To cool or not to cool before racking

[firejim]

Would there be any adverse affects to cooling the primary before racking? I am thinking this would help clear the beer before racking to secondary. I would also suspect it would make the yeast cake harder

I would then bring it back up to temperature.


I am making a vanilla porter


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[microbusbrewery]

Yep, it's called cold crashing. Just as you said it helps the yeast to flocculate. Paired with a fining agent like gelatin, you can end up with clarity similar to commercial filtered beer.

 

[firejim]

Are there then any concerns I'll bring it back up to 70°? Do I need to do it slowly or can I just put the heat on and let it go

 

[billl]

Yikes! Do not cold crash that beer. It's still obviously actively fermenting. Dropping the temp will cause the yeast to go dormant and you'll have all sorts of issues getting them restarting.

If you insist on racking to a secondary (generally an unnecessary step) either transfer without cold crashing OR wait until fermentation is complete, then cold crash and transfer.

 

[firejim]

No, that picture was taken On day 2


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[NTXBrauer]

I would not chill the primary, unless you are sure fermentation has completed, and your only intent is to clear the beer before bottling. Many of the suspended yeast will settle, which are beneficial in the clean up phase, which will take place in a secondary if used

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[kombat]

Many of the suspended yeast will settle, which are beneficial in the clean up phase, which will take place in a secondary if used

Or the primary, if a secondary is NOT used. The yeast don't know/care which vessel they're in. But 3 weeks in, they're done everything they're going to do anyway. I cold-crash in primary after 3 weeks, hit it with gelatin, and go straight to the keg.

 

[NTXBrauer]

Or the primary, if a secondary is NOT used. The yeast don't know/care which vessel they're in. But 3 weeks in, they're done everything they're going to do anyway. I cold-crash in primary after 3 weeks, hit it with gelatin, and go straight to the keg.

True, and I follow almost the same process exactly.

My point to the OP is that I would not cold crash at all until the fermentation and yeast clean up is complete.

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[firejim]

Thank you for all the help. I am not going to clod crash. My plan is to go to secondary and add the vanilla bean. I will then wait a week and bottle.

This is a beer for my wife and will take her a few months to drink.

I sure hope this turns out great, I need her on my side to buy a kegging system.


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[dannyhawkins]

For future cold crashes, I suggest CC in primary and no need to heat it up. Definitely don't forcefully heat it. I always bottle cold after a CC and it works great.

 

[firejim]

One last question on this, I brewed this last Saturday at 6pm and it has been sitting at 70 since then. The fermentation has dramatically slowed down and I am getting a bubble every 15-20 secs. Is it ok to rack and add the vanilla bean or should I wait for the bubbles to stop?


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[TheZymurgist]

One last question on this, I brewed this last Saturday at 6pm and it has been sitting at 70 since then. The fermentation has dramatically slowed down and I am getting a bubble every 15-20 secs. Is it ok to rack and add the vanilla bean or should I wait for the bubbles to stop?


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Neither. Don't rack until you've taken gravity readings and they're steady over a few days. Pay no attention to the bubbles, they don't tell you whether fermentation is complete or not.