US-05 Favourite fermentation temperature?

[New_guy]

Hi,

Finally obtained a fermentation fridge, heat belt and a STC-1000.
All working well

I want to brew a Pale Ale with US-05

Does it have a favourite fermentation temperature?

I have read everything on the safale website http://www.fermentis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/SFA_US05.pdf and know the range is 12 - 25 with a preferred range of 15-22
but this is quite vague

? Shoudl I aim for 17, 18 or 19 or have I got this complely arse about

Any suggestions ???

Thanks

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I prefer 15-18 degrees, but 15-16 is more often than not my chosen range, especially when I'm happy to wait. It ends up clean and really allowing the hops to shine through.

It does prefer a CC as it doesn't always like to drop out of suspension well. Gelatine is preferable too.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

As low as possible to avoid it stalling personally I aim for 16-17C, makes for a very clean beer!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

And DJ_L3ThAL reminded me, I do raise it to 19 after a week to 10 days. Cleans up the beer, and finishes it off, if it stalls (which it can do at times).

I find if I rehydrate, I generally avoid any stalling issues.

 

[New_guy]

As low as possible to avoid it stalling personally I aim for 16-17C, makes for a very clean beer!

Thanks DJ_L3ThAL

Nood question - do you mean the beer is very clean as in appearance or taste?

 

[New_guy]

I prefer 15-18 degrees, but 15-16 is more often than not my chosen range, especially when I'm happy to wait. It ends up clean and really allowing the hops to shine through.

It does prefer a CC as it doesn't always like to drop out of suspension well. Gelatine is preferable too.

Whats a CC?

 

[New_guy]

And DJ_L3ThAL reminded me, I do raise it to 19 after a week to 10 days. Cleans up the beer, and finishes it off, if it stalls (which it can do at times).
I find if I rehydrate, I generally avoid any stalling issues.

Thanks LRG
When you say cleans up the beer - do you mean the clarity of beer? or taste?

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Mainly taste. The warmer a yeast is fermenter, the more by-products it produces (such as esters, phenols and higher order alcohols).

Esters and phenols can be very very good - think of the banana and cloves typical of a Weissbier - this is the aroma and flavour compounds of the variety of beer and the ferment temp.

But when I'm doing an APA, I really like the ferment to be clean - no real yeast-derived flavours. I want the hops to be the star of the show in an APA/AIPA.

CC = Cold Condition - where you adjust the temp of your fridge down to 0-4 degrees (making sure it doesn't freeze) and this puts the yeast to sleep and they start dropping down to the bottom. With US05 - it can have (ahem.....) varied flocculation (dropping out) properties at times, so a CC (and gelatine after that) really help the process of getting the yeast out of the beer to the extent possible.

So clean could be in appearance as well.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Clean tasting, as mentioned by LRG, it's not the best flocc'er, but I don't mind my beer being a little bit hazy. I have cold crashed it before to 4C for a few days before bottling and it was very clear and still had no issues bottle carbonating.

I haven't had US05 stall yet at 16C, in fact a 3rd generation re-harvested strain of US05 fermented one of my brews in 3 days at 17C! Couldn't believe it at first but refractometer & hydrometer proved it. Is a very nice IPA!

 

[HoppingMad]

A great versatile yeast this one. Favoured by many of the commercial breweries too. Have read some years back that Sam Caligione (Dogfish Head Brewery - US) liked a constant 16 degrees with this yeast, but if you like a Mountain Goat Beer, I have toured the brewery and heard the guys there lock their US-05 on a constant 20 degrees. Personally I prefer 18-20 degrees. Have fermented at 16 and got very clean results too, but if you don't have solid temp control you can risk your yeast stalling at such a low temp if it drops below that.

Hopper.

 

[fletcher]

i love it. although there is a lot more choice with liquids, i've used us-05 for the majority of my american pales and IPAs and have never had it falter on me. i usually ferment those kinds of beers that i want to be clean tasting, at 16C. not low enough that it takes ages to ferment and not high enough for any chance of esters. i could probably go higher but it's worked so i've not changed it.

