Broncoblue
Well-Known Member
After fermenting for 3-4 weeks in a carboy do you just put it in a freezer and get it really cold then lift it out of the freezer and keg it. Just wondering how much this stirs up the cake at the bottom.
How to cold crash?
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JonK331
Well-Known Member
I like to let it sit at just above freezing for 2-3 days to allow everything to settle. Yes, you have to be careful when moving the carboy out of the freezer. I usually take it out first thing, get everything sanitized and set up, then keg. It usually settles again in a few minutes. If you cold crash with gelatin, it will settle more quickly after being disturbed.
Broncoblue
Well-Known Member
I only have a deep freezer that seems to be set at 0 to - degrees so I cant do a couple days or it will be a carboycicle. Does getting it cold for a few hours not help and should I skip this step if I cant do it for longer than a couple hours.
JonK331
Well-Known Member
I'm not completely sure but I think it would be better than nothing to at least get it cold before kegging. Sounds like you need a temp controller. Like this: http://morebeer.com/view_product/16666//Ranco_Digital_Temperature_Controller_-_Wired
lakedawgs
Well-Known Member
I have recently cold crashed a Stout, transfered to a secondary and am letting it condition for a while.
Problem is I have decided to bottle and not keg. Don't know how much yeast to add as the current yeast has been put in stasis from the cold crashing, I have been told.
Problem is I have decided to bottle and not keg. Don't know how much yeast to add as the current yeast has been put in stasis from the cold crashing, I have been told.
corwin6654
Well-Known Member
I have not cold crashed yet, but from everything I've read, you should still be fine to bottle without adding additional yeast if you only cold crashed for a few days. Once it warms up the yeasties will wake up and go to town on the bottling sugar.
runningweird
Well-Known Member
open fridge
insert fermenter
profit
insert fermenter
profit
BlackJaqueJanaviac
Well-Known Member
If you re-awaken the yeast after cold crashing - what's the advantage?
madbird1977
Well-Known Member
I'm also wondering about cold crashing before keggins. I have a cream ale that's been fermenting for 3 weeks and I'm about ready to keg this weekend. 1.5 week primary/1.5 secondary. Should I just put it in the kegerator for a 1-2 days to let it cold crash/settle then siphon to the keg?
Also should you do this for all beers or only certain kinds?
Sorry to jump on this thread but it'll help a bunch!
Also should you do this for all beers or only certain kinds?
Sorry to jump on this thread but it'll help a bunch!
HomebrewMTB
Well-Known Member
The advantage of cold crashing is more particulate matter drops out of suspension for a clearer beer. Same thing will happen when you keg or bottle but it's better to clear it out before racking so that it doesn't end up in the final product.
To the OP, after 3 or 4 weeks in primary and a couple days in the fridge at low temps, the cake is really compacted and doesn't move much when you move the fermentor. What does get stirred up settles quickly. And get or make a temperature controller for the deep freeze or check out this post:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/gu...mostat-32f-eliminate-external-control-249612/
To the OP, after 3 or 4 weeks in primary and a couple days in the fridge at low temps, the cake is really compacted and doesn't move much when you move the fermentor. What does get stirred up settles quickly. And get or make a temperature controller for the deep freeze or check out this post:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/gu...mostat-32f-eliminate-external-control-249612/
srocheleau
New Member
The question I have is, when you place the carboy in the freezer do you replace the airlock with a solid bung to prevent the sanitizer from being sucked into the beer?
lakedawgs
Well-Known Member
From what I have read and experienced, the airlock will just bubble 'backwards' but should not suck anything in to the fermenter any more than normal carbonation would push anything out of the airlock....as long as it is not too full of sanitizer. Even if a bit of sanitizer gets in to the beer, no big deal.
You can cold crash anything you want as it wont change the taste. It just makes the beer clearer. Typically wheat beers are cloudy so if you want to stay true to the style you wouldn't cold crash wheat beers.
I cold crash (if I have room) before I keg. I let it sit for a week then keg. This clears the beer and also gets it cold for kegging. You want cold beer when you keg because CO2 absorbs better in cold liquids.
If you cold crash then bottle, just let it warm up and the yeast will become active again. I don't think there would ever be a time you would need to add more yeast for bottling...maybe if you did a bigger beer or used yeast that wasn't fresh.
I cold crash (if I have room) before I keg. I let it sit for a week then keg. This clears the beer and also gets it cold for kegging. You want cold beer when you keg because CO2 absorbs better in cold liquids.
If you cold crash then bottle, just let it warm up and the yeast will become active again. I don't think there would ever be a time you would need to add more yeast for bottling...maybe if you did a bigger beer or used yeast that wasn't fresh.
Elweydoloco
Well-Known Member
There is PLENTY of yeast left in suspension after cold crashing and no need to warm back up prior to bottling as it's going to warm up when you let it sit for conditioning anyway. You will want to pour a quarter of your priming sugar slurry in then rack to bottling bucket slowly adding it as it fills up. Because you don't want to aerate the wort. Obviously cold liquids don't mix as well as warm so you'll have to make sure you add the slurry slowly.
I Cold crashed and gelatined the Apocalypso I have bottled right now and it carbed up in about a week and already has plenty of head retention. It was odd to me as I expected to let it sit for 3 weeks or more to condition but it carbed pretty quickly. All depends on the yeast, temperature, and how well the slurry is mixed though.
I Cold crashed and gelatined the Apocalypso I have bottled right now and it carbed up in about a week and already has plenty of head retention. It was odd to me as I expected to let it sit for 3 weeks or more to condition but it carbed pretty quickly. All depends on the yeast, temperature, and how well the slurry is mixed though.
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