10+ days of thick krausen in primary while using starter with stir plate

[neiltl3]

I just bought a stir plate and started using it for the first time on my last three batches. I generally make IPA's and always dry hop. On my last two batches I still have about 3-4 inches of Krausen after 10 days and I am not sure if I can transfer to the secondary to dry hop. I always would wait until the Krausen dropped before transferring but at this point it is taking so long. On my last batch I transferred before it dropped and the beer did not have the same hop aroma I am used to. I am making my starters based on the book Yeast - The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation by Jamil Zainasheff. Any thoughts or help you can give is greatly appreciated as always.

 

[osagedr]

Patience is a virtue.

 

[flexbrew]

I would wait, its usually 14 days wait for me. Sometimes ill have Croisen at 10 days but its a work night so im not messing around with anything.

 

[wolfman_48442]

I'm surprised no one has jumped in and berated you for not taking gravity measurements
They're the only way to know where the yeast are in their process. Just too many variables to be able to say "On x number of days, I shall do y..."

 

[neiltl3]

I know I expected to get hit hard for not taking a gravity reading, truth is that it was a night brew and I enjoyed a few to many home brews. I also dumped my stir bar in with the yeast so I was unable to make a starter for my brew this weekend, one of the main reasons I wanted to transfer it tonight.

 

[legaleagle37]

just make your starter as usual and shake it by hand whenever you walk by instead of transferring the other batch early.

Make it a little larger if necessary...compare the stir plate numbers vs. manual shaking on mrmalty calculator, they aren't that far apart.

Also, consider picking up an extra stirbar or stick a strong fridge magnet on the outside of the flask when you pitch to hold onto the stirbar.

 

[neiltl3]

My plan was just to make it and shake it, I have done it that way before. Using a stir plate is far superior, I never had fermentation last this long before I started using the stir plates. I will be buying extra stir bars I actually make two because we make 10 gallons and split it in 2 carboys, I do have magnets for holding the bars in the flask it was due to the excessive amounts of home brew that I forgot to use the magnet. All in all it was the fact that our tasty home brew was just to good that night, and I was just trying to figure out if I could get away with racking it after 10 days without a hydrometer reading(also due to excessive homebrew) but I guess I knew the answer before I even posted.

 

[wyzazz]

What yeast are you using? What are your ferment temps?

In my experience some yeasts (WLP041 for example) will krauesen for a good long while. Cooler temps also help to drop a krauesen sometimes. Also, try to keep in mind that every fermentation is different. There may be some miniscule environmental factor that is affecting the yeast and making them behave differently than you expect.

 

[neiltl3]

I used Wyeast Labs American Ale II - 1272 for the first time, my temperatures are around 62F right now. I am in the process of building a room in my basement to control temps, but it will be a few months before that is in action. I love that quote, I usually am ok with waiting, the issue this time was that I drunkenly dropped my stir bars into the fermentors, and needed to make a starter last night because I am going to be out of town for a few days and am going to brew the morning I get back. I just made one anyway and was swirling it around all night.

 

[wyzazz]

I've never used WY1272 so I cannot comment on that particular yeast strain, but you could try to use a strong magnet to pull the stirbar out of the primary. Just run it along the bottom/sides (on the outside of course) and see if you can work it up to the top.