Crash cooling to speed up pressure barrel

[norstar]

Bit of a newbie question this really, but I want to get it right.

I've brewed a quick beer for a Christmas bash on 13th December. I ran the brew off into a pressure barrel with sugar a week ago and it's got a reasonable amount of pressure on it already having been stored at 19 degrees but it's still a little hazy and there's some yeast flavour in it.

How late should I leave this before crash cooling? I'm thinking of giving it another week to further add pressure and body etc, then knocking it down to 2 degrees for a fortnight before serving at room temp again.

Does this sound reasonable or is it pointless now? Or will cooling it just pull all the CO2 into the solution?

[IPA]

Bit of a newbie question this really, but I want to get it right.

I've brewed a quick beer for a Christmas bash on 13th December. I ran the brew off into a pressure barrel with sugar a week ago and it's got a reasonable amount of pressure on it already having been stored at 19 degrees but it's still a little hazy and there's some yeast flavour in it.

How late should I leave this before crash cooling? I'm thinking of giving it another week to further add pressure and body etc, then knocking it down to 2 degrees for a fortnight before serving at room temp again.

Does this sound reasonable or is it pointless now? Or will cooling it just pull all the CO2 into the solution?

Sounds to me like you didn't follow the right fermentation proceedure and put it in the barrel way to soon. It should have been bright before you transfered it. Also the CO2 needs to be absorbed otherwise you will have flat beer.

[Goulders]

I would just leave it, it should be fine in a couple of weeks. Normally you would crash cool before putting in the barrel but it's not essential. I would leave it for another week and then put in a cooler place but not at 2 degrees.

[norstar]

IPA - to clarify, it had spent two weeks or so in primary then secondary and had long since reached it's FG. I haven't just put it in quickly from the primary...

I found in the past and read that crash cooling before going into the Pressure barrel causes more yeast to drop out so it takes longer to carbonate. As I didn't have too long, I wanted plenty of yeast in suspension to carbonate quickly, which it seems to have done.

So what I'm looking to do now, is to quickly clarify the beer with a cold crash, now that it's approaching decent levels of carbonation.

Do we think that cold crashing to 2 degrees will cause an issue?

[Goulders]

If you crash cool before you barrel there should be enough yeast still to carbonate. But I don't see there being a problem. Do you have the co2 cartridges in the unlikely event jthere are any issues when you come to serve?

[IPA]

quote="norstar"]IPA - to clarify, it had spent two weeks or so in primary then secondary and had long since reached it's FG. I haven't just put it in quickly from the primary...?[/quote]

I wanted plenty of yeast in suspension to carbonate quickly, which it seems to have done.

Your procedure seems right ie Primary then Secondary. I would hazard a guess that it had not reached FG when you made the transfer from 1st to 2nd. in which it would need to be for 7 days before barreling. You need very little ( not visible ) yeast to carbonate. I have posted this before.This is a photo of an upturned bottle showing how little yeast it needs to carbonate. Just a coat like you would get from a paint aerosol.



You could also fine the beer in the barrel with gelatine. You won't loose condition and the beer will be bright in three days. Just give it a squirt of gas before you tighten the cap after fining to expel any air that entered during the process.

[adamzworld]

I appreciate this s slightly off topic, but it got me thinking. I've got two pressure barrels out in my shed at the moment, they're both conditioned now and I'm slowly working my way through them! As the temp has dropped considerably in the last few days, will it damage the beer at all? If so then I can bring it inside to protect it from the frost. Any feedback will be much appreciated! Cheers, Adam

[Rick_UK]

I appreciate this s slightly off topic, but it got me thinking. I've got two pressure barrels out in my shed at the moment, they're both conditioned now and I'm slowly working my way through them! As the temp has dropped considerably in the last few days, will it damage the beer at all? If so then I can bring it inside to protect it from the frost. Any feedback will be much appreciated! Cheers, Adam

From my experience it would have to get frickin cold for it to freeze in the barrel. I keep my kegs in the garage and even a couple of winters ago when it got down to minus 10-15'C they didn't freeze. I did use a lot of CO2 bulbs mind as it is absorbed into the beer as temps lower.

My understanding is that it is released back into the headspace once it warms up again - which may help the OP with the original question. Crash cooling it for a few days will help it clear and warming it up to serving temps should re-pressurized it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong!

Rick

[adamzworld]

Thanks Rick, that's good to know. Hopefully it won't get down to minus 10 -15 this winter, but if it does then I'll probably move on to whiskey! I wasn't as worried about it freezing as so much as the cold temperatures tainting the flavour, but I guess once the beer has conditioned, then providing the pressure barrel is all sealed well, then it should be okay.

[Rick_UK]

Not heard of beer spoiling under cold temps - logically it should help preserve it longer.
Yes - hopefully it won't be getting as cold this year, it would be wise to insulate yr kegs (fnarr, fnarr) if it does and yr ale is in't shed or garage also.

[norstar]

Going back onto my original topic - I've sampled another glass and the beer is lovely, but has a slight haze and it's not quite there yet in terms of a clean taste. The carbonation is perfect.

What I can't find the answer to anywhere is - what happens if you cold crash a properly carbonated pressure barrel (in order to clear it)? Will the CO2 absorb into the beer then release again when it warms up?

Reason for asking is that the party it's for is in two weeks, so I don't want to cock it up! But I would like to get it clear and encourage the remaining yeast in suspension to drop out quickly...

[Rick_UK]

I think this would work based on my experience. Another option would be to open it, add gelatine and either re-gas it with CO2 or re-prime with sugar and keep warm for a week.

It'll prob be fine in a couple of weeks anyway so you could just leave it.

[smuggles]

I've done this a couple of times when I had a hazy beer. I gave them 10-14 days in the warm (after 2 weeks fermenting) then a couple of weeks at 2C. The carbonation was absolutely fine after it warmed up, but unfortunately it made no difference to the haze. I've no idea why, except that maybe it needed longer in the cold.

[Fil]

in short Yes .. just ensure its finished the conditioning as dropping the temp will send the yeast dormant, so consuming the priming charge will stop.

the danger however is in moving the thing 5 gallons aint light, and moving will probably kick up more sediment each time.

[The Epworth Brewer]

Not sure what sort of brew you have made. But I'm a traditionalist and my ale goes straight from FV to a primed barrel. If I want it cleared quickly I use Isinglass finings in the barrel. Years ago an ale would be delivered 'rough' from the brewery and the landlord put the finings in once it was in his cellar.
Sometimes I may transfer to a secondary FV and use Gelatine but I only leave it there 48 hrs max. I found when I moved to AG in 1980 using Dave Line's method that leaving it for 7 days like that produced a 'soapsud' head flatish ale as too much co2 had been lost through the airlock. 2 days is enough and will leave a nice creamy yeast film at the bottom of the FV, which, if collected carefully will ferment another brew.
I do not go along with all this 'crash chilling'. If you are brewing an English ale then all you need to do is leave it at room temperature for a few days for the priming sugar to get going, move it to wherever it's going to be served and just leave it. I don't know when you brewed this 'quickie' but my Christmas brews were done late October/early November and I normally don't touch a brew until it is 6 weeks old, having been barelled for 4 weeks minimum.
As you are throwing a party your guests should be grateful they are not paying three quid a pint for it like some of the crud you get in a boozer and enjoy it.
Of course you may not be on English ale and 'crash chilling' may be an essential part of the process, in which case my post has been totally useless. But keep up the good work.