Excessive cold break in fermenter

[thinwight]

I've just brewed up a batch of California Common using Wyeast 2112.

I think I've overdone the finings (protofloc) as I now have excessive cold break or trub in the fermenter. (see attached image).

The batch seems to be fermenting okay but I wondered if the cold break will cause any off flavours or impeed fermentation? Should I rack the beer off or just leave it?

I intend to do a 48hour cold crash before bottling.

thanks for any help.

 

[Covrich]

Have you just transferred that?? if so just leave it to settle out, it will compact down.. cold crash will help

 

[thinwight]

Hi Covrich,

Yes the photo was taken about 8 hours after transfer but it kinda looked like that after only 30mins.

Thanks for your help, think I'll switch back to Irish Moss.

 

[MyQul]

I usually chuck all my break material in the FV and my FVs ed up looking like yours does. The reason why it still looks like '30 mins' is because when it starts fermenting the C02 produced by the yeast carries the break material up to the top of the FV. You will probably have break material sitting on the top of the wort for a few days. Eventually it all settles out though and you can rack it if you want to. I never do though, I just bottle straight from the FV

 

[thinwight]

Thanks MyQul, thats a relief

 

[robbym123]

I usually chuck all my break material in the FV and my FVs ed up looking like yours does. The reason why it still looks like '30 mins' is because when it starts fermenting the C02 produced by the yeast carries the break material up to the top of the FV. You will probably have break material sitting on the top of the wort for a few days. Eventually it all settles out though and you can rack it if you want to. I never do though, I just bottle straight from the FV

Do you harvest yeast, if so does the large amount of break material in fv give you any problems?. I imagine it makes yeast washing more tricky.

Reason i ask is that i am a biab (e.g. LOTS of trub!) brewer, ive got a batch of wlp002 fermenting an esb at the moment, im planning to have a crack at washing/harvesting the yeast for the first time, on Saturday. I have best part of an inch of trub/yeast in the bottom of my fermenters (45l total across 2 27l fermenters).

The method im planning to use is to add a couple of litres cooled boiled water, shake it all up, wait for trub to settle and pour off yeast in suspension.

Will i struggle to seperate so much trub from yeast, or will it work out ok?. Is there a different method that would work better for biab levels of trub?.

Thanks

Rob

 

[MyQul]

Do you harvest yeast, if so does the large amount of break material in fv give you any problems?. I imagine it makes yeast washing more tricky.

Reason i ask is that i am a biab (e.g. LOTS of trub!) brewer, ive got a batch of wlp002 fermenting an esb at the moment, im planning to have a crack at washing/harvesting the yeast for the first time, on Saturday. I have best part of an inch of trub/yeast in the bottom of my fermenters (45l total across 2 27l fermenters).

The method im planning to use is to add a couple of litres cooled boiled water, shake it all up, wait for trub to settle and pour off yeast in suspension.

Will i struggle to seperate so much trub from yeast, or will it work out ok?. Is there a different method that would work better for biab levels of trub?.

Thanks

Rob

I usually have about 1-2inches of trub. The large amount of break material doesn't give me a problem harvesting as I do the following

Before I start to bottle I collect a jar full of beer and set it aside (in the fridge)

I just put about 4L of boiled and cooled water into the FV after bottling slosh it about then leave it for 20 mins so all the heavy trub settls out then pour the suspended yeast into a couple of 2L plastic water bottles and put them in the fridge for 24-48 hours to crash the yeast out of the water. Then I decant of the water and replace it with some of the beer in the jar. when I want to use the yeast I pour off the beer and put the yeast into some starter wort.

However you may have a problem with WLP002 as I've read it's VERY flocctuant and when you add the water the yeast may well settle out BEFORE the trub