A couple of cold-crashing questions (for 1-gallon batch)

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi -

I honestly should know this, but evidently, I need a refresher course, so please bear with these rookie questions.

The first few beers that I made, I did cold crash for a couple of days before bottling. The beers really didn't seem to clear all that much, and the moment I lifted them out of the fridge and carried them to the table, trub was swirling around on the bottom anyway To make matters worse, it seemed that every beer that I cold-crashed was dreadfully over-carbed.

Because of this, I stopped cold-crashing, and the beers since then seemed to clear very well on their own after a little time in the bottle - however, there was also quite a bit of sediment (much more than normal) on the bottom of the bottles, and when I opened the beers, they tended to "cloud up" as the carbonation rose throughout the bottle and stirred up the sediment. They tasted great, but it got me to wondering if I could be doing something a little better.

So, my questions are -

a) how long to cold-crash a 1-gallon batch? I had thought that 2 or 3 days should be appropriate, but perhaps not. if longer would be better, please let me know.

b) should I allow the beer to come up to room temperature before bottling? If not, are any adjustments to be made regarding priming sugars?

Any guidance would be appreciated - I am not obsessed over little details such as clarity or sediment, as long as the taste is good (which it has been), but it seems to me that I am missing out on a key detail or two where cold-crashing is concerned.

Thanks in advance -

Ron

 

[brew703]

I started out making one gallon batches and still do on occasion. I always cold crash. I also use gelatin.

About 4 days before I bottle, I drop the temps to 35 degrees over a two day period. Usually by the second day the temps are where I need them and I add gelatin. let that go for two days then I bottle. This has worked for me and have had no issues.

Do you use an online calculator to determine the amount of sugar you will need? I use Brew United and I always use the highest temp your beer was at. I use 68 degrees.

I have had issues bottling IPA's as one took 3 months to fully carb and half were way over carbed to the point of gushers.
I now take a sanitized spoon and gently stir to make sure the sugar solution is mixed.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi, brew703, and many thanks for the reply.

About 4 days before I bottle, I drop the temps to 35 degrees over a two day period. Usually by the second day the temps are where I need them and I add gelatin. let that go for two days then I bottle. This has worked for me and have had no issues.

I haven't used gelatin before, but I am willing to give it a try, if it will achieve the goal. Are we talking about plain, old "Knox"-type unflavoured gelatin, or is there a specific or special gelatin for brewing? How much to use for a 1-gallon batch?

Do you use an online calculator to determine the amount of sugar you will need? I use Brew United and I always use the highest temp your beer was at. I use 68 degrees.

I use honey and sometimes maple syrup for priming sugars (occasionally, I also use agave nectar). The "general rule of thumb" is three tablespoons to prime a gallon of beer. Unfortunately, I haven't found a calculator yet that uses these priming agents - does Brew United?

I use the same sources for these priming agents for the sake of consistency (local honey, the same brand of maple syrup etc.), but some beers are a bit over-carbed, some are way over-carbed, and some are just right. These are beers that I know are finished fermenting, so the only other factor that I could think of was temperature of the beer at time of bottling. I've gotten to the point where instead of three tablespoons, I will use two or even 1.5, with decent results and only occasional (and slight) over-carbonation.

Your advice to use the highest temp that the beer was at (instead of the temp at time of bottling) is something I hadn't thought of before. I will see what I can find out and give that a try.

I now take a sanitized spoon and gently stir to make sure the sugar solution is mixed.

I do this also, and it seems to work very well for making sure all bottles are carbonated.

Thanks again!

Ron

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Update -I just checked brew united, and this calculator does have results for honey and maple syrup, so I'll be using this.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[brew703]

Hi, brew703, and many thanks for the reply.



I haven't used gelatin before, but I am willing to give it a try, if it will achieve the goal. Are we talking about plain, old "Knox"-type unflavoured gelatin, or is there a specific or special gelatin for brewing? How much to use for a 1-gallon batch?



I use honey and sometimes maple syrup for priming sugars (occasionally, I also use agave nectar). The "general rule of thumb" is three tablespoons to prime a gallon of beer. Unfortunately, I haven't found a calculator yet that uses these priming agents - does Brew United?

I use the same sources for these priming agents for the sake of consistency (local honey, the same brand of maple syrup etc.), but some beers are a bit over-carbed, some are way over-carbed, and some are just right. These are beers that I know are finished fermenting, so the only other factor that I could think of was temperature of the beer at time of bottling. I've gotten to the point where instead of three tablespoons, I will use two or even 1.5, with decent results and only occasional (and slight) over-carbonation.

Your advice to use the highest temp that the beer was at (instead of the temp at time of bottling) is something I hasn't thought of before. I will see what I can find out and give that a try.



I do this also, and it seems to work very well for making sure all bottles are carbonated.

Thanks again!

Ron

Ron, yes unflavored Knox gelatin.
there are many different ratios out there. I usually use about 1/2t in 4 oz of water. I heat in 10 second bursts and stir with my sanitized thermapen probe until it hits 150 degrees then dump in the wort.
for a one gallon batch I would start with 1/4t and go from there. Make sure to chill your wort down to 35 or so before adding the gelatin.

 

[brew703]

The ratio of 1/2t to 4oz of water is for 2 gallon batches.

 

[SanPancho]

just to point out another factor- your yeast type will greatly influence how much of a yeast cloud gets kicked up when you move the bottle. i recently split a batch into wlp940 and wy copenhagen- the 940 has nice firm cake, minimal dustup. the copenhagen is swirling like crazy. same temps, etc.

one thing that crashing does is help the yeast cakes to get more compacted than at room temp. so dont stop crashing, but maybe be aware of which strains are more "loose" than others and leave your bottle to sit for 10 minutes after moving it into position for racking.

i ended up taking alot more of the 940 yeast than the copenhagen because i was much more careful about letting it settle and being gentle with siphon, etc. i got lazy with the 940 and ended up pulling a bunch up into siphon because i want paying attention...

