How cold is "too cold" for cold crashing beer before bottling?

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msa8967

msa8967

mickaweapon
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I want to cold crash a few of my 5 gallon batches. In the past I have been able to do this in our attached garage where the temps are in the low 30's F but now our temos won't be above 20 F for the next week or so. Thus, I am a bit concerned about my uncarbonated beer freezing.

How cold is "too cold" for cold crashing beer before bottling? Would overnight at these temps (5-10 F) be too cold? If so I was thinking of waiting until iy hit 20 F and then crash for 4-6 hours but that might not be enough time to do any good?
 
I think 5-10F will be too cold and and it will freeze. This wont affect the beer really, just means you have to let it thaw.

The only thing i can think of is your bottling that freezing may kill off a lot of the yeast?
 
overnight temps of below freezing will be fine, i try to crash mine at 32 degrees for a few days, the colder the better. it will freeze if you leave it at really cold temps for a long time - just use your common sense
 
runningweird said:
overnight temps of below freezing will be fine, i try to crash mine at 32 degrees for a few days, the colder the better. it will freeze if you leave it at really cold temps for a long time - just use your common sense
Click to expand...

I accidentally left my 8 gallon bucket filled with water outside after cleaning it overnight in 20F weather and it may not be totally frozen, but its as good as frozen with a 6+ inch chunk of ice on top.

As others said though 4-6 hours isnt long enough, you need to let it sit for a few days at near freezing to really settle out.
 
If, I am kegging I want as much yeast to settle out as possible, its' work is done, but if I am bottling, I still want some live yeast in suspension to go back to work when the priming sugar is added and the temperature goes back up. I have no empirical evidence, just an idea. However, I have observed that when I did a really thorough cold crash and then decided to bottle, I did not get the same carbonation as I was accustomed to. I use the Northern Brew priming sugar calculator and condition for 30 days or more in about 68F
 
Quite OT, but I remember when my dad threw a kegger in the winter when we were living in New York, near Saratoga. He just left the keg on the back porch. It worked great for keeping the beer cold during the party. That night the temps dropped sub-zero, the beer started to freeze, it blew the bung out the keg and sprayed beer all over the porch, including the ceiling, where it promptly froze solid. The floor was coated with frozen beer and we had beercicles hanging from the ceiling until the spring thaw, when we had beer drizzle and the whole porch smelled like a frat party for weeks.
 
dkevinb said:
Quite OT, but I remember when my dad threw a kegger in the winter when we were living in New York, near Saratoga. He just left the keg on the back porch. It worked great for keeping the beer cold during the party. That night the temps dropped sub-zero, the beer started to freeze, it blew the bung out the keg and sprayed beer all over the porch, including the ceiling, where it promptly froze solid. The floor was coated with frozen beer and we had beercycles hanging from the ceiling until the spring thaw, when we had beer drizzle and the whole porch smelled like a frat party for weeks.
Click to expand...

Your Dad knew how to throw a party! :rockin::rockin:
 
dkevinb said:
Quite OT, but I remember when my dad threw a kegger in the winter when we were living in New York, near Saratoga. He just left the keg on the back porch. It worked great for keeping the beer cold during the party. That night the temps dropped sub-zero, the beer started to freeze, it blew the bung out the keg and sprayed beer all over the porch, including the ceiling, where it promptly froze solid. The floor was coated with frozen beer and we had beercycles hanging from the ceiling until the spring thaw, when we had beer drizzle and the whole porch smelled like a frat party for weeks.
Click to expand...

That. Is. Beautiful.
 

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