Bad lot of Safale US-05

[chickypad]

Brewed an IPA with US-05 a few wks back, it did not seem to take off like usual and needed 14 d to reach final gravity. Starting at 1.061 it finished a bit higher than I expected at 1.014 but attributed that to mash temp a little high. I have one pack left that I bought with the others, is very similar lot # to the OP - 71322 124 1734 exp 5/13. Can't be sure the other packs were this same lot but I know they expired 5/13. Getting ready to keg, right now it tastes pretty good and I don't detect any off flavors.

 

[bovineblitz]

My 05/2013 packet of S05 took off like a rocket Monday night @62.5*F

 

[jheld00]

I've used the same lot of 05 about 6 times that has been mentioned to have issues. The only thing I have noticed is that it has been taking between 20 and 26 hours to show signs of fermentation rather than the 12hrs im used to. After it gets going it seems to be normal it will fully ferment in about 7 days give or take and flocs great as it always does. Btw my OGs for those batches were between 1.055 and 1.068. Fermented at 64, 66, and 68(actual wort temp not ambient temp). Also no off flavors of any kind all were nice clean profiles from the yeast.

 

[the_bird]

Huh, well, that explains it. I pitched some (new) US-05 in a batch last weekend, and it's taken its sweet time to get started. It was in the basement at ~64°, a little on the cool side but that's never slowed the beer down much before. I also couldn't find my O2 wand, so I just aerated with splashing - again different from the usual, but I didn't think enough to cause this much of a slowdown. Interesting that it's actually the yeast.

I have another pack for the next batch, but maybe I'll use my other pack of Notty instead.

 

[jheld00]

Huh, well, that explains it. I pitched some (new) US-05 in a batch last weekend, and it's taken its sweet time to get started. It was in the basement at ~64°, a little on the cool side but that's never slowed the beer down much before. I also couldn't find my O2 wand, so I just aerated with splashing - again different from the usual, but I didn't think enough to cause this much of a slowdown. Interesting that it's actually the yeast.

I have another pack for the next batch, but maybe I'll use my other pack of Notty instead.

I would go with 05, it is fine except the longer than usual lag time(from my experiences). But if your pressed for time or need to get your pipeline up and running then go with the Notty. I love Notty it is a beast, it fermented a 1.073 wort in 3.5 days for me once. I personally find it not as clean as 05 I typically will only use Notty in a pinch or if I'm doing an EPA or EIPA.

 

[brewtus_]

OK, so I had two back to back bad experiences with 05 last month. Promised an update using a starter made with 05 dated 06/30/13.

Made a starter yesterday, and brewed an IPA today. Pitched the starter at 6:30 pm this evening and I have a nice start to fermentation at 9:15 pm. Nothing wrong with this batch.

Not sure what caused my earlier problems, perhaps it was individual packets, but looks like the overall quality of 05 is right where it should be.

 

[RedGuitar]

I'm having the same sort of issue. Brewed an amber ale 2 1/2 weeks ago, pitched US-05. OG was 1.055, it was about 36 hours before I saw any air lock activity, and even then it was very slow to bubble and stopped bubbling at all shortly. I took a gravity reading yesterday and it was only at 1.028 after two weeks. I shook up my wort and the pressure has since built back up in the air lock, but still not active bubbles. Today I added some yeast nutrient to it and shook it up again. Still no bubbles, but if I press down on the lid till the air lock goes all the way down, it doesn't take long for the air lock to float up again, so I'm hoping there's still some fermentation going on. I need to get it down to at least 1.018 by next week.

Has anybody tried to get in touch with the company and see if there's anything going on?

 

[bovineblitz]

My 05/2013 packet of S05 took off like a rocket Monday night @62.5*F

Same thing again, had intense fermentation overnight, same lot of yeast.

 

[Ozzfest05]

Same thing again, had intense fermentation overnight, same lot of yeast.

I think they fixed any issue my 05 is too good.

 

[jonmohno]

I just want to comment on this, since those that had a big lag. Do you think your beers suffered from yeast stress then? Basically it seems since this happend to some people that maybe it was like underpitching then? Because of the vitality of the yeast?

 

[scottland]

I just want to comment on this, since those that had a big lag. Do you think your beers suffered from yeast stress then? Basically it seems since this happend to some people that maybe it was like underpitching then? Because of the vitality of the yeast?

No. Two of the beers I had poor ferments with scored in the 40s in BJCP comps (42 and 43). The beers taste fine. I had just used US05 so much, I knew its behavior pretty well, and lag times were longer, as were the ferments times.

I wouldn't hesitate to use US05 again. The 'bad' batches I originally complained both produced two first place beers.