Pouring from one fermenter to another.

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

I am brewing a Session IPA, and I want to cold crash it after fermentation, but I goofed and put it into a primary fermenter that is too large for my keezer. Is it okay if I pour it from one fermenter to a smaller one that has been purged with CO2? Should I just rack it instead, as if it were going into a secondary? I don't want to oxidize the beautiful hop character, but I also don't want to lose some beer to trub twice, which is why I would like pour everything (trub, hops, beer) into a smaller bucket. Usually I would just do a primary and then place it in the keezer to crash.

 

[waldoar15]

Pre or post fermentation? Post, rack it over with a siphon.

 

[PADave]

Pouring would be a no. You would get a huge amount of oxygen. If anything, siphon it. Personally I'd just leave it and not bother with the cold crash.

 

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

Pouring would be a no. You would get a huge amount of oxygen. If anything, siphon it. Personally I'd just leave it and not bother with the cold crash.

Copy that. I figured as much. Seeing that it's cold AF outside, I guess I could also just put it outside overnight before racking to a purged keg? Dunno why I didn't think of that, either.

 

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

Pre or post fermentation? Post, rack it over with a siphon.

It's also in the middle of fermentation, so the yeast could possibly use the O2 if I did it tonight. It hit high Krausen on Thursday morning.

 

[Calder]

Noooooooo!!!!!

 

[day_trippr]

Being as it has indeed been cold AF in the northeast I would take advantage of that, go with the "all natural cold crash" technique for this batch, and avoid the oxidation potential and any extra racking losses.

fwiw I had to do the same with 10 gallons of ready-to-crash beer last winter as my pipeline had backed up all the way to the ferm chamber.
Stuck the carboys in the garage elevated off the concrete floor with a remote barbecue thermometer tracking one of the vessels just in case things got too cold. Worked out just fine...

Cheers!

 

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

Thanks for the replies. I will stick with common sense and the knowledge of the whole brewing world and leave it the f***k alone. I'm going to cold crash it outside to maximize the amount of beer I get off of the hop trub layer, rack to a purged keg, hit it with gelatin, and burst carb it. As a side, any thoughts on jumping to another keg to leave any sediment and gelatin goo behind?

 

[waldoar15]

As a side, any thoughts on jumping to another keg to leave any sediment and gelatin goo behind?

I only jump to another keg if I'm taking the keg to my cabin. I usually hook them to the tap first, draw a pint and see how much smutz comes out before I jump so it doesn't carry over.

I really don't see a need if you're not moving the keg though.

 

[chris000]

I purge the first runnings from the donor keg, before hooking it up the 2nd keg. Recently, I built a jumper with dump valve, but using disconnects and fittings worked nearly as good.
an overall better version would be to use floating dip tubes. some people might advise you on just cutting the standard tubes, but that comes with some cons (depending on the purge/prep process you apply)

 

[SouthPhillyBr3w3r]

Thanks all. I'm just gonna stick with what works. No need to over-complicate my life. Crash, transfer to keg, hit with gelatin, burst carb, leave alone for a week, and toss the first half pint of BS that comes out.

 

[PADave]

Thanks all. I'm just gonna stick with what works. No need to over-complicate my life. Crash, transfer to keg, hit with gelatin, burst carb, leave alone for a week, and toss the first half pint of BS that comes out.

That's even complicated. I've only ever transfered to keg, leave alone for a week, and toss the first half pint out.

 

[helibrewer]

Thanks all. I'm just gonna stick with what works. No need to over-complicate my life. Crash, transfer to keg, hit with gelatin, burst carb, leave alone for a week, and toss the first half pint of BS that comes out.

Gelatin works best when cold. Crash it, fine with gelatin, give it another 24 hours at crash temp, then rack into the serving keg