Fermenting with CF10 + sightglass

[kxavier_23]

I have been trying to find some answer to a concern I have, but the topic is not very specific.

I have a Spike CF10 with a sightglass connected to the bottom of the fermenter --> 2" elbow --> butterfly valve.

My concern (which I didn't consider until I pitched), is how active can lager yeast be if it is mainly fermenting from the bottom with all that space in the sightglass + 2" elbow?

Will all the yeast be sitting in the bottom and not be able to work on the wort?

If this has been discussed, please direct me to a thread that discusses this topic.

 

[dan46nbrew]

I’d like to know also, good question....

 

[eric19312]

Once the fermentation gets going the yeast will churn itself up and out of the plumbing.

 

[kxavier_23]

Once the fermentation gets going the yeast will churn itself up and out of the plumbing.

Even lager yeast, that typically bottom ferments?

 

[Jtvann]

Even lager yeast, that typically bottom ferments?

Yes

 

[Vale71]

"Bottom" and "top" fermenting are meaningless concepts only used for historical reasons. Yeast always ferments beer it is in direct contact with as it cannot do anything else. It follows that the yeast that does the fermenting is the one that is suspended throughout the wort. Any yeast that is either sitting at the bottom of the fermenter or floating on top of the fermenting wort (i.e. Kräusen) is just sitting there and doing nothing. In the case of a conical fermenter yeast that has collected at the bottom can and should be simply dumped as soon as possible to prevent autolysis affecting the beer.

 

[Gozie Boy]

So then, is the common practice of "burping" CO2 up through the yeast bed to mix it up with the wort while fermenting a bad idea? I haven't tried that, but have been considering it.

 

[eric19312]

There is no need to burp up the yeast expect I guess if you are struggling with a stuck fermentation. Actively fermenting yeast is plenty mobile on its own.