# Ideal Fermentation Temp For Safale Us-05



## jbowers

Hey all,

I have an IPA in the fermenter, about 1063 starting gravity. Im using safale us-05 and it's just started fermenting. The fermenter was sitting at nearly 24, maybe 23ish. Just wondering, in your experience, what the best temperature is for that yeast for a relatively typical american ipa style? It's in a cellar at about 21, but for some reason the fermenter is sitting higher than that. I've put it in some water which will hopefully keep it down around 21ish. Is this an ideal temp or should I go cooler? given that the room is pretty cool anyway, I can do this quite easily with maybe 1 block of ice.

Cheers,
James


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## MarkBastard

The official answer would be 'it depends', but typically advice here suggests (and I agree with it) that 18 degrees is about the sweet point.

I don't know if 21 degrees will be a big issue with that yeast. It's a fairly clean yeast anyway, I don't see it giving off crazy esters at 21 degrees. This is me theorising though.


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## gibbocore

yeah mate, try and get it under or about 18, you'll get a much cleaner finish and with a wort with that high a gravity you will get some hot fussel alcohols at 24 degrees.


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## Supra-Jim

I am fermenting something very similar at the moment, and my fermenting fridge is set to 18degC.

Cheers SJ


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## Rodolphe01

i'm currently steeping some grains for a faux lager using this yeast, hoping it fires off between 15-17 degrees.


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## Pennywise

Personally I've found no issues brewing with this yeast up at 22, which was the best I could do in summer before I got a fridge to ferment in. Like already said, it's a pretty clean yeast anyway. 18 would prolly be the sweet spot though, but I wouldn't be too concerned if 21 is the best you can do, consistancy is what you want here, so as long as you can keep it from jumping all over the shop you'll be fine IMO.


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## Gout

I find it to be a clean yeast as mark has said, and i try to ferment it cool - but i have a fridge and thats only because i do with other yeasts which are better near the cool end.

once the explosive fermentation slows you may see the temps get closer to the 21 (room temp) as the US ale really gets through the wort rather quick hence the heat its giving off.

either way i dont think it will be a bad beer, i used to use a lot of yeasts and this is my most used yeast as i am lazy and it works well for me ( note: i only brew pale ales because i have not been able to brew as much as i like and this means less yeast hops malt thinking etc)

if you have ice ( i used to freeze 2Lt PET bottles) that will help and is a easy way to help lower the temp

cheers


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## jbowers

18 should be no problem. Just a block of ice changed every day should do the trick.


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## zebba

Before I had temp control I did two brews with this yeast - one stable @ 22, the other @ 24.

The 22 was delicious. The 24, using the same recipe, was still reasonable but not nearly as good and gave some bad headaches.

Not conclusive evidence, but that's my experience.


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## Fourstar

The writing is on the wall.  18 is perfect but anything shy of 20deg is still optimal for a clean fermentation profile.



Mark^Bastard said:


> but typically advice here suggests (and I agree with it) that 18 degrees is about the sweet point.





gibbocore said:


> yeah mate, try and get it under or about 18





Supra-Jim said:


> I am fermenting something very similar at the moment, and my fermenting fridge is set to 18degC.





Homebrewer79 said:


> 18 would prolly be the sweet spot though, but I wouldn't be too concerned if 21 is the best you can do





jbowers said:


> 18 should be no problem. Just a block of ice changed every day should do the trick.


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## Nick JD

Zebba said:


> Before I had temp control I did two brews with this yeast - one stable @ 22, the other @ 24.
> 
> The 22 was delicious. The 24, using the same recipe, was still reasonable but not nearly as good and gave some bad headaches.
> 
> Not conclusive evidence, but that's my experience.



+1

In my experience US05 has a critical point above which it will start producing butanol and propanol along with the ethanol. From my notes the fusels start appearing in undesirable concentrations above 25C average ambient temperature. So the brew is probably about 27C. 

I've never done one below 20C, so can't comment on the 18C - but would add that under 22C average ambient (brew at 24C) will make a great beer, just like the packet says.


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## jbowers

Yeah. 18 Will be harder than I thought.

It seems odd that the brew is wanting to be quite a bit warmer than the environment. It's 20-21 in my cellar but still 21 in the brew bucket with my cooling methods.


Can anyone recommend a better solution than a trough full of water, ice blocks and a wet towel draped over the top? Bearing in mind I dont have a fridge etc.


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## Pennywise

You could build up an insulated bot from timber and some styrofoam (sp), use frozen water bottles to keep it cool. I think I saw something on here not long ago along those lines, but I think they used old pannels off a cool room cut up.


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## jbowers

Seeing as I can get a fridge on ebay for less than 40 bucks, I'd rather just do that... Haha. I was kind of meaning without buying anything new.


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## husky

Put my second brew on yesterday using this yeast, I use a wet towel and temps dropped to 18 degrees within an hour(24 degrees ambient). The key is to have a fan blowing over the wet towel to evaporate the water faster and remove heat.


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## jbowers

Good advice, thanks. I've got a fan running now.

I think i'll be getting a fridge and one of these http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=2592 for christmas.


