US-05 Starter?

[arnobg]

My LHBS was out of the liquid yeast I wanted so I got 1 packet of US-05. I usually use liquid yeast and make starters but read that it isn't needed for dry yeast.

The OG of the beer (5.25 Gallons) I want to brew is 1.060 so should I make a starter, or pitch dry and hope for the best (calculators say I would be pitching 60 billion short). Getting a second packet isn't an option at this point unless I have to... I'd prefer not to commute to my LHBS again if I can just make a starter even if it costs more than the $4 packet.

 

[dmtaylor]

US-05 is extremely reliable. Pitch it in there dry and I can assure you it will turn out just fine. One pack for 5.25 gallons of 1.060 is just fine. Pitching calculators are crazy-conservative.

 

[mblanks2]

My LHBS was out of the liquid yeast I wanted so I got 1 packet of US-05. I usually use liquid yeast and make starters but read that it isn't needed for dry yeast.

The OG of the beer (5.25 Gallons) I want to brew is 1.060 so should I make a starter, or pitch dry and hope for the best (calculators say I would be pitching 60 billion short). Getting a second packet isn't an option at this point unless I have to... I'd prefer not to commute to my LHBS again if I can just make a starter even if it costs more than the $4 packet.

Re-hydrate in sterile water at about 75*F and pitch directly. Mr. Malty calls for 1.1 packets, but you should be fine with well aerated wort and re-hydration.

 

[Captain_Eo]

I'm RDWHAHB-ing all over myself, as I tend to do, when I say to just rehydrate your single packet of US05 and pitch it. It ought to be able to handle 1.060.

If you insist on doing a starter, that should be fine, too.

 

[stevedasleeve]

Hydrate, pitch. 1.060 no problem. I use this yeast for all my brews. 2 packets for 1.070+

 

[dmtaylor]

I don't even rehydrate. Doesn't hurt either way. I'm lazy.

 

[arnobg]

That's all I need to hear thanks!

As far as hydrating goes (like I said I usually use liquid) how far prior to pitching should I do that?

 

[dmtaylor]

That's all I need to hear thanks!

As far as hydrating goes (like I said I usually use liquid) how far prior to pitching should I do that?

If you want to do it, a few minutes ahead is all you need. Boil a little water, let it cool for a while (you can even place in a cold water bath to chill it fast), sprinkle the yeast in, let that sit for 5 minutes, and roll.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

US-05 is extremely reliable. Pitch it in there dry and I can assure you it will turn out just fine. One pack for 5.25 gallons of 1.060 is just fine. Pitching calculators are crazy-conservative.

This.... I don't typically re-hydrate this yeast either. Shhh don't tell anyone it will start a massive fight.

 

[joshesmusica]

so should I make a starter, or pitch dry and hope for the best

Pitch it in there dry

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g0YE61PLQ[/ame]

Seriously though... rehydrate per the instructions of the yeast lab, and you should be good to go.

 

[dmtaylor]

Oh, I don't know.... I figure half those yeasty beasts deserve to die anyway..... survival of the fittest. Maybe half are liberal and half conservative. Maybe half are nerds and half are cool. Maybe half are posers and half are the real deal.

In the end, my laziness wins. And, it makes good beer.

 

[henchman24]

At 1.060, I'd rehydrate. I've made good beer without rehydrating and just pitching dry around there, but I like to harvest my yeast so I'd want ensure it is good to go and rehydrating is easy. If your beer was around 1.045, I'd say just pitch it dry.

 

[jeff62217]

I've pitched single packets dry into 1.070-1.076 beers and never had any problems. Just pitched a pack into a 1.08 SMaSH beer today.. I probably should've pitched two but I don't think a couple more points will make a difference.

 

[mattdee1]

I've done both dry and rehydrated S-05 and both worked just fine for 1.055-ish beers, with no discernable advantage to either method (other than pitching dry being easier).

 

[unionrdr]

I prefer to rehydrate dry yeast in 80-90F spring water to get the maximum number of cells possible. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water & let it sit 15 minutes. Then using a sanitized skewer or the like, stir it in, cover & wait another 15 minutes. Stir again before pouring into the wort at within 10 degrees of current wort temp. This helps prevent temp shocking the yeast.

 

[Cider123]

I just started an 05 starter. I know that it is generally unnecessary, except that I need to unstick a stuck fermentation. I have a stout that had an OG of 1.056. It has been only 2 weeks, but for the last week the krausen dropped and it has not budged from 1.032. I read that for these situations you want yeast in a mode where they will actively consume the left over sugars. Supposedly yeast starters are better at completing a stuck fement compared to dry or liquid packs?

I did add 1lb of lactose, but 1.032 is still a bit high.

 

[schematix]

I recently made 10G of a 1.052 pale ale. I pitched 3 packs of rehydrated US-05 at 60F. Fermented at 64F for a week then finished for a week at 69F. Finished at 1.010. It has a lager like cleanliness to it, even still young.

 

[paperairplane]

I pitch S05 dry all the time. On a 1060 beer, even below 65*F, I would be surprised if it takes more than 5 days to be very, very near done with primary fermentation.

 

[slym2none]

I've pitched a whole packet of US05 dry into 2.5G of 1.1XX wort. No problems, no stressed yeast, nothing but good barleywine.