Home brewers are likely to have come across Irish Moss as a recipe ingredient while home brewing.
For those unaware, Irish Moss is actually a species of red algae, and a
s one might expect from algae it can smell a bit … fishy. Not to worry, using Irish Moss in proper proportions will not add a fishy flavor to the final product. What it will do, is add clarity t
o your beer.
Why does clear beer matter? The primary reason people do is simply because it looks better. While home brewers are undoubtedly used to cloudy beer (and may actually enjoy it!), there are plenty out there who are uncomfortable drinking something cloudy liquid. In addition, using Irish Moss can also influence the head of the pour, making it foamier.
For those curious, check out this experiment homebrewer Marshall Schott ran comparing batches made with and without Irish Moss.
Irish Moss is cheap to purchase, but it isn’t always used in recipes and as a result it may not always be on hand. So what should you do if you’re in a pinch and don’t have Irish Moss on hand? What are Irish Moss alternatives for home brewing?
A substitute we’ve used in the past and seen success with is gelatin. Common, unflavored gelatin cubes can be purchased at most supermarkets – a good alternative if a beer hobby shop isn’t close by.
To use it, add approximately 6 grams into hot water and let it dissolve. Heating the water will help sterilize the liquid, which is important because you’ll be adding the gelatin after fermentation of your beer has ended. This is another plus, as you can complete your initial brewing and plan to fine the liquid afterwards.
Simply add the dissolved gelatin mixture to your carboy a few days before you plan to bottle. You should see a difference in clarity, and like Irish Moss the flavor of the liquid will not be affected.
And if you’re really concerned about the clarity of your beer, nothing says you can’t use both Irish Moss and gelatin!
We’d love to hear from others out there! Are there alternatives to Irish Moss you’ve successfully used in the past? Any mistakes you’d like to warn others about? If so, we invite you to join the conversation and share your thoughts below.
