Yeast on top of wort

[Raife]

I’m a new brewer and my pale ale has been fermenting for three days now. Looks like all of the yeast is sitting on top. Is this normal ?

 

[The Baron]

Yes the yeast used for Ales is generally a top fermenter opposed to a Lager style which are bottom fermenters.
So it should have a thick foamy layer on top which will die down and drop to the bottom as fermentation finishes.
Ps welcome to the forum

 

[Raife]

Thanks!

 

[Jim Brewster]

That'll be the Krausen

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I’m a new brewer and my pale ale has been fermenting for three days now. Looks like all of the yeast is sitting on top. Is this normal ?

A picture from Sam Smith's (although typical homebrew yeasts tend not to be quite so vigorously on top) :

 

[Rugby Fan.]

A picture from Sam Smith's (although typical homebrew yeasts tend not to be quite so vigorously on top) :
View attachment 86674

Are the recirculating a fermenting beer??!!!

 

[Agentgonzo]

Are the recirculating a fermenting beer??!!!

It looks like it. Nice way to aerate the wort during the first phase of fermentation

 

[Jim Brewster]

I saw a clip from Hook Norton as well where they stirred already fermenting beer in open fermenters

 

[The Baron]

Don't some breweries introduce oxygen to the beer as part of the flavour how they do that in a controlled manner I do not know as if most of us tried it we would oxidise the beer too much

 

[MashBag]

It looks like it. Nice way to aerate the wort during the first phase of fermentation

That's an easy mod for a BM owner.... Oooo might have to give that a go...

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Are the recirculating a fermenting beer??!!!

Yep, traditionally it was the only way to meet the high oxygen demands of these yeasts, it's a big benefit of the Yorkshire Square system.

Not that LODO is really compatible with beer served on cask....

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I'm having another go at the original Thomas Hardy ale recipe from lets brew wednesday on SUABP website. The super high gravity yeast produces as impressive a barm as the Sam smiths ( to scale) now 8 days in the darker yeast on the surface should it be skimmed or stirred back in or just left?

It's still got a bit to go down from 1.126 to 1.044 so far, last time it stopped around 1.036 and I went to secondary. I'm still waiting for an anniversary taste, couple of months to go.

 

[MashBag]

This question is a personal choice. I would leave it. But I am a low intervention brewer. Others will say skim.
Whatever you do, it will all settle out and clear on its own with time and gravity.