Not settling in the fermentor?

[reilersjr]

I've done some searching and just can't find a good answer:

2nd batch. Hiphopopotamus IPA with an OG of 1.062. The anticipated FG is 1.015. I took a measurement 3 days ago and yesterday and both were 1.013 so I *think* fermentation is complete.

However,

When I take a sample from the conical, it's still really cloudy and has some hops floating around. I leave it setting on the counter at room temp overnight and everything falls out of suspension to the bottom of the hydrometor tube. The resulting beer is beautifully clear! As a test, I put some of the same sample in the fridge over night and it is still cloudy. I've also noticed that the temperature has risen again up to 73F from 70F. That would indicate to me that it's still active... But my gravity readings say otherwise.

Why are the hop particles and yeast not falling out while in the conical? This is day 21.

Thanks for any help/advice,
Rick

 

[dwhite60]

My thoughts?

I'd put it in a secondary. Getting it off the yeast in the primary should
help the suspended yeast settle. The yeast are still working to a degree
so those bubbles rising to the surface are going to cause turbulence
keeping the yeast stirred up to some degree.

I just bottled a stout which is leaving more yeast in the bottom of the
bottles than I would like. Next time I'll put it in a secondary to let
more yeast settle before I bottle it. Any risk of getting an infection
using a secondary is minimal if everything is kept clean

All the Best,
D. White

 

[Rockn_M]

I'd wait a few more days and test gravity. If it's still 1.013 then it's done, if the gravity decreases let it ferment a while longer.

If you can cold crash for a few days that will help with any items in suspension.

 

[d3track]

Hop oils can make a beer cloudy and are less likely to clear

 

[Gavin C]

21 days 1.013 and stable it's done

Clear sample warm and cloudy when cold sounds like chill haze. With and IPA some hop haze is acceptable as per style. Chill haze is a separate entity.

If you have the ability to cold crash it I would. Get it cold for a few days and add gelatin fining. This cooling will allow it to clear faster. You may lose some of the dry hopping effects. I don't know. The gelatin may help reduce chill haze. I cold crash my dry hopped beers as I want as good clarity as i can.

If no ability to cold crash I would proceed to bottling/keg at this stage

It is very possible that you have more trub than anticipated and your conical's spigot is sitting in trub. This would also lead to misleadingly cloudy samples.

 

[reilersjr]

Thanks for all the replies... I don't think it's chill haze as the glass that I have sitting in the fridge has cleared, but yeast is clinging to the sides of the glass. I think what I will do is rack it off to my old fermenting bucket and let it sit for a couple of days and then rack again to my keg and throw it in the kegerator with CO2. I'm thinking next time I brew this beer I'm going to remember to do a trub dump after about an hour of settling time in the fermentor before pitching yeast. Then maybe another dump a few days later.