krausen (nasty looking layer on top) won't drop

Im not sure on the spelling but the "Kroesen" or layer of stuff on top of the fermenting beer wont drop. This has been the case on the last few batches of beer I'v brewed. I just wanted to know if it is something i should stir back in or just ignore it and when I rack to my secondary it will be left behind. The only drawback that I can figure is that there are a lot of hop leafs that are stuck in the thick foam and are not making contact with he brew, I am guessing I'd get more hop utilization if it where in the beer itself not floating in the filth?
thanks
-brian

How long have you been waiting for it to drop (how long since brew day)? I've had krausen not drop for a couple weeks but it almost always goes away. Best thing to do is leave the beer alone and let it finish up before you rack.

this batch has only been going for 8 days but the last one went for almost a month before i finally just said screw it and racked it with the kreusen still floating. I know its not done fermenting yet but i wanted to know if it should be stirred back in. Actually this batch hasn't had a very strong fermentation, there has been no air lock activity at all. The gravity is changing so there is something taking place just not the usual bubbling.

Sometimes they do hang around, I wouldn't bother stirring it back in. I'd give it to 2 weeks at least and if the gravity has stopped dropping and is in the range you expect, go ahead and rack from underneath.

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sounds like a plan, thanks. I guess I need to look into getting a conical fermenter.
-brian

s50///mpower said:

sounds like a plan, thanks. I guess I need to look into getting a conical fermenter.
-brian

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A conical won't make a krausen drop any faster than it will in a bucket or a carboy...The krausen is a living thing, it has it's own agenda, and where it's growing in won't change it's desire to fall to fit your or any brewer's agenda.

The only difference, is that you won't see whether or not the Krausens fallen or not.

Use the hydrometer Luke, Only that will tell you when fermentation is over.
Lets see if this works.
Otherwise, OK I got to do it, GIVE IT TIME.



Man I hate that song.

Good god am I glad I was too young during the 80's to hear crap like that! Yeah I just meant that I could use the conical fermenter to get the beer racked with minimal filth transfer. just checked the gravity and in 4 days it drooped from 1.017 to 1.016, I will probably rack this weekend if the numbers dont change much more.

OK, being serious.... It's just hard to do.
Depending on the yeast, wort, temperature, sometimes you just have to roust the yeast. Shake the sucker and remind it to go back to work.
Sometimes you just need to sit back and give it time.
Personally I will shake, rattle and roll any fermentation that is slowing down on me before it dies, the hydrometer is really the only real judge if something is wrong or if its done.
-- Side note, yes I am a yeast voyeur, stalker and micro-manager. Do you think it would be OK to put on my resume that I supervise billions of yeast in the production of of gods gift to humanity?

could be surface tensions as well. could be the yeasties like hanging out up there. some ale yeasts collect at the top of the wort, look at the square fermentors the brits use, they scoop the yeast off the top.

I just racked a belgian last weekend that had some yeast that wouldn't drop after two weeks. First time that happened to me. Only thing that annoyed me was since I was going straight to the keg on that one I ended up wasting more beer than usual to avoid picking it up. The FG was good when I measured it.

- Eric

well i'll play the waiting game and see if the numbers continue to go down, so is the krasen a by product of the yeast causing the suspended junk to float up or is it the yeast itself?

elowe said:

I just racked a belgian last weekend that had some yeast that wouldn't drop after two weeks. First time that happened to me. Only thing that annoyed me was since I was going straight to the keg on that one I ended up wasting more beer than usual to avoid picking it up. The FG was good when I measured it.

- Eric

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I had the same thing happen with a Wit I brewed. Eventually I just racked from underneath. The Beer turned out well.

Leaf hops in the primary? That might be part of the issue with the krausen clinging to these floaties. And as for utilization, were the hops added as dry hops or from the kettle. If from the kettle, you won't get any bitt and prob most of flavor has already been absorbed into the beer. Maybe try filtering out if they came from the kettle, then the krausen won't be as likely to be clingy. Yeast can take a good while to settle out, but from experience it seems that there are always a few hops hanging out at the top when added post boil(dry).

yeah they are leaf hops and yes I left the "aroma" hops in the wort when I poured into the primary. Next time I will try filtering the wort on the way to the primary.