It can be used in conjunction, you don't have to do one or the other.FedoraDave wrote:Ron, I appreciate the link to the blog re: using gelatin, but I have some questions about it.
First, can the gelatin be used in conjunction with Whirlfloc, or should it be used in lieu of it?
The latter. It's during the cold crash process. And honestly, you can either chill it first or mix it before crashing. I've done it both ways and had great results.FedoraDave wrote: Second, I'm a little unsure as to when it should be added. The author mentions chilling down to a very low temperature, and then adding the gelatin solution. Is this prior to pitching or during a cold crash just prior to bottling?
Good old-fashioned unflavored Knox. Don't buy anything expensive from your LHBS on this one.FedoraDave wrote: Third, is generic gelatin from the supermarket what he's talking about? In other words, something like Knox unflavored gelatin? I'd feel like a fool paying $2.00 for "finings" at the LHBS if I can just go up the street to Shop-Rite and get a box of the same stuff for 65 cents.
I've only started playing with this recently myself (4 batches). I wanted to play with it on the Kolsch and it worked great so I'm just using up the rest of the packets that I bought. I've been getting good clear beers with all the other processes listed, too. I've just used this to test it out and I thought the results added even more clarity so I'm using it here and there when I feel like it.
Good luck either way!