Cold Crashing

[professional_drunk]

Makes you wonder if yeast clean up is just brewing myth. The same way that searing meat seals in juices is a myth in cooking. The flavour improvement of secondary is probably just a function of stuff dropping out of suspension.

 

[GalBrew]

Yeast cleaning up their metabolic intermediates such as diacetyl at the end stages of primary is well documented and hardly a myth. Cut your ferment short by cc'ing early and find out.

 

[dammag]

I'm just drinking a Pale Ale I recently brewed and cold crashed.

7 days primary, dry hopped on day 4.

7 days Cold Crashed at 4 degrees.

7 Days in the bottle.

Poured the whole stubby into a glass and it is clear as f*&k.

Tastes great also. I have 2 x brewing fridges so I think CC'ing will become part of my routine now.

 

[citizensnips]

Agreed dammag. After just realising I originally started this thread years ago let me just say cold crashing is the bees knees . It is so easy and cheap and literally clears my beers to a megaswill standard of clarity. Have seen no need to try any other method.
Cheers

 

[manticle]

Makes you wonder if yeast clean up is just brewing myth. The same way that searing meat seals in juices is a myth in cooking. The flavour improvement of secondary is probably just a function of stuff dropping out of suspension.

Yeast re-absorbing byproducts/reversing chemical pathways is a well documented scientific fact.

The meat sealing thing is a misnomer rather than a myth. Meat doesn't seal hermetically but searing meat creates a certain flavour profile (melanoidens, similar to brewing and baking).

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Reversing is probably not the right term, more like the end stage of the controlled process.
You are not reversing the process just accommodating the yeast to absorb its natural process products.
Nev

 

[Doug2232]

Is it possible to split into 2x containers to cold crash or will that do something funky??

Have a small 2x 10litre keg set up and limited room so was hoping to secondry into two 10 litre cubes from bunnings rather then one large 25 litre..

Does it need to be in the one cube??

 

[Midnight Brew]

Is it possible to split into 2x containers to cold crash or will that do something funky??

Have a small 2x 10litre keg set up and limited room so was hoping to secondry into two 10 litre cubes from bunnings rather then one large 25 litre..

Does it need to be in the one cube??

If your sanitary practises are good I dont see why not. Just remember though more things to sanitise and more losses to the cube tap height and what not. You also add the risk of oxidising the beer after fermentation.

Speaking of cold conditioning, my method used to be about 2 days CC then into the keg and carb and my brews had that bit of chill haze. Last two brews I CC for four days and they are all crystal clear. Something to do with that and my brews all get a rest at 72C for 10 minutes. Chill haze be gone.

 

[manticle]

Is it possible to split into 2x containers to cold crash or will that do something funky??

Have a small 2x 10litre keg set up and limited room so was hoping to secondry into two 10 litre cubes from bunnings rather then one large 25 litre..

Does it need to be in the one cube??

Provided you take the same precautions as you would with one cube, then no drama.
You can also cold condition in primary before splitting to your two kegs.

 

[Doug2232]

yeah issue is i only have the bar fridge running 2x 10ltr kegs and hopefully the two 10ltre cubes. tight fit but can just squeeze it all in until i get the chance and room to upgrade to a freezer

yeah of course santizing both as i would one no problems there. thanks for the info guys.

 

[BrewDaddy]

What about dry hopping??

Should one dry hop at fermentation temp and then CC, should the hops be removed if there is an extended CC, or

Should one dry hop cold and is there a real difference in flavour compared to a fermentation temp dry hop???

 

[Donske]

What about dry hopping??

Should one dry hop at fermentation temp and then CC, should the hops be removed if there is an extended CC, or

Should one dry hop cold and is there a real difference in flavour compared to a fermentation temp dry hop???

I dry hop when I start crash chilling, seems the most practical way to go about it for me, dry hop/crash chill times line up perfectly.

 

[Droopy]

I cold crashed for a little while, but I found it played havoc with conditioning times and tastes. I've sinced stopped cold conditioning and just let the brew sit in the fermenter for 4-6 weeks (including fermenting time). I find that gives me nice clear beer and nicer tastibg beer.

 

[Muzduk]

Ok thought i was on track till that last post..Hmmm iv'e been cold crashing for three days, no dry hops. I bottle so wondering if i did it today i'd sort of be halfway in regards to clarity ( don't care if a little cloudy) and taste (0.713 IBU/SG ratio) ?? Well it is still raining perhaps i'm just looking for inside jobs

 

[Muzduk]

Ok so i let it go for 8 days (not by design just time) however my cold crash fridge is 40 metres from my brew shed and with a bit of a crook hammer and tack from the other day i transported back to the shed on a trolley. Of course hit a couple stones etc and stirred it up a bit..Will it be fine to sit for 8 or so hours at ambient or willi need to drop back into cold crash for a day or so to get my clarity back ??

 

[Spiesy]

Why does it need to sit at ambient for 8 hours?

Let it sit for a little bit (15 mins or so) to let some of the stirred up trub settle (the beer is still cold, they should drop back down) and then get your swerve on and decant.

 

[Muzduk]

Thanks Spiesy, No real reason for the 8 hour thing. Just thought i'd get out and go do some work then wash some bottles etc by then it would have settled down a bit more.Also guess there are a few who prefer to bottle once it had come back to room temp. Guess i had a foot in their camp. From sample it's already doing as you say and its not exactly stinklng hot today. P.S thanks for the bit of Galaxy it is smelling grouse now i have a glass full warming inside.

 

[mrsupraboy]

Or use a beer filter

 

[Muzduk]

Yup did think of that but no LHBS unfortunately and only getting bits as i see fit. Cheers

 

[TheWiggman]

There's some OT discussion about this in another thread, thought I'd put it here.
I'm currently brewing a lager because I'm fortunate enough now to have temp control. I have found the whole control process to be littered with different recommendations, timings, rates etc. My process has been -

1. 13°C for ~10 days. 75% to FG.
2. Stepped up 1°C per day to 17°C. Held until FG reached
3. At 3 weeks, dropped to 4°C
4. Intend to leave for 10 days then crash to -1°C for 3 days, then keg and carbonate

The third step is the one I'm curious about. Bribie G provided a very informative link that said lager yeast is still active at 4°C and slowly works away. Crashing to -1°C drops whatever's left to drop in the vessel.
I've now seen comments saying that the temp should be STEPPED down to 4°C from 17-odd or else it 'shocks' the yeast. Anyone got any material supporting this?