Howdy, guys. Looks like the conversation picked up while I was commuting home from work.
To answer some of the issues:
I’ve always used US-05 in a style appropriate way. Mostly I’m making IPAs and Pale Ales.
I said that I’ve gone as high as 68 degrees for fermentation, but that was unusual. Typically I set my temperature controller at about 63. But I find that in practice, that setting puts me between 61-64 during the fermentation.
I’m curious about the split batch idea, Glug Master. I’ve never tried to take US-05 under 60 before. I’m curious if that would make a difference too. If you perform the experiment, please keep me in the loop.
I just ordered some other yeast strains. I’ll make some starters and try them out.
I’ve never gotten this off flavor from US-05. I’ve fermented it down into the mid to upper 50’s (ambient temps) with good results. It doesn’t ferment terribly vigorously, but it works.
+1 - the US ale strains benefit from “cold” fermentation. Go cold ferment with a sufficient slurry high 50s and warm it up to the mid 60s after fermentation slows significantly; cold crash mmmm good stuff.
I make mainly Am. styles. I’ve used US-05 a lot since it came out and always kinda thought it gave me pretty similar results to 1056. Recently, though, I started noticing the same kinds of things as the OP. On my last batch, I went back to 1056 for a beer I’d used 05 on the last few years. There was more differnce than I expected. The 05 had some esters that 1056 didn’t and seemed to produce a beer with less body even when the FG was the same as 1056. I’ll still keep using 05, but I’ll take these differences into account when deciding what to use it in.
The only thing I’ve noticed with US-05 vs Liquid Cultures is that it requires a bit more age and time to drop clear. Other than that, it’s a great strain. But for me, I just go with the liquid since I spread the extra $3-$4 out among several batches. If I were using a new pitch of yeast every time, or making A LOT of beer at once, I can see why using dry yeast is preferable.
But from what i hear, US-05 and Danstar Nottingham are the only two dry yeasts worth using. Has anyone made great beer using the other strains? (note that I said great)
Thing about that, a tripel and a saison have very differnet fermentation profiles. I can’t imagine that the same yeast will produce flawless examples of each style. I guess that’s what I’m after, “flawless”. Maybe it’s just not possible with dry yeast.
I don’t know…maybe I made a tripel and a tripel-lite. I did alter my water and fermented at different temps and I did get different yeast character in each beer.
I’ve used US-05 several times with good, consistant results. However, the last time I used it, for an american brown, the fermentation was odd. The wort rolled like boiling water. It constantly churned for four days, my temps stayed in the high 60’s. The beer never really cleared and it was almost undrinkable. Two days ago I brewed a pale and used US-05. The wort is doing the same thing with temp at 64. I’m seeing here that maybe the temp is still too high? Does anyone think that I may have gotten a couple of bad packs?
The brew before this, dry stout, I used S-04 (first time) and everything was perfect.
Same here. And I’ve found S-189 and 34/70 dry lager yeast to be very good.[/quote]
Denny, how many packets of 34/70 would one need for a 1.060 gravity lager?
Same here. And I’ve found S-189 and 34/70 dry lager yeast to be very good.[/quote]
Denny, how many packets of 34/70 would one need for a 1.060 gravity lager?[/quote]
Off the top of my head, I’d say 2 would do it.[/quote]
Hmmm, at the price, I might as well buy liquid yeast and step up a starter. That stuff is $6.75 at Northern Brewer and $4.99 at Midwest. It ain’t cheap.
[quote=“Beersk”]
Hmmm, at the price, I might as well buy liquid yeast and step up a starter. That stuff is $6.75 at Northern Brewer and $4.99 at Midwest. It ain’t cheap.[/quote]
True, but you really need to factor in the cost & time for making a starter, and then stepping it up at least once to pitch in a 5 gallon batch of Lager. Ironically I just pitched 2 packets of 34/70 in a 5 gallon batch of Dortmunder @ 1.060. That yeast will make 40-50 more gallons of beer before it’s retired and by pitching thick slurries no starter is necessary. That’s how I get my money’s worth out of yeast. Cheers!!!
EDIT: I should note the subsequent batches will be 10 gallons each. The 5 gallon Dortmunder is really just a BIG starter, and drinkable… Cheers!!!
[quote=“hamiltont”][quote=“Beersk”]
Hmmm, at the price, I might as well buy liquid yeast and step up a starter. That stuff is $6.75 at Northern Brewer and $4.99 at Midwest. It ain’t cheap.[/quote]
True, but you really need to factor in the cost & time for making a starter, and then stepping it up at least once to pitch in a 5 gallon batch of Lager. Ironically I just pitched 2 packets of 34/70 in a 5 gallon batch of Dortmunder @ 1.060. That yeast will make 40-50 more gallons of beer before it’s retired and by pitching thick slurries no starter is necessary. That’s how I get my money’s worth out of yeast. Cheers!!!
EDIT: I should note the subsequent batches will be 10 gallons each. The 5 gallon Dortmunder is really just a BIG starter, and drinkable… Cheers!!![/quote]
Solid, thanks for the info.
As far as other successful dry yeasts, I won 2 packs of Munich and put it in a Weizenbock, it turned out great, but I will likely use Weihenstephens for all Weizen-styles in the future. I just won 2 packs in a contest, so that’s why I did it that one time.
I’ve made successful lager starters using 4.5 l starters and one pack of fresh Wyeast. I did that for a 1.062 maibock last March. I tried doing the same thing with a pack of Staro-Prague, but I think the heat and age killed it (3 months), because the starter never looked alive during the 3 days I had it. I think in the future, I’ll just buy 2 packs of lager yeast and make a 4 l starter, then reuse the cake to get my money’s worth. Bock/Doppelbock, pilsner/dark pilsner/dunkel, etc.
