Krausen preventing quick turnaround

[Evan_L]

I made a batch based on the centennial blonde grain bill, came in at 1.040. Was hoping for a quick turnaround to fill the keg back up and to try the Mosaic I just got in. I have read about others going grain to glass within two weeks and was shooting for the same.

I was hoping to ferment out quick, quick dry hop blast days 8-11, cold crash for 48 hours, and force carb for a 2 week turnaround.

I am pretty confident in my process, borderline over pitched with a starter (1056), aerated, temps held steady around 66 etc. But I am not used to opening the fermenter before the 3 week mark. Most of my brews have been higher gravity and I primary only so there really is no point in letting O2 in before then. I was surprised to pop the lid at day 8 to find a massive krausen atop and even now, still at day 12 to find a good 1/2 inch layer.

Leads me to some questions:

1. Is there a correlation between final gravity and the presence of the krausen? Does its presence signal that final gravity has not yet been reached or is it more a function of other variables such as temperature etc. at that point.

2. Can it be forced to drop the yeast in this situation by cold crashing or racking from under the krausen layer assuming final gravity has been reached? Would doing so interrupt any vital yeast processes still ongoing?

3. Would a different yeast strain work better for what I am trying to achieve?

I ask out of curiosity more than impatience. If it takes longer then so be it. With 7# of new hops in the freezer that i've never tried, I was hoping to take the next two months to make single hop batches with quick turnaround so that I could learn their flavors and be able to better formulate recipes with them this summer. Might I have better luck with a different yeast or recipe to go grain to glass in 2 weeks?

 

[BBL_Brewer]

The beer has probably reached FG, the krausen just hasn't sunk yet. I normally wait three weeks before kegging, but sometimes I'm in a hurry and keg one at two. There is usually some krausen still floating at that point. No big deal, just rack from under it. Or you could cold crash it, that will make it sink faster too. To answer your yeast question, the more flocculant the yeast the faster the beer will clear, but that doesn't mean you'll get better beer in the same amount of time. If you want to turn things around as quickly as possible, then take some gravity readings. Once the beer reaches FG, keg it up. Doesn't really matter what the beer looks like at that point as it will clear up in the frige.

 

[brew_ny]

US-05 ? top crop it / skim and reuse your yeast if you are at FG

all the best

S_M

 

[Evan_L]

Thanks for the help



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[progmac]

just rely on your FG test. it is not unheard of for a krausen to hang around after the beer has finished fermenting.

 

[Orthobrewsky]

I clicked just to see if it was the yeast you used. It happens frequently with that strain of yeast. It will almost always fall by 3 weeks. I've racked from under the krausen a time or two.

 

[IL1kebeer]

Krausen for that yeast usually goes away on the 7th or 8th day in my experience. Although on a 1.040 beer I'd expect it to be done a bit sooner. Anyway, I bet that it won't be long before it drops. That yeast isn't a great flocculator so I'd expect at least some krausen with a 1 week turn around. I'd taste it to check that the yeast have cleaned up though.

Now WLP007, that's a different story for a quick and clean turnaround. With a reasonable OG, at 5 days it's at FG and the krausen is gone. 2 more days for clean up and you can rack beer that is clear and free of off flavors in 7 days. This yeast's attenuation is very close to the Chico strain and the esters can be kept in check with a lower ferment temp. It actually can come out quite clean if you keep temps on the low side.

 

[Evan_L]

Checked last night, day 13, and it was gone. Went very fast once it started. I've actually got some 007 in the fridge. I'll have to try that with the next batch.

 

[Brewenstein]

I've racked from under the krausen a time or two.

Sounds like TMI!! Is that a one or two person activity?