act to clarify wort by encouraging the agglomeration and sedimentation of haze- active proteins and particles during the boiling and cooling of the wort (i.e., hot break formed at the end of the boil that should consist of large flocs in bright wort and cold break formed on wort cooling that is seen as a heavy, fine sediment in bright wort). All kettle finings are based on carrageenan, a long-chain polysaccharide primarily composed of galactose. The generally accepted mechanism for wort clarification with carrageenan is that negatively charged carrageenan molecules are electrostatically attracted to the more positively charged soluble protein molecules to form soluble complexes, which eventually form larger complexes that interact with microsize particles to become insoluble and flocculate. Carrageenan is denatured by heat and low pH and is therefore added at the end of the boil shortly before whirlpooling. The dosage rate needs to be determined empirically for a particular recipe and brewing conditions to produce the best clarity with the least amount of sediment. The optimization of finings addition is often determined annually when starting the new season’s malt or whenever there is a change in the type or supplier of malt. Incorrect addition of copper finings (both over and under) can give poor fining action in the cooled wort and can cause fining difficulties in cask beer. Current commercial preparations of carrageenan can include polyvinylpolypyrrolidone, an insoluble polymer that forms complexes with haze-active polyphenols through hydrogen bonding. The synergism between these two substances produces better beer clarity than either used alone.