Krausen not falling.

Hey guys, currently have a 5 gallon batch of belgian wit fermenting. It has been fermenting since jan 16 and the krausen has not fallen yet. I have done some research on it and everyone is saying that sometimes it takes 2-3 weeks to fall and sometimes it will never fall and you just siphon through it when bottling. Just wanted to get some opinions on this. The two week mark is hitting this Sunday and I was hoping to start bottling.

What yeast did you use? What fermentation temp? I have a Belgian Wit in primary right now almost a week in and looks about like yours. I used the WL-400 yeast recommended by AHS for their kit. I am sure someone with more experience will be along to help more than I can but I am sure someone will ask these, and maybe more questions to be able to help you better. Good luck!

i used white labs WLP400 Belgian Wit Ale Yeast. the temp has been around 70 degrees in the closet of my office.

What's the gravity of the beer?

I used WLP400 for my Wit that I bottled about a couple weeks ago. I didn't have any issues with the krausen falling. However, I did have airlock activity for about a week or so straight. I believe I raised the temp to around 72 F. Sometimes it will take just a little longer than usual. I would just wait it out.

I did my first brew on Jan. 9 and the the Krausen didn't fall until about the day before I bottled - Jan 23. Check your gravity (and listen to Revvy). I had two readings of 1.010 over 3 days. That was spot on the target FG and with no change, I knew it was done.

The OG was 1.061. Whats the best way to take another reading right now?

Garrett said:

The OG was 1.061. Whats the best way to take another reading right now?

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How did you take it the first time? You just open the fermenter and take a sample.

Mine Krausen never did fall in my Wit. I decided to take a gravity reading, and it was done, so I racked into my 2nd. Mine was in the primary for 20 days before I moved it to the 2nd.

Kimo

Revvy said:

How did you take it the first time? You just open the fermenter and take a sample.

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Just siphoned it out. i just worry about contamination. ill just starsan it well and get back to you.

Garrett said:

Just siphoned it out. i just worry about contamination. ill just starsan it well and get back to you.

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Star San and you will be fine taking a sample, after it has some alcohol content ( I've heard around 3% ) most bugs wont survive, RDWHAHB!!

Just checked gravity today and i am at 1.028. the FG on the recipe calls for 1.008-1.010. so im assuming i should let it go for another week?

Garrett said:

Just checked gravity today and i am at 1.028. the FG on the recipe calls for 1.008-1.010. so im assuming i should let it go for another week?

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Another week, another month?? who knows? The yeast work on their own schedule and will finish when they finish, not based on a calendar day. I'd give it a couple of weeks and then take another gravity reading.

It's interesting that its been a couple weeks and its still in the 1.020's. Even my lager doesn't take that long at 50 Deg. and it was at 1.056 OG.

hmmf

I just saw this in another thread. Apparently its a slow yeast -
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/anybody-had-attenuation-problems-wlp400-belgian-wit-yeast-178457/

RukusDM said:

I just saw this in another thread. Apparently its a slow yeast -
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/anybody-had-attenuation-problems-wlp400-belgian-wit-yeast-178457/

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Thanks for the input, I just read over this thread and I see people are saying to rock and swirl the wort, since im so new to this are they meaning to actually stir it up inside or just pickup the carboy and move it around?

just pick up the carboy and move it around. swirl the yeast, rock it back and forth, just get it agitated a bit.

The one thing I've learned from this wonderful website....RDWHAHB

Cheers!

thanks for the help. hopefully by next week it will be ready to bottle.

just took a gravity reading today and we are on track at 1.016.

BE PATIENT. Make another beer to get your mind off of this one and let those yeasties do their job. Check back on it in a couple of weeks. Patience is the HARDEST quality to learn when entering this hobby.

Finally bottled today! The krausen actually ended up fully falling two days ago and just left with a few star sans bubbles on the top. Got a final gravity of 1.010. Took a little taste and seems pretty good so far, cant wait for a real taste in a few weeks.

Garrett said:

Finally bottled today! The krausen actually ended up fully falling two days ago and just left with a few star sans bubbles on the top. Got a final gravity of 1.010. Took a little taste and seems pretty good so far, cant wait for a real taste in a few weeks.

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Well how was It ??

absolutely wonderful!

To add on to this, I found this post b/c I just finished my 2nd batch of wit with Wyeast's 'Belgian Wit' yeast. I noticed some yeast colonies still on top of my last batch when I kegged it but kegged it anyway, but this time I held off because there was still a thick layer of yeast on top of the beer after 12 days in the primary, and the airlock had just slowed to 2 bubbles a minute around day 11, so I was worried. The good news is, you can rest easy- your wit may be ready. I took a gravity reading (poked though the yeast layer to the beer to take it) and my FG was 1.013 - that's having started with a SG of 1.051 - so it was ready! Apparently some of wit yeast will stay on top of the beer. I doesn't mean it's not done fermenting. Just wait till your airlock slows way down or stops and take a gravity reading.