when to cold crash

[thisisbeer]

I am making a cream ale and I'm ring to figure out when I can cold crash. The krausen died down to nothing after 4 days at 64 degrees and virtually no bubbling from the air lock. On the 5th day I went up to 68 degrees. How long should I wait before cold crashing?

 

[Komocabo]

Take some hydrometer readings. Once they are stable after a few days, you will know that it's done fermenting. Then you can cold crash.

 

[IL1kebeer]

Keep in mind that if you cold crash in the carboy then you will suck in oxygen and this can lead to premature staling. Why do you want to cold crash this beer anyway? Might be doing more harm than good if there isn't a specific reason for why it's being cold crashed.

 

[hunter_le five]

Keep in mind that if you cold crash in the carboy then you will suck in oxygen and this can lead to premature staling. Why do you want to cold crash this beer anyway? Might be doing more harm than good if there isn't a specific reason for why it's being cold crashed.

I've started cold crashing all my beers after primary fermentation has completed, and have never had issues with oxidation. It helps to clear the beer much faster. I understand that it may draw in a little bit of oxygen into the fermentation vessel, but as long as you are careful not to disturb the fermented wort much, in my experience the risk of oxidation is minimal.

 

[IL1kebeer]

if it can suck in a pint or two of liquid in a blowoff container then imagine how much o2 its sucking in.

some people care some people dont. if you want to make the best beer possible and are keeping it for awhile then you want to protect against oxidation. if you are drinking your 5 gallons in a 2months or less then it doesnt really matter. i guess it really depends on a persons situation and what they want from their particular batch.

 

[hunter_le five]

You may very well be 100% correct on this, it's just not something I've ever experienced in my own brewing. Maybe I just drink my beers too fast to notice.

As with anything in home brewing, your results may vary, find what works best for you. Cheers.

 

[IL1kebeer]

as with anything in home brewing, your results may vary, find what works best for you. Cheers.

+1

 

[bleme]

if it can suck in a pint or two of liquid in a blowoff container then imagine how much o2 its sucking in.

some people care some people dont. if you want to make the best beer possible and are keeping it for awhile then you want to protect against oxidation. if you are drinking your 5 gallons in a 2months or less then it doesnt really matter. i guess it really depends on a persons situation and what they want from their particular batch.

If it sucks in a pint of liquid then it will suck in a pint of air. It is a matter of space, not weight.

The difference if it is sucks in liquid, it will mix with the beer. If it sucks in air, it will be lighter than the layer of CO2 and will never touch the beer.

 

[IL1kebeer]

If it sucks in air, it will be lighter than the layer of CO2 and will never touch the beer.

if this is true then why purge the headspace of a keg with co2 so that the o2 gets driven off? that environment is the same thing as o2 getting added in a carboy due to suckback. the headspace in the carboy has co2 and o2 just like a keg that has not had its headspace purged. so are you saying that my beer wont oxidize in a keg if i let it sit for a year without purging the o2 out of the headspace and letting it sit there with the co2 beneath it? am i missing something?

 

[bleme]

We are talking about cold crashing and bottling the next day, not a year later.

Also, purging a keg allows you to move it around without worrying about the sloshing mixing that O2 in. In the fermentor, you have to be careful not to stir up the yeast cake anyway.