Ingredients - What are Beer Finings?

A fining agent is a compound added to beer to aid in precipitating and binding with compounds that reduce clarity, thus resulting in clearer beer. Finings may be added either to the boil or in the fermenter. Irish moss and whirl floc/ delta floc tablets are used towards the end of the boil primarily to precipitate proteins during the cold break. Finings for the fermenter are added a few days before bottling or racking to precipitate yeast, proteins and polyphenols. These include chill guard, gelatin, isinglass, chitosan, Kieselsol and polyclar.