US-05

[arturobandini]

Hi, thanks to a post by DaaB I am using a packet of Safale US-05 on my cheap Lager kit to try and get a dry "lagerish" brew out of it. It's been in the FV 10 days now and the yeast head on top is still thick. I've done some research and I think it's due to US-05 being a top working yeast; is this correct? If so do I wait until the yeast has cleared off the top and then start looking to monitor gravity for bottling?

My first brew was a Brewferm Diabolo and the head vanished after about four days so this one hanging around has got me a little perplexed.

Thanks

[arturobandini]

Thanks Chris,

I'll just let it get on with it's good work then and see what I can get in to put in the FV after it's finished. I bought myself a new FV with a tap which I used as my bottling bucket and am now realising that perhaps a third FV may be necessary so I can get two on the go and still have my bottling bucket spare for when they are finished. How does this spiral out of control so quickly? I'm already weighing up costs of boilers,mash tuns......

Thanks again for the sound advice.

[Bru4u]

I had the same thing yesterday with US-05, it was my first time using it and had to recheck the hydrometer reading, I used a sterile jug to scoop out the head and syphoned the beer into a secondary with some gelatine solution. This should help the clearing a bit and I will keg it tomorrow.

[arturobandini]

Ok, the yeast head has shrunken enough to a thin layer across the bubbling surface and I've dropped in a sanitised hydrometer which has come up at 1016 it looks like.... coming down from 1040 after 12 days? Is this about right with US05 and should I expect it to drop lower?

[arturobandini]

The brew finally got a consistent gravity after 16 days and that's when I bottled it. It has been enjoying secondary fermentation for 6 days I made the brew up to 23 litres initially and added 180g cane sugar for the bottle conditioning. I made a pet tester which I felt was fairly taut and put in the fridge to chill and test for carbonation... It had a nice amount of fizz but it was sweet as anything. Like a homebrew shandy.

My question is, if this yeast is a slow worker should I expect my time in the warm to be extended also?

[arturobandini]

Cheers Chris,

Yeah I know that's loads of priming but I was going off what someone said Coopers suggested for their Lager kits and as they seem to be generally well received I just copied that.

Thanks.