Large Floating Trub/Yeast-Cake?

[andy6026]

*Update with pic Below***

I have a low gravity session IPA (3.5% ABV) in primary right now. It's been in there for 2 weeks. I used re-hydrated US-05 and it's been fermenting between 66-68 for the entire 2 weeks. I haven't yet taken an FG reading.

I opened the lid last night to add hops for dry hopping and was surprised to see that the Krausen hadn't sunk yet, but instead formed a large cake the circumference of the bucket, completely covering the liquid below. On closer inspection, it was very firm to the touch such that the hop pellets didn't sink right through them but rather rested on top with a bit of a plunk.

Being very curious, I jabbed it with my finger. It appears to be about 3/4" thick and quite firm to the touch. I tore it open a bit to allow the hop pellets to connect with the liquid beer. I assume there's more trub on the bottom of the fermenter, but i don't know for sure - this could be all there is, as it's about the amount I'd expect from this size of a batch.

It smells normal. I detect no signs of infection.

Has anyone had this happen before? I doubt it's an infection... but could it be?

 

[unionrdr]

Sounds like the yeast & trub got loosened from the bottom by the swirling action of fermentation. It happens sometimes.

 

[Homercidal]

Ale yeast ferment more at the top of the fermentor and can sometimes form a large enough cake that it dries up a bit and floats. You can safely scoop it out with a sanitized spoon and dry hop as normal.

 

[kombat]

I've had US-05 do that to me before, but stop touching your beer! You'll contaminate it!

I've found that cold-crashing will cause it to sink to the bottom and expose the surface of your beer.

 

[Homercidal]

I've had US-05 do that to me before, but stop touching your beer! You'll contaminate it!

I've found that cold-crashing will cause it to sink to the bottom and expose the surface of your beer.

Meh. It's fine if he is sanitary. My mom always told me to stop touching it too, but I'm fine after all of these years.

Now, there is the small factor of oxygenation to consider. I'd be more concerned about that. But if he is adding hops they might carry more O2 than messing with the crust.

 

[andy6026]

Haha, yes - i know touching it is a bad idea, but I couldnt resist. Now I'm seeing a little funny.

 

[Homercidal]

Name it, "You'll Go Blind Ale".

 

[andy6026]

***Thread Update***

It is now bottling day - or it's supposed to be. I openned the fermenter and saw that the large yeast cake is still on top, along with some of the hop pellet soupiness that I added before. I can't smell any signs if infection. I poked it with my finger again, haha, couldn't resist - it's lost its firmness and is now soft to the touch - soupy.

The gravity is reading... 1.007. It's been fermenting since Nov. 16. OG was 1.038.

I'm going to rack this to a carboy and then into a bottling bucket in order to avoid getting the messiness into the bottles. Unless anyone suggests a better plan?

 

[andy6026]

I just finished racking to a carboy. 3/4s of the way through I could see a lot of yeast going through the tube. I had to stop with a gallon left at the bottom of the fermenter - all trub and yeast. I'm not going to bottle this today. I'll cold crash the carboy overnight and bottle it tomorrow. I wish there wasn't so much head space in the carboy... but what's a brewer to do?

 

[Suicid]

Cold crash, it helps.

 

[andy6026]

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if there's an infection. A gallon of trub seems very excessive, having pitched 1 pack of rehydrated dry yeast into 5 gallons of wort.

Thoughts?

 

[saltshaker30]

I posted the same thing yesterday. Always use 05 and never had the clump as I do in the batch. 6 in a row had no rafts at all. This one is clumped..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/extremely-large-yeast-raft-infection-507356/

 

[unionrdr]

It's not an infection. Just a big, heavy krausen.