Trub on top of beer

[wrestleb]

Tested my beer after 8 days in the primary. When I opened the fermenter there was a thick layer of trub ( krausen?) laying on top. I have been brewing for a few years and I don't recall ever seeing the trub on top.

Does this mean the yeast is still in active fermentation? The test was about 10 points above the target FG, so I hope the yeast is still active.

I had some yeast nutrients laying around, do I sprinkled some on top while he lid was off.... was this ok?

 

[jtratcliff]

The trub is what settles on the bottom, the krausen is on top... The krausen should fall after fermentation completes... It's perfectly normal. At 10 points above expected FG and high krausen, you're probably still actively fermenting... Give it another few days to a week, then check again. I typically leave mine in primary for 3 weeks.

You probably didn't need any yeast nutrient at this stage, but it most likely didn't hurt anything....

 

[wrestleb]

Thanks for the response. I was just worried because I don't see too many bubbles in my blowoff.

 

[RM-MN]

Read through this short article. It explains why you don't see many bubbles anymore. http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html

 

[jtratcliff]

Also, bubbles in an airlock is not a reliable sign of fermentation...
"

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Tested my beer after 8 days in the primary. When I opened the fermenter there was a thick layer of trub ( krausen?) laying on top. I have been brewing for a few years and I don't recall ever seeing the trub on top.

Top-cropping-ness is the sort of thing that is very characteristic of some yeast and not others. What yeast are you using, is it the first time you've used it?

 

[wrestleb]

Top-cropping-ness is the sort of thing that is very characteristic of some yeast and not others. What yeast are you using, is it the first time you've used it?

Wy1332. Might be the first time, I don't see it in any of my logs.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

So 1332 is a classic top-cropper. Allegedly it came from Hales, and if that's true it means it came from Gale's and has spent >150 years in open fermenters which looked like this. Most yeast you will have used before will have adapted to life in cylindro-conical fermenters, which encourage them to evolve into bottom-croppers.