Thick sediment on top?

I recently brewed a 3 gallon batch of barley wine. When I opened my primary today for a gravity reading there was about an inch thick sediment on the top. I've never seen this before. Can anyone help me out with this.

Sounds like a krausen

krausen'd.

unionrdr said:

You mean like yeast rafts,or thick foam? Pics would help.

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Yeast rafts. Not thinking I scooped it off& racked to a secondary. I normally use a long primary but didn't think it wise to leave it like that. In hindsight I should have taken pics and consulted first.

Chingis74 said:

Sounds like a krausen

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?

unionrdr said:

Yeast rafts are fairly normal. Chunks get swirled up off the bottom sometimes during ferementation.

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Enough to create an inch thick cake across the top?

HolidayIF1488 said:

?

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Krausen....when the yeast start doing their thing, they make a sorta form on top. It's called a krausen. Almost like a protective barrier.

HolidayIF1488 said:

Enough to create an inch thick cake across the top?

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How long has it been fermenting for?

Chingis74 said:

How long has it been fermenting for?

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Pitched on 12/30/2011

Krausen

Chingis74 said:

Krausen

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Look like that?

Chingis74 said:

How long has it been fermenting for?

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Look at post #5,he further defined it as yeast rafts. I was wondering myself,however,because I've never seen them that thick. I suppose it could happen. I know what krausen is,lord knows I've blown off my share. I was just wondering at that point if the op did?...

Chingis74 said:

Look like that?

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No, dark almost black. It's the same stuff as on the bottom in chunks but in a thick layer.

unionrdr said:

Look at post #5,he further defined it as yeast rafts. I was wondering myself,however,because I've never seen them that thick. I suppose it could happen. I know what krausen is,lord knows I've blown off my share. I was just wondering at that point if the op did?...

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I was just trying to get some more info about it. Cause he later said across the whole top. And with a week and a half long in the primary, the krausen could still be present. It's a big beer, could very well still be pluggin along. Being a dark beer, could be a dark krausen.

Pics would help a lot

Here is a Pyrex with some of it left

Here's a little better photo.

unionrdr said:

Yeah,that's what I said earlier. Pics would be better. But yeast rafts I've seen have had bits of foam around them. Maybe a little of both?

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Just realized I hadn't dumped it all. Just seemed weird to me wanted some opinions. Next time I'll shoot a pic first.

The airlock stopped two days ago.

unionrdr said:

Could still just be yeast rafts. Just never seen one so beady lookin. Infections are more like a thin enzymatic film on the top of the beer. This is different than that.

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Thanks man. I guess my best description would be like soggy bran flakes on top.

HolidayIF1488 said:

View attachment 42961

Here's a little better photo.

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it's hops material dude. a li'l more time in primary and that stuff'll settle out.

FWIW, doesn't matter what the airlock said, what's the gravity at? is it stable over a few days?

NordeastBrewer77 said:

it's hops material dude. a li'l more time in primary and that stuff'll settle out.

FWIW, doesn't matter what the airlock said, what's the gravity at? is it stable over a few days?

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Thanks. The gravity [email protected] it's 1.025.