Krausen Didn't Fall

[Gytaryst]

I brewed a Belgian Tripel using Wyeast 3522 Begian Ardennes. First time using this strain. BeerSmith II figured the O.G. to be 1.077 - I measured 1.071. The F.G. was figured at 1.010.

The first few days the yeast went crazy - actually plugged up the blow-off tube. I checked it after 7 days at 65˚F and it was 1.022. There was a large amount of foam on top.

I allowed it to warm up to 75˚F and checked it at day 13. It was 1.009 at 75˚ which calculated out to 1.010 with the temp correction. There was still about the same amount of foam on top which didn't even register in my brain.

Since I hit the final gravity I immediately dropped the temp down to 32˚F to cold crash it. It's been at 32˚F overnight. I was so focused on hitting the FG I had a brain fart and didn't even give the foam a thought - until I woke up this morning.

I know everyone says to check the gravity a few times to make sure fermentation has stopped. I'm paranoid about infection and I also hate wasting half a beer every time I check the gravity, so I usually just wait until there's been no activity for several days and check it - if it's at or below what the FG calculated to be, I call it good. That method has worked - so far.

Oh well - so now I'm wondering if I should I kick it back up to 75˚F and wait a few days to see if it does anything else, or should I rack it to secondary? or just cold crash and bottle as planned? I wasn't planning to secondary this batch.

 

[SVB]

Let it be, it will be fine. The yeast probably have a little more work to do, and could benefit from a little more time at ferment temp. If your kegging its going to be alright, if your bottling warm it up and give it some time. it I usually give everything a minimum of 3 weeks, more is better.My big beers can be in primary for months.

 

[Lefou]

My latest creation was a bock variation brewed with WLP029 on March 11 with a starting gravity of 1.066. Just prior to bottling on April 2, this batch gave me a gravity of 1.016.
That gravity is a bit sweet for a beer, especially for me, and some extra time in the bottle for carbing and conditioning will only improve it. I expect a lower FG after the bottle yeast finish conditioning the beer and I'll test gravity again, using the info to tweak the next batch.

This "spring bock" spent almost 23 days in the primary fermenter and still has a ways to go before it's ready, in my opinion. It's intended to be a post-Lent bock ready to drink - by earliest - on Easter Day. I got approximately 4-plus gallons in twenty-four 22oz. bombers and a smaller 12oz. "tester" from this batch.

Some beers, especially the high gravity ones like tripels, bocks, porters, and stouts, get better with time. My personal perception of what defines "high gravity" beer, for me, anyway, is anything over 1.050. YMMV

 

[Gytaryst]

Let it be, it will be fine. The yeast probably have a little more work to do, and could benefit from a little more time at ferment temp. If your kegging its going to be alright, if your bottling warm it up and give it some time. it I usually give everything a minimum of 3 weeks, more is better.My big beers can be in primary for months.

Yeah. I just checked and now that it's at 32˚F there's no foam, so I'm guessing the yeast was still working. Don't I feel like an idiot. I set the thermostat to 77˚F. There's no heating element so it will take some time to rise naturally. I'm thinking I'll give it another week (or two) at 77˚F and check the gravity again.

The sample I took tasted pretty good. There wasn't a strong presence of alcohol, (smell or taste) for 8% abv. I added an ounce of dried sweet orange peel with 10 minutes left in the boil and that was pretty noticeable, at least at this phase. I'm hoping letting it sit another week or two will dry it out some and tone down the orange sweetness. It wasn't overpowering by any stretch, but it was definitely a little more orange flavor and sweetness than I was looking for in a Tripel.

 

[SVB]

I'm sure it will be fine. There is a learning curve, I have been brewing 8 years now and I still get impatient or paranoid sometimes. It's worse when you haven't got beer to drink

 

[brewcat]

Krausen hanging around doesn't necessarily mean anything. Some strains hang around long after they are done. Last time I used 3522 I kegged after 17 days. In your case it would have cleared more. But you are in the ballpark with attenuation so the yeast might have been finished.

 

[Gytaryst]

I'm sure it will be fine. There is a learning curve, I have been brewing 8 years now and I still get impatient or paranoid sometimes. It's worse when you haven't got beer to drink

I started home brewing in April 2015, so this marks 2 years. I was obsessed the first year. When I wasn't brewing I was reading about brewing, watching it on youtube or buying more brew toys. The thing that struck me back then was that the passion and enthusiasm in my surrounding geographic location didn't seem to match the level of passion and enthusiasm I was seeing and reading about online. Turns out I was watching old videos and reading old forum threads from the heyday of the home brewing craze, (2006-2011). I caught it on it's decline - sadly. Last year my own enthusiasm dropped off. There was apparently all kinds of home brew clubs around here several years ago, but they've all dried up. The people I know who drink beer, drink Bud Light. In fact, Bud Light is the standard by which they measure all other beers. In the beginning I gave away a few six packs of my brew to the Bud Light aficionados but that just proved to be a complete waste of good beer.

