Beermaking Chemicals and Finings

A two pack sachet of finings to clear 25 litres/5 Gallons of beer or wine.

Invented for use with the turbo yeast they are quick and easy to use. You add sachet A then 1 hour later add sachet B. Clear most things overnight!

The easy one! In a small plastic bottle.

A nice runny mix of isinglass so it's easy to use.

Just tip in the beer and leave.

Will do two 5 gallon barrels of beer. Very popular in the shop. Best kept in the fridge!

You can add it to the fermenting bucket or in the barrel. Use half and keep the rest for the next brew.

Burton water crystals, add to soft water to "Burtonise" it.

Increases the calcium and sulphate content.

Usually about a teaspoon to 5 gallons

Click Here! Kwik Clear Large

Adds a nice creamy head on your beer.

It increases surface tension which makes  the skin on the bubbles thicker- What bubbles there are will last longer

Traces of washing liquid destroys the head on your beer- you should rinse glasses well after washing them!

Isinglass finings works best if you add auxillary finings.

It speeds up the fining process and gives a brighter beer.

Some people never use it but if you're having problems with clarity it does help. 

Food grade phosphate buffers. Add 8g per 10 litres of brew liquor, sets the ph to 5.2. Works like magic! Not sure how it does it but its's clever stuff...

From 5star chemicals

In South Manchester we add a teaspoon of gypsum and that makes the Ph about right for bitters.

Your water will be different of course! But as a general guide for soft water a teaspoon is about right.

It raises the Ph of water, which decreases it's acidity.

You may find some recipes asking for these- It's one of the common salts.

Here's what Wiki says "In brewing beer, calcium chloride is sometimes used to correct mineral deficiencies in the brewing water. It affects flavor and chemical reactions during the brewing process, and it can also affect yeast function during fermentation"

They also use it to treat Black Widow spider bites....

Made from a seaweed, you can buy it as a sort of snack in Southern Ireland. Tastes alright too! Know as carragheen, it crops up in yoghurts as a thickener. It helps to clear the beer at the boiling or copper stage, hence it's other name, copper finings.

In South Manchester we use a touch of magnesium just to help enzyme activity.

You can overdo this stuff, just the tip of a teaspoon is enough

Reduces carbonates in hard water- It's all soft round here so we don't use it. You'll need it if your water is too high in carbonates especially if you're after pale beers.

A small bottle, it goes black if there's starch present so you can see if you're mashing and sparging is up to scratch.

Mine always reads positive! You're probably a better brewer than I am...

It works instantly so if you've got it right you'll know.

A blend of carragheen and other seaweeds, like Irish moss but there's more of them.

We've tried it and it doesn't seem any better than the Irish Moss, but, some people swear by it. Possibly it has more effect in different water areas.

Try wine making chemicals or the search box at the top.

Or, ask us and we'll get it for you