Krausening

jmcnamara

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so, i think i have a decent handle on what this is (using some previous wort as a yeast starter and then priming solution in order to carbonate the finished beer).
but, i just don't see the practical use for it nowadays (maybe because i don't brew lagers or other styles that take a while in the fermentor).
if you're bottling, wouldn't adding some more yeast directly to the bottling bucket do essentially the same thing? or does the krausen acclimate them to a beer environment so they aren't shocked when going into the bucket?
don't get me wrong, i dig a little bit of historical throwback. but, most of us aren't using wooden vats for a kettle or digging a hole in a hill somewhere to lager.
any thoughts or am i way off base?
 
Those sugars are all gone at bottling time. Adding yeast at that point does nothing. You have to put more sugar in, of some sort, when you bottle. I like what Charlie P has to say about krausening. It's a natural way to carbonate your beer. Nothing added that isn't already in there. What I don't like about krausening is its one less beer you can fit in your fridge! I usually have 3-4 beers in various stages of fermentation that aren't bottled yet. That's a lot of gyle to put in the fridge. I just use corn sugar.
 
sorry, i meant yeast and priming sugar put in the bottling bucket. but thinking about it more, i guess the yeast wouldn't be needed at that point anyway if i've just got a normal ale.
so, other than being a purist, there's not really any practical benefit to using krausen? all the planning and sanitation to time using it at the right point, just seems unnecessary to me. like you said, fridge space is a premium, and sugar i just have laying around is quick and easy to use.
does anyone krausen exclusively? whether for all their beers or a specific style? on that point, are there any beer styles that absolutely benefit from it?
 
I've toyed with the idea of krausening, just to say I've done it. But I've never gotten around to it. Like you say, corn sugar is easy.
 
In commercial settings krauesening does handle some diacetyl problems and it's compliant with the Reinheitsgebot. On my scale, I don't see the need to krauesen. The Reinheitsgebot (the reason the Germans don't use corn sugar - not allowed) isn't a factor for me, either legally or philosophically. I generally ferment cleanly enough or use a diacetyl rest to take care of the off flavors. I don't brew often enough to have a ready supply of actively fermenting wort nor do I want to store bottle bombs. So on balance, priming with corn sugar and using the yeast in suspension in the finished beer to carbonate and condition seems to be the best approach. Not that I'd discourage anyone from using the practice if it works for them, it just doesn't for me.
 
Historically, Krausening was effective, because breweries always had a batch with plenty of active yeast available. Active yeast at high krausen, has the nutrients it needs, and will tear up some sugars with a quickness. Suspended yeast will carbonate beer fine, but it is in the process of floculating and going dormant, and has to drag its tired ass back to the dinner table. Kasusening is like sending in the Marines, and the 82nd Air borne.

But mostly it was done for what Nosy said, and because it was readily available and easy for the big commercial breweries. Pain in the ass for home brewing.
 
I am no authority on anything. I have only brewed twice. Getting ready for my third. I will say that the commercially made beer I cut my teeth on was Krausened. I liked it, and still do. I think the purist angle to beer production has merit. If I stick to tradition, then I ought narrow the margin for variations that could otherwise be encountered. The Reinheitsgetbot (spelling??) was law for some reason back when people had less to maintain sanitation. I still get my fully krausened commercially produced beer, but it has no hoppines I have come to like drinking. As with most that moves me, purist ideas of production have merit. I cook with hops and enjoy doing it. I guess that could qualify as a monk, or just incredibly insane for that which means nothing. Brew it, drink it, be happy. I think that is the most important thing about everything we consume. Everything we consume from breathing oxygen, eating foods, to absorbing gasoline through the skin when we work on our lawnmowers is meant to produce an intoxicating effect of some measure. Cheers.
 
whether for all their beers or a specific style? on that point, are there any beer styles that absolutely benefit from it?

Wheat/weizen beers are what I have read benefit most from krausening or using speise.

I use speise to bottle condition my weizens. Although this method adds an extra week to my bottle conditioning time, though I bottle a few days earlier with this method so still only 15-18 days to drinking day.
I do prefer the speise method over using priming sugar, it is probably in my head but I like the finished product more.
 
I am not trying to resurrect a dead thread, but I had to chime back in to give a little insight maybe to someone else who was interested with krausening an ale to carbonate in the bottle. I bottled this batch on on May 1st, and began sampling two weeks later. I sampled a bottle a week for 2 weeks and felt like there was a problem with what I was doing because there was little carbonation happening. Right at the beginning of the month I poured out a 6 pack thinking it was trash. I left a 12 pack alone just for good measure to see if I was insane or not. Well, I dropped one in the ice in the deep freeze for 25 minutes tonight just to chill it down and see if it was carbonating noticing that it was clearing up. The result was great head retention and lacing that I haven't seen until now. While krausening takes significant more time as it is generally practiced for lagers, it appears to be equally as useful if I give it a similar time, just applying it to an ale. I'll give it some more time and see if it improves or degrades, and the next time I open one I'll try to drop a pic in the thread. If anyone else has insight into krausening ales, lay it out there. Someone will read it and learn from it, and it may be me.
 
Ive primed with wort produced from the same beer added it to bottling bucket stired then bottled. Dont think this is the same as krausening though:confused:.
 
That reserved wort is called gyle, and Charlie P calls it krausening. That’s good enough for me!
 

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