in practice
Stabifix silica-based stabilisers and clarifiers
The STABIFIX® and STABIQUICK® range are highly effective adsorbers that bind with haze reactive proteins, while STABISOL® 300 is a silica-based clarifier with a dual purpose as an in-tank clarifier and for improving filterability when used in the brewhouse. They are all stabilising and clarifying agents and have no discernible effect on beer quality parameters other than stabilisation in terms of improving beer clarity.
Stabifix PVPP
STABICLEAR® P has a high affinity for haze-active polyphenols resulting in an effective colloidal stability.
Stabifix gallotannin
STABICLEAR® TFS otherwise known as a hydrolysable gallotannin, is a type of polyphenol that is also an adsorber and will bind with haze active proteins. It improves both colloidal and flavour stability of the beer, but does not impact its flavour, foam, or colour.
Stabifix enzymes
PEPfix® and FLOWfix® are new enzymes from Stabifix that give faster wort separation and beer filtration and reduce protein haze in the final beer. The enzymatic degradation of proteins and starches can control and reduce haziness.
/ How and how much stabiliser, clarifier, and enzyme to use depends on several brewing parameters.
- The beer recipe – choice of raw materials such as barley malt, malt or unmalted barley with adjuncts, and non-barley adjuncts will impact haze formation, as will hops and hopping rates where heavily dry-hopped beers and late hop additions will give a higher input of polyphenols
- The original gravity of the beer and if high gravity brewing
- Oxygen levels in the brewhouse and downstream - oxygen affects colloidal material removal at wort boiling (hot break or trub) and the oxidation of polyphenols that lead to permanent haze
- Maturation temperature
- Level of endogenous enzymes and the addition of exogenous enzymes
While a long, cold storage period prior to final beer packaging helps towards beer stabilisation, STABIFIX stabilisers and enzymes can optimise the beer stabilisation process, especially in circumstances where long and cold storage is not possible.
COMBINED PRODUCT PERFORMANCE
Stabifix products work effectively on their own as well as in combination. Combined applications can optimise stabilisation and clarification performance through selective removal of haze active proteins and polyphenols. There are clear cost benefits. And in the case of Stabifix enzymes applied with stabilisers there are synergistic gains to be had.
STABIFIX PROVIDES ONLY TARGETED PRODUCTS
While premixed product blends or modified multi-purpose products have their advantages, primarily in terms of ease of use, their functionality is broad spectrum. Beer stabilisation and clarification is a complex bio-chemical-physical process where the entire process of brewing a beer, from the raw materials to how the final packaged beer is stored, impacts the colloidal stability and quality of the beer. There is also interplay between the biochemical and the physiochemical properties of compounds during brewing, some no doubt still in the path of discovery. A change in one compound and its environment (pH, temperature, oxygen, metal ions and more) will impact another. Targeted application minimises overuse of product, reduces waste, and is cost-effective. It’s the Stabifix way.