refridgerate secondary or keg?

[dustinp]

So my question deals with the preferred process: When racking the beer into the keg from a secondary, would you suggest to chill the secondary before racking into the keg (is this called cold crashing?), or rack into keg from secondary that is not chilled, add co2, then refrigerate? Is there a difference? Also, if refrigerating in the secondary, how long? Thanks all!!

 

[weirdboy]

I don't keg (no space for it), but when I bottle, I cold crash for a couple of days BEFORE I bottle, and I make sure to bottle while it's still cold. The cold crash settles out a bunch of stuff that might remain in (or return to) solution at higher temps, so if your goal is clarification it makes sense to cold crash and transfer cold.

 

[david_42]

I prefer to cool for 2-3 days before kegging, but if the beer is really clear, I don't.

 

[dustinp]

So it sounds like the only reason I would cold crash in the secondary is for clarity? It doesn't have anything to do with benefiting the kegging process? Racking the beer in the keg at 65 degree fermenting temps, pressurizing, then refrigerating would be the way to go if the beer is clear?

 

[weirdboy]

Yes, that about sums it up. I can't think of a good reason to cold crash, other than to improve clarity.

Of course you will probably want to cool the keg for carbonation purposes, but it's not necessary to cold crash it.