Different cold crash....please critique

[schmaltzy]

OK, so I'm a NOOB and I can admit it. I am on my 3rd batch or beer overall, first Dunkelweizen. I have read through cold crashing topics and have a decent handle on how it's done. However....with my circumstances, I would like to try something different and have a couple questions to round out my introduction to cold crashing.

First....long story short....I brewed my Dunkelweizen and put it in the fermenter. I transferred it too early into my secondary and fermentation seemed to stop with my SG not low enough. SO...I ended up re-pitching some yeast and transferred it back to my primary. Since I have had yeast in there twice (not that it matters) I thought I would try the cold crashing process to help me clear out the beer a little better and faster.

So here is what I would like to do, let me know if this should be fine: Transfer the beer into my secondary instead of cold crashing it in the primary. Let it sit at room temp in the secondary for a couple days, then move it to my fridge for a couple days to cold crash, then move to bottling/tap-a-drafting. From what I've READ, cold crashing is typically done in the primary but I thought transferring it to the secondary first and letting it sit for a couple days may help get rid of some sediment. Whould this work?

Second question is about bottling after cold crashing. When I pull my cold crashed beer out of the fridge, should I let it warm up to room temp before I put it in my bottle bucket, add my priming sugar and bottle? Or just rack it to my bottling bucket cold?

 

[SKMO]

You gave no specifics as to how long this had been going on between vessels, and any gravity readings, but I think your beer is getting dizzy and confused.

Mine likes to be left alone.

 

[indigi]

It'll be fine to cold crash in primary or secondary, but there's no reason to keep moving it back and forth. You're just exposing it to more oxygen which will shorten its shelf life.

I've cold crashed and bottled, and I usually just take the fermenter out of the fridge about 30-45 minutes before racking into the bottling bucket. I've had no problems with that method.

e: dunkelweizens aren't supposed to be the clearest beers anyway

 

[DeafSmith]

indigi - Do you make your priming sugar calculation based on the temperature at bottling or the temperature at which the beer fermented, before cold-crashing?

 

[schmaltzy]

You gave no specifics as to how long this had been going on between vessels, and any gravity readings...

Brew Day was 1/2/11. OG - 1.053

Transferred to secondary on 1/7/11 with gravity of 1.025 (should be 1.012 - 1.015). That is the day I joined this forum and got REAL help. I know I transferred too early.

Sat in the secondary for 6 days without ANY change to the SG. I contacted Brewers Best and they suggested pitching more yeast. So on 1/13/11 I racked it back to my primary (cause secondary is only a 5 gallon carboy) and pitched more yeast. Fermentation started back up (visually).

I am going to take a SG reading tonight to see where I'm at but will probably leave it for a little while longer. But I asked about cold crashing cause I thought I would try and knock off some time of just sitting in the secondary at room temp.

...I think your beer is getting dizzy and confused.

I 100% agree with you! So just cold crash in the primary?

 

[Yooper]

Brew Day was 1/2/11. OG - 1.053

Transferred to secondary on 1/7/11 with gravity of 1.025 (should be 1.012 - 1.015). That is the day I joined this forum and got REAL help. I know I transferred too early.

Sat in the secondary for 6 days without ANY change to the SG. I contacted Brewers Best and they suggested pitching more yeast. So on 1/13/11 I racked it back to my primary (cause secondary is only a 5 gallon carboy) and pitched more yeast. Fermentation started back up (visually).

I am going to take a SG reading tonight to see where I'm at but will probably leave it for a little while longer. But I asked about cold crashing cause I thought I would try and knock off some time of just sitting in the secondary at room temp.



I 100% agree with you! So just cold crash in the primary?

Well, first let it sit right where it is, in the same temperature for two weeks from 1/13. Let it finish, and then some of the yeast will settle out and the beer will start to look clearer. You can cold crash if you want, but I don't know why you'd want to. Dunkelweizens are made with wheat, and wheat makes a cloudy beer generally, particularly if you use the correct yeast (which also makes the wheat beer cloudy).

I'd let it sit for two weeks right where it is. Then bottle it.

Start another batch right away!

 

[schmaltzy]

Well, first let it sit right where it is, in the same temperature for two weeks from 1/13. Let it finish, and then some of the yeast will settle out and the beer will start to look clearer. You can cold crash if you want, but I don't know why you'd want to. Dunkelweizens are made with wheat, and wheat makes a cloudy beer generally, particularly if you use the correct yeast (which also makes the wheat beer cloudy).

I'd let it sit for two weeks right where it is. Then bottle it.

Start another batch right away!

So you would suggest just skipping the secondary then? Wait another 8 days then go straight to bottle?

 

[Yooper]

So you would suggest just skipping the secondary then? Wait another 8 days then go straight to bottle?

Yes, if it's finished and somewhat clear. By finished, it means the SG is no longer changing, and even though that beer style isn't clear, it should have very little suspended "stuff" in a sample.

You've already moved it, twice, and I wouldn't risk moving two more times (once to a secondary, once to a bottling bucket). I'd wait until it was done, let it clear and settle, rack it to the bottling bucket, bottle it, and make another batch.

 

[schmaltzy]

Yes, if it's finished and somewhat clear. By finished, it means the SG is no longer changing, and even though that beer style isn't clear, it should have very little suspended "stuff" in a sample.

You've already moved it, twice, and I wouldn't risk moving two more times (once to a secondary, once to a bottling bucket). I'd wait until it was done, let it clear and settle, rack it to the bottling bucket, bottle it, and make another batch.

Awesome, that was the peer pressure I was looking for. Thanks!