Is Cold Crashing Necessary If Kegging?

[stewart194]

I'm planning on kegging a 10 gallon batch of beer in the next few months. I have a friend who has offered to let me use his kegs and regulator for a while since he isn't using them. I have a refrigerator out in my garage that is dedicated to beer...but I don't have room in it for 2 carboys and 2 kegs at the same time.

Do I even need to cold crash in the carboys like I normally do? Or is having the beer in kegs, in the refrigerator while consuming, cold crashing?

Wouldn't that be doing the same thing?

 

[E_Marquez]

Best I can tell from reading, and what I do personally ...

"Cold Crashing" normally refers to cooling the beer to around 34 deg F for a few days (or longer) to aid in clearing the beer BEFORE bottling or kegging. The process is used in addition to, or replacement of fining agents.

 

[DirtyOldDuck]

You don't need to cold crash at all. It helps clear beer faster, but beer will clear quite well in a refrigerated keg in a week or so.

 

[TallDan]

Note that cold crashing before transferring to the serving keg leaves the gunk behind. Clearing in the serving keg works great except for two considerations: Your first few glasses will pick up the stuff that settled to the bottom, and if you move the keg at all, it will take another day or two to settle out.

 

[Cider123]

Getting the beer cold before starting to carb is very helpful in maintaining accuracy, whichever way you decide to do it.

 

[day_trippr]

Umm...what?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Getting the beer cold before starting to carb is very helpful in maintaining accuracy, whichever way you decide to do it.

Umm...what?

aka cold beer absorbs CO2 more easily at lower pressures. If you are trying to force carb quickly...say 30 psi for 36 hours, best to begin with cold beer. You can carb warm beer, but it puts another "variable" in the mix and makes it trickier.

 

[mikescooling]

No you don't need to cold crash in the carboy. but you can in the keg. When you pull the first beer from the keg (without moving it) turn the reg up to 25-30psi and blow the first beer out, it will be full of yeast. Then turn the reg back down to 13psi. Also you may want to use a yeast like WL007 it flocks like a rock.

 

[stewart194]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I don't mind waiting a week or two for the beer to clear. I use Irish Moss, but I find that if I wait long enough my bottled beer clears on it's own. But since I've had the room in my fridge, I've been cold crashing every beer for at least 4 days before bottling.

Questions...

If I don't move the kegs at all once they are in the refrigerator, which I'm not planning to, will I only get a few yeast filled beers? After that I'm good to go?

Also, I don't have a problem waiting a week or so for the beer to be carbed up and ready to go. I'm already used to waiting 3 weeks after bottling. How long should I leave the beer at 30 psi if I'm not starting with cold beer?

mikescooling - I will definitely crank it up and blow the first beer out. And I use WLP007 in my Modus Hoperandi clone. That stuff is violent!

 

[rekoob]

I normally get clear beer before the first pint is finished being pulled. So as soon as I see it clear I stop and dump that one. You prob loose a half pint and then your good to go.
I don't turn up my CO2 prior to pulling first beer, I just leave it at what I want it carb'd at and pull the beer, havne't had a problem doing it that way yet.
Good luck.

 

[TallDan]

Setting it at something high like 30 psi is good if you want to carb quickly, but it's difficult to get the timing right to get it carbed to the right level. I've overcarbed two batches this way (out of nine). Then it takes time releasing pressure from the keg and letting the co2 out of the beer. If you're willing to wait 7-14 days to carb, just set to desired pressure according to a carbonation chart, and resist the urge to sample for a week. I find that my beers are better after a week or two of cold conditioning anyway, so it's a win-win.

 

[stewart194]

Setting it at something high like 30 psi is good if you want to carb quickly, but it's difficult to get the timing right to get it carbed to the right level. I've overcarbed two batches this way (out of nine). Then it takes time releasing pressure from the keg and letting the co2 out of the beer. If you're willing to wait 7-14 days to carb, just set to desired pressure according to a carbonation chart, and resist the urge to sample for a week. I find that my beers are better after a week or two of cold conditioning anyway, so it's a win-win.

Thanks. I'm definitely willing to wait a few weeks, so I'll probably just do that to play it safe.