What is krausening?

[Vale71]

That is new to me and I'm quite sure it's not a German practice. For starters, if the two batches are the same size you'd need to either overpitch the first batch or transfer a really large amount of batch 1 to batch 2 to avoid batch 2 being underpitched. Since we're talking about primary fermentation you have to ensure proper pitching rate, as opposed to secondary where you need a lot less yeast to completely ferment and carbonate the beer.
In Drauflassen, assuming batches 1 and 2 are the same size (they usually are), you can either pitch at twice the rate and only oxygenate the first batch or pitch the normal rate and then oxygenate batch 2 prior to mixing, but you'll have to do that within 12hrs of pitching batch 1. In the latter case you will get two distinct log-phases which will ensure proper pitching rate.
I don't want to start a tangent here so I'll just stop...

 

[TheMadKing]

That is new to me and I'm quite sure it's not a German practice. For starters, if the two batches are the same size you'd need to either overpitch the first batch or transfer a really large amount of batch 1 to batch 2 to avoid batch 2 being underpitched. Since we're talking about primary fermentation you have to ensure proper pitching rate, as opposed to secondary where you need a lot less yeast to completely ferment and carbonate the beer.
In Drauflassen, assuming batches 1 and 2 are the same size (they usually are), you can either pitch at twice the rate and only oxygenate the first batch or pitch the normal rate and then oxygenate batch 2 prior to mixing, but you'll have to do that within 12hrs of pitching batch 1. In the latter case you will get two distinct log-phases which will ensure proper pitching rate.
I don't want to start a tangent here so I'll just stop...

Agreed, I don't want to threadjack either, but I was implying that the lag phase of the first beer was complete before krausening the second beer. So The yeast have already multiplied to the same density as would exist in a starter, so you only need to overbuild the volume of your first recipe by the size of the starter you need. For us, that would be about 2L.

 

[So Shay]

Those pics might be "manipulated" for just looking good for internet-points. Why would you even pour like that if not only for the beauty of it. But it looks spectacular! They look like ice-cream. All I can say is that it's not just due to kräusening the beer. You can employ a protein-rest, which would give you the same type of foam. But foam is just one part of the beer. It's not very hard to pull off that same kind of foam, but the "folding" in the first pic makes it look more spectacular.

It's not very time-consuming on even a homebrewer scale.

For instance (I just do speise most of the time for mye Hefe's). Set a side a given amount of wort after wort cooldown, in the fridge. Get a dosage syringe, cheap stuff on ali/ebay, and just pull off a calculated amount and give each bottle a dose. That's it.

It looks as if there are multiple layers of foam to increase the head on this beer. It is not one clean pour.

 

[Smellyglove]

It looks as if there are multiple layers of foam to increase the head on this beer. It is not one clean pour.

The first pic seems like the foam has two different textures to it, the folded part is more denser, than the rest of the foam, even the part which is above the glass. This does not normally happen. Often you get more bubbles in the foam inside the glass, the part which rises above the glass is usually even as the bubbles burst.

 

[Smellyglove]

The third pic burns out the whites, but you can barely see it. Foam on top is the same texture, the foam in the glass clinging to the glass is another texture, there's no different textures within the foam on top.

 

[Rob2010SS]

View attachment 597902 View attachment 597903 View attachment 597904

The third pic burns out the whites, but you can barely see it. Foam on top is the same texture, the foam in the glass clinging to the glass is another texture, there's no different textures within the foam on top.

Alright, so I'm regressing to noob status again. So your second pic there, is that beer just carbonated to a high volume? How did you get even that size head on there? I have never had head like that on a beer. I've been pretty successful with head retention, but it's always only been about a half inch thick head.

 

[Smellyglove]

Alright, so I'm regressing to noob status again. So your second pic there, is that beer just carbonated to a high volume? How did you get even that size head on there? I have never had head like that on a beer. I've been pretty successful with head retention, but it's always only been about a half inch thick head.

It's a Hefeweizen, so yes it's carbed to a higher volume than most other beers. I target 7g/L co2 (about 3.5 vols). The pour was "normal", going slow as you must with a Hefeweizen and let the head rise.

