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Author Topic: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle  (Read 3944 times)

Offline dougsoulang

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Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« on: June 05, 2014, 06:13:24 am »
I'd really like to avoid any airlock 'suck back' or oxygenation when I cold crash in a Better Bottle. Are there any tried and true techniques that will help me avoid those two things?

Can a Better Bottle take the flex from a volume change like that if I were to use a solid stopper?

Thanks!
- Doug W.
Brownsburg, IN

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2014, 06:45:13 am »
I wouldn't trust it to take flex long term. Repeated use might cause a crack and that would be very sad and abusive to beer. But then I doubt the weight of beer pushing against the sides will allow it to flex. The force pushing out will always be more than the inward force from a slight vacuum on top.
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Offline dougsoulang

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2014, 06:59:06 am »
I wouldn't trust it to take flex long term. Repeated use might cause a crack and that would be very sad and abusive to beer. But then I doubt the weight of beer pushing against the sides will allow it to flex. The force pushing out will always be more than the inward force from a slight vacuum on top.

Thanks Jimmy. The repeated flexing and possible cracking was my concern too. I think I'll just use a solid stopper and see what happens. I can go back to the drawing board if the flex is alarming.
- Doug W.
Brownsburg, IN

Offline Stevie

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2014, 07:22:56 am »
I cold crash in my better bottles frequently using a silicone breathable bung. This allows me to reduce the vacuum if I start to get concerned.

The many trick is to crash with as small a head space as possible. This isn't possible if crashing in primary.

Most of the time I crash jn

Offline Stevie

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2014, 07:24:40 am »
The many trick is to crash with as small a head space as possible. This isn't possible if crashing in primary.

Most of the time I crash in the keg. I do this mainly because I have two beers going at all times and one is always behind the other

Tapatalk is pissing me off.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2014, 07:41:43 am »


Most of the time I crash in the keg.



+1
Jon H.

Offline dougsoulang

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2014, 08:03:25 am »


Most of the time I crash in the keg.


I'm assuming the first pour out of that keg is murky from settling? Kind of like it is when fining?
- Doug W.
Brownsburg, IN

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2014, 08:08:02 am »
Yes. If done right the first pint is cloudy, then pretty much clear after that.
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2014, 08:13:20 am »


Most of the time I crash in the keg.


I'm assuming the first pour out of that keg is murky from settling? Kind of like it is when fining?

I usually cold crash a couple days in keg, then add gelatin and pump out sediment in a couple more days.  I just prefer to avoid the suck back of O2 into the beer altogether. Honestly though, I crashed in fermenters for years and never noted any ill effects. I just feel better about it this way.
Jon H.

Offline Stevie

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2014, 08:18:10 am »


Most of the time I crash in the keg.


I'm assuming the first pour out of that keg is murky from settling? Kind of like it is when fining?


Yep. It does suck if you want to bring a keg someplace or need to move it around, but ehh.

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2014, 08:19:15 am »


Most of the time I crash in the keg.


I'm assuming the first pour out of that keg is murky from settling? Kind of like it is when fining?


Yep. It does suck if you want to bring a keg someplace or need to move it around, but ehh.

in that case you can then jumper from the conditioning keg to a new clean keg and have bright carbonated beer!
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2014, 08:20:40 am »


Most of the time I crash in the keg.


I'm assuming the first pour out of that keg is murky from settling? Kind of like it is when fining?


Yep. It does suck if you want to bring a keg someplace or need to move it around, but ehh.

in that case you can then jumper from the conditioning keg to a new clean keg and have bright carbonated beer!

+1 Yep.
Jon H.

Offline Stevie

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2014, 08:24:58 am »
in that case you can then jumper from the conditioning keg to a new clean keg and have bright carbonated beer!


I do that from time to time, but I hate it. I hate cleaning.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2014, 08:25:37 am »
in that case you can then jumper from the conditioning keg to a new clean keg and have bright carbonated beer!


I do that from time to time, but I hate it. I hate cleaning.

Me too. I only do it if the keg is traveling.
Jon H.

Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Advice for cold crashing in a Better Bottle
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2014, 08:35:37 am »
I'd be careful about cold crashing in a closed vessel. I've read stories of pro brewers having conditioning tanks collapse in on themselves from sealing it during cold crash. If a steel tank can collapse in on itself I have even less faith that a BB isn't going to suffer the same fate.
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