need pretty much of it, and stir it well, if gently, for it to absorb haze. In the other hand, it's mostly silica. Flavorless and tasteless. Or am I missing something?

Mołot
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    the only thing i can really find on it is "Sparkalloid is a wine fining combining a polysaccharide sugar with diatomaceous earth. It carries a strong positive charge, working similarly to isinglass or gelatin to allow particles to precipitate (clump and sink) better before filtering. It’s not ideal for unfiltered beer but has been reported as an excellent fining agent for mead." https://byo.com/bock/item/944-just-fine

    not an answer since i have not used it before, but have come across it when looking for other fining agents.

     – jsolarski Apr 14 '16 at 22:52
  • @jsolarski post it as an answer, please. Because it is one, good even if not full. – Mołot Apr 15 '16 at 10:46
  • i had to do some more research before i posted a full answer. – jsolarski Apr 15 '16 at 20:42

3 Answers3

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Make sure it's food grade if you try it

Swimming pool filter DE has been fired and is very different and dangerous if enhailed or ingested being similar to asbestos.

That being said, I'm not sure if it would fine much as it drops, but should make a filter perform better. I've considered mixing in a batch to disperse and then filter using a cartridge water filter, but haven't done it yet.

Evil Zymurgist
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  • I use food grade, med grade and chemical analysis grade stuff. I live with two chemists (scientists), girls will stop me from doing anything that stupid ;) – Mołot Apr 16 '16 at 12:32
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the only thing i can really find on it is

"Sparkalloid is a wine fining combining a polysaccharide sugar with diatomaceous earth. It carries a strong positive charge, working similarly to isinglass or gelatin to allow particles to precipitate (clump and sink) better before filtering. It’s not ideal for unfiltered beer but has been reported as an excellent fining agent for mead."

byo.com/bock/item/944-just-fine but this is what sparkalloid is

Sparkolloid is a proprietary product made fro m alginic acid extracted from marine brown algae. Alginic acids are polymeric and positively charged;

http://www.uark.edu/depts/ifse/grapeprog/articles/nmc14wg.pdf

its not straight diatomaceous earth

" Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is used to clarify wines and make them appear clear. They are then ready for even finer filtration, like the pre-bottling filtration process. Although DE is not specifically regarded as a fining agent, it does have a specific use in clarification and filtration. "

http://www.wineturtle.com/fining-wine-clarification-agents/enter link description here

I havent been able to really find to much info on using DE, but from many sources, for fining for clarity common agents used are gelatine, casein, isinglass, Sparkolloid, Chitin, bentonite

http://www.brsquared.org/wine/Articles/fining.htm

I would be interested in making a few 1 gal batches and test it out to see if it could be used to clarify, but i have no idea where to get food grade DE from around me.

jsolarski
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Yes, diatomaceous earth can be used as a fining agent in various industries, including winemaking and brewing. As a fining agent, diatomaceous earth helps clarify liquids by removing suspended particles and solids. It works by creating a filter bed that traps impurities, resulting in a clearer and more visually appealing product.

While diatomaceous earth is commonly used as a filter aid due to its porous nature, it is not typically used as a standalone filter medium. In filtration applications, it is often combined with other filter media, such as cellulose or activated carbon, to improve filtration efficiency. These additional filter media help to remove finer particles that may pass through the diatomaceous earth filter bed alone.

So, while diatomaceous earth can be used effectively as a fining agent to clarify liquids, it is generally not used as the sole filtering agent due to its limited filtering capabilities.

I found most of the info on https://Cellarcoolerstore.com if you're interested.

user22256
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