Krausen won't go away

Anyone ever have a batch that the krausen refuses to subside? I have an AG batch (Belgium Wit, WLP400 Belgium Yeast, no candy sugar) that I pitched into the primary 18 days ago; racked after 7 with a thick krausen. It started growing again in the secondary two inches thick. It's been in there now for 11 days and shows no sign of going away. Gravities as follows:

Day 0: OG - 1.050
Day 7: 1.025 (Racked to secondary)
Day 18: 1.016 (secondary sample - tastes great)
Desired FG: 1.012 (ProMash)

Was planning on bottling it up this Sat but history has stated wait til she falls & the airlock is basically done. So, if I hit my FG with a dead airlock do I bottle anyways or let it sit longer until it drops? I got more beer to make but can only ferment one at a time in summer (fermentation chiller).

Could always move it to a vessel with water and some ice in the house so I can get the next batch going this Saturday but just never experienced this before. Need to check the airlock; haven't stared at that in a couple of days.

Damn, did I challenge the experts here?

Anyways, an update to this. 3 weeks now as of about 1a tonight. I stared at the airlock last night and am getting a burp about every 5-7 seconds. Krausen is still hanging around merrily on the top.

What the heck is going on here???

Do I rack it again? Any suggestions and/or had a batch do this and it still came out good or am I just freaking out here and being impatient. I read somewhere a long drawn out ferment could be a sign of wild yeast but this thing started ferociously (through the blowoff) then slowed down. I'm going to do another gravity test tomorrow. Janx, you stalking out there?

Sam, this is your Celis Clone recipe guy, help .

I brewed up a hoegaarden clone using Wyeast Belgian wit yeast recently - primary kicked off great guns - there was yeast everywhere the day after I pitched, but it took about 3 weeks in secondary for the yeast to finish doing its thing,

The yeast characteristics are probably fairly similar between wyeast and white labs so chill and have a home brew - I put the slow ferment down to the secondary being relegated to the fairly cool garage, but the more I think about it, it's probably that the yeast just takes it's time to finish

Slainte !

80/-

80/- said:

I brewed up a hoegaarden clone using Wyeast Belgian wit yeast recently - primary kicked off great guns - there was yeast everywhere the day after I pitched, but it took about 3 weeks in secondary for the yeast to finish doing its thing,

The yeast characteristics are probably fairly similar between wyeast and white labs so chill and have a home brew - I put the slow ferment down to the secondary being relegated to the fairly cool garage, but the more I think about it, it's probably that the yeast just takes it's time to finish

Slainte !

80/-

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Thanks - I suspected perhaps the yeast was at issue but never have done a wit before. Still not concerned since it tastes fine just my past experience (20 batches or so) I've always been basically done and settled out after week 2. Glad to hear this can happen with something besides a huge beer.

Thanks to you too Homebrewer Bill. Just didn't feel like hijacking that other guys thread with my response

You're welcome and no problem.

I've actually only had one batch that the kreusen head would not subside for weeks. It is kind of disheartening when you are going over your notes and start thinking you did something wrong.

I just let it do its thing. I'm in no real hurry.

That's one of the many reasons why I have 5 primaries, 2 bottling buckets, and 4 carboys.

I made a HW last Sat and transferred it to a carboy last night.

I started brewing an English Strong (Extra Special) Bitter (@ an estimated 1.048 OG/1.007 FG) last night around 9PM. I'm not certain how it'll come out though. When building my recipe in Recipator it said I should use 6 oz of hops to get within the proper bitterness zone, but I only used 3 oz. Now, I know an English Bitter is not really bitter, but 6 oz of hops sounded too scary. I figured I'll correct the bitterness level several days prior to bottling with a hop tea (if it's too sweet) then let it sit some more.

I have 1 or 2 guys (maybe) coming over tomorrow to brew another HW. I go on the road again on Wed for almost 2 weeks. Maybe I can get the Bitter into a carboy before leaving. If they don't show up I'll still brew. I can cut the grass on Sunday.

