First Cold Crash

[McLovinBeast577]

I'm currently cold crashing my beer for the first time before dry hopping and I have a few questions...

1. I'm only able to get the temp down to 40 degrees and I'm wondering if that is enough to get the yeasties to settle?

2. How many days I should cold crash for?

3. I've read that dry hopping is more affective at warmer temps so what happens when you warm up cold crashed beer? Do the yeasts wake up and become re-suspended?

 

[CBMbrewer]

Close to freezing is preferable for cold crashing but 40 will work just fine. I usually do 36 to 48 hours. Dryhopping is more effective at fermentation temps but the yeast in suspension will take some of the hop oils with it when it floculates. Once you have cold crashed they will stay settled at the bottom unless you disturb the fermenter.

 

[McLovinBeast577]

Close to freezing is preferable for cold crashing but 40 will work just fine. I usually do 36 to 48 hours. Dryhopping is more effective at fermentation temps but the yeast in suspension will take some of the hop oils with it when it floculates. Once you have cold crashed they will stay settled at the bottom unless you disturb the fermenter.

So if I have my fermenter in my basement, I shouldn't move it upstairs to dry-hop?

 

[CBMbrewer]

As long as your are careful and move it slowly the yeast will be dormant after the cold crash so what little is kicked back up into suspension will settle back down again. Just try not to agitate it too much.

 

[bentoni]

If you are moving your beer to keg, can you move it from first fermentation to keg, then cold crash in keg prior to force carb? Just trying to think about not disturbing the true after the crash.


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[CBMbrewer]

If you are moving your beer to keg, can you move it from first fermentation to keg, then cold crash in keg prior to force carb? Just trying to think about not disturbing the true after the crash.

Sure, you can do that. The only reason I cold crash in the fermenter before transferring into the keg is that if you get too much trub in the keg it can clog the out-post and make for a real pita. If you are pretty good about not disturbing anything while transferring and, better yet, tie a sanitized muslin/nylon bag over the end of your racking cane, you should just get a pint or two with trub, then it will clear up.