My Yeast Are Climbing the Walls!

[hylander0]

Well, not really Climbing but they are clinging to the side of my carboy. I have had this happen before long the ribs of the carboy. I read somewhere is was due to static electricity. I recently started using a 2" foam board temp controlled fermentation chamber.

This picture shows fermentation nearing complete.


Thoughts as to why this happens?

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

wow, thats intersting...sub

 

[cannman]

I've had something similar happen in two cases but I can't guarantee this is your situation:

1) If I add hop oil, this tends to happen. The oil may be suspending yeast... but usually only if bottle conditioned

2) The yeast you have has been selected for suspension. This may happen several ways *not inclusive*
a) If the yeast was reused or restarted or repitched, yeast that had the genetic variation to not flocculate was the majority of healthy cells and you have propagated that variation and hence result.
b) If the yeast came right from the brewshop, I'd check expiration dates and question storage conditions as clearly, the yeast that were selected for are poor flocculating yeast (see 2a above).

I don't know about static...

In my experience, this yeast will never flocculate or drop out. You'll need to filter this beer if you want it clear, other wise, drink up. You should be okay. But let us know how it looks after a week or two of conditioning.

BTW - if you do NOT want this yeast activity in the future, do not harvest this yeast or repitch. Good luck!

 

[hylander0]

That is interesting cannman. To give the back story, this is an Irish Red with WLP013. This is one 1/2 of a 10 gallon batch (other 5g was in a white bucket). I stepped up a single vial using a starter in one vessel. 1.2 L then second step 2.7 L. I tried to split it evenly between the two but based on the FG and fermentation times the glass carboy was under pitched. Might not have something to do with the behavior but figured I would add it.

The static electricity thought I read here: What causes yeast to cling to the side of the carboy like this?

Thanks for the advise. I definitely wouldn't be saving this yeast.

 

[hylander0]

Also I will add that the yeast is not suspended it clinging to the walls. A couple movements of the carboy after this picture was taken and all of the yeast settle out to the bottom.

 

[cannman]

That is interesting cannman. To give the back story, this is an Irish Red with WLP013. This is one 1/2 of a 10 gallon batch (other 5g was in a white bucket). I stepped up a single vial using a starter in one vessel. 1.2 L then second step 2.7 L. I tried to split it evenly between the two but based on the FG and fermentation times the glass carboy was under pitched. Might not have something to do with the behavior but figured I would add it.

The static electricity thought I read here: What causes yeast to cling to the side of the carboy like this?

Thanks for the advise. I definitely wouldn't be saving this yeast.

Ah! I wish that happened to my beer that time. No matter what I did, it stuck to the edges. I'm now wondering about the electro static properties of glass, causes, and resolutions...

I wonder if that room you're in is not properly grounded... Hmmm

 

[EPbrew]

I had this happen recently but with a spontaneous fermented brew in a smooth sided 1 gallon growler.

 

[cannman]

I had this happen recently but with a spontaneous fermented brew in a smooth sided 1 gallon growler.

Wild yeast behaving badly?

 

[giraffe]

Ive had this happen to a lesser extent with some strains of lager yeast. The krausen falls... to the sides of the fermenter half way down. They eventually fall out when I lower the temp after the d-rest. I never seen it on an ale yeast.

 

[hylander0]

Wild yeast behaving badly?

Wild Yeast doing what wild yeast does

 

[hylander0]

I wonder if that room you're in is not properly grounded... Hmmm

Ha!

Polystyrene fermentation box definitely isn't grounded.

 

[cannman]

Ha!

Polystyrene fermentation box definitely isn't grounded.

I was thinking more like your environment, like your HOUSE?



edit:

just because you have 3 prongs on each plug doesn't mean it's properly wired. The only way to conclude is to test each outlet.

 

[Ben58]

Zombie Yeast! They are going for sugars...