Lots of yeast suspended at 16 days in primary (picture)

[akdmx]

I'm taking a stab at a high gravity porter and have been fermenting in primary (with no plans for secondary) for 16 days. The fermentation really calmed down around a week ago but I was hoping to condition the beer and gain clarity by allowing the solids to settle.

Unfortunately I'm having an issue with what I believe to be the yeast. On one side of the carboy there is a ton of fine yeast-looking solids suspended in the liquid. The other side looks pretty good. Not sure why this accumulation is occurring. Here are some pictures:

What I'm trying to figure out is what has caused this and how I can fix the situation. It really seems like it is not progressing at all. Should I bottle it now? Give it a few more days? Thanks for your help.

 

[Raenon]

What was the OG and current SG? How many points do you have of that SG?

16 days isn't automatically enough fermentation time, especially if it's high gravity...

Sounds like you're rushing it.

 

[Transamguy77]

How high is high gravity? 16 days seems really soon, if it's 1.070+ I'd let it go at least a month and then bottle.

 

[akdmx]

How high is high gravity? 16 days seems really soon, if it's 1.070+ I'd let it go at least a month and then bottle.

To be completely honest I didn't measure an OG as I've been fine going by krausen and airlock activity on the last few batches. I can tell you this though, I used a kit that is supposed to yield and OG of 1.068-1.075..... and added 1/3 extra liquid malt extract (12# total). So were safely well in excess of 1.070.

Maybe I'll just let it ride and see how it looks like a couple weeks.

 

[Pantherjon]

Looks like your yeast is taking its time attenuating -going dormant and settling...Give it some more time..

 

[sky4meplease]

What yeast is it?
Alcohol tolerance?
Oxygenated wort?
Current temperature?

 

[Transamguy77]

To be completely honest I didn't measure an OG as I've been fine going by krausen and airlock activity on the last few batches. I can tell you this though, I used a kit that is supposed to yield and OG of 1.068-1.075..... and added 1/3 extra liquid malt extract (12# total). So were safely well in excess of 1.070.



Maybe I'll just let it ride and see how it looks like a couple weeks.

Not sure what yeast you used but if you used a liquid yeast and only 1 pack it might take awhile for it to finish up 1 pack is not really enough yeast on a beer that big. Also krausen and airlock activity is not a good indication of what is happen with your beer I would strongly suggest getting a hydrometer and tube to check samples.

Again I'd wait a couple more weeks on this one and then bottle.

 

[akdmx]

What yeast is it?
Alcohol tolerance?
Oxygenated wort?
Current temperature?

By suggestiong of the guys in the shop who were aware of my high gravity intentions, I used white labs WLP007: https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast/wlp007-dry-english-ale-yeast

The temp has been just at the low end of the white labs' suggested range (65-70).

 

[JonM]

All perfectly normal.

Even when I ferment with a heavy flocculating yeast like 002, there's still stuff in solution 2 weeks after brewday. You can bottle it (assuming gravity is stable and fermentation is truly completed) but you'll just have a little extra sediment in the bottles. I don't think that's a big deal, but some folks do. You could also cold crash the beer if you have the means and hit it with a fining agent to make it nice and clear (again, assuming gravity is stable and fermentation is truly completed). Or just let it sit another week or two. Either way, it's fine.

 

[sky4meplease]

Hmm everything seems in line. Maybe ramp the temp up a bit to promote some clean up activity by the yeast for a week then cold crash. Keep us posted.

 

[akdmx]

Hmm everything seems in line. Maybe ramp the temp up a bit to promote some clean up activity by the yeast for a week then cold crash. Keep us posted.

Hmm, I can understand how warmth might catalyze things but per White Labs website, cooler temps promote flocculation (http://www.whitelabs.com/files/Flocculation_help.pdf)

Low temperatures promote flocculation. More yeast will drop out of solution at 400F compared to 700F, and more yeast will drop out at 380F compared to 400F. Some yeast strains require 2 weeks at 400F to completely clear.

I think you might be right about the temps though -- more yeast activity needs to occur.

Unfortunately I don't have fridge space to properly cold crash but I have a garage that stays between 45-55. I was thinking about leaving it inside for another week and then garage for the final week in an attempt to achieve some cold crash like effects and promote flocculation according to White Lab's explanation. Does this plan sound good? Maybe I'll check back with a progress picture before I go to the garage-crash.

 

[slym2none]

How high is high gravity? 16 days seems really soon, if it's 1.070+ I'd let it go at least a month and then bottle.

This.

 

[akdmx]

Update: Today (3 weeks in to primary fermentation and 2 weeks since krausen subsided) I moved the carbouy to the garage for what I had planned to be a final week of cold crashing (garage was best I could do).

I checked on the carbouy a few hours after setting it in the garage and bizarrely enough all of the yeast had completely settled to the bottom. Before I moved the carbouy the liquid was actually perhaps more cloudy with suspended yeast than I had posted pictures of earlier. Within hours it was crystal clear. I have to imagine that it was the sight jostling from carrying that caused the settling as the liquid couldn't have cooled more than a few degrees in the time given.

So at any rate, the beer is now bottled.

 

[Bobby_M]

By suggestiong of the guys in the shop who were aware of my high gravity intentions, I used white labs WLP007: https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast/wlp007-dry-english-ale-yeast

The temp has been just at the low end of the white labs' suggested range (65-70).

Did you only pitch one vial without making a starter?

 

[Roland_deschain]

Following.....I agree with rushing it.

 

[ThatVideoKid]

So you never checked FG on a ~1.80 beer? I wish you luck man, especially if it was one vial with no starter.

 

[Raenon]

So you never checked FG on a ~1.80 beer? I wish you luck man, especially if it was one vial with no starter.

Agreed... Good luck, because you've got a high chance of bottle bombs.

The yeast clearly settled because they were already struggling. They didn't need much temperature change to decide to drop out and give up. If you had a good number of yeast from a healthy fermentation, it would have taken time for them all to fall.

Why are you in such a terrible hurry, and why did you ask our opinion if you were going to pointedly ignore it?