Krausen that's not gonna quit...

I've got almost 3 weeks into a Double Chocolate Stout and I have a 1.5 inch layer on the top that hasn't dropped in size in about 2 weeks. Airlock activity is about 1/min and when you tap the carboy, it moves as one fluid motion. I haven't seen this on any of my other beers and it has looked exactly the same for about 2 weeks.

I'm not trying to rush it, but after reading other posts... think this krausen is almost carmalized... it's seriously not moving. Really odd.
How long before i just punch through it with a siphon and bring it over to secondary? I'll wait as long as I need to... but I just don't see this dropping at all... I think this head is here to stay.

I know.. be patient. but I'm wondering if anyone has ever had a krausen just sort of... never fall?

I had one like this on my Belgian Wit. I didn't think it was ever going to fall. Hang in there. It'll drop eventually.

Sometimes krausen will actually harden in place, especially with certain yeast strains (Fermentis K-97, among others). Give it another week or two, and (so long as the specific gravity is stable), rack to secondary.

give that sucker a light swirl and let if fall back into the beer. all those yeast are just sitting at the top right now.

Yuri_Rage said:

Sometimes krausen will actually harden in place, especially with certain yeast strains (Fermentis K-97, among others). Give it another week or two, and (so long as the specific gravity is stable), rack to secondary.

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That is exactly what this looks like. It's almost caramalized on the top... like the bubbles were frozen into place. Im sure it's a nice protective layer...

I'll watch it and post pics next week if it's still there.
THanks

I just brewed a wit that had the same thing.

It fell when I was moving the carboy to the counter for bottling.

Had that happen to a scottish once. I don't think the krausen means much really about what is happening with the fermentation. If it's done, rack it regardless I say.

More common on wheats, but I've had it happen on an oatmeal stout. Didn't break up until I racked to the keg at 4 weeks.

DeathBrewer said:

give that sucker a light swirl and let if fall back into the beer. all those yeast are just sitting at the top right now.

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try the swirl... i just had this happen on a stout, it dropped a few days later.

david_42 said:

More common on wheats, but I've had it happen on an oatmeal stout. Didn't break up until I racked to the keg at 4 weeks.

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yep, it's just a mixture of proteins and top fermenting yeast.

OK - I'm going out of town for a week. I ate it, punched through that krausen that hasn't moved - even after swirling it every day for 5 days... and siphoned out my beer to secondary. It seems/looks/smells ok... I lost a LOT of beer though. Easily about a half gallon that didnt' come over due to trub, sludge, extralarge krausen. etc. etc. I'm a wee bit pissed about that but what can ya do?

This better be good beer![URL=http://img442.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00009200812121857de9.jpg] [/URL]

kahunaman said:

I lost a LOT of beer though. Easily about a half gallon that didnt' come over due to trub, sludge, extralarge krausen. etc. etc. I'm a wee bit pissed about that but what can ya do?[/URL][/URL]

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you could have let it sit up on the counter (or wherever you were racking from) while you were out of town and then racked gently after the krausen has fallen and the trub on the bottom was more stable.

why is everyone in such a hurry?

DeathBrewer said:

you could have let it sit up on the counter (or wherever you were racking from) while you were out of town and then racked gently after the krausen has fallen and the trub on the bottom was more stable.

why is everyone in such a hurry?

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Read my previous posts. When I say this krausen was not moving, I wasn't kidding. The Krausen was NOT fallling... it seemed like it caramalized or something.... when you swirled it, it would break a bit into chunks, then join back up together.