Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Any reason to cold crash a stout?  (Read 9301 times)

Offline Richard

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1012
Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« on: October 28, 2017, 09:07:08 am »
Does cold crashing do anything other than help to deliver clear beer? I have a stout that is so dark that clarity doesn't matter, so I am thinking that there is no point to cold crashing. I bottled a dark brown beer a couple of weeks ago that used WY1335 yeast that I cold crashed for a few days, and it hasn't carbonated properly in the bottles. I am wondering if I took too much yeast out of suspension with the cold crash. I used the same procedure I have many times before and this is the first time I have had a problem.
Original Gravity - that would be Newton's

Offline BUZZSAW52

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 67
Re: Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2017, 09:08:40 am »
I wouldn’t do it. Especially if you’re bottling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2017, 09:51:40 am »
I find that even with really dark beers, clarity is still noticeable.  Not to mention you be dropping out yeast and other particulates that can affect flavor and mouthfeel.  As to cold crashing removing too much yeast, I've never found that to happen, even after lagering a beer for months.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline BrewBama

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6051
Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2017, 06:14:34 am »
I find that even with really dark beers, clarity is still noticeable.  Not to mention you be dropping out yeast and other particulates that can affect flavor and mouthfeel.  As to cold crashing removing too much yeast, I've never found that to happen, even after lagering a beer for months.

+1. I like to clean up all beers by cold crashing. Otherwise, they just taste ‘muddy’ to me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2017, 08:51:48 am »
I find that even with really dark beers, clarity is still noticeable.  Not to mention you be dropping out yeast and other particulates that can affect flavor and mouthfeel.  As to cold crashing removing too much yeast, I've never found that to happen, even after lagering a beer for months.

+1. I like to clean up all beers by cold crashing. Otherwise, they just taste ‘muddy’ to me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


+2.  Doesn't matter that most stouts are opaque. Except for hefe and wit, pretty much all beers benefit from a couple days of crashing at 31 or 32F, to drop the mentioned yeast and particulate, and speed up the maturation process. Excessive yeast in suspension, even when you don't see it in a stout, can give the beer a harsh tart/bitter character that's unpleasant. Easy enough to crash.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2017, 05:37:31 pm by HoosierBrew »
Jon H.

Offline santoch

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1000
  • Riverview, FL
Re: Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2017, 09:25:35 pm »
Put a flashlight up to a glass of (a good) stout.  You will be amazed.
Looking for a club near my new house
BJCP GM3/Mead Judge

Offline zwiller

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 570
Re: Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2017, 03:24:15 pm »
The beer is probably ruined.  Best to send it to me for proper disposal.  ;D  Since you are reducing the amount of yeast in the bottle it might slow the carb slightly but I never had good carbonation in 2 weeks like many say.  It was usually about a month before I was happy...  Brew something else and stop worrying about it. 
Sam
Sandusky, OH

Offline Richard

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1012
Re: Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2017, 11:31:53 am »
OK, I'll cold crash the stout. It turns out that the brown ale is now carbonating properly; it just took longer than usual. The weather has gotten a bit chilly in the last month and the room the beer is in has been cooler than the summer, so that slowed down the yeast.

Sorry...no beer to dispose of except in the usual way.
Original Gravity - that would be Newton's

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 634
Re: Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2017, 01:21:05 pm »
You mentioned your room was cooler .  .  .

In the winter, I'll put bottled beer in my small utility room to help boost the temp and speed carbonation.  I usually have the hall thermostat set at 68 F, but the rest of the house is actually about 66 F.  When I'm using the electric clothes dryer, or the gas hot water heater fires up, I get an additional bit of heat.  The vibration from the washer spin cycle probably helps a bit too.

I also like to cold crash all my beers.  Too much traub tastes like dead yeast cells to me.
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline Kutaka

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 99
Re: Any reason to cold crash a stout?
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2017, 03:37:32 pm »
Stouts taste better with some age.  I'd leave it in the primary for 3 weeks.  No cold crash.  Then bottle.  Carb for 2 weeks.  Fridge for 2 weeks before drinking.  But leave some at room temp and move them to the fridge as you drink the cold ones.  That is the fastest I'd want to drink a bottled stout.  This schedule will produce a stout with not much yeast in the bottle.