Yeast Flocculation

[Newtobrewing85]

Hey, I had a couple questions.

So I’m brewing an IPA with late addition and dry hops. Long story short, bad brew day, couldn’t strain the last minute full cone hops. The fermentation was a monster and has slowed down to pretty much nothing now 9 days later.

But the hops seem to be holding up the yeast on the top of the beer, at least that’s my assumption. They’re floating directly below the krausen. I have a catalyst fermenter so I bottle from the bottom so i could still bottle with it on top. Is this just a case of the yeast being stuck or could it really not be finished? I planned on bottling this weekend after 14 days. I’m very new so I just don’t know if it’s an issue or anything.

 

[VikeMan]

Is this just a case of the yeast being stuck or could it really not be finished? I planned on bottling this weekend after 14 days.

Take two gravity readings, 2-3 days apart. If they are the same and about what you were expecting, then attenuation is finished.

 

[DuncB]

Could give the fermenter a gentle swirl by rocking it around and that can make the hops and yeast start to drop. The hops will have a bit of diastatic enzyme activity so can break down some of the big sugars and refeed the yeast hence making them buoyant and why some beers overcarb if hops get into the bottles as hop haze.
But as vikeman says if the gravity is stable time to bottle is nigh.

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Take two gravity readings, 2-3 days apart. If they are the same and about what you were expecting, then attenuation is finished.

Thanks, yeah I need to start doing this. I have the catalyst so taking samples is kind of impossible without opening it up which I try to avoid so for my first few brews I’ve just waited the 2 weeks and bottled. They have a valve you can add for this which I’ll likely do.

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Could give the fermenter a gentle swirl by rocking it around and that can make the hops and yeast start to drop. The hops will have a bit of diastatic enzyme activity so can break down some of the big sugars and refeed the yeast hence making them buoyant and why some beers overcarb if hops get into the bottles as hop haze.
But as vikeman says if the gravity is stable time to bottle is nigh.

Yikes I want to avoid that. The tap is a good idea, thanks!

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Could give the fermenter a gentle swirl by rocking it around and that can make the hops and yeast start to drop. The hops will have a bit of diastatic enzyme activity so can break down some of the big sugars and refeed the yeast hence making them buoyant and why some beers overcarb if hops get into the bottles as hop haze.
But as vikeman says if the gravity is stable time to bottle is nigh.

Good call. A little tapping and most of the yeast just fell out. Some of the hops are still floating up top but it cleared it up quite a bit.

 

[DuncB]

Great news, might find that those floating hops start to sink as well.