# Yeast Sludge



## melinda (20/11/12)

G'day Men,

I have an ale that has stopped fermenting. On top is a thick yeast sludge. Normally I have a clearish surface before I crash chill. Should I crash chill with this sludge on top, or scoop it off? I don't really want to touch it if possible.

Cheers,
Cadbury


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## vortex (20/11/12)

That's Krausen, it'll drop on it's own when the fermentation is done. Are you sure it's at FG?


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## Diesel80 (20/11/12)

cadbury said:


> G'day Men,
> 
> I have an ale that has stopped fermenting. On top is a thick yeast sludge. Normally I have a clearish surface before I crash chill. Should I crash chill with this sludge on top, or scoop it off? I don't really want to touch it if possible.
> 
> ...



lemme guess US-05 yeast?

Cheers,
D80


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## melinda (20/11/12)

Yes it is US-05 yeast


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## RagingBull (20/11/12)

found this happens with us05 when i ferment cold. crash chill and it will drop. no worries


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## Brewer_010 (20/11/12)

Agree, crash chill and it will go. A bit OT but i really cant stand us-05, had a few brews with off flavours, poor performance before ditching it altogether. If you must use a dry yeast, try the S-189 brewed at 16 degrees and you'll find you get better results.
Cheers.


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## Bribie G (20/11/12)

US-05 has some close cousins in the Wyeast family that don't do this and settle out a lot quicker, for example Wyeast American Ale, American Ale 2.


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## Beerisyummy (20/11/12)

RagingBull said:


> found this happens with us05 when i ferment cold. crash chill and it will drop. no worries



RB,
When you say ferment cold, what temps are you talking?
I only ask because I've used us-05 for several brews at different temps and haven't experienced this yet. After the two week mark mine have all been really clear on top with a huge scum ring on the fermenter.


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## Nick JD (20/11/12)

I once bottled a US05 batch with an inch thick krausen on it. 

Was fermented in the early 20s. No idea what leads this yeast to decide to float. 

Every time I use it I think, "WTF am I using it, again?" Damned cloudy bitch! You need three pigskins worth of geletine to clear it up if you don't want to wait 2 weeks for it to settle out cold and lose all your hop aroma.

US05 is a gateway yeast. We'll all end up buying the good stuff eventually.


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## QldKev (20/11/12)

Glad I read this thread. I haven't used us-05 for a while, and thought maybe give it a go again. I think I'll stay with San Diego yeast for now.

QldKev


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## [email protected] (20/11/12)

While there are much nicer liquid yeasts out there, I have never had a problem with US05. However, that is pitching 1 gram of dry yeast / L of wort, 1.5g for anything over 1060. Which from my own reading is common practice for the many many commercial breweries that use it without fail.

Hits final gravity in 3 days, krausen drops a few days later, with cold and a little bit of time it will clear up nicely.

Neutral ,clean and fast fermenting ale yeast. 

Simply, if you have problems with it it, it is your fault not the yeast.


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## GalBrew (20/11/12)

Beer4U said:


> While there are much nicer liquid yeasts out there, I have never had a problem with US05. However, that is pitching 1 gram of dry yeast / L of wort, 1.5g for anything over 1060. Which from my own reading is common practice for the many many commercial breweries that use it without fail.
> 
> Hits final gravity in 3 days, krausen drops a few days later, with cold and a little bit of time it will clear up nicely.
> 
> ...



I agree, pitch it at the appropriate rate, ferment at around 18deg, crash at zero for a few days and there really shouldn't be any issues.


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## stux (20/11/12)

QldKev said:


> Glad I read this thread. I haven't used us-05 for a while, and thought maybe give it a go again. I think I'll stay with San Diego yeast for now.
> 
> QldKev



Put a WY1272 batch on again the other day, when I chilled the final yeast step for decanting and it dropped clear in a matter of hours I remembered why I stopped using US05


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## Brewer_010 (20/11/12)

Beer4U said:


> While there are much nicer liquid yeasts out there, I have never had a problem with US05. However, that is pitching 1 gram of dry yeast / L of wort, 1.5g for anything over 1060. Which from my own reading is common practice for the many many commercial breweries that use it without fail.
> 
> Hits final gravity in 3 days, krausen drops a few days later, with cold and a little bit of time it will clear up nicely.
> 
> ...



Bollocks I reckon. I brewed with it for quite a while, years, and got pretty good results (not as good as with liquid). But then results became not so good, with that yeast. If anything my brewing methods became better, and when I consistenty get good results from *other *dry yeasts I suspect something has changed with the US05 manufacturing process? Other brewers here also have problems with it. 

I guess youre lucky with the stuff, keep using it if you like, but I wont be. My back up dry 'ale' yeast is S-189.
cheers


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## Nick JD (21/11/12)

Beer4U said:


> Simply, if you have problems with it it, it is your fault not the yeast.



I have problems with this statement. These problems are not my fault.


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## krausenhaus (21/11/12)

Nick JD said:


> Was fermented in the early 20s. No idea what leads this yeast to decide to float.



I racked a batch with US05 last week - two carboys in the fermenting fridge, side by side, yeast prepared identically, pitched at same time. One was layered with thick creamy krausen bubbles, the other had no sign of it. Mystery to me.



Nick JD said:


> US05 is a gateway yeast. We'll all end up buying the good stuff eventually.



I've actually done all my AGs so far with US05, but now have a bunch of liquids on the way. Gateway entered hopefully.


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