Yeast Raft Question

[Smashing]

Pretty sure these are just rafts(s-05 after 4 weeks in the primary)....

My question is how do you deal with them? They seem to be floating at all different levels and I picked up some during racking. Will the ones I picked up fall out in the keg when I chill it or should I plan on transferring to a second keg before serving? For what it's worth - the yeast cake was very loose and easy to disturb too. FG was 1.08 so everyone was done playing in the pool.

 

[Revvy]

They just float on the surface as the beer is being racked, and they get left behind on top of the trub.

 

[Malintent]

I find that the process of racking to a secondary causes the rafts to wick to the sides of the primary.. .and I never get any in secondary. One good trick is to suspend the racking cane an inch above the yeast cake to prevent sucking any up. Just before sucking air, tilt the fermentor and move the cane into the middle of the pool of beer to get that last bit without TOO MUCH yeast.

You're going to get some in there. Also, there is a large amount of yeast in suspension, still working, regardless of measured FG. That yeast will continue to flocculate out and end up at the bottom of your secondary. After chilling, even more will end up at the bottom of the keg.

If this is a problem for you, then consider a beer filter.

 

[Smashing]

Thanks. It just seemed like I was sucking up more into the keg than usual. I put a hop bag over the racking cane for the second fermentor and it kept the bigger floaties at bay. I don't use a secondary and a perfectly clear beer is not my goal. I just seemed to have more in suspension than normal.