Very unusual yeast layer on top of fermenting wort

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

Never seen this in my 50+ years of brewing. A yeast pancake 10 mm thick on top of the fermenting wort, light cream in colour. Similar to what I usually see at the bottom, after bottling. Beer is all grain BIAB SMASH 3.8%, yeast was SO4 but it seemed a bit slow so I added a sachet of a different yeast. I removed most of this pancake and stirred in any remaining. I await further questions.

 

[mashdar]

Was it creamy or rubbery? Frothy with bubbles?

Anything different re protein/break in fermenter?

I'd just let it do its thing and taste at the end. Messing with it can only hurt.

 

[An Ankoù]

I think you should have left it. Verdant IPA makes a head like this and it stays on the surface. I've racked clear beer from underneath the yeast head!
What yeast were you using?

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

Mashdar - rubbery - very few bubbles. Nothing different in my brewing method. Will try to photograph it later. The smell / aroma when I take the lid off is "lovely". Second yeast added was Lallemmand premium ale yeast. Hop was nelson sauvin T90 pellets. This is 6 days from yeast pitch. Original SO4 was very close to use by date. thanks.

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

An Ankou - see my last post. Thanks for info. I intend to remove this "head" in a day or two.

 

[An Ankoù]

An Ankou - see my last post. Thanks for info. I intend to remove this "head" in a day or two.

Hmm. Never had a head like that using S-04. We live in interesting times. But if it smells "lovely" then it's very likely to be OK, I reckon.

 

[mashdar]

Still probably just strange yeast/protein mix.

How slow is slow on the S-04? E.g. week with no activity?

Probably just see how it turns out. (And let us know!)

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

AnAnkou - see post #4 for second yeast added

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

Mashdar - virtually no activity 48 hours after pitching SO4 - that is why I added a different yeast

 

[hotbeer]

If I understand what you are describing, I've had that before. I tilted the FV back and forth to get the beer swirling and worked it back in. I probably didn't need to do anything at all. It was already 3 or 4 days after pitch and the beer likely was fully fermented. Though perhaps getting that stuff off the top and to the bottom helped with raking the clean stuff out of the middle two weeks later at bottling time.

I'm always surprised that so many seem to want to do other things like add more yeast when things don't appear as they are use to seeing normally. I'd want to find out if it was really a problem or not, So I'd just stay the course. That way I'll know better if what I saw was a problem the next time it happens.

Now you won't know if the extra yeast you threw at it helped it if the beer turns out good. Or ruined it if the beer turns out bad.

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

hotbeer - I break nearly all the rules anyway - the smell alone "lovely" gives me optimism - the original yeast was close to its use before date - and when it seemed to be doing nothing after 48 hours I decided to add an other use that was well within date.

 

[mashdar]

FWIW dry yeast is probably good 10 years after it's "best by" date if treated well (i.e
not stored in a hot garage or something).

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

Mashdar - I store it at 6 deg C in my second fridge - and hydrate in bottled water with brewing sugar, vit C and nutrient....

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

update for you good folks - 2 pics - the dark spots are actually the beer under the yeast.

 

[wstumper]

Looks like my starter mix (non-sourdough) for bread baking after reviving from being in the fridge!

 

[IAmPistolPete]

Just curious - what was your mash bill? Could it be an ingredient contributing to a very fine krausen or particulate layer?
TBH it looks exactly like my rum washes in the first 48hrs!!

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

10.5 lb crushed PM, 0.75 lb torrified wheat plus .75 lb of very fine crush PM in 32 litres water ending up with 22 litres of wort.

 

[mashdar]

I don't know why it would float like that, but that sure looks like regular beer yeast to me. Sometimes it does weird stuff. I wouldn't worry unless it tastes/smells bad.