Floating Krausen!?!

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
Post Reply
mrboxpiff
Steady Drinker
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 10:02 pm

Floating Krausen!?!

Post by mrboxpiff » Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:15 pm

Probs this has been discussed before, but my recent brews always seen to have this bready crust on the top of the wort in the fv. I think I'm right in calling it the Krausen, or something like that. It makes it a whole lot harder to Syphon off without sucking this lot up. Any comments or suggestions on how make it sink?
TIA
Mr B

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

mrboxpiff
Steady Drinker
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 10:02 pm

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by mrboxpiff » Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:17 pm

mrboxpiff wrote:Probs this has been discussed before, but my recent brews always seen to have this bready crust on the top of the wort in the fv. I think I'm right in calling it the Krausen, or something like that. It makes it a whole lot harder to Syphon off without sucking this lot up. Any comments or suggestions on how make it sink?
TIA
Mr B

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Image

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

WalesAles
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3899
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:07 pm
Location: South Wales UK.

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by WalesAles » Sat Jun 17, 2017 4:15 am

mrboxpiff wrote:
mrboxpiff wrote:Probs this has been discussed before, but my recent brews always seen to have this bready crust on the top of the wort in the fv. I think I'm right in calling it the Krausen, or something like that. It makes it a whole lot harder to Syphon off without sucking this lot up. Any comments or suggestions on how make it sink?
TIA
Mr B

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Image

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
mrbox,
Why make it sink? You could put your syphon tube in one of the big gaps, drop it 20mm below the surface, bring tube to side
of FV and syphon from there, always keeping an eye on the tube as the level drops.
Or you could use one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AQUARIUM-FISH ... rkt%3D1%26
Sanitise the net as normal, 2 days before you are ready for bottling use this to gently scoop up all the muck, only immerse the net 5mm below the surface.
The next day, anything that was left behind should have sunk (tiny bits). If not, scoop off the rest. Then bottle to your hearts` content! :D
That`s what I do and never had a problem.

WA

mrboxpiff
Steady Drinker
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 10:02 pm

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by mrboxpiff » Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:47 pm

Many thanks for your reply and advice. My experience is that more crud gets into the Syphon if it floats, so I may well try your scooping idea
Cheers

Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using Tapatalk

simon12
Hollow Legs
Posts: 445
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 2:58 pm

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by simon12 » Wed Jun 21, 2017 3:14 pm

Just wondering did you use a large amount of irish moss or protofloc in this as I have found to much causes the yeast to float in clumps but can't find much confirmation.

User avatar
orlando
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7197
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:22 pm
Location: North Norfolk: Nearest breweries All Day Brewery, Salle. Panther, Reepham. Yetman's, Holt

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by orlando » Wed Jun 21, 2017 3:50 pm

Are you sure it's finished? There are some strains of commercial yeast that does this, Cullercoats springs to mind. In the latters case the brewer keeps "beating" the yeast back into the wort during the fermentation. If it has definitely finished but continues to sit on top rapid cooling could help it to drop.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

mrboxpiff
Steady Drinker
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 10:02 pm

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by mrboxpiff » Wed Jun 21, 2017 10:07 pm

I wondered about rapid cooling. And Simon12, I probably do use slightly more protofloc than recommend, so that's an interesting thought and I must try using less. I'm wondering if anyone else has experience of this?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

User avatar
orlando
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7197
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:22 pm
Location: North Norfolk: Nearest breweries All Day Brewery, Salle. Panther, Reepham. Yetman's, Holt

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by orlando » Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:27 am

mrboxpiff wrote: I probably do use slightly more protofloc than recommend, so that's an interesting thought and I must try using less. I'm wondering if anyone else has experience of this?
I severely doubt Protafloc has anything to do with it. It's job is to coagulate proteins and polyphenols in the boil. Over use can result in filters blocking but that's about it.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

User avatar
alix101
Under the Table
Posts: 1786
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:34 am
Location: Chester-le-street Durham

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by alix101 » Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:03 am

Us 05 can hang around for ever if it's to warm so certain strains will not drop easy ...
But looking at that it looks more like coagulated protein rather than the krausen.
Do you use temp control on your fermentation....
"Everybody should belive in something : and I belive I'll have another drink".

simon12
Hollow Legs
Posts: 445
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 2:58 pm

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by simon12 » Thu Jun 22, 2017 1:03 pm

orlando wrote:
mrboxpiff wrote: I probably do use slightly more protofloc than recommend, so that's an interesting thought and I must try using less. I'm wondering if anyone else has experience of this?
I severely doubt Protafloc has anything to do with it. It's job is to coagulate proteins and polyphenols in the boil. Over use can result in filters blocking but that's about it.
I never thought it would but have found it does

mrboxpiff
Steady Drinker
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 10:02 pm

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by mrboxpiff » Thu Jun 22, 2017 4:42 pm

Yes I use an inkbird for temp control in a fridge so a consistent temp isn't a problem. Should I drop the temp right down after fermentation has finished?

Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using Tapatalk

User avatar
orlando
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7197
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:22 pm
Location: North Norfolk: Nearest breweries All Day Brewery, Salle. Panther, Reepham. Yetman's, Holt

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by orlando » Thu Jun 22, 2017 4:45 pm

mrboxpiff wrote:Yes I use an inkbird for temp control in a fridge so a consistent temp isn't a problem. Should I drop the temp right down after fermentation has finished?

Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using Tapatalk
Yes. Cold crashing also helps drop out proteins that cause chill haze so worth while all round.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

User avatar
alix101
Under the Table
Posts: 1786
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:34 am
Location: Chester-le-street Durham

Re: Floating Krausen!?!

Post by alix101 » Thu Jun 22, 2017 10:37 pm

As Orlando said.
I always crash cool now to help with clarity especially when kegging.
"Everybody should belive in something : and I belive I'll have another drink".

Post Reply