Cold crash in primary or bottling bucket?

I know there are alot of threads out there (read a ton already) on cold crashing. I still have a few questions since I'm about to bottle my first batch, an Amber ale.

1. It's been sitting in primary bucket for 2.5 weeks now. Bottling day would be later this week...should I spend the last few days cold crashing it in my garage (35-40 F)? 3 days long enough?

2. Here's my main question...I'll have to move the batch upstairs to the garage so I'm guessing its gonna get jostled a bit. Should I rack to bottling bucket before crashing or should I relocate primary to garage then rack to bottling bucket in the garage after the fact?

3. Can somebody better explain the use of gelatin and its benefit?

Thanks...

I would recommed leaving it in the primary for at least 3weeks. This will allow the yeast to clean up after themselves and drop out of suspention to the bottom of your bucket. Cold crashing will further help clear the beer and solidify the yeast to a harder pancake in the bottom of the bucket. If you crash it in your garage for a day or two at the 35*-40* you should be fine as long as you stay above freezing. I often wrap a blanket around the bucket to prevent that, as the volume of a bucket takes longer to cool through out, during the process. That said, the use of gelatin is to clear the beer, BUT leaves a gooy slop in the bottom of your bucket; JELLO. More time in the bucket (3-4 wks) will clean the brew and cold crash will clear the brew. I transfer to my bottling bucket (with priming sugar added) in the garage without disturbing the sedement (yeast) that has settled out during cold crashing. You will stiil have plenty of yeast left in suspention to carbinate your beer after cold crashing. Cheers

1) Yes, I would cold crash for 3 days prior to bottling.

2) Leave in primary for cold crashing and rack to bottling bucket after the crash.

3) The benefit of gelatin is to get clearer beer but I would say unless you're having a "problem" with cloudy beer then I wouldn't worry about it for now. I cannot explain the use because I've never used it.

Once you cold crash and get the yeast and any trub left settled it takes quite a bit of jostling to stir it up to any amount. Leave it in the primary for the cold crash because once you rack it to the bottling bucket you should have your priming sugar mixed in and the yeast may not wait for you to cold crash before they start eating the priming sugar. You do not want the beer cold crashed and sitting in the bottling bucket without the priming sugar either.

I never cold crash but I get clear beer because I let it have time in the fermenter for the yeast to clump up and settle out, I give it time in the bottle for more of it to settle after carbonation, and I leave the bottles in the refrigerator long enough for any chill haze to settle.

Great advice guys. Really appreciate your feedback. Think ill crash 3 days in the garage in the primary at 35-40F, rack in the garage to bottling bucket (w/sugar) take inside and let warm/settle then bottle. 3 weeks in bottle at 70F and we'll see how batch #1 turns out. Merry Christmas!