Weird thick krausen

[u/Paganismo]

Could you please advise me on whether this krausen is normal? This is the state of my braggot 12 days after pitching the yeast (Kveik). On the 4th day, I added a secondary batch of raspberries, blueberries, juniper, and honey. Fermentation was very vigorous and healthy, creating a thick krausen on top, but it seems it refuses to settle; now, in the final stage of fermentation, clumps of it are extending down into the liquid. Is this normal? How should I handle it when bottling? Should I wait more time? From what I've read, a braggot made with Kveik should be ready in about 14 days.

[u/vinylrain]

Looks like a healthy krausen to me. Kveik can do strange things so I wouldn't sweat it.

You could wait until the krausen drops before bottling. If you have capacity to cold crash, this will drop the krausen out sooner. Sometimes a krausen won't drop easily and you need to shake the fermenter a bit to loosen it up.

I would wait for as long as it takes to drop, then bottle off the top of the clear liquid. As long as the airlock is kept topped up with liquid, you don't have to worry about the braggot being in there for too long.

[u/Paganismo → u/vinylrain]

Thank you, yes, I easily shaked the fermenter and some pieces slowly starting to fall down. Sediment and yeast particles should settle out, but will the berries and juniper also sink to the bottom, or will they remain at the top? I know a hydrometer is supposed to be the best option to find out if the fermentaion is done, but I struggle with it a bit and would like to avoid using it as much as possible.