 

[wobbly]

I am doing a version of Argons LCPA in the WW at the moment using US-05 at 23C and a pressure of 22 psi (1.5 bar) and it only went into the WW last evening and should be ready for consumption in 7 days Sunday 19th or Monday 20th

I will post results next week sometime

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[New_guy]

Mainly taste. The warmer a yeast is fermenter, the more by-products it produces (such as esters, phenols and higher order alcohols).

Esters and phenols can be very very good - think of the banana and cloves typical of a Weissbier - this is the aroma and flavour compounds of the variety of beer and the ferment temp.

But when I'm doing an APA, I really like the ferment to be clean - no real yeast-derived flavours. I want the hops to be the star of the show in an APA/AIPA.

CC = Cold Condition - where you adjust the temp of your fridge down to 0-4 degrees (making sure it doesn't freeze) and this puts the yeast to sleep and they start dropping down to the bottom. With US05 - it can have (ahem.....) varied flocculation (dropping out) properties at times, so a CC (and gelatine after that) really help the process of getting the yeast out of the beer to the extent possible.

So clean could be in appearance as well.

Thanks!

This really helps and I can now appreciate the flavours of previous brews that may have been in the 22-24 deg ferment range and had some unusual (not necessairily bad) flavours.

BTW I am not a fan of "banana" flavours in beer and this is great info

What does the gelatine do and how do I use it?

How long / when do you cold condition?

Thanks

 

[New_guy]

A great versatile yeast this one. Favoured by many of the commercial breweries too. Have read some years back that Sam Caligione (Dogfish Head Brewery - US) liked a constant 16 degrees with this yeast, but if you like a Mountain Goat Beer, I have toured the brewery and heard the guys there lock their US-05 on a constant 20 degrees. Personally I prefer 18-20 degrees. Have fermented at 16 and got very clean results too, but if you don't have solid temp control you can risk your yeast stalling at such a low temp if it drops below that.

Hopper.

What temp do you think it would stall at?

 

[New_guy]

Clean tasting, as mentioned by LRG, it's not the best flocc'er, but I don't mind my beer being a little bit hazy. I have cold crashed it before to 4C for a few days before bottling and it was very clear and still had no issues bottle carbonating.

I haven't had US05 stall yet at 16C, in fact a 3rd generation re-harvested strain of US05 fermented one of my brews in 3 days at 17C! Couldn't believe it at first but refractometer & hydrometer proved it. Is a very nice IPA!

Cheers thanks for clarifying

 

[New_guy]

Is it over the top to buy a temperature data logger and watch the fridge for a week (especially with the week coming up in Melbourne!!) to see what sort of temp variation i get???

 

[Byran]

Probably! Unless your an OCD kind of person the fridge will keep reasonable temps with a temp controller. Im a huge fan of US05 too, 16 deg C has been a good temp for me also. Clean crisp flavour, clean clear beer with gelatin and a cold crash. Seems to work a treat and ferments out pretty easy at that temp ( or there abouts) It doesnt matter too much as long as your below about 18deg C US05 will produce decent results. Unless you want the estery notes higher temps can give.
I usually put gelatin into a secondary container with some hot water then rack the finished beer onto it to get it off most of the yeast cake. It binds the majority of the remaining trub to the gelatin so it drops out very quickly . Just put it in the fridge until its clear. From 1 day to 7 days is a good benchmark. There is a gelatin thread on here somewhere if you do a search.
If you want to push it make a batch at 12 deg C and note how much longer it takes to ferment. You might want to use 2 packets though if you start getting colder than 14 or so otherwise it might stall.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

There's a how to on Gelatine, which is way better than me repeating it.

It causes the yeast to clump together and they become heavier and sink.

 

[New_guy]

So the gelatin is melted with hot water (? 250mls) then added in a liquid form (i have used it in cooking) to the fermenter. The yeast then binds to the gelatin which sinks to the bottom of the fermenter
Is this correct?

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Subject to time and temperature levels being followed.

And a good stir with sterilised spoons.