So to make a short story long(er). Crashing this too early wasn't due to impatience. 90% of the beers I've brewed were finished in the first week. A few of my bigger Belgians took a little longer. I racked a few to secondary just to see what that was like, but I don't think I've ever had a beer in primary for 14 days, (at least not one that was still working). So when I opened it up to take the sample I already had it in my head that (after 14 days) surely it was finished. When it showed up at 1.009 (1.010 with temp correction), that confirmed for me that it was finished. I didn't even give the foam on top a second thought until I woke up the next morning. I cranked the fermenter temp up to 77 two days ago, but it's taking it's time climbing back up there. Yesterday it was in the 50's and I checked this morning and it's only up to 68. I'll let it sit for a week or so and check it again. It'll be good - or it won't.

When I was brewing hot and heavy I was drinking good home brew 7 days a week, probably 2-4 beers a day. I went from 245 lbs to 280 lbs in the last 2 years, all right in my gut. My entire adult life I've worn XL to XXL t shirts. Now I have a drawer full of 3X shirts, a lot of them are tight and many are too short and my belly hangs out the bottom. I don't wear them for fear of showing up on the People of WalMart website.

 

[kh54s10]

When I started in 2011, there seemed to be two schools. 1) you must leave the beer in primary for an month. 2) Your beer is fermented in 7-10 days so 2 weeks is plenty. I went for 3 weeks on most at that time. I now go 2 weeks figuring they are done by day 10 and giving a little more to be sure. The other consideration I use is clarity, if the beer is not pretty clear I leave it longer.

For big beers (and for me that is over 1.080) I ferment 2-3 weeks then age in bottle or keg. Sometimes months before trying one. I have done a couple and only drink one every once and a while. My Winter Warmer lasted over 3 years until I finished the last one. My Russian Imperial Stout, two bottle left is now 1 year 7 months.

 

[Gytaryst]

When I started in 2011, there seemed to be two schools. 1) you must leave the beer in primary for an month. 2) Your beer is fermented in 7-10 days so 2 weeks is plenty...

By the time I started in 2015 there were as many schools of thought as there were home brewers.

I was curious because if it wasn't finished fermenting, it was definitely close. I don't keg. I brew mainly Belgian ales and bottle everything in 750ml Belgian bottles with cork and cage. I also carb my Tripels at the high end of the scale, (3.2 range). So I obviously need to make absolutely certain it's finished fermenting before I bottle, and I usually do. I just dropped the ball on this one by [assuming] it was finished and ignoring the foam. I was so hyper-focused on taking a hydro reading the foam didn't even register.

Oh well, not the end of the world. I turned the thermostat back up to 77˚F two days ago and it's been climbing up very slowly. Right now it's at 70˚F. I'm going to let it sit another week, take another reading, and then cold crash it (again) for 2 or 3 days. Then I'll bottle it up and check it in 60 to 90 days to see how this adventure turns out.

 

[kh54s10]

By the time I started in 2015 there were as many schools of thought as there were home brewers.

I was curious because if it wasn't finished fermenting, it was definitely close. I don't keg. I brew mainly Belgian ales and bottle everything in 750ml Belgian bottles with cork and cage. I also carb my Tripels at the high end of the scale, (3.2 range). So I obviously need to make absolutely certain it's finished fermenting before I bottle, and I usually do. I just dropped the ball on this one by [assuming] it was finished and ignoring the foam. I was so hyper-focused on taking a hydro reading the foam didn't even register.

Oh well, not the end of the world. I turned the thermostat back up to 77˚F two days ago and it's been climbing up very slowly. Right now it's at 70˚F. I'm going to let it sit another week, take another reading, and then cold crash it (again) for 2 or 3 days. Then I'll bottle it up and check it in 60 to 90 days to see how this adventure turns out.

I think it is going to go just fine.

 

[Gytaryst]

After warming it back up for a week it did finish lower. I took a hydrometer reading this morning and it was 1.006 at 77˚F, so I'm calling it 1.007. This was my first time using the Wyeast #3522. It has an amazing, unmistakable aroma. It finished at 8.4% abv and there is just the slightest hint of alcohol on the nose. I couldn't taste alcohol at all but I could feel the warmth. It's definitely a lot drier than I anticipated but over doing the sweet orange peel seems to smooth that dryness out in the middle. It definitely finishes dry tho - but I'm going off the uncarbonated just finished sample.

I turned the thermostat down to 35˚F and I'm thinking I might leave it there for another week before bottling. Can't wait to give this one a try.