2nd Fermenter question

[hopsaboutbeer]

So I just bought another fermenter so I could have 2 beers fermenting in my outdoor fridge at once (more beer, yay!) but it seems like I have not thought this through. I will be bottling one batch probably early next week and wanted to brew this weekend. The problem I have is that I would be putting the new beer in the fridge but now I have no way to cold crash the one that is almost done. What's the easiest way to go about this?

Wait until late next week and make 2 separate batches close together so they can ferment at same time?

Do a batch this weekend, put in fridge, move indoors (probably 78 degrees) for a couple days while other one cold crashes then move to fridge at 68 degrees?

Skip cold crashing all-together? I feel like cold crashing is somewhat important so would prefer not to skip it if possible.

Someone mentioned skip cold crashing and do it in the bottles but i'd like to leave as much junk out of the bottles as possible. My gut tells me to just be patient and wait a little over a week so I can do 2 batches relatively close together...but I was really looking forward to brewing this weekend

Thoughts?

 

[ncbrewer]

I wouldn't want to let a newly brewed fermenter go to 78 degrees (off flavors), and also wouldn't want to have to drop it from 78 to 68 (shock the yeast and put it to sleep). The other options sound ok.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[CA_Mouse]

If you are set on cold crashing, get a plastic toy bucket at one of the big box stores (usually about $8), put your active beer (2nd brew) into it, fill to 3/4 fermenter lever with cool water and swap 1 or 2 1-liter bottles of frozen water into it ever 12 hours. This will keep it cooled while you cold crash your finished beer. Also, letting your beer rise in temperature a degree or two will help the yeast clean up after themselves before cold crashing to get them out of suspension.

 

[hopsaboutbeer]

Wow, great idea. Appreciate the help

 

[day_trippr]

That's easy: buy another fridge...

Cheers!

 

[stonebrewer]

Just had the same issue last week. I ended up putting the beer to ferment (fermenting in a corny) into my stainless steel mash tun, filling it with water and ice, and it stayed at 60F the entire time it was fermenting. I was shooting for 62, so all good. Where there is a will, there is a way...