Krausen gone after 3 days

[brewstev]

Started my second batch, an Irish Red Ale, and threw it into the carboy 3 days ago and the beer was bubbling and had a large amount of krausen on top. I noticed this afternoon, however, that the krausen has fallen and is basically nonexistent. The airlock is continuing to bubble at a pretty constant rate, which i know is not always a good indicator to go by. I doubt that the fermentation is already done after 3 days, so is this a bad sign that there is basically no krausen?

 

[jacefive]

Not a bad sign. Each beer has a personality all its own. I'd wait until the end of the week and take a gravity reading and a taste. You'll be fine.

 

[davesrose]

Having a quick krausen isn't a bad thing. As long as your fermentation temperature was within the recommended range of your yeast, then it just means you you were able to get a relatively fast active fermentation. If the temp is above the recommendations, though, you can get a fast fermentation with off flavors. Also, just because the krausen has come down, it doesn't necessarily mean that all of the fermentation is done: it does also take some time for yeast to flocculate and become dormant.

 

[MarsColonist]

Recipe? Mash temp? Original gravity reading? Fermentation temp (air and/or wort)? "Final" gravity? Useful info if you dont want wild speculation (youll still get it regardless LOL).

Hot ferm temps (wort ~72°F+) will accelerate the process (+weird smelling and tasting esters/phenols you didnt know you we getting).. could also be it was a low OG, or lots of unfermentables (due to high mash temp/grain bill) and the yeast finished fast with a high final grav.... could be your yeast pooped out... too many variables... so, "is it a bad sign"? Eh, it can tell a story...

 

[brewstev]

Its and Irish Red Ale extract kit. The OG came out around 1.042. Currently the temperature reading on the carboy says 70°F

 

[MarsColonist]

You have a current gravity reading?

I am assuming you dont use a water bath to control temp... Any guess as to what your air temperature during the first day/day 1/2 of active fermentation (Im guessing it was in the low-mid 70s)? Fermentation is an exothermic process in that heat is generated during the process. Ambient air doesnt provide much cooling (unless there is large temp differential Tair<<Twort) and the wort is usually warmer than the air temp during the fermentation process. The wort will only approach getting as cold as its surroundings...

 

[Gildog]

if your doing an all extract batch the krausen will generally not last long becuase there isnt alot of bits of grain and the like to hang on the top. Your not out of fermentation by a long shot. let it go another 5 days, check your SG check it again on day 7 if it doesnt move go ahead and bottle it.