What to expect during cold conditioning

[ChiN8]

Brewing a German Kolsh, Fermented in my primary for 11 days @ 60-65 degrees. I just racked it into my secondary yesterday with fridge set @ 45 degrees. The beer is still a little cloudy, little orangy haze. Beer smelt AMAZING!!!!

What should I expect over the next week?

 

[nathani]

Chill haze will not go away. If you take a sample and warm it up and the haze goes away, then you'll gain no clarity from cold conditioning. If it doesn't go away, then you're probably still waiting for yeast and other particulate to drop out and then, yes, you're beer will get clearer.

 

[ChiN8]

So if I won't get any more clarity from cold conditioning?
What is the benefit to cold conditioning then?
How do I get more clarity?
This is a Kolsh, I thought it was suppose to be clear like a lager, but if that's the case then I'm a while before that. How long do I have to wait for it to clear up?

 

[jcarson83]

Your beer isn't going to clear in a day. Give it a week in the fridge and then start to worry.

 

[ChiN8]

Your beer isn't going to clear in a day. Give it a week in the fridge and then start to worry.

No I was just wondering; The gentleman above said cold conditioning doesn't clear a beer up. So I wasn't sure what would then.

 

[BalticBrewer]

Kolsch yeasts are low flocculant, that's why commercial Kolschs are filtered. I dont mind a little haze in mine, and given time the beer will clear up more under lagering/cold-conditioning.

I'd give it 3-6 weeks in the fridge, less when kegging and more when bottling - during the priming stage in the bottle the yeast will be reactivated and the beer will need conditioning again after carbonation is completed.

 

[ChiN8]

Kolsch yeasts are low flocculant, that's why commercial Kolschs are filtered. I dont mind a little haze in mine, and given time the beer will clear up more under lagering/cold-conditioning.

I'd give it 3-6 weeks in the fridge, less when kegging and more when bottling - during the priming stage in the bottle the yeast will be reactivated and the beer will need conditioning again after carbonation is completed.

Good information; Thanks!

Question, is my cold-Conditioning temps too high? After reading up on some "cold crashing" and "cold conditioning" threads. it sounds like people crash at 35 degrees. am I too high at 45?

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Chill haze will not go away. If you take a sample and warm it up and the haze goes away, then you'll gain no clarity from cold conditioning.

Tell that to the Maple Cream Ale that was cloudy as a mofo for three weeks at 40*F and is now crystal clear.

Time fixes everything, including haze. I've had a pretty much opaque hefe turn into a kristallweizen after just two weeks in the keg at 40*F, no finings used.

ChiN8, to answer your most recent question, 45*F is just fine. Kolsch only works down to high 50's / low 60's area IIRC

 

[nathani]

No I was just wondering; The gentleman above said cold conditioning doesn't clear a beer up. So I wasn't sure what would then.

You guys are misunderstanding what I said. I said cold conditioning will not clear up chill haze. Google it. Chill haze results from a weak boil and inadequate hot break proteins.

Particulate and other haze causers will clear up with cold conditioning. But if you have a case of chill haze, then you'll be waiting forever I'm afraid.

I'm not saying that's what you have. Let it sit a week or two. If it's not getting clearer, try warming up a sample like I said. I had a few beers when I went to AG that had this chill haze because I wasn't boiling hard enough. Beers are nice and bright now.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Not misunderstanding, I know what chill haze is. The aforementioned Maple Cream Ale did indeed become crystal clear when left to sit out for a bit.

Pulled a pint just yesterday and it was crystal at 40*F

 

[ChiN8]

Ok, so seeing as I fermented in my primary at 65 degrees... I take it I'm not looking at chill haze here...

so my question is; Will cold conditioning at 45 degrees clear my brew up?

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Ok, so seeing as I fermented in my primary at 65 degrees... I take it I'm not looking at chill haze here...

so my question is; Will cold conditioning at 45 degrees clear my brew up?

Yes it will clear it up. But at that point you're just trying to drop out mostly yeast... that's what is making your beer cloudy.