Jelly like substance

[Elbow]

Hi All,

Last week I put down a brew using Grain and Grape's Artisanale # 1 fresh wort kit. Dead easy to make, just added a couple of extra litres and some hops and into the brew fridge at 10%, all good. After a couple of days, I noticed that instead of the usual Krausen material at the top, the beer seemed to have developed a layer of translucent, jelly-like stuff on top.

Is this infected? I'm pretty thorough with my cleaning and have not had one before in 20 odd brews, but all the previous have been K+K or extract. This is the first time I have used something approaching an all grain brew.

The guy in the HBS had no idea except mentioning something about torrefied?? Any suggestions?

p.s. I have tested a sample, does not taste off.

[brewbeast]

what yeast are you using Elbow?

[Elbow]

It was a Saflager dried yeast.

[brewbeast]

hmmm well you wont get much krausen from saflager anyway? sorry but i haven't had this happen to me - i have brewed multiple fresh wort kits (but the ones from st peter's brewery) and never had anything strange like this happen

maybe open the fermenter and using a sanitized instrument test how this jelly layer handles?

sorry that isn't much help

[warra48]

Can you post a picture of what it looks like?

Hard to attempt any sort of diagnosis from just a simple description.

[Elbow]

I'll have another peep thru the airlock hole this evening and see what gives. I am not that keen to open the lid as this may let in infections?

[warra48]

I'll have another peep thru the airlock hole this evening and see what gives. I am not that keen to open the lid as this may let in infections?

You'll be fine at this stage. Your beer will have a blanket of CO2 to protect it, and the alcohol content will also tend to discourage infections.
You would only have it open for say 30 seconds to take a photo? Really nothing to worry about.

[Elbow]

There does not seem to a function to attach/cut and paste a photo. How do I do that?

[Elbow]

Ignore last post, figured how to post pic!

Looks a bit different than it did originally.

I've never taken a peek before at any of my previous brews, so have nothing to compare it to. It's a bit weird that it's half and half, but originally the jelly like stuff looked more like the white half.

[warra48]

Never seen anything like it with the half and half.

Does it look familiar to anyone else?

However, kraeusen can look pretty weird, and the white stuff is likely to be yeast floating on top.
If it doesn't taste off, I'd leave your brew to finish fermenting and conditioning.
The kraeusen tends to drop back in when your brew settles down in most instances.
I have had occasions, particularly with some UK yeast like WY1469 where I've had thick clumps of yeast floating on top, and the beers been fine.

[wrighty]

Quite a work of art you have there elbow.
Did you aerate the wort as it looks like some sort of separation going on.
Still looks like its fermenting to me.Ditch the lid and airlock and use the rubber seal from the lid
as a big lackey band and glad wrap the top of your fermentor.Live krausen on show ,lets you easily
judge whats going on.I leave most brews minimum 10days then take hyro readings until i have 3 steady results.
Did you take initial S.G.reading? What temp are you fermenting at?

[hirns]

Tis quite bizarre. Did you hallf the ingredients straight down the middle?? Which side is low carb Serriously unlikely but do you have one side of the keg is facing the light!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or a heat source???

[Elbow]

To answer a few questions above:

1. No heat source or keg facing the light
2. Brewed at a constant 10-11 in brew fridge
3. Did not take initial SG reading (curse you smashed hydrometer!), but according to G+G blurb it should have been around 1051 with addition of 2 litres of water
4. I did aereate the wort, both by sloshing from the G+G vessel to my fermentor and also giving it a good mixing

I had another peek yesterday and the white half had gone. Indeed it looked like whatever krausen was there, was making it's way south to the bottom of the brew. I'll take a fresh reading (with new unsmashed hydrometer) tonight and have a taste and see if it's ok.

[drsmurto]

The brown crust around the edge of the fermenter looks like the residue left behind after high krausen.

I'd be betting its close to FG now.

As others have mentioned, lager yeasts dont thrown big krausens like ale yeasts as they are bottom fermenting.

When you take a sample for an SG reading, smell and taste it.

[Dasher]

Hi Elbow,
I have noticed a brew I put down last week has produced a krausen very similar to the one in your picture.
How did it turn out?
Not sure whether to waste any time/ further hops or to persist.
thanks,
dasher

[Elbow]

Hi Dasher,

No problem at all in the end. The krausen seems to have dropped to the bottom completely. I took a few readings and it's been steady at 1012, so I am going to rack to a chill cube in the next day or so. The taste of the samples was fine as well, so who knows why it looked like it did?

[Dasher]

Looks kind of familiar....
This is a coopers can with T58 with a can of wheat malt and amarillo...
thanks
Dasher

[brewbeast]

i kind of feel like im missing out now

[Elbow]

Looks like me and Dasher have invented a new beer!

Maybe we can call it "Ebony and Ivory" ale in tribute to Michael Jackson........