Weird looking yeast cake (I know, RDWHAH)

[29thfloor]

I recently made a batch of Graff with Nottingham yeast and the yeast cake looks really weird. I'm not so much worried as much as just curious what might cause this. It has almost a cellular structure to it, almost like you're looking at something with a microscope.

The only clear shot I could get was top down through the mouth of the carboy so that's what's our of focus around the edges.

It's like all these little cells formed around the dark spots... not sure what they are. Maybe just because there was a lot less break material? The graff recipe is basically 1 gallon of wort and 4 gallons apple juice.

This is my first graff so I'm not exactly sure what it's supposed to taste like but nothing seems off to me. It just looks really weird. Or have i just not been paying attention and every yeast cake does this?

 

[runningweird]

the dark spots look like exit holes for late fermentation co2 degassing. kind of like little geysers that build up over time - only the build up is krausen and not minerals.

or they could be tadpoles. probably tadpoles.

I'm sure its fine. stop opening it and sticking cameras into it. Graff is shy and needs its privacy.

 

[TheBrewAbides]

You have banana slices in your yeast cake, bro.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]or they could be tadpoles. probably tadpoles.
[...]

Best chuckle of the evening. Thanks for that

Cheers!

 

[DMartin]

I had that too! The last beer I brewed was me and my brother (getting him introduced to the hobby) brewing up a Cream Ale kit with Nottingham. I had only ever used Coopers ale yeast for beers so I figured that it was just an attribute of the new yeast.

 

[apratsunrthd]

Looks great to me! Let them beasts work!

 

[Teacher]

Dude, you have a baby flounder lurking down there.

 

[cscade]

Dude, you have a baby flounder lurking down there.

You totally do. And this isn't like seeing Jesus in some toast or anything. That's a fish. For sure.

 

[lou2row]

Dude, you have a baby flounder lurking down there.

Thank you. I was going to say a dead goldfish or a leaf, but flounder works.

 

[Wvbrewer77]

I have seen weird stuff in the bottom of my fermenting bucket too.

 

[29thfloor]

Haha thanks for the responses... I guess I should have said I only opened it once. To rack to the bottling bucket. This the yeast cake left over not the kreusen. I think you're right though. They're starting to sprout legs so it's probably tadpoles.

 

[runningweird]

I win.