Bottlers: Cold crashing with no oxygen prevention

[BasementArtie]

Just a question to my fellow bottle conditioning crew.

For those who cold crash specifically without any real CO² or oxygen prevention methods how do you find your beers turn out and the longevity of said beers.

I've made a range of beers from imperial stouts, Belgian Tripels to Triple NEIPAs over the last year. I control fermentation temperature in a fridge and cold crash in the primary also in said fridge. When I dry hop I add 0.005g/L of SMB with the charge. I bottle using a spigot and bottling wand directly from the primary at 0-3C. Sometimes I use a very small amount of SMB in my priming solution which I administer to each bottle as a solution in a medical syringe before filling. I also fill higher than the recommendation however probably less than some people as I allow around 1.5cm for thermal expansion as most of these beers are store at ambient outside temp (maybe just above).

All the beers I've allowed to age a bit for 3-4weeks to get rid of green flavours have received some fairly positive reviews from friends and family even with me pushing, probing and trying to get some negative constructive feedback (it's like drawing blood from a stone). Some of my IPAs from February taste decent (no longer as fresh but still enjoyable).

I am just wondering how the oxidation you encounter through cold crashing affects your beers initially and long term?

P.s. I am not doubting the effects of O² and oxidation. I am just looking for other people's experiences and if they believe taking those extra steps to preventing more O² are worth it.

 

[Clint]

Never noticed any but then they don't last long.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I’ve never had any issues but I don’t make NEIPA.

 

[crowcrow]

I cold crash in my primary fermentation bucket - I try not to remove the lid other than adding any dry hops - so I hope the co2 'blanket' will keep the oxygen away. But I'm not that careful, and can't say I've ever had any issues with off oxygenated flavours. I usually open syphon to my keg, so add oxygen 'risk' there

 

[YeastFace]

The suckback concerns me when I cold crash. I use a blow off tube into sanitiser, so it's probably ok.

On my last brew, I did capture CO2 during active fermentation in a 2l pop bottle (filled with sanisitser and then all liquid/air pushed out) with carb cap, then hooked this up again when I cold crashed. Seemed to work fine.

I may try again with a bag in a box bag (if it's the right thread) as squeezing all the air out of the bottle wasn't the easiest.

 

[foxy]

I believe all one has to do is be careful, transfer without splashing whether it be to secondary or bottling bucket. I used to ferment in a barrel with cling wrap over the top and that is how it remained when going into the cold crash fridge. Have always bulk primed a bottling bucket and transferred to bottle from that. Bottling to the height the wand allows, I have tried filling it higher but didn't find it made any difference.

Have I had a oxidised beer? Yes it took two and a half years and then took on the sherry like flavour which isn't unpleasant but can give a splitting headache.

As for the bottle conditioning I did try John Palmer's priming Nomograph but found Lallemand's priming calculator a lot easier to use and just tweaked the sugar additions to allow for the loss of dissolved co2 by the movement of the beer. I did and still do keep notes on the priming and temperature of each beer and how it turned out to perfect the carbonation.
Once bottled just keep the beer under 20 C

5 years ago.

 

[Clarence]

Never really bothered with cold crashing as such. I rack the beer off the trub towards the end of fermentation, dry hop if called for, let fermentation finish, diacetyl rest if called for, and then move into a cooler area. The beer normally drops pretty clear and then I bottle up. With fast turnover ales and stouts, I've stopped waiting for the beer to drop bright and I bottle it hazy. It quickly drops clear in the bottle and can be ready in as little as two weeks rather than six due to the greater amount of yeast carried over. Never had a problem with oxidation, but I don't make fruit milk-shake beers either. the ones I've tried, I didn't like.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

I've never cold crashed in a "normal" fermenter, only when using my allrounder, as I was worried about sucking in oxygen.

I don't make fruit milk-shake beers

 

[Agentgonzo]

I don't cold crash, but have started moving the fermenter to the garage (which is cooler) towards the end of fermentation. The last steps of fermentation prevent suck back as it cools. I haven't noticed it made a huge difference in the clarity of the beer though TBH.

Never had a problem with oxidised flavours in my beers. The longest I've ever kept a bottle was a little over a year, make 18 months. Most are drunk within 6 months.

 

[matt76]

The suckback concerns me when I cold crash. I use a blow off tube into sanitiser, so it's probably ok.

On my last brew, I did capture CO2 during active fermentation in a 2l pop bottle (filled with sanisitser and then all liquid/air pushed out) with carb cap, then hooked this up again when I cold crashed. Seemed to work fine.

I may try again with a bag in a box bag (if it's the right thread) as squeezing all the air out of the bottle wasn't the easiest.

View attachment 76329

Off topic @YeastFace , but what's that fermenter you have there? It looks quite small, smaller than the "standard" 5USGal ones.

 

[YeastFace]

Off topic @YeastFace , but what's that fermenter you have there? It looks quite small, smaller than the "standard" 5USGal ones.

It is an SS Brewtech 26l Bucket with aftermarket domed lid.

 

[matt76]

It is an SS Brewtech 26l Bucket with aftermarket domed lid.

Ah, so not so small as I thought then!

 

[MrJay83]

I haven't noticed when I've done it but I suppose you would really need to do a side by side test of a split batch. It would probably depend on the style as well.

 

[Wobbly13]

Suggest listening to:


Really doesn’t seem to be that much of an issue.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I don't cold crash - I usually bottle around 19c. with regards to oxygen I find leaving less headspace makes a noticable difference

 

[Agentgonzo]

I don't cold crash - I usually bottle around 19c. with regards to oxygen I find leaving less headspace makes a noticable difference

Same here.

I've also started to use ascorbic acid and from my initial tests, it seems to be working out pretty well.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/ascorbic-acid-and-beer.82490/page-2#post-1173733