MJ Pink Grapefruit IPA: do I wait for Krausen to crash?

[Pavalijo]

Why add yeast with Krausen present?

I am very much a learner but will set down my logic and hopefully we will get advice from the more experienced brewers here!

I added the hops as at 1.012 I was within 2 points of target FG and wanted to get this brew bottled ASAP and get a Cwtch going. Normally these days I wait until fermentation has just finished before adding as I don't want the hops in there any longer than 3 or at most 4 days (based on threads and articles I have read) and have had a couple of brews go on for 4 and 6 weeks - but after experiencing the 6 week fermentation for a Youngs AIPA I have upped temperature from 18.5-19.5c to 20.5-22c and so expected this one to finish very soon now. I pushed Krausen aside when dry hopping, although @chillipickle says this was unnecessary.

I normally rack off into a (CO2 filled) bottling bucket by gravity and with a fine mesh bag on the end of the pipe to catch hop debris. I decided on this occasion that if when I racked into the bottling bucket there is still activity I will let it continue in the bottling bucket (a plastic fermenter with a bottom tap) before moving to a colder room for a couple of days prior to bottling. I had it in mind to sterilise my paddle again and carefully remove the thickest of any remaining Krausen off before racking.

As I type this 3 days after dry hopping there is still a little activity (bubble per 1.5 minutes). So tomorrow I rack out of the Chronical and start the Cwtch off, but may need to leave it in the warm room for another day or two.

 

[muppix]

Blimey - six weeks!!

I share your view that finishing hops should be added near the finish, though unfortunately when I was near the start of this journey I took "the finish" to mean "when the instructions say it should be ready" and ended up hopping far too early, hence my concern at the top of this thread.

Gotta say, I've not done that many beer kits since I'm still very green, but when I look at the average time between starting primary and bottling I'm nowhere near any of the guidelines put down in the instructions. Cwtch was the closest with 17 days, but then I've had 26 with Evil Dog, 20 for Razorback, 22 for Honey Porter and Wherry. The only one that probably isn't as good as it could be is Evil Dog, because I dumped the hops way too early, but I'm looking to make good on that and have another doggy by the window, ready to go for a walk.