Pumpkin Ale / Safale US-05 /1.070

[ToddStark]

Never used Safale US-05 dry yeast and only the 2nd time I have used a dry yeast.

Brewed it up on Sunday, Extract kit with 4lb of added pumpkin. My OG came out a bit higher than expected at 1.070.

I oxygenated for about 2 min with pure oxy and sprinkled the yeast on top of the wort. Stirred it a bit and sealed it up. (No I did not hydrate the yeast first).

Now full two days since brew and I have yet to see any activity in bucket. Granted I don't have a great seal but still looking down the airlock I am not seeing any krausen. I thought I had read this was a very active strain.

Expert thoughts? I need more patience or need another packet of yeast due to the OG?

I appreciate your input

 

[ToddStark]

My temps are at 64 deg

 

[eadavis80]

Should be going by Wednesday. I even used (rehydrated) 05 in my last brew as the yeast was past its expiration date, but allegedly still "viable." It was only $1 so I tried it. It's taking off now. Was a tad slow to start. I think by Wednesday it should be doing its thing - good luck on the pumpkin ale. This is my first fall not doing one.

 

[ToddStark]

Should be going by Wednesday. I even used (rehydrated) 05 in my last brew as the yeast was past its expiration date, but allegedly still "viable." It was only $1 so I tried it. It's taking off now. Was a tad slow to start. I think by Wednesday it should be doing its thing - good luck on the pumpkin ale. This is my first fall not doing one.

and you were right, thank you. Started seeing signs late yesterday afternoon of life in the bucket. For me, this is my first Pumpkin Ale. I tasted Elysians Night Owl last fall for first time and fell in love with the flavor. Now it is my goal to find something similar that I can make year after year.

Thanks again for the support!

 

[ericbw]

US-05 is usually slow to start for me. I always panic. I think a high gravity like that means it needs to reproduce more as well, so it would be slower to start. Many people will tell you that one pack of outdated yeast in a 1.070 beer is too little. Obviously it works, though!

 

[kh54s10]

If you rehydrate the US05 I think you will find that it is not a slow yeast. The slowness is due to not rehydrating.

Underpitching does not make a beer not ferment. It makes for off flavors. You could ferment a beer with only a few yeast cells - eventually. They will reproduce to ferment the beer. During this reproductive phase off flavors are created.

I see you added pumpkin that probably increased the gravity a little. If you also added top up water it might not have mixed well, skewing your reading. You don't mention the predicted gravity but I would say your true OG would only be a few points higher.

 

[ToddStark]

OG , I believe, was supposed to be 1.045. I did top off with about two gal of water, which I thoroughly stirred before taking my sample. I had never had to wait 48 hrs to see signs of fermentation, so nervousness just due to inexperience I guess.

 

[ToddStark]

As always though I do appreciate the input from each of you. It all makes me a better Brewer

 

[ericbw]

If you rehydrate the US05 I think you will find that it is not a slow yeast. The slowness is due to not rehydrating.

Underpitching does not make a beer not ferment. It makes for off flavors. You could ferment a beer with only a few yeast cells - eventually. They will reproduce to ferment the beer. During this reproductive phase off flavors are created.

I see you added pumpkin that probably increased the gravity a little. If you also added top up water it might not have mixed well, skewing your reading. You don't mention the predicted gravity but I would say your true OG would only be a few points higher.

Rehydrating helps, but it's still slow in my experience. The only way it is not slow for me is when I reuse slurry.

And that's what many people will tell you - the reproduction phase creates "off" flavors. It also creates "on" flavors/aromas. So if you overpitch and keep it at the low end of it's temperature range, you typically get clean, subdued results (which could also be called "bland").

 

[kh54s10]

Rehydrating helps, but it's still slow in my experience. The only way it is not slow for me is when I reuse slurry.

And that's what many people will tell you - the reproduction phase creates "off" flavors. It also creates "on" flavors/aromas. So if you overpitch and keep it at the low end of it's temperature range, you typically get clean, subdued results (which could also be called "bland").

I use US05 a lot and always rehydrate. The longest I have ever had it take was somewhere between 14 hours when I went to work and it wasn't showing much, and 24 hours when I got home and it was blowing off.

It may be slow compared to some other yeasts but I would not say that it is typically a slow yeast.

Most times I pitch in the late afternoon and it is going gangbusters by morning.

If you are overpitching and keeping it in the low end of the range you are limiting the growth phase because there is already enough yeast. So you are not getting the off flavors from the lag during the reproductive phase.