Cold Crashing

[noreaster40s]

I've been reading threads about cold crashing. I brew 5 gallon batches and use a wort chiller to cool the wort down to pitching temp. This also ends up basically acting as somewhat of a cold crash as I get a cloud on the bottom. My problem is when I siphon I still end up sucking some of it into the primary. Or if I try to leave it all behind I end up coming up shorter than I'd like in the primary. Once it's done going through the fermentation process I keg it. What do others do?

Do you cold crash once the fermentation is done then transfer into the keg?

Thanks.

 

[samc]

Nothing wrong with having the cold break go into the fermenter. Some technical types insist it is better for the yeast to have those proteins available.

I cold crash after 2-4 weeks in primary, depending on beer type. Then transfer to serving kegs. Last brew I filtered as well and was amazed how much was still suspended after the 4 weeks ferment + cold crash.

 

[Snowhere]

Cold crashing really refers to the technique of lowering the temp of the fermentor just before bottling/kegging to drop as much of the suspended partical matter to the bottom. I did it for my IPA as it was still cloudy after 4 weeks in the fermentor. My 80/- and my oktoberfast were perfectly clear, so I did not bother cold crashing them. When I do it, I just put my carboys into my chest freezer for a few hours at -40 and it does the job rather quickly.

 

[carrotmalt]

When you're quickly chilling to pitching temps, you're trying to get a good cold break. Cold crashing is when you quickly super cool the beer after fermentation to try and get remaining yeast and other particles to fall out of suspension for clarity.

I wouldn't worry about getting some trub when racking to your primary fermenter. I ferment the whole thing, hops and all, for 3 or 4 weeks, then cold crash in place for several days. When I rack to a keg from there, I do it slowly, and as long as I don't accidentally hit it with the siphon, the yeast etc. stays stuck to the bottom as I transfer off of it.