Preventing suckback when cold crashing

[cyanmonkey]

Anyone have any great ideas? Been busy and just crashed last night to end up with 1/2" starsan floating in my brew.

 

[Semo]

I use a S type airlock and haven't had issues. Just make sure not to overfill. Im sure there are better ways others combat the issue

 

[cyanmonkey]

I left the blowoff on it, which I'm guessing was my biggest mistake. I knew it would happen somewhat, I just thought perhaps I could drain it down after I woke up, but noooooooope.

 

[kombat]

When I cold-crash in a carboy, I just replace the airlock with a piece of sanitized foil held on tightly with elastic bands. Lately, however, for beers I'm intending for competition, I rack the beer into a keg and cold crash in the keg, under 10 psi of CO2 pressure. This ensures no air gets sucked in with the beer, with the idea of minimizing/preventing oxidation. But it means an extra keg to clean.

 

[jpb2716]

Like Semo, I use an S type airlock during cold crashing. As long as it's filled properly there shouldn't be any issues with suckback.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Like Semo, I use an S type airlock during cold crashing. As long as it's filled properly there shouldn't be any issues with suckback.

Is an s-lock advantageous over a three piece? I would have put a 3 piece on, but just didn't have the time to sanitize and replace.

 

[kombat]

Is an s-lock advantageous over a three piece?

Yes. An S-lock will let air flow in both directions, whereas a 3-piece airlock only lets air out. When negative pressure exists inside the vessel (such as during cooling), the 3-piece will suck back the liquid it contains, until it drops below the level of the "spout," then will let air in.

 

[Psylocide]

Having a blow off still on is probably the worst thing for cold crashing, it will suck all the liquid in from the vessel that the hose is in.

An S type is probably the best, but I just spray a ziploc bag with Starsan and put it over the mouth of the carboy, securing it with a rubber band.

 

[brewbama]

I rack to a keg and purge with CO2 as well.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Having a blow off still on is probably the worst thing for cold crashing, it will suck all the liquid in from the vessel that the hose is in.

An S type is probably the best, but I just spray a ziploc bag with Starsan and put it over the mouth of the carboy, securing it with a rubber band.

Yep. Like I said I was in a rush.

 

[Hello]

Is an s-lock advantageous over a three piece? I would have put a 3 piece on, but just didn't have the time to sanitize and replace.

The change would have taken only a minute really. But I use foil with a rubber band as well. I forgot the rubber band last time and didn't really have any issues though. I don't do it in the keg as it is faster for me to throw the carboy in my fridge.

 

[cyanmonkey]

The change would have taken only a minute really. But I use foil with a rubber band as well. I forgot the rubber band last time and didn't really have any issues though. I don't do it in the keg as it is faster for me to throw the carboy in my fridge.

When you have a 5 month old, 3 year, and 4 year old wanting dinner, a bath and bed time it's not as easy to proportion time.

 

[cyanmonkey]

When you have a 5 month old, 3 year, and 4 year old wanting dinner, a bath and bed time it's not as easy to proportion time.

In retrospect, of course, I should have just left it alone, but hindsight is 20/20.

 

[Hello]

When you have a 5 month old, 3 year, and 4 year old wanting dinner, a bath and bed time it's not as easy to proportion time.

Fair enough.

 

[Gentlemans_Ale]

An S-lock solves the Star-san problem but doesn't address oxygen being sucked back into the carboy. I've heard about inflating a balloon with co2 and putting it over the mouth before cold crashing to solve the O2 problem.

 

[cyanmonkey]

An S-lock solves the Star-san problem but doesn't address oxygen being sucked back into the carboy. I've heard about inflating a balloon with co2 and putting it over the mouth before cold crashing to solve the O2 problem.

Don't have CO2, unfortunately.

 

[AnOldUR]

Don't have CO2, unfortunately.

Sure you do. Put the balloon on toward the end of fermentation. It'll fill with CO2. Then just move the whole thing to your crashing fridge.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Sure you do. Put the balloon on toward the end of fermentation. It'll fill with CO2. Then just move the whole thing to your crashing fridge.

Hmm...

 

[wilserbrewer]

FWIW, I consider foil and plastic wrap reasonably sanitary when new off the roll and don't bother to sanitize it w/ star san. I am also not overly concerned about the small portion of air that will enter the fermenter during a cold crash.... I choose to RDWHAHB and have not experienced issues doing this....

 

[ptarmigancraft]

I sany up a piece of cellophane and place on Carboy. After about 6hrs it's stretched inwards and makes a nice seal. Never had an issue

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424902152.335453.jpg

 

[cyanmonkey]

I sany up a piece of cellophane and place on Carboy. After about 6hrs it's stretched inwards and makes a nice seal. Never had an issue

View attachment 259230

That right there looks like the way to go.

 

[Jcruse]

When I cold-crash in a carboy, I just replace the airlock with a piece of sanitized foil held on tightly with elastic bands. Lately, however, for beers I'm intending for competition, I rack the beer into a keg and cold crash in the keg, under 10 psi of CO2 pressure. This ensures no air gets sucked in with the beer, with the idea of minimizing/preventing oxidation. But it means an extra keg to clean.

When you say an extra keg, I assume you're racking out of your cold-crash keg into a serving keg. Have you shortened the dip tube of the cold-crash keg to avoid the sediment that accumulates during the cold crash?

 

[gotbags-10]

What about us that use Ale Pale's?

 

[kombat]

When you say an extra keg, I assume you're racking out of your cold-crash keg into a serving keg. Have you shortened the dip tube of the cold-crash keg to avoid the sediment that accumulates during the cold crash?

Yes, I replace the standard dip tube with an extra one I bought and shortened. I lose a little beer in the process, but I end up with clear beer in the serving keg, and avoid exposing my beer to oxygen at any stage of the process.