what to do with krausen

[buhess]

I brewed a Midwest supplies grand cru on 7/14 and it has been in the primary ever since. I planned to rack it to the secondary 2 weeks later(yesterday), but I held off because of the large amount of krausen on top. What course of action should I take here? Thank you in advance!

 

[Kentunkel]

I don't advocate racking to a secondary fermenter but I would wait until the krausen dies down. So many factors affect fermentation time and if your goal is to rack off the sediment for extended storage there are a lot of suspended solids in the wort during krausening that will drop out as fermentation slows.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

Wait for it to fall or rack from under it.

Only do #2 if you are pretty sure that primary fermentation is complete

 

[1Mainebrew]

It has never worked out well for me when I got the noob jitters and got impatient and racked from under the krausen. Its not a good practice.

 

[unionrdr]

That's a big beer,& may take more time than the average gravity ale to get down to FG. Just wait it out.

 

[medusa1066]

You could give it a rousing to "wash" the krausen down into the beer.

 

[twistr25]

You could give it a rousing to "wash" the krausen down into the beer.

If by rousing you mean shaking around, prolly not too good an idea. Let gravity do its job. Have patience, it will fall out.

 

[TopherM]

Just a little bump will encourage the krausen to fall if it's ready. You don't need to shake it!

 

[boscobeans]

You could give it a rousing to "wash" the krausen down into the beer.

During fermentation I've had a few Krausens form that seemed to have a real affinity for the walls of the fermenter. This held some of the krausen that normally drops to the bottom from sinking.

To keep the CO2 layer in place and to break the hold the crud on the side has on the krausen I give the fermenter a quick twist or two.

The ring stays in place and the majority of the krausen, once free, sinks down with the rest of the trub.

OMO

bosco

 

[buhess]

Thank you so much to all of you. It's great to have such a supportive and helpful community for the rookies out there like myself. I think that I am just going to wait it out and hope for the best. Might be a little bit darker, but hey, who cares?(not me)