Forgot to rack, cold crash?

[Brewslikeaking]

I have a pumpkin beer I have fermenting in the primary for just over 2 weeks. I have to bottle in 3 days. Since I don't have much time to rack is it a good idea to rack to secondary now and keep it at a colder temperature to speed up sedementation. I was thinking about 45F. Any thoughts ?

 

[JonM]

Do you have to have it ready for a party or something? If so, just go right from the primary to the bottling bucket. You can chill the primary down to speed things up if you really feel the need to cold crash.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

why are you thinking of racking? Cold crash temps are usually in the mid 30's, right?

 

[Brewslikeaking]

Recipe says to rack that's all

 

[JosephN]

I made two pumpkin beers already this year, and one I had to rack to secondary and cold crash because I had 5# of pumpkin junk in it and I didn't want that in my bottles.

I would say that it depends on if you have a bunch is junk in there. Also cold crash at 34F if possible and you'll have plenty of yeast for bottling. You can also clamp the hose when you rack to your bottling bucket to slow down the flow, which helps avoid it sucking up the sediment. If you can clamp your hose and cold crash at near freezing temps then you can crash in the primary.

 

[JosephN]

Ps don't always listen to the recipes advice on racking to secondary or bottling. You can leave things in longer if you want, it won't hurt.

 

[flars]

Recipe says to rack that's all

Most recipes are for speeding to the bottle, not for quality. Keep it in the fermentor until FG has been reached and the sediment has dropped out. You can, if you feel it is necessary, to cold crash after FG to speed sedimentation..

 

[JonM]

Most of those kit instructions have ye olde tyme brewing methods and lots of us ignore them. Racking to secondary after X days is one of those things that most of us blow off now.

 

[itsbarleytime]

I have cold crashed my beer and then bottled and there was no residual yeast left to eat the carb tabs. The bottles have sat for 6 mo and the carb tabs have not dissolved. I recommend a beer gun if you have keg set up.

 

[MagicMatt]

I have cold crashed my beer and then bottled and there was no residual yeast left to eat the carb tabs. The bottles have sat for 6 mo and the carb tabs have not dissolved. I recommend a beer gun if you have keg set up.

I find this highly improbable. I've had a carboy sitting at 35°F for over 4 weeks and still had enough yeast to naturally carb my bottles using carb tabs.

Lagers can sit at colder temps for months and still bottle fine. There's got to be another reason. If the carb drops are not dissolved by now, I'd say that's a pretty big indicator towards them being bad.

 

[Dixon9717]

I always cold crash primary. Never had a problem with carbonation. Usually mid to high 30s for 2-3 days

 

[Moebbels]

I have cold crashed my beer and then bottled and there was no residual yeast left to eat the carb tabs. The bottles have sat for 6 mo and the carb tabs have not dissolved. I recommend a beer gun if you have keg set up.

The carb tabs need to be dissolved for the yeast to be able to ferment the sugar and carbonate the beer.

 

[j1n]

I have cold crashed my beer and then bottled and there was no residual yeast left to eat the carb tabs. The bottles have sat for 6 mo and the carb tabs have not dissolved. I recommend a beer gun if you have keg set up.

Cold crash is not going to drop enough yeast to not be able to carb the beer. if the carb tabs are sugar and didn't dissolve in 6 months then it sounds like a problem with the carb tabs. how does a sugar tab not dissolve in liquid after 6 months...

 

[flars]

I have cold crashed my beer and then bottled and there was no residual yeast left to eat the carb tabs. The bottles have sat for 6 mo and the carb tabs have not dissolved. I recommend a beer gun if you have keg set up.

The problem here is most likely the carb tabs not dissolving. Not dissolving provides no sugar for the yeast.

 

[itsbarleytime]

So the beer I was talking about above is now a gusher. I went to crack one open and to my surprise it splooged everywhere. And sparingly the sugar tablets aren't all dissolved. I put 5 tabs in. Maybe they will become grenades soon. Don't know. Cheers

 

[JosephN]

So the beer I was talking about above is now a gusher. I went to crack one open and to my surprise it splooged everywhere. And sparingly the sugar tablets aren't all dissolved. I put 5 tabs in. Maybe they will become grenades soon. Don't know. Cheers

Did you out 5 tabs in each bottle? Also how old is the packaged beer? I had an issue with my bottles acting up and I'm thinking it came down to a dirty bottling spigot and bottling wand. Since I changed those and made sure I really stir up my priming sugar solution I haven't had an issue.