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Great advice - I'll give it a go and see where things end up. The refrigerator does appear to get down close to 35, but I'll adjust its setting to be sure.


Thanks for the comments on the yeast, as well - when I was starting, I tended to just use the type of yeast that came with the pre-packaged mixes I was brewing; however, now that I'm going into my own recipes and building batches more from scratch, I am experimenting more with different types of yeast. The little bit of experience I have picked up seems to suggest that the yeasts in the pre-packaged mixes might have been similar to S05 or maybe a Belgian yeast - a very fast, clean ferment with perhaps medium to medium-low flocculation. It will be interesting to see how different yeasts change things where this is concerned.

 

[brew703]

Great advice - I'll give it a go and see where things end up. The refrigerator does appear to get down close to 35, but I'll adjust its setting to be sure.


Thanks for the comments on the yeast, as well - when I was starting, I tended to just use the type of yeast that came with the pre-packaged mixes I was brewing; however, now that I'm going into my own recipes and building batches more from scratch, I am experimenting more with different types of yeast. The little bit of experience I have picked up seems to suggest that the yeasts in the pre-packaged mixes might have been similar to S05 or maybe a Belgian yeast - a very fast, clean ferment with perhaps medium to medium-low flocculation. It will be interesting to see how different yeasts change things where this is concerned.

Are you still brewing 1 gallon batches? If so, are you pitching an entire 11.5 gram pack of yeast?
Most 1 gallon batches probably require 2-4 grams of yeast, depending on the type of beer you brewing.
I try to use liquid yeast now but it's two-three times the cost of dry but if you make a starter you can harvest yeast so in the long run it will save money. With liquid yeast you will be able to use the amount of yeast you need. You can also harvest after a brew if you don't use a lot of hops.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hey -

Yep - considering the space I have to work with and my "consumption rate," 1-gallon batches work perfectly, and I am enjoying trying a lot of different things.

I pitch half of an 11.5g (or similar-sized) packet of yeast, and it seems to be working well so far; by the sounds of it, it's possible that I could use a third of a packet?

I've considered liquid yeast, but I was never sure what to do with the portion that I don't use. With dry, I can fold it up, tape it shut and put it in the refrigerator, but with liquid I didn't know what to do. I suppose any sealable container of appropriate size would be fine?

Harvesting my own yeast is also something I've considered. I was thinking of saving some dregs from a couple of bottles of hefeweizen that I like and trying that, but it's not available locally, so I need to wait until I come across it again.

 

[brew703]

There is another calculator I use, Mr Malty, http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
For a 1 gallon batch with a OG of 1.050-1.060, 2 grams of dry yeast is what it calls for. If you are brewing a lager, then double that. When I use dry yeast, I re-hydrate first then pitch the cream.

As for liquid yeast, it's a PITA at times to make a starter, then harvest and pitch. I store my harvested yeast in mason jars in the fridge.
Here's a link that may help with starters, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=532452

For the dry yeast like you are doing, (using half and saving the rest), contamination may be a factor at some point. I believe you have been doing 1 gallon batches for a while and if you haven't had any infections from using the rest of your dry yeast down the line then your process is good.
I brew 2 & 3 gallon batches at the moment and it's just easier to use liquid yeast. It is a better product than dry but is more work.

As for as saving the dregs, never done that but I've read some posts on HBT where people are doing it with success. There are some dry yeast that can be used for Hefe's but I have not used any. I did brew a Hefe with liquid yeast but didn't really care for the style so I now stick to APA's, blondes and a few IBU's.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hey - lots of great information there, and it is appreciated. Those links will definitely prove valuable. It's pretty amazing to see how even small changes can make a big difference - most of those changes are also pretty easy to do, too!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Quick question -

I've been wrapping the top of my fermenter with sanitised foil, then putting it into the refrigerator to cold-crash.

Should I be doing anything different? rubber band around the foil? Putting a screw-cap on? It will not fit in there with an airlock attached.

The beer I have cold-crashed with the loose-ish foil has been fine; but, if there's a "better" way....

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Quick question -

I've been wrapping the top of my fermenter with sanitised foil, then putting it into the refrigerator to cold-crash.

Should I be doing anything different? rubber band around the foil? Putting a screw-cap on? It will not fit in there with an airlock attached.

The beer I have cold-crashed with the loose-ish foil has been fine; but, if there's a "better" way....

Anyone?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Anyone?

I think you're fine sealing your fermenter w foil and cold crashing.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Thanks ~

 

[Trw0007]

As for your carbonation issues, consider buying some carbonation drops (Amazon has the prime eligible at like $6 a pack). You'll add about $1 per gallon brew, but it's the easiest and most consistent way to bottle carb a 1 gallon batch.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi, Trw0007 -

I actually did buy some of these on a recent trip to Billings. Billings is 250 miles away and is also the closest LHBS to me, so I was kind of like a kid in a candy store. I grabbed these and considered trying them in a future brew.

The beer that I will be bottling tomorrow night is a Smoked Wheat beer that usually uses maple syrup as a priming agent. Since I am assuming that the maple undertones play a part in the flavor profile of this particular beer, I'll wait to try the carbonation tablets until I make a future brew. I'm looking forward to giving them a try, as they seem like a good solution to a problem that I've been having.

Ron