I have very nearly mastered the clarification process but still wish to control the timing of flocculation more consistently. At what point/stage is cold crashing most efficient?
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I assume we are talking about beer and not wine? – Philippe Jul 17 '17 at 16:41
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3I would suggest winter. :-D – P.T. Curran Jul 17 '17 at 20:31
I give fermentation 4-5 days at 63°F, then bump up the temp to 70-72°F for maybe another 3 days. Then I crash to 33°F for 3-5 days until the beer clears.
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its October, I just leave mine outside by the side door for a couple of nights and it has cleared beautifully – bigbadmouse Oct 28 '19 at 11:00
I am not sure exactly what you are defining as efficient, so I am going to answer this assuming time efficiency is your primary goal.
Denny's advice is good advice for a general approach without having to faff around checking things, and will ferment all but the largest brews to FG.
I would suggest you take daily samples and gravity readings. As soon as you have 2 of the same readings, then I would start the crashing process for optimal time efficiency. You can cold crash down to -1°C/30°F, as the alcohol and sugars in solution will prevent freezing, but you should be aiming for 33-38°F/0.5-3.5°C.
