Is cold conditioning required?

Lars

Do I really need to cold condition my beer? I dont want it in the fridge cos I'm trying to keep it for a while before drinking. Should I stick it in the shed or is it Ok to leave it in the room where it fermented which is always about 18~21deg. If its to just to deactivate the yeast, can I do that by chilling it down to fridge temperature for a few hrs and then sticking it back in the spare room?

Thanks

L

BeerNut

Lars wrote: »

Do I really need to cold condition my beer?

No. What are you reading that says you do?

Lars

Think I got it it from palmers book also I noticed that after about 5 weeks my coopers kit is as carbonated as I want it to be. I was wondering if it would continue carbonating if it's not chilled?

BeerNut

Lars wrote: »

also I noticed that after about 5 weeks my coopers kit is as carbonated as I want it to be. I was wondering if it would continue carbonating if it's not chilled?

It won't carbonate if it's chilled, the yeast will go to sleep. At normal temperatures, carbonation will continue until the yeast have eaten all the sugar.

Yeast don't know the difference between primary fermentation, secondary fermentation and conditioning. All they do is turn sugar into alcohol, carbon dioxide and water. Ale strains do this best at about 18C. There's no different process involved with conditioning -- it's exactly the same as primary fermentation except on a smaller scale and with the gas being captured.

I think you'd be better putting Palmer away until you've moved on from kits.

Lars

So if I want carbonation to stop will the yeast 'turn off' if I chill it temporarily and then put it back at room temp to continue conditioning?
(I've actually done 2 extract brews--nothings ready to drink yet so I cant tell if its a success-not quite a brewmaster yet:))

BeerNut

Lars wrote: »

So if I want carbonation to stop will the yeast 'turn off' if I chill it temporarily and then put it back at room temp to continue conditioning?

It'll slow down, and eventually halt, depending on the actual temperature, but basically: yes. You should never need to stop carbonation, though. Prime with the correct amount of sugar, let the yeast eat it all, and you're done.

Lars wrote: »

I've actually done 2 extract brews

I think you'd be better putting Palmer away until you've moved on from extract (can you see where I'm going with this? ).

Martyn1989

BeerNut wrote: »

I think you'd be better putting Palmer away until you've moved on from extract (can you see where I'm going with this? ).

Not read Palmer at all? is his book not one of the good ones?

BeerNut

Martyn1989 wrote: »

is his book not one of the good ones?

I've heard it is, but some of the questions on this board have made me doubt that.

The bottom line is that any book called How To Brew will not teach you how to brew, any more than a book called How To Drive will teach you how to drive, nor will you actually learn how to cook from Delia's How To Cook. You learn these things by getting assistance from other people who know how to do it, and most importantly by doing it yourself and making mistakes. Books are for the niceties and fine-tuning after you've a considerable amount of mileage already done, IMO.

Martyn1989

BeerNut wrote: »

I've heard it is, but some of the questions on this board have made me doubt that.

The bottom line is that any book called How To Brew will not teach you how to brew, any more than a book called How To Drive will teach you how to drive, nor will you actually learn how to cook from Delia's How To Cook. You learn these things by getting assistance from other people who know how to do it, and most importantly by doing it yourself and making mistakes. Books are for the niceties and fine-tuning after you've a considerable amount of mileage already done, IMO.

Fair point, and I cant disagree as I dont have enough of this mileage behind me, I did find The Complete Joy of Homebrewing very good, I only read the first half, didnt bother looking at the all-grain chapters, that day may come, but not today.

Im conditioning my latest brew now, I gave it a week in the warmth, and now its out in the shed well covered, Im presuming thats the best for it?

BeerNut

Martyn1989 wrote: »

I gave it a week in the warmth, and now its out in the shed well covered, Im presuming thats the best for it?

17-22C. That's all the yeast cares about.