Beer maturation and kegging

[sictransit701]

I brewed a week ago. Oxygenated and pitched 1 package of Imperial Yeast Darkness into my 1.060 stout at 66°F. I let the temperature free-rise to 70°F. The high fermentation activity has slowed. There is still yeast in suspension and the beer is sitting in my beer fridge at 70°F. Just curious how some people would continue from here.

I listened to John Palmer on a BeerSmith podcast talk about beer maturation and yeast. Seems like a diacetyl rest is good for any beer style. So I thought I would apply it this go around. Also, cold crashing is no longer a thing, so I was thinking of lagering for clarity. I know, it’s a stout, but just want to try something different.

I’m thinking warm it to 72°F for the remaining yeast in suspension to finish cleaning up in hopes that it will flocculate and clear. Or, should I go higher with the temperature. The yeast are still in suspension. Bubbling has ceased. How long would this take? Next, slowly lower the temperature to near freezing for some time for clarity. How long? Then keg. Does that sound ok?

 

[Mer-man]

70 is already pretty high if considering a diacetyl rest. If you pitched enough healthy yeast it is unlikely to be an issue at that temp.
You did not say how long the ferment took, so if it was more than a week now, the yeast in suspension are just being lazy.

I would recommend that you give it a couple days at 72, then ramp it down to about 50 and hold for a few days. Then rack to your keg, and cold condition that for a while (1 or more weeks).

 

[Dgallo]

As long as you have a method for counteracting the suck back(there are many) when cold crashing, it perfectly fine to cold crash. It will lager it much quicker and prevent settlement from making its way in your serving kegs.

 

[sictransit701]

What are some methods for counteracting suck back?

 

[Dgallo]

What are some methods for counteracting suck back?

You can hook a gas line to your fermenters airlock if it’s a tight fit.

You can fill a party balloon with co2 from your fermentation blow off or a gas tank and attach it to your airlock.

You can do what I have done if you have a large mouth fermenter and modify fermenter lid with a gas line ball lock valve so you can attack your gas line directly to your fermenter

 

[TechFanMD]

"cold crashing is no longer a thing.."

Really? I'm pretty sure it's alive, well, and something a lot of people are adding to their process these days.

People get so focused on time, when yeast don't wear a watch. They can have finished fermenting in 3 days and cleaned up (diacetyl) on day 4 and you could keg. Or it could take 3 weeks. Temp, yeast, the beer your're brewing, etc all play a part. Some beers can be grain to glass in a week, others take a month or longer.

 

[sictransit701]

The main activity of the fermentation lasted for about 4 days. The Krausen has fallen. The beer is still a little murky with yeast. It’s been a total of 10 days in primary. Is it ok to keg?

 

[sictransit701]

"cold crashing is no longer a thing.."

Really? I'm pretty sure it's alive, well, and something a lot of people are adding to their process these days.

People get so focused on time, when yeast don't wear a watch. They can have finished fermenting in 3 days and cleaned up (diacetyl) on day 4 and you could keg. Or it could take 3 weeks. Temp, yeast, the beer your're brewing, etc all play a part. Some beers can be grain to glass in a week, others take a month or longer.

In the BeerSmith podcast with John Palmer he said not to cold crash. It causes the yeast to release off flavors into the beer. He said lagering is ok though. Just do it slowly. Don’t crash it.

 

[Dgallo]

In the BeerSmith podcast with John Palmer he said not to cold crash. It causes the yeast to release off flavors into the beer. He said lagering is ok though. Just do it slowly. Don’t crash it.

I call ******** on that personally. Never encountered a yeast off flavor after coldcrashing. Think about it. If you bottle or keg and chill the beer, there is still cells in suspension.

Yeast off flavors are easily detectable, so you’d know for sure something wasn’t right. If the yeast cleaned the beer up already you’ll be fine. The off flavor of coldcrashing is oxidation if people don’t take proper precautions to minimize uptake

 

[Alex4mula]

In the BeerSmith podcast with John Palmer he said not to cold crash. It causes the yeast to release off flavors into the beer. He said lagering is ok though. Just do it slowly. Don’t crash it.

In this I would trust the hundreds++ of people doing it here with great results. Cold crash works great done at right timing. Even for dark beers. Just my experience also.