Yeast cleaning up after itself

[MrBJones]

If a batch is bottled as soon as fermentation stops, will the yeast clean up in the bottle?

 

[Franktalk]

Though I am not a scientist, I believe when the yeast is really done, then it is done "cleaning up" as well.

 

[dmtaylor]

Yes. Yeast is a living organism. Even when it is done eating regular sugars, it will continue to munch on diacetyl (that major buttery off-flavor), a few dextrins (complex sugars), and sulfur compounds will either react within the finished beer or be reabsorbed by the yeast and settle out (I'm not exactly sure all the processes involved here!).

You can of course expect an appreciable layer of sediment on the bottom of each bottle if you bottled very quickly. But you can avoid drinking it just by carefully pouring your beer into a drinking glass while leaving the sediment behind in the bottle.

Hope your fermentation was actually done when you bottled. If you experience gushers, you'll know it wasn't actually done yet.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

If a batch is bottled as soon as fermentation stops, will the yeast clean up in the bottle?

It might be a potentially interesting theoretical question, but I would never advise anybody to bottle a beer as soon as "fermentation stops". There is way too much risk of over-carbonation or bottle bombs, and you really want to give yeast and sediment a chance to drop out in the fermenter and not in each bottle.

Also, a bottle is a pretty hospitable place for yeast to work. Both CO2 and Alcohol are byproducts that are toxic (to some degree) to yeast. So while the yeast in the bottle will likely clean up a little, I would not count on it. Data I have seen points at about 2 days after final gravity for yeast to finish cleaning up diacetyl (will vary by strain and fermentation).

 

[MrBJones]

...
Hope your fermentation was actually done when you bottled. If you experience gushers, you'll know it wasn't actually done yet.

It might be a potentially interesting theoretical question, but I would never advise anybody to bottle a beer as soon as "fermentation stops". There is way too much risk of over-carbonation or bottle bombs, and you really want to give yeast and sediment a chance to drop out in the fermenter and not in each bottle.
...

Thanks! By "fermentation stops" I meant at a stable FG for a few days. Was really asking about the "cleaning up" aspect of it....removing off-flavor causing compounds etc. Wasn't sure if priming and re-energizing the yeast at that point, rather than giving it more time in the fermenter, would prevent it from fully happening.