Safale US-05: Slow Starting?

Hey everyone,

I brewed a IIPA on Monday night, pitching the yeast around 10:00. It is now Wednesday at 3:00, and I still have no action in my air lock. I know that airlocks can be deceiving, but should I worry? It was a two-gallon batch and I pitched the entire packet (dry). Because I didn't rehydrate, could it just take longer to get started? Also, I think I may have pitched my yeast at a slightly higher temperature than I should have (probably around 82°).

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Joshua


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You should see a krausen by now. Is it a bucket? Id take a look for phyisical signs of fermentation (an ill fitting lid, can allow co2 to vent). If its still, with no signs of fermentation, id pitch another packet of yeast. Its a 1.080 beer, im assuming, it cant hurt. And not rehydrating can kill some of the yeast.

 

Every time I've ever pitched US-05 'dry' it took forever to get going. Usually 48 hours. I've stopped doing it, because the resulting beer was always a dud. I don't know if there's a correlation there, but I always felt like 48 hours without fermentation certainly wasn't doing me any good.

 

Same here. I've used US-05 a few times for IPA's and never had a robust fermentation. The first time was exactly what giraffe mentioned, I had a loosely fitted blow off tube so gas was escaping. The next couple of times started very slow and never got crazy like WLP-001. I even ran out and bought/pitched a second pack thinking I didn't have enough yeast. Now, I just stick with liquid yeast and a starter. I've never had fermentation issues since. This is my personal experience because I know plenty of people that love using US-05.

 

Odd, I've had just the opposite luck with US-05. It's my go-to yeast. It's always perking in less than 24 hours and ferments with very good attenuation over a wide range of temperatures. 82 degrees is not bad for pitching, but it is higher than the recommended fermentation temperature range, which would just making it ferment more actively.

I wouldn't put too much stock in airlock activity. If you're that worried open it up and see if there's any krausen.

 

This batch had an expected OG of 1.071, but I hit a little low at 1.064.

I will check for krausen when I get home from work; hopefully I see something! Could I do a gravity check, or would it be too early to notice anything?

I pitched around 82° and when I checked 8 hours later, it was at 76° in a room that's 65°. Maybe there was some fermentation going on in there?


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Don't get me wrong, I like US-05 and I use it semi-regularly. I just don't pitch it dry anymore. When properly rehydrated, it takes off just fine for me.

 

Good point. I always rehydrate. I'm pretty sure I've never pitched US-05 dry.

 

Well, I checked it and good news and maybe bad news? It looks like it has/had fermented! I took a gravity reading and it came out at 1.040, so it's dropped quite a bit. However, it looks like the krausen has fallen already. Doesn't that mean that fermentation has stopped normally? Uh-oh. Thoughts?




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A fallen krausen does not mean that fermentation has stopped. Let it ride. Check your gravity again when you're ready to bottle/keg.

Also, I'd wait about a week (at least) from your brew date before your start dry-hopping.

 

Oh...almost forgot. Since you're fermenting at ambient you'll want to cool your hydro samples down to approx. 60F before taking a reading. That way you get an accurate number.

 

Are you measuring gravity with a hydrometer or a refractometer?

 

I measure with a hydrometer. The sample I took was 70° and my hydrometer is calibrated for 68°.


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I've done at least a dozen batches with 05 both dry and rehydrated, never saw much difference. I find it to start quickly, ferment clean, finish primary in a few days and flock hard after a cold crash. It is my go to yeast.

I usually go 3 -4 weeks in primary and hit my FG just about all the time.

 

fwiw, US-05, WY1056, and WLP001 are all based on the same highly popular Chico strain. It's an industry workhorse with tons of credibility...

Cheers!

 

This is a great thread...I actually was kinda wondering the same thing my self this morning after brewing a session IPA @ 1.061 Gravity. I love this yeast strain, it allows the hops and malt to shine. Its works great in nearly any beer style and condition, especially IPA's and Pale Ales.

Re-Hydration is important for any dry yeast and I highly recommend it...along with Chis White. Mine has not been 24 hrs and I have not noticed any sign of fermentation. This stain seems like it always starts slow but chugs along at a minimal rate then finishes very nice.

 

Session IPA with SG of 1.061? What's the FG expected to be, 1.031?

 

My 60 point brews on US-05 finish around 12...

Cheers!

 

So...6.5% ABV. That's one hell of a session beer.

 

^^^my point exactly!

 

He has very short sessions...

Cheers!

 

^This.

However, I do not hydrate prior to pitching, to each their own.

