Cold Crashing Confusion

[hops2it]

I've been reading up on cold crashing and have some quesions. My beer is an American Wheat if that makes any difference.

I am bottling, so first off does that throw a wrench in things? I read on this forum to take the bottling temperature into account because the amount of required bottling sugar (corn sugar in my case) will vary based on temperature. Using the calculator from tastybrew.com I found there to be a significant difference:
http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

At 68 degrees, it calls for almost double the sugar than at 35 degrees. So then I see some people suggest letting the temp come back up to near room temp. Yet others say that defeats the purpose of cold crashing. I'm confused and not sure how to proceed given this is my first time attempting.

 

[bgrayson726]

Cold crashing is used to have the yeast drop out of flocculation. This is done before kegging and after bottling. If I were you, I'd bring it back up to room temp, pitch more yeast, then bottle, THEN cold crash the bottles. While it is a wheat beer, you might have some excess proteins causing some haze.

 

[waldoar15]

I don't drink wheat beers (that means I never brew them also), but I was always under the assumption that the yeast haze was part of the style of the beer. If that's the case, not much sense in cold crashing.

 

[hops2it]

Well, as with all my beers I have some sizeable suspended solids going on. Appears to me if I rack it, I'm going to have some nasty looking bottled beer. Reached 1.006 SG with a target 1.010 and its been in the primary 3 weeks. I converted my freezer just for this occasion because I always seem to have this issue. I agree it'll eventually clear in the bottles but doesn't clearing it in the primary and starting with a better product make as good or better sense? I'm getting tired of waiting like 2 to 3 months for it to clear in the bottle.

 

[Maxkling]

Cold crashing is used to have the yeast drop out of flocculation. This is done before kegging and after bottling.

That's not all true. Cold crashing in the primary or secondary cause most solids to completely drop out of suspension (whatever they may be). When you chill your bottle for extended time your trying to drop out chill haze. If you cold crash in the primary or secondary, especially with gelatin, it will substantially help with the clarity of your final product. You will also have plenty of yeast to carb. I have and never ran into an issue.

When I cold crash I warm it back up before bottling.

 

[ayoungrad]

I'm happy to be told otherwise but I don't see how the temperature at bottling makes any difference unless it is higher than the temp of the beer at any other time after completion of fermentation.

The issue with priming sugar amounts and carbonation levels lies in the amount of dissolved CO2. More CO2 stays in the beer at colder temps. At higher temps, it enters the adjacent air. So what matters in determining how much priming sugar to use is the highest temp that the beer experienced AFTER completion of fermentation - whether that temp was reached at D-rest or at bottling does not matter.

Am I missing something?

 

[hops2it]

I'm happy to be told otherwise but I don't see how the temperature at bottling makes any difference unless it is higher than the temp of the beer at any other time after completion of fermentation.

The issue with priming sugar amounts and carbonation levels lies in the amount of dissolved CO2. More CO2 stays in the beer at colder temps. At higher temps, it enters the adjacent air. So what matters in determining how much priming sugar to use is the highest temp that the beer experienced AFTER completion of fermentation - whether that temp was reached at D-rest or at bottling does not matter.

Am I missing something?

This is pretty much exactly what i was wondering. So if i do cold crash at say 35 degrees for a few days, do I still use my old standard 3/4 cup corn sugar? My temp during fermentation was a very solid 66 to 68 degrees by way of a temp controller.

 

[Yooper]

This is pretty much exactly what i was wondering. So if i do cold crash at say 35 degrees for a few days, do I still use my old standard 3/4 cup corn sugar? My temp during fermentation was a very solid 66 to 68 degrees by way of a temp controller.

Yes. Use the highest temperature the beer was at during fermentation or after fermentation.

The carbonation calculators don't explain that but the reason is simple- a colder fermentation "holds" onto more Co2. However, unless you're doing a lager and skipping a diacetyl rest, the colder temperature during cold crashing and/or lagering doesn't matter a bit as it happened after fermentation. It's not like more co2 would suddenly be created and appear during cold crashing!

Use the regular amount and you'll be fine.

 

[hops2it]

Thanks yoop. You think the cold crash idea is ok for my situation...going into bottles? And does it matter if i let it warm up first or just pull it out of the fridge and go to town? Post bottling, they will end up in the basement which is mid to upper 60's unless otherwise suggested.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks yoop. You think the cold crash idea is ok for my situation...going into bottles? And does it matter if i let it warm up first or just pull it out of the fridge and go to town? Post bottling, they will end up in the basement which is mid to upper 60's unless otherwise suggested.

No need to warm it up. Just bottle it and you'll be fine. No need to add more yeast, either.

 

[ayoungrad]

Use the highest temperature the beer was at during fermentation or after fermentation.

Wouldn't CO2 lost during a higher fermentation temperature be at least partially replenished if fermentation is still going on while the beer is fermenting at a subsequent lower temperature? This is why I understand it to be the highest temp after fermentation is complete. Of course timing would play a crucial role... i.e. was there enough time at the new lower fermentation temperature (while fermentation was continuing) to achieve the higher level of residual CO2 possible at the lower temperature.

 

[Yooper]

Wouldn't CO2 lost during a higher fermentation temperature be at least partially replenished if fermentation is still going on while the beer is fermenting at a subsequent lower temperature? This is why I understand it to be the highest temp after fermentation is complete. Of course timing would play a crucial role... i.e. was there enough time at the new lower fermentation temperature (while fermentation was continuing) to achieve the higher level of residual CO2 possible at the lower temperature.

Well, I don't really think you expect an answer here because that's pretty silly.

I mean, if fermentation is going on and you lower the temp from 68 to 64, do you really expect a HUGE difference? I think "3/4 cup priming sugar" could cover that.

I think you're really getting into splitting hairs here as the difference in residual co2 in temperatures of 68 degrees, lowered to even 62 degrees during fermentation, would be so insignificant as to be not worth mentioning.

 

[ayoungrad]

Well, I don't really think you expect an answer here because that's pretty silly.

I mean, if fermentation is going on and you lower the temp from 68 to 64, do you really expect a HUGE difference? I think "3/4 cup priming sugar" could cover that.

I think you're really getting into splitting hairs here as the difference in residual co2 in temperatures of 68 degrees, lowered to even 62 degrees during fermentation, would be so insignificant as to be not worth mentioning.

I don't know about silly. But almost definitely overkill. I'm a self-professed anal-retentive bastard for sure.

 

[Yooper]

I don't know about silly. But almost definitely overkill. I'm a self-professed anal-retentive bastard for sure.

Hahaha, and a funny guy besides! :rockin: