Is Us-05 A Slow Fermenter?

[petesbrew]

If you're worried it's taking a long time, ramp the temp up to 30c.
It'll taste like shit but...

 

[geneabovill]

Agreed. I wouldn't repitch certain strains, but OP was discussing US-05, an American Ale strain. Wyeast 1056 would be my pick for a liquid equivalent, and certainly find that it improves after a few generations, provided its managed appropriately.

IMO, the wheat yeast is too estery on the first pitch, but by second gen its definitely more balanced. This is just a subjective preference, not science, though.

 

[wbosher]

If you're worried it's taking a long time, ramp the temp up to 30c.
It'll taste like shit but...

I'm not THAT worried Anyway, seems alright now.

Thinking maybe I should reuse it, just to practice it and see if it turns out ok. Would hate to try it on an expensive yeat sometime down the track, and completely balls it up.

 

[bugeater]

The krausen definitely hangs around for a while with US-05. But it doesn't seem particularly slow. Pitch onto a US-05 yeast cake from your previous ferment and it will be mostly done in in a day

 

[kevo]

You can do it, but with a pack of US-05 costing less than $5, I wouldn't. I seem to remember reading/hearing that dry yeast mutates too much in the first generation, so your results might not be consistent. Having said that, it may mutate into something beautiful after all.
If you're set on reusing the yeast, make some beer bread with it.

I think it's worth reusing even dry yeast - a few generations along the track, docile yeasts turn into monsters in my experience.

Give it a wash and reuse within a short time and you should be fine.

Kev

 

[Black Devil Dog]

"Thinking maybe I should reuse it, just to practice it and see if it turns out ok. Would hate to try it on an expensive yeat sometime down the track, and completely balls it up."





I'm going to practice on couple of cheaper yeasts, try and confine as many of my trial and error experiences on my K&K's as I can rather than when I eventually upscale.

 

[wbosher]

I think it's worth reusing even dry yeast - a few generations along the track, docile yeasts turn into monsters in my experience.

Give it a wash and reuse within a short time and you should be fine.

Kev

After washing it, would I just pitch the whole lot, or just some of it? I've seen a link on this site somewhere, which I can't seem to find at the moment, to a calculator which says how much washed/reused yeast to pitch based on how old it is, and the OG of the wort.

I've also read somewhere that over pitching is as bad as under pitching.

 

[jameson]

I put a kit Pilsener on 10 days ago but used the us-05 yeast instead of the kit yeast. It has been at a steady 18-20 degree range the whole time, but it is still going! I did this same kit with the yeast supplied in the kit once before and the fermentation was done within 5 days. Nothing is different from the first time except the yeast.

Checked the gravity and still has a few more points to go, after 10 days.

Is this yeast known to be a little slow, or could there be a problem?

I have two ipas double batch. Used two different packs of us05. The gravity was 1065 to start and took 14 days to get to 1028 and another 6 to get to 1.020. It is the first time I have done a big beer over 1.055 with it. Maybe there is a poor batch or I simply under pitched. I have recently bought yeast slants to start splitting wyeast packs for culturing.
Will I ever use us05 again? Hell yea I have used it in 30 plus very drinkable beers most of them kits and bits.

 

[geneabovill]

Wolfy (I think) has a few good tips on yeast management, and the links to his blog are in his sig. There also loads of videos on YouTube, rinsing/storing yeast. Also read through the articles on AHB. The links are at the top of the page.

 

[wbosher]

Wolfy (I think) has a few good tips on yeast management, and the links to his blog are in his sig. There also loads of videos on YouTube, rinsing/storing yeast. Also read through the articles on AHB. The links are at the top of the page.

Yep, just reading through this one - http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...l=harvest+yeast - farkin brilliant!!!

Trying to read through all 12 pages but my boss keeps giving me work to do. :lol:

 

[Parks]

I haven't read all the posts here but I have had US-05 struggle when used under 17 degrees.

 

[wbosher]

I haven't read all the posts here but I have had US-05 struggle when used under 17 degrees.

I'm not sure, but I suspect this may have been the case early in the fermentation. Anyway, seems to have finished ok now.

I'll be bottling this weekend so I'm going to have a crack at harvesting it for my next brew.

 

[Malted]

I've seen a link on this site somewhere, which I can't seem to find at the moment, to a calculator which says how much washed/reused yeast to pitch based on how old it is, and the OG of the wort.

Mr Malty Pitching Rate online calculator LINK

:super:

 

[wbosher]

Mr Malty Pitching Rate online calculator LINK

:super:

Gold!!! I think it's somewhere in Wolfy's post about harvesting yeast, but I lost it somewhere in the 12 pages...which I'm still trying to read. My boss seems to think I'm here to work or something. :lol:

 

[wbosher]

Fermentation is now well and truly done (been at around 1.008 for a few days now), but beer is VERY cloudy. I'm probably going to leave it for another week, already been two.

I've heard cold crashing can help to settle the yeast, but I don't have a fridge to do this. I've got in sitting in a tub of ice water and got it down to about 12oC but it won't go any lower than that. Is that low enough to get the yeast to drop?

The other problem is I've got to get it out of the bath to get to the tap to bottle it, which will stir it all up again, so this whole thing might be futile anyway.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

after the bottles have carbed up, store them upright in the fridge for at least few days before serving.

 

[bugeater]

Fermentation is now well and truly done (been at around 1.008 for a few days now), but beer is VERY cloudy. I'm probably going to leave it for another week, already been two.

Yeah US-05 isn't a great flocculator. I've used gelatine from the supermarket a few times to help it along and it works great. Not sure how much you are meant to use, but I think I've used about 8g dissolved in water that has been slightly cooled from boiling for a 20 litre batch. You can definitely see the yeast drop out (well if your fermenter is transparent).

 

[wbosher]

Yeah, I thought about using gelatin but I want to wash and reuse the yeast for my next batch...hopefully my first AG one.

I've read a lot of conflicting reports on the affects of gelatin when harvesting yeast, so I'm a little hesitant in doing that.

I guess the best thing is just to wait a little longer and then bottle. As Liam said, the yeast should settle in the bottle on refrigerated, just want to avoid huge amounts of sediment in the bottles...time will tell I guess.

 

[bum]

There's always the option of racking on to the gelatine if you like - many used to suggest this as being better than adding it to primary anyway. That way you get the benefits of using gelatine (such as they are) and get to use the yeast from primary as you wish (not that gelatine would necessarily prevent this anyway).

 

[wbosher]

There's always the option of racking on to the gelatine if you like - many used to suggest this as being better than adding it to primary anyway. That way you get the benefits of using gelatine (such as they are) and get to use the yeast from primary as you wish (not that gelatine would necessarily prevent this anyway).

I don't have the equipment to do this, and to be honest I'd be more than a little nervous racking with the added riskes of infection etc...

It seems to be about a 50/50 split opinion on this subject, some say they wash the gel off of the yeast and have no problems with it, others say rack to secondary or the yeast is buggered.

Got a coin?