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Beginner Question

Northern Brewer General
#1

I am a new homebrewer and brewed my first beer yesterday. It’s a Belgian Wit from a recipe kit at my LHBS. I have read a bunch, and understand the process fairly well. I have a question about how fast the krausen should fall. Here was my beer just after pitching and move to the closet. Air temp is 67.

After only 5 hours I had obvious fermentation going on and a couple inches of krausen. Air temp still 67.

Woke up this morning (about 10 hours later), took a look and saw that the krausen has come through the airlock, and then has fallen to only about 1/2 inch high. Air temp dropped overnight to about 65.

Airlock is still bubbling constanly (filled it back up with sanitizing solution).

So is this common for the krausen to form so quickly and then fall overnight? Should I leave it alone, shake it up, or take a gravity reading? Oh, and the yeast is S-33.

Thanks a bunch for the help!
Jim

#2

Just leave it alone… You are making beer and all is well!

#3

This is easier said than done for some of use (myself included) but just put it somewhere and forget about it. As for your question regarding regular timing of fermentation and krausen formation and dissipation it really depends and could change from batch to batch and beer to beer. In other words don’t really worry about it too much, 99% of the time you’ll be fine if you did everything right.

#4

Thanks for the replies! I appreciate the encouraging comments. I know things will vary from batch to batch, but did not expect so much activity so early, and now 24 hours later the krausen is gone.

Also, it’s normal for the beer to become more cloudy, right? Is it the yeast activity just churning the beer up?

Thanks again!
Jim

#5

yes its normal. you are correct, it is indeed yeast in suspension. after the yeast settle down they will fall to the bottom, and the beer will become less cloudy

#6

I have seen krausen form in as little as 4 hours and crash as soon as 19 hours. Then again, I have seen it take 2.5 days to form and 3 weeks to crash.

If you really want to have fun, have a few pints and then sit and stare closely at a fermenting carboy. It’s not cloudy… it’s moving, quickly. Trippy.

#7

I just brewed an IPA and after 24hrs the Krausen had already risen to the top of the carboy and fallen. All this in 66* temps. That has happened once before and I too was worried.

I just left it alone, and it came out fantastic. Guess I’ll do the same with the IPA, as should you!!

Happy brewing!

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