 

[Jayjay1976]

"The Kraeusening" - A dystopic retro-futuristic sci fi film set in Milwaukee in the year 2020, when fully-automated brew machines break free of their outlets and revolt against the human brewers, who are forced to serve their stainless overlords by functioning as walking fermentation vessels. The machines crudely implant spunding valves into the rectums of the human slaves who are continuously fed LME intravenously until FG is reached, upon which time the naturally carbonated humans are taken down and passed around to the tune of a morbidly repetitive dirge.

Fun fact: the original working title was "The Kraeusifixion"

 

[Smellyglove]

"The Krausening" - A dystopic retro-futuristic sci fi film set in Milwaukee in the year 2020, when fully-automated brew machines break free of their outlets and revolt against the human brewers, who are forced to serve their stainless overlords by functioning as walking fermentation vessels. The machines crudely implant spunding valves into the skulls of the human slaves who are continuously fed LME intravenously until FG is reached, upon which time the naturally carbonated humans are taken down and passed around to the tune of a morbidly repetitive dirge.

I know of a more funny place to fit a spunding valve into a human

Edit: Oh, you edited it to the more "funny" place.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I know of a more funny place to fit a spunding valve into a human

Thanks for catching that! You're not going to sue me for royalties, are ya?

 

[Smellyglove]

Thanks for catching that! You're not going to sue me for royalties, are ya?

Nah. A joke about the good old fart-hole is up for grabs anytime.

 

[Rob2010SS]

"The Kraeusening" - A dystopic retro-futuristic sci fi film set in Milwaukee in the year 2020, when fully-automated brew machines break free of their outlets and revolt against the human brewers, who are forced to serve their stainless overlords by functioning as walking fermentation vessels. The machines crudely implant spunding valves into the rectums of the human slaves who are continuously fed LME intravenously until FG is reached, upon which time the naturally carbonated humans are taken down and passed around to the tune of a morbidly repetitive dirge.

Fun fact: the original working title was "The Kraeusifixion"

Wow... Just.. Wow hahaha. That's impressive, you should be a movie producer lol.

 

[ba-brewer]

Nah. A joke about the good old fart-hole is up for grabs anytime.

that is the human PRV, not safe to run without it

 

[ba-brewer]

View attachment 597902 View attachment 597903 View attachment 597904

The third pic burns out the whites, but you can barely see it. Foam on top is the same texture, the foam in the glass clinging to the glass is another texture, there's no different textures within the foam on top.

Any wheat or anything for head retention in the first beer? Nice clarity any post ferment fining or special treatment?

 

[couchsending]

I Krausen beers all the time. If I plan it correctly it’s how I’d prefer to carbonate every beer but it doesn’t always work out as planned. There’s a krausening calculator on Brewers Friend, works great.

Don’t save wort, it oxidizes.

As far as those pics go, krausening won’t necesseiky get you there but it might help.

That guys lines are balanced to probably the mm, knowing his anal retentiveness... it’s not overcarbonation.

If you want foam like that that lasts forever there are a few things in play.

Step Mashing
Fermenting colder
Keeping as much break material out of the fermenter as possible.
Krausen or Spund

The 20-30 minute step at 162 is rather critical.

Also those crazy pics really do come down to the pour, not a creamer faucet. Poor it hard down the middle and let it Foam. Let that foam settle, do it again, let that settle slightly, do it again. Those crazy peaks are just from the first few hard pours but it takes the previously described steps in the brewing and fermentation to really get the meringue that lasts forever.

Has no one heard of the Suarez pour?

 

[Rob2010SS]

That guys lines are balanced to probably the mm, knowing his anal retentiveness... it’s not overcarbonation.

So wait.... You know this guy?

 

[couchsending]

So wait.... You know this guy?

