Yeast "Chunks"

I just kegged my first Hefeweizen. Color and opacity seem spot on, but I can't seem to get rid of what appear to be large chunks of floating yeast. I'm not talking about cloudiness here. Definitely chunks.

I actually remember accidentially syphoning some of the chunks off of the yeast cake, which was a lot looser than other yeast cakes from the other beers I've done. I'm not sure if the loose yeast cake is a signature of the Hef yeast, but, in any event, does anyone know what the deal is with these "floaties" and whether I can expect them to go away? Very unappealing to look at.

For whatever it's worth, I used White Labs WLP 351 Bavarian Weizen Yeast.

I know exactly what you're talking about Reuliss; I've seen it many times in both my beer and others in my brew club.

Sometimes it looks like floating yeast "brains". Every single time I've seen it it's been from adding too much kettle finings. The yeast clumps together and won't sink.


What kind of finings did you add and how much?
(I'm guessing you added a 10 gallon batch worth of finings or more for a 5 gallon batch.)


Adam

You'll also find that the yeast that does flocculate to the bottom does not form a compact sediment and is very "fluffy" and occupies more than the normal quantity of space. -You'll lose a lot of beer if you add too much finings.

Professional brewers use a plastic cone with some German-sounding name (I can't remember the name to save my life) to test the proper quantity of finings for each batch so that they don't waste beer by getting an overly fluffy layer of yeast sediment. Even yeast strains that are generally considered super "powdery" and that normally would flocculate very tightly and stick to the bottom can end up fluffy when you add too much finings.


[Edit] It's called an Imhoff cone! HAHA! Remembered!

Adam

biertourist said:

I know exactly what you're talking about Reuliss; I've seen it many times in both my beer and others in my brew club.

Sometimes it looks like floating yeast "brains". Every single time I've seen it it's been from adding too much kettle finings. The yeast clumps together and won't sink.


What kind of finings did you add and how much?
(I'm guessing you added a 10 gallon batch worth of finings or more for a 5 gallon batch.)


Adam

Click to expand...

I actually didn't use any finings, mostly because I was concerned that it would be bad to do so with a beer that I wanted cloudy. I appreciate you're trying to help me out, though.

Wow... I've got nothing then. Can you post a picture?


Adam

biertourist said:

Wow... I've got nothing then. Can you post a picture?

Adam

Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay. Here is a pic. Any ideas?

Looks like yeast floaters.

You can try and see if after a few weeks it settles to bottom of keg! Just don't move that keg again or it will mix it all up and you'll have to wait for it to settle again.
Does it taste bitter?

I've always let it settle in be glass and just drink it calmly leave the junk at the bottom!

reuliss said:

I just kegged my first Hefeweizen. Color and opacity seem spot on, but I can't seem to get rid of what appear to be large chunks of floating yeast. I'm not talking about cloudiness here. Definitely chunks.

I actually remember accidentially syphoning some of the chunks off of the yeast cake, which was a lot looser than other yeast cakes from the other beers I've done. I'm not sure if the loose yeast cake is a signature of the Hef yeast, but, in any event, does anyone know what the deal is with these "floaties" and whether I can expect them to go away? Very unappealing to look at.

For whatever it's worth, I used White Labs WLP 351 Bavarian Weizen Yeast.

Click to expand...

How long did the beer ferment before you kegged it?

Fermented for about 14 days.

reuliss said:

Fermented for about 14 days.

Click to expand...

Hmm... I used this yeast last year and wasn't much of a fan. That being said, my finished beer did not have the same result and after checking, it fermented for 21 days. Now that you've kegged it, maybe you can let it set for a week or so and then draw off the yeast. If I remember correctly, after 2 or 3 beers, it cleared up.

I just had some craft beer with that problem, but I think it was because the bottles were shaken up at an angle. I thought I did a poor job pouring the beer, but I was very cautious on the second bottle, and still had the same issue, maybe I should of waited a week before drinking for the yeast to settle agian.

Wait a week, and keep checking is the only advice I can give you.

You just have yeast in your keg.

Like other posters have said. Let it settle for a while, then just pull off 1/2 a cup of beer -you'll get the majority of the yeast at the beginning. Then let it sit another 12 hours and pull off another 1/2 cup of beer and this should get the overwhelming majority of the yeast.

The alternative is to siphon from the keg to another keg carefully and then recarbonate in keg #2.
Especially in a beer with a low flocculating yeast strain like a hefe strain, the cold temps of kegging can make the yeast finally drop but then you end up with yeast chunks like this on the first couple pours.

Adam

Okay, lesson learned: Patience, young Jedi. Looks better, and tastes great. No more phenols, and yeast flocs all gone.