Orange Zest Effect on Krausen

[mmmmmbeeeeer]

So for my second brew ever (I use Mr. Beer) I added a tea strainer containing corriander and orange zest to the sugar boil. The krausen lasted only about 1.5 days. I was thinking that maybe the oil from the orange zest changed the surface tension. like olive oil oil does for a pasta boil so it doesnt foam over. has anybody else noticed citrus zest having this effect? I'm slightly worried about this brew it has seemed pretty inactive since about the 3rd day of fermenting.

Cheers!

 

[prpromin]

I've never noticed that, but then my beers are in buckets and I tend not to look at them for a few weeks. Even if the oils changed surface tension and caused the krausen to drop earlier than usual, I'm sure your beer was not impacted negatively.

Thinking more about this, it could simply be a different yeast than what you've used, slight temp change, something else. . .

In any case, relax - your beer is fine

 

[mmmmmbeeeeer]

I'll try to relax but the look of the wort is concering me it is just speckled with little white-ish dots across the top. it never really looked like it hit primary fermentation. i guess ill see what happens in a couple weeks.

 

[Calichusetts]

No issues here, i use a pretty decent amount of zest and my last batch, the krausen was so intense it even filled the blow-off bottle

 

[mmmmmbeeeeer]

great I hope it isn't infected then....maybe it was just the kind of extract that I used. I used Mr. Beer. Wheat and Canadian HME's. Jeeze this brewing stuff makes me paranoid.