Liquidy/soft yeast cake - bottling

[cjteteak]

When racking to my bottling bucket yesterday I noticed my yeast cake at the bottom was fairly runny (like oatmeal) and not as hard/compact as I see in all the videos/pictures. So when I was siphoning I had a really hard time trying to keep a clear flow and wasn't able to siphon off the last half gallon as it had become quite cloudy at that point. I always see people letting the cane sit right on the top of the cake like it's hard enough to support it, but mine would've sunk right in.

It was a white labs California Ale Yeast, fermented for 2 weeks and I moved it up to the counter for the last 3 days (so it wasn't disturbed on bottling day).

Any thoughts on why this was? or ideas on how to work around this problem so I don't have to waste 4 pints of beer on bottling day THANKS!

 

[onipar]

My first brew had a soft/runny yeast cake too. I think those harder ones might have something to do with the time and temperature. I also bottled my first brew at 2 weeks. Maybe these more compact cakes are due to a 3 or more week primary and a slightly colder temp? Just a guess.

Still, even with the soft yeast cake at the bottom, as long as you don't move the racking cane around too much or shift the bucket much, it should stay fairly clear. I was able to get most of the beer except the last bit.

 

[geneb]

My cakes are always soft.. Even when I wait 4 weeks before bottling. I don't worry too much about it.. Anything that gets into the bottle falls out to the bottom anyway.

 

[cjteteak]

So don't worry about getting some cloudiness in the bottling bucket and go ahead and suck up those last few pints and then when it comes to cracking the beers open just pour carefully?

 

[onipar]

So don't worry about getting some cloudiness in the bottling bucket and go ahead and suck up those last few pints and then when it comes to cracking the beers open just pour carefully?

In my experience if you bottle condition long enough and chill long enough, the yeast at the bottom of the bottle stay there pretty well. So yeah, it'll mostly settle out, but it's good to try and avoid as much as possible while racking.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

All ya need is a racking cane clip to clip the cane to the bucket lip. Lower the cane onto the top of the trub layer. If ya just set it in there with nothing to hold it in place it'll just sink into the trub.
An

Also, IMO and that of some others, two weeks in primary isn't long enuff to ferment an ale, much less leave you with clear beer. Could be why your beer was still cloudy on bottling day. I personally wait until not only have I reached FG, but until my beer falls completely clear before bottling/kegging or racking into secondary.