Help With Wyeast 2565 (kolsch) Flocculation

[river_bouy]

Hi Guys,
I brewed a Kolsch about 5 weeks ago using Wyeast 2565 Smack pack.

I had good temperature controll and kept it around 15 to 16 degrees celsius.

The airlock kept bubbling for a couple of weeks which was surprising as I only usually brew ales at higher temps and they seem to be well and truly done and dusted by this time.

Anyway, I cold crashed for about 4 days when I reached my FG and bottled.

After pouring a few bottles I can see the yeast hasn't fully flocculated. Beer very cloudy and yeasty tasting.

- Any suggestions on helping the yeast floc out? Obviously too late for adding gelatin etc.

- Or do I just give it more time sitting in the bottles at room temp?

Thanks in advance.

 

[drtomc]

Certainly time will help. Cold helps too.

T.

 

[Florian]

Klsch yeasts usually take a bit to fully flocculate. Best to give it more time, if you can at low temps around 2 degrees or thereabouts, as Klsch traditionally gets lagered for a few month.

But room temp will get the yeast to eventually settle as well.

Welcome to AHB, some great reading can be done here.

 

[Wolfy]

Being a Klsch yeas it is 'used' to being lagered, I let mine sit for (same yeast) 3 weeks at 4C before bottling and its turned out to be brilliantly clear:

If you leave yours for longer, the yeast should settle, in time.

 

[fcmcg]

Yeah ,
I have to say i kegged mine after 3 weeks and then lagered the keg for 4 weeks and its lovely and clear...
As others have said..give it time...
I definetly think that this is one beer that the yeast benefits from largering ....
It's a cracking beer and wolfy...yours looks yumo !
Cheers
Ferg

 

[river_bouy]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I think I will stick the bottles in the fridge and leave for a few weeks.

I know they are already carbed as I have had a few. I also know it is the yeast still in suspension as I poured some into a glass, added a tiny amount of gelatin and left in the fridge. It cleared up nicely.

Tasted good, but not brillantly clear like your picture. That looks like an awesome beer.

 

[hsb]

Ditto to a long time in primary then at least a month in keg/bottle. I wasn't sure about Kolsch on first tastes when I kegged it but after a couple of months lagering I've really come around to it.

Mine nowhere near as clear as Wolfy's, that is some clear-beer-**** for sure.

 

[bullsneck]

To those who have used 2565 Kölsch before, do you usually give the yeast a hand in floculating by cold conditioning after the FG is stable for more than three days? Or do you wait for that thick krausen to drop independently, then CC?
This yeast certainly loves to float on top.
My practise with other ale yeasts is to let it drop, then CC. Then, I'm a little more certain that the yeast is well and truly done fermenting and cleaning up after itself.

 

[manticle]

Not used the kolsch yeast but I use 1007 a fair bit which behaves similarly.

Let hit FG, leave a few days at ferment temp, CC/lager for 2-3 weeks. I don't worry about letting the krausen drop.

 

[bullsneck]

Thanks Mants. I'll head out to the fridge now and make that adjustment!

 

[Mardoo]

I've used it. Definitely CC as Manticle suggests. Fine the beer if you want crystal clear but you can get most of the way there by CC'ing.

 

[Barry]

In my experience looong cc'ing is needed for kolsch yeasts but the wait is worth it.