3944 When To Rack

[brianman]

Hi everyone,
Have a AG Wit in primary using 3944, first Wit, been 10days, mostly around 20deg., bubbling till yesterday, sg 1017 today,started at 1040, still have a good krausen.
Should i rack now or wait till krausen drops, if ever. If racking with krausen on top, does it matter how much gets into secondary, i don't want to waste too much during this process.
What process do people use.
Cheers
Briby

 

[j1gsaw]

Hi everyone,
Have a AG Wit in primary using 3944, first Wit, been 10days, mostly around 20deg., bubbling till yesterday, sg 1017 today,started at 1040, still have a good krausen.
Should i rack now or wait till krausen drops, if ever. If racking with krausen on top, does it matter how much gets into secondary, i don't want to waste too much during this process.
What process do people use.
Cheers
Briby

Id leave it sit a few more days, i only recently bottled a batch of bel wit and used the 3944, very happy with it, managed to drop to 1011 from OG 1052. I didnt transfer to secondary either, just ran it on primary for 14 days. Will be a cracker!
I did actually notice when i was fermenting my batch that it still had a inch or so of krausen across the top by about day 10.. then over the next 4 days it settled right off.

 

[brianman]

Id leave it sit a few more days, i only recently bottled a batch of bel wit and used the 3944, very happy with it, managed to drop to 1011 from OG 1052. I didnt transfer to secondary either, just ran it on primary for 14 days. Will be a cracker!
I did actually notice when i was fermenting my batch that it still had a inch or so of krausen across the top by about day 10.. then over the next 4 days it settled right off.

Thanks Jig,
Makes me feel a little easier, did read elsewhere that it does tail off later on.

 

[samhighley]

I've always found 3944 to be very slow. I now allow a few weeks for primary fermentation with this strain.

 

[Georgedgerton]

Sorry to drag this back to basics but I have given up on racking at certain SG's or just before the krausen falls back because every time I wind up with more problem than worth while. Now I have just gone back to the basics of racking into the secondary after the primary has finished and the beers are better than ever.

I know this will not be the views of many, however I think sometimes we can be the creators of a lot of our own woes. losing some of the basic principals of good brewing

 

[white.grant]

You really do not need to rack to a secondary vessel, just allow the fermentation to run its course and then package.

cheers

grant