top flocculating yeast

[bluehouse]

Generaly speaking how long does a top flocculating yeast stay on top & do you always have to cold crash to get it to settle?

 

[moger777]

Yeast will settle given enough time. Cold crashing speeds up the process. Where cold crashing helps the most is getting chill hazing proteins to settle. I also find it helps improve the taste a bit. Don't cold crash too soon though, you want the yeast to break apart some of the off flavors in the conditioning phase.

 

[Edcculus]

Its top fermenting. Flocculation is when the yeast fall out of suspension. I usually ferment in a primary for 3-4 weeks then bottle or keg. The first week is between 65-70. Then I warm to room temp. After 4 weeks, most of the yeast has fallen out of suspension without crash cooling.

 

[bluehouse]

I am trying to be more proactive with this batch since I lost the last one due to some type of contamination. It has been in the primary almost 3 weeks and still has yeast on top. It smells & taste OK. Have only opened & checked gravity yesterday, not quite at expected finished gravity. I did move the fermentor last week as my new swamp cooler set up was ready & I wanted to get it in there.

 

[flyangler18]

What strain are you using? Some of the Belgian strains in particular will keep rafting on the surface, stubbornly refusing to drop out.

I get thick yeast 'mats' with:
WY1469 West Yorkshire
WLP036 Dusseldorf Alt
WLP400

YMMV.