Head during Fermentation

[WSUFlyer]

I'm a newbie to brewing, but have managed to get three beers going.....one has been in bottles for a week, the second is about to be bottled tonight or tomorrow, and the third has been in primary for a week.

My question pertains to "head" on the top in the Fermentation bucket/carboy. The FIRST and THIRD neither had head.....just sediment and i can see liquid. The SECOND has had head since 6 hours, and the whole two weeks it's been in primary. The only difference between them I can think of is the FIRST and THIRD were fermented in a ale pale bucket.....the SECOND was done in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. All three containers were sanitized the same.....all three batches were the same brew process. Yeast was the same for the first two batches....liquid.....and the last was dry. Can't figure this one out....

 

[YeastGardener]

I would consider the following:

a) temperature of fermentation.
b) yeast viabilities - all the same?
c) vessel shape is less likely to influence.
d) oxygenation of wort.

I always say, 'know your yeast' - they're living things. Get their 'datasheets' if available.

Hope it Helps!
YeastGardener.

 

[phatuna]

check the gravity on your second batch. bubbles may mean it is not done fermenting. don't bottle until you have checked your FG on 3 consecutive days and the reading remains the same. If your gravity is still dropping and you bottle, you will likely get some bombs in the closet.

 

[WSUFlyer]

First two batches hit OG and FG right on the nose.....I checked the second batches gravity two days ago and it was spot on where the FG calls for, and I'm going to check it today to make sure it's not falling any more. It's already at 1.012 and bubbles are very few and far between.

As far as yeast...i'm pretty sure i used the same yeast for both first batches....but then again until a couple days ago i didn't realize or know how much yeast strain and characteristics play in flavor and aroma. I guess this is where I start kicking myself for starting two more beers before my first is even bottled. But on the bright side I will have plenty of beer to test how aging can affect taste......because I'm thinking all three of these aren't going to be very close to what I was expecting.

 

[double_e5]

You just didn't see the "head" (which is called krausen) in the 1st and 3rd becuase they were in a bucket. By they time you looked in the bucket the krausen had fallen, where you can see it the whole time in the carboy.

Was there a ring of dried up crap around the top of the bucket on the other two batches?

 

[WSUFlyer]

Just got done bottling the SECOND batch.....krausen was still present, and FG was 1.012 which is what the recipe calls for AND is the same as the gravity reading i got three days ago. It has been in the carboy for 13 days as well. My THIRD batch has only been in primary for 7 days and it's already down to no krausen. I expected the THIRD batch to react a ton because it's a high hop IPA.... .....still learning i guess. I'm also very anxious to get drunk off my own beer!

 

[Nurmey]

Krausen, fermentation, and looks are different with every batch. All will turn into beer but they each have their own personality. You will make yourself nuts if you start comparing every batch. Relax and have a store bought beer until you can drink yours.

 

[RonRock]

"Head during Fermentation"

Sounds good to me.

 

[WSUFlyer]

"Head during Fermentation"

Sounds good to me.

That took longer than i expected......