WLP001 won't floc out (pic)

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AgingHopster

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I'm sort of perplexed. Maybe someone here can shed some light.

So these two carboys are the same beer (Blonde Ale: OG 1.052 80% 2-row 20% Flaked Corn) all done at one time with a keggle system. I chilled and split the wort into these 2 carboys and pitched yeast at the same time with two different yeasts. The one on the left appears darker because it's all cleared out (WLP039 East Midlands). In fact it's almost perfectly clear already. The one on the middle-right was done with WLP001 California Ale and it won't fall out. The WLP001 looks just like the Hefe on the far right. Yeast was pitched using a 1L starter both made with the same wort using a fresh viles on 1-6-13 and they have both been sitting in the same spot @ 68F since then. WLP039 was done and cleared in less than a week, as does WLP001 usually but this time it doesn't seem to be clearing. I understand that different yeasts make different beers but WLP001 is usually done by now. I'm gonna try to rack and crash but I normally don't see this in WLP001. Anyone know what might be causing this?

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No idea. Could be a better attenuation, could be a hefe yeast pirate invasion... who knows.

Just be sure the fermentation is indeed finished (verified by gravity readings) and then cold crash it. No matter the yeast I choose, cold crashing always seems to do the trick to get them settled out.
 
That is perplexing. If it was water washed yeast that would make sense. The process selects the low flocculators. Maybe it's the temperature? 68 seems a little warm for yeast to settle well. What temperature do you normally ferment at?
 
That is perplexing. If it was water washed yeast that would make sense. The process selects the low flocculators. Maybe it's the temperature? 68 seems a little warm for yeast to settle well. What temperature do you normally ferment at?

Between 67 and 72. I'm going straight to keg with the WLP039, it finished at 1.005, already tasting like it's aged a month, with no off flavors to speak of. Drinking a glass of it now, it's lovely. The WLP001, as I almost expected already, isn't finished (1.028). I just don't know why it seems to have pooped out. I may whip up a small WLP001 starter with some fresh yeast and throw it in there. I did that to a stuck fermentation on a Belgian Dubbel and it turned out my favorite beer to date.
 
I racked a week ago and a bunch of yeast finally fell out. Still cloudy, about to take an SG reading. Sure is taking it's time.
 
Try 007 next time. I did a split batch between 001 and 007 and had the same results plus better attenuation with 007.
 
Every batch I've used wlp001 has ended close to 1.018 with OGs ranging from 1.063 to 1.087. I typically mash at 150. One batch I mashed at 140 and used some some beet sugar I got near total attenuation. So I guess California needs lower mash temps to become dryer. As for the floculation, I cold crash my lighter beers and it drops out pretty well
 
UPDATE: Ok, it's been three weeks since I racked. In secondary, a very clean, almost white layer of yeast fell out and formed a new yeast "cake", but still the beer remained cloudy, very cloudy (OG 1.052, racked @ 1.030 , current SG 1.010), still not done. So, I racked it again and since the yeast in the secondary was so clean and very highly floculated, I decided to wash it out with some sterile water and through it in the fridge to see if it falls out and to examine it some more.

Here is a pic of the same three beers in the original pic in the same orientation from left to right as in the original pic above. The left shows the WLP039 Midlands East after no rinsing, straight from the primary very clear. On the right is the WLP300 hefe straight from primary and even it, is almost clear. Now in the middle is the WLP001 Cali-Ale after a 40 day primary, 20 day secondary and after being rinsed once with clear water and as you can see it's very light colored white almost looks like milk and still won't fall out even after 2 days in the fridge.

This has got me wanting to go out and buy a microscope just so I can see whats going on here.

Starting to think it's an infection of some sort. The beers tastes OK but very different from the other half of the batch fermented with WLP090 Midlands East, which already tastes like it may end up being my go-to yeast for pale ales, ESB and even IPAs. I really like it so far. The real test will be in a couple weeks when we're drinking it.

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