Drop Clear times

[bgmac]

So, I have been using Safale US-05 exclusively for the past 8 months or so and monitoring closely how long it takes to drop clear. Looks like about 6 weeks before beer is nice and clear. That's 3 to 3.5 weeks in primary and then the rest of the time kegged in a fridge at about 36 F. i like to avoid beer farts, bloating, etc... and found that the beer doesn't create these issues much on the intestinal track once it drops clear. I have used gelatin in the past to speed it up and maybe decreased the time by one week or so. I would like to find a dry yeast that ends with a similar taste profile and attenuation to 05 but maybe clears out a little faster. Or maybe another method I am overlooking to drop 05 a little quicker.

 

[bierhaus15]

I would get your beer off the yeast faster, 10-12 days at max, as the degradation/autolysis of yeast produces haze compounds (among other things) that can create stubborn haze and add to GI issues. Once fermentation is complete, there is no reason to let it sit on the beer, so long as you had a healthy fermentation. Moreover, you may want to look at your Ca amounts and get those up to 100-120 ppm (wort) to help with yeast flocculation. Cooling as cold as you can get and adding gelatin in the keg does wonders as well. You can to go from grain to perfectly clear beer within 3 weeks or less.

 

[BrewInspector]

Same comments as above.
I usually keg around day 10.
Adding gelatin speeds the process of clearing. The use of whirlflock at the end of a boil does seem to speed the clearing in conjunction with the gelatin though I quit using it.

I'll have a clear beer about a week after kegging. Crystal clear the second week.

 

[bgmac]

I would get your beer off the yeast faster, 10-12 days at max, as the degradation/autolysis of yeast produces haze compounds (among other things) that can create stubborn haze and add to GI issues. Once fermentation is complete, there is no reason to let it sit on the beer, so long as you had a healthy fermentation. Moreover, you may want to look at your Ca amounts and get those up to 100-120 ppm (wort) to help with yeast flocculation. Cooling as cold as you can get and adding gelatin in the keg does wonders as well. You can to go from grain to perfectly clear beer within 3 weeks or less.

I will start transferring off the yeast cake earlier like you suggest. I do add brewing salts to RO water that starts out around 4 ppm of something total. Then build just using CaCl and Gypsum, I usually keep it around 80 PPM of Ca so I will try bumping it up also like you suggest. Should bring out the hops a little more also.

 

[couchsending]

Add more salts... add them to the boil. At least 50% of Ca doesn’t even make it into the fermenter I’d you’re only adding it to the mash/sparge (depends on other variables but let’s say that’s ballpark).

If using RO try adding similar amounts of Ca derived salts to the boil that you added to the mash and don’t bother adding them to the sparge water.

 

[Yooper]

I have the same issue with S05- it NEVER seems to want to clear for me. I have switched to a similar strain- WLP001- that does clear more readily and I actually like the clean flavor better anyway, so it's a win/win for me.

I have S05 on hand in the fridge just in case I have an unexpected lack of activity in a yeast that I chose for a beer, but otherwise I don't use it any more.

 

[couchsending]

Highly recommend the Bell’s yeast strain for clean ferments that really let hops and malt shine. It’s very similar to Chico but floccs really well and doesn’t quite attenuate as much at the same Mash temp... Chico might hit 80%, where as the Bell’s yeast will be 76/77 at the same mash temp. Low mash temps and a bit of sugar will still dry it out.

It’s like a much better 007. No weird off flavors and higher alcohols at 68.

 

[Mer-man]

...
It’s like a much better 007. No weird off flavors and higher alcohols at 68.

Hah, exactly why I am dropping 007 from an otherwise great recipe. I am going with 090

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I have the same issue with S05- it NEVER seems to want to clear for me. I have switched to a similar strain- WLP001- that does clear more readily and I actually like the clean flavor better anyway, so it's a win/win for me.

I have S05 on hand in the fridge just in case I have an unexpected lack of activity in a yeast that I chose for a beer, but otherwise I don't use it any more.

Interesting as I've not had similar problems with S05.