Eternal Kräusen - is it safe to bottle?

[OswaldvW]

I brewed a Belgian Wit with WLP400 on October 4, 2014. OG was 1.050. After 2 weeks, still kräusen, so I checked gravity and it was 1.018. I top-cropped and I gave the beer a gentle stirring, and was able to revive fermentation, complete with new kräusen. The gravity started falling to 1.012 and eventually to 1.008.

So, now it is Oct. 25 and the gravity has been at 1.008 for two or three days (the estimated FG of this recipe is 1.009). I would like to bottle, but still have a kräusen (I removed the kräusen this afternoon, but a new one simply appeared - I have begun to call the yeast Hydra). Do you think it's safe to bottle?

 

[rolewiii]

Personally, I would pop it into a secondary for a few days, just to clean it up a bit. If the gravity isn't changing, alcohol isn't being produced, so it sounds safe to bottle.

 

[OswaldvW]

I went and bottled today. I will leave an update on whether or not there were any issues.

 

[OswaldvW]

Nov. 11 update.

Bottles conditioning/conditioned fine. No problems at all. Kräusen simply was there (in the fermenter) but did not indicate further fermentation. There was no funny action in the bottles whatsoever.

 

[agentindemand]

New Krausen appeared in my primary. Also used WLP400 and wondering if it's common with this yeast?

 

[OswaldvW]

Don't know as I have used it only once. However, if your FG is stable and you feel you have aged it enough, should be safe to bottle/keg. I did not have any further issues with my batch.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[OswaldvW]

I did another batch of Witbier at the beginning of June. Used the same strain of yeast, WLP400. Again, the kräusen simply does not want to go away. I was able to top-crop and store some of the yeast for another project. Another kräusen simply grew to take its place.

Beer has reached a final gravity of 1.008 for the past 4 or 5 days. I am simply going to rack under the foam to a bottling bucket and leave the kräusen behind.

 

[maddcow]

I do notice that WLP400 krausen lingers for awhile. Usually rocking the carboy gently can cause it to fall. Ive even noticed a krausen build up in the bottles about a day after bottling!

 

[OswaldvW]

My second batch (bottled) turned out great. No problems to report.