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Author Topic: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe  (Read 4284 times)

Offline Iliff Ave

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blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« on: June 13, 2013, 01:44:48 pm »
Very strange. I have a mason jar of harvested US-05 yeast that I use over time. I brewed the same batch that I used the same slurry with previously. It had been in the mason jar for a few months so I pitched about 1 cup. After 2 weeks in secondary, the beer has not cleared at all and has a very yeasty smell. I kegged today to take a sample and it was one point above the previous batch. It seriously has the characteristics of a hefeweizen. It doesn't have off-flavors per say but I guess off-flavors for this strain. Any ideas? Could it be an infection?

I assume that most will ask about temperature. I believe that I did pitch high and it cooled down over the next few days. Pitch temp was probably above 70 and ambient room temp was 62. I have used US-05 well into the 70s before with no effects like this.
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Offline AmandaK

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2013, 02:10:04 pm »
Did you take "few month" old yeast and pitch it directly into wort? Or did you make a starter?

Sounds like stressed out little yeasties to me.
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Offline denny

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2013, 02:20:45 pm »
Sounds like stressed out little yeasties to me.

THIS^^^^
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Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2013, 03:42:36 pm »
I am pretty sure I always stress my yeasties out  ;)

No starter. I guess that explains it. I always underpitch without negative results such as this. I even used a lot more than normally would so I assumed that wouldn't be the culprit. I guess ignorance has been bliss up to this point....haha. Trust me, I understand that I don't follow accepted practices...

Somehow my buddy gets away with using one vial of yeast for 10 gallon batches without any issues...never understood it. I probably use twice as much yeast for half as much beer compared to him.

Thanks guys! Should have occurred to me sooner. Stressed US-05 = Hefeweizen
« Last Edit: June 13, 2013, 03:58:27 pm by goschman »
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Offline thirsty

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2013, 06:51:16 pm »
A little extra time may help get it back to tasting semi-normal

Offline gymrat

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2013, 08:12:44 pm »
Pitching temperature and proper areation are, in my opinion, the 2 most critical facets to pitching yeast.
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Offline majorvices

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blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2013, 04:15:31 am »
I have seen Chico strain mutate like this a few times. Hazy and rubbery yeast aroma. Time to buy a new packet of us-05. Don't break the bank. ;)

Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2013, 12:57:30 pm »
I have seen Chico strain mutate like this a few times. Hazy and rubbery yeast aroma. Time to buy a new packet of us-05. Don't break the bank. ;)

That sounds accurate. That was the last of it anyways. I have used US-05 so much now that I want to experiment with some other yeasts a bit more.

S-04 is my new yeast for now. I haven't been impressed after reading descriptions about how well this yeast drops out. My summer ale on tap has yeast floating all over the place after cold conditioning for a couple of weeks....
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Offline kmccaf

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2013, 08:20:46 pm »
I have seen Chico strain mutate like this a few times. Hazy and rubbery yeast aroma. Time to buy a new packet of us-05. Don't break the bank. ;)

That sounds accurate. That was the last of it anyways. I have used US-05 so much now that I want to experiment with some other yeasts a bit more.

S-04 is my new yeast for now. I haven't been impressed after reading descriptions about how well this yeast drops out. My summer ale on tap has yeast floating all over the place after cold conditioning for a couple of weeks....

That really surprises me that S-04 isn't dropping well for you. It has always formed a compact layer in my fermenters. I always ferment S-04 at 62F, FWIW.
Kyle M.

Offline majorvices

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blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2013, 06:58:10 am »
I have seen Chico strain mutate like this a few times. Hazy and rubbery yeast aroma. Time to buy a new packet of us-05. Don't break the bank. ;)

That sounds accurate. That was the last of it anyways. I have used US-05 so much now that I want to experiment with some other yeasts a bit more.

S-04 is my new yeast for now. I haven't been impressed after reading descriptions about how well this yeast drops out. My summer ale on tap has yeast floating all over the place after cold conditioning for a couple of weeks....

Is your water especially soft? Water low in calcium can have a negative effect on yeast flocculation.

Offline Jo Diesel

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2013, 10:50:32 am »
I had 2 back to back batches of repitched US-05 that didn't taste quite right. Thought it was the malt I was using as I had switched venders. Tossed the yeast and started with fresh US-05 and last 2 batches with the same malt have been fine. Takes a little for me to burn up 150lb

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: blonde ale with US-05 tasting like Hefe
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2013, 11:55:32 am »
I got some clovey banana flavors from an overpitch of US-05 once...so I try to limit my repitch volumes of dry yeast  any more.  Never seem to encounter it with lager yeast, though.
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