US-05, how long to clear

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Onkel_Udo

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I am prepping about 15 gallons of beer for the next races the first weekend of February. All my beers but one are fermented with Nottignham or S-04. "Dirty. Filthy Blonde" is US-05 which I use only on my RyePA (or this beer) which is cloudy by nature.

I do not need truly clear beer as the track in question does not allow glass (Red Solo cup to the rescue) but I also do not want a crapload of yeast in suspension affecting the very light flavor of the beer. Ignoring cold crashing or gelatin, how long does this stuff take to drop. I will resort to either or both if time becomes tight. In short, for non-tainted by yeast for flavor but clarity unimportant, is 3-4 weeks enough? This is a low-alcohol blonde with only malted barley and no dry-hopping.
 
I have to ask why is cold crashing out of the question, it's easy and super effective? Also how are you racking the beer kegs or bottles? If you have a keg it would cloud up easily in the travel to its new designation.
 
I have to ask why is cold crashing out of the question, it's easy and super effective? Also how are you racking the beer kegs or bottles? If you have a keg it would cloud up easily in the travel to its new designation.
To answer the first...capacity. I can crash in the kegerator but I am kegging, carbing and transfering to my old-faithful tap-a-draft. Only so much fridge space and the fermentation fridge is being used to ferment.

If we ever get winter for real, I can cold crash outdoors easily but this has been a very, very mild winter.

The second question is kind of answered by the first. Keg, carb (and settle), then transfer to the tap-a-draft bottles. Sure, beer still might end up cloudy but if we drink from Solo cups, no one will know. I am more worried about yeasty flavors.
 
For me, US-05 clears quite quickly. At 2 weeks after the start of fermentation it's cloudy, but by 3-4 weeks it's clear, even quicker if I cold crash.
 
To answer the first...capacity. I can crash in the kegerator but I am kegging, carbing and transfering to my old-faithful tap-a-draft. Only so much fridge space and the fermentation fridge is being used to ferment.

If we ever get winter for real, I can cold crash outdoors easily but this has been a very, very mild winter.

The second question is kind of answered by the first. Keg, carb (and settle), then transfer to the tap-a-draft bottles. Sure, beer still might end up cloudy but if we drink from Solo cups, no one will know. I am more worried about yeasty flavors.

I use US-05 all the time, you won't get yeasty flavors in 3 weeks. So you should be good. It will clear but of course like previously stated and as you know when its transferred it will cloud up a little bit just from the move. But like you stated it is in solo cups I think you will be just fine.
 
But like you stated it is in solo cups I think you will be just fine.

Thanks.

I figure 14+ hours in the trailer is going to stir up anything that settles in the TaD bottles no matter what I do.

On the plus side, I am one of 4 out of about 500 folks bringing home brew. On the "bad" side, mine are all pretty basic beers while two of the other guys bring some outside-the-box beers.
 
Thanks.

I figure 14+ hours in the trailer is going to stir up anything that settles in the TaD bottles no matter what I do.

On the plus side, I am one of 4 out of about 500 folks bringing home brew. On the "bad" side, mine are all pretty basic beers while two of the other guys bring some outside-the-box beers.

I would wouldn't consider "simple" beers to be a bad side, I think you will be surprised how many people appreciate simple beers with good foundations and flavors. Not everyone likes the peanut butter chocolate raspberry stouts over a nicely done SMASH. One of the the biggest beer inspiration moments in my home brew run was tasting a liberty forward IPA which made me rethink IPA's completely and it was a simple SMASH recipe.
 
i use 05 A LOT. Im not a big stickler on clear beer, but it usually wil clear in the bottle in 2 weeks
 
ESB after 3 weeks in primary with US 05 .... no finings what so ever.

IMG_1637.JPG
 
I would wouldn't consider "simple" beers to be a bad side, I think you will be surprised how many people appreciate simple beers with good foundations and flavors. Not everyone likes the peanut butter chocolate raspberry stouts over a nicely done SMASH. One of the the biggest beer inspiration moments in my home brew run was tasting a liberty forward IPA which made me rethink IPA's completely and it was a simple SMASH recipe.

Because every evening when the track goes cold becomes one extended roving paddock party, I have three session beers on tap...mostly for my own sanity and health the next morning of racing. The less-than-blonde ale in question, the brown ale (Tarrytown Rusty Brown) that is the namesake of our race car and a dry stout of about 4%.

Oddly the tap-drafts work great for this because three fit perfect in our Radio Flyer wagon...by day fueling wagon. by night, paddock party beer wagon.

The Duff Beer car brings things like a Jalapeno Chocolate Stout...Not my style and last time his lowest ABV beer was 7%
 
To all that responded, thanks!

Since the only beer I commonly brew with this yeast is a Rye that is by design cloudy, I was a bit worried. As we all know, S-04 and Notty drop like a rock and settle hard.
 
I guess I'm a lone dissenter, but S05 NEVER clears well for me. I've pretty much stopped using it, except in cases where I don't have a good liquid strain on hand for an IPA or APA. It's also more particular about temperatures- below 65 it gets weirdly peachy, and above 70 it gets other esters. So I'm not much of a fan of S05.

A strain that is related is WLP001 and it seems to be a bit more flocculant. Is liquid yeast out of the question? All of the strains you mentioned are dry yeast, but there are hundreds of other yeast strains that may do what you want and better, if you are willing to use a liquid strain.
 
A strain that is related is WLP001 and it seems to be a bit more flocculant. Is liquid yeast out of the question? All of the strains you mentioned are dry yeast, but there are hundreds of other yeast strains that may do what you want and better, if you are willing to use a liquid strain.

Good to know for next time but beer is 8 days in primary at this point. First 5 days at 65 f and last at 69 f. Still has a thick layer of floating yeast on top. S-04 would already be drinkable by now...probably even clear.

Out of laziness, I rarely use liquid anymore. Nothing against...just do not plan by brew days as well as I used to. 75% of my personal taste does realy well with S-04 or Notty so I am always caught out when I SHOULD use a liquid yeast.
 
I guess I'm a lone dissenter, but S05 NEVER clears well for me. I've pretty much stopped using it, except in cases where I don't have a good liquid strain on hand for an IPA or APA. It's also more particular about temperatures- below 65 it gets weirdly peachy, and above 70 it gets other esters. So I'm not much of a fan of S05.

A strain that is related is WLP001 and it seems to be a bit more flocculant. Is liquid yeast out of the question? All of the strains you mentioned are dry yeast, but there are hundreds of other yeast strains that may do what you want and better, if you are willing to use a liquid strain.

Really!! This surprises me.
 
I tend to shy away from dry yeast since I like my process more complex. However, i recently made a pale ale with US-05. The son of a beyotch took like 6 weeks to clear. I never make hazy beer. This wort was crystal clear. It took weeks and weeks and weeks in the keg to finally pour something that wasn't hazy. Good beer though.
 
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