Krazy Krausen

[benf]

I have just completed my second all grain this past weekend and have noticed something quite different to the first, and also quite different to all the partials I have done in the past. This one has gone mad in the fermenter within 12 hours of pitching, with the white fulffy stuff (krausen I think it is called?) filling up the head space in the fermenter and trying to make its way out of the airlock. I am using the standard 30 litre plastic fermenter and the batch is approx. 23 litres. Normally I only get 1 - 2 inches of krausen. THis time it is more like 8 inches. What does this mean??

Recipe for reference is:
4.5kg Marris Otter
1kg Munich
300g Medium Crystal
100g dried wheat extract

yeast - dried Safale 04 (rehydrated before pitching)

mash @ 65deg for 90 minutes
Batch Sparge
Boil 90 minutes

fermenting at 22 degrees

Any thoughts? Not too worried but it is quite different to what I have see before so am interested in possible reason.

 

[Ross]

Welcome Quiet Kiwi, to AHB & AG brewing...


The krausen is nothing unusual, especially with a good fresh rehydrated yeast. My only concern is that your temp is a touch high & without good control (how are you controling it?), the yeast has probably taken it even higher. At these temps most yeast will go crazy, try to hold at max 19 to 20c if you can.

cheers Ross

 

[matti]

Yeah as Ross says.
Try bring it down to 18.
The krausen is a good sign. My last brews krasuen with S-23 i missed. It only took 12 hours as I was sleeping and in the morning she had subsided.

This all caused by pitching it at 23 degrees.
The actual fermentation will produce 2-3 degree rise in temperature as well.
If you haven't got a fridge a soaking wet towel in the bathtub filled with cold water the 1st few days may do the trick.

 

[benf]

OK - all good. Even though the daytime temperature here in Auckland doesn't get much past early 20's and the wort was at 20 when I pitched, I have had a problem keeping the temperature down due to the heat given out by the fermentation.

I will throw it in the fridge tonight with the fridgmate to keep it under control at 18.

Now that it has been in the early 20's for a couple of days before I get it down to 18, should I expect any flavour issues with this one?

Cheers

 

[MVZOOM]

From what I understand, most of the fermentation, which causes the yeast flavours to become pronounced will happen whilst a full krausen is occuring. Therefore, it's probably more important to have temp control for the first part of the brew, whilst fermentation is most active, rather than after the event.

Cheers - Mike