Have been using genuine Nottingham Yeast for three ale and stout brews and have been harvesting yeast cake and reviving it in starter bottle for next brew.
This time I got a real 'cauliflower head' as it's a top fermenting UK yeast. Also by coincidence the day before yesterday I watched Michael Jackson's TV Beer Hunter episode re British Real Ales. Visiting the Bateman's Brewery, Michael and the head brewer are inspecting an open fermenter of ale and the comment is made "It's been skimmed and is about ready for racking"
Then, something I had forgotten over the years, came back to me. While home brewing in the UK in my former life I followed two gurus, CJJ Dennis and Dave Line (both best selling textbooks still in print) and there was a big emphasis on skimming the krausen head off the top fermenting brew after the initial vigorous fermentation as it contains all sorts of crud that you don't want to fall back into the brew. If I remember correctly the major culprit was the very bitter hop oils that end up in the foam. Made sense at the time and I would always skim after two or three days in the fermenter. (And in those days in the UK I'm talking plastic garbage bin - great for top ferm, however)
Obviously not an issue in OZ with lagers or even - for example - Morgans or Coopers cans.
However with recipe and AG brews, do any members here skim their top fermenting ales when using a true ale yeast ? Tempted to do this with the current one.
This time I got a real 'cauliflower head' as it's a top fermenting UK yeast. Also by coincidence the day before yesterday I watched Michael Jackson's TV Beer Hunter episode re British Real Ales. Visiting the Bateman's Brewery, Michael and the head brewer are inspecting an open fermenter of ale and the comment is made "It's been skimmed and is about ready for racking"
Then, something I had forgotten over the years, came back to me. While home brewing in the UK in my former life I followed two gurus, CJJ Dennis and Dave Line (both best selling textbooks still in print) and there was a big emphasis on skimming the krausen head off the top fermenting brew after the initial vigorous fermentation as it contains all sorts of crud that you don't want to fall back into the brew. If I remember correctly the major culprit was the very bitter hop oils that end up in the foam. Made sense at the time and I would always skim after two or three days in the fermenter. (And in those days in the UK I'm talking plastic garbage bin - great for top ferm, however)
Obviously not an issue in OZ with lagers or even - for example - Morgans or Coopers cans.
However with recipe and AG brews, do any members here skim their top fermenting ales when using a true ale yeast ? Tempted to do this with the current one.