Yeast Harvesting - Which layer is what?

Can anyone tell me what layer is what in the following picture? I've seen this a few times while attempting to harvest yeast from the primary dregs. Is the top layer yeast? Should I try pouring this layer off and saving it?

Just some background, this is from an alt that has been in primary for 3 weeks but hasn't completely fermented out yet (only at about 67% attenuation with wyeast german ale 1007 fermenting at 60F). I poured the dregs into the jar and placed it in the fridge... about 8 hours later this is what it looks like.

i would think the bottom layer is the yeast though i'm not sure what the layer on top is...but don't take my word for it........

give it some more time, IMO looks like top layer is yeast waiting for a chance to get to the bottom.
-ander

Both the top and bottom layers look like yeast to me. Stick it in the fridge and see if you can't get that top layer to fall down.

I've never seen anything like that before.

There is a great sticky "Yeast washing illustrated" at the top of this section that explains how to do it, and my attempts always look like the illustrated ones.

-a.

It is not done fermenting! The yeast on top has bubbles of CO2 in it that are rising (keep the lid loose or you have a bomb!!!). Foil is better for this.

The layers are:

Yeast
Wort or beer(dark)
yeast.

The newest yeast (when fermented and settled) is always on the top of the bottom white layer. There is sometimes trub under that which I do not see which would be a darker color.

I agree, it's all yeast...

Replace the cap with foil and let sit.

looks like krausen on top, then wort, then the yeast layer.

you need to get the dark beer out of there and dilute it down with sanitized water. yeast keeps better/goes dormant in clean water.

I don't think its ALL yeast... from what I can remember there was a decent amount of cold break in this batch.

With previous attempts at harvesting I've never been able to really distinguish between trub and yeast no matter how I approach the harvesting (dilution with water, cool/settle, etc) a definitive line between trub and yeast never seems to really form. I sort of get what you see in the picture for the bottom layer which to me appears to be a mixture of both trub and yeast.

WBC said:

It is not done fermenting! The yeast on top has bubbles of CO2 in it that are rising (keep the lid loose or you have a bomb!!!). Foil is better for this.

The layers are:

Yeast
Wort or beer(dark)
yeast.

The newest yeast (when fermented and settled) is always on the top of the bottom white layer. There is sometimes trub under that which I do not see which would be a darker color.

Click to expand...

Ditto on the above mentioned.

The top layer is weast at work.
Middle is n00by alt beer.
The bottom is retired/vacationing yeast

I would let it go finish the job. It'll settle out. Loosen the cap or open it once a day to let out the CO2. Let it finish at the 60F temp it was working at though.