Beer Forum

Thinking about cold conditiong my next ale just to see if I get a clearer beer. Never done this before, so looking for some advice in the process. I will be conditioning in bottles so...

Should I rack to secondary then refrigerate (35 deg) for 2-4 weeks?
Should I add more yeast when I transfer tothe bottling bucket? And if so, how much yeast?
Do the cold temperatures affect the yeast when trying to bottle condition (carbonate)?
Should I skip all this and just use gelatin?

Any help on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Carlos,
I have done it several ways. You should use a clarifier in the brew kettle; either Whirlfloc tablets or Irish Moss, because this will help remove a lot of the proteins that can cause chill haze and cloudiness. But besides that, my best results have been using the following routine if you're bottling:

1. Primary fermentation.
2. Secondary fermentation
3. Bottle and wait two weeks at about 68 degrees F for the yeast to carbonate the beer.
4. Then drop the temp to about 35 degrees and let it sit for a month. Most of the remaining yeast will drop out of solution resulting in pretty damn clear beer. The time you need to let it condition depends on the yeast's inherent flocculation properties. More yeast in solution sometimes equals extended rest at the lower temps.

However, if you are interested in clearing the beer before you bottle, you'll have to add a certain amount of yeast back into it after it clears. IMHO, this is a wasted step and time because you still need to do steps 3 and 4 over again. And you'll still have yeast sediment in the bottom of the bottle anyway, if that's what you're trying to avoid.

The easiest procedure: Filter into a keg after the secondary and force carbonate. Clear beer and carbonated to style.

Cheers,

Bill

It would be nice to know a bit more about your process. Do you use Irish Moss? Do you rack your chilled wort into a carboy or do you just dump it into a fermenting bucket? When you are racking into you bottling bucket are you careful not to disturb the beer prior to racking and being careful not to suck up too much sludge?

IOW, there are a lot of different things you can do to clarify your beer. Cold conditioning probably won't make much of a difference since the sediment is already getting into the bottle. I'd focus on clarifying earlier in your brewing process.

I actually have been using Whirfloc tablets as well as racking to a fermentor, and I have noticed a difference. I won't be kegging and filtering any time soon, so I was looking for another option. Thanks Bill!

The day before you bottle you should put your fermenter up on a counter and then let it settle for at least a few hours. The last thing you wanna do is rack to your bottling bucket right after moving your fermenter and disturbing the layer of yeast on the bottom. Also I tend to leave a bit of beer behind so I am not racking sludge into my keg/bottling bucket.