Cold break and fermentation

[Vossy1]

When I first started AG brewing I cooled straight to fv. I stopped this in a bid to solve a haze issue with my beers, ie, best practice and all that.

I am now thinking of returning to my original technique in a bid to save cooling time, and because the cold break is getting into my fv's anyway

What I'd like to know is what other people do and the reasons behind it ?

So, do you ferment your beers on the cold break or do you ferment them off the cold break ie, filter the cold break off the wort using the hops or use a conical to drop the cold break after it settles, or, just let the cold break into the fv, or some other option?

[eskimobob]

I CFC straight from the boiler into the FV aerating on the drop from the CFC - then pitch the yeast. No great problems with haze...

[prolix]

filter through the hop bed still some gets through though

[subsub]

Same here, stuff still gets through but no haze problems here

[prodigal2]

I allow some into the FV, but when my run off from the boiler starts looking milky I stop.
AG 1 I allowed all the cold break in and that WAS a haze riddled beer.

[lorand]

If you use an immersion cooler when exactly do you use it. I plonk mine in the boiler and chill thw wort BEFORE I strain it off but I was looking at Art of Brewing´s website and they suggest draing from the boiler before chilling.

Now I´m confused.

[steve_flack]

I used to ferment on a fair bit of it, then I started recirculating whilst cooling which removed quite a bit of it. Now with the conical I usually drop the trub before pitching the yeast.

[mr bond]

Cold break goes straight in.Settles out with no haze or flava issues.Never separated it in over 40 AG brews.Comp win and place beer s included.all samples given to pro brewers have drawn positive comments as to the Clean flava profile.

[Jim]

I ferment on it.

Using a counterflow chiller makes it more of a chore to remove it by dropping, so I don't bother - and I'm quite happy with the beer I produce.

[tubby_shaw]

I use an immersion chiller in the boiler and filter the wort through the hop bed.
I also hop sparge with about 2 litres of boiling water so some cold break and trub etc gets into the fv but it doesn't seem to cause me any problems.
I also remember reading somewhere in the dim and distant past that a small amount of the cold break material is actually beneficial to the yeast during fermentation ?

[Aleman]

I voted on as the option for partial removal isn't there

I've started using an immersion chiller and recirculating the wort through the hop bed (and hop stopper). In theory a lot of hot and cold break will be filtered out this way. It was very effective with my 911 IPA, but I had a couple of issues with my Quaffale, and that looked as though a significant amount of break made its way through.

When I get the conical(s) then I'm probably going to do the same as SF and dump the trub before pitching the yeast.

Fermenting on the cold break is supposed to be beneficial IF your wort is low in Free Amino Nitrogen and / or you are under aerating. The yeast can utilise the trub as a source of nitrogen and also for sterols for membrane formation. There can be an issue with a soapy taste (associated with sterols) from fermenting on the cold break, but I suspect that it will only be obvious in delicate very pale lagers (Butwiper type beers). Given the option I would certainly want to remove the break. I can always add yeast nutrient when required, and I oxygenate more than adequately anyway, however, in the several hundreds of gallons I have fermented at home, and the thousands of barrels we fermented at work its not something we were to fussed about worrying with.

[Dan]

my worts seem clear of everything when i pitch the yeast. there is some whispy cold break but nothing sludgy. I read an article on methods of removing cold break. such as floatation. i wonder sometimes, if i have very little to remove, am i actually creating it? as a home brewer can you discern between what is hot and what is cold break? as far as i understood, cold break is so fine and delicate you only have to look at it and it will turn from flocks to dust.

[drsmurto]

I dont have a chiller so i let the wort sit in the kettle for 20-30 mins after flame out and then run it off into a fermenter where it cools o/n after which time i pour it, cold break and all, into a another fermenter from a height of 1.5m ready to pitch. Only made ales so far so clarity isnt an issue.

[Wobbler]

I cool through CFC straight into fermenter, then pitch the yeast.
Although I have tried letting the cold break settle out for half an hour or so and then racking off through the tap, but the taps are too low on my bins and it ends up getting through.
I could get another bucket with a higher tap, but I'd have to hold back around a gallon of wort for that to be successful.

Haze isn't a problem for me, and the taste seems fine, so have resigned to fermenting on top of the cold break.

[bandit]

I CFC then pitch my starter into the fermentor with no cold break removal. I do however completely skim the first head after 12 hours to remove all the brown matter and then I rouse the whole fermenter with a long spoon mixing in all the yeast sediment again. A new head forms in under one hour.