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## BjornJ

Hi all,
is there any benefit of going below 18 degrees with this yeast? (how low can you go would be the next question  )

I have a WLP001 California Ale Yeast which I understand is the same kind of thing, and remember BribieG putting up a picture of some very clear, lager-like results in corona bottles.
I believe he uses the US-05 below 18.

thanks
Bjorn


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## Bribie G

I did it at 16 degrees, and of course there are no free lunches: at low temps US-05 will just hang on and hang on like an unwelcome relative with scummy little bubbles on the surface - nowadays for a 'normal' 5% beer I let it go for 10 days at those temperatures then rack and 'lager' it for another 10 days and it turns out great.


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## BjornJ

hehe, couldn't resist putting it up again, eh!
And a good picture it is.

So 16 degrees should be ok, then rack to cube and another 10 days at the same temperature or at 1 degree for 10 days before bottling?

thanks
Bjorn


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## Bribie G

After the 10 days in primary I'd let it warm up to ambient for a day before racking just to finish it off and diacetyl rest (we are talking fake lager here and want clean clean, no diacetyl) and then cold crashing. As it happens I've got a brew on at the moment that's gone _way_ over at 2 weeks but I didn't change the frozen PET today and it's probably gone to 23 - I'll rack it in the morning then put it in the lagering fridge at 3 degrees or so for 10 days. I add gelatine on racking, then Polyclar two or three days before kegging. By that stage it just needs a few days in the keggie to carb up. If bottling of course the beer will be quite bright but there's still enough stray yeast in there to carb it up, but maybe looking at another 2 weeks.

OK it's piccie time  here's a bottle of the leftovers after kegging that I did just a week ago. 




The keg itself got demolished at the 21st party on Saturday but the bottle is quite firm now and diamond bright after only a week. Hmm might chill it and have a slurp :icon_chickcheers: 

:icon_cheers:


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## Dazza_devil

My favourite yeast.
Fermenting US05 at the moment in an American Stout @ 19 degrees C as recommended in 'Brewing Classice Styles' by Jamil and Palmer. Just wanted the right yeast driven profile for the particular style. I don't like holding it back and like to let it do it's thing at this temperature, it's an Ale yeast afterall. It turns out that this is my first Beercano through the airlock and it smells delicious.


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## Rodolphe01

BribieG said:


> I did it at 16 degrees, and of course there are no free lunches: at low temps US-05 will just hang on and hang on like an unwelcome relative with scummy little bubbles on the surface - nowadays for a 'normal' 5% beer I let it go for 10 days at those temperatures then rack and 'lager' it for another 10 days and it turns out great.



I have the temp controller running between 15-16 with the US-05, might just bump it up another degree between 16-17.


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## Bribie G

yup below 16 I reckon it's really pushing this yeast. The reason I switched to US-05 is that I had been using Nottingham, that can be used down to 14 degrees for a fake lager - but I found Notto to strip a lot of hop flavour especially in lightly hopped beers such as Aus standards. However US-05 isn't as flexible temperature wise and you have to be careful not to send it to sleep.


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## Ross

17c is my fav temp for brewing pale ales. At the low temps US-05 promotes citrus, perfect for this style.

cheers Ross


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## Dazza_devil

Jamil and Palmer also recommend 19 degrees C for an American IPA. In the past I've used it at 18 degrees C and it has produced very nice results and a nice steady fermentation. I've just started reyhdrating before I pitch and have found this to be quite helpfull in lowering lag times. I pitched it at 20 degrees C then lowered the wort to 19 degrees, fermentation was visibly well under way 6 hours later.


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## Screwtop

Using S-05 in a 63 gravity wort of 23 litres would require 1.5 packs. I use 2 packs and ferment low 18 for clean fermentation and good attenuation. Decide on the character you want in your beer, then select the yeast strain to suit, then the temp to get the flavour profile you require of the yeast strain. If fermenting on the cool end of the range for the yeast strain, pitch big. Brewing ABC.

Screwy


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## BjornJ

Hi all,
is the same true for WLP001 California Ale Yeast from Whitelabs?

Their web site says 20-22 degrees, but that sounds really warm..

Anyone tried this one below 18 degrees as well?

thanks
Bjorn


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## sid

yeh I'm doing an s-05 ale right now in the fridge at 16-18...............no temp control just turn the fridge on a few times a day and its keeping it at the temp I want...........shit I don't even think I need a temp control, a timer will utrn the fridge off and on a bit evry hour and it's cheap, not acurate I know.... but hey i haven't got the $$


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## Synthetase

sid said:


> yeh I'm doing an s-05 ale right now in the fridge at 16-18...............no temp control just turn the fridge on a few times a day and its keeping it at the temp I want...........shit I don't even think I need a temp control, a timer will utrn the fridge off and on a bit evry hour and it's cheap, not acurate I know.... but hey i haven't got the $



http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=KC...mp;form=KEYWORD


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## brianman

Hi Guys,
Have a Golden Ale in the ferment frig, using o5, started at 22deg. 12 days at 16deg., racked tonight 1007fg, Beersmith gave final of 1012, starting at 1041, mash was a bit low, is that what gave me such good attenuation. 
Briby


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## Screwtop

briby said:


> Beersmith gave final of 1012, starting at 1041, mash was a bit low, is that what gave me such good attenuation.



See this a lot, Beersmith is software, it knows nothing, uses something as a reference. The attenuation entered in the Beersmith Yeast Database for S-05 in this case. Beersmith does not take into account factors which will influence attenuation, high gravity will generally result in lower attenuation, large pitch will generally result in higher attenuation. Mash temp and less fermentables in the grist bill will also affect attenuation.

Cheers,

Screwy


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