Wil kraussen fall after fermentation is done?

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bhughes

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My beer has been in the primary for about 10 days. Yesterday I took a sample to check the gravity and it looked like the fermentation went fine as the OG was about 1.072 and the gravity reading yesterday was about 1.018.

However, there was still a layer of kraussen, or a yeasty like film about an 1/8 of an inch thick sitting on top of the beer. The beer smelt and looked fine under this layer, but I didn't do a taste test. I was just wondering if this layer of kraussen or whatever will fall to the bottom within another week or so? Is there anything I can do to help it along? Also, I will not be racking to a secondary.

thanks
 
I'd say that in a week this layer will disappear and you will have some tasty (and potent) beer!
 
Sounds pretty normal on the layer on top. I've noticed that layer will submerge like a sinking ship, sometimes it just thins out. If you've been patient for 10 days, i'd say wait atleast 4 more to see what the layer does. Take another SG and if its stable then decide if your ready to bottle. If you aren't just enjoy the additional aging and clearing since you aren't going into a secondary.

Excellent gravity btw, :drunk: What kind of beer are you brewing?

-J
 
I'm hoping it's like an amberish west coast IPA. I used a recipe in one of the books at the brew store that looked pretty good. The gravity readings probably aren't exact as I didn't do adjust it for the temps or anything, just what I saw from the two readings. May be off a few points either way.
Hope the stuff eventually falls like you guys are saying. I've got another ounce of hops I'm going to dry hope it with in the last 5 days or so, so I hope that stuff out of the way by then.
 
with a SG that high and no secondary, i would recommend leaving it in the primary for a month. i've had great results doing this-the yeast really clean up after themselves well.
for the dry hop are you using pellets or leaf? if doing pellets you might want to look into one of those metal tea bag things to get them down to the bottom.
 
My latest brew had quite a vigorous fermentation and the Krausen stayed on top of my beer for almost 3 weeks. I didn't think it would ever sink, but it did.

Give it time! Many wise folks on this site keep telling us that the yeast work on their own timetable, not the timetable we want them to work under.
 
I have a one ounce hop plug that I am going to put inside a nylon paint strainer bag. I don't see why it would matter whether it was near the bottom or near the top though, as long as it was submerged in the beer. Seems it would have the same affect, and the beer will get mixed when I rack it to the bottling bucket.

I think waiting a full month might be beneficial as well. I think I need to start brewing another batch so I don't have to go this long without a homebrew again. My first 2 batches didn't last long enough.
 
Give that fermenter a rocking back and forth some to agitate that krausen back down in to solution. Put that yeast back to work.

I'd say 3-4 weeks of primary time before you dry hop.
 
I have a one ounce hop plug that I am going to put inside a nylon paint strainer bag. I don't see why it would matter whether it was near the bottom or near the top though, as long as it was submerged in the beer. Seems it would have the same affect, and the beer will get mixed when I rack it to the bottling bucket..

I just dry hopped 2oz of Cascades in a nylon bag myself. I can attest that the bag will float like a rubberduck in your carboy if you don't weight it a lil. I added 3 marbles thinking it would be enough. NOT! Eventually after some gentle rocking as Biermuncher was describing the hops soaked up enough fluid to float just under the surface. Give it a lil rocking and best wishes on what sounds like a great beer to come for you. :mug:

-J
 
Just to clarify (for me), when the krausen has fallen, does it mean that fermentation is done, or is at least, winding down?
 
Just to clarify (for me), when the krausen has fallen, does it mean that fermentation is done, or is at least, winding down?

It's a very good indicator. Usually...fermentation will slow to a crawl but there may be substantial krausen still floating.

Fallen krausen seems to be the lagging indicator of finished fermentation.

Of course...there is no substitute for hydrometer readings. :D
 
It's a very good indicator. Usually...fermentation will slow to a crawl but there may be substantial krausen still floating.

Fallen krausen seems to be the lagging indicator of finished fermentation.

Of course...there is no substitute for hydrometer readings. :D

Thanks, BierMuncher. My first brew has been fermenting for a week and a half. After about 5 days, the minimal krausen that had developed (1/4" at its peak), fell. I took a reading, and the SG was around 1.050 (OG was 1.072). A few days later, the krausen is still pretty much non-existant. There is a little bit of froth, but really nothing to speak of. However, the airlock is still pretty active (it bubbles if I push on the lid, which is bulging), but from what I gather here, that's not a reliable indicator of fermentation. Also, every once in awhile, I can see little spurts come off the bottom trub/yeast layer. They almost look like little flares going off. I debated on repitching some yeast, or just waiting it out another week or two, and have gone with the latter. From what I gather, nothing is usual about fermentation, but does what I am experiencing sound like a beer that will meet its target in the end, or one that may have been underpitched (1 pack of S-05)? Thanks
 
Thanks, BierMuncher. My first brew has been fermenting for a week and a half. After about 5 days, the minimal krausen that had developed (1/4" at its peak), fell. I took a reading, and the SG was around 1.050 (OG was 1.072).

...does what I am experiencing sound like a beer that will meet its target in the end, or one that may have been underpitched (1 pack of S-05)? Thanks

1 pack of dry yeast is plenty for a five gallon batch of a 1070 beer.

But a 20 point drop after 5 days seems a bit slow. Did you aerate the wort prior to pitching the yeast.

More yeast won't solve anything. I'd say take a reading to gauge your velocity and then wait it out.
 
I gave it the wort a pretty hard pour into my primary, but otherwise didn't aerate. It wasn't until after I had pitched that I discovered just how important it is. Everything I read or saw seemed to indicate that the pouring of the wort would suffice. Lesson learned. I may take a reading this weekend, may wait until next. I have a feeling that things are going to take awhile. Thanks again.
 
Just an update on the stuck kraussen, when i opened the lid yesterday before giving it a shake, most of the kraussen had now fallen from the surface. It's still not chrystal clear on top, but significantly better. I think just the slight disturbance I gave it when I took out my sample for the gravity test must have been enough to get it to sink. Anyway, I gave a slight rock, but not much.

To the point about the dry hopping, I used an ounce of hop pellets in my last batch with the nylon bag. I just dunked it in and closed the lid. About 5 days later when I took it out I had a bag full of that mushy hop sludge that the pellets turn into so I figure it worked. I might check for a thread about it and see what I can find.
 
My latest brew had quite a vigorous fermentation and the Krausen stayed on top of my beer for almost 3 weeks. I didn't think it would ever sink, but it did.

Give it time! Many wise folks on this site keep telling us that the yeast work on their own timetable, not the timetable we want them to work under.

The krausen in my primary is abount an inch thick. It looks like you could walk on it. It formed overnight and the air lock was bubbling like crazy. It has slowed down to about one bubble every 8 seconds after 8 days. No sgins of falling yet.

When should I take my first gavity reading? The OG was a little high at 1.062.
 
When should I take my first gavity reading? The OG was a little high at 1.062.

I'd at least wait until the krausen falls - typically I take my gravity reading after 10-14 days when I'm thinking about moving it into secondary. To me there's not much point in checking the gravity unless I'm ready to do something if it's ready.
 
Well, its only been 10 days.

I generally keep all my beers in the primary for twice as long.

It gives more time for everything to clean up.
 
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