Yeast sitting on the foam

[Malter White]

Hi all.

I mixed a Coopers Dark Ale with BE3 on Saturday.  It's been sitting at 20C and I took the Kreuzen collar out this morning. There seems to be more foam on top than what I've seen in previous brews and a lot of the yeast is sitting on top of the foam still. Is this cause for concern? Or should I just trust my hydrometer readings and bottle when SG readings are stable as per usual?

[ben 10]

No issue, there will be plenty of yeast in the wort.

[Malter White]

Thanks Ben 10. You're a star. Much appreciated.

 

[ChristinaS1]

That is normal. Kits with dark specialty malts, like the Dark Ale, and Stouts, tend to have more krausen.

The healthiest yeast is the stuff on top of the krausen, at peak fermentation (for ale yeast). In English breweries, traditionally, they would skim this layer off and use it as a starter for the next batch. I think some on the forum have tried it, but it is not practical for most home brewers; they usually aren't ready to put on another batch two or three days after starting one. 

If you are using the Coopers yeast, the krausen will usually fall into the wort well before the week is out; I have never had Coopers yeast not fall. US-05 sometimes won't fall. When this happens, some on the forum recommend rocking the FV, to encourage it to fall; they find it helps eek out the last couple of gravities points. 

Cheers,

Christina.

[Malter White]

Thanks for the information, Christina.

Yes, I'm using Coopers yeast and you are correct, I'm still quite a novice and can only concentrate on 1 brew at a time. I generally just stick to the recommended recipes as I've found I achieved my best results when I don't stray from the tried and true.

Thanks again,
Muzz.