Help With My Fermentation Schedule

Hi All,

I've been sort of half-following a recipe for a modified Special Bitter. Using Wyeast 1098, the recipe calls for a 5-7 day primary at 66 degrees and a 7 day secondary at 60 degrees. Because I'm having a party at the 14 day mark (and my kegs and fermentation share a fridge), I have 11-12 days before I cold crash at 45 degrees.

Here is where I need your help. Should I:

1. Do an 11 day primary at 66 then cold crash;
2. Do an 11 day primary with the last 5-6 days at 60;
3. Do a 6 day primary at 66, then rack for a 6 day secondary at 60 before the cold crash;
4. Something else?

Basically, I don't know the value of the recipe's 60-degree secondary. If it is just for clearing, the cold crash should cover that. But if I keep it in the primary and drop the temp to 60, I worry that I'll drop all the yeast out before they have a chance to clean up (basically negating the value of a long primary).

Any thoughts on how to proceed?

Bonus question: If I have a half-full keg that is already adequately carbed, but which has been off the gas for a few weeks at 60+ degrees, how many days in advance of the party do I need to refrigerate it so that it reabsorbs the CO2 in the headspace?

This is one of my house ale yeast.....awesome stuff. Ferments very well at 66, nice and clean. I'd look at 66 for bout 10 days then raise to 70 fo 2 then cold crash. When I use this ale I leave in primary at 66 for bout 20 or so days then raise temp to 70 for a couple and comes out very nice.

chally said:

Any thoughts on how to proceed?

Bonus question: If I have a half-full keg that is already adequately carbed, but which has been off the gas for a few weeks at 60+ degrees, how many days in advance of the party do I need to refrigerate it so that it reabsorbs the CO2 in the headspace?

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I'd keep it in the fermenter until finished and clearing (probably about 10 days) and then keg it and stick it in the kegerator. In order to adequately carb it by day 14, you'll probably have too put it at 30 psi for 36 hours (starting with a room temperature keg into the kegerator), then purge and reset to 10 psi.

For the already carbed up keg, if you don't have a leak it'll be carbed up just fine when you go to serve it. I'd probably chill it a day or two in advance so that any sediment that got disturbed when the keg was moved could resettle.

What Yooper said.

And given your extremely tight timeline, I'd consider a more flocculant strain; there are several good British strains that will clear quickly. Unless you plan to use Biofine or something like that to drop it clear very quickly. Even with a more flocculant strain you may need to do so.

Thanks for the fast replies! I should have been more clear that I'm not serving this beer at the Day 14 party, but I need to cold crash because I need to chill the other keg. So the plan is to ferment this in one of the above ways, cold crash for a few days until the other keg is kicked and cleaned, then transferred for a three-week set-and-forget carb.

Hope that helps clear things up. For what it's worth, I'm leaning toward option number 1 (maybe with a diacetyl rest) despite the fact that it cuts out the 60-degree fermentation period entirely.