homebrewandbeer.com

I've read several posts here that say preservatives will kill your yeast. I've also read here that gelatine is OK to use as a finning agent. I dosed two brews with gelatine a few days ago and they are still burping along happily.
Just checked the label on the gelatine and listed is preservative 220. What's the go?

I was worried about this too for a while. Apparently, there isn't enough 220 preservative present in the gelatine to have any effect on the yeast. I can vouch for it as I have used the household brand gelatine as finings and have encountered no problems. The beer still carbonated after bottling and continued to ferment after I added it.

220 is in wine isn't it? I also heard recently that it is doing nasty stuff to people.

Sorry about the hijack bolwell, but I am assuming that your question was answered.

Preservative 220 is sulphur dioxide.. there's some reports around about asthmatics having reactions to it.

Makes sense.

So... if none of my yeast have asthma it would be cool to use gelatine? Probably best to not use it in the smoked ales

I never did understand why a clear beer was so important, not that I have made many cloudy brews, but it never really bothered me.

I guess it is the old fear of HB being a thick vegemite tasting sharply alcoholic sludge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide#_note-3
http://www.morethanorganic.com/sulphur-in-the-bottle

i would not by choice add any 220 in any of my food unless absolutly nessasary, and having clear beer is not that important to me.

An additional preservative in conjuction with hops. And all those people who say that HB is better because there is no preservatives.

Yeah well I just used 15grams in 23 litres in my first brew.Mainly coz I want to drink em out the bottles and I happened to have some lyin around in the cupboard.Lucky Im not asthmatic and I just read the thread now.

I have used finings twice now, but don't see the point. Give your beer a bit of cold conditioning in a fridge before bottling and it comes out just as clear without adding anything at all.