To Cold Crash, or Not

[BrewMasta]

Hey all,

Just was wondering what the advantage of cold crashing is, and wether I even need to cold crash. I'm getting ready to rack my American brown ale to the secondary and was wondering if it would benefit from being put in my garage for a day to cold crash, and then rack to the secondary tomorrow. Any and all feedback and responses will be greatly appreciated.

 

[twistr25]

Cold crashing helps drop out any additional particles that may be floating around, so it can help clear up the beer just a little more, so it's preference. Particular reason you are moving it to secondary?

 

[hoppheadIPA]

Crashing helps compact the yeast cake also for clearer beer.

 

[BrewMasta]

There is still the occasional bubble in the airlock though, maybe fermentation is not complete, we did a specific gravity reading once already and we are around 5.2% at this time, by sat. Wich will be exactly 2 weeks in fermentation.

 

[twistr25]

Remember the airlock activity doesn't mean much. It could be offgassing that's coming out. If you get a consistent gravity reading over a few days you should be fine.

 

[BrewMasta]

We need to free up the primary for another batch, but the recipe called for 2 -4 weeks in secondary, so I figure a cold crash prior to racking to the secondary would be benificial, is this so?

 

[twistr25]

Gotcha, I don't think it will hurt it.

 

[BrewMasta]

What temps are optimum for cold crashing?

 

[twistr25]

The last one I did, I made room in my regular fridge and just stuck it in there, so low 40s upper 30s

 

[peterj]

Can you use the container you're going to use as a secondary for the next batch's primary? I would say you definitely don't NEED to secondary a brown ale at all. 3 weeks in primary would be fine. And actually if it's been in there for two weeks already and the gravity is consistent you could just bottle it now. I would let it bottle condition an extra week though.

 

[BrewMasta]

The secondary is only 5 gal. So I can't use that as a primary, what do you think about if I just leave it in the primary for one week of cold crash then bottle, will that count as a weeks worth of aging?

 

[twistr25]

I would not cold crash for a week. You are better off leaving it in the fermenter for an additional week, cold crash for a day, bottle and let age/carb for three weeks.

 

[peterj]

I would not cold crash for a week. You are better off leaving it in the fermenter for an additional week, cold crash for a day, bottle and let age/carb for three weeks.

I agree. Cold crashing for a week might drop too much yeast out and make it take a lot longer to carbonate.

 

[BumbleBeeBeer]

Ruh roh...

I think I have totally borked my first ever brew. I brewed a brown ale on 12/23 and (because I am so smart and the bubbles stopped, therefore fermentation was surely done :smack put it in the secondary and the fridge in the garage on 12/30. I threw some gelatin in it last night. Still in the fridge. Now wtf should I do? I of course know better now, but that won't fix that lmao.

FWIW, it ASPLODED in the closet it was fermenting in less than 48 hours in and was a furious bubbler LMAO

 

[freisste]

Even after cold crashing, there will still be yeast in suspension.

If you are particularly worried about it, remember that cold crashing is just separating. There is a cure for "over cold crashing" (if that is even possible): stir it up.

 

[BumbleBeeBeer]

More concerned about if fermentation was done than anything. When I bottle it (once I figure out if that's even plausible) I am going to put it in a room temp (68-70) closet and let it sit for 2 weeks.