fermentation with no krausen?

So I just did my first all-grain last night (little stovetop 1 gallon) everything went well, hit my OG mark, starch conversion, etc. I pitched last night at 1:00am, and by the morning it's bubbling away quick quickly, but has absolutely no krausen on top. The yeast I used was Nottingham, which I understand should make a pretty healthy looking krausen on top. I know I should probably just RDWHAHB, but I'm just wondering what's up.

I wonder if the krauzen rose and fell over night???? On a gallon batch where you over pitched the yeast, I THINK that could conceivably happen.

Interesting - what causes krausen anyway - my last two batches have been so opposite. One needed a blow off tube and the one now has just a teeny tiny krausen (of course it's a British MILD so . . . ).

It must be a combination of yeast and ingredients. Do certain grain make more krausen then others?

Revvy said:

I wonder if the krauzen rose and fell over night???? On a gallon batch where you over pitched the yeast, I THINK that could conceivably happen.

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Well, I only used a half pack, so I figured it shouldn't be too overpitched. I just looked at the glass and there's residual foam about .5 inch up the glass, so I suppose that's possible.

If it is bubbling and you have sediment on the bottom, then your yeast is working. Yeast eats sugar and craps CO2 (then when it's done you need to put CO2 back into the beer, IRONIC)

Interesting. I posted the exact same question about a month ago. I have brewed 4 10 gallon batches since I moved into a new house. All were fermented in 6 gallon carboys. Three of the batches I had brewed before at my old house with the same grain - some from the same 50# sack. The krausen in all of the 8 primaries has been less than 3/4". At my old house I would start puking out the blowoff hose in 24 hours. The fermentation temperature is the same, equipment is the same, technique is the same, etc. The only thing I can figure is the water. My old house had slightly soft city water. It was untreated and came from a municipal well. The new house has slightly hard water that gets treated in a water softener. That's the only thing I can figure. I kind of like it because the beer tastes the same and the carboys are easier to clean. I paid for a water report when I bought the house, but I can't seem to find it to analyze the situation further.

When pitching onto an old yeast cake (of Wyeast 1056) I had a 5.5 gallon batch completely ferment out overnight -- no krausen remaining whatsoever. Do your hydrometer measurements, then you'll know the fermentation status for sure.

Wables said:

... The new house has slightly hard water that gets treated in a water softener. ...

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You really don't want to be brewing with softener treated water. Waaay too much salt in it. If memory serves, I think there's also a nutrient deficiency as well.

You're better off either putting in a filter/tap before the softener to get your brew water (along with a water analysis) or buying water.