Cold Crashing and Oxygen

[Jim R]

I just hate that when I get sediment into the keg that it can be pouring perfectly clear, but then if I pull the keg and move it all the sediment gets stirred up again.

I get very little sediment in my kegs when I cold crash although I usually leave the beer in the fermenter for 2 weeks before I transfer to the keg for cold crashing. As long as I don't rush fermentation, I don't need a floating dip tube, a cut off dip tube and don't even get sediment in the first glass.

 

[kenmcchord]

How about running a dehumidifier in the garage?

Not a bad idea, but the garage is rather large (1800 sq ft) and I'd have to see what size I'd need. Good chance that would be an unworkable solution given the size of the space. The moisture wasn't a problem until I cold crashed so I might have to bail on the cold crashed until I'm kegged up. Still experimenting...

 

[BolgBeorach]

Not a bad idea, but the garage is rather large (1800 sq ft) and I'd have to see what size I'd need. Good chance that would be an unworkable solution given the size of the space. The moisture wasn't a problem until I cold crashed so I might have to bail on the cold crashed until I'm kegged up. Still experimenting...

I can't imagine dealing with that kind of heat and humidity. It doesn't get that hot here at the height of summer. I'm basically just leaving the fermenter to
cold crash at ambient atm lol

 

[Vale71]

How about running a dehumidifier in the garage?

His cold-crashed fermenter is already a working dehumidifier.

All he needs to do is find a way to collect all that condensation water and dump it down the drain.

 

[dallasd9]

I realise that this question has been asked before, but I'm none the wiser from reading the older threads. Does cold crashing actually increase the risk of oxidation in a substantial way? I have seen posts stating that the suckback from the contracting liquid/air inside the fermentor would introduce oxygen via the airlock and thus probably cause oxidation of the beer; but doesn't oxygen enter anyway when we open it to take a hydrometer reading or to dry hop? And the amount that might enter the vessel through the airlock due to temperature change must surely be far less than that introduced when taking the whole lid off and putting something into the beer. Has anyone here experienced significant oxidation attributable to cold crashing?

I actually cold crash my beer twice before kegging. Once right after chilling my wort down to 50 degrees. I cold crash to 33 degrees over night then rack it off into the fermenter then bring it back up to pitching temperature. And the again once fermentation in complete just prior to kegging. My beers are always crystal clear and no sediment in the bottom of my keg. The first pour in clear. No wasting beer.

 

[BolgBeorach]

I actually cold crash my beer twice before kegging. Once right after chilling my wort down to 50 degrees. I cold crash to 33 degrees over night then rack it off into the fermenter then bring it back up to pitching temperature. And the again once fermentation in complete just prior to kegging. My beers are always crystal clear and no sediment in the bottom of my keg. The first pour in clear. No wasting beer.

Interesting. So the first crash drops the proteins out of suspension before the yeast is pitched, and the second crash before bottling drops most of the yeast out?

 

[Romex2121]

I actually cold crash my beer twice before kegging. Once right after chilling my wort down to 50 degrees. I cold crash to 33 degrees over night then rack it off into the fermenter then bring it back up to pitching temperature. And the again once fermentation in complete just prior to kegging. My beers are always crystal clear and no sediment in the bottom of my keg. The first pour in clear. No wasting beer.

I may have to try this , I prefer clear wort more so than trub whirling around while the yeast is going strong , sounds silly but I always think the settling trub covers the yeast on bottom of fermenter....
have you noticed anything different with the taste or quality of your beers when doing this ??
so you chill wort after boil as normal then transfer to fermenting vessel, put in
fridge/freezer (whatever you use) drop temp for a quick over night crash , transfer wort (again) off sediment to a clean vessel, allow to warm up to pitching temp , pitch yeast and ferment as normal ?

 

[Edward's Beer Cellar]

Here is a picture of my DIY CO2 harvester (there is no liquid in the jars as it wasn't in use when I took the picture and the air lock on the second jar is redundant). My 4 gal ferments will push out about 3/4 of a qt of sanitizer during fermentation and suck back about half of that on crashing. I don't use this rig every time but do use it for my hoppy brews. The tube goes into a hole drilled in the mini-fridge and connects to a carboy cap and elbow.

 

[dallasd9]

Interesting. So the first crash drops the proteins out of suspension before the yeast is pitched, and the second crash before bottling drops most of the yeast out?

Yes, exactly.

 

[dallasd9]

I may have to try this , I prefer clear wort more so than trub whirling around while the yeast is going strong , sounds silly but I always think the settling trub covers the yeast on bottom of fermenter....
have you noticed anything different with the taste or quality of your beers when doing this ??
so you chill wort after boil as normal then transfer to fermenting vessel, put in
fridge/freezer (whatever you use) drop temp for a quick over night crash , transfer wort (again) off sediment to a clean vessel, allow to warm up to pitching temp , pitch yeast and ferment as normal ?

Not exactly. I don't transfer to fermenting vessel until after the first crash in the boiling kettle. After I chill the wort I then put a co2 blanket on in and put the lid on the kettle and put it in my Keezer overnight. Then the next day I transfer to the fermenter. A lot of the proteins are left behind in the kettle. I've never had a problem with doing this and the beer always taste great with no off flavors.

 

[Vale71]

After I chill the wort I then put a co2 blanket on in and put the lid on the kettle and put it in my Keezer overnight.

Is the blanket knitted or woven? Sorry, couldn't resist...

BTW all you're doing with your process is increasing the risk of infection.

 

[brewbama]

Cold crash under CO2 pressure.

 

[Bobby_M]

Not exactly. I don't transfer to fermenting vessel until after the first crash in the boiling kettle. After I chill the wort I then put a co2 blanket on in and put the lid on the kettle and put it in my Keezer overnight. Then the next day I transfer to the fermenter. A lot of the proteins are left behind in the kettle. I've never had a problem with doing this and the beer always taste great with no off flavors.

I overchill my kettle by a few degrees, whirlpool and then put the lid on for the same reason but I've found that you can run off clear wort in as little as an hour of settling. Overnight is a little too aggressive especially regarding oxygen damage.

 

[dallasd9]

Is the blanket knitted or woven? Sorry, couldn't resist...

BTW all you're doing with your process is increasing the risk of infection.

Lol, I've never had a problem so in my opinion it's worth the risk.

 

[Vale71]

Lol, I've never had a problem so in my opinion it's worth the risk.

Again, you're not achieving anything either by chilling below pitching temp or waiting so long, so basically the risk is for nothing. How can nothing be worth anything?

 

[kenmcchord]

I overchill my kettle by a few degrees, whirlpool and then put the lid on for the same reason but I've found that you can run off clear wort in as little as an hour of settling. Overnight is a little too aggressive especially regarding oxygen damage.

I'm not sure I understand the oxygen damage statement, aren't we adding O2 to post boil wort to help our yeast friends in their efforts to convert the sugary wort to beer? Is it the length of time that O2 is available that risks oxidation?

 

[VikeMan]

I'm not sure I understand the oxygen damage statement, aren't we adding O2 to post boil wort to help our yeast friends in their efforts to convert the sugary wort to beer? Is it the length of time that O2 is available that risks oxidation?

When you oxygenate your wort at yeast pitch, the yeast take up that O2 pretty quickly, within about an hour.

 

[Bobby_M]

Is it the length of time that O2 is available that risks oxidation?

Yes

 

[kenmcchord]

Yes

Looking good @Bobby_M! And you were right to wait until after the high krausen. That was a mess for easily 4 days. It will be nice to be able to cold crash this saison.

There were chunks of yeast in that jar of starsan!