Perhaps an odd question re cold crashing

[Bax]

Hey Guys, me again.

I'm going to cold crash for the first time this friday. Most of what I've read about suggests then siphoning from the top to avoid disturbing all the trub/sediment.

Now, I don't have a siphon, racking cane, autosiphon or anything like that, and tbh I don't really want to buy any more gear, if I can avoid it (for now)

How much does using the fermenters tap actually disturb the sediment? I was planning on putting some muslin cloth around the end of the hose when transferring to secondary to take out any strays.
But if it's just going to suck all the sediment through I'm fairly well doomed to begin with.

Another option I had, was wedging the fermenter back prior to cold crashing. That way all the sediment would be angling away from the tap on piled against the back of the fermenter. If I CAREFULLY rocked it back forwards. Hopefully most of the sediment would stay on that back half.

Thoughts?

 

[Nibbo]

Using the tap is fine after cold crashing. Keep an eye on what your'e doing and it'll all work out. Let it run out slowly rather than fully open just to ensure it's a gentle flow which won't disturb the cake.
And if your running it to a secondary, than any disturbed solids that get through will settle out again.

 

[Black n Tan]

Agree with Nibbo. Using the tap is what I do all the time and I get crystal clear beers (without use of a secondary, although I do keg).

 

[Glengine]

I bottle from the tap on primary after cold crashing (I prime bottles with carb drops). I sometimes get some sediment at the start, so I run 100ml or so into a glass before filling bottles. Occasionally I see some more sediment later in bottling but it's never much and it always settles in the bottle.

 

[Bax]

Thanks guys, all helpful stuff.

I should add that I'm only using the secondary as a vessel for bulk priming, I won't be doing any secondary fermentation as such.

So my method will become. Cold crash, slowly siphon via a tube into my other fermenter. Coiled at the base and muslin around the hose to catch any stray hops or crud that may come through.
Adding my dissolved dex, stirring through and bottling straight away.

 

[Rocker1986]

I wouldn't worry too much about using muslin around the hose. Just connect the hose to the taps on both fermenters and open them up. Obviously make sure the full one is above the one it's being transferred to.

I've been cold crashing for quite a while now and never had any sediment make its way into the bulk priming vessel by doing this. Even if you do get a tiny bit in there, in 20 odd litres of beer it won't be noticeable anyway.

 

[manticle]

Stuff settles out. No need for muslin - just stop running off when sediment starts to get sucked into the tap.

dead easy.

 

[Bax]

That half an hour walk around the shops looking for muslin was a waste of time. Dammit! haha

 

[Droopy]

Dude, after cold crashing, I've picked up the fermenter from the fridge, carried it to my workbench to the bottle. I was trying to be as gentle as possible, but it was still wavy seas inside - the sediment / yeast cake didn't appear to be disturbed, and the beer was crystal clear when it got to the glass

 

[Truman42]

+1 for using the tap. All my sediment settles below the tap anyway.
I lose 1 litre to fermenter loss.
I drain from tap to keg then the rest to secondary for bulk priming and never had a problem. I cold crash at 2C for at least 3 days often a week if I couldnt be stuffed or am busy etc and my yeast cake settles like tar on the bottom and doesn't move.

@Rocker1986..Does your method mix the priming solution up enough? Ever had any problems with some bottles being overcarbed and others undercarbed? Ive always drained to the priming vessel from the top and had my hose coiled in the bottom to create a whirlpool to mix the priming solution. Interested in your method though.

 

[Rocker1986]

@Rocker1986..Does your method mix the priming solution up enough? Ever had any problems with some bottles being overcarbed and others undercarbed? Ive always drained to the priming vessel from the top and had my hose coiled in the bottom to create a whirlpool to mix the priming solution. Interested in your method though.

It's an interesting one actually. Some batches I noticed some were more carbed than others, but other batches they were all pretty equal. The beer comes out of the tap opening fast enough to create a bit of a whirlpool but in recent times I have taken to using a cleaned/sanitized spoon or whatever to give it a gentle stir just to make sure it's mixed well. I have used the coiled hose method as well, just prefer tap-to-tap for some reason.

 

[Bax]

Just coming back to update with how I went. I cold crashed at about 5 degrees, was as cold as my fridge would go, and it was only for three or four days. But that seemed to get most of it out. I don't mind some sediment in my beer anyway so it was purely for an experiment for myself.

But I have to say that it worked pretty well, the only problem is with the Coopers fermenter, there's a slight ridge directly above the tap, those that have the coopers kit would probably know what I'm talking about. This ended up being a gathering point for a fair whack of sediment. Then as I was bottling, once the levels dropped and started hitting that ridge, I was getting fairly large pieces break off and fall down directly into the tap. Next time I'll angle it back before cold crashing so it doesn't gather on that ridge. But regardless it seemed to work a lot better than not doing anything.

 

[wbosher]

But I have to say that it worked pretty well, the only problem is with the Coopers fermenter, there's a slight ridge directly above the tap, those that have the coopers kit would probably know what I'm talking about. This ended up being a gathering point for a fair whack of sediment. Then as I was bottling, once the levels dropped and started hitting that ridge, I was getting fairly large pieces break off and fall down directly into the tap. Next time I'll angle it back before cold crashing so it doesn't gather on that ridge. But regardless it seemed to work a lot better than not doing anything.

Yep, it's a pain alright. I usually give it a few good hard bangs on the side of the fermenter a couple of days before bottling, usually causes most of it to drop down.

 

[Hoppers]

you can also buy a really cheap syphon from ebay for a couple of dollars delivered.

I also use a piece of cut down bottling tube, clamped to a long piece of hose so it fits easily into the tap on the fermentor, I Use this for filling kegs too

 

[Bax]

Yeah I thought about buying a syphon, didn't really want to wait for ebay, I could always add it on the list for next time.

I cracked open a beer yesterday and it seems as though I still had as much sediment as last time. I'd say the dex for carbonation provided most of the sediment left in the bottles. Funnily enough I think it's the cloudiest beer I've made. Having said that it still tastes the cleanest.

 

[JaseH]

If you bottle condition you will get sediment regardless - yeast needs to multiply again in the bottle to convert the carbonation sugar and then drop out. Dont worry too much about it.

Best way to clear the beer after its carbonated is to store it chilled for a while.

 

[Bax]

Yeah, I just thought that it may have reduced the amount of sediment, even slightly. But it definitely hasn't made any change. I won't bother CC again until I start kegging.

 

[Rocker1986]

I've had different experience with CCing, always less sediment in the bottles than there was before I started doing it. In a 500mL bottle I normally only get about a mm of sediment. That said, I normally CC it at zero for at least a week. The dex won't contribute to it though as it ferments out, although if the yeast multiplies a little again I can see why that would contribute to it.