Is US-05 really this slow to get started?

[ryanj]

Don’t trust the Tilt for FG. Check FG with a finishing/bottling hydrometer. The Tilt can build up crud on the device and throw off FG.

Oh, I know. I only use the Tilt to track change in gravity and even then...I’ve brewed enough dry hopped IPAs to know it’s not accurate.

I always pull a proper hydrometer reading to measure FG.

 

[ba-brewer]

I’m worried my US-05 harvest is a bust. I saved the yeast cake from a pale ale in late August. Just pitched a 1/3 of it into a stout last night. 24 hours later nothing...

I use MrMalty for estimating yeast slurry. It is a bit conservative but I have had good results when the yeast and beer still smell fine. I try to shoot for somewhere between the default and thick slurry numbers.
http://mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

 

[GrowleyMonster]

I have used single packs of US-05 in ale batches from 4 gallons to 5-1/2 gallons, and it usually takes around 24 hours for it to start working good. If I pour new wort over the leavings from the last batch, I get activity within as little as 2 hours. I don't oxygenate. When I brewed my first batch I didn't know I "had" to, and it came out fine, so I don't, even now that I know I "need" to. Might that be slowing my yeast down? Don't know. But it starts just fine when it is good and ready.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

To make a true starter, pour off the white top layer of saved yeast and build up. Everything else, other than the white top layer, is trub.

 

[Nubiwan]

Most recent post on the subject so my two bits on US-05. Roughly 7 Gallon batch of APA. My OG was 1.046. Pitched 1 pack of dry yeast US-05. That was Monday at 5PM. 24 hours later nothing, nada, no action. This morning @ 36 hours post pitch, ever so slight movement of water in my airlock. It's definitely starting, but slow. My temp reads around 58 degrees, so that probably hasn't helped the yeast much. Its coming.

Anecdotally, I also made a lager on same day, so conditions were quite similar. Volume of lager - SG of 1.052. Pitch temp around 60 degrees. Pitched 2 pack of S-23, and it took off the next morning.

 

[hotbeer]

Direct pitching US-05 into un-aerated wort at 68°F and have seen activity in 12 hours when the FV kept at an ambient temp of 69°F. Full krausen usually within 24 to 36 hours.

I'm putting 4 grams of US-05 in 1.25 gallons of 1.060'ish wort.

One time my ambient temps for the FV went down to <65°F and the activity went to seemingly zilch. But returned when the ambient temps were brought back up.

US-05 has been a good performer for me. Even the opened packs that might be a month or more before I get around to using the rest of the package.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

@Nubiwan : I've brewed with US-05 (pitched dry) in the upper 50s and in the mid-60s. In the upper 50s, it takes a lot longer to see visible activity.