Cold Crashing - Good/Bad or How long?

[skepace]

I just recently was able to get an old fridge and I am turning it into a kegerator but in the meantime, I have an IPA that I would like to cold crash.

Does Cold Crashing really make a difference? If so, for how long at what temp? I tried searching on HB but couldn't find an answer.

Thanks for the help!

 

[day_trippr]

Of course it makes a difference, and is particularly useful when dry hopping with pellets.

I usually do three to four days at 34°F, but have gone longer on occasion. As I do all my fermentation in glass I can observe how the beer is clearing and let it run longer if desired ...

Cheers!

 

[skepace]

Any good if I can only get my fridge down to 40?

 

[Adaman05]

Any good if I can only get my fridge down to 40?

That'll do.

 

[skepace]

Thanks for the help. Since this is my first time doing it, anything wrong with only going it for 2 days? It seems like it took the beer almost 24 hours to go from 60-40 degrees.

 

[suprat78]

Any good if I can only get my fridge down to 40?

I recently crashed at this temp and it made transferring to a keg much easier! Seemed to not only clear the beer but also keep the particles down while using the racking cane!

 

[skepace]

Sounds great! I thought it would help when racking it. Anyone ever racked thru the bev out tube?

 

[Adaman05]

Thanks for the help. Since this is my first time doing it, anything wrong with only going it for 2 days? It seems like it took the beer almost 24 hours to go from 60-40 degrees.

I've had good results with 2 days.

 

[Jon73]

As I understand it, the cold temp forces the yeast and other particles out of solution and they fall to the bottom. Extra bonus if you keg, the beer is down to a better temp to accept the CO2. I've also noticed clearing of the beer while it sits in the keg. All my stuff gets crashed now. Sometimes for a day, sometimes 2 or 3, depends on how much free time I have to deal with it.

 

[SpeedYellow]

What are you hoping to accomplish; I.e. what exactly are you asking? If you're asking "will this make my beer taste better" then the answer is not really. Cold crashing is just a method to encourage the yeast to drop out. And yes it does take a few days. Cold crash a starter flask sometime (I.e.. Stick it in your fridge) and watch it change over a few days.

 

[skepace]

Thanks for the help. I know Cold Crashing only helps to clear the beer. I got a fridge thermometer so I can better control the temps. I love having my beer kegged now.

 

[LarryC]

I have a slight twist on this question. My Pliny the Elder clone is currently dry hopping (with pellets). I was going to drop the temp on the fridge tomorrow and keg the beer on Sunday. However, I was going to pull one gallon out before kegging and bottle it (I take the gallon of beer, ad appropriate amount of sugar in the bottling bucket then fill a few bombers for sharing). I've been doing the one gallon bottle thing for a while but I hadn't cold crashed the beer before. Will the cold crashing knock so much yeast out that the bottles won't carb up?

 

[Yooper]

Will the cold crashing knock so much yeast out that the bottles won't carb up?

No. No issue at all. You can keep it near freezing for a couple of months and that won't be a problem.

 

[LarryC]

No. No issue at all. You can keep it near freezing for a couple of months and that won't be a problem.

I don't think I can wait that long to start tasting the Pliny, but it's good to know. Thanks Yooper!

 

[Calichusetts]

2 days work for me. I used to do a cool crash (just ice packs leaned up against the carboy like Stonehedge). I would do two cool crashes, once before transfer or dry hop, and once before bottling. Results were....okay. Now I cool crash, then the next morning throw it in the fridge for two days. Dry hop, then cool crash before bottling.

Try not to cold crash a dry hopped beer if possible. Could be wrong, I've read a few "chemists" explanation of hop oils attaching to the surface of yeast. I've also read that some top breweries (stone...Russian river) dry hop after the beer is cleared, again from people, not the source With that in mind, crash first then dry hop. For what its worth, I like the results better.

 

[doublebogey10]

If bottling, is it OK to bottle straight from the cold crash ... at temps below 40? Or is it better to raise it back into the 60s before bottle? Does it matter?

 

[Calichusetts]

If bottling, is it OK to bottle straight from the cold crash ... at temps below 40? Or is it better to raise it back into the 60s before bottle? Does it matter?

Doesn't matter...there will be some expansion when the beer warms. Since I bottle in a different area than I cold crash, I move the carboy and give it a few hours to resettle. The warming is a side effect of being out but I don't mind it.

 

[doublebogey10]

Thanks, Cali.

 

[b-boy]

I usually cold crash for 2 days before kegging.

I had an issue with my better bottle during my last cold crash. The seal was so tight that cooling the fermenter caused the better bottle to compress. It looked like a crushed beer can. It sucked the starsan out of the airlock. I was a little concerned, because when I broke the airlock seal to keg there was a loud whooshing sound as air was sucked back into the better bottle (so much for minimizing O2 contact). In that case I think letting it warm up would have been a good choice.

That's only happened once. I'm still aging that beer, so I don't know if there will be any oxidation issues. I'm guessing there won't be.

 

[plumber_bob]

Sounds great! I thought it would help when racking it. Anyone ever racked thru the bev out tube?

That's how I rack my beer to the keg. Not an issue for me. But then I've never tried it any other way.

pb