Cold Crashing a NEIPA/Hazy with no Suck Back - Cold Crash Guardian

[@dewaynereid4839]

Have a question. I cold crash in the keg, it has always worked good for me . I have always hooked up the CO2 when cold crashing. Is the ok or should I wait till after CC to apply CO2.

[@CityscapeBrewing]

That is totally fine just the way you do it.

[@peterppoulsen6308]

Nice video - I have seen more videos about this subject, but now I get it! :-)

[@CityscapeBrewing]

Awesome! Let me know if you have any questions!

[@stewbeats3171]

So you capture the co2 way before cold crashing, I guess as soon as fermentation begins, I am interested in this but I’m concerned on if there’s enough co2, my fermenter only drops about 4 degrees a day so after d rest it would take 7 days to get to 40F would the bag need refilled with co2?

[@CityscapeBrewing]

You can put on the cold crash guardian right away, but with the valve closed to push out any oxygen in the vessel. Then open the valve after fermentation activity is going strong, to start filling the bag. I have had no issues with the bag fully depleting and having to refill it. That may depend on the size of your fermentation vessel, I generally do 5.5 gallons in a 7.5 gallon vessel (fermonster) with no issues. This includes slowly dropping the temperature over a week as well.

[@andrewhernandez674]

Curious to know how much volume reduction happened for the bag during cold crash? If fully “inflated” at end of fermentation how much CO2 was needed from the bag to complete cold crash?

[@CityscapeBrewing]

Not even a quarter of it. It's actually a lot less than what is in the volume of the bag. You could shut the bag off halfway full if you need to or less.

[@vikasrana7702]

Do you need this product if you cold crash in a keg? Can negative pressure harm keg? like implossion or something? Assuming, of course, no CO2 line is attached.

[@CityscapeBrewing]

I wouldn't worry about implosion, but you might lose enough pressure to unseal. Kegs are meant for pressure from the inside... The poppets and pressure relief valves may not hold from reduced pressure inside. I don't know if that's true or not, but I'd suggest putting a little pressure on it as you're slowly cold crashing. In some cases I don't gold crash before I keg... Then I just put it on 12 PSI and cold crash it as I'm carbing it up. 🍻

[@jeremyghunter]

So am I understanding right that when the bag is full, the release of excess co2 is automatic, so you don't have to monitor it and risk blow up?

[@CityscapeBrewing]

Yes. The cold crash guardian I use in the video has a one way valve that allows the excess CO2 to be pushed out after the bag is full, but does not allow oxygen to be sucked back in when the temperature decreases during the cold crash.

[@jeremyghunter]

@@CityscapeBrewing damn, not available in the UK :/

[@CityscapeBrewing]

Darn.... Maybe you could find a one way gas valve and make one using a collapsible water container? Could be a new video idea for me! Haha

[@johnkuhn804]

How would you cold crash a lager since they already ferment in cold temperatures?

[@CityscapeBrewing]

All lagers should be risen to a higher temperature of about 68 to 70° for a diacetyl rest. This should be done with a couple points left in gravity before fermentation is fully complete. This will prevent the buttery popcorn flavors and give it the clean crisp lager flavor. After that, is when you cold crash back down to mid thirties Fahrenheit. 🍻

[@LouB3rt]

Hey man, thanks for the very informative video! In your opinion- if I wanted to use this on a beer that has finished fermentation, do you think you could just fill the bag with low pressure co2 psi and use it as if it was at the second stage of use? Or would there be some sort of weird co2 psi issue with the co2 not being from natural fermentation.

[@CityscapeBrewing]

Great question, You can absolutely do that. I do that sometimes too if I forget to put it on at the end of fermentation. The CO2 from fermentation is not different than your tank.

[@SeanLewisMedia]

Thats a really cool product! Thanks!

[@CityscapeBrewing]

You're welcome! I stumbled across that after trying a few different things without success. This works really well!!

[@elfissamiller9907]

Okay I can never find the links....little help please

[@CityscapeBrewing]

Do you mean the links I refer to in the video? Those are in the video description. If you're using a mobile device, it's usually a little arrow right side next to the title of the video.

[@luwn00bz]

I just quickly switch my airlock for a seal before putting the container into cold and that's it.

[@CityscapeBrewing]

I don't generally worry about oxidation except for hazy IPAs. In fact I don't even cold crash many of my beers I prefer to do a secondary instead. But when you just seal it, doesn't oxygen suck in whenever you break the seal? I was showing the cold crash guardian because it allows equal pressure, and sucks the CO2 back in rather than oxygen.

[@luwn00bz]

@@CityscapeBrewing Well the pressure is equal when I remove the airlock so in theory if I change it quickly very little air gets in the fermentor. I only remove the seal when bottling and it shouldn't matter much since there is a protective CO2 layer for the brief time I'm bottling. More oxygen gets in the beer while bottles are filling. I will try to bottle a pale hazy NEIPA soon just to see how little oxygen my process intakes.

[@luwn00bz]

@@CityscapeBrewing Just to clarify, after changing the seal and putting the beer to cold, the pressure will drop and the fermentor will bend inwards a bit. But no real oxygen exposure until I take the seal off

[@CityscapeBrewing]

I agree. The blanket of CO2 will protect it unless it gets roused up somehow. I have had hazy IPA get oxidation just from transferring from fermenter to the keg, without purging the keg first. I don't think you're at much risk from just the airlock seal as long as you're being careful with everything else.

[@TheMattMustain]

@@luwn00bz Are you doing closed transfers to a keg? The negative pressure built up in the fermentation vessel will pull in oxygen the moment you open it.