Curdled Yeast or Fat from Pecans?

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jrlooney

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Hi all,
Got something weird going on in the carboy.

Brewed a pretty simple Pecan Brown Ale, using Wyeast American Ale yeast. Bubbled nicely for 3-4 days then stopped. Sat another day or two so I grabbed a reading and it's nowhere near what I need (it's at 1.040 and I was expecting 1.014). Anyway, in the bottom of the carboy, on top of the yeast cake is this creepy looking stuff. Has anyone ever seen anything like this? If it's the fat from the roasted pecans, I bet this batch is ruined, eh?

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Quit putting light on the carboy!!!!

This is why I like buckets. Watching the yeast is like watching closely as a wound heals. Wierd **** will abound that you really don't need to watch.
 
it kinda looks like the pecans. are they in the fermenter? its hard to say. but i really doubt its ruined. all the pictures of infections i've seen have had nasty **** floating on top. (not just normal nasty ****, nasty nasty ****) atleast let it finish and bottle and test it. i dont think it looks that weird
 
Cheezy, it's wrapped and in a dark room. I only noticed it when I took the gravity reading to see if fermentation was done.

Pecans were in the mash only but kinda does look like nuts doesn't it?
 
Ok great thanks. Out of about 16 batches now I've never seen that before
 
yeah. i'd say dont worry about it. i haven't had mine look quite like this. but they always do look different. this doesnt look harmfull (although it is pretty strange looking)
 
I have once used a pot after it was used to make beef stock. I had a layer a beef fat 5mm thick when came time to bottling on top of the beer. (no oxidization there!). The beer is great! Maybe a little extra mouth feel lol.

Don't worry after making the mother of brewing with fat mistakes I am not so bothered by it.

But I do make sure I wash the hell of my pots before i brew now!
 
Oil/fat is less dense than water and wort so it would float on the top. Did you use whirlfloc? Sometimes when I use that stuff I get crap that looks like that.
 
Also, if you usually make dark beers, you usually don't see the yeast.


Sometimes just seeing those wierd buggars in their normal state will wierd you out.
 
Thanks everyone I feel better knowing others see weird stuff on occasion.

I didn't use whirlfloc on this one, just regular Irish moss. But thanks for the suggestions.

Going to let it hang out another week or two before I check it again
 
That type of yeast formation can come from overdosing on copper finings. It's not a problem apart from the fact that it causes waste, as when you are syphoning the yeast won't bed down flat on the bottom and you have a lot of fluffy yeast and you end up wasting a lot of beer or sucking a lot of yeast up with it. Check your finings addition and maybe use less nest time.
 
My first brew was a BLACK stout way underpitched, and fermented too warm.

You could NOT see the yeast on the bottom.

It wasn't until huge "yeast bergs" floated to the surface and slowly dissolved back down. I still have nightmares of floating in a black sea as huge white chunks emerge from the depths..........
 
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