cold crash

[columbian]

What is cold crashing?

 

[bottlebomber]

Cold crashing refers to chilling the beer to usually at least below 50 but more like 38, and this causes yeast and proteins to drop out quicker leaving a more clear beer.

 

[columbian]

Does this stop fermentation?

 

[bottlebomber]

Does this stop fermentation?

It "pauses" fermentation, because the yeast can't operate at those temperatures. When the beer warms up fermentation will resume if it hasn't been completed. What are you trying to accomplish?

 

[columbian]

I need to bottle, about 5 gallons of cider, but only have a few beer bottles (and NO swing-tops, darn it!) but lots of wine bottles.

So I guess I need to make sure the cider is completely done fermenting.

There's also a lot of air above the cider in my secondary, and it's not fermenting. So I'm worried it will go vinegar before it clears.

 

[WiscoMan]

How long has your cider been fermenting? You can use a hydrometer to check the FG and once it gives you the same reading for 3 days straight, you know there is no more fermenting activity. I believe 4 - 6 weeks in the primary for a strong cider should be good.

I have a cider going that is probably around 9-10% ABV and its been in the primary for a little over 3 weeks. I will wait a little longer then cold crash for a week.

 

[columbian]

What's "FG"?

 

[kevinstan]

FG is final gravity. From your hydrometer. Get a reading on it and see if its where you wanted it to end at.

 

[sweetcell]

fermentation is only temporarily stopped. you don't cold crash to affect fermentation, you cold crash to improve clarity. for beers that are supposed to be hazy, like a hefeweizen/witbier, you wouldn't cold crash since clarity isn't desired.