Skimming the yeast crop

[Dave S]

Hello all

I have a question. I am planning for my next brew not to rack into a secondary FV. It will be the first time ever I have done this. I am planning to fit an air lock to the lid of the FV and leave it to ferment out. Then straight into bottles or cask.

My question is, do I still need to skim the top of the yeast crop during the first few days to get rid of any brown sludge? or do I keep the lid firmly shut and leave it alone? Does brown sludge still occur if there is no air getting to it?

Thanks for any advice given.

[roonikins]

just as a matter of intrest why are you planning to do this ?

[gregorach]

I'm entirely unconvinced that there's any benefit in skimming. I tend to think of it as something done by people who just can't leave well enough alone... Possibly originating from a misunderstanding about top-cropping in commercial breweries, and then passed on mainly by word-of-mouth amongst home brewers. Most commercials these days are using cylindro-conical fermentors where you couldn't skim if you wanted to.

I keep my FV sealed from beginning to end.

[roonikins]

yes i drop mine after about 24 hours and finish in an enclosed fermenter and have never seen the need to skim the yeast

[Dave S]

Thanks for the speedy reply folks. I'm inclined to take your experienced views on this, though there there is still plenty of reference to crop-skimming in various sources.

[gregorach]

Thanks for the speedy reply folks. I'm inclined to take your experienced views on this, though there there is still plenty of reference to crop-skimming in various sources.

Cropping is one thing, skimming is a different matter. And there's a lot of arse in various sources...

[Dave S]

Thanks for the speedy reply folks. I'm inclined to take your experienced views on this, though there there is still plenty of reference to crop-skimming in various sources.

Cropping is one thing, skimming is a different matter. And there's a lot of arse in various sources...

That is indeed true. You wonder how some books managed to get published at all.

[crookedeyeboy]

Cropping, if it must be done, is done usually between 30-48 hours into fermentation to ensure the healthy cells are collected. Theres no need on the scale of homebrewing as if you culture up yeast post fermentation with some nutrient you will produce more than enough healthy yeast to brew another 23 lts.

[Dave S]

just as a matter of intrest why are you planning to do this ?

Hi

Didn't see your post there at first. The reason I've decided to try this is as a result of hearing of the many who for one reason or another don't rack into another container for secondary fermentation but leave it to ferment out in the same FV. Some even say that by racking, vulnerabilities are introduced, (I can see how that would be the case). I figured I'd give it a try if only because it saves a stage in the production process.

[Capped]

I keep my FV sealed from beginning to end.

A practise I've only recently adopted,and from the results I've had so far,doing otherwise is totally and utterly pointless as well as riddled with risk.

[TC2642]

just as a matter of intrest why are you planning to do this ?

Hi

Didn't see your post there at first. The reason I've decided to try this is as a result of hearing of the many who for one reason or another don't rack into another container for secondary fermentation but leave it to ferment out in the same FV. Some even say that by racking, vulnerabilities are introduced, (I can see how that would be the case). I figured I'd give it a try if only because it saves a stage in the production process.

I would leave the yeast head alone IMO. I always let mine fall into the beer in my primary FV and keg once it's subsided. Never had an off taste or any problems from doing this, you are more likely to have problems from skimming and possibly introducing the chance of infection than just leaving it alone.

[adomant]

the brown sludge is actually protein break material forced up by the beginning of fermentation, 12-24 hours, after this it is the white yeast head (for top fermenting yeast). For some styles (wheat beer) it is recommended to seive off the break material when using an open or non-conical fv. if harvesting yeast, it would be scooped up a day or 2 later. as others have said, there is little downside to just leaving it alone.