I've been fermenting a wit for 3 weeks now and it's got a really stubborn kraeusen - there's still some foam/kraeusen left on the top even tho the SG has been stable at 1.008-1.010 for the past 2 days. Sample tastes great and I'd like to get it into bottles soon - is it OK to rack from under the kraeusen or should I just wait a few more days for it to fall? Thanks!
Stubborn Kraeusen
- Thread starter Wingy
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Maybe try giving it a light stir to help it settle? Just don't whip it good...easy shake...go fo it...it's not too late!
AR-Josh
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I have the same issue right now. My plan is to rack from under the krausen if it doesn't fall on it's own in a day or two. Sample tasted good. What does allowing the krausen to fall on it's own buy you anyway? What would it hurt to just rack from under it?
As long as the FG is stable over 2-3 days,you could go ahead & rack it. Is there yeast,etc settled on the bottom?
Gunfighter04
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Break it up gently with a sanitized spoon, give it a couple days and it should fall. If not Rack from beneath it
ArcaneXor
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The kraeusen will fall eventually by itself. Some strains are notorious for for having a kraeusen that sticks around for long; these seem to be powdery yeasts that do not flocculate well. Sometimes, gentle agitation can accelerate the process. I would let the beer sit for a few days after the kraeusen falls to give the yeast a chance to settle out to the bottom.
Isn't this normal for a top-cropping yeast, like most Belgian Wit yeasts?
(I'm a n00b to this myself... in fact I have my first beer using a Belgian Wit yeast fermenting right now, 7 days in primary so far... so I don't know, but that's what I heard, is that with top-cropping yeasts, the krausen basically just sits there indefinitely, because it's not really krausen, it's a yeast colony...?)
(I'm a n00b to this myself... in fact I have my first beer using a Belgian Wit yeast fermenting right now, 7 days in primary so far... so I don't know, but that's what I heard, is that with top-cropping yeasts, the krausen basically just sits there indefinitely, because it's not really krausen, it's a yeast colony...?)
JonK331
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You can either wait, cold crash (if you can), or just slightly break the surface tension to help the Krausen drop.
ArcaneXor
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Kraeusen is (mostly) yeast. Most yeasts will form a kraeusen during active fermentation, but they tend to fall within a few days once the fermentation slows down with flocculant strains. Less flocculant strains sometimes persist for days to weeks after active fermentation is done. It doesn't hurt anything (in fact, it protects the beer), but it can be annoying if you are trying to turn the beer over quickly.
Gotcha. Thanks, I'm glad I piped up, this clarifies a couple of things for me.
Thanks for all the advice - I'll give it a gentle swirl and wait 3-4 days, if it falls then I'll rack and if not I'll be careful about racking under and avoiding the yeast. It was a low floculating strain so that could explain it.
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