 

As paper airplane said, give the yeast some time to do its magic- 3-4 weeks in the primary sounds about right, the rack and dry hop for a week.


Note: you can speed this process up by taking gravity readings, I'm more of a pitch it and forget it type of brewer...


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US-05 lags a day or two for me as well. I don't rehydrate either.

 

as per their website-

rehydration
instructions
Sprinkle the yeast in minimum 10 times its weight of sterile water or wort at 27°
c
± 3°C (80°F ± 6°F). Leave to rest 15 to 30 minutes.
Gently stir for 30 minutes, and pitch the resultant cream into the fermentation vessel.
Alternatively, pitch the yeast directly in the fermentation vessel providing the temperature of the wort is above 20°C (68°F). Progressively sprinkle
the dry yeast into the wort ensuring the yeast covers all the surface of wort available in order to avoid clumps. Leave for 30 minutes, then mix the
wort using aeration or by wort addition​

 

US-05 has always taken a day or two to get going for me. I've always rehydrated. I tried out Nottingham a couple batches ago and that took off within about 8-10 hours, and was much more vigorous than US-05. That's my experience with dry yeast, at least.

 

I don't find the starting time for US05 to be significantly different than any other. Pitch in the afternoon and going by the next morning.

 

Takes a bit when I don't rehydrate but seems to finish up ok after a few weeks.

 

I did a batch of pale ale starting of 1.052 last night. Was a 2.5 gallon batch using half a packet of uso5, I measured the half of packet, I have a scale that measures grams. 16 hours and nothing. Its a slow take off for me too.

 

Bumping an old thread.

I've got 2 batches going, both with US05.

First is one week now, a DIPA with OG of 1.080, in a carboy. I pitched dry, 1 pack (this was only a 2.5G batch). It's been churning along slowly, and still has airlock activity at 7 days.

2nd, a 5G batch brewerd yesterday, rehydrated one pack, pitched into a bucket of 1.060. Been about 21 hours and no activity yet.

Both are sitting in basement area at roughly 58-60 ambient.

What are thoughts on letting them just sit it out at that temp? Or should I move up to 70* ambient, after a week or so?

 

I would leave them in the basement around 60F ambient for 1 week and then move them up to 70F ambient to make sure the yeast finishes out.

 

Thanks. I moved the one that's at 7 days, out to finished basement area where it's about 65. I'll bring it up to 70.

The other 5g batch (1.060) is 48 hrs after pitching, and still no air lock activity. It's in bucket, so can't see anything. Strip thermometer has it at roughly 60*. I looked at my lid, and there is a small crack in the plastic lid at the airlock hole.

 

You're beer will be fine. Never judge fermentation by airlock activity. The CO2 is just escaping thru that small crack. You could take a quick peak inside to see if a krausen is forming, I would bet that there is one by now. S-05 can be slow to start, some say as long as 72 hrs before they see visible signs of fermentation, but in my experience, it has always started within the first 24-36 hrs.

 

I peeked in from the airlock hole this morning and there definitely looked to be krausen from what I could see. It had been a 60* for roughly 3 days, I moved it over to the 64* area....will leave it there another 4 or 5 days, then up to 70* for another week before cold crash.

 

Hello everyone,
I'm brewing a pilsner with an ale yeast which is Safale US-05. I'm doing this with an extract kit that called for that yeast. I waited 24 hours with no airlock activity but there seemed to be a small amount of krausen. I pitched another packet of yeast and active fermentation began in another 24 hours. In retrospect, it was probably fermenting and I didn't realize it since I've always had active fermentation with 8 hours. How will the second addition of yeast affect the beer?

 

Probably not at all. At what temperature are you fermenting it?

 

It should be fine. 8 hours to start bubbling is exceptional. No need to worry about such things

 

I have always had some activity within 24 hours with US-05. I can easily see what is going on with my setup. My experience with US-05 though is that it doesn't go off at the beginning like other yeasts. It is slow and steady. My last batch started after just 4 hours.

 

Are you keeping headspace in mind? My point is that I brew 10 gallon batches that are put in 14 gallon food grade storage containers with airlocks on the lid. The headspace is very large for my beer and I more often than not do not see airlock activity. I simply unscrew the lid to check the next day and it is always rolling. I also found that the best way to check for finishing beer is a hydrometer. Each is different based on environments so the best way to guarantee repeatable results is to control the fermentation temperatures.

 

One trick for this is to take a picture through the airlock hole with your cell phone. If you shine a strong light on the side of the bucket you can get a pretty decent picture.