newbie questions

After lurking and learning here for quite awhile, i decided the stuff I learned here was certainly worth the price of admission to this club. However, I still have questions.

I brew 10 gallon batches from extract and keg to 5gal pepsi kegs. The beer is always good but if I can improve it I will. When transferring from the fermenter, I want to try gelatin, cold crashing, and forced carbonation. I intend to use gelatin finings from NB. I am open to other options.

I have read a lot about this and there seems to be some many conflicts as to how to do this process. Can anyone please detail the method they use.

Also, I typically carbonate at 12 psi and just wait until the carbonation seems good to me. When I get the proper carb level, is it OK to remove from the fridge and store in the basement without CO2 attached? Will the beer go flat or get ruined? I am running out of fridge space:cross:

Thanks in advance for all help.

I use BierMuncher's method which is:

BierMuncher said:

I add my dried gelatin to cold water and stir. (About 1 Tbsp to 1/2 cup per five gallons.)

Then I place it on the stove on medium heat and then stir.
In about 5-6 minutes (well before it begins to boil), the gelatin has dissolved completely and I remove from heat.

I cool it slightly and add it to the secondary or keg before racking the beer on top.

Click to expand...

I like to cold crash my beer for a couple days to bring the cold haze out if there is any. Then I rehydrate 1tbsp of gelatin in 1 cup of 70-80 water for 15-20 mins. Stirring occasionally. The mix should be cloudy. Them I microwave for 1 min or so. Do not let it boil!! The mix will be clear at this point. I pour it into my keg and rack the cold beer on top of it. Put it in my kegerator.

someguy said:

Also, I typically carbonate at 12 psi and just wait until the carbonation seems good to me. When I get the proper carb level, is it OK to remove from the fridge and store in the basement without CO2 attached? Will the beer go flat or get ruined? I am running out of fridge space:cross:

Click to expand...

After it's carbed, you can disconnect from the CO2 and the beer won't go flat as long as there aren't any leaks in your keg.

Thanks for the advise gentlemen. After further reading, I intend to move the beer from the fermenter to the kegs, cold crash the kegs for 24 hours and THEN add gelatin. I will continue cold crash a couple more days, then carb.

I am doing this because I have no way to cold crash the conical fermenter.

How does this sound.