It's the LoDo guy

 

[Rob2010SS]

It's the LoDo guy

Yeah. His setup is definitely bad a**. Three of the four things you mentioned are things I haven't gotten into yet - step mashing, keeping break mat'l out of fermenter, and krausen/spund.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

All these fancy words come from Old Country brewing. In America, we create our own brewing methods and terminology. Such as "Oh Wellness" which means I was watching Netflix while brewing and forgot my 10min addition, so Oh Well, it'll be fine. Or "WTFness" which means I've been drinking all day before brewing so WTF, another 5oz of bittering hops will be awesome!

 

[Smellyglove]

Any wheat or anything for head retention in the first beer? Nice clarity any post ferment fining or special treatment?

I can't honestly remember what beer this was. I''m not even sure if it was my own beer, the pics were just for reference to the foam. I just found some random photos in my google photos-folder.

 

[Smellyglove]

If those pics are for real then he deserves a good round of applause, but they do seem staged to me.

 

[couchsending]

It’s just a method of pouring the beer. If you brew the beer to maximize the head retention it’s not hard to do. You could also pour the same beer and not get that dramatic of a head.

How do you make clear boring lagers exciting on instagram? Pour em with comical foam.

Highly suggest checking out Suarez family Brewery if you haven’t already.

 

[duelerx]

So wait.... You know this guy?

He is like the founder of LoDo, he said he get this foam and clarity with a short protein rest and step mashing.

 

[Jayjay1976]

He is like the founder of LoDo, he said he get this foam and clarity with a short protein rest and step mashing.

Where are the medals, trophies, etc. that he has racked up in competition with his LODO brews? Asking for a friend.

 

[duelerx]

Where are the medals, trophies, etc. that he has racked up in competition with his LODO brews? Asking for a friend.

I do not know him personally, his beers look worthy medal.

 

[ba-brewer]

Appearance is only worth 3 out of 50 points in a BJCP contest.

 

[duelerx]

Appearance is only worth 3 out of 50 points in a BJCP contest.

I know.

 

[Broothru]

Thanks to all. This thread has been just what I needed.

After 20+ years of brewing, I'm changing much of my methodologies and procedures in that never-ending search for beer Nirvana. That is to say, several of my beers got really hammered by the judges recently. As a result I've done a complete top-to-bottom review and invested in all-stainless equipment and will do LoDo, closed transfers going forward. Unfortunately I didn't invest in a unitank setup so my primary/secondary will have to be at something less than 2 psi. But this thread gave me the idea to transfer from secondary to a Corny already primed with Krausening wort and let it condition/clean-up under a spunding valve set at about 15 psi. Anybody have experience doing this?

BTW, these frickin' judges wouldn't know diacetyl/DMS from Koolaid, but I think their comments pointed me towards LAB or pedio which may indicate contamination in my equipment and the 'necessity' to retool with shiny new SS brew equipment. At least that what I told SWMBO when the credit card bills started arriving.

Cap't Brooothru

 

[duelerx]

Thanks to all. This thread has been just what I needed.

After 20+ years of brewing, I'm changing much of my methodologies and procedures in that never-ending search for beer Nirvana. That is to say, several of my beers got really hammered by the judges recently. As a result I've done a complete top-to-bottom review and invested in all-stainless equipment and will do LoDo, closed transfers going forward. Unfortunately I didn't invest in a unitank setup so my primary/secondary will have to be at something less than 2 psi. But this thread gave me the idea to transfer from secondary to a Corny already primed with Krausening wort and let it condition/clean-up under a spunding valve set at about 15 psi. Anybody have experience doing this?

BTW, these frickin' judges wouldn't know diacetyl/DMS from Koolaid, but I think their comments pointed me towards LAB or pedio which may indicate contamination in my equipment and the 'necessity' to retool with shiny new SS brew equipment. At least that what I told SWMBO when the credit card bills started arriving.

Cap't Brooothru

I have been experimenting krausening saving wort from brew day and calculating using brewers friends tool and transferring to a keg using a randall to avoid oxygen. I have only used a spunding valve when I do keg spunding with the remaining 4 gravity points of fermentation.

 

[Jayjay1976]

...transferring to a keg using a randall to avoid oxygen.

We have a Randall at the office. All it's good for is taking up oxygen and the occasional dumb joke