Single packet of US-05 for a HG beer?

[hey4q2pal]

Im in a pickle! I have a Chocolate Covered BEAVR nuts extract kit that's been sitting for a while in my fermenting chamber that I am planning on making today. I don't have any ingredients to make a starter and I have only one packet of 05. This seems to be a possibly high gravity beer. Can I just pitch my single packet of 05 on it and hope it isn't underpitched or should I bum another packet off a friend and pitch them both into the fermentor? Ive never done a yeast starter and don't have any extra dme lying around.Will this brew be OK with on packet and no starter?

 

[ittybittykittycommittee]

What is the predicted OG?

 

[bethebrew]

Im in a pickle! I have a Chocolate Covered BEAVR nuts extract kit that's been sitting for a while in my fermenting chamber that I am planning on making today. I don't have any ingredients to make a starter and I have only one packet of 05. This seems to be a possibly high gravity beer. Can I just pitch my single packet of 05 on it and hope it isn't underpitched or should I bum another packet off a friend and pitch them both into the fermentor? Ive never done a yeast starter and don't have any extra dme lying around.Will this brew be OK with on packet and no starter?

Pitch your one pack. That's what I always do, and never even rehydrated. Even a big barleywine. You will be fine from my experience.

Underpitching is not necessarily such a bad thing. Can lead to more flavors, more fruitiness, more esters. US-05 however is so clean and neutral maybe it needs a little more "flavors". I've used it maybe 50x. Go to yeast for me.

Keep your fermenter temps around 62. Pitch it around 65. Rehydrate if you think it makes a difference. Some think 50% of dry yeast cells are magically killed by pouring them directly into the wort. Uh huh....

 

[corrales_305]

05 is a pretty hardy yeast one should be enough. if its bugging you too much, make a starter. I think as long as you pitch at the right temp you'll be fine. Personally, I like liquid yeasts better.

 

[feinbera]

I googled your kit, you'll be fine with a ~1.070 OG, ~1.018 FG beer. Rehydrate (yes, it helps -- I used to be a sprinkler, I've observed more vigorous starts and quicker finishes since I started rehydrating, all with US-05). Aerate; shaking the carboy or whipping the bucket with a paint stirrer should be plenty for this beer, no need for a pure O2 setup. Start cool, but ramp the temp up to the low 70's once fermentation activity starts dying down (but hasn't quite died down completely), and give the fermentor a gentle rouse once or twice a day, to give the yeasties a nice, comfortable environment in which to finish up their work.

 

[bethebrew]

I googled your kit, you'll be fine with a ~1.070 OG, ~1.018 FG beer. Rehydrate (yes, it helps -- I used to be a sprinkler, I've observed more vigorous starts and quicker finishes since I started rehydrating, all with US-05). Aerate; shaking the carboy or whipping the bucket with a paint stirrer should be plenty for this beer, no need for a pure O2 setup. Start cool, but ramp the temp up to the low 70's once fermentation activity starts dying down (but hasn't quite died down completely), and give the fermentor a gentle rouse once or twice a day, to give the yeasties a nice, comfortable environment in which to finish up their work.

"I used to be a sprinkler". True confessions?

This alone may force me to do a rehydration next US-05 brew.

 

[kombat]

You would never use a starter for dry yeast anyway.

You should be fine with a single pack, but definitely rehydrate it per the manufacturer's instructions (in 10x its weight in 80° F water for 30 minutes) to ensure you maximize the count of viable yeast cells (sprinkling dry directly into the wort reduces viability by up to 50%).

 

[stpug]

Technically, you will be underpitching by 25% with a single dry properly rehydrated sachet of US05 (266b needed, max provided is 200b). I personally think you'll be fine with one sachet and get a good beer. Bob says I'm wrong; I'm an amateur giving poor advice; and that you'll be doing your beer a disservice, but "meh, whatevs". You choose

 

[peterj]

I agree with kombat, never make a starter with dry yeast.

1.070 I would say is about the borderline for one pack of US-05. If you go much higher I would pitch 2, but 1 should be fine for 1.070 and below.

Pitch your one pack. That's what I always do, and never even rehydrated. Even a big barleywine. You will be fine from my experience.

Underpitching is not necessarily such a bad thing. Can lead to more flavors, more fruitiness, more esters. US-05 however is so clean and neutral maybe it needs a little more "flavors". I've used it maybe 50x. Go to yeast for me.

Keep your fermenter temps around 62. Pitch it around 65. Rehydrate if you think it makes a difference. Some think 50% of dry yeast cells are magically killed by pouring them directly into the wort. Uh huh....

