Salvaging Kreusan

[cockybitz]

Since first go-round I use a blow off tube on my fermenters, resulting in 4 to 4.5 gallons of actual beer that can be bottled. I had read that allowing the Kreusan to exit via a blowoff tube can remove unfavorable flavors. What is the concensus here? I do have a 7.5 gallon bucket that I've not brewed a single batch in, knowing that the Kreusan will fall back into the beer if I did.

 

[carrotmalt]

I would think the 7.5 bucket would be preferable to having to use a blowoff tube. I don't know anything about krausen causing off flavors. I know it's full of active yeast though (top cropping comes to mind), so I wouldn't think you'd want it to blow off if you can help it. Right??? That's my take, but I'll listen in for others.

 

[Revvy]

That's one of those oldschool holdoffs from the old days of yeast fear, that has fallen by they wayside, heck even the debates have dissapeared. Some folks are hard core adherents of it. But most of us leave our krausen alone, and many of us believe that leaving the krausen and letting it fall through, actually works as a scrubber to pull down more proteins and other things that cause off flavors, and removing it leaves compounds behind.

You can read some of the debates/discussions by searching for skimming on here.

This search will expire shortly https://www.homebrewtalk.com/search.php?searchid=6918121

But you'll find that very few people bother these days.

 

[DrawTap88]

I've heard, and it might be one of the old school ways of thinking that Revvy is speaking of, is that using a blow off tube allows hop oils and flavors to escape.

 

[Ichthy]

Also, see Kai's experiment on his wiki page. He basically found it's nearly undetectable to let the krausen fall back in the beer.

 

[ChshreCat]

In some of the old books I've read, the justification for getting rid of the krausen comes from tasting it and tasting how bitter it was and thinking that it would make your beer too bitter. Seems to me that the krausen is just carrying the oils from the hops and I WANT that in my beer. I use fermcap and never had any issues with blowoff.

 

[DrawTap88]

I need to get some fermcap. I have a hefe blowing off out of a bottle and all over my floor right now.