Mold? Yeast? (with photo)

[Clintron3000]

So I'm in week 1 in the secondary after only a week in the primary and I've got some stuff floating. (the clumpy stuff next to the dry-hop muslin)

It SEEMS like it could be yeast, but I'm not sure if yeast sediment floats ever ( You know, since it's sediment ) I'm thinking I may have moved to the secondary too soon and since I primary ferment in an ale-pail, I never see what primary fermenting looks like.

I used a thief and did a taste, and a smell test of the beer and everything seems fine there, but there sure is a lot of this stuff... although I couldn't manage to capture any of it in the theif to see what it was.

See photo. Any thoughts?

IMG_5062 by duckbuster_13, on Flickr

 

[Daybis]

Looks like yeast clumping together in my opinion.

 

[smizak]

Looks like yeast. That beer looks done anyway, if you're worried about it, rack from under that stuff in case it grows and bottle/keg it now

 

[Clintron3000]

Yeah, I was thinking it was probably yeast. It's my third batch...I just have never seen it before.

What makes you say "it looks done?"

The OG was 1.75 and it's only been 1 week in the primary and 1 in the secondary.
It certainly TASTED done'ish... but could use a little more body. Besides, I am dry hopping and want at least 14 days contact.

Anyway, I jostled the carboy around and the yeast sank. I bet some CO2 bubbles just caught hold of the chunks and took em for a ride.

 

[smizak]

What makes you say "it looks done?"

The OG was 1.75 and it's only been 1 week in the primary and 1 in the secondary.
It certainly TASTED done'ish... but could use a little more body. Besides, I am dry hopping and want at least 14 days contact.

IMO, and a lot of pro brewers as well, 5-7 days is plenty of contact time for dry hopping. Too much and you can risk vegetal flavors and aromas, think grassy, although I've never experienced that myself. That beer looks nice and clear too, if the yeast have flocculated and you have an FG that is where you expect it to be, it's done. Especially if you want to experience those fresh dry hop aromas you're going for, those are fleeting, and a hoppy beer is best drunk fresh.

The body you're missing will probably be provided by carbonation when it gets there.

 

[3PegBrew]

Unanimous! It's a clump of yeast pushed to the side by the bag of stuff you have in there.

 

[Clintron3000]

Sweet. Thanks all!

 

[Daybis]

I think this is actually the second photo I've seen of "clumping" yeast this week.