Krausen not dropping?

[paulied65]

I brewed a NEIPA on Monday 4/2/18. SG of 1.060 and I pitched a starter with WLP066 London Fog. Fermentation was nice and steady when I checked it Tuesday morning. I dry hopped 48 hours post pitch. I took a gravity reading on Saturday and got 1.014. Haven't taken another sample yet, but it still has a full krausen on it.

I haven't ever had this happen before. I am planning on cold crashing once I can verify that the gravity isn't dropping anymore, but it just makes me nervous!

 

[seatazzz]

RDWHAHB. Sometimes it just doesn't drop. You could try gently swirling the fermenter a bit, that might help it start to go; once it starts the rest should follow. Or just wait until you're ready to crash, that should bring it down.

 

[paulied65]

Took another gravity reading today. 1.009!! Not sure why it's dropping so much. Mashed at 153*

 

[murphyslaw]

Same thing happens to me when I brew NEIPAs. I just rack from my ported fermonster and don't worry about it.

 

[paulied65]

Same thing happens to me when I brew NEIPAs. I just rack from my ported fermonster and don't worry about it.

The krausen not dropping, or the gravity dropping too low?

 

[murphyslaw]

The krausen not dropping, or the gravity dropping too low?

I meant the krausen/hop debris.

My NE IPAs have all finished at 1.013-1.014, but I've had other IPAs drop to 1.009. I think I mashed at 156 last time and I may try 158 next time. But 3 degrees in the mash shouldn't make a difference of 4-5 gravity points. There could be a number of reasons why yours went lower. It could always be a measuring/calibration error. Are you sure that your mash held at 153? When I mashed in a cooler I would sometimes see 6 degree drops in mash temp and end up with low FGs.

 

[paulied65]

My temps stayed pretty steady. Started mash at 153.1 and ended at 152.6*. Could possibly be a measuring error, taking a sample with a thief I get some of the krausen trub in my standing tube that I measure in. It's a very small amount, but I wonder if that could affect it?

 

[murphyslaw]

My temps stayed pretty steady. Started mash at 153.1 and ended at 152.6*. Could possibly be a measuring error, taking a sample with a thief I get some of the krausen trub in my standing tube that I measure in. It's a very small amount, but I wonder if that could affect it?

I think debris in the sample would cause a higher reading, not a lower reading.

 

[paulied65]

I think debris in the sample would cause a higher reading, not a lower reading.

Well hopefully not too higher!! I started cold crashing tonight and everything has begun to fall. I'm bottling tomorrow. After I brewed I started to see all of the horror stories about these oxidizing so badly when bottling. Hope I can avoid that