Yeast on sides of bottles

[Stuart Wilson]

Latest batches of beer bottled, but strange effect. In a lot of bottles there is yeast sticking to the sides of the glass. They were all stored upright next to radiator for about 3 weeks. I noticed yeast on the sides of quite a lot of them. Decided to give them all a bit of a shake to put yeast back into suspension, then shifted to unheated garage. Clearing nicely after 10 days, but same again ... yeast on sides of bottles.

Really mystified, never seen this before. Not sure how it will affect drinkability, but think its going to be difficult to keep yeast out of glass when pouring.

Any ideas what this may be due to?

 

[Graz]

I've noticed that on some of mine. I can only think that some sort of residue that was in there from a previous brew has made glass a bit more sticky for the sediment. To be honest though whenever I've poured them it has made little difference to the final clarity of the beer but I really don't mind if it's a little hazy. The yeast seems to stay on the side of the bottle. I should probably get better at cleaning them.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I've noticed it too. It doesn't come out with the beer

A light bottle brush gets rid of it

 

[MashBag]

It's not yeast.

 

[MashBag]

Try this thread

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/do-you-get-this.104622/#post-1269654

 

[MashBag]

Does it look the same as yours @Agentgonzo

 

[Stuart Wilson]

No it's definitely yeast. If you slightly agitate the bottle you can see it fall off. I shook up every bottle before transfering them to the garage, but yeast just settled back onto the sides.

I have seen staining like in the thread....a sod to remove!

 

[Agentgonzo]

Does it look the same as yours @Agentgonzo

Hard to tell. Mine are been bottles.

 

[MashBag]

No it's definitely yeast. If you slightly agitate the bottle you can see it fall off. I shook up every bottle before transfering them to the garage, but yeast just settled back onto the sides.

I have seen staining like in the thread....a sod to remove!

What makes you sure its yeast? Not saying its isn't, just trying to work through the options?

 

[Stuart Wilson]

I

What makes you sure its yeast? Not saying its isn't, just trying to work through the options?

it just looks like yeast. Comes off if you give bottle a shake.

Have had problems with really hard to shift line scale type coating before. Threw some bottles out as I just couldn't shift it.

Thinking there may be a thin layer of that "beer stone" type deposit which you can't actually see but which yeast can stick to. Beer itself is clearing beautifully though .... First taste it in a few weeks.......

 

[MashBag]

We are on the same page.

Mine isn't beer rock. That's a proper pig to remove. I know been there.

Mine looks like yeast, but isn't. Cleans OK. Beer is clear.

I suspect (thanks all) it's to do with too much Irish moss in the kettle.

So obvious question for you.

How much I'm are you using in the 40 pint batch?

 

[Stuart Wilson]

I use half a tablet of protofloc per 5 gallon batch. Don't think this is the issue though. I made a very hoppy IPA last year. Beautifully clear but bottles were really covered with lime scale like coating. You could see a tide line in the neck of the bottle. Really hard to shift....

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Side note, but to remove that "impossible" limescale (aka beerstone, which you can also get on toilets) I've had success using sulfamic acid.

You can get sulfamic acid, which is an industrial descaling product, in dehydrated form on Amazon but I suspect much cheaper from industrial suppliers. I mix up a very strong solution with near-boiling water and apply it with an old paintbrush. You can actually see the limescale smoke when you put it on...

Apparently beerstone (actually calcium oxalate) is removed more effectively if you can give it a preliminary soaking with something containing aluminium or ferrous ions.

 

[JockyBrewer]

When I bottle conditioned I got the same thing when I was just rinsing out bottles with hot water. It still left a biofilm that yeast would stick to more and more.

I switched to doing a quick rinse after pouring, followed up with adding a little bit of PBW in the bottle with hot water, leaving to soak for a few minutes and then rinsing again and it seemed to mostly stop the problem occurring. If I found a bottle with yeast on the sides I'd recycle it, as at that point it was not worth the effort to save it.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Does it look the same as yours @Agentgonzo

This was a virgin water bottle. First fill of beer.

Just after pouring:

After part filling with water and giving it a big old shake

Then after bottle brushing it for about 30s

 

[Nicks90]

Yeah I get the same - I just ignore it
The bottles are clean, bottle brushed and sanitary and I don't suffer from bottle bombs or yucky beer, so I just put it down to the yeast having a mind of it's own and ignore it

 

[MashBag]

@Agentgonzo yup absolutely the same.

Virgin bottle. Good test.

Not convinced its yeast though.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Might not be yeast then. I'd always just assumed it was without any serious thought.

 

[Cwrw666]

Post drinking I rinse out the bottles then fill with a strong solution of soda crystals - removes every trace of yeast without needing to bottle brush.

 

[MashBag]

IME with wine and beer yeast settles in clean wet vessels.

Acids, oak, beer rock and other unsupported, unwanted crud stick to the sides.

If it sticks to the sides it shouldn't be there imo. I am on a mission.