Hi all. My brew shop stopped carrying Imperial yeast so I decided to try Omega. I brewed a Vienna Lager and used the Omega Oktoberfest yeast. With a new bucket and new yeast, I was initially very concerned because I got zero airlock activity and maybe a pencil thickness of krausen, if even that much.
To my pleasant surprise, it fermented down to 1.01 or maybe 1.011. So it just goes to show that krausen isn’t everything. I’m still very surprised though, because I’ve never had that little krausen, even when using lager yeast.
Result wise, it tastes very good at keg time, so I’m happy with it thus far. So maybe give Omega a try if the opportunity arises.
Yeah there is variability between yeast strains relative to krausen formation for sure. Some yeasts I know from experience that if I get to much wort in fermenter, its going to blow off.
The key thing is the beer tastes good:) Prior to the later part of 2021, Omega skimped a bit on the yeast volume they gave you. But later in 2021 they increased the volume they supplied and are comparable to other suppliers now.
The air locker part tells me the bucket was leaking. IF it’s sealed, the only way out is through it.
OR, the ferment happened so fast you didn’t witness the gas escaping…?
Then with krausen, Mike has the answer…
Sneezles61
Yeah, I’m sure the bucket/lid was leaking. Northern Brewer sent me a new lid for the bucket, which I have in use just now so I’ll get to see if there is a repeat. It could be the bucket and not the lid… Anyway, the beer I finished turned out really good so no issues with oxidation. Based on my own approach, I use airlock activity less for leak vs no leak but rather more for timing of D-rests, temp control, and general status tracking, which is why I was irritated with the leak.
I hear what your saying about a leaking bucket and timing…
Quite a few years ago I got the Tilt hydrometer/temp gizmo.
That is a great tool for monitoring fermentation.
Sneezles61
I have seen several beers, even ales, ferment out and tasted great where they had zero krausen. I thought the yeast was dead but it turned out fine. If memory serves, Scottish WLP028 might have done this? It was either that or 1728. Also WLP833 had very little krausen for me on the last batch. There are other oddballs, I just cannot remember which ones. But yes, krausen doesn’t mean everything. You can still have healthy fermentation where the yeast stays within the beer entirely, I’ve seen it at least 4 or 5 times over ~170 batches.
