Cold crash and carbonate at some time?

[Tom R]

My APA has been stable at 1.010 after nine days in the conical, so I'm about to cold crash.
To avoid suck-back from the blow-off, I plan to cap it and pressurize the conical so I don't crush it.

That got me thinking, can I pressurize to say 12 PSI while crashing, and end up carbonated beer while saving a day or so? Then lower the pressure for a final dump?

I have Spike's oxygenating stone to use with the racking port. And also a gas post I could use on the conical's lid.

What say you?

 

[Dland]

If your vessel can handle the pressure, I do not see why not, except the carbonated dump could be messier and you might get more trub in suspension.

Of course the beer will absorb CO2 most efficiently when it is cold, so you might not save much time.

If you keg, I think it is easier and cleaner to crash & carb after kegging.

 

[kh54s10]

If your vessel can handle the pressure, I do not see why not, except the carbonated dump could be messier and you might get more trub in suspension.

Of course the beer will absorb CO2 most efficiently when it is cold, so you might not save much time.

If you keg, I think it is easier and cleaner to crash & carb after kegging.

Did you mean to say crash, then, carb after kegging. I thought the point of cold crashing was that you didn't transfer any trub to the keg.

I wonder what will happen when you open to dump with a carbonated beer in the conical? I would expect a spray of foam or beer.

 

[Tom R]

Yes, I'll be kegging. Keeping trub out of my beer is the goal. Saving some time is just a bonus, if practical.

 

[kh54s10]

Yes, I'll be kegging. Keeping trub out of my beer is the goal. Saving some time is just a bonus, if practical.

Try it, but be sure to make a video when you open the dump valve.... It may be nothing or it could be a viral contestant.

 

[Vale71]

Of course the beer will absorb CO2 most efficiently when it is cold, so you might not save much time.

Actually the opposite is true, so carbonating at higher temperature would be a lot faster but of course you'd need to be able to set a proportionally higher pressure to reach the same carbonation level and most conicals at the homebrewer level just cannot handle that much pressure.

 

[Vale71]

My APA has been stable at 1.010 after nine days in the conical, so I'm about to cold crash.
To avoid suck-back from the blow-off, I plan to cap it and pressurize the conical so I don't crush it.

That got me thinking, can I pressurize to say 12 PSI while crashing, and end up carbonated beer while saving a day or so? Then lower the pressure for a final dump?

I have Spike's oxygenating stone to use with the racking port. And also a gas post I could use on the conical's lid.

What say you?

Of course you can. As for dumping trub whilst pressurised just put a barb and the longest, thinnest hose you have lying around on the output of the dump valve and this will slow the flow down enough to keep you from showering yourself in trub. I spund my unitank at the end of fermentation so most of the trub gets dumped under pressure and with this trick I usually manage to avoid spillage. Obviously the end of the hose should go into a bucket unless you actually have a floor drain in your brewery.

 

[Tom R]

"...just put a barb and the longest, thinnest hose you have lying around on the output of the dump valve and this will slow the flow down enough to keep you from showering yourself in trub…"

Thanks! Now I just need a 2"TC to 1/2" hose barb fitting and I can dump. The only 2"TC hose barb I have right now is for 2" hose. That has the makings of a viral video when opened at 12PSI, I'm sure.

I did try taking a half-pint from the sample valve with 12 PSI in the conical, and it was a total non-event. Would hardly know it was pressurized.

 

[Vale71]

I'd recommend going all the way to 1/4" hose if you can find the right fitting. Gives you an additional second to utter "Oh **** oh **** oh ****..."

 

[Blazinlow86]

It will work. I have the cf15 and the carb stone and have done it before. Cheers

 

[Blazinlow86]

"...just put a barb and the longest, thinnest hose you have lying around on the output of the dump valve and this will slow the flow down enough to keep you from showering yourself in trub…"

Thanks! Now I just need a 2"TC to 1/2" hose barb fitting and I can dump. The only 2"TC hose barb I have right now is for 2" hose. That has the makings of a viral video when opened at 12PSI, I'm sure.

I did try taking a half-pint from the sample valve with 12 PSI in the conical, and it was a total non-event. Would hardly know it was pressurized.

You have to use a barb. If you just try opening the dump valve your gonna punch right thru the yeast and it will make a epic mess I imagine. I find doing it as slow as possible with a 1/2 barb and hose to direct under 10+psi at a temp of 37f works very good and quickly. Cheers

 

[snarf7]

Actually the opposite is true, so carbonating at higher temperature would be a lot faster but of course you'd need to be able to set a proportionally higher pressure to reach the same carbonation level and most conicals at the homebrewer level just cannot handle that much pressure.

I always thought that would be the case from what I remembered of my chemistry classes...but then why do those charts always show that you need lower pressure to correctly carbonate at a lower temp?

 

[Vale71]

I always thought that would be the case from what I remembered of my chemistry classes...but then why do those charts always show that you need lower pressure to correctly carbonate at a lower temp?

Because solubility decreases with temperature but diffusion speed increases with temperature.

Solubility relates to the steady state (beer at equilibrium, carbonation neither decreasing nor increasing) whilst diffusion relates to the dynamic state (beer not at equilibrium, carbonation either increasing or decreasing).

Don't sweat it, most people get them mixed up on a regular basis.

 

[snarf7]

Because solubility decreases with temperature but diffusion speed increases with temperature.

Solubility relates to the steady state (beer at equilibrium, carbonation neither decreasing nor increasing) whilst diffusion relates to the dynamic state (beer not at equilibrium, carbonation either increasing or decreasing).

Don't sweat it, most people get them mixed up on a regular basis.

Great explanation, thanks, that makes sense now.