Cold Crash during fermentation??? (ESB)

[kbrady487]

Hey all! I brewed an ESB last Sunday, og 1.050. I just got a tilt, and after six days the gravity is 1.007. The recipe did not have a final gravity, but I saw some online boring around 1.012-1.010. my question is, should I just let it keep going? Or should I stop fermentation with a cold crash?

 

[day_trippr]

If the Tilt readings remain stable for 2-3 days the fermentation per se is likely done and the yeast are just cleaning up their own byproducts.
That would be your gate towards packaging...

Cheers!

 

[doug293cz]

Tilts (and similar function devices) aren't always accurate for SG (for example krausen stuck to the device can affect the reading.) Best to just use them to monitor fermentation progress. When the SG flat-lines for 3 days, or more, active fermentation is done. You can then cold crash if you want, and package. Use a hydrometer to get an accurate FG. Never assume that what a recipe says the FG will be is what you will actually get. There are too many variables that can change the final result.

Brew on

 

[hotbeer]

Sometimes letting the beer remain in the fermenter for a few days or weeks will let it resolve off flavors from fermenting. Also gives it time to clean itself up so you might not even need to cold crash it.

But as mentioned you don't stop fermentation. You can slow it down. But you want all the fermentable sugars to be fermented out. Especially if you are bottling. And the recipe FG may not be your FG.

 

[kbrady487]

Thanks All!!!