How cold is too cold?

[Ogilthorpe2]

My normal cold crash vessel is short on space right now. It’s 29F outside, forecast to godown to 24F overnight. Beer is about 6.3%.

How long can I leave it outside without risking freezing?

 

[Gusso]

Low of 24? I think you'll be fine for a few days.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

Nah, that will be perfect. Hit it with some gelatin and go for it.

 

[Jako]

Eisenbock anyone?

 

[monkeymath]

Eisenbock anyone?

Are you gonna add some spinach to it?!


["Eis" means 'ice', whereas "Eisen" means 'iron']

 

[Jako]

Are you gonna add some spinach to it?!


["Eis" means 'ice', whereas "Eisen" means 'iron']

Hah! thank you for the correction. Eisbock* i was so confident as well.

 

[day_trippr]

Understandable. "Eisenbock" sounds more interesting than "Eisbock".
Extra syllable adds perceived weight, even if it's nonsensical...

Cheers!

 

[Jako]

Understandable. "Eisenbock" sounds more interesting than "Eisbock".
Extra syllable adds perceived weight, even if it's nonsensical...

Cheers!

Haha it's my dyslexic brain has a mind of its own. Eisenbock is definitely from lord of the rings.

 

[monkeymath]

I kind of like "Eisenbock". Incidentally, a male goat is also called a "Bock"*, so I kind of picture an Eisenbock as a tough alpha-male badass goat.

*This collision of words also leads to wonderfully non-sensical labels on bottles.

 

[Ogilthorpe2]

Hmmmm....a NEIPEisbock?

Has this been done before?

 

[Dancy]

I’ve done the same with 5 gallons on my Minnesota balcony with very similar temps - no worries as it takes quite awhile for that to even start freezing — beyond the time needed for cold crashing IMO.

 

[flyfishorbrew]

Think I just decided what I'm doing tonight. Here's it's 50 today, but will go down to around 27 tonight. So - hit it with gelatin, put it outside, rack it to keg tomorrow? (I wouldn't leave it outside all day tomorrow since it will warm back up to 55.) Here's another question - since I won't have time to keg it until the evening, if it warms outside or in the house during the day, have I defeated the purpose?

Thanks for your thoughts. I don't have a cold crash vessel so I'm new to the process - normally right now I keg, fine with gelatin, put it in the keezer, and try to forget about it for four or five days.

 

[Jako]

Think I just decided what I'm doing tonight. Here's it's 50 today, but will go down to around 27 tonight. So - hit it with gelatin, put it outside, rack it to keg tomorrow? (I wouldn't leave it outside all day tomorrow since it will warm back up to 55.) Here's another question - since I won't have time to keg it until the evening, if it warms outside or in the house during the day, have I defeated the purpose?

Thanks for your thoughts. I don't have a cold crash vessel so I'm new to the process - normally right now I keg, fine with gelatin, put it in the keezer, and try to forget about it for four or five days.

honestly i don't think its worth the extra effort. you will end up with suck back on the fermenter and it will take a while for it to drop down to 27F i would put gelatin in the keg purge and rack and follow your normal process.

 

[flyfishorbrew]

honestly i don't think its worth the extra effort. you will end up with suck back on the fermenter and it will take a while for it to drop down to 27F i would put gelatin in the keg purge and rack and follow your normal process.

Ok, agreed. Forgot to mention in the last post, but I was worried about suck back.

 

[Dancy]

Ok, agreed. Forgot to mention in the last post, but I was worried about suck back.

I used a Speidel 7.9 G fermenter with 5 gallons in it and a 3 way airlock. Put it out on my balcony late afternoon and the temp was in the low 20s over night. Left out til the next day (I had added gelatin finings) brought it in -- no suck back. That just isn't enough time in those temps to radically drop the temp, thereby creating suck back in the airlock. I bottled a day after that and a week later my brown ale was absolutely clear out of the bottle. It was worth it to me but certainly not a must have.

 

[Ogilthorpe2]

I use a bladder filled with CO2 attached to my bung so that the suck back is safe.

 

[Zemillard90]

I’ve done the same with 5 gallons on my Minnesota balcony with very similar temps - no worries as it takes quite awhile for that to even start freezing — beyond the time needed for cold crashing IMO.

Freezing an eisbock now in MN, been going for a few days. Wish it would get just a touch colder to speed things up but definitely been removing a bit of tasty beer-slush.

 

[Jako]

sounds awesome. Utah is just a little too warm. nights it's around 20-15F but the days are a little too warm. also my garage is insulated so oh well.