Cold crash after carbonation?

[Buffers brewery]

I’ve got a King Keg of Saison in my brew fridge that’s been carbonating for a couple of weeks after priming with sugar solution. Just about to cool it down to condition and it occurred to me that if I drop the temperature to my normal cold crash temperature (4C) the beer would (might) clear quicker? I’ve noticed with my other beers that while the flavour improves towards the end of the barrel so does the clarity. So thought by doing a cold crash at the beginning of conditioning for 3 or 4 days might help with beer clarity. Anybody doing this or am I the only one?

 

[Clint]

I'd say it will clear on the way to 4c but then maybe get chill haze. Plus the primed C02 might get absorbed into the beer at lower temps and make it seem like it's not carbed.
Thus is the experience I get with my pbs in my shed as the temps fall. I just gas them as required.

 

[Buffers brewery]

You’re right about the CO2 absorption @Clint the pressure in my barrel has dropped from 14 psi to 7psi in one day. Good point about chill haze but I’m hoping that will clear (if it’s there) as I raise the temperature back to 10C after a couple of days for conditioning.

 

[foxy]

You’re right about the CO2 absorption @Clint the pressure in my barrel has dropped from 14 psi to 7psi in one day. Good point about chill haze but I’m hoping that will clear (if it’s there) as I raise the temperature back to 10C after a couple of days for conditioning.

I think your difference in pressure will be due to the contraction of the gas and the beer as it cools. I can't see it being possible to have more soluble co2 in the liquid than co2 is in the head space they would have to be equal.
If you did have any substances in the beer at 10C and you cooled it down to 4C then when you brought the temperature back up to 10C then it would be the same as when you started. Much the same as cold crashing, lower the temperature of the beer to -1C from 20C then let it come back up to 20C nothing is achieved. The beer has to be packaged while at the colder temperature to get it clear.

 

[Clint]

Interesting...my barrels definitely "lose" pressure as the temp drops.
Also I've bottled 20c+ beers and they've dropped crystal clear.

 

[foxy]

Interesting...my barrels definitely "lose" pressure as the temp drops.
Also I've bottled 20c+ beers and they've dropped crystal clear.

They lose pressure because of the contraction of the gas and the beer. That is why those with pressure fermenters put a positive pressure into the fermenters to stop them collapsing during cold crash.your beer should become clear because you are using time to clear it..

 

[Clint]

Ah,right. Mine usually have signs of clearing after a few days...thinking about it is that right considering there's a secondary fermentation going on? Anyway..that's what happens!

 

[Buffers brewery]

I think your difference in pressure will be due to the contraction of the gas and the beer as it cools.

I wouldn't expect such a large drop in pressure (14 to 7) with a 16C drop in temperature? (P=14*273K/293K).
The absorption of CO2 almost doubles when the temperature drops from 20C to 0C.
While I agree that the more sediment left behind at packaging the better, carbonating with sugar solution will produce more "sediment". I've noticed, as I said above, my beer continues to clear as I work through the barrel. Just wondered if the action of cold crashing would speed up the process

 

[marshbrewer]

Much the same as cold crashing, lower the temperature of the beer to -1C from 20C then let it come back up to 20C nothing is achieved. The beer has to be packaged while at the colder temperature to get it clear.

Is that right? I thought cold crashing could encourage things to drop clear to the bottom of the FV, where they would settle and not necessarily float up again if the temp was subsequently raised?

 

[foxy]

I wouldn't expect such a large drop in pressure (14 to 7) with a 16C drop in temperature? (P=14*273K/293K).
The absorption of CO2 almost doubles when the temperature drops from 20C to 0C.
While I agree that the more sediment left behind at packaging the better, carbonating with sugar solution will produce more "sediment". I've noticed, as I said above, my beer continues to clear as I work through the barrel. Just wondered if the action of cold crashing would speed up the process

Pretty sure that the gas will stay in equilibrium the head space and and soluble co2 should remain the same.
In physical chemistry, Henry's law is a gas law that states that the amount of dissolved gas in a liquid is proportional to its partial pressure above the liquid. The proportionality factor is called Henry's law constant.

Is that right? I thought cold crashing could encourage things to drop clear to the bottom of the FV, where they would settle and not necessarily float up again if the temp was subsequently raised?

I have never tried it, just what I have read. Yeast for instance can be in suspension and drop out with colder temperature, warm it back up surely it would just come back into suspension?

 

[Buffers brewery]

Henry's law is a gas law that states that the amount of dissolved gas in a liquid is proportional to its partial pressure above the liquid. The proportionality factor is called Henry's law constant.

Quite right @foxy but ironically Henry's law constant is only constant at a particular temperature.

As you can see Henry's law constant reduces significantly as the temperature reduces. This is why CO2 is more soluble as the temperature drops.

As more CO2 dissolves so the pressure drops. At least that's my understanding....probably wrong

 

[foxy]

Quite right @foxy but ironically Henry's law constant is only constant at a particular temperature.
View attachment 59277
As you can see Henry's law constant reduces significantly as the temperature reduces. This is why CO2 is more soluble as the temperature drops.
View attachment 59282
As more CO2 dissolves so the pressure drops. At least that's my understanding....probably wrong

No you aren't wrong it is temperature dependent.