US 05 Low Krausen

Hey all,

I pitched 2 packs of 05 on Sunday afternoon, and fermentation got started with in 8 hours. It is fermenting steady at 64 , but there is only a quarter inch of krausen.

Does this lack of krausen have any implications that this is not a healthy fermentation?

Usually I need a blow off tube with 05 and I am surprised by the lack of krausen.


Below is the grain bill

Pale ale:
10.25 2 row
.6 aromatic
.6 special roast
.6 victory

Mash at 151
Og: 1.060 (little higher than expected)

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

I have noticed that with S-05, at least for me, the first generation does not seem to form a tall krausen if started at 66 F or below. It does tend to build gradually, sometimes peaking as late as day 4. For the second generation, it produces much more krausen that peaks around 24-48 hrs.

Size of krausen, the color of krausen, the look of krausen, means about as much to the finished product as whether or not an airlock bubbles.....in other words ABSOLUTELY nothing.

Thanks for the quick replies

Yup totally normal. If I'm fermenting in my big bucket, sometimes I can't even see the US-05 krausen, but even using the same yeast it will probably look different every time.

I get a lower krausen with US-05 than I do with 001/1056. I tend to need a blow-off tube with the liquid yeast, never needed one with US-05 though

Revvy said:

Size of krausen, the color of krausen, the look of krausen, means about as much to the finished product as whether or not an airlock bubbles.....in other words ABSOLUTELY nothing.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't say absolutely nothing. Obviously correlation does not imply causation... Weak yeast does not always mean small krausen, and vice versa. Protein/trub levels, vessel geometry, temperature are all going to factor in. But I'm willing to bet that a common symptom of a weak fermentation is a smaller-than-average krausen. And with weak fermentations come other symptoms, e.g. off flavors, incomplete attenuation, etc. So IMO evaluating the krausen can sometimes be part of the puzzle when trying to ascertain your yeast health (at least empirically).

Started a batch of cream ale the other day; rehydrated two packs of US-05 in a small flask on a stir plate and pitched at 67; have an American wheat using Wyeast 1010 right beside it in the ferm chamber. The 1010 beer (2 litre starter) has a monster krausen and there is barely anything on the US-05. Not necessarily worried about it, but intrigued since I usually get massive krausen; in this case I overpitched if anything so a bit surprised to see so little krausen.

I just pitched about a week ago US05 into an IPA I'm making and I have very little Krausen. I have had way more but I've found it varies every time. Not too worried though.

I find that when I ferment on the low end (60 - 64) the krausen doesn't get to crazy, and the beer comes out very clean and crisp

Hello,
Brewed my first all grain batch Friday night. (Sunday afternoon now.) It is a blonde using nottingham ale yeast. Lots of bubbling going on but no thick kausen as I am used to. It has been hot here in Denver, and even the basement gets close to 75 degrees. I hydrated at 72. Wort was approx 70. As I said, plenty of activity, just curious, first time with all grain or nottingham.
Thanks