Second batch - Very small amount of krausen

[acheron800]

My first batch had a ton, my second batch I would say the biggest it got was about 1.5-2", here is a picture of my first batch, I will attach a pic of my second tonight.

But, what is the cause of this?

The temps are pretty much the same, the only differences I can tell, I steeped this one and its a nottington yeast (cant remember what my first one was but it wasnt notty). Same amount of DME, same "amount" of yeast, same amount of hops.

1st batch, big krausen, right now on my second im looking at 1/5th of that amount.

 

[MalFet]

Fermentation is weird, and always different. Your 3rd batch will also look different, as will your 4th, and then your 5th, etc.

 

[brewit2it]

I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you reach final gravity it doesn't make any difference.

Did you rehydrate the Nottingham like the instructions state? If you didn't it will usually take off a little slower and progress at a little slower rate than the explosive fermentation you got in your first batch, but that is not a bad thing.

 

[Revvy]

All krausens look different, even using the same yeast on different batches.

The amount of krausen can vary for whatever reason, it can come quick and depart quickly or it can linger long after fermentation is complete, and it all be normal.

There is nothing "typical" in brewing...every fermentation is different, and should not be used to compare one with another...you can't do that.

No two fermentations are ever exactly the same.

When we are dealing with living creatures, there is a wild card factor in play..Just like with other animals, including humans...No two behave the same.

You can split a batch in half put them in 2 identical carboys, and pitch equal amounts of yeast from the same starter...and have them act completely differently...for some reason on a subatomic level...think about it...yeasties are small...1 degree difference in temp to us, could be a 50 degree difference to them...one fermenter can be a couple degrees warmer because it's closer to a vent all the way across the room and the yeasties take off...

Someone, Grinder I think posted a pic once of 2 carboys touching each other, and one one of the carboys the krausen had formed only on the side that touched the other carboy...probably reacting to the heat of the first fermentation....but it was like symbiotic or something...

With living micro-organisms there is always a wildcard factor in play...and yet the yeast rarely lets us down. So it is best just to rdwhahb and trust that they know to what they are doing. It sounds like you are brewing by a calendar, or instructions and not by what your beer is really doing, the problem is that yeast don't know how to read so they seldom follow their scripts. They dance to their own tune and its seldom 4 x 4 Time.

Don't assume the worst with the yeast, realize that they've been making beer since long before our great great great grandfather copped his first buzz from a 40 of mickey's out back of the highschool, so they are the experts.

Yeasts are like teenagers, swmbos, and humans in general, they have their own individual way of doing things.

And worrying because it's not happening how fast or slow you think it should be is really not worth the energy.

It may not be what you expected it to be but that doesn't mean anything's wrong.

I find that brewing is a lot more stress free if I don't compare one batch to another. I subscribe to the I trust the yeast club. They've never let me down. But I don't try to understand them...

Relax. There is nothing wrong at all.

But that's also why I say not to go by Krausen as a "sign of complete fermentation" either. The amount of krausen can vary for whatever reason, it can come quick and depart quickly or it can linger long after fermentation is complete, and it all be normal.

For example, I had a wit beer that I pitched bottle harvested Hoegaarden yeast on Dec. 26th, LAST YEAR 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.

 

[acheron800]

I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you reach final gravity it doesn't make any difference.

Did you rehydrate the Nottingham like the instructions state? If you didn't it will usually take off a little slower and progress at a little slower rate than the explosive fermentation you got in your first batch, but that is not a bad thing.

I did not rehydrate as the instructions stated... since I didnt see the instructions until after I pitched. But I pitched, then shook, then let it sit.

My very first batch instructions told me to dry pitch, so I did this one as well. Then I saw the instructions, then got on here, and said &$&%, rehydrate is the way to go.

Anyway, this batch fermentation started at 8 hours, it could have been earlier even, I went to sleep @ midnight and woke @ 7am, and fermentation was occurring, so it wasnt a "slow starter".

 

[brewit2it]

I did not rehydrate as the instructions stated... since I didnt see the instructions until after I pitched. But I pitched, then shook, then let it sit.

My very first batch instructions told me to dry pitch, so I did this one as well. Then I saw the instructions, then got on here, and said &$&%, rehydrate is the way to go.

Anyway, this batch fermentation started at 8 hours, it could have been earlier even, I went to sleep @ midnight and woke @ 7am, and fermentation was occurring, so it wasnt a "slow starter".

It's all good. My first time using Notty I didn't rehydrate, second time I did, both went fine but the one I rehydrated got a quicker start. Many folks here pitch Notty straight into the primary like you did. If you are making a high OG beer it might be more important to rehydrate since you want as many viable cells as possible.

Bottom line like all the posts above state, don't worry about the smaller krausen in this batch, it sounds totally normal.

 

[acheron800]

All krausens look different, even using the same yeast on different batches.

The amount of krausen can vary for whatever reason, it can come quick and depart quickly or it can linger long after fermentation is complete, and it all be normal.

There is nothing "typical" in brewing...every fermentation is different, and should not be used to compare one with another...you can't do that.

No two fermentations are ever exactly the same.

When we are dealing with living creatures, there is a wild card factor in play..Just like with other animals, including humans...No two behave the same.

You can split a batch in half put them in 2 identical carboys, and pitch equal amounts of yeast from the same starter...and have them act completely differently...for some reason on a subatomic level...think about it...yeasties are small...1 degree difference in temp to us, could be a 50 degree difference to them...one fermenter can be a couple degrees warmer because it's closer to a vent all the way across the room and the yeasties take off...

Someone, Grinder I think posted a pic once of 2 carboys touching each other, and one one of the carboys the krausen had formed only on the side that touched the other carboy...probably reacting to the heat of the first fermentation....but it was like symbiotic or something...

With living micro-organisms there is always a wildcard factor in play...and yet the yeast rarely lets us down. So it is best just to rdwhahb and trust that they know to what they are doing. It sounds like you are brewing by a calendar, or instructions and not by what your beer is really doing, the problem is that yeast don't know how to read so they seldom follow their scripts. They dance to their own tune and its seldom 4 x 4 Time.

Don't assume the worst with the yeast, realize that they've been making beer since long before our great great great grandfather copped his first buzz from a 40 of mickey's out back of the highschool, so they are the experts.

Yeasts are like teenagers, swmbos, and humans in general, they have their own individual way of doing things.

And worrying because it's not happening how fast or slow you think it should be is really not worth the energy.

It may not be what you expected it to be but that doesn't mean anything's wrong.

I find that brewing is a lot more stress free if I don't compare one batch to another. I subscribe to the I trust the yeast club. They've never let me down. But I don't try to understand them...

Relax. There is nothing wrong at all.

But that's also why I say not to go by Krausen as a "sign of complete fermentation" either. The amount of krausen can vary for whatever reason, it can come quick and depart quickly or it can linger long after fermentation is complete, and it all be normal.

For example, I had a wit beer that I pitched bottle harvested Hoegaarden yeast on Dec. 26th, LAST YEAR 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.

Thank you very much for the info.

Not too worried, the worrying was all spent on my first batch. Just trying to learn everything I can, and now am having fun.

Just in your post there are like 3 things that I learned that I never knew.

I appreciate it!

 

[acheron800]

It's all good. My first time using Notty I didn't rehydrate, second time I did, both went fine but the one I rehydrated got a quicker start. Many folks here pitch Notty straight into the primary like you did. If you are making a high OG beer it might be more important to rehydrate since you want as many viable cells as possible.

Bottom line like all the posts above state, don't worry about the smaller krausen in this batch, it sounds totally normal.

OG was 1.060, next time I will rehydrate, thank you.