can you cold crash for too long?

[EWildcat7]

I started a cold crash on my beer on Saturday afternoon.  I am not going to be able to bottle until Wednesday.  I know that it is supposed to be 3 days, so is that too long?

[Norris!]

Not at all. That amount of time shouldn't affect the flavour from being on the yeast cake, except to help meld things together more. You will be good.

Cheers

Norris

[Otto Von Blotto]

I would consider 3 days to be short. Mine get no less than a full week cold crashing. You won't have any problems.

Edited November 4, 2019 by Otto Von Blotto

[BlackSands]

I don't think you can really CC too long...within reason of course!   I guess if the CC was excessive (many weeks / months) bottle carbonation might be compromised due to a minimal amount of yeast in the bottles and a priming/carbonation yeast may then be needed.  

Opinions vary on duration ranging anywhere from 1 day to a couple of weeks.   If you want bright beer at time of packaging then I think one week would be an absolute minimum time required.  However, the beer doesn't necessarily need to be bright at time of packaging to be clear and bright at time of serving.   I usually CC for 3 or 4 days. The beer is often still hazy (@ 0.5ºC) when bottled but it usually clears up pretty quick, and generally serves up nice and bright weeks later at fridge temp (4ºC), and usually with a minimal dusting of yeast on the bottom of the bottles.  Having said that, this does vary from brew to brew though - depending I guess on yeast strain, and the use and quantities of other ingredients which add to haze generally.   A recent brew of mine didn't do so well with 3 days CC, took several days to come bright once bottled and dropped out a much thicker layer of yeast in the bottles in the weeks that followed.  Still serves up nice and clear though at serving temperature.       

[karlos_1984]

If I can't bottle a finished beer as soon as I'd like to, for whatever reason, like work, lack of time, etc I'll generally cold crash it if I wasn't going to otherwise. Seems to have done the trick if it's had to sit in the FV for up to an extra week give or take. 

[EWildcat7]

thanks folks

after reading your replies, I am just going to wait until Saturday to bottle the beer - that will be a week of cold crashing

[Scottie]

Shouldn't be a problem Wildcat. The longest I've left a brew on the yeast cake was 9 weeks including a 3 week cold crash. The resulting beer was faultless.

I have also lagered a brew, in a cube, for 9 weeks after 3 weeks in the FV.  I kegged most of this beer and bottled 6 stubbies, all the stubbies carbed up fine.

Cheers

Scottie