cold crashing noob, please help!

[Dabbed_Out_Brewing]

My fridge holds a damn near constant and consistent temp at whatever i set it at. I am thinking about cold crashing my double IPA and this would be my first time trying this technique. I heard there are things that can go wrong. What temp and how many days and how long before bottling should i cold crash if I also dry hopped the beer. What can go wrong, and what are the benefits? thanks i know i have a ton of questions this is a great resource as i don't have much time to research during the day at work and at night with a newborn :

cheers!

 

[Roadie]

On IPAs you may want to cold crash after fermentation and prior to dryhopping. Set at 34 and let beer sit there a couple of days. That should drop all the yeast out. Then let warm back up somewhere between 55 - room temp and dryhop. If you cold crash after dryhopping then the yeast may pull some aromatics with it when it flocs. Cold crashing gives you a clearer beer since the yeast readily floc out at those temps. If you don't care about clear beer then you can skip it.

 

[Dabbed_Out_Brewing]

On IPAs you may want to cold crash after fermentation and prior to dryhopping. Set at 34 and let beer sit there a couple of days. That should drop all the yeast out. Then let warm back up somewhere between 55 - room temp and dryhop. If you cold crash after dryhopping then the yeast may pull some aromatics with it when it flocs. Cold crashing gives you a clearer beer since the yeast readily floc out at those temps. If you don't care about clear beer then you can skip it.

is there a temperature to avoid on either spectrum? (too hot too cold) that could taint my entire batch?

 

[Brauer]

You want to wait until fermentation is complete. Check gravity over a few days to ensure its finished. If the gravity stays the same, it's time to cold crash. You can cold crash as long or short as you want. Its mostly personal preference of how clear you want your beer. Put It in the fridge @ 33-37 degrees until your happy with the level of clarity. Remember that it will be more transparent in a pint glass than in the fermenter. Also if you have an airlock or blowoff tube in your fermenter the temp change will suck in whatever's in the airlock/ blowoff container. I inflate a balloon with co2 and put it over the top so I'm not sucking in sanitizer and oxygen. Dry hopping is fine while cold crashing. Good luck.