Beer Forum

Hey all...

Usually during fermentation the kruzen bubbles seem thin and well defined and when it's finished the kreuzen slowly fades away. I'm fermenting a batch of red ale and the top seems to be covered in a more goopy, slick-looking foamy layer on top of the beer. Should I be worried?

I started it on the 12th (1.052) with some re-pitched S-05. It seemed to get going quickly and I thought after a few days it was done. Left it for about a week then all of a sudden one night I hear the airlock going strong...huh? I peeked inside...goopy and foamy. Hmmm. Checked the gravity: 1.020...not done, slightly medicinal..uh oh. Infection? Tried my darndest to RDWHAH (with thoughts of redoing the batch in my head all that night). Came back to it tonight...still foamy and goopy, but not as thick as I thought initially. Gravity is 1.008 now. Tastes just fine. I guess everything turned out ok, but I just don't recognize this type of layer on top. Have you see it like this? I mean, it should be well done by now...




Schwarzbier during fermentation (is 45F too cold for this?, BTW)


Brown Porter done at the same time as the red ale...all the kreuzen has basically been reabsorbed.



See what I mean?



Thanks.

RDWHAHB

That's just the yeast going through their last throes before falling back in.
No problem. It just took that batch a little longer than the other one.

HTH-

I have been experimenting with a lot of different yeasts in the past 6 months. Several exhibit the "normal" behavior - where the krausen falls completely back in. A few in particular - an East Coast Ale, and a Belgian yeast that I used had funky, thick krausens. The Belgian NEVER fell back in - real slimy... Beer attenuated fine. No worries, man - let it go - or rack beneath it.


Mylo

If it tastes good, drink it!

RDWHAHB

Would that be US-05? I had a similar experience with that yeast a few batches ago. Just leave it be for another week or two it'll drop and look normal again soon.

It would be US-05...yes.

Good, so that junk isn't anything worry about then...whew. I've just never seen stuff like that two weeks later.

Thanks guys.

Lars wrote:Would that be US-05? I had a similar experience with that yeast a few batches ago. Just leave it be for another week or two it'll drop and look normal again soon.

I wonder if that is a side effect of using dry yeast. Slightly poor cell development, or not as active or as healthy as liquid yeast. To me, it looks likes the yeast cake that was in the bottom of my fermenter after my porter transfered. Looks sticky and wet, rather than the typical light and foamy krausen we are used to seeing with the healthy and viable liquid yeasts.

Nah, that's just right-wing liquid yeast propaganda. The only liquid yeast I've ever used is in that Schwarzbier right now...otherwise it's all been dry. I'm sure side-by-side I might see a difference between liquid and dry, but I've been very happy with what I've made so far... And, actually, that was re-pitched "liquid" yeast from a previous fermentation (using Mr.Malty's calculator).