Safale US-05's alcohol tolerance?

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carbon111

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I can't find any info on Safale US-05's alcohol tolerance on the Fermentis website or in the PDF spec sheet. Does anybody have a clue?

I was thinking of using 05 for a 1.105 OG, 10.5% ABV "Winter Warmer" and want to know if I'm good to go...
 
Nevermind. Just found it listed as 12%

Now I'm wondering how hard I'll have to "push" to get it to 10.5.
I guess I'll use some yeast energizer in the boil.

Suggestions are most welcome. This will be my highest gravity brew to date.
 
I poured a barleywine on top of half of a US-05 yeast cake from an IPA. It took it from 1.109 to 1.022 (11.45% ABV) with absolutely no effort in about 10 days. If you want something foolproof, this is what I would do.

Also, make sure you oxygenate well and I would also use some yeast nutrients in your winter warmer. If you haven't made the beer that the cake will come from, some yeast nutrients there also couldn't hurt.
 
You could use 2 packages. It would be a big starter for a big beer.

David :)
 
In my experience US-05 (proper pitch rate, proper oxygen) will not even blink at 10.5%. Will be there faster than you can imagine.
 
My barleywine went from 1.109 to mid 1.020s in 10 days. Pitched on to less than half an IPA cake of Wyeast 1056 (same strain as US-05). I only used half based on Jamil's calculator.
 
I plan on a DFH 90 clone that'll finish around 9%. Will the s-05 be able to carb that? Or should I chose a different yeast?
 
I brewed an IIPA that finished at 9.5% using 2 packets of US-05. No issues with the ferment or carbonation. Only thing I noticed was that it took a bit longer to achieve the proper balance in the bottle. At 3 weeks it was still sort of sticky sweet but after another couple of weeks the flavors came together and it was one of the best IIPAs I have ever had. You won't be disappointed, and super easy to use.
 
Okay, thanks a lot! I'm syphoning onto a yeast cake so I know I'll have the population for the primary at least. Also what do you think for the carbing, like a month? Two?


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I'm fermenting an IPA (1.068 OG) now whose US-05 yeast cake will be used for am imperial stout (1.110). I know many suggest a 2nd shot of oxygen for bigger beers but I don't have any oxygen. Would it be wise to remove the lid (to remove some CO2 and add O2), close it up, and give it another big shake 12-18 hrs into fermentation?
 
I'm fermenting an IPA (1.068 OG) now whose US-05 yeast cake will be used for am imperial stout (1.110). I know many suggest a 2nd shot of oxygen for bigger beers but I don't have any oxygen. Would it be wise to remove the lid (to remove some CO2 and add O2), close it up, and give it another big shake 12-18 hrs into fermentation?

I made a 1gal batch of an iipa OG:1.105 FG:1.012 using WLP001. I gave it a good shaking twice on day one. Came out good.. Till I primed it and they never carbed... Yeasties were too drunk.


Primary: empty
Secondary: Sierra Nevada Clone
Secondary: Cider
 
I'm fermenting an IPA (1.068 OG) now whose US-05 yeast cake will be used for am imperial stout (1.110). I know many suggest a 2nd shot of oxygen for bigger beers but I don't have any oxygen. Would it be wise to remove the lid (to remove some CO2 and add O2), close it up, and give it another big shake 12-18 hrs into fermentation?

I don't have experience brewing anything bigger than 1.080 but I do know that dry yeast coming from a fresh pack has all the reserves it needs to grow and ferment assuming you pitch the proper amount. So, when using dry yeast I wouldn't worry too much about oxygenation, as it isn't needed. I don't doubt that it is beneficial, but not necessary as it is when pitching liquid yeast from a starter or pitching on a yeast cake.
 
I've never pitched onto a yeast cake before. Do you literally package the beer and then dump your wort into the trub? Do you clean out the fermenter or anything? Or just siphone, dump, seal?
 
