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I just bottled a Berliner Weisse sour beer. I decided to cold crash it. However I don't really know why as it was pretty clean when I put it in the fridge at not quite 3 weeks of fermenting. But I'm still experimenting with various things and thought I'd see if this helps in any way.
Currently I don't think it did. It sort of complicates the priming sugar calculation since chilling the beer causes it to absorb back into solution more CO2 from the headspace and that has to be accounted for in figuring the priming sugar amount. But from what I've read it's anyones guess how much actually got back in solution as the variable of how much headspace was there and was it still primarily CO2 as the beer chilled and other things that just seem to be " it should have been this but there is a good chance it wasn't. "
Visually it actually seemed a little hazy. I don't think it was a chill haze as I doubt it got below 40°F (4.4°C) that the fridge is set to. But... I didn't check to be sure. It was in the fridge for 3 full days. The FG was 1.010 if that matters.
I think I was half expecting that the trub and yeast cake would be a little more compact and firm, but I didn't find that to be so compared to my experiences with beers I didn't cold crash.
The common reason I see for cold crashing is getting a clean beer. But I don't think I've had any issues getting a clean beer when I don't cold crash.
So what did I gain for doing it? Is there anything I should look for in the finished product that will tell me I need to do it again?
Currently I don't think it did. It sort of complicates the priming sugar calculation since chilling the beer causes it to absorb back into solution more CO2 from the headspace and that has to be accounted for in figuring the priming sugar amount. But from what I've read it's anyones guess how much actually got back in solution as the variable of how much headspace was there and was it still primarily CO2 as the beer chilled and other things that just seem to be " it should have been this but there is a good chance it wasn't. "
Visually it actually seemed a little hazy. I don't think it was a chill haze as I doubt it got below 40°F (4.4°C) that the fridge is set to. But... I didn't check to be sure. It was in the fridge for 3 full days. The FG was 1.010 if that matters.
I think I was half expecting that the trub and yeast cake would be a little more compact and firm, but I didn't find that to be so compared to my experiences with beers I didn't cold crash.
The common reason I see for cold crashing is getting a clean beer. But I don't think I've had any issues getting a clean beer when I don't cold crash.
So what did I gain for doing it? Is there anything I should look for in the finished product that will tell me I need to do it again?