Odd yeast flocculation

[TNJake]

I have a patersbier in the fermenter currently and it seems healthy but it looks odd enough that I am curious. The yeast dancing around has started to clump but it still circulating. So there are corn flake looking chunks about the size of a thumb churning around. The trub on the bottom is the same and not compacted at all. Again, I'm not really worried, more just curious.

I have made this same recipe before and I loved it, the only change was doing a starter and using whirlfloc.
Yeast is 3787, which I use often.
Thoughts?

 

[IslandLizard]

How big is that batch? How long ago did you pitch the yeast and how much?

What you're describing is what we often see when making yeast starters, with heavy flocculation when yeast density goes past a certain point.

 

[TNJake]

5 gal. 1 smack pack in 1.3L starter (I had a little more DME so it calculated to 1.3L.) Brewed 2 days ago

 

[IslandLizard]

5 gal. 1 smack pack in 1.3L starter (I had a little more DME so it calculated to 1.3L.) Brewed 2 days ago

That's a decent volume for a yeast starter. 2 liter is even better, you can save some out for next time.
In a 5 gallon batch you surely don't have excessive cell density, in a 1 gallon batch you might.

I've used that yeast, never seen it do anything like that in a batch, but it does clump somewhat and precipitate in starters. Not sure why it's clumping like that. You sure it's the yeast clumping, not trub floating up?

Whirlfloc does not cause yeast clumping, AFAIK. It clumps/coagulate the hot and cold break in the kettle.