How long should kreusen last?

[BruT54]

I'm brewing a brown ale - an extract kit from MW with US-05.

Brewed it 13 days ago, fermenting at 65 degrees - got a good strong fermentation going in the first 24 hours, ....all is fine.

But - it still has a kreusen head on it - full, rocky - after 13 days!

I was gonna get ready to bottle in a few days, but now I'm not sure.
All the other kits I've done so far (12 to date) - the kreusen lasted a few days then dropped off or settled into the beer.

Is the kreusen a sign that its still actively fermenting? I haven't taken a hydrometer reading since brew day - wasnt sure I should mess with the kreusen.

Should I raise the temperature, drop it, or just relax ? Does the kreusen need to disappear or dissipate before its 'done' & ready to bottle?

Thanks for any advice
BT

 

[Wakadaka]

"take a gravity reading" is going to be the standard response, but if i were you i wouldn't even bother until the krausen settles. if it is still a full head of krausen on top, then something is probably going on, and letting it sit isn't going to do any harm, bottling or transfering to early could.

i have had beers ninja ferment overnight practically, where there is no krausen one day and the next day all i see is a ring on the edge of the fermenter from where it was. othertimes it will last up to 2 weeks.

calendars aren't good time scales for beer, just use a hydrometer or wait about a month to be certain.

you might raise the temperature to about 70-72 or so and see if it will finish up the last bit, or you could just leave it.

basically rdwhahb and don't bottle it yet

 

[mikemet]

wacky kreusen thing happened to me-

I brewed 2 beers this past weekend- 9/2- all grain

1st was a Hefe- looks like this will be my best batch of beer- based on adding a mash tun and propane burner to my gear -

The hefe kreusen is still full and fluffy

2nd was a pale ale.

Pale ale kreusen looked decent for a day or 2, now its completely dropped. I may have rocked the carboy in swamp cooler- just a nudge- but not really enough to cause that IMO- at least it doesnt look disturbed from the rocking.

bottom line- different beers will have different kreusen thickness, look, smell, appearance and disappearance -

 

[bobeer]

+1 on the gravity reading. I brewed a summer ale that had kreusen on top for over 3 weeks. It looked like puked up brain, lol. Turns out is was still fermenting and it mostly fell out towards the end of the 4th week I think and the beer was good.

 

[thewinechik]

hydrometer reading IS the way to go. Time is bull****..
I have learned that lesson. If you do not do this. Your bottles will burst and if you are lucky and they dont, when you open them you will have a geyser of beer from the opening.
I usually take readings every other day, if within those 3 days the reading has not changed much then it's done fermenting.
Good luck!
*The chick that had the geyser bottle and the growler explosion*

 

[mgortel]

I would still wait....I leave most of my beers in primary 3 weeks......no harm in you waiting

I think you still got some activity there....wait a few days and see if the krausen drops....whats the hurry....

What type of yeast?

 

[thood6]

I had a stout that somehow had a krausen after a month. The gravity was stable after 17 days. I bottled from under the krausen and it tastes great. It may not be great practice in general but it worked out ok for me. Take a gravity reading and see.