Question for folks conditioning in casks/firkins/pins/polypins
After racking to the serving vessel, do you condition it at warm temperature for a week or so to carbonate? or do you immediately drop to celler temp (55F) and allow it to carbonate/condition very slowly?
I've been doing a ton of internet searching on this and found many inconsistent answers, and even seen comments from some professional brewers claiming that 55F at 1atm of pressure gives you the proper carbonation level (which is patently false), so curious what you all think.
Section 8 in this item gives the details. A vessel sealed at atmospheric pressure and left at cellar temperature will provide the correct carbonation.
Typically the yeast is cropped as gravity tends to final gravity and the wort cooled to bring fermentation to a virtual stop at about 2 degrees above FG. After a suitable stand the beer is casked with finings and sealed. Sufficient yeast remains in the cask to ferment the remaining sugars and adequately condition the beer at cellar temperature. The rest is up to the cellarman to tap and dispense the beer when it is ready.
If the vessel is spiled and left open to the atmosphere at cellar temperature, the beer will normally last only a few days. If fermentation is allowed to continue at, or near to, FG, it will be necessary to prime the cask.