Is this krausen? Pic included

Brewed the Cheesefood Caramel Cream Ale:

Malts
3 pounds extra light DME
3 pounds light wheat DME
1 pound Caramel 60L (steeped for 45 minutes at 150'-165')

Hops
1oz Cascade for bittering (60 minutes)
.5oz Saaz for flavor (20 minutes)
.5 oz Tettnang for aroma (end of boil)

Yeast
Wyeast German Ale

Extras
1 tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
4oz Lactose @ 15 minutes
2 oz real vanilla extract

Wyeast German Ale

I brewed it on May 11, so am in a little over 3 weeks. Figured it should have falled mostly out by now. This picture was from May 30th, btw.

Took a sample to check gravity, tasted alright -- I'd be lying if I said I knew how to describe what I tasted. Def hot with alcohol though.

Gravity started at 1.055, was at 1.022 or so.

I used a piece of tube soaked in Star San, stuck end in, sucked on other end and lifted hose out, put into hydrometer tube and checked. On the tube was some sticky slimy goop from the foam, assumin just yeast?

I'm not concerned, just tryin to learn what I have

Thanks guys

Looks like krausen to me. It also looks like it might not be done fermenting based on the looks and your gravity reading. Let it sit for another week and check it again.

Thanks! Was planning on bottling on the 9th, will see how it looks then. If gravity is same, I will bottle. Maybe I'll check the gravity on the 7th and if its still moving, then again on the 9th to monitor it for it to stop

I agree your gravity looks high like 10 points. If you jiggle the carboy the krausen will probably fall. I would double check your gravity if it is that high afternthree weeks you have a problem and need to repitch some yeast to try to get the gravity down. The beer will taste like hell if you only half ferment it. It is worth another pitch to try to salvage the beer. If the yeast crapped out the beer will not naturally carbonate either. I would double check your gravity. Should be like 1.010-1.013+\-

Suthrncomfrt1884 said:

Looks like krausen to me. It also looks like it might not be done fermenting based on the looks and your gravity reading. Let it sit for another week and check it again.

Click to expand...

+1. Some folks on here have suggested shaking the hell out of the bucket and moving it to a warmer room when running into that problem. Works for me every time.

I have it in a minifridge with a temp control -- set at 62. Should I raise to a higher temp?

Before I left the office this morning I raised temp on controller a few degrees, checked inside and the krausen has now fallen. I took a gravity, let the bubbles settle out in the tube, and it came in right at 1.20. I'll give it a few days and if it hasnt changed again, pitch another packet of Wyeast I happen to have.

Just plugged recipe in to Beersmith -- shows starting gravity of 1.053, which is pretty close to my 1.055, and a final of 1.013. I should have done this earlier, dunno why I didnt even think to. Doh! Had trouble finding the Lactose, figured would be under 'Misc' but is under Grain/Extract


3rd edit: Having added the lactose the correct way, my OG in Beersmith comes to 1.055 which is spot on (all I'm missing is the vanilla extract at 2 oz, doubt it would budge it more)

Definitely need the ferment to keep goin! Any suggestions? What temp should I keep em at, and should I pitch the extra Wyeast I have (same strain, German)? I'm not opposed to it, I bought it for a backup and dont plan on brewing anything with it soon

What's the temp set at now? Bump it up to 68 or so and that should hopefully kick the yeast back into action.

You don't need to pitch extra yeast though.

Drunkenfool said:

I agree your gravity looks high like 10 points. If you jiggle the carboy the krausen will probably fall. I would double check your gravity if it is that high afternthree weeks you have a problem and need to repitch some yeast to try to get the gravity down. The beer will taste like hell if you only half ferment it. It is worth another pitch to try to salvage the beer. If the yeast crapped out the beer will not naturally carbonate either. I would double check your gravity. Should be like 1.010-1.013+\-

Click to expand...

High gravity after 3 weeks doesn't mean "problem". It simply means his temps may have been a bit low and fermentation is going slowly. There's nothing in brewing that says the faster it ferments the better the beer.

Leave the beer alone. Don't repitch. No need to waste yeast when you can clearly tell it's fermenting.

I raised the temp a few degrees. It was set to 58, and would stay around 62 in the fridge. I uped it to 62 on controller which should put it around 66 at highest. I'll check again in few days, wont pitch yeast

Thanks guys

ctufano said:

I raised the temp a few degrees. It was set to 58, and would stay around 62 in the fridge. I uped it to 62 on controller which should put it around 66 at highest. I'll check again in few days, wont pitch yeast

Thanks guys

Click to expand...

Ahhh - Temp was at 58 so beer would be 62 - Good for you!

However, that is probably the problem - the 4 (or more) extra degrees that the yeast raise the temps is during the first few days of extremely active fermentation. As fermentation slows down, the temps will cool.

Now many of your yeast are a little chilly to do much work. Raising the temps to mid 60s will probably finish out your beer just fine - although probably another week, maybe two... you really want to shoot for the calculated final gravity (plus or minus a few) to help avoid bottle bombs.

Doh! I was really wanting to bottle this sooner than later, sit on a week or two and ship to Florida to crack one with my pops during July 4 weekend while there. Guess we'll have to see how fast the last bit ferments out, hopefully just a week!

You're gravity is getting close. Normally I'd recommend letting it sit, but if you are in a hurry, then I would not hesitate to raise the temp up to 68-70 and see if it will drop a few more points.

That may give you 2-3 weeks to carb up in the bottle. Yes it will be sort of green, but still should be "ok". Keep the bottles about 75.

For what it's worth, I always set my ferm chamber to 62^F with the sensor submerged in a 2L bottle of water during the entire fermentation process. Temps on my worth never go above 68^F-69^F. The wort needs to be in the upper 60's to allow the yeasts just enough heat to multiply properly and consume the sugars, but not so much that they become their own large army that you have to fight off later.

Since you already have fermentation, you do not want to shake the fermenter. It will oxidize the beer.

You can try raising the temp a few degrees and see if the gravity falls more, but since this is an extract batch it would not be at all uncommon for the FG to hit 1.02 and stay there. If gravity is stable at 1.02, you're done.

I agree with RAM.

Don't be surprised if it does not get much lower than 1.020 I have read on this forum that this is common with extract brewing and personally I have not had any of my six extract batches finish lower than 1.020

Don't drive yourself nuts trying to reach a theoretical FG, if you're stable at 1.020 active fermentation is done, I would rack to secondary or bottle.

Currently have the fermenter set at 67 degrees or so. Will let it ride until the 7th, check gravity. If its lowered, let it ride and check again on the 9th. If same, gonna bottle I think

Thanks guys!