Flocculation seems like a simple step to help remove much of the plant fats / oils / tannins from the mixture, with chemicals like aluminum sulfate, alum, that are food safe and eazly available. It seems like this would also help emulsions from forming in the first place and possibly help break them after the fact ?

I have never tried it, or any Aye brew / extraction, so im just guessing hear, But I figured I would see what others had to say before I start experimenting.
I would appreciate others opinions who are more versed in chemistry and practical knowledge.

Some relevant info.

"Flocculation, in the field of chemistry, is a process wherein colloids come out of suspension in the form of floc or flake; either spontaneously or due to the addition of a clarifying agent. The action differs from precipitation in that, prior to flocculation, colloids are merely suspended in a liquid and not actually dissolved in a solution. In the flocculated system, there is no formation of a cake, since all the flocs are in the suspension.

Coagulation and flocculation are important processes in water treatment with coagulation to destabilize particles through chemical reaction between coagulant and colloids, and flocculation to transport the destabilized particles that will cause collisions with floc."

--- http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Flocculation

"Process for the extraction and purification of alkaloids
US 5684155 A
Abstract
A process for the extraction and purification of alkaloids from plant material wherein the first extraction is conducted with an aqueous solution of a strong acid and the acid extract is clarified by flocculation. The alkaloid is recovered from the clarified extract in a second extraction step by means of an organic solvent, or be absorption on a cationic exchange resin or by adsorption on an adsorbing material. The alkaloid is then recovered and purified. With respect to the known processes the extraction time is reduced as well as the isomerization cases and costs and risks involved with the use of organic solvents. Most of impurities are precipitated with the flocculation thus making easier the recovery of the alkaloid."

--- http://www.google.com/patents/US5684155

Good idea, and I've used flocculants in water-treatment before, but...

You can achieve virtually the same effect by chilling the brew, which will cause the floc to settle, with clear liquid above. But I think the general consensus is that such brews tend to be weaker, if more palatable...

Egg-white tek achieves similar results too.

But I can't see many people wanting to add aluminium salts to their brew... Done carefully, most should settle out as precipitate, but still...Your brain's on fire, and you're swooshing aluminium ions around it, potentially?!

Having said that, across much of the Amazon basin, the river-water is naturally high in dissolved aluminium, so...?

Personally, I think chemical flocculation is best reserved for simple clarification of dirty liquids in bulk.

And sometimes less tek is best tek