It's great to be able to rack to a carboy then go away for a week or so then your beer is ready for bottling when you get home. Then it bottle conditions while your away again...maybe that's one of my secrets for being patient.

I learned a long time ago that worrying is like paying interest on a debt you do not owe. Relax, have a homebrew!

It really wasn't the worrying either. It's just too hot here now where i feel comfortable letting it sit out in the house somewhere at 77-78 indoors (I miss my Milwaukee basement!). So because of this I got that there Fermentation Chiller so I inherently have to look at the beer everyday as I switch out the ice. Knowing I wanted to brew tomorrow I was in the "get your butt done mode" so I can put someone new in there . It's going to start cooling off here soon so I'll finally be able to have more than one batch in the works and use my multiple carboys as well (woo hoo!).

I think I'm going to let this one finish out in a closet in the house and move on with the next batch. I'd suspect the temp conrol during fermentation is most critical whilst it is in its most active state eh?

Yes, your suspicions are correct on the temp.

Just curious and trying to learn as I go...is the gravity still dropping? Looking at White Labs info on WLP400 it has reasonably high attenuation (which should lead to 1.011 - 13 FG for you) and pretty low floculation which would lead me to believe, unless someone corrects me, that it would stay in suspension and work for longer than a yeast strain with lower atten. and/or higher floc. Just ruminating!

BeeGee said:

Just curious and trying to learn as I go...is the gravity still dropping? Looking at White Labs info on WLP400 it has reasonably high attenuation (which should lead to 1.011 - 13 FG for you) and pretty low floculation which would lead me to believe, unless someone corrects me, that it would stay in suspension and work for longer than a yeast strain with lower atten. and/or higher floc. Just ruminating!

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I tested gravity Sat and am down to 1.012. Burp every 10 sec now. Still has krausen on the top. tasted great. It's just taking its sweet old time. I'd suspect it'll go down to <= 1.010 and finally start settling out. I wouldn't doubt it if I have to keep it in the secondary for another 2 weeks (total of 5 weeks)...

Not quite the same thing, but I just racked over a honey wheat. It had been in primary for a week. It still had a good kreautsen on, but was at 1.008! It used WLP 320 (I think....it's the American Hefe yeast).

wheat yeast always seems to be a long, active ferment. at least all the one's i've brewed have been that way. a friend of mine has a belgian triple going (his first big beer) and he's freak'n out because it wasn't finished in 3-4 days like all his other ales.
just let the beer work, keep it cool and dark, and she'll be just fine....

i had that happen with the third round of the chico ale yeast...

it was fine, after two weeks of a full head, i opened the airlock and she sank. might be surface tension is really strong in there.

DeRoux's Broux said:

wheat yeast always seems to be a long, active ferment. at least all the one's i've brewed have been that way. a friend of mine has a belgian triple going (his first big beer) and he's freak'n out because it wasn't finished in 3-4 days like all his other ales.
just let the beer work, keep it cool and dark, and she'll be just fine....

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He's going to be freaking out for a while, then! I just racked mine over. It was in primary for 2-3 weeks, and only got down to 1.025.

he will be Sam! he was freak'n out about adding the belgian candy sugar. all worried it was going to be too sweet. i kept telling him, let it condition for a good while, let it ride......he can't relax. he'll be calling me daily........
he's entertaining though!

Well, I finally bottled this Belgium Wit last night. It took 7 days in the primary and 27 more in the secondary. OG 1.050, FG 1.005

Took a taste before bottling and I think the jury is out on how it'll be. Can't describe but tastes different from when it did two weeks ago and not necessarily better . Hope its good, I know the ABV is nice at about 6% I've never had a FG that low...

It finally stopped at 27 days? Wow. How did the flavor change?

gaelone said:

It finally stopped at 27 days? Wow. How did the flavor change?

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It stopped more about 17 days in the secondary. The extra 10 was to let it settle out. As for flavor, it seemed a wee bit more bitter than the taste test at 1.014. Also, a bit thin and alcohol'ish? I think I read somewhere that can be a bad thing eh? 6 weeks to end up with a suspect batch would make for an angry homebrewer! We shall see...