Kolsch fermentation question

[Mandan]

I've not used this yeast before and heard it isn't a flocculant strain. So, I've made a 1.050 batch that appears to be fermented out but there is still about half and inch of kraeusen sitting on top. I'm thinking of racking off to a keg and crashing in the keezer, then pushing to another keg after a week or so. It's been in the fermenter for 17 days now, with most of the action in the first few days. Should I do it or keep waiting?

 

[duboman]

This yeast is very slow and takes awhile to flocculate out. At 17 days I would let it go another week. If you have the ability to cold crash it for a few days that would help a lot

 

[Mandan]

Okay. I'll let it go another week. It sits at basement temp- 54 degF. If it doesn't settle out much, I may move it to the keezer for a few more days.

 

[JLem]

Kolsch is a style that can/ should be lagered for a few weeks once fermentation is done. This will help things settle out. I might let it go another 4-7 days, or even longer if I didn't have time to deal with it, then rack, crash and lager for 3-4 weeks.

Out of curiosity, which yeast strain are you using?

 

[Kaewan]

I've used the Wyeast 2565 strain twice so far. Both times I've made a starter and found it is even difficult to decant the starter because the yeast doesn't flocculate well. It's a slow yeast if you ferment it on the lower end of the recommended range. At the end of fermentation, it leaves much more krausen on top than most yeasts. After racking from under the krausen, the carboy looks like a bottle of muck. I used gelatin to clarify my Kolsch, which works quite well-- even at room temperature for a few days.

 

[Mandan]

JLem, Kaewan- good info. It is Wyeast 2565, fermented at 65 deg for two weeks. I pulled the plug and it's now 55-57 deg. I have nothing but time. Shall I leave it at that for a couple more weeks or would it be better at 38 deg?

 

[JLem]

JLem, Kaewan- good info. It is Wyeast 2565, fermented at 65 deg for two weeks. I pulled the plug and it's now 55-57 deg. I have nothing but time. Shall I leave it at that for a couple more weeks or would it be better at 38 deg?

If it is done fermenting (has reached a stable, sufficiently low gravity), then I would move it to the lagering stage, so 38F would be a great temp.

 

[Mandan]

It's lagering now. But it didn't attenuate well- 1.019. I should have taken a gravity before racking off primary. Usually 3 weeks gets my beer down to 1.012. Perhaps at 65 deg I should have given it more time?