So when I first started brewing, most of my fermentations would produce a pretty heavy krausen (3-5" thick). Sometimes growing right out the blow off hose or airlock. Since gaining some experience and watching things more closely with water chemistry, ferm temps, oxygenation of cooled wort before pitching, pitch rates etc, my last 5-6 brews would only get around 1-1 1/2" krausens. Fermentations have been vigorous with the majority of fermentation done in 3-4 days with krausen already dropping and beer clearing. I'm not worried about it at all just an observation, I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this same thing?
Something I've noticed as I've gotten more and more beers under my belt
- Thread starter joehoppy
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Fermentation temperature control is a huge factor. The faster the yeast work at breaking down the sugars, the higher the krausen. With temperature control you slow the yeast down so they don't form such a big krausen and they don't create fusel alcohol or off flavors.
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joehoppy
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I definitely have to agree with you, the funny thing is the fermentations with the thicker krausen seemed to take much longer to finish fermentation then the ones with the smaller krausens. ?? Strange.
More time to finish? Like more time to get to final gravity, more time for the krausen to fall, or more time to get the off flavors gone and the beer matured?
IL1kebeer
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I have observed the same thing. I noticed that when I got temp control, started making starters, and got an O2 system my fermentations became a lot faster and more "tame" unless I am doing something big. I also noticed that attenuation was much better and more consistent. For typical ales I'm usually at FG in a week or less and they're out of the fermenter and kegged by day 8-10 depending on how the yeast are doing.
Fermentation is the most important aspect of brewing, other than sanitization, and it has a huge impact on the final flavor of the beer. In my experience, a properly controlled ale fermentation is typically at FG in less than a week and the yeast have cleaned up by about day 8-10. Obviously big beers are an exception, but even those shouldn't take more than two weeks unless perhaps its a beer above 1.100 or something along those lines. If everything is done optimally then ale fermentation length will be less than two weeks and krausen will be relatively in check. It shouldn't take the much accepted "3 week rule" to finish most ales.
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Fermentation is the most important aspect of brewing, other than sanitization, and it has a huge impact on the final flavor of the beer. In my experience, a properly controlled ale fermentation is typically at FG in less than a week and the yeast have cleaned up by about day 8-10. Obviously big beers are an exception, but even those shouldn't take more than two weeks unless perhaps its a beer above 1.100 or something along those lines. If everything is done optimally then ale fermentation length will be less than two weeks and krausen will be relatively in check. It shouldn't take the much accepted "3 week rule" to finish most ales.
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Temp control is key. Without it the yeast heat up the beer to 80F and go nuts, creating huge krausen and then as they peter out the temps fall, sometimes too quickly and the yeast go to sleep and take even longer to finish cleaning up the beer.
While temp control is key, so is yeast strain, oxygenation and wort nutrient content.
jmitchell3
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I just brewed my 9th batch of beer Sunday. Over the last. 5 batches, I've introduced temp control, yeast harvesting, pitching rate calcs, and starters. Huge difference in fermentation lag times, completion times, and final beer quality.
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My inexpensive solution for temp control. Keeps the wort in the low 60's with relatively little effort and expense. frozen bottled water 2-3 bottles per tub switched out 3 times a day.
This is called the "Swamp Cooler". Definitely the best way to control temps and keep them stable if you don't have a dedicated freezer or fridge with temp controller on it.
donovanmaxwell
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When you say 3 times per day, how exact does timing need to be? Is it something that I could swap out at 6am when I leave for work and then at 4:30pm when I get home? I think better temp control is what I need to get better fermentation. I am already making starters and using an oxygen. Hopefully this will help with bottle carbing too. Even after 4 weeks, my latest hasn't carbed well.
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