Cold crashing/conditioning

[GhostShip]

Given that I'm still fairly new to all this, I had always believed that cold crashing/conditioning was something that took place AFTER secondary fermentation.

However, I've recently read somewhere that some people cold crash immediately after primary fermentation and then let the secondary fermentation occur after the cold crashing.

What are people's views on this?

And if you're dry hopping and cold crashing, presumably you would add the hops 3/4/5 days before cold crashing? If you're cold crashing for a few days/week, would the beer be affected by the hops being in too long or does the cold nulify them?

Just when I thought I had it cracked, along come more questions!

 

[ACBEV]

The problem is people do different things. In my case I never cold crash at any stage, never felt the need. From my understanding cold crashing is to drop any suspended matter in the beer, but my beers have always been crystal clear after a week in the FV (I leave it two weeks at least).

Also dry hopping is overrated... (I'm off to do a three monkey's impression)...

 

[goodolpete]

Also dry hopping is overrated... (I'm off to do a three monkey's impression)...

I did the B and M real ale kit this month, and so dry hopped for the
first time in my life "....... what a difference!

 

[ACBEV]

What I was trying to say... (badly)... You don't need to dry hop everything. When I've done beer kits, I'm more likely to dry hop, due to the restrictions in the process.