Please help! Cold crashing

[JFergz]

Hey guys sorry but I have tried the search engine but just so many inaccurate topics come up, so I have just got a keg system from the mrs for xmas and have a brew that I would normally bottle right now, my question is should a cold crash in the primary or secondary or both? (Before I keg) With pros and cons for either...
Sorry once again I know these questions would have been answered many time but I can't seem to find the right answers through the search engine even after great effort and do believe I am short on time at this stage so I have to turn to you seasoned Brewers, thanks in advance!!!

 

[barls]

do it once at the end of your fermentation.

 

[Moad]

I never secondary. wait till your ferment is finished, give it a diacetyl rest if required then cold crash (with finings if required). Give it 3 or so days once at 2 degrees then keg

 

[Mr B]

Its actually better to use Google and put 'aussiehomebrewer' + whatever you are looking for

Bizarre, but it works......

As far as I am aware, do it (as above) at the end of fermentation, whether it is done in primary or secondary.

 

[JFergz]

Thanks for the quick replies fellas and will definitely try the Google method from now on! Just another question on topic would I benefit from crashing in both for clarity reasons, and not needing a d rest on this one was brewed with nottingham and did allow a few more days of conditioning after FG was reached thanks heaps again!!

 

[labels]

I am one of the few that is against cold crashing for two reasons. (1). Cold crashing can really put a lot of load on your refrigeration equipment that can lead to early failure. (2). Cold crashing stops the yeast dead in it's tracks while chilling slower will allow the yeast to clean up any residual fermentation by-products.

 

[Moad]

It will just clear faster if you crash, time will achieve the same thing. You can also use gelatine, or do both.

I've never been particularly worried about clarity but for the few minutes work adding gelatine it is worth it to not hear "its really yeasty", or "you can tell it is homebrew because it is cloudy".

Little OT but you get the point!

 

[hwall95]

I use secondary mainly just because to avoid hops or trub that are above the tap getting into the keg. If the trub and hops are below then I would keep it in primary; the less transferring the better.

 

[JDW81]

Hey guys sorry but I have tried the search engine but just so many inaccurate topics come up, so I have just got a keg system from the mrs for xmas and have a brew that I would normally bottle right now, my question is should a cold crash in the primary or secondary or both? (Before I keg) With pros and cons for either...
Sorry once again I know these questions would have been answered many time but I can't seem to find the right answers through the search engine even after great effort and do believe I am short on time at this stage so I have to turn to you seasoned Brewers, thanks in advance!!!

What sort of beer are you brewing? It may not need cold conditioning (depending on style).

Most brewers these days recommend NOT using a secondary as too many transfers increases the risk of your beer oxidising and another step in which to introduce an infection. IMHO what it adds, doesn't outweigh the risk. You can achieve very good clarity by cold conditioning in the primary with finings added prior to the conditioning step.

JD

 

[welly2]

Just further to this, does anyone know of any non-meat alternatives to gelatin for finings? I'm not a vegetarian but I have mates who are.

 

[Moad]

polyclar...

I'd prefer meat over plastic though.

 

[Blind Dog]

Just further to this, does anyone know of any non-meat alternatives to gelatin for finings? I'm not a vegetarian but I have mates who are.

Polyclar - just follow the instructions carefuly

There are thread on the web about using agar but no idea it it works.

Failing that, whirfloc / irish moss 10min from the end of the boil and then a couple of weeks or longer conditioning usually works without gelatine for a lot of beers

(edit: spelling)

 

[fraser_john]

polyclar...

I'd prefer meat over plastic though.

Yes polyclar, but this works better on extracting tannins that cause chill haze, gelatine will work better on yeast that refuses to settle as well as any protein particles that cause chill haze, so is better than polyclar in that respect. Saying that, I keep polyclar for those really stubborn beers that won't go super bright by themselves, enough tannin present to cause a minor haze, but not enough to taste.

I've not heard of people using agar though....interesting concept.

 

[Yob]

Cold crashing stops the yeast dead in it's tracks while chilling slower will allow the yeast to clean up any residual fermentation by-products.

by products and cleanup should be done prior to crashing.

A typical fermentation (mine) will see a steady rise (allowed and controlled) over the last part of the ferment with a rest at ~20'c for a few days once terminal gravity has been reached.. once it clears there and starts to drop.. it's all over, yeast need to rise in temp to help with the cleanup, at the basic ferment temp they'll start to settle out, having it rise slightly and steadily will keep them active just that bit longer.

Im sure you know this though, just saying for others reading along.

I do understand it does put extra load on the fridge but really, mines been doing it for years and hasn't exploded or filed a complaint as yet

@ FJ - Never worried too much about clarity... with all the hop haze going on who can bloody tell? :lol:

 

[schtev]

Not sure why there would be any worry about stressing the fridge during cold crashing. How cold are you guys setting it to? I usually chill to 3C, which as I understand it is a normal temperature that a fridge should be expected to make to store food etc.

 

[fraser_john]

by products and cleanup should be done prior to crashing.

<snip>

@ FJ - Never worried too much about clarity... with all the hop haze going on who can bloody tell? :lol:

In ales have to agree with you, but in pilsners and lagers, which I have been focusing on in the last six months, getting that crystal clear beer naturally is a challenge that I am enjoying.

 

[Yob]

In ales have to agree with you, but in pilsners and lagers, which I have been focusing on in the last six months, getting that crystal clear beer naturally is a challenge that I am enjoying.

OK got me... just got me a bag of export pilsner to have a crack at a ... lager

I know, the fabric of reality just shifted a little...

hmmm maybe a pilsner urquell as a middle ground?

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Polyclar - just follow the instructions carefuly

There are thread on the web about using agar but no idea it it works.

Failing that, whirfloc / irish moss 10min from the end of the boil and then a couple of weeks or longer conditioning usually works without gelatine for a lot of beers

(edit: spelling)

Just to be clear for the OP, Gelatine and whirlfloc both help clear your beer but in different ways and for different problems.

Whirfloc is going to help with protein caused haze by dropping the hot break and proteins before you hit the fermenter, gelatine is grabbing the yeast and dragging them down.

Time at crash could help with both issues, But yeast more evidently in a short period of time I think?

Isinglass is an additive that does proteins and yeast, I think?

 

[GalBrew]

In ales have to agree with you, but in pilsners and lagers, which I have been focusing on in the last six months, getting that crystal clear beer naturally is a challenge that I am enjoying.

With patience comes crystal clear lager (sans finings & filtration).

2-3 months of lagering and even the most stubborn yeast will give way to brilliant clarity.

 

[Goose]

With patience comes crystal clear lager (sans finings & filtration).

2-3 months of lagering and even the most stubborn yeast will give way to brilliant clarity.

Filtration post ferment or post lagering ?

OR

2-3 moths of lagering ?

see, I don't believe in filtration prior to lagering, you remove the biochemical engine responsible for the change during the lagering process. And if you lager long enough, everything will settle out , which again precludes the need for filtration.

racking after lagering is necessary if you intend to move the beer later, else if you dispense from a stationary keg within which the beer has been lagered, I have had no issues.