cold crashing and cask conditioning

[paulg]

not quite sure were to put this
I cold crash my beer at the end of fermentation to 5 c and then after 24 hours transfer to my plastic cask (pin) with 50 grams priming sugar and beer brite.I have been leaving the cask for 1 week at 18c then transferring to 13c for 2 weeks before attempting to spile it.
My problem is I dont seem to be getting much if any gas/beer escaping from the spile hole after broaching the cask )compared with what I have seen in commercial cask beer) some times only a small hiss then nothing.
Is it because I am not waiting long enough before broaching the cask ,or a fault with my method (too little sugar,cold crashing causing yeast to go dormant)
thanks
Paul

[nigelsch]

I don't cask my ale, like that; but cornie mine under forced co2, so for me dropping the temp before
kegging is to achieve a clear ale transfer with very little crap in the keg.

Given that you are priming, I'd question dropping the temp at all:
1) you don't want to drop too much yeast out
2) you are dropping temp & then increasing which is putting the yeast under more pressure
3) you will only get more yeast after priming, so whats the point

Personally I'd be more inclined to cold condition your 2nd container after a week. This will help
drop out the yeast and also increase the co2 take up into the ale.

[dcq1974]

How long is your primary fermentation??

[paulg]

nigelsch
that was partly my thoughts ,
1) I am cold crashing as I did before with cornies hoping to reduce the amount of yeast in the cask but not remove all of it.
2) agreed
3) I drop it to cellar temp 12-14c

dcq1974
It depends on the yeast I use but normally 12 -14 days .
I usually wait 10days and take hydrometer reading and then daily from there ,if it is stable rack at 12 days

[critch]

personally i chill at about 2 points over fg, this is normally between 3-7 days depending on og and style, i then chill it to as low as i can go(with my current cellar chiller about 2-3.c, though itll be nearer 5-6.c next week during the heat wave!)add auxiliary finings when i start to chill(about 16ml per imp gall)and leave for 3-7 days (normally three but some yeasts are right buggers ), when hazy but not soupy i rack into casks and leave for a few weeks before opening

i just opened a 6 month old session beer i do to see if the stock was still viable,(found a batch we'd forgotten about in one of the cellars) and it was great!

[dcq1974]

I follow the Critch approach after his great advice and find all the beer I produce is spot on!!

[paulg]

critch
the reason i have gone down the full ferment route is I have difficulties knowing exactly what my final gravity will be and wanted to avoid constantly opening the fermenter to take samples.maybe I should start taking samples earlier .I have a 1049 beer made last saturday with notty yeast (so 5 days in fermenter) that is at 1.012 now, maybe I should cool and rack it now and not wait so long.
I have also had brews still at 1.14 after 12 days .I am investing in an oxygen setup to try to help things along.
I had 4 litres that would not fit in the fermenter in a 5 litre demijohn with some 3 rd generation wlp022 essex ale yeast pitched at the same time still with krausen on it ,I havent checked the sg of that yet.

[paulg]

another question critch
you dont find chilling for 3 - 7 days causes any problems with the yeast then ie too little yeast in cask/yeast stress as mooted by nigelsch