behaviour
Flocculation
How readily yeast clumps together and drops out of suspension at the end of fermentation.
High flocculation gives bright beer quickly without filtration, which is exactly what cask conditioning needs. The trade-off is that yeast which drops early stops working, so highly flocculent strains under-attenuate and can leave a beer sweeter than intended.
Low flocculation keeps yeast in suspension, contributing body and haze — a defect in a pilsner and a design feature in a New England IPA.
Behaviour
| Flocculation | variable |
|---|
Evidence
What BeerHQ knows about this, and how. Every statement carries the state of the evidence behind it rather than being presented flatly as fact.
Flocculation is a strain characteristic rather than a process outcome, and highly flocculent English ale strains can drop out before finishing — which is why traditional British brewing rouses the yeast back into suspension.
Backed by a source
Source: Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation — print