Crash Chilling - Why, How? New To Ginger Beer Bloke

[brettadelaide]

G'day,
After years of beer brewing I've had a go at one of the GB recipes in the forum - thanks. It's bubbling away now(Father @ Son version2). I have never second fermented when beer brewing/ racked . But with the GB is this a must. Could someone outline the purpose of pouring the ferment liquid into another plastic contained, then putting it in the fridge for a while? By thye way my OG was only 1.038. Thanks

 

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Secondary fermenting was one of those things that when I first did I thought "Blimey why haven't I done this before". Basically all the crap in the bottom of your fermenter will be mixed a little bit through your beer when you bottle/ keg. This makes your beer cloudy and can add some undesirable taste characteristics. By pouring your beer into a second fermenter after its finished fermenting, you are removing all the crap from the bottom of the beer. The crap which has mixed through the beer will sink out and you will get a smaller trub in the bottom of your second fermenter. By putting this in the fridge you cause a lot of the undesirables to bind together and sink to the bottom more quickly.

Your result is a much clearer beer. So when you pour one for your mate it looks more like what everyone think a beer looks like.

 

[SuiCIDER]

^ What he said.

Also, I would suggest using a glass demijohn for a secondary, I find that it comes out a lot nicer. (Sometimes I get a plastic-y type taste if I have to bulk store)

 

[brettadelaide]

Thanks, what is the process for getting the liquid out of the glass demijohn, I am used to the plastic tube with value fitted that fills when pressed on the inside bottom of the bottle. Do you have to siphon?

Also, is there another reeasonb to crash chill - to prevent the yeast converting the remaining sugar?

If so, does this mean your drink is basically sweeter.............which leads me to my next question.......when priming bottles with sugar, will it be too gassy because there is too much sugar left?

Sorry that's abit if a mouthful,

Thanks

^ What he said.

Also, I would suggest using a glass demijohn for a secondary, I find that it comes out a lot nicer. (Sometimes I get a plastic-y type taste if I have to bulk store)

 

[manticle]

If you are bottling normally you should not crash chill until all the fermentable sugar has been eaten. It will drop out yeast and send it to sleep but it will wake up in warmer temps and eat that sugar and produce gas. Gas in sealed container = fizz (desirable) and pressure (undesirable when levels are too high and you've bottled in glass)

If you are kegging or bottle pasteurising (a method I've not tried and therefore can't recommend - good discussion and description of it at homebrewtalk.com though) then you might get away with it but yes - uneaten sugar will be sweeter.

if you prime bottles with the correct dose of sugar and you've let the brew ferment out properly then the priming sugar will be converted into carbon dioxide and a teeny bit of extra alcohol - no sweetness unless you use something like malt extract to prime.

 

[rude]

I have always racked my beers except one, I have done around about 20 AGs all ales.

When I have racked its been before primary fermentation has been completed, I generally do it on the third day so heaps of yeast still suspended as I mainly brew English Bitters & APA's

When I boil I have been throwing pellets in & the lot is no chilled then poured into the fermenter so keen to get the wort off the crud.

Having said that I have just got a fridge that holds 2 fermenters controlled buy a st1000 & have both a Bitter & APA fermenting & have turned lazy not racking this time around.

The Bitter has a high floculating yeast , the APA us05 but I will be giving them a few days at 2c to help drop the yeast for a clearer beer which has become more of a priority lately.

I always like to get a good full attenuation of whatever yeast I am using as I just bottle.

I think you have to try the different options to see what suits you best for what style of beer you are brewing.

My next purchase is a plate chiller & my process will change because of it.

Happy brewing brother.

 

[SuiCIDER]

Thanks, what is the process for getting the liquid out of the glass demijohn, I am used to the plastic tube with value fitted that fills when pressed on the inside bottom of the bottle. Do you have to siphon?

Also, is there another reeasonb to crash chill - to prevent the yeast converting the remaining sugar?

If so, does this mean your drink is basically sweeter.............which leads me to my next question.......when priming bottles with sugar, will it be too gassy because there is too much sugar left?

Sorry that's abit if a mouthful,

Thanks

I siphon into a bottling bucket (one with a tap/bottling wand) rather than trying to siphon into bottles.. a lot easier. If you're looking for a sweeter ginger beer, read my thread on bottle pasteurisation, it's a lot easier when compared to cold crashing.