krausen seems different with all-grain

[nthammer]

Should I expect different krausens coming from my all-grain brews?

I am only 3 batches into all-grain now (all still in primary). 2 of them I used dry yeasts, one of them I used a 2L starter of a yeast I am familiar with, wyeast 1945.

The krausen on all 3 of them only grew 1-2in before falling back down. The 1945 usually goes ape**** and I need a blowoff tube.

I'm not concerned about this I am just curious if this was a fluke or a matter of the allgrain process? Has anyone else experienced this?

I don't much understand what even makes a krausen fall down

 

[doug293cz]

Krausens look different for all kinds of reasons. Don't read anything into the appearance of the krausen. If you want to know how fermentation is progressing, monitor the SG.

Brew on

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

Don't read anything into the appearance of the krausen.

Even if you see the face of the Holy Mother??? :cross:

 

[watermelon83]

Just one all-grain batch here, used the same s-05 I've used for last batches. I noticed the yeast sludge (?) on top of the foam seemed denser. The foam seemed more dense as well, it also did not grow as tall as previous batches.

 

[brick_haus]

You may be getting lower effeciency with all grain, therefore less vigorous fermentation activity. What was the SG on the all grain batches compared to the SG on the extract batches? But ultimately, as stated, Specific gravity is the ultimate indicator.

 

[kh54s10]

I haven't noticed anything I would attribute to the process. I have seen different krausens even with similar recipes and the same yeast. Every one is a bit different.

I pay no attention, I do start every fermentation with a blow off tube installed, some blow others don't. I don't see any rhyme or reason to which ones will blow.

 

[uncleleon]

You may be getting lower effeciency with all grain, therefore less vigorous fermentation activity. What was the SG on the all grain batches compared to the SG on the extract batches? But ultimately, as stated, Specific gravity is the ultimate indicator.

Yeah record, repeat, record. That's the science

 

[Rev2010]

I'm not concerned about this I am just curious if this was a fluke or a matter of the allgrain process? Has anyone else experienced this?

Has nothing to do with all grain. I did extract for my first year and all grain for the past three. I'll tell you that even when doing the exact same beer the yeast have reacted differently at times. My second to last pumpkin using US05 never even formed much of a krausen, like a half inch at most, but it finished up just fine and the beer tasted fine. Just brewed it again recently, still in the fermenter, and this time the US05 created a high krausen several inches thick. I've had hefeweizens that went so vigorously they got some bubbles in the airlock and others, using the same yeast, that fermented tamer.

I don't know exactly why, and each time I have no noticeable problems with the beers, always come out tasting good. Being it's yeast which is billions of living cells I just shrug it off as natural variations.


Rev.

 

[stpug]

Should I expect different krausens coming from my all-grain brews?

I am only 3 batches into all-grain now (all still in primary). 2 of them I used dry yeasts, one of them I used a 2L starter of a yeast I am familiar with, wyeast 1945.

The krausen on all 3 of them only grew 1-2in before falling back down. The 1945 usually goes ape**** and I need a blowoff tube.

I'm not concerned about this I am just curious if this was a fluke or a matter of the allgrain process? Has anyone else experienced this?

I don't much understand what even makes a krausen fall down

You should not necessarily expect different krausen formation between all grain and extract, but you should expect different krausen formation from batch to batch regardless of recipe and yeast strain. Afterall, yeast is alive!

I find more restrained krausen formation with proper temperature control (i.e. lower fermentation temps), but every strain will perform differently from batch to batch.