Ale w/o Krausen?

[c0nsumer]

Maybe it's just weird to me, but something strange seems to be happening with my vanilla stout. I just walked downstairs to take a look at it, and as you can see from this photo which is taken looking down at the carboy from the top (http://www.nuxx.net/gallery/v/food/brewing_beer/vanilla_stout/DSCN1543.JPG.html), the krausen is *gone*. The surface of the beer is sparkling like spilled hot soda, and the surface is swirling as if there is an impeller at the bottom of the carboy (http://www.nuxx.net/gallery/v/food/brewing_beer/vanilla_stout/DSCN1542.JPG.html), but there is absolutely *no* krausen left. This is after about 27 hours have passed since I pitched the yeast. For a while (+3 hours to +25 hours) there was a decent layer of foam, but then the bubbles started getting bigger and bigger until no more krausen.

Have any of you seen anything like this before? It strikes me as very odd.

That said, I haven't used this yeast before (WLP023) so I'm not sure what to expect. However, no other batch of beer I've made has behaved in this manner...

Is it possible that due to the quantity of yeast energizer and yeast nutrient used in the batch (2 tsp and 4 tsp, respectively, per directions on the packaging) that the beer is simply fermenting extremely quickly? Temperature down where the carboy sits is right around 70°F on this wonderfully cool Michigan evening...

Oh, the recipe for this batch can be found here (http://www.nuxx.net/beer/Random_Vanilla_Stout.html) and the actual OG was right about 1.062.

[HogieWan]

take a hydrometer reading and see how much the yeast have done.

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by HogieWan
take a hydrometer reading and see how much the yeast have done.

I will after it simmers down a bit. The airlock is still kicking like crazy. (video here (http://www.nuxx.net/gallery/d/28507-2/DSCN1536.MOV) showing the rate at which it was bubbling both this afternoon and now)

Maybe tomorrow it'll be nearly done? Heh... This is kinda exciting. I still have to wait for it to age on the vanilla, though...

[HogieWan]

if the airlock is still going like that, just leave it alone. No need monkeying around in there if the yeasties are busy.

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by HogieWan
if the airlock is still going like that, just leave it alone. No need monkeying around in there if the yeasties are busy.

That's what I'm thinking, too... It's just really odd for the krausen to be gone.

[steveh]

Originally posted by c0nsumer
The airlock is still kicking like crazy. (video here (http://www.nuxx.net/gallery/d/28507-2/DSCN1536.MOV) showing the rate at which it was bubbling both this afternoon and now)

Heh - heh - that's pretty good, you should make that your avatar!

But I agree with Hogie, if it's still goin' like that let it run its course. I've seen krausens drop like that and have found that a fast ferment yields a better beer than a slow ferment.

S.

[haaseg]

How much of what kind of Vanilla did you use?

IIRC, vanilla is very oily. I'm not sure how it would affect the krausen, but I know in one instance we used to much and it destroyed the head retention. Could be a similar thing going on there.

[c0nsumer]

The vanilla isn't actually in there yet... I'm planning on taking two beans, splitting them, scraping them, and droppign the whole beans and scrapings into the bottom of the secondary.

For now it's just still in the primary.

I've been hearing from elsewhere, though, that other people have experienced similar things when they used oatmeal in the mash.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by steveh
Heh - heh - that's pretty good, you should make that your avatar!

You have until tomorrow to make it your avatar, then anyone who wants it can take it.

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by HogieWan
You have until tomorrow to make it your avatar, then anyone who wants it can take it.

Heh, thanks... I'd actually made a nice 100px x 100px one last night which can be seen here (http://www.nuxx.net/images/airlock.gif), but it's too big for both here and LJ. Maybe I'll rework it tonight and cut down on the flashing as well.

[c0nsumer]

Just FYI, this beer had pretty much fermented out 72 hours after pitching the yeast. I racked it over to the secondary with the vanilla on the 24th, and that's where it now sits.

[HogieWan]

keep us posted.