S-05

[bluemoose]

So I am typically only getting to 1.020 with S-05. From 1.070 to 1.020 doesn't seem like it is attenuating out far enough. We are talking 3-4 weeks in primary. I am kegging so not bottle bomb issue, but does this make sense? I am at about 60-62 degrees for fermentation.

 

[Yooper]

No, that doesn't seem right. Since attenuation is influenced by many factors, but mostly the recipe, could you post a typical recipe that ends at 1.020? Maybe you have lots of unfermentables.

 

[TimTrone]

Mashing too high, too much crystal type malts, or even too cool of a fermentation temp could contribute to your problem. Have you tried letting the temp raise naturally when fermentation starts to slow?

 

[SwampassJ]

Post your recipe and if it's all grain/partial mash your mash temps and times. Also different manufactures produce different extracts with different ferment-ability.

 

[JeffoC6]

I've been told continuously on here that if FG is stable over 3 days or so, you should have no issues bottling (if you bottle) and that since fermentation is DONE, bottle bombs won't be a problem.

I've had the same problems the OP has had, and have followed the guidance of those on here, advising me that it'll be fine. Is this NOT right?

 

[SwampassJ]

I've been told continuously on here that if FG is stable over 3 days or so, you should have no issues bottling (if you bottle) and that since fermentation is DONE, bottle bombs won't be a problem.

I've had the same problems the OP has had, and have followed the guidance of those on here, advising me that it'll be fine. Is this NOT right?

If it's done fermenting it's done fermenting. A lot of the extract batches like to stick around 1.020 and a lot of yeasts putter out at certain attenuation ranges. 1.070-1.020 is 70% attenuation, well within most yeast ranges. Then again the same beer with a late addition vs all at the beggining may finish lower or with less crystal steeped will most likely finish lower.

 

[bluemoose]

The last one I did was your stone ruination, Yooper.
The DFH 60 came out the same.
These are all grain batches.

 

[Yooper]

The last one I did was your stone ruination, Yooper.
The DFH 60 came out the same.
These are all grain batches.

How certain are you of mash temps, with your thermometer calibrated? Those all finish lower than 1.020!

What about aeration of the wort? Are you aerating it well?

 

[SwampassJ]

The last one I did was your stone ruination, Yooper.
The DFH 60 came out the same.
These are all grain batches.

You might have a conversion problem (water chemistry?) or a thermometer problem. I stopped using 05 mostly because it would finish between 80 and 85% even with crystal malt.

 

[bluemoose]

Mashing at 152. Thermometer is right on. Aerate by whipping with paddle for about five minutes. I typically siphon from the brewppt to leave as much hops behind as possible.

 

[bluemoose]

What type of water problem?

Ph is 7.5
All 180
Chlor 0
Hardness 50
No iron
No copper
Nitrate is at 1
Nitrite is at 0

 

[Yooper]

What type of water problem?

Ph is 7.5
All 180
Chlor 0
Hardness 50
No iron
No copper
Nitrate is at 1
Nitrite is at 0

The only thing there that is helpful at all is the alkalinity (I think? All?) which would be high. Have you taken any mash pH reading?

The thing is, water chemistry can cause all sorts of issues but I've never heard of anyone having problems with underattenuation due to mash pH.

 

[bluemoose]

Never taken a ph of the mash. Yes all was alkalinity, stupid iPad auto correct.

Should I let the temp come up from low 60s before kegging? Fermentation chamber is at an ambient of 60. Fermometer is at about 62-63 during active fermentation. Beer tastes pretty good. I put 2.5 oz of priming sugar in the keg and it typically sit 2 weeks to a month before going on tap.

 

[rockfish42]

Sounds like your thermometer is off, test it in some boiling water.

 

[Beerrific]

How much yeast are you using and are you re-hydrating? The DFH 60, for example, needs (according to the Mr Malty calculator) 1.2 packs of yeast and that is if you are re-hydrating properly. You may not be pitching enough yeast.

 

[scubakevdm]

Let the ferm temp come up a bit after high krausen. 05 isn't so great below 62F. I start it at 64 and let it finish up 68-70F.

 

[bluemoose]

How much yeast are you using and are you re-hydrating? The DFH 60, for example, needs (according to the Mr Malty calculator) 1.2 packs of yeast and that is if you are re-hydrating properly. You may not be pitching enough yeast.

