Anyone here use a blow-by system, or anything else to remove krausen?
Also, does anyone think that removing krausen improves beer flavour?
Krausen
Why get rid of your Krausen ? Its part of the beer.
Just get a bigger fermenter.
Ive brewed many, many beers and never had a beer come through the airlock. If i did, then i suspect something is wrong.
My fermenters are 30 litres plus. Maybe you are brewing too warm.
Keep your Krausen at all costs.
Just get a bigger fermenter.
Ive brewed many, many beers and never had a beer come through the airlock. If i did, then i suspect something is wrong.
My fermenters are 30 litres plus. Maybe you are brewing too warm.
Keep your Krausen at all costs.
" White Wine with Roast Beef ! how dare you ? "..... " I dare because I like it ! " ....Dogger on the meaning of life.
Where did you hear that removing the krausen will contribute to the flavour?Chris wrote:It's about the flavour. It's also about experimentation with krausening- carbonation of lagers with krausen, not priming sugar.
As for 'krausening' I have read about but never felt the need to try it. To my understanding you don't actually use krausen. just a few litres of wort (Speise) drawn off at the start of fermentation held back in a fridge (or some fresh wort from your next batch) and added back to the wort at bottling. Seems to me like a hassle & from what I've read there's no real benefit to doing it. Unless your brewing to the Rheinheidsgebot
Last edited by chris. on Sunday Oct 07, 2007 12:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My apologies Chris, i misread your post. I still cant see or have heard of any benifits of removing your krausen.Chris wrote:It's not to do with fermenter size- I'm brewing in 60L. It's about the flavour. It's also about experimentation with krausening- carbonation of lagers with krausen, not priming sugar.
For what purpose would you do this ?. If its to improve taste, i wouldnt think that a fermenting beer's krausen would have any bad flavours. Maybe some bitterness, just as in a good head on a nice beer. Its all part of the real flavour.
As for priming, ive never heard of this.( using krausen )
Interesting post though, maybe i am wrong.
" White Wine with Roast Beef ! how dare you ? "..... " I dare because I like it ! " ....Dogger on the meaning of life.
paleman, i just skimmed a krausen for a yorkshire bitter, given that is the method used by the breweries who open ferment.
The idea is that autolysis is prevented because the spent yeast doest fall through and sit on the botom - might even help a brighter beer as well. I let mine sit in primary for quite a few days following the skimming.
A little bi of tradition cant be all bad - after all my homebrew tastes better than anything else! not least of all because its 'mine' - if you know what I mean.
The idea is that autolysis is prevented because the spent yeast doest fall through and sit on the botom - might even help a brighter beer as well. I let mine sit in primary for quite a few days following the skimming.
A little bi of tradition cant be all bad - after all my homebrew tastes better than anything else! not least of all because its 'mine' - if you know what I mean.
Krausen
I've had plenty of the coopers ale yeast powered brews spit krausen out of the airlock,so i suppose if your'e after cultivating the yeast from the krausen then this would be perfect for the job,without taking the lid off and skimming.So just ferment using coopers ale yeasts.
Re: Krausen
Never in all my years of brewing, have i had a Krausen come through the airlock..........you guys need to look at your methods.mark68 wrote:I've had plenty of the coopers ale yeast powered brews spit krausen out of the airlock,so i suppose if your'e after cultivating the yeast from the krausen then this would be perfect for the job,without taking the lid off and skimming.So just ferment using coopers ale yeasts.
Either you are brewing too warm........or your fermenter tubs are too small.
You need a 30 + litre fermenter. And brew your Ales at 18 degrees.
Leave your Krausen alone for Fu....... Sake !!
" White Wine with Roast Beef ! how dare you ? "..... " I dare because I like it ! " ....Dogger on the meaning of life.
Most people on here think of this guy as some sort of god. I knew that i too had read somewhere that the krausen can cause crap flavours. 
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-2-2.html
A head of foamy krausen will form on top of the beer. The foam consists of yeast and wort proteins and is a light creamy color, with islands of green-brown gunk that collect and tend to adhere to the sides of the fermentor. The gunk is composed of extraneous wort protein, hop resins, and dead yeast. These compounds are very bitter and if stirred back into the wort, would result in harsh aftertastes. Fortunately these compounds are relatively insoluble and are typically removed by adhering to the sides of the fermentor as the krausen subsides. Harsh aftertastes are rarely, if ever, a problem.
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-2-2.html
A head of foamy krausen will form on top of the beer. The foam consists of yeast and wort proteins and is a light creamy color, with islands of green-brown gunk that collect and tend to adhere to the sides of the fermentor. The gunk is composed of extraneous wort protein, hop resins, and dead yeast. These compounds are very bitter and if stirred back into the wort, would result in harsh aftertastes. Fortunately these compounds are relatively insoluble and are typically removed by adhering to the sides of the fermentor as the krausen subsides. Harsh aftertastes are rarely, if ever, a problem.
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