What on earth did my yeast do????

[benxrow2002]

I just came across something funky with my yeast. Up to this point I had only used dry yeast in all my beers....although this last batch I brewed up a Belgian Wit and decided to go liquid and used the smack pack. After 3 weeks in the primary (did not use a secondary) my beer basically had a Krausen of yeast cake floating on top. I double checked my FG and it was exactly where it should have been. The beer smelled great and tasted very good too. When I racked it, there was still a yeast cake at the bottom of the fermenter too, just not as thick as it usually is. Basically about 75% of the yeast cake was floating on top and only 25% fell to the bottom.

What's up with that?

 

[mrkristofo]

It's a top-cropping yeast. That's perfectly normal, and characteristic of belgian yeasts.

 

[malkore]

Wyeast 2565 Kolsch will do the same thing. not all yeasts behave the same way.

 

[Chris_Dog]

I think the consensus is to wait until the Krausen falls before racking. With the Kolsch I brewed this didn't happen until I lowered the temp for lagering.

 

[malkore]

the consensus is don't rack out of primary until the terminal gravity has been reached (or within a couple points)

premature racking can easily stall fermentation, leading to off flavors, as well as too much diacetyl (not enough yeast cake left to clean up the buttery flavors)