Liquid Yeast and Krausen

[hudsonj6]

So for my latest batch I used a liquid yeast (Wyeast 1332 northwest ale) for the first time and got about 5-6 inches of krausen at its peak which is considerably more than I've ever gotten with dry yeast. I usually rack to secondary after a week but there was still about 3 inches of krausen with a very stiff meringue like consistency. I ended up stirring it up a bit just to break it up and it started foaming up again (still about an inch). I figure I'll just let it sit for another week and rack from beneath if stuff hasn't settled by then.

So I guess my actual question is that is this amount/long lasting/semi solid krausen common with liquid yeasts in general or is this just one of the many mysterious ways of the krausen?

 

[Revvy]

It's more than likely because fermentation hasn't completed yet. Krausen usually falls when fermentation is over. SO most of the time, if you have krausen the yeast hasn't finished doing it's job yet. Did you take a hydro reading?

Also stirring already fermenting beer is not a good thing to do, unless you like drinking liquid cardboard. You don't want to be introducing oxygen into your beer once it is going.

 

[Bizoune]

Different yeast strains will behave in different ways. My Wyeast belgian Wit freaked out in a starter. Made a big mess on my stir plate. This week's American wheat barely foamed up. Nottingham dry yeast, always fills up my blow off tube after 48 hours in primary. But S-04 never does. They are all unique in some way or another.

 

[hudsonj6]

I was very very gentle when I did stir it as not to get any air mixed in. I did take a hydro reading as well, it started off at 1.052 and was 1.012 when I mixed it up on sunday (which is exactly where it was supposed to be) and I just checked it and its the same. The krausen was like a solid piece though and was just sitting on top of the beer... I dunno, regardless I think I'm just gunna let it sit til this weekend and rack it then and let it sit for another 2 after that.

 

[beersydoesit]

I usually expect more krausen from liquid yeast than dry. And yeah, while there is krausen there is fermentation. Be patient.