Krausen Not Clearing - Why?

[benf]

HI All, looking for some thoughts on this situation.

Last weekend I brewed 2 50 litre batches of Pale Ale type all grains. Each batch was split into 2 fermenters and all 4 fermenters were pitched with rehydrated US-05. The US-05 was 4 packets rehydrated in 500ml of water. This was then split roughly over the 4 fermenters.

3 of the fermenters now look pretty close to done with the Krausen having disappeared and they are looking nice and clean as normal. The 4th however still have a krausen of 1cm of nice cream foam sitting on top of it and doesn't seem to be clearing.

Any thoughts on why this would be the case. Have been brewing for a number of years and never had this experience before. Could it be that this fermenter was over or under pitched compared to the rest and could that have this impact? Just a bit worried that I either have infection (although it looks OK other than not clearing) or a very slow ferment?

thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[gap]

2 obvious questions but

Have you taken hydrometer readings of all fermenters?

What was the OG for each fermenter ?

Regards

Graeme

 

[Flash_DG]

I got an APA on the go now 7 days in the fermenter and the Krausen on top is still about 2 inchs deep thick and creamy. Not used US-05 very often, maybe twice. Been waiting for it to drop before I take a test.

 

[gunbrew]

Cant offer help, just had a similar experance with US-05 though.
Mate of mine made a 50 litre batch of Pale Ale made from 2 of the same kits and light dry malt, pitched with US-05.
The US-05 was 2 packets sprinkled onto wert.
OG1047, Brew was reading 1014 for 3 days in a row so I helped keg it.
On opening the lid there was a krausen of 2cm of nice cream foam sitting on top of it.
I said keg it anyway as I believe 1014 to be final gravity.
The brew had a slight apple cider flavour to it, I was not sure if that was because it fermented too warm with no temprature control or it was infected.
My suspiscion was the lack of temp control.
It still tasted drinkable.
Will find out once he has it carbed up.

 

[CosmicBertie]

HI All, looking for some thoughts on this situation.

Last weekend I brewed 2 50 litre batches of Pale Ale type all grains. Each batch was split into 2 fermenters and all 4 fermenters were pitched with rehydrated US-05. The US-05 was 4 packets rehydrated in 500ml of water. This was then split roughly over the 4 fermenters.

3 of the fermenters now look pretty close to done with the Krausen having disappeared and they are looking nice and clean as normal. The 4th however still have a krausen of 1cm of nice cream foam sitting on top of it and doesn't seem to be clearing.

Any thoughts on why this would be the case. Have been brewing for a number of years and never had this experience before. Could it be that this fermenter was over or under pitched compared to the rest and could that have this impact? Just a bit worried that I either have infection (although it looks OK other than not clearing) or a very slow ferment?

thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers

I've just had a TTL using 1469, and it had a 10cm thick krausen on it. Even after it had fermented out, there was still about 2cm or so ontop. Just measure the SG, and if its done, then draw the beer out from underneath it, leaving the foam in the fermenter. It shouldnt hurt it.

 

[Bribie G]

This is one reason I avoid US-05 unless I am desperate (for example when CB have run out of Wy1056) - the scummy little krausen just hangs around for ages - I usually hit it with a rack into another vessel and CC for -1 for a few days on gelatine, this invariably knocks some sense into the bugger.

1469 is supposed to stay at the top, hence the term "top fermenting" yeasts.
In the old days most ale yeasts did this but nowadays with the advent of deep conical fermenters used by the commercials, ale yeasts in general tend now to floc to the bottom (most Wyeast and WL yeasts I guess would be sourced in some way or another from Industrial strains). However it wasn't always so.

 

[benf]

to be honest, I haven't yet measured the FG, will do that tonight and compare to the fermenter where the Kausen has cleared. The ferment temperature has been a little warm, but that has been the same for all four of the fermenters so not sure why this one would be different. Perhaps it was underpitched and is still going, it did seem to kick off a bit slower than the other fermeneters. It has however been in the fermenter now for 11 days which is normally more than enough for US-05, which I have used alot in the past.

 

[warra48]

Regularly happens to me with US05, or its liquid equivalents WY1056 or WLP001.

Nothing to be concerned about, I just bottle as usual, and stop when the bottling tube fills with crap. Mostly I still get my full planned volume.

 

[Nick JD]

Could be that one of the batches got more break material than the others in it and the different protein or hop oils makeup is contributing to the krausen hanging around.

I've kegged US05 batches that still had an inch thick krausen on top. It can be a bit random sometimes - if anything I think it's more likely to be a big pitch that causes a resilient krausen.