Cold Crash Question

Hi All,

Im new to home brewing and have been reading the forums trying to find answers to my questions but I still have a question to ask.

Ive got my first two brews in secondaries and they are almost reading for bottling. Ive been reading a lot about cold crashing and how it helps clear up the beer.

I dont have a fridge I can stick the carboys in, but seen as it cold outside all day and night (I live on the Olympic peninsula) would it be ok just to stick them outside for a couple of days? The temp outside during the day will be around 46-47F will this be cold enough? and will leaving them outside for two days be long enough?

And from what ive read its ok to bottle them cold? as long as I leave the bottles inside to warm back up?

Depends what type of yeast you're using. I think you might see some results from it. The main purpose of cold crashing is to put the yeast into a dormant state, than gravity drops them out. If the yeast can tolerate a 45 degree temp you might not get the results you're looking for.

As for bottling, you should be fine. Yes, you want the bottles to warm back up. Around 70 or so, to bring the yeast that's still in suspension out of its dormant state. It may take slightly longer to carb, but you'll be fine.

I think the yeast was Muttons And Fison Ale Yeast. Although im not 100% sure. I bought two all grain beer kits from midwest, so its whichever dry yeast they put in the kits.

If it's truly under 50, you should get a result. Maybe not the best of results, but if it's all you got to work with, it's better than nothing!

Thanks Steber, I will give it a go.

I'm doing my first cold crash in the basement today. I got a 20-gallon plastic tub. Gonna put the primary in there and cover it with ice. Just another technique you might consider if your temp. isn't cool enough.

Let me know how that goes and I might give it a try

If you're thinking of making a make shift swamp cooler put it in the colder environment. Itll help in any temp, so if its cooler outside you can add ice water out there too

Do you have a garage or shed to store it in? What would you do to keep the evil sun off of it.

AWNbrewer said:

Do you have a garage or shed to store it in? What would you do to keep the evil sun off of it.

Click to expand...

I have a wooden box i can store it in. The weather recently had been hitting about 46F during the day is that too hot to cold crash?

The cooler idea worked pretty well for me. I left it in the dark basement and siphoned into a secondary before bottling. Beer came out pretty clear! I would think 46 degrees would help but the colder the beer the more stuff will settle to the bottom.

I have no idea what the "proper" cold crashing temp is. I have never done that. I just leave it alone and let it do what it does. The beer is good and no major defects have occurred due to improper temp control. I am in the process of talking my wife into getting a second fridge. Side by side. She can have the freezer and I get the fridge. Then ill ark on temp control.

Cracked the first beer of the batch I cold crashed. It's fully carbonated and clear! I warmed it up slightly to 50 degrees, added 5g priming sugar and voila! Beer happened!

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A few weeks in the fridge after its carbed up will give you some pretty clear beer. This is when it's bottled btw

Since this seems right on topic and I have yet to find a definitive answer from anywhere, I thought I would put this out there in this topic.

I don't keg, I bottle and prime with anywhere from 2-5 oz. of corn sugar depending on the style. How long can I cold crash to see maximum clarity but still have a beer that will carb up in 2-3 weeks? I figure each beer is a different case and I typically wait until after I bottle to cold crash. I normally just throw the bottles in the fridge for a day or so before I pop them open.

Should I be cold crashing prior to bottling? How long and how cold before it will not carb as expected? Is cold crashing in the bottle sufficient? So many unanswered questions.

*This is based on my own observations and may not reflect what a professional brewer will tell you about cold crashing.

My understanding is that it is only cold crashing if it happens before bottling. This is important for two reasons: 1. you lower the temperature significantly lower than you would by simply putting it in the refrigerator and 2. you end up with less trub at the bottom of your bottles. By cold crashing to a lower temperature (around 32 degrees Fahrenheit) you remove significantly more stuff that is floating in your beer (excess yeast, proteins, etc.). This is important because it results in less sediment at the bottom of a carbonated bottle. When there is more sediment at the bottom of a bottle it inevitably gets stirred up by the bubbles resulting in a cloudier beer which also has a more "green" flavor to it.