Krausen falling into beer, how to avoid?

[divrack]

Wow, so many replies. Thanks! I read it online so it must be true! No, I just don't remember and it doesn't matter because I agree with the consensus that it's not necessary or even desirable. I was wondering because my Maibock has a bitter bite at first, which ain't all bad, but then this cloying aftertaste appears on the roof of my mouth and it's no bueno. It's about a 40 IBU, OG 070. Beersmith's estimated OG was 081. I screwed up my volumes and had an extra gallon of wort that I couldn't boil.

It was in the conical fermenter for 5 weeks hooked to a glycol chiller keeping it at 50F. When it stabilized at 1.020, I kegged it (a week in kegs now) and am lagering at 38F. Somebody please for the love of Bacchus tell me it'll be alright. It will lager out right? Probably have to wait another month?

Bitter cloying taste could be a lot of things.
If it's hop particles and or acetaldehyde it will lager out, you can read up on what that tastes like. I get a kind of tingly feeling on the tongue like tangy sweets from my overly young beers and lager sometimes. Think it's acetaldehyde.
Hop particles taste like eating a hop. Bitter but also astringent and mouth puckering

 

[GrizzlyBier]

Bitter cloying taste could be a lot of things.
If it's hop particles and or acetaldehyde it will lager out, you can read up on what that tastes like. I get a kind of tingly feeling on the tongue like tangy sweets from my overly young beers and lager sometimes. Think it's acetaldehyde.
Hop particles taste like eating a hop. Bitter but also astringent and mouth puckering

Yes, the tangy buzz that hangs around a little too long. Thanks bro!

 

[GrizzlyBier]

What was the aftertaste like? Medicinal, grassy, vomitous, estery? Some off-flavors will disappear, it just depends on what caused them.

It's bitter, like hoppy but kind of stays on the roof of my mouth. Also a kind of tangy buzz on the tip of my tongue. divrack suggested acetaldehyde. I'm getting out my Noonan book.

 

[GrizzlyBier]

So I just read in Noonan's New Brewing Lager Beer that the "brown scum" produced during low kraeusen is the stuff you don't want to fall back in.

"If oxidized scum is allowed to fall back into the ferment, it will impart harsh, bitter tastes to the beer and provide a nutrient source for bacterial contaminants."

Note that it says oxidized scum. Wouldn't the available oxygen in your fermenter be relatively low? You could pop the lid on a conical and skim it, but would it be worth the risk of oxidation or contamination? Maybe do it quick like.

 

[pinchegil]

Another viscious rumor spread by the must secondary police

 

[Queequeg]

I've read that Krausen falling back into the beer imparts harsh flavors. My question is how do you avoid it? Whether in a carboy or a conical, how is one supposed to remove that krausen?

Thanks!

I don't think this is a myth. It just doesn't apply to homebrew because of fermenter volumn/ geometry. The first material ejected by the yeast is supposedly bitter, and first skimmings of the Krausen are to stop this falling in the beer. Cropping is performed after this. It doesn't matter on the homebrew scale because the material sticks to the side of the fermenter. If you was doing a large square fermenter you would need to skim

 

[soccerdad]

I've also read that homebrew will make you go blind.

Dammit !! I heard excessive masturbation would make you go blind. So I switched to homebrew. I'm fooked.