Worried about lack of krausen

YouFUMS · Feb 22, 2017

After my 1st ever brew - Youngs American IPA - has been deemed a great success by all that has supped it, I have now moved onto a Beerworks kit called Dragon's SpÃÂ©ciale Kentish Bitter.
I started it last Friday (17th), and today (day 5) I have added the hops.
As the ABV of this beer is going to be around 4% (The American IPA was around 6.5%), then I didn't expect it to be bubbling as vigourously as my 1st brew, and that has proven to be the case. However, I am a little concerned that there is no krausen on the brew. It this usual?
I will let it brew another 5 days, as per the instructions, and then take a gravity reading. OG was 1.042. Hopefully I can get it down to around 1.012 to achieve the 4%, but I am concerned about how 'listless' is looks.

anyone else ever had krausen concerns?

Dutto · Feb 22, 2017

Don't worry.

Different yeasts perform differently and if you have a bottom fermenting yeast there can be little or no krausen.

Enjoy! :thumb:

terrym · Feb 22, 2017

Your AIPA is a kit that has a sustained krausen for longer than many beers, in parallel with a longer primary fermentation time.
The vigorous part of the primary fermentation for most 'normal' ales is different to the AIPA in that they pretty much done within five days and the krausen drops as the activity dies. Your Kentish Bitter is probably one of these ales. So as Dutto says , don't worry
However what I would say to you is since you have dry hopped after only five days do not be tempted to bottle early, irrespective of what the instructions may tell you. I would leave it for seven or even eight days on the hops, with the last one or two in a cool place. This is more to do getting the yeast to clean up the brew which it won't have done after say ten days, and then encouraging the yeast to drop after its finished so that you do not package cloudy beer.

YouFUMS · Feb 23, 2017

terrym said:
Your AIPA is a kit that has a sustained krausen for longer than many beers, in parallel with a longer primary fermentation time.
The vigorous part of the primary fermentation for most 'normal' ales is different to the AIPA in that they pretty much done within five days and the krausen drops as the activity dies. Your Kentish Bitter is probably one of these ales. So as Dutto says , don't worry
However what I would say to you is since you have dry hopped after only five days do not be tempted to bottle early, irrespective of what the instructions may tell you. I would leave it for seven or even eight days on the hops, with the last one or two in a cool place. This is more to do getting the yeast to clean up the brew which it won't have done after say ten days, and then encouraging the yeast to drop after its finished so that you do not package cloudy beer.

Thanks for this...The instructions do say dry hop on day 5 and bottle on day10 (if the gravity is 1.010 or less)
I'll check the gravity on day 10, but still leave it a couple of days before cooling for 2 days. That gives it a total of 14 days before I barrel/bottle.

terrym · Feb 23, 2017

Instructions are usually geared up to getting you to package your beer asap so that you can get to drink it early. What they don't properly allow for is secondary fermentation where the yeast cleans up its own byproducts, clarification, and a proper conditioning.
I now usually leave my beers at least 8 days in the FV, then I rack off, then another two days, then dry hop if needed, four more days and then two in the cold, at which point it is almost fully clear. During that period after racking my FV is sealed but the yeast is still working a little because I have to vent the CO2. Others on here have even longer periods sometimes taking weeks rather than days.
As far as conditioning, this is dependant on the beer. My experience is some beers can be drunk young, e.g Youngs AIPA can be drunk 2 weeks after carbonation if clear and doesn't change much after then, whereas other beers will not come good for weeks, e.g some of my extract brews are not worth opening for at least two months.

Grizzly299 · Feb 23, 2017

Also worth noting that Krausen stability is probably a function of protein content in the fermenting wort. Similar to how head retention works in your finished beer, different worts will have different grain bills, production methods (depending on manufacturer) etc. and so there is plenty room for variation. Which will change your fermentation characteristics.

Throw another variable in, like yeast, and you've suddenly got even more room for variation.

Temperature will also change how vigorous the fermentation is, so a cooler ferment might develop a smaller Krausen or none at all, as the rate of CO2 production is reduced.

YouFUMS · Feb 28, 2017

Quick update on this....
The lack of krausen does not mean a lack of brew activity :thumb:
The starting gravity was 1.042. I checked it 2 days ago and it was at 1.010, but I decided to leave it beyond the 'instructed' 10 days as there was still the faintest activity with the bubbler. Today I did another gravity check and it is now reading 1.009
I was a little concerned that I may have left the hops in too long (I dry hopped with East Kent Goulding 6 days ago), but the sample I was testing today tasted lovely. A bitter foretaste with vanilla/caramel finish. It really does taste VERY drinkable right now :lol:
I'll test it again tomorrow...if it reads the same then I'll cold crash for 2 days before barrelling.

Got to say, I'm new to this homebrew lark...but really enjoying it, and so grateful for the tips I'm getting off this forum

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