for those who do long primaries and no secondary

[OHIOSTEVE]

Do you cold crash the beer before bottling? I ask because I just bottled a couple of batches after a month long ( or within a few days) primary. I DID rack to secondary and cold crash and still got a decent layer of trub in the bottom of the secondary each time. I was careful with the racking so I don't think I got very much trub in the transfer. even if I did it was no way as much as what was in the bottom of the secondary vessel at bottling. So even with a long primary and no secondary, do you still recommend cold crashing?

 

[weirdboy]

How long did you wait before racking?

Of course you are going to get sediment on the bottom of your secondary after cold crashing; that's the whole point of cold crashing. You probably shouldn't have the same volume that you end up with after primary, though.

In terms of clarity, I think cold crashing is better than not cold crashing, but I also think racking, THEN cold crashing is better still. And racking, gelatin and cold crashing is even better.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

How long did you wait before racking?

Of course you are going to get sediment on the bottom of your secondary after cold crashing; that's the whole point of cold crashing. You probably shouldn't have the same volume that you end up with after primary, though.

In terms of clarity, I think cold crashing is better than not cold crashing, but I also think racking, THEN cold crashing is better still. And racking, gelatin and cold crashing is even better.

I primaried for almost a month ( over 3 weeks not quite 4) racked to a secondary and straight into cold crash for 2-3 days..racked to bottling bucket and bottled. And no of course there wasn't near as much trub after cold crashing as there was in the primary, but more than just a dusting.

 

[weirdboy]

Well that is just what happens in my experience. You still have a lot of yeast and other stuff in suspension, even after a month at fermentation temps. If I am bottling, I will pretty much always add finings and cold crash unless I'm doing a style that is supposed to be cloudy like a witbier. Most of the time I rack to another vessel first, although there have been a few times when all my fermenters were otherwise occupied and I ended up just doing it in primary. In my experience with those batches, I formed the opinion that the clarity wasn't as good as when I racked first.

 

[Homercidal]

I usually just cold crash in the primary. Of course the longer it sits, the clearer it will be, and I think it's easier to pick up a little bit of gunk from the bottom if you are not real careful about handling the bucket/carboy during bottling.

 

[RM-MN]

I figure that since there will be fermentation in the bottle as it carbonates I will always have a little sediment in the bottle. If I cold crash it before I bottle I will have a little less but will the difference be enough to matter? I'd rather leave out that time and let the bottles sit a little longer in the refrigerator and call that time my cold crash.

 

[Pie_Man]

I've only done a few batches, but yes, I cold crash. I also strain the beer when transferring from my primary to my bottling bucket. I strain in a way that the strainer is partially in the beer as well as the tip of the hose. I do this to prevent oxidation of the beer...although I'm not sure if running the beer through a strainer without splashing would even cause oxidation.

 

[jetmac]

Only lagers. But then again, I bottle from a keg.

 

[daksin]

I don't have space to cold crash- just the one fridge for food, so no I don't cold crash. With a good hot/cold break and a long primary, my beers have been very clear.

 

[unionrdr]

+1 daksin,my predicament as well. I just leave it in primary unless oaking or something. Get a stable FG,then let it sit 3-5 days beyond that,maybe even 7 to get it cleaned up & settled out clear or nearly so.
Then rack to bottling bucket to prime & bottle. My Burton ale settled crystal clear in 3 days flat in the bottles. My wife's summer ale clone took about a week. Both are now clear & beautiful. It's making me salivate just thinkin about'em.

 

[weirdboy]

I don't have space in a fridge, either, but I cold crash in my swamp cooler. It is not too difficult.