krausen

[Aschecte]

how long does it usually take for a thick krausen to form? what I have after 24 hours looks more like a thin layer of foam . is this normal? it's my first time using glass carboy and don't know what to expect.

 

[Revvy]

Fermentation can take 24 to 72 hrs to show visible signs.

 

[bruin_ale]

every fermentation is different.. if you have a thin layer of foam that's good.. the IPA I have going now had a 1/2-1" krausen after the first day that held up for 3 days. I thought it was on it's way down (just based on past experience), but when I checked it again after 5 days it had turned to about 3 inches and was going stronger than ever - go figure.

 

[jonmohno]

Yes its just beggining the sugarfest.

 

[JLW]

I actually had beer recently where the krausen didn't fall until I moved it to the counter top for bottling. Beer turned out great. Go figure.

 

[Revvy]

I actually had beer recently where the krausen didn't fall until I moved it to the counter top for bottling. Beer turned out great. Go figure.

I had a wit beer that I pitched bottle harvested Hoegaarden yeast that STILL had a 2" krausen on it three weeks later. I took a grav reading and it had reached terminal gravity, 1.010. So the beer was done, but the krausen still lingered. I finally gently swirled the beer to knock it down, and let it settle for another week before I bottled it. I'm not normally a fan of knocking them down, and usually let it do it naturally.

But some yeasts are low flocculating, and may have a difficult time. I figured since mine was bottle harvested, and I had pitched the starter at high krausen, maybe it was "genetically mutated" with the flocculation "gene" off or something. So I gently swirled it and let it fall.

I brewed another batch with another mason jars worth of that yeast several months later and had the same thing happen.

Beligan wits are notoriously long krausening.

 

[eastoak]

i have a belgian wit open fermenting that never developed a krausen at all, i had a video camera on it the whole time. i used wyeast forbidden fruit yeast which has a reputation for blow outs. the hydrometer was at 1.016 this weekend and i'll check it next weekend again.

 

[JLW]

I had a wit beer that I pitched bottle harvested Hoegaarden yeast that STILL had a 2" krausen on it three weeks later. I took a grav reading and it had reached terminal gravity, 1.010. So the beer was done, but the krausen still lingered. I finally gently swirled the beer to knock it down, and let it settle for another week before I bottled it. I'm not normally a fan of knocking them down, and usually let it do it naturally.

But some yeasts are low flocculating, and may have a difficult time. I figured since mine was bottle harvested, and I had pitched the starter at high krausen, maybe it was "genetically mutated" with the flocculation "gene" off or something. So I gently swirled it and let it fall.

I brewed another batch with another mason jars worth of that yeast several months later and had the same thing happen.

Beligan wits are notoriously long krausening.

This was a clone of Arrogant Bastard I used Pacific Ale WLP041. When I checked gravity it was actually below recipe final gravity. When I set it on the counter to bottle the krausen started to drop. It was actually mesmerizing like watching a snow fall. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I bottled this since this was the first time this happened to me. I gave a sample to a fellow brewer and he loved it.