I've never done it either. But I have read a lot on it. It's pretty much 50/50 on do it vs. don't with the whole "over pitching" campaign. The way I'm gonna do it is syphon off to the bottling bucket as normal then syphon the new wort right onto the cake in the original fermenter. Shake and let bake. Less chance of contamination that way IMO.


Primary: empty
Secondary: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone
Secondary: Cider
 
I plan to rack my IPA to a secondary to dry hop. On the same day I'll brew my Imperial Stout. From what I've read an entire yeast cake is too much yeast and they won't multiply (decreasing the flavors the yeast should be generating). So I plan to remove approximately half the yeast cake and pour my wort through a strainer into the same fermenting bucket with the yeast cake. Give'er a good shake and call'er done.

I use a full 11g pack of US-05 for a 3.5G batch of IPA. My Imperial Stout will be a 3G batch. Living within the parameters of my mash tun.
 
I recommend brewers friend yeast calculator. I plugged your ipa in as the starter for the stout. If you used the whole yeast cake you'd be pitching at about 1.75M cells/mL/*P. Recommended for high gravity ale is 1M to 1.25M. So you're not too far over bc of the high gravity in the stout. Half may be a little of an under pitch (.87M). Up to you, experimenting is the greatest part of homebrew!



Primary: empty
Secondary: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone
Secondary: Cider
 
Really? And you adjusted the batch size? I thought half the cake would be a slight over pitch (which is what I wanted).
 
Yeah I just plugged in what you gave me and this is what I got: ImageUploadedByHome Brew1391204688.110648.jpg


Primary: empty
Secondary: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone
Secondary: Cider
 
Thx for posting that. Seems 1/2 the yeast would be the minimum but the whole yeast cake is easier and within parameters.
 
If you are worried about oxygen, you could also add a small drop of olive oil. It provides the same chemical that the yeast use oxygen to synthesize. Just a single tiny drop will work.
 
Dip a toothpick in the olive oil and move it through the wort. That is all the oil you need. Too much will harm your head. DON'T PUT DROPS OF OIL INTO YOUR BEER. You can combine this with your normal oxygen regiment. The oil only has one compound the the yeast need. There are several more compounds they make from o2 that they can't get from the oil.
I did a 8.2% iipa, 6 gal primary with only one packet. It was one of the better beers I've made. Gave it a 6 week secondary when life got in the way was good after a week in the bottle, fully carbed in 12 days.

I've heard of people hitting 12%+ with us-05. I have a iipa planned@just that. I plan on using us-05 all the way through, although I might get some 099 just in case.

You could rinse some of the cake and save it for priming if your worried about it. You wouldn't need much.

Let us know how it goes. Cheers

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Btw,
I am not recommending underpitching. Just sayin I did and all went well.

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well lucky you i brewed black ipa its been 3 weeks and still bubbling like crazy!
:D i wonder its just playing me or what hehe

I poured a barleywine on top of half of a US-05 yeast cake from an IPA. It took it from 1.109 to 1.022 (11.45% ABV) with absolutely no effort in about 10 days. If you want something foolproof, this is what I would do.

Also, make sure you oxygenate well and I would also use some yeast nutrients in your winter warmer. If you haven't made the beer that the cake will come from, some yeast nutrients there also couldn't hurt.
 
well lucky you i brewed black ipa its been 3 weeks and still bubbling like crazy!
:D i wonder its just playing me or what hehe

Still bubbling like crazy after 3 weeks? Did you underpitch? Is your temperature consistent? Are you sure its not just degassing? That's a REALLY long time to be "bubbling like crazy".
 
Will I kill my yeast? brewing a 5 gal batch OG 1.125, pitched 2 hydrated 11.5g safale us-05 and one more of the same dry. been 5 days, bubbling has slowed, keeping at 65-67F. I probably should have liquored back, but did not. Now I am worried when I come to bottling there will be no yeast left alive. I do not have a keg system....
 
Cool, I hope that is right...i have read where some folks said that the tolerance is higher than stated by fermentis....keep my fingers crossed
 
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