[3Js]

I am a rookie  homebrewer  with only a dozen homebrews made.  So far all turned out great.  I currently have  a Summer Weiss  fermenting  and the recipe calls for a secondary fermentation for 14 days at 35 degrees. I was researching this and in the practical  guide Yeast book they do not recommend to cold crash due to the yeast going dorment  and unable to clean up the beer after the primary  fermentation.  My question  is should I transfer  and let the yeast clean up and settle out for a week or so and bottle or???

[a10t2]

I'd personally say both pieces of advice are wrong. Once fermentation is complete, there's nothing more you need from the yeast; cold crashing is simply a way to get them out of the beer faster. And once you've done that, there are only downsides to moving the beer to another fermenter for additional aging, especially with something like a wheat. After a few days crashed, it should be ready to drink.

[denny]

I'd personally say both pieces of advice are wrong. Once fermentation is complete, there's nothing more you need from the yeast; cold crashing is simply a way to get them out of the beer faster. And once you've done that, there are only downsides to moving the beer to another fermenter for additional aging, especially with something like a wheat. After a few days crashed, it should be ready to drink.

THIS^^^^^

[3Js]

So if I understand you  correctly I should  transfer and cold crash a few days and bottle. 

[denny]

So if I understand you  correctly I should  transfer and cold crash a few days and bottle.

If you mean xfer fo secondary, no, don't do that.  Being a Weiss, I don't think a cold crash is needed either.

[3Js]

Sounds like a plan.  Thanks for all the help.  This brewing is a addicting  adventure and I am learning new aspects with every new batch.  Down the road some I would like to  move into the all grain brewing. 

[BrewBama]

...  Down the road some I would like to  move into the all grain brewing.

You’re probably a lot close than you may realize. Under all the contraption I’ve cobbled together there’s a simple BK and MLT (rectangle blue cooler) and HLT (round blue cooler). I used gravity to move liquid for years. You already have the kettle so all you need is a MLT and HLT (some don’t even use one).


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[3Js]

My son who  lives 150 miles away homebrews and who got me started.  I came across a person who sold me his entire  brewing  equipment so I could brew at home.  Included  with all the equipment  was two 5 gallon  round coolers setup for all grain.  But after researching  I would need something  larger for the mashtun. Appears he made small batches  with 5 gal unit.  I just need to learn more about  the process. 

[spurviance]

You could look into BIAB (Brew in a Bag).  The only piece of equipment you'd have to buy is the bag.  Simply mash in the bag in your brew kettle, lift out bag and drain, then boil. 

[3Js]

BIAB sounds like an easy way to start out the all grain  process.  Thanks.

[a10t2]

I'd also think about partial mashing. With a 5 gal mash tun you could easily get half your wort from grain, which has the added benefit of letting you tweak the extract addition to hit your gravity as you figure out mashing.