Yeast Cake

I dumped my latest wort onto a fresh yeast cake the other day and wow, did that thing take off quickly, within 2 hours. I cleaned the clogged airlock once and fell asleep, when I woke up not only was the airlock empty and messy but there was a ton of yeast slurry/sludge all over the top of my fermenting bucket. I had to a blow off tube for the first time and all was well.

I was telling this story to a buddy of mine at work, with maybe a little too much excitement and he looked like I was crazy for being excited about a mess in my kitchen.

On a side note I think I may have racked the previous beer from the yeast cake. There was still minimal Krausen on top but my hydro reading was 1.012 so I thought it was close to done and I wanted to brew and use that yeast cake. In the secondary I saw what looked like small yeast colonies maybe on the surface of the beer. White circular spots floating. I am assuming its just yeast and am not to worried. But are there any advverse side affects to racking to early? OG was 1.047 so I am looking at 4.5% ABV at this point

Those little white circles are bubble clusters. They're just some residual co2, from fermentation, coming out of solution. No worries...

Those bits on the top might just be bubbles, or they might be yeast that is finishing up the fermentation. Either way, you're fine.


TL

Nice, thanks

I figured as much, but there was that nagging thought in the back of my head saying what if.

I racked this beer to a secondary this weekend and it tasted pretty good. Gravity was 1.011. Beer tasted pretty good but a little "yeasty" I am dry hopping it right now for 2 weeks in secondary.

Do you think the yeast flavor may fade as it continues to clear in secondary?