when to add gelatin and cold crash?

Hey,

I'm really glad I came across this site and I hope someone can help me out. I brewed my first AG batch last week and it's been in the primary for 10days now. It's at target gravity, so fermentation is completed. Should I now cold crash it to like 40 degrees for another 2 weeks and then add gelatin (for more clarity) to it, wait another two or three days for it to completely clear up and then rack it into my serving keg and force carbonation? Or should I rack it to a secondary and keep it another week or two at around 68degree before cold crashing and adding the gelatin? I'm just a little confused on when to cold crash and when to add the gelatin. oh and it's my first attempt to make a brown ale

If I remember BierMuncher correctly, bring to room temp and add the gelatin. Then after a couple of days cold crash. I typically will crash mine at 36 degrees for about 1 week. Then rack to keg and force carbonate.

Gelatin works better when the beer is cold. I cold crash for a couple days, then rack on top of the gelatin in the keg. After force carbonating, the first couple pints will come out chunky, but it will clear up after that.

stevo155 said:

Gelatin works better when the beer is cold. I cold crash for a couple days, then rack on top of the gelatin in the keg. After force carbonating, the first couple pints will come out chunky, but it will clear up after that.

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^^^ this is what I do, I cut out the secondary completly, cold crash the primary for 2-3 days. Bloom gelatin in 1-2 cups of 180 deg water, pour gelatin in keg rack beer on top. Put in keezer and carb. Beer is crystal clear after first pint of two as stated above.

Post number 270 in this thread is where BM talks about mixing the gelatin in the beer at room temp.

Whutever said:

Post number 270 in this thread is where BM talks about mixing the gelatin in the beer at room temp.

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BM post make sense but I have never added gelatin to beer warmer than 35 deg F and it has worked great and my beers are crystal clear. It worked so well I started buying gelatin in bulk. I'll have to try letting my brew come back up to room temp after cold crashing next time and see if there is a noticeable difference.

thanks for the help!
So should I add the gelatin right away and then cool it down to 36 degree for about a week and then keg it? It would be just about three weeks from brewing to kegging. Or should I wait a few more days for maturation before I cool it?

bad67z said:

BM post make sense but I have never added gelatin to beer warmer than 35 deg F and it has worked great and my beers are crystal clear. It worked so well I started buying gelatin in bulk. I'll have to try letting my brew come back up to room temp after cold crashing next time and see if there is a noticeable difference.

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Yup, that's what I thought as well. In the past I've done the same as you but I'm trying it this way this time. We'll see.

Doghead said:

thanks for the help!
So should I add the gelatin right away and then cool it down to 36 degree for about a week and then keg it? It would be just about three weeks from brewing to kegging. Or should I wait a few more days for maturation before I cool it?

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Stevo, Bad and I all know it works well enough when adding it after it's cooled to mid-30's so either way will work. I'm following what BM posted this time as I've always felt it could be a little clearer without filtering.