This is all pretty terrible advice, except for the fermenation temperatures. Underpitching is never a good idea and it is incredibly easy to pitch the proper amount. Maybe in some instances you could slightly underpitch to accentuate yeast esters like in Belgians, but for most beers (and especially beers you're making with US-05 which is supposed to be a neutral yeast) underpitching will cause long lagtimes, off flavors, stressed yeast, low attenuation, etc.

It's also incredibly easy to rehydrate dry yeast. I just don't understand why anyone wouldn't.

And the 50% viability number from not rehydrating isn't magic, it's science. The drying process causes the yeast's cell walls to become fragile and makes it difficult for them to regulate what crosses in and out of their membranes. When you pitch them directly into wort the high sugar concentrations, hop compounds, and everything else that the yeast would normally selectively keep out come rushing into the cells which damages and destroys many of them.

 

[bethebrew]

I agree with kombat, never make a starter with dry yeast.

1.070 I would say is about the borderline for one pack of US-05. If you go much higher I would pitch 2, but 1 should be fine for 1.070 and below.



This is all pretty terrible advice, except for the fermenation temperatures. Underpitching is never a good idea and it is incredibly easy to pitch the proper amount. Maybe in some instances you could slightly underpitch to accentuate yeast esters like in Belgians, but for most beers (and especially beers you're making with US-05 which is supposed to be a neutral yeast) underpitching will cause long lagtimes, off flavors, stressed yeast, low attenuation, etc.

It's also incredibly easy to rehydrate dry yeast. I just don't understand why anyone wouldn't.

And the 50% viability number from not rehydrating isn't magic, it's science. The drying process causes the yeast's cell walls to become fragile and makes it difficult for them to regulate what crosses in and out of their membranes. When you pitch them directly into wort the high sugar concentrations, hop compounds, and everything else that the yeast would normally selectively keep out come rushing into the cells which damages and destroys many of them.

Well the reason being, I have had success with doing what Safeale says to do, pitch the yeast in dry? I don't see this big lag time with the US-05, maybe 24 hours until noticeable airlock bubbling? And I read that "scientific study" you mention. It's a crock. 50% cell death? Gimme a break.

This whole issue however has got me interested in taking another step in the process, and is it worth it? Having scored 43, 44 and 48 on beers in BJCP judged contests with US-05 pitching directly into wort, I just wonder how much "improvement" is there to be made? Last year with the 43, the yeast was a full year out of expiration date.

Methinks all you yeast overpitchers should focus on making better beers and not pitching rates.

But seriously bro I did score those scores as a sprinkler.

Always willing to try new things like two packs rehydrated versus one pack unrehydrated in the biggest stout I can make. There's a good test.

 

[peterj]

Well the reason being, I have had success with doing what Safeale says to do, pitch the yeast in dry? I don't see this big lag time with the US-05, maybe 24 hours until noticeable airlock bubbling? And I read that "scientific study" you mention. It's a crock. 50% cell death? Gimme a break.

This whole issue however has got me interested in taking another step in the process, and is it worth it? Having scored 43, 44 and 48 on beers in BJCP judged contests with US-05 pitching directly into wort, I just wonder how much "improvement" is there to be made? Last year with the 43, the yeast was a full year out of expiration date.

Methinks all you yeast overpitchers should focus on making better beers and not pitching rates.

But seriously bro I did score those scores as a sprinkler.

Always willing to try new things like two packs rehydrated versus one pack unrehydrated in the biggest stout I can make. There's a good test.

Congrats on those scores, that's awesome man!

It's not just one study I was talking about though. I've heard these facts stated by brewing scientists, pro brewers, and Danstar. While the number may not necessarily always be 50%, everything I've read agrees that pitching directly into wort will kill a large portion of the yeast. So I am just way more inclined to believe brewing scientists, pro brewers, and a dry yeast company (who have done research and experiments and who all have a huge stake in the findings) over the anecdotal evidence of 3 good beers.

All of those people also have a very well established ideal rate of inoculation as well, so it wouldn't make sense to me to pitch at any other rate. They definitely know better than me.

Also, on the Fermentis website they give rehydration instructions or they say you can sprinkle on the wort. I think they take into account the loss in viability when sprinkled directly on, which would be an ok pitching rate for low to normal gravity beers.

With rehydrating being such an easy step it just doesn't make sense to sacrifice a large portion of my yeast and risk off flavors and other undesirable effects from underpitching so that I don't have to microwave a half cup of water.

Methinks all you yeast overpitchers should focus on making better beers and not pitching rates.

This makes absolutely no sense. Pitching rate is one of the more important factors in making better beers.