I think we have a winner. I have been pitching only one packet of yeast. I had thought there was plenty of yeast in there, but I guess I need to take a bit more care determining the amount to pitch.
All the tools I use work properly. The temp is constant. I will try pitching yeast using Mr. Malty as a guide. If this doesn't work I will bring the temp up as i get toward the end of fermentation.

 

[StinkyVp]

2 packs ought to do it. I just got a 1.072 down to 1.010 using 2 un-hydrated packs. I had a simple recipe though - 14# 2-row, 2# Crystal 40.

 

[bluemoose]

Any issue with pitching the second packet a week or so after the first?

 

[the_bird]

Let the ferm temp come up a bit after high krausen. 05 isn't so great below 62F. I start it at 64 and let it finish up 68-70F.

This sounds like the best answer. I've never had an issue pitching a single pack of US-05 and getting full attenuation. Sounds to me like you're pushing the temperature bounds of that yeast.

How aggressive have your fermentations been? US-05, in slightly warmer temps (high 60°s) has always been pretty damn aggressive for me.

 

[bluemoose]

Not really aggressive. Haven't needed a blowoff for the last few batches. This is really something that has just happened in the last few batches, although these latest batches are a bit bigger than the others I have done this winter. I have tried to keep the temp lower as the last time I fermented in the high 60's there seemed to be off flavors. The beers are coming out clean and clear, just not attenuating enough.

I have a big Maple Pale Ale going right now. I will monitor this one closely. Probably pitch another packet of yeast and see if that brings me down. If not I will raise the temp and see if that kick starts those guys.

 

[Beerrific]

This sounds like the best answer. I've never had an issue pitching a single pack of US-05 and getting full attenuation. Sounds to me like you're pushing the temperature bounds of that yeast.

I agree too. But, you could probably handle those lower temps if you were pitching more yeast. One pack may work at a higher temperature.

 

[ido50]

I've just bottled a batch with 1.085 OG (mashed for 60 mins at 147-148F, so I was going for fermentability), and fermented with US-05 (2 packs). Kept temperature around 66-68F for the entire 5-6 weeks of fermentation, got it down to 1.013, that's about 10% ABV and from tasting the sample it seems very clean. Fermentation was pretty aggressive at first, this was the first time the blow-off actually justified itself. I'm very impressed with this yeast.

 

[beerkrump]

Pitching more yeast won't have a big effect on the attenuation. Your yeast numbers are not drastically low. Where a bigger starter would help would be a shorter lag phase.

+1 to raising the fermentation temperature to the high 60's.

 

[the_bird]

Not really aggressive. Haven't needed a blowoff for the last few batches. This is really something that has just happened in the last few batches, although these latest batches are a bit bigger than the others I have done this winter. I have tried to keep the temp lower as the last time I fermented in the high 60's there seemed to be off flavors. The beers are coming out clean and clear, just not attenuating enough.

I have a big Maple Pale Ale going right now. I will monitor this one closely. Probably pitch another packet of yeast and see if that brings me down. If not I will raise the temp and see if that kick starts those guys.

I'm assuming that if this is happening with the last few batches, these are batches that you made over the winter (i.e. lower temperatures than you were fermenting at earlier).

 

[bluemoose]

I'm assuming that if this is happening with the last few batches, these are batches that you made over the winter (i.e. lower temperatures than you were fermenting at earlier).

Two things come into play. I am fermenting a bit lower, ambient temp at 60 vs 62. I also have not been rehydrating the yeast more recently.

 

[scubakevdm]

If you repitch I'd brew up a starter and pitch the slurry after high krausen. I always rehydrate 05, but I have friends that don't. Sometimes their beer comes out okay.
I also love this yeast. It's my goto microbe.

 

[phenry]

I let my fermenter temperature rise from the mid-60s to 70-72*F after the first few days of fermentation, which I feel helps the yeast finish up fermenting. It also frees up my water bath, so win-win on that front I guess. I typically get 80+% attenuation from S-05, and I don't rehydrate and tend to overpitch if MrMalty says I need anything more than one yeast packet.

 

[bluemoose]

Is there a disadvantage to overpitching? Off flavor, etc.

 

[phenry]

Is there a disadvantage to overpitching? Off flavor, etc.

I've never noticed anything off in any of my beers for which I do this. I'm usually brewing IPAs, browns, and stouts with S-05 so any flavors could be masked by the other dominant flavors, I don't really know. Apparently overpitching results in a reduced ester profile, but for those styles I'm really not after much of anything from the yeast other than a clean neutral fermentation.