krausen won't drop after 7 days

I'm fermenting an ale at about 70 F and my yeast was up and running the next morning after brewing. My yeast slap pack was only a month old so it was very active the next morning.

I know you can't always determine the completion of the fermentation based on the bubbles in the airlock...but I never had a case where there was absolutely no activity and the krausen was still suspended on top.

The krausen (about 2" high and overly foamy) has been just sitting there for 4 days without dropping back down. Does it have to drop back down? In my experience it always has.

Thanks

It will eventually...it just means fermentation is still happenning and the yeastis aren't finished and have torn down their temporary work camp yet...Patience!!!!

Today is two weeks for me, and this is what my beer still looks like.

Thanks...yes. Patience is key. It's been a few years since I brewed so feels like I'm checking the carboy more often than usual.

Me thinks Ducky brews dark beers in dark places.

i'm not trying to condone this behavior but on my last two brews, a belgian wit and a kolsch, the krausen has had no intention of going anywhere, i determined by hydro readings the beer was done, so i racked it and the first one turned out fine, the kolsch is cold crashing and i'll know soon if that one turned out fine too. maybe i was too quick to pull the trigger, but i figured after the hydro told me, it was time to go.

android said:

i'm not trying to condone this behavior but on my last two brews, a belgian wit and a kolsch, the krausen has had no intention of going anywhere, i determined by hydro readings the beer was done, so i racked it and the first one turned out fine, the kolsch is cold crashing and i'll know soon if that one turned out fine too. maybe i was too quick to pull the trigger, but i figured after the hydro told me, it was time to go.

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These yeasts are top cropping strains and do not settle out to the bottom when they are done fermenting.

It really depends on the strain. The hydro tells the story.

Zen_Brew said:

Me thinks Ducky brews dark beers in dark places.

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lol its not even a dark beer, its a hefewuizen.

For what it's worth, 2 of the beers I have in primary right now at about 64 degrees, a belgian wit (WLP400) and a summer wheat (WLP320), took 2.5 weeks for the krausen to drop.

I'm using a Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardens. I may take a gravity reading this weekend to see where I stand.

Ducky said:

Today is two weeks for me, and this is what my beer still looks like.

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I just did a hefe and after two weeks, mine looked pretty much the same as yours.