US05 fermentation question

[b_oh_bee]

Hi all, first time posting & first all grain batch attempt. I had done some extract in the past, but excited to make the change. I've spent lots of time on these forums, so thanks for everyone's help.

My question is regarding fermentation. I had never taken FG readings in the past, so never tasted the beer somewhat along the way.

I have a temp controller fermentation chamber (mini beverage fridge with heater and thermowell into the fermentation vessel), and have been stepping the temp up a bit as it goes. Started at 64F for a few days, up to 68 for a couple and then 70 for the last two. Overall it been in there a week with lots of early activity. Pitched 2 packs of US05 (did not rehydrate) into what was an actual volume of about 4.5 gallons.

So at one week I hit my expected FG (according to beersmith), but the sample tasted very yeasty. Sitting on my counter for a few mins you can already see stuff settling to the bottom. I plan on taking a reading again in a couple of days to see if I'm still at the same reading (1.010). Taking samples from a spigot on a stainless vessel.

If it is hit but the sample seems to be full of yeast, do you let it sit in fermentation longer? Does cold crashing help this? I will be bottling, so will it settle out at that time?

Thanks everyone.

 

[b_oh_bee]

Hi all, first time posting & first all grain batch attempt. I had done some extract in the past, but excited to make the change. I've spent lots of time on these forums, so thanks for everyone's help.

My question is regarding fermentation. I had never taken FG readings in the past, so never tasted the beer somewhat along the way.

I have a temp controller fermentation chamber (mini beverage fridge with heater and thermowell into the fermentation vessel), and have been stepping the temp up a bit as it goes. Started at 64F for a few days, up to 68 for a couple and then 70 for the last two. Overall it been in there a week with lots of early activity. Pitched 2 packs of US05 (did not rehydrate) into what was an actual volume of about 4.5 gallons.

So at one week I hit my expected FG (according to beersmith), but the sample tasted very yeasty. Sitting on my counter for a few mins you can already see stuff settling to the bottom. I plan on taking a reading again in a couple of days to see if I'm still at the same reading (1.010). Taking samples from a spigot on a stainless vessel.

If it is hit but the sample seems to be full of yeast, do you let it sit in fermentation longer? Does cold crashing help this? I will be bottling, so will it settle out at that time?

Thanks everyone.

Forgot to add, I dry hopped at day 3 when gravity was about 1.024. Read some things about interaction of hops in active fermentation, so figured I'd give it a shot. Was hoping to have the beer off the hops after 5 days. But that taste makes me feel like it could be a bit longer.

Any downside to that?

 

[Miraculix]

Cold crash does the trick, or just time. The yeast will settle out on its own but some take more time. 05 can be such a yeast that takes more time, a cold crash speeds things up significantly.

 

[Lefou]

For bottling, I like to use moderately flocculent White Labs or dry yeasts with known characteristics.
This sort of yeast will stay suspended somewhat until the bottle carbing phase is finished and you're ready to chill the beer down. Cold crashing is something I typically don't do until I think the beer is ready to drink ( no stainless steel for me, unfortunately). I do gravity checks post-boil and at bottling, around approximately three weeks, never during fermentation because I want to minimize disturbances or oxygen contact.

I've used the Chico yeasts (WLP001 and US-05) and they compact well when refrigerated.

 

[RM-MN]

Hi all, first time posting & first all grain batch attempt. I had done some extract in the past, but excited to make the change. I've spent lots of time on these forums, so thanks for everyone's help.

My question is regarding fermentation. I had never taken FG readings in the past, so never tasted the beer somewhat along the way.

I have a temp controller fermentation chamber (mini beverage fridge with heater and thermowell into the fermentation vessel), and have been stepping the temp up a bit as it goes. Started at 64F for a few days, up to 68 for a couple and then 70 for the last two. Overall it been in there a week with lots of early activity. Pitched 2 packs of US05 (did not rehydrate) into what was an actual volume of about 4.5 gallons.

So at one week I hit my expected FG (according to beersmith), but the sample tasted very yeasty. Sitting on my counter for a few mins you can already see stuff settling to the bottom. I plan on taking a reading again in a couple of days to see if I'm still at the same reading (1.010). Taking samples from a spigot on a stainless vessel.

If it is hit but the sample seems to be full of yeast, do you let it sit in fermentation longer? Does cold crashing help this? I will be bottling, so will it settle out at that time?

Thanks everyone.

Yes, yes, and yes. If you bottle early but the beer is at final gravity you end up with a lot of sediment in the bottles. I prefer to not have so much sediment so I leave the beer in the fermenter until more of the sediment has settled there. Were I to cold crash it would speed up that settling and if cold enough would also eliminate protein haze in the poured beer but I just chill my bottles for a few days and that does the same thing.

 

[RmikeVT]

Yeasty because it has a lot of yeast still in suspension, as you observed. Dont jump the gun on cold crashing, give the beer a little while to condition at ferm temp and wait for the yeast to start dropping in its own.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Sitting on my counter for a few mins you can already see stuff settling to the bottom.

It's worth mentioning that fermentation creates trub/lees.... And some of that settles in/on/around the spigot. Depending on the type of spigot and its position it can take several ounces to get a clear sample from a beer that's perfectly clear.

Dispense a little at a time until it's not super cloudy, and again after any time you move the vessel. It shouldn't be settling out before your eyes when its at FG.

Cheers.

 

[b_oh_bee]

wanted to just thank everyone for their responses and let you know I let it condition a bit longer, cold crash, and bottled. Definitely improved with more patience, only I feel it suffered from oxidation perhaps. Wasn't too tasty of a beer.

going at it again, but have since dove into kegging... we'll see how that goes!

 

[kh54s10]

One thing not mentioned previously is that 1 pack of dry yeast should have been plenty for an average gravity 4.5 gallon batch. That if the yeast has not completely flocculated, and taking a sample from a spigot you get more yeast than you would from the top of the beer.

As far as oxidation, do everything you can to limit or better, eliminate any splashing, air entering tubing etc. I am careful, but not nearly as obsessive as some, to limit oxygen (I have never purged anything with co2) and I have not had a noticeable problem with oxidation.

 

[b_oh_bee]

One thing not mentioned previously is that 1 pack of dry yeast should have been plenty for an average gravity 4.5 gallon batch. That if the yeast has not completely flocculated, and taking a sample from a spigot you get more yeast than you would from the top of the beer.

As far as oxidation, do everything you can to limit or better, eliminate any splashing, air entering tubing etc. I am careful, but not nearly as obsessive as some, to limit oxygen (I have never purged anything with co2) and I have not had a noticeable problem with oxidation.

I thought I was pretty careful bottling with the autosiphon. Im kind of guessing at the off flavor I suppose, but the color was a lot darker when o cracked the first bottle from when I bottled it.