kraeusen wont fall

[sambogi76]

I brewed an american amber last week (6 days ago) using wyeast 1272 american ale II. Fermentation took off quickly and appeared to slow considerably within 2 days. The darker layer on top of the foam fell and sank, but i still have a creamy white-ish foam on top still. It appears to be the yeast coming from bubbles that are coming from the bottom. In previous batches, i have seen this, but the small amount of yeast that is carried up falls back down. Is this a trait of wyeast 1272? My starting gravity was 1.060, and now it is 1.012, so i think it is very close to the end. When I got my sample i got the layer of foam to sink just to find out this morning it is back.

I can usually rack into my secondary within a week. Do you think i should go ahead and rack this into my secondary? Im sure that getting this beer off of this yeast cake will stop this and i can get this beer to clear. so once again my questions are:

Is this a trait of Wyeast 1272?

Should I go ahead and rack this in my secondary?

Thanks for your help, and by the way the beer tasted fine.

 

[Teacher]

You can rack if you want, but there's no real benefit unless you need the fermentor for another batch. Your beer sounds fine. If nothing else, just give it a few days and check the gravity again; it'll probably be 1.012 and ready for a little aging.

Now, if this white foam gets gooey and forms large bubbles, you have an infection. But that probably isn't the case, so I wouldn't cross that bridge until you come to it.

 

[david_42]

I doubt this means anything. If the gravity checks out in a few days, it's done. One of the advantages of using opaque buckets for fermenting, you have to go by SG and flavor. Pros use stainless steel and never look at the foam or the yeasties doing their tricks.

 

[sambogi76]

Thanks for the input, but has anyone ever had this happen? And if so, did you use this yeast? Im sure its nothing bad, I think it taste fine, just a little yeasty. needs to settle out in the secondary.

 

[maida7]

I think the secondary is not necessary.

The final stages of fermentation when the suspended yeast falls down to the bottom is called flocculation. Some yeast flocculate quick and some take more time. You definitely want to let all the yeast flocculate before bottling but this can be done in the primary. There really is no need for a secondary unless you are adding fruit or bugs or aging.

English ale WLP002 is VERY fast flocculating.
Hefeweizen WLP300 takes forever.

American Ale II is medium to high and typically takes 10 -14 days to finish. Why rush? Wait the full 14 days in the primary. At that time it should be clear and ready to bottle.

 

[maida7]

Also, you can speed up the floculation by making the beer cold (called a cold crash)and/or gently shaking the fermenter.

But you don't want to so a cold crash unless your sure you have reached the desired ending gravity.

 

[sambogi76]

I like to use a secondary because i much less sediment in my bottles. I also use fining in my secondary to make my beer clear using non flavored gelatin. I never mess with success, I've had good results using a secondary. My first few batches i didn't use one and let it set for 2 weeks in the primary and had a lot of sediment and was cloudy. and second, i am going to dry hop this beer in the secondary.

I have use wlp004 which was a medium to high flocculant yeast and the kraeusen fell as soon as fermentation slowed down. And like i said the beer is done or very close to hitting the final gravity and i still have a layer of foam.

 

[ajf]

Thanks for the input, but has anyone ever had this happen? And if so, did you use this yeast? Im sure its nothing bad, I think it taste fine, just a little yeasty. needs to settle out in the secondary.

I've only had that happen on about 90% of all my brews. If the krausen has dropped within 6 days, it usually means that I fermented too warm.
And I've never used the 1272.
I'd usually leave it in the primary for 3+ weeks, and not bother with a secondary, but if you're going to dry hop, I agree that a secondary is a good idea. I still wouldn't rack to secondary earlier than 2 weeks (and preferably 3).

-a.

 

[kappclark]

English ale WLP002 is VERY fast flocculating.
Hefeweizen WLP300 takes forever.

American Ale II is medium to high and typically takes 10 -14 days to finish. Why rush? Wait the full 14 days in the primary. At that time it should be clear and ready to bottle.

I just did an extract Weissbier with WPL300 (using a starter), and couldn't believe the strength and the duration of the fermentation...I pitched at 64. I am glad to read that this takes "forever" .. it has been abt 12 days..another batch (a brown ale) using dry windsor took abt 6 days.

 

[MTEXX]

I brewed an extract Belgian Wit using a smack pack of WYeast 3944 (67-74F).
Room temp was around 68 to 72.
I still had rocky head in primary after 7 1/2 days.

 

[sambogi76]

well it appears that the kraeusen is falling now, im going to wait till next week to rack to the secondary and dry hop. I havent checked the gravity again yet, but i cant believe that it could be lower than 1.012.