Kolsch: not sure if there's a problem?

Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:04 pm

I've had my beer in primary for 2 weeks. It hasn't had more than the very very occasional bubble for over a week now, but the krausen is still floating at the surface!

I know this is a very low flocculating yeast, but I at least expected there not to be a full krausen!

Jamil's recipe, Hit OG perfectly, and gravity right now is anticipated FG perfectly (1.011). Wyeast kolsch yeast. Fermented at 60 degrees, when bubbles were very slow I raised it to 63 to finish attenuation and help eliminate diacetyl. Recently raised that to 67. Tonight I pulled a sample, smell is spot on kolsch, slight diacetyl. Appropriately dry.

Should I wait for the foamy goodness on the surface to go, or should I start to lager it now or should I keep waiting for the yeast to drop?
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thatguy314
 
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Re: Kolsch: not sure if there's a problem?

Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:26 pm

If you think you've hit terminal gravity (ie: it's reached where you were expecting and hasn't moved for three or four days) I'd just crash it down to lagering temps. The krausen on top will drop out eventually but certainly shouldn't be used as a means to determine whether fermentation is complete.
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mattmacleod
 
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Re: Kolsch: not sure if there's a problem?

Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:14 am

+1....crash that shit down to 34F for a few days, and keg it up!!!


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Whitebeard_Brewer
 
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Re: Kolsch: not sure if there's a problem?

Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:26 am

I wouldn't crash it yet. When I've used that yeast the krausen stayed up for quite a while too. I would warm it and wait for the krausen to drop if you want to speed it up. If not that Diacetyl is going to stay. Then follow through with a cold conditioning.
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