Cold crashing / bottle conditioning question

I just found the perfect solution to maintaining a consistent fermentation temperature of 65 degrees by borrowing the wine cooler and using the custom temperature setting. Works great. I can now cold crash when I move to secondary. What's the procedure here? And will this take all of the yeast out of suspension and cause me problems carbonating in the bottle?

Here's my plan:

- Primary 10 to 14 days at 65 degrees (the internal temp is actually bang on 68).
- Move to secondary, add gelatin. Reduce temp to 38 degrees and wait 1 week.
- Increase temp to 65 degrees. Dry hop. Wait 1 week.
- 3/4 cup corn sugar and bottle.

Just wondering, why not dry hop while crashing?

LooyvilleLarry said:

Just wondering, why not dry hop while crashing?

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I was reading on another thread somewhere that someone suggested that if you cold crash before dry hopping you get better results with the effect of dry hopping / aroma. (I'd reference the thread, but I can't find it).

It's true that getting the yeast out of suspension optimizes dry hopping and Vinny from Russian River says that 68-72 is optimal temp for dry hopping. Here's what I do;

primary 14 days @ 68
cold crash to 36 for 3 days then rack to secondary
bring temp back up to 70 and start dry hop
After 11 days I cold crash again get to 36 for 3 days then add gelatin wait 3 more days and then rack into serving keg and force carbinate.


Lot's of variations, but this has worked well for me.


Eastside

spiny_norman said:

will this take all of the yeast out of suspension and cause me problems carbonating in the bottle?

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it is funny that the original question was not answered by the ones above they seem to be more worried about the dry hopping.

Sorry I can not help with your questions as I have not experience with cold crashing.

I just happen to notice how everyone seems not to answer your questions.

As I mentioned above, I do not bottle, I keg and force carbinate. If you crash-cool and plan to bottle, It would seem that you would need to prime it with sugar, since most of the yeast will fall out of suspension.

Eastside

You'd prime with sugar anyway. That doesn't have anything to do with the amount of yeast in suspension.

Folks on here crash cool and bottle condition all the time. Even if it looks totally clear, there's still tons of yeast in there to do the job. No worries.

ChshreCat said:

You'd prime with sugar anyway. That doesn't have anything to do with the amount of yeast in suspension.

Folks on here crash cool and bottle condition all the time. Even if it looks totally clear, there's still tons of yeast in there to do the job. No worries.

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+1
I think your plan as written is excellent.