Beer Forum

So I made my house APA recipe for the 10th time or so. It sat in the primary for 18 days at 64, I took a FG sample...1010-1011ish--right where it should be. I opened the fermenter and there's this thick, creamy(yeah yeah I know) krausen still on top. Is this normal or is something wrong? The sample tasted fine, just like it's supposed to, so I assume everything's OK, but I've never had a krausen remain for this long. Anyone else seen this?

What yeast is it? I have had belgian yeasts (wlp530) take a long time to clear.
The only way to know your beer is done fermenting is by gravity readings. Even when the gravity hits my hoped for FG I usually let it sit for two additional days and check the gravity again and yes, I have grown impatient and siphoned to the bottling bucket from under the krausen anyway.

Cheers

+1. I have had some really sticky krausens from Belgian yeasts that took weeks to drop. Take a few FG readings a few days apart before you determine it's done. Once it is, racking from under it is fine.


Mylo

The yeast was US-05. Gravity stayed the same for 2 more days, so I force carbed it. Never happened before with this yeast, but I guess no harm, no foul.

I have used US-05 a ton of times, but the last two times I brewed with it, a scottish 80 schilling and a blonde both were racked to keg after 12-14 days and I too still had a nice thick creamy krausen on top. As long as your gravity is where you want it/should be just rack off it and it will be fine!

I have also used US-05 on my last two batches and the krausen didn't fall until i shook my carboy and let settle.