Not so vigorous fermentation

All of my fermentations seem to be the opposite of vigorous, and I want to know why this is the case and what I am missing out on by having a vigorous fermentation.

First, about me:
I've brewed 7 all grain batches, all different styles, and each one has been anti-vigorous
Basement temp (where fermentation occurs) is steady at 60-63 degrees
I've used dry yeasts and liquid yeasts and both have produced similar results
I aerate my wort via shaking it in a carboy and wait for the temperature to drop to pitching range
I'm hitting around my OG/FG before/after fermentation

When I say "not so vigorous", I mean a very thin krausen (the most recent brew has a krausen only 1/4" thick!). I can see dry yeast clumps floating on the top of the krausen and they stay on the top of wort when the fermentation is done. My airlock activity is minimal, but it is there.

I know that my main concern in regards to analyzing fermentation should be the gravity reading transitioning from OG to FG numbers during fermentation, and it does, but what effects should I notice in my beer after having lackluster performance by the yeast? And, more importantly, how can I make the yeasties happy so they ferment actively?

Are you making starters with your liquid yeast and rehydrating your dry yeast in 100F water only? Pitching rate will have a big effect on the quality of your beer.

The only other factor is the low temps, but they actually look perfect to me, but it could vary depending on your yeast strain.

I say pitching rate, but since you're hitting your OG and FG, as long as the beer tastes good at the end, I wouldn't worry about how vigorous the fermentation looks.

Two of my brews used liquid yeasts and I did not make a starter... I know they are optimal and will make them in the future using the Mr. Malty calculator. Still, I was surprised that even the smack-pack activation did not seem to produce a higher-than-usual activity rate.

I have tried re-hydrating dry yeast and just sprinkling it directly into the carboy. Haven't seen much of a different except for the most recent time I rehydrate and got the 1/4" krausen (worse than usual). My re-hydrating method has been to follow the manufacturer's instructions on re-hydrating. In the case of the most recent batch, I used Safale US-05 and sprinkled into 1/2 cup boiled and cooled water that was 84 degrees, let it sit for 20 minutes, then stirred well and pitched. The manufacturer instructions said 80 degrees +/- 6 degrees.

Just wanted to update this...

I tried making a yeast starter with liquid yeast for my most recent batch in hopes of getting a more vigorous fermentation.

The yeast starter fermented very actively with about a 1.5" krausen at peak. I put in the fridge, decanted after 24 hours, and pitched into the carboy

The airlock activity is very rapid, but the krausen is very small... about a 1/4 inch thick only. Temps are stable at 60.

Man oh man would I like a big active fermentation!

vigorous doesn't mean it's a "good" fermentation, i wouldn't worry about it. I prefer a more gentle, slower fermentation myself. For me, those types of fermentations typically yield cleaner-tasting beers with less esters.

plus they're a pita to clean up after... sticky goo all up in the nooks and crannies of the lid and sometimes outside of the bucket.

You're borrowing trouble... if the beer tastes good, be happy. All that matters is what hits the glass!

markg388 said:

vigorous doesn't mean it's a "good" fermentation, i wouldn't worry about it. I prefer a more gentle, slower fermentation myself. For me, those types of fermentations typically yield cleaner-tasting beers with less esters.

plus they're a pita to clean up after... sticky goo all up in the nooks and crannies of the lid and sometimes outside of the bucket.

Click to expand...

^ this too

At 60° you are at the low end of most yeasts range. This is quite good for flavor but will produce a less than vigorous fermentation. Ferment above 80° and you should get a very vigorous fermentation.... And also bad off flavors.

As the other posts have said, if you get good tasting beer, don't worry about how vigorous the fermentation is.

Alright thanks everybody, guess I'll look elsewhere for improvements in my process

i had the same problem with my first 5 batches. my water report showed only 45 ppm of calcium. the last 5 batches that i added calcium chloride to have produced krausen into my airlock. that is with my fermentation chamber set to 65 and once accidently at 60. 9 of the 10 batches have been the same recipe.