Weird yeast cake with rye malt

[rmr9]

I just kegged up a rye lager last night - 80% barke pils 20% weyermann rye malt, omega Bayern yeast. This is the second batch with this yeast, harvested from a helles.

When I swirled the yeast cake around to harvest I noticed it had a different “texture” than the last time I did the same. Almost chunky? One big like clump was in it as well - reminded me of like tan fruit leather perhaps. The wort was definitely more goopy, definitely plugged my ball valve on my Brewzilla when I transferred to fermenter.

I’m sure this is due to the protein and glucans in the rye malt, but I’m curious if anyone has encountered similar. I’m skittish about contamination so I’m debating on saving the jars of yeast or not.

 

[rmr9]

The clogged ball valve resulted in me having to dump the Brewzilla into the fermenter towards the end, so lots of kettle trub went in.

 

[hottpeper13]

If I'm repitching I take care not to get too much trub carryover. Can't say if the rye was an issue. I either use it as one would use wheat malt, 1 lb in a 5 gal batch for head. I find the rye gives a creamer feel. The other is at 30%+ and then I do a 104* dough in for a beta glucan rest of 30 min. I do this also for my raw wheat beers, the bag drains so nicely.

 

[rmr9]

Yeah I think some different approaches will be necessary in the future. Never plugged my ball valve before and never saw such goop in a wort!

 

[WestMichBrewer]

I've brewed with rye when doing small batch brew in bag batches. It was harder to sparge because it produced some goopy, mucus-like stuff that gummed up the works. Wouldn't surprise me if it left goop in the fermenter too.

 

[sibelman]

Y'all make rye sound so appealing

 

[rmr9]

Y'all make rye sound so appealing

Ha! When put like that you’re right…sounds gross! I think it tastes good though - at least the commercial rye beers I’ve had. Hopefully my rye lager turns out tasty as well.

 

[Dland]

I'm pretty sure the clogged valve is due to trub & dead yeast. Glucans in rye malt can clog the grist, making sparge stuck or slow (f you don't use rice hulls), but the wort produced from it is as liquid as any other.

 

[rmr9]

I'm pretty sure the clogged valve is due to trub & dead yeast. Glucans in rye malt can clog the grist, making sparge stuck or slow (f you don't use rice hulls), but the wort produced from it is as liquid as any other.

Interestingly the trub/goop/protein clogged the valve on my all in one unit not the fermenter. I was concerned about the same in my fermenter so I gave it a nice long cold crash after my d-rest and kegging went smoothly.

The oval fruit leather looking thing was definitely a surprise when I collected the yeast. Never saw that before this batch

 

[jerrylotto]

SCOBY?

 

[rmr9]

SCOBY?

I really hope not! It doesn’t look or feel like a scoby from the couple times I tried making kombucha a few years back. It was like solid and didn’t break apart when I put it under the tap while washing my gear.