Cold crashing for more than two weeks!

[Kezzbot]

Average cold crashing time is about four days. but just wondering what the longest time cold crashing is before you stop getting any extra benefit.

Anyone tested this?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Average cold crashing time is about four days. but just wondering what the longest time cold crashing is before you stop getting any extra benefit.

Anyone tested this?

Depends what temperature you cold crash at, I crash at -1 C, -2 C on higher ABV only takes a couple of days, once it gets down to that temperature that is. It can take a couple of days to get the wort down to that temperature.

 

[Kezzbot]

Yeah I also told crash at about those temps probably between 0 and 3 degrees is my range.

I heard talk of the 123 method where you ferment for 1 week, cold crash for 2 weeks and then leave it in the keg for three weeks before drinking.

I get the one week for ferment and 3 weeks before drinking but just trying to get some more information on the full benefit of cold crashing for two weeks.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Yeah I also told crash at about those temps probably between 0 and 3 degrees is my range.

I heard talk of the 123 method where you ferment for 1 week, cold crash for 2 weeks and then leave it in the keg for three weeks before drinking.

I get the one week for ferment and 3 weeks before drinking but just trying to get some more information on the full benefit of cold crashing for two weeks.

Once its dropped clear then keg or bottle it. But I would leave it in the fermentation mode a little longer.

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

If you leave it cold for longer it's known as lagering

 

[carrobrew]

So the main benefit of cold crashing it just for clarity right? For ales at least. I understand that Lagers need to.. lager but for an ale to only reason to crash is to drop everything out of suspension?

 

[Kezzbot]

Its mostly to remove most of the yeast. At 2C it will go dormant and drop to the bottom.

Also, if you cold crash before transfer to keg or bottle you wont get sediment in the bottom of bottle or keg.

 

[philrob]

I still don't understand the need for cold crashing. Do things right, and save yourself the bother.
I never mash for less than 75 minutes, boil at least 60 minutes or longer, and use BrewBrite at the end of the boil, whirlpool and drain 20 to 30 minutes later. Ferment for 2 weeks maximum before bottling.
If it's a lager, I'll rack it off the yeast after 2 weeks and lager for 6 to 8 weeks before bottling.
Do I get clear beer? You betcha. No need for cold crashing in the Old Pug Brewery.

 

[Madscientist86]

I cold crash for 3 days and keg for 2 weeks at 3-4 degrees (serving pressure 10-12psi). First pour is the Mother in law pour, don't see the need to cold crash longer than you have to.

 

[Kezzbot]

Mother in law pour

is that a common saying?

 

[Cloud Surfer]

If cold crashing drops the yeast out of suspension to the bottom, is there still enough yeast going into bottle for carbonation? Especially given a week or two cold crash.

 

[carrobrew]

If cold crashing drops the yeast out of suspension to the bottom, is there still enough yeast going into bottle for carbonation? Especially given a week or two cold crash.

I am doing my first cold crash next week so have had a look and asked a few different sources and they all pretty much say there will still be plenty of yeast in suspension, I only plan of crashing for a few days though. Not sure about 2 weeks.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

I am doing my first cold crash next week so have had a look and asked a few different sources and they all pretty much say there will still be plenty of yeast in suspension, I only plan of crashing for a few days though. Not sure about 2 weeks.

Excellent. I thought that may be the case. I’m going to make cold crashing a part of my process. Like you, probably two or three days worth.

Any thoughts about using finings with cold crashing, or is that unnecessary doubling up?

 

[carrobrew]

Excellent. I thought that may be the case. I’m going to make cold crashing a part of my process. Like you, probably two or three days worth.

Any thoughts about using finings with cold crashing, or is that unnecessary doubling up?

I used whirlfloc in the kettle but have never used gelatin. Not sure how it would go or if it would take yeast out if you are bottling like me. Kegging maybe because you can force carb but I don’t have the Co2 set up yet.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

I used whirlfloc in the kettle but have never used gelatin. Not sure how it would go or if it would take yeast out if you are bottling like me. Kegging maybe because you can force carb but I don’t have the Co2 set up yet.

I haven’t used whirlfloc yet, but I just ordered some. That and cold crashing might be enough then.

 

[Newts]

Hi guys,

Tried searching but couldn’t find anything that answered my specific question. Which is:

Anyone ever forgotten about a brew when cold crashing. Sounds silly but I had an emergency come up and went away. Came back and forgot it was sitting there. Now 4 months later its still sitting there cold crashing at 1 degree. It was a fresh wort kit. It looks fine. Its still sitting in a plastic fermenter.

Just wondering if you’d keg it or toss it and start again. I’m expecting it to be fairly oxidised.

Cheers,

Newts

 

[djebel]

Keg it, carb it, try it. All that time lagering could have turned it into the best beer you've ever made.

If it's truly undrinkable, you can still pour it down the sink and you've only lost a bit of CO2 and the time it took you to keg it.

There's no point condemning a beer based on what it MIGHT be.

 

[Brewman_]

I always say to all my customers, taste the beer at every stage.

No matter you process taste it. You wont always taste the most amazing beer, but you will get to know stages that beers go through. What is normal, what is not normal.

Different beers will taste obviously different. But use taste and smell as a guide. And be patient, they change from day to day and you will get to know what they are doing.

Cheers Steve

 

[fifis101]

My process is to set the temp to 2degC. This normally takes the best part of a day to reach from 24degC. Then I add gelatin to aid in dropping the sediment out plus it helps with head retention. The wait another 24 hours and keg. Drink it straight away if you want, I do. Let it age later in the kegerator. It's not like you drink the whole thing in the first day.
So simplly it's 2 days from start to finish but would only sit at 2degC for 1.
If I have a beer that I want super clear like cerveza then I'll let it sit for an extra day.

 

[Hangover68]

My process is to set the temp to 2degC. This normally takes the best part of a day to reach from 24degC. Then I add gelatin to aid in dropping the sediment out plus it helps with head retention. The wait another 24 hours and keg. Drink it straight away if you want, I do. Let it age later in the kegerator. It's not like you drink the whole thing in the first day.
So simplly it's 2 days from start to finish but would only sit at 2degC for 1.
If I have a beer that I want super clear like cerveza then I'll let it sit for an extra day.

My process is the same except i cold crash for 2-3 days.