WLP500 too cold?

[binarybison]

I've got a belgian trippel going right now with WLP500, OG approximately 1.080. It has been in primary for about a month now, but there is still some krausen or perhaps hop matter floating at the surface. There is also some stuff (hopefully yeast) that is hanging around in the top inch or so. This is my first brew in a better bottle, so I've not had a chance to see this process take place before, so maybe this is normal. I have my ambient temp set now to 70 (though it was 65 or 66 for awhile), but I just realized today that the fermentor is actually a couple degrees below the ambient temp. Since I've read the krausen should drop when the fermentation is over, I'm wondering if the fermentation is stuck because the temp was lower than I had thought. Or is it reasonable for this beer to keep on fermenting for this long, particularly given that the temp was on the low end?

 

[theveganbrewer]

It prefers 70-75, but that's not why the krausen is still around. It's not abnormal. Do you have a plan for this beer? How long are you going to ferment? What is your target FG? Get a sample and check the gravity, if it's done, it's done.

 

[binarybison]

I don't have a predetermined plan per se, but I figured I'd let it ferment until it was done, and then either bottle or move to secondary. With the krausen around, I figured it just hadn't finished fermenting, but perhaps it has. I'll take a gravity reading this weekend and figure out what to do from there. Glad to hear this is normal though.

 

[binarybison]

I don't have a predetermined plan per se, but I figured I'd let it ferment until it was done, and then either bottle or move to secondary. With the krausen around, I figured it just hadn't finished fermenting, but perhaps it has. I'll take a gravity reading this weekend and figure out what to do from there. Glad to hear this may be normal though.

 

[beergolf]

Check your thermometer. It is not possible for the fermenter to be below ambient unless there is something else cooling it. Is it sitting on a concrete floor? That could bring it down below ambient.

Belgian yeasts can work slowly. They often take off and ferment like crazy and then take a long time to finish off the last few points, Let it sit for a while and then take a gravity reading and determine where it is at.

 

[binarybison]

Check your thermometer. It is not possible for the fermenter to be below ambient unless there is something else cooling it. Is it sitting on a concrete floor? That could bring it down below ambient.

Belgian yeasts can work slowly. They often take off and ferment like crazy and then take a long time to finish off the last few points, Let it sit for a while and then take a gravity reading and determine where it is at.

That must be it, it is sitting on concrete. I'll move it and see if that helps bring up the temp.