Colloidal Stability in Beer: How to Achieve It

Much has been made of colloidal stability in beer and the necessity for perfectly clear beer on the market since the beginning of the industrial age and mass production. Today, however, more brewers are eschewing the need to clarify beer with the use of adjuncts and complicated processes. Thus, we find ourselves wondering in the brewing industry what this colloidal stability even is, whether it is necessary, and how to achieve it if it is.

What Is Colloidal Stability in Beer?

A colloid is essentially a solid molecule that is visible to the naked eye. Unlike the tiny liquid molecules that exist inside of virtually every liquid from water to beer, which are invisible to us, solid molecules typically show up as gel like substances. The best way to think of these solid molecules is what your wort looks like after your boil.

You have toasted the grain to get the starches to convert to sugars, you have cracked the grains open to expose those sugars to water, and you have boiled the grains in water to release all of those sugars into the water.

Test Your Yeast

But sugars were not the only thing released into the water. You also have remaining starches and hundreds of other proteins, polyphenols, and micronutrients in your water, now called wort.

These compounds often form solid molecules and make your wort thick, rich, and maybe even a bit gummy in consistency. It is far from a clear liquid.

And it never had to be.

Brewers for ten thousand years produced a hazy product rich with proteins and polyphenols, those solid molecules suspended in the beer that drinkers drank down with glee. They are not only harmless, those molecules, but they are also rich in nutrients. Good news for beer drinkers across the board.

Industrialization Changes Everything

In the early 1800’s, two major events took place that changed brewing forever.

First, mass production entered the scene in the form of large corporations, international shipping, and the assembly line. Now, beer could be shipped overseas and across countries, which meant it had to be shelf stable.

Second, science took leaps and bounds in terms of biological knowledge, one of which was hygiene. Louis Pasteur discovered bacteria and germs, and society became quickly deathly afraid of all possible contaminants.

Obviously hygiene is good for many reasons; it brought down mortality rates, saving millions of lives; it improved practices in medicine; and it insisted on clean practices in food handling.

Still, there can be too much of a good thing, as we have seen today in our antibacterial and antibiotic resistant bugs that are growing larger seemingly by the minute, all because we have insisted on hyper cleanliness.

The same problem has arisen in beer.

Pasteurization was introduced in beer to make the product more shelf stable, which allowed it to be shipped around the world and stored for months at a time. This pasteurization often led to a clear beer, which became associated with clean beer, though the two are not connected in the slightest.

It is natural for beer to have suspended proteins and polyphenols. Just look at wheat beer or double IPAs, which are extremely cloudy.

But the public would hear none of it and demanded clear beer as a sign that it was safe to drink.

Enter the world of colloidal stability.

For over one hundred years now, brewers have sought ways to make the colloids, solid molecules in their brew, stable, meaning they filter out of the beer or add various substances to the liquid.

Do I Need to Achieve Colloidal Stability in Beer?

In short, no, you do not need to achieve colloidal stability in beer. Take a look at many of the small craft brewers around the world that have rid their brew houses of the need for colloidal stability and embraced the haze. Indeed, we have seen a rise in haze, clouds, and other suspended particles in beer as a celebration of the traditional method of brewing in recent decades.

There is no connection between colloidal stability in beer and cleanliness, safety, or longer shelf life.

At the same time, it is common for beers that are made to be shelf stable to present as colloidally stable. It is not typical for a beer that can be stored for months on a shelf to have a haze, and that is simply because the process undergone to make beer shelf stable, like pasteurization and filtration, naturally also clarifies beer.

And yes, if you plan to ship your beer across the country or even across state lines, you should be looking into preservation methods that include colloidal stability.

If you brew locally, however, and keep your beer on local markets, you are not likely to need colloidal stability in your beer.

But, maybe you just want to experiment with colloidal stability?

How to Achieve Colloidal Stability in Beer

Several effective methods exist to break down the particles in beer that are visible to the naked eye and either reduce them or eliminate them altogether.

Be mindful, however, that removing these proteins and polyphenols, the most common producers of colloids, tends to also remove the wanted aspects of beer, like flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel, not to mention nutrients.

Hot Break

Hot break involves bringing your mash to a boil, which naturally breaks up larger particles into smaller ones. Larger particles that remain can then be removed with the hot trub during the first filtration.

Cold Break

Cold break occurs when you allow the wort to cool down before adding yeast. This will allow larger particles that would be present during a chill haze to form and then be filtered out.

Silica Gel

Silica gel is often added to bind to proteins, which form much larger particles and can then be filtered out.

PVPP

PVPP can also be added to wort to bind to polyphenols, which can then be filtered out.

Remember that you want to watch just how many of these proteins and polyphenols you eliminate from your wort as they are major contributors of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel, all things that make your beer amazing.

Sometimes, it’s okay to sacrifice a little clarity for a good brew.

Cheers!

Are you still pitching fresh yeast every time? By reusing your yeast, you can save up to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on just yeast alone!

Join the hundreds of brewers from all around the world using the Smartest Automated Yeast Cell Counter! Request a Free Demo Account today and experience firsthand how Oculyze can take your brewery to the next level!

Sources:

Stay on top on important fermentation insights – subscribe to our monthly newsletter and receive a hand-picked selection of our most relevant articles straight to your inbox.

Never miss a beat and get real time updates with a new article each workday by subscribing our social media channels.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube