Us-05 Yeast.... Keeps Going And Going And Going...

[Fireman Sam]

Hey y'all,

Ok, so I've got my flame suit on ready (and not just cos I'm a fireman !)...Warning... kind of noob question below......

I guess I'm just looking for that pat on the shoulder saying 'there there, it'll be ok' kind of reassurance.

On 9th May I made up a Coopers Mexican Cerveca as normal, but decided to swap the can yeast for US-05, made to 23 litres. I rehydrated the yeast prior to pitching, and that was done at 22 degrees. OG reading was 1046 prior to pitching the yeast.

The airlock went well, not a huge krausen but it was ok.

I dry hopped 20gm of Amarillo pellets after 4 days, which drove the airlock into overdrive.

My question is.... it's been 14 days now and the airlock is STILL going... ok so it's slowed up a helluva lot the last few days, but my SG's have been 1008 since 21st May....

Will I have any issues leaving for a few more days - the weekend does make it easier to bottle ! And I'm guessing (and hoping) that the airlock activity will have finished !!

As always guys & gals... thx for your responses.

Cheers

 

[thesunsettree]

hi mate,

if your gravity is at 1008 theres a fair chance its done, check it over another couple days if it stays the same its good to go if temp and other variables havnt changed. the airlock action is probably just pressure changes or co2 absorption balancing out and most likely not yeast activity. leaving it until the weekend wont be an issue. good luck

cheers
matt

edit - oops just read the bit about same grav since 21may, it'll be ready but i wouldnt have an issue leaving it till the weekend to bottle/keg, my 2c

 

[DKS]

Hey y'all,

Ok, so I've got my flame suit on ready (and not just cos I'm a fireman !)...Warning... kind of noob question below......

I guess I'm just looking for that pat on the shoulder saying 'there there, it'll be ok' kind of reassurance.

On 9th May I made up a Coopers Mexican Cerveca as normal, but decided to swap the can yeast for US-05, made to 23 litres. I rehydrated the yeast prior to pitching, and that was done at 22 degrees. OG reading was 1046 prior to pitching the yeast.

The airlock went well, not a huge krausen but it was ok.

I dry hopped 20gm of Amarillo pellets after 4 days, which drove the airlock into overdrive.

My question is.... it's been 14 days now and the airlock is STILL going... ok so it's slowed up a helluva lot the last few days, but my SG's have been 1008 since 21st May....

Will I have any issues leaving for a few more days - the weekend does make it easier to bottle ! And I'm guessing (and hoping) that the airlock activity will have finished !!

As always guys & gals... thx for your responses.

Cheers

Bottle whenever your ready, gravity readings stable for three days you should be safe. There would be no problem leaving it till the week end if you have to either.
Daz

 

[flattop]

What temp was it fermented at? Melbourne winters can slow fermentation if you don't have a heater pad, sometimes leaving it for a bit more time is better.
1008 does sound about right but an extra few days won't hurt the same.

 

[manticle]

Hey y'all,

Ok, so I've got my flame suit on ready (and not just cos I'm a fireman !)...Warning... kind of noob question below......

I guess I'm just looking for that pat on the shoulder saying 'there there, it'll be ok' kind of reassurance.

On 9th May I made up a Coopers Mexican Cerveca as normal, but decided to swap the can yeast for US-05, made to 23 litres. I rehydrated the yeast prior to pitching, and that was done at 22 degrees. OG reading was 1046 prior to pitching the yeast.

The airlock went well, not a huge krausen but it was ok.

I dry hopped 20gm of Amarillo pellets after 4 days, which drove the airlock into overdrive.

My question is.... it's been 14 days now and the airlock is STILL going... ok so it's slowed up a helluva lot the last few days, but my SG's have been 1008 since 21st May....

Will I have any issues leaving for a few more days - the weekend does make it easier to bottle ! And I'm guessing (and hoping) that the airlock activity will have finished !!

As always guys & gals... thx for your responses.

Cheers

Have a pat and some reassurance. It's been said before but airlock activity is a sign of gas coming out of solution. It is not a reliable sign of fermentation and shouldn't be relied upon ever.

Steady readings over a few days as long as they are within a reasonable expected figure mean the beer has probably finished and the bubbling is just the beer divulging carbon dioxide.

However there is no harm leaving the brew a few days, provided the temps aren't ridiculously high and the brew will benefit from this as the yeast can clean up some byproducts and start to mature.

 

[Fireman Sam]

As always - thx guys !! Looks like this weekend it is then !

probably just pressure changes or co2 absorption balancing out and most likely not yeast activity

never thought of that before... see you learn something new everyday !

 

[AussieJosh]

The last brew i did with us 05 took two weeks at 16c, just get two or three readings that are the same over two or three days and it will be fine! Never trust the airlock sometime it still blurps after fermentation is done, on the other hand sometimes it does not blurp but your brew may be fermenteing, NEVER TRUST THE AIRLOCK!

Happy brewing!

 

[Bribie G]

US-05 always seems to hang on and hang on with a scummy little head on it, after 10 days I usually rack into a cube and cold crash for another 10 days and that shows it who's boss.

 

[bconnery]

There's a great quote from some user on a US homebrew forum (I think that's where I read it anyway) I always think of when reading threads like these...
Basically it goes something like this...

"Your hydrometer is a calibrated piece of scientific equipment, your airlock is a shitty piece of plastic. Trust your hydrometer and tell your airlock to STFU..."


As others have said if the brew is at a reasonable FG and has been for a bit you are fine to move on to the next stage, whether that be crash chill, secondary etc.

 

[clarkey7]

FS,

All good advice so far. Your questions have been answered.

One more thing to consider......Be careful with Mexican Cerveza kits that come with enzyme (to dry out the beer a bit more) to add in with the yeast.

I've bottled more than one of these before at 1006 + 1008 and I had very foamy beer on my hands as the enzyme just kept on trucking in the bottle.

Having said that...3 days at same Gravity...your good to go ole son.

PB

 

[Fireman Sam]

tell your airlock to STFU

I like that ! LMAO

careful with Mexican Cerveza kits that come with enzyme

Pocket Beers - you mean as an additive, ie not already in the yeast ? There was no extra sachet of anything, so I should be ok.

Thanks guys for your support !

 

[flattop]

The enzyme is in some particular brands of kit i believe, the Cooper mex doesn't have it by memory.