ale cold crash???

So I have an AG Amber done with White Lab liquid California Ale yeast that is stated at 68 -73 degree range by company now at 2 weeks in primary and done by FG measurements. Dont want to go to secondary and have a kegerator ready to roll. Can I go this early into corny keg/force carbonate in my 40 degree kegerator -- ie cold crash an ale??? What will that do -- what do I do and when is it ok to go that low anyway???? help please., thanks, doc

Id crash it in there for a couple days, then rack to a keg and carb. I cold crash most of my ales for a few days before racking.

pol,

Is two weeks in primary with stable FG too soon to go that low -- will the yeast here out be destroyed and the beer just age on its own???

Well there is the idea that more time on the yeast will allow the yeast to clean up after themselves. IF you crash now, they wont have that time. I generally leave beer in the primary for about 4 weeks, then crash, then keg and carb. I am never in a hurry, and spend much of my life away from home so I am not tempted.

If you can leave it, leave it for a week or so.. then crash for a few days, then keg and carb when chilled.

The Pol said:

Well there is the idea that more time on the yeast will allow the yeast to clean up after themselves. IF you crash now, they wont have that time. I generally leave beer in the primary for about 4 weeks, then crash, then keg and carb. I am never in a hurry, and spend much of my life away from home so I am not tempted.

If you can leave it, leave it for a week or so.. then crash for a few days, then keg and carb when chilled.

Click to expand...

1. Will cold crashing leave enough viable yeast for bottle carbing?
2. And more importantly, does cold crashing prevent chill haze?
3. Would you let it get to room temp. before bottling, or bottle cold?

I thought you were kegging the beer... well, if you are going to naturally carb it, you may not want to cold crash it. Not sure how much viable yeast will be left after it is chilled. This is generally done to eliminate much of the yeast and to precipitate out chill haze. You will end up with a very clear cold beer.

If you are naturally carbing, dont know that I would do it, simply because you are going to settle out a lot of your viable yeast, leaving little to carb the beer.

brew-skies said:

1. Will cold crashing leave enough viable yeast for bottle carbing?
2. And more importantly, does cold crashing prevent chill haze?
3. Would you let it get to room temp. before bottling, or bottle cold?

Click to expand...

1. Yes
2. No
3. I don't think it matters.


I have bottled after a cold crash and it carbed up just fine (back when I was bottling). There will still be plenty of yeast.

I have two batches in the fridge right now that have chill haze. I cold crashed both of them for a couple days before kegging. I know the chill haze will settle out eventually, but it will take a month or two at fridge temps.