Flocculation and Trub levels
Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 5:55 am
What influences this outside the specific type of yeast?
So I have changed three factors I can think of lately. My recipe and procedure are the same. But my last 2 ferments have left me with an usual amount of suspended trub, from a depth perspective. I start pulling wispy yeast with about a 1/3 of my bucket left. It no longer cakes in the bottom. Now, this is of course after I squeeze the piss out of the gains.
Before, I would ferment for a week, squeeze the night before, and cold crash outside in the 30's, then rack in the morning. Usually left me with acceptable packed yeast level.
Some changes and theories:
1) Yeast is old. I have been using the same 4 lb block of dried bakers yeast for over a year. Have kept it sealed in the fridge in a Ziplock the whole time. Taking as I need.
2) Less period rest. I used to wrap up the fermenters in blankets from the start. I would be in the high 90s first the first day or 2, and it would ferment fast and hard and then settle the rest of the week. In efforts to see if bringing the Temps down improved flavor, I have stopped wrapping them. Active fermentation is now in mid 80s, but maybe it takes the whole week now, and the yeasties don't fall out as quick?
3) Corn meal. I have switched to cornmeal, degerminated, which squeezes very dry with my mop wringer. I get more liquid now, but am I squeezing to much yeast out? Would this even effect the cold crashing efficiency?
I have been compensating by doing a strip and a 1.5 run with the second run, but essentially I am losing an entire bucket of my three that I ferment due to the suspended yeast.
Thoughts and experiences?
So I have changed three factors I can think of lately. My recipe and procedure are the same. But my last 2 ferments have left me with an usual amount of suspended trub, from a depth perspective. I start pulling wispy yeast with about a 1/3 of my bucket left. It no longer cakes in the bottom. Now, this is of course after I squeeze the piss out of the gains.
Before, I would ferment for a week, squeeze the night before, and cold crash outside in the 30's, then rack in the morning. Usually left me with acceptable packed yeast level.
Some changes and theories:
1) Yeast is old. I have been using the same 4 lb block of dried bakers yeast for over a year. Have kept it sealed in the fridge in a Ziplock the whole time. Taking as I need.
2) Less period rest. I used to wrap up the fermenters in blankets from the start. I would be in the high 90s first the first day or 2, and it would ferment fast and hard and then settle the rest of the week. In efforts to see if bringing the Temps down improved flavor, I have stopped wrapping them. Active fermentation is now in mid 80s, but maybe it takes the whole week now, and the yeasties don't fall out as quick?
3) Corn meal. I have switched to cornmeal, degerminated, which squeezes very dry with my mop wringer. I get more liquid now, but am I squeezing to much yeast out? Would this even effect the cold crashing efficiency?
I have been compensating by doing a strip and a 1.5 run with the second run, but essentially I am losing an entire bucket of my three that I ferment due to the suspended yeast.
Thoughts and experiences?