I've used time, Irish Moss and Whirlfloc tablets. All with wildly differing results.

Time alone works but real slowly and in the several months range; and when using "time" only I don't think cold temps speed up clarifying much in my experience.

Irish Moss has worked, and once quite quickly- I was drinking a very bright extract brew within two weeks once. I'm not convinced that the extract didn't contribute a major factor. Other times Irish Moss hasn't worked at all.

My recent experience with the Whirlfloc tablets is another matter entirely. I kegged a less than 30 day old Pale ale (all-grain) that poured crystal clear within 2 pints. The resulting flavor has been remarkable. It has been an amazing experience. I will continue to toss a tablet or more in my kettle from now on.

Conversely, I have an all extract Bitter that I made with no clarifying agents before the Pale ale that has been in the kegerator for weeks longer and it still isn't as clear.

I've heard of other methods such as gelatin or even real filtering but never have worked up the nerve...

Experiences?

I switched from IM to Whirlfoc a couple years back. My experience has been that it doesn't work any better than IM and it's not any easier to use, but for some reason I keep buying it.....I really think the grain you use and how you treat it in the mash and the boil are the most important things in getting a clear beer.

and Racking..............my buddy never watches what he's doing and sucks up yeast from the bottom. Seems to take a long time to clear again under pressure............

I just rack until the yeast danger zone and then put the dreggs from the 5 buckets together and let them clear again while drinking the others. You still get the bulk of the beer and it is clear almost from the first glass. Clear beer tastes better to me also Radtek.

I use both gelatin and polyclar 10 and they do clear your beer faster than nature alone.

CLB

How do you administer them CLB?

I do them both at the same time. dissolve 1/2 pack gelatin and 1 smallish tbls of polyclar 10 in a cup or so of water and heat to 140 degrees. Then mix in and try to keep most of the solution on the top layer so it can settle down through the beer. then crash as cold as possible for as many days as you have patience for. The longer the better of course.

It really works nice. But it can still be messed up in the racking process.

CLB

Any suggestions for clarifying a a beer, already in the keg, and ready to be consumed by this weekend?

I don't have any.......... because it seems like for me once the are kegged they don't clear really nice until there is 2 glasses of beer left....................never fails. See the clear beer and you get one more after that.

If I go to rack a keg and the buckets isn't crystal I leave it longer. Unless I have to have by this weekend and then you just pour it in opaque glasses and call it good.

CLB

I thought you might say that. We're having a late, family, Oktoberfest this weekend and even though it's been lagered at 32F for almost 8 weeks, it's still cloudy. Almost seems worse than when I don't lager.

Chill haze at 32 degrees. What's is look like at 50 - 60 degrees.

If it clears then polyclar 10 can help you. I just use it as a precaution. It really does help and the gelatin help drop yeast.

CLB

Actually, it had already warmed up to 48, which is my walk-in temp.

Maybe I just need to draw a few more. It's a nasty job, but somebody has to do it.

CLB said: "because it seems like for me once the are kegged they don't clear really nice until there is 2 glasses of beer left....."

I hear ya. That's exactly my experience too. last pint or 2 both crystal bright clear and bam keg empty... never fails...

Any suggestions for clarifying a a beer, already in the keg, and ready to be consumed by this weekend?

Add some gelatin, wait 2 days and transfer to another keg. I'm fairly new to kegging but I've started to do a 3 day secondary cold and with gelatin and i've been getting clear beers from the first pour

Well it is possible to have clear beer in the keg. I've done something right on a number of occasions. I want to do it all the time if i can. I think the Whirlfloc is a factor. No chill haze...

I realize this is not helpful to anyone, but...Why the clear beer? I guess I don't usually worry about it too much. In my mind, I am not trying to make commercial, filtered beer, or else I would buy it, so why kill yourself trying to make it look that way if it doesn't hurt the flavor?
Just my $.02, maybe I'm just a dink

Because it looks nice? And if you're having someone else try it the first impression really can make a difference. In some cases hazy beer can indicate process problems that may impact flavor, such as getting starches in the final product, having an infection, or not chilling quickly. Besides, things like using IM and gelatin really aren't that much work.

My beers are usually pretty clear, until I listened to someone that told me IM was unnecessary. I now have a cloudy bitter that's been in the fermenter three weeks. I'm thinking about bottling soon regardless of clarity, but are there any options at this point? Wouldn't polyclar or gelatin eliminate the yeast and either prevent or slow carbonation?

Thanks!