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Author Topic: Conditioning a dark ale  (Read 859 times)

Offline trapae

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Conditioning a dark ale
« on: March 25, 2018, 01:14:15 pm »
If you are going to condition a dark ale (stout or porter) for a couple weeks after fermentation prior to kegging, do you all do it at room temp or cool/cold? I fermenter at 65, then after about a week, bring it up to 70deg.
I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Conditioning a dark ale
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2018, 01:32:30 pm »
I pretty much treat all beers the same.

Offline Robert

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Re: Conditioning a dark ale
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2018, 01:56:27 pm »
If by conditioning you intend to smooth the beer out, precipitating yeast, tannins, etc. cold will be far more effective.  Make sure the yeast has completely finished before crashing it.  Really, the same goes for all beers, like Jim suggests.  Ale or lager, cleanup by yeast is done warm, physical stabilization cold. British brewers have long since taken to a couple weeks lagering in beers that once were aged a long time.
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline trapae

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Re: Conditioning a dark ale
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2018, 02:37:43 pm »
Yes, smooth out, etc.  make less green.  I am at 2 weeks, 3days after brew day.  Have reached FG.  Plan on kegging in about 2weeks.  Just didn’t know if I should crash now or just a couple days before kegging.  Have the yeast cleaned up enough yet?
I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

Offline Robert

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Re: Conditioning a dark ale
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2018, 03:16:07 pm »
If you've been at FG for a few days, and the yeast is starting to settle on its own, it's not going to do any more, so you can crash it. A week or two cold will remove anything that can be precipitated.
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.