Skim the yeast? - conflicting advice

[jhundt]

Hey everyone - I'm a total beginner green-horn noobie. I'm busy making my second batch (the first is bottled but not yet tasted). I am confused by conflicting advice regarding the skimming of the yeast on top of the wort in my bucket.

I am using the most basic of beginners' kits, where all ingredients are mixed in a paste requiring hot water, but not even a boil. (Black Rock New Zealand Bitter followed by Black Rock Nut Brown Ale)

The manufacturer's directions don't mention skimming. They imply "put it in the bucket and leave it". I have read similar advice here on the forum.

The Dutch instructions (prepared by the local brew-shop owner) say that I should carefully skim any 'stuff' off the top, and that I should stir the mixture every day.

In a BYO article on Real Ale (my ultimate goal) I read:

...an important step in the brewing process is often skipped by homebrewers: skimming the yeast. “Every English brewer removes yeast from the top of the fermenting beer." ...

so what do you think I should do?

 

[IXVolt]

so what do you think I should do?

Leave it alone, and do some reading around the board. I would highly suggest any sticky topic as priorities.

here's a good place to start

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/beginner-extract-brewing-howto-99139/

Followed by:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/why-kit-instructions-so-horrible-99070/

 

[homebrewer_99]

Like a scab...leave it alone.

 

[jhundt]

thanks guys

I know what you mean about reading around on the board, but it is overwhelming! I did a forum search with the terms "skim yeast" and it turned up 20 pages or so... then I started reading and following links and before you know it I forgot what I was looking for - though I learned a lot in the process.

and homebrewer 99: with over 15,000 posts to your name, I must have seen a few of them today during my search! Looks like this board has some truly dedicated contributors, and I hope to learn as much as I can from you all.

 

[Revvy]

Skimming is one of those oldschool ideas that came from a time when brewers were scared of their yeast. They believed that prolonged yeast contact was a bad thing- it contributed to things like the big homebrew Bogeyman, autolysis.

There's been a big shift in brewing consciousness in the last few years where many of us believe that yeast is a good thing, and besides just fermenting the beer, that they are fastidious creatures who go back and clean up any by products created by themselves during fermentation, which may lead to off flavors.

Rather than the yeast being the cause of off flavors, it is now looked at by many of us, that they will if left alone actually remove those off flavors, and make for clearer and cleaner tasting beers.

Leaving the yeast alone, and letting the krausen fall through will act like a filter as it sinks, pulling down any proteins and other off flavor causes.

That's why also many of us leave out beers on the yeast cake for 3-4 weeks, and skip secondaries. To let the yeast do their thing.

So it's not really conflicting, like so much of brewing you will find people believing and practicing things they read in books, while others are brewing based on information that is more current. This is an ever evolving hobby, and information and ideas change. And now with places like this with a huuge amount of dedicated and serious brewers, as well as all the podcasts online, you will find the most state of the art brewing info.

But it's never really a "conflict" or a "VS" thing (I hate -vs- threads) the "old ways" like skimming or racking will produce beer just as good for those who choose to utilize those methods, as those who don't.

There's just many ways to skin any brewing "cat."

 

[homebrewer_99]

thanks guys

I know what you mean about reading around on the board, but it is overwhelming! I did a forum search with the terms "skim yeast" and it turned up 20 pages or so... then I started reading and following links and before you know it I forgot what I was looking for - though I learned a lot in the process.

and homebrewer 99: with over 15,000 posts to your name, I must have seen a few of them today during my search! Looks like this board has some truly dedicated contributors, and I hope to learn as much as I can from you all.

I try to give the best advice I can (as I know it), but sometimes all that comes out are jokes and sarcasm...

I've been to Schipol many times, but never made it in to town. Been to Maastricht though...
As Revvy told me once: it's quality, not quantity...

 

[mkory]

Lol... brewing cat.