Kolsch fermentation

thesink · 03-20-2010, 05:28 PM

Hi all. Brewed this Kolsch up two weeks ago tomorrow. I used the Wyeast 2565. I thought initially fermentation didn't seem real vigorous like some of my other extract brews. This was my first attempt at a liquid yeast...didn't make a starter. Temp in my crawl space was between 58 and 61 degrees, right in the optimum range. Just looked at it for the first time in a couple of days and there's still a good, thick layer of krausen at the top of the carboy, but the bubbling has pretty much stopped. I'll take a gravity reading, but I was just confused by the layer of foam at the top. I would think by two weeks this would have fallen back into the beer like all my other brews have (granted, I've only done 5 or 6). Any thoughts? I'm afraid to pop the airlock off and take a reading with that krausen.

scinerd3000 · 03-20-2010, 06:39 PM

let it sit!!!!! I leave all my primarys in for around a month and occasionally(mostly with beers containig wheat) the krausen still hasnt dropped. At that temperature its damn near perfect but it will take a bit. A kolsch is like a psudo lager and will take a little bit longer. You will be rewarded with a very smooth great beer. Good beer takes time

**petep1980** · 03-20-2010, 07:21 PM

Kolsch krausen takes forever to fall, and sometimes won't fall at all.

permo · 03-21-2010, 05:51 AM

relax, forget about it for another two weeks....then you are in business.

JollyToper · 03-25-2010, 04:04 AM

I agree. Leave it alone. I just brewed a Kolsch with the same yeast and it took two-three weeks for the krausen to drop at 60*F. Like you I was a little concerned so took the FG before I crash cooled it. It was done and made a great beer.

**lurker18** · 03-25-2010, 01:46 PM

I used that yeast on my last batch, fermented at 57F and it was in the primary for 5 weeks before the foam fell. I then moved to a secondary and cold crashed at 5C for another week, and the beer was crystal clear going into the keg. Great yeast, but give it some time.

Brett3rThanU · 03-25-2010, 02:43 PM

I used WLP029 for my last Kolsch and remember racking right off the krausen, hydrometer said it was done though. I was also talking with the owner of my local home brew shop last weekend (I just bought some 2565 too) and he said that's a pretty common thing with the Wyeast 2565 yeast, it'll take forever for the krausen to fall. He told me not to rely on the krausen to determine when to rack it to the secondary, trust the hydrometer. I'd take a reading and rack it to the secondary if it looks done.

Brew-boy · 03-25-2010, 03:09 PM

Why rush it, it is done when it's done.