Floating Break

[Online Brewing Supplies]

I did a Aussie lager yesterday turned out at SG 1042, had some problems, was expecting 1046, dont ask
Any way I ran the wort off to the fermenter, I chill (11c) and aerate on the way the fermenter. I noticed the the wort was really cloudy which is unusual then I took a sample from the fermenter for a hydro test and left it sit for a while for the wort to clear, well the trub instead of settling on the bottom floated to the top and sat there like a Guinness head, WTF. I have done many many brews and never had this happen before, today I checked it again and its still floating. Any one had this before ?
GB

 

[argon]

I did a Aussie lager yesterday turned out at SG 1042, had some problems, was expecting 1046, dont ask
Any way I ran the wort off to the fermenter, I chill (11c) and aerate on the way the fermenter. I noticed the the wort was really cloudy which is unusual then I took a sample from the fermenter for a hydro test and left it sit for a while for the wort to clear, well the trub instead of settling on the bottom floated to the top and sat there like a Guinness head, WTF. I have done many many brews and never had this happen before, today I checked it again and its still floating. Any one had this before ?
GB

Yeah kinda... i once drew off some last runnings from the kettle to make a starter. There was a giant jelly fish just hanging there in the flask... suspended about halfway up the volume. I just assumed i took a large proportion of trub/break, being the last out of the kettle. Only really noticed it when it was cool next day.

Starter didn't fire with a very old smackpak... so didn't end up using it.

 

[Bribie G]

I regularly get a jellyfish but never a Guinness head
With high diastatic malts that's one reason I use a bit of rice or maize in Aussies to use up extra enzymes and proteins in the malt that might otherwise end up as cold break or haze.

 

[RdeVjun]

:blink: That's weird, never had floating gunk like that, it all settles sooner or later in the hydro tube or fermenter.

What's the recipe, were there any flocculants and for how long did it boil? (Not that I'd pretend to have an answer, but worthwhile asking... :unsure: )

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

The recipe was:
80% Burston Pale
10% Wey Munich 1
10% Sugar (clear candi syrup)
Whilfloc in the ketlle@ 50 ppm.
Hopped with Super Pride
Flavour and aroma Cluster.
The only variable this time was my liquor to grain ratio was way over my usual. I was adding hot liquor to the mash tun to help raise the temp and my sight tube was blocked so I went way past my usual 5:1 ratio. This resulted in me doing a batch sparge instead of a fly sparge, this would account for my less than perfect efficiency but can not see how it would create a Guinness head.
GB

 

[RdeVjun]

As expected, I haven't got any leads at this point. Oh wait, what's 50ppm Whirlfloc in tabs/ 20-odd L batch, less or more than 1/2 tab per batch?

Otherwise, nothing untoward there AFAICT.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

As expected, I haven't got any leads at this point. Oh wait, what's 50ppm Whirlfloc in tabs/ 20-odd L batch, less or more than 1/2 tab per batch?

Otherwise, nothing untoward there AFAICT.

I tab per 50L batch, as per my usual rate. I think I will be putting this one in the mystery basket .
GB

 

[tavas]

I tab per 50L batch, as per my usual rate. I think I will be putting this one in the mystery basket .
GB

Overflocculation can sometimes cause material to float. I've had solids floating on top of thickeners at work before. Did you get less break material than usual?

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Overflocculation can sometimes cause material to float. I've had solids floating on top of thickeners at work before. Did you get less break material than usual?

Not really less but less compact than usual in the bottom of the kettle. It was a lesser gravity than I normally brew, this could have some thing to do with it.
GB

 

[zebba]

Overflocculation can sometimes cause material to float.

Yeah I've had this with 1968 before. It seemed to flock so hard and fast that CO2 bubbles formed inside the blobs and couldn't get out causing the blobs to rise to the surface.

 

[Nick JD]

It's the BB Pale.

It's the only time I get the suspended "jellyfish". And more so with the latest stuff.

 

[MarkBastard]

It's the BB Pale.

It's the only time I get the suspended "jellyfish". And more so with the latest stuff.

Yeah when I used BB Pale I had a massive guiness head pre-boil.

 

[kevo]

Had jellyfish (a good descriptor I think) tonight in a BIAB brew - mostly golden promise malt.

First time I'd used whirlfloc, so wondering, judging by previous posts, this was a contributor...?

As usual for biab - tonnes of trub, but was a tad concerned seeing all that goop suspended in the wort.

See how it finishes up.

Ironically using 1968 yeast as mentioned by a few others.