Stubborn Krausen?

[Meat_Cat]

Hiya! So, I brewed a week ago. Just a basic pale, 1.045 og. Cali Ale yeast. I've used this yeast several times in my short brewing career. It tends to gobble up most sugars relatively quickly, and I keep it between 68-70F, firm. But this current batch? I thought it was done last week, still has krausen @ 61 degrees and is still intermittently bubbling. What's up with that?!

 

[WoodlandBrew]

Did the second one ferment at 61 and the first one ferment at 68? That could explain it. The recommend low temperature for WLP001 is 68 degrees, so 61 is practically lagering for those guys. The best way to tell if fermentation has completed is to check the gravity regardless of air lock activity.

 

[twistr25]

Can you cold crash it? Stick it in the fridge for 24 hours and it will drop right out. Definitely check to make sure it is done fermenting too.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

... And definitely check that fermentation has completed before cold crashing. If it is done and still has krausen then you can also rack from under it instead of cold crashing.

 

[Meat_Cat]

I was going to check grav, then cold crash, but with the krausen, I don't know. I like to see the ferm through. I'm surprised it's doing anything at all @ 61F! I was wondering if it's some other opportunistic yeast? But what would it even have left to eat? The OG was like 1.04 and it was SUPER active for like 3 days. Thanks, all!!!!

 

[paulster2626]

I ferment cold all the time. Sometimes it takes a couple weeks for fermentation to end. Sometimes it's quick. Just let 'er go and don't worry about it.

If its in a ferm. chamber just bump up the heat by 5* and let it gradually get up there. It'll work itself out.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

It could be a wild yeast. What was the final gravity?

 

[Meat_Cat]

Thanks guys!! Just checked gravity. It's 1.009, so it's quite near what I expected attenuation. Tastes decent too! I wonder why it's still got krausen and still burping a bit.

 

[homebrewdad]

Thanks guys!! Just checked gravity. It's 1.009, so it's quite near what I expected attenuation. Tastes decent too! I wonder why it's still got krausen and still burping a bit.

Burping means nothing. Change in temp, change in barometric pressure, somebody bumped the fermenter... all can cause degassing in a beer that is done. I had a brown ale bubble slowly for at least a full week after hitting stable gravity.

Hydrometer is the only way to know for sure.

As for krausen? Different recipes, different yeasts do different things.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

+1

 

[jerrodm]

Read it this by candlelight--that should put the little yeasties to sleep. Then you can cold-crash and rack