How long to chill before bottling

[Yettiman]

Hi,

I have read it is best to chill the wort after fermentation is finished, in order to clear the wort prior to bottling.

How long do I chill it for, Hours? Days?

Any advice greatly appreciated

[AceMcAce]

I wouldn't bother. Just leave it long enough to clear on its own, or bottle it cloudy.

[keith1664]

Days, I normally aim for around 4. I don't know how long others do it for, you may get away with less.

[rootsbrew]

On or after the 14th day, the fermentation should be pretty much complete. Therefore you have a choice of the following procedures...
(a) rack to a large vessle, to bulk condition for a while (2 weeks ++) - chilling option exists here.
(b) rack to a botting bucket to prime beer in advance iminent bottling.
(c) bottle beer directly from current vessel.

You are mostly right: cold, beer should be easier to bottle because residual bubbles are smaller aand less frothy!
My suggestion would be
- rack to another vessel, to separate the beer from the trub.
- leave vessel of beer to settle, in the cool, for approx 14 days (at least a week, if only 14 days in FV).
- rack cold beer into your bottling bucket onto your priming mixture,
- condition the now cleared, primed and (hopefully) tasty brew in bottles

Now then, it's a balance of time and temperature. The settling is porbably possible in a week at +5°C. With a little more time (e.g. 2wks), you can operatre at english witer temps (i.e. for free). It's also important to get the receiving vessel as close as possible the delivery vessel, to limit the amount of disolved trub that eventually gets into the beer!

[Yettiman]

Thank, very much appreciated.

The snow is on the ground, so I will move the FV to the shed for 3-4 days and then bottle.

Fermentation has been over for two days now (checked with Hydrometer) so all should be good.

1 month in the bottle, then finally a nice rich dark winter ale ....

Thank you again

[tazzymutt]

OK, this may be a dumb question, but if I don't ask someone else may feel the need to appear stupid, so I reckon this is my little gift to forumites who may be feeling bashful...

If the beer is left to clear fully before bottling is there sufficient yeast left for a secondary ferment in the bottles to provide carbonation and that all important protective layer of CO2?

Happy brewing (which, in my case, probably means I don't understand the pigs ear I'm about to make...),


Ian.

[Monkeybrew]

OK, this may be a dumb question, but if I don't ask someone else may feel the need to appear stupid, so I reckon this is my little gift to forumites who may be feeling bashful...

If the beer is left to clear fully before bottling is there sufficient yeast left for a secondary ferment in the bottles to provide carbonation and that all important protective layer of CO2?

Happy brewing (which, in my case, probably means I don't understand the pigs ear I'm about to make...),


Ian.

It's not a dumb question, and one that has crossed my mind in the past.

I think that if you chilled your brew for a very long time, then maybe you could have a problem, but I have bottled brews that have had 14 days at 20C and then say another 5 days at 3C in my Brewfridge, and they look crystal clear at bottling but they must still contain plenty of little yeasties because carbonation is good, but there is very minimal sediment in the bottle which is great

MB

[boingy]

I aim to chill down for at least three days, but it usually ends up being more like 6 or 7 simply because the kegging day has to fit into my schedule!

[tazzymutt]

It's not a dumb question, and one that has crossed my mind in the past.

I think that if you chilled your brew for a very long time, then maybe you could have a problem, but I have bottled brews that have had 14 days at 20C and then say another 5 days at 3C in my Brewfridge, and they look crystal clear at bottling but they must still contain plenty of little yeasties because carbonation is good, but there is very minimal sediment in the bottle which is great

MB

Sounds like I need to experiment... and it just happens that I took possession of a surplus fridge yesterday Too late for fermenting the current brew but chill could be just what I need for a first trial run before I get around to finding a temperature controller, heater and doing a little wiring.

Thanks for the reply.

Happy brewing,


Ian.

[Monkeybrew]

I aim to chill down for at least three days, but it usually ends up being more like 6 or 7 simply because the kegging day has to fit into my schedule!

Know exactly where your coming from there, life does get in the way a bit sometimes

[Monkeybrew]

I've just finished bottling and kegging my Canadian Blonde adaptation on day 21 and it's looking nice and clear