not seeing any kraussen

So, After a week in the primary, i took a quick peek to check on my beer by removing the airlock really quickly, and saw no kraussen on the sides of the barrel. just curious if this occurs occasionally or do i have reason for concern?
its a DME pale ale, I did have imperfect issues when i went to pitch my yeast, but there was still very visible activity in the airlock for about 3 days.

not planning on deep sixing this batch, just curious what i should expect in 5 weeks when i plan on opening bottle #1

TIA

Since you saw activity in the early stages, my guess is that the yeast is working away. After the initial hyperactivity yeast tends to settle down but continues to work through the beer making it better and better!

B

Wait a couple of weeks then take a sample, taste and take a gravity reading . . . . . There is no plan, there is only do, the yeast have their own timetable.

COLObrewer said:

. . . There is no plan, there is only do, the yeast have their own timetable.

Click to expand...

Not sure why this is preached.
Not sure why yeast are personified.

Yeast are little biological machines. They have no personality or attitude. They can only react to the environment that you put them in. Pitch enough yeast into healthy, well-aerated wort at the proper temperature and they will act within a predictable timetable. The degree that you stray from optimal conditions will determine how long your beer takes to finish. Not the mood of your yeast.

From the omnicient Wikipedia:

Kräusen, also spelled "kraeusen" or "krausen", pronounced "KROY-zen", is a beer-brewing term that has two definitions in that context.
1. A method to carbonate beer in which wort is added to the fermented/finished beer to carbonate.[1]
2. The foamy, meringue-like head that develops during the initial stage of beer fermentation.[1]
The word comes from German for frizzy hair ("krauses Haar"). The foam buildup is attributed to yeast eating sugars and building up CO2 in the process.

The Krausen 'head' doesn't stay there throughout the fermentation. It will develope as the fermentation starts to rage and then will settle back into the beer as the fermentation slows. If you didn't look at your beer until day 7, then you probably just missed it, especially if it's an average beer (not too high of an OG).