Failed US-05 yeast

[BrewJas]

Looking for some advice please as I have a problem with my latest brew.

In summary I think I’ve got a failed Yeast on my hands. Mash went great, hit my OG and cooled the 22L of wort down to 18C.

Pitched a packet US-05 yeast straight into the FV, didn’t rehydrate (usually do but my last couple of batches using S-04 and M44 were fine without rehydrating, so thought it would work)

Put FV into fermentation fridge at 18C.

No airlock activity after 48 hours. Checked lid, all secure. Took gravity reading and virtually no movement.

Looked like a small krausen formed but could have just been foam from wort aeration.

Currently heated to 19-20C and have stirred to rouse yeast but still no activity after nearly 72 hours.

As the temps are all good, I think I have a failed packet of yeast.

1. are there any other suggestions of what might have gone wrong? (Used new batch of chemsan in the FV, if too strong could this have caused the yeast to fail?)

2. I have another packet of US-05 arriving on Monday, was going to rehydrate and repitch more yeast. Will the beer still be ok?

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

 

[Nicks90]

It will be fine as long as the sanitation was good.

Worst case scenario is you see some activity tomorrow and have no idea if it's the yeast or a nasty.
If so, transfer it back in to the boiler and zap it to boil for 5 minutes and then add a few more aroma hops at flame out to account for some of the aroma boil off. (Or even at 80c for the last part of the cooling)
You'll basically be starting from scratch

 

[BrewJas]

Thanks - good to know all isn’t lost!

I’ve done about 15 brews and never had this happen, is it common?

 

[MashBag]

Nope not common with dried yeast. I don't think I have ever had one fail.

Yeast is so cheap, I keep some in. Keeps forever in the fridge.

For what is worth I would just repitch. But a quick boil is a safe move (and a pita)

 

[The Baron]

SO5 does not need rehydrating it is a sprinkle on yeast

 

[Tanglefoot]

Was it in date ? I only ask as my LHBS has US-05 use by end of this month on clearance at the moment, as does Brew2bottle.

 

[An Ankoù]

Unlikely your bit of foam is from wort aeration after 2 days. More likely it's the beginning of fermentation. US-05 can free a slow starter and 48 hours is not unusual. Leave it until tomorrow and stop taking the lid off. If there's no activity tomorrow, or no increase in surface foam, then start to think about alternatives. Even so, I wouldn't boil it. I'd raise it to 70-75 C for half an hour and then let it cool and re-pitch. That temperature will kill any wild yeast and reduce bacteria without driving off the hop aroma.

 

[BrewJas]

Thanks everyone for the guidance. I wish I’d checked the yeast date but ordered a week before use so didn’t think of checking and haven’t raked through the bin to find it.

Still no activity 12 hours after my original post so will pitch yeast which arrives tomorrow and see how it goes.

Definitely need to hold some spare yeast for future eventualities.

Are there are other reasons for the yeast to fail? Could overdosing no rinse sanitiser impact things?

 

[The Baron]

My advice would be to keep a regular routine/method for pitching. Most brewers at sometime will have a unexplainable slower than normal uptake even if they have done it loads of times.
I would not stress too much about it unless you have found the answer which obviously you can correct it but always keep a spare packet of a generic yeast that at a push you can use on most brews as a failsafe

 

[MashBag]

Could overdosing no rinse sanitiser impact things?

Probably....

 

[BrewJas]

Quick update - added second us-05 yeast (which I hydrated) without any reboiling of the wort. It took off quickly and attenuated to my target gravity, no sign of infection so beer has now been bottled and fingers crossed the situation has been saved!

 

[MashBag]

Probably....

Better...

Are there are other reasons for the yeast to fail? Could overdosing no rinse sanitiser impact things?

I think you have got the nail on the head. We have seen massive oxidisation occur with no rinse. So logically I think you found it.

Clean, only needs to be "Eat off it" clean, not "operating theatre ".

 

[An Ankoù]

Nope not common with dried yeast. I don't think I have ever had one fail.

Yeast is so cheap, I keep some in. Keeps forever in the fridge.

For what is worth I would just repitch. But a quick boil is a safe move (and a pita)

I've used sachets of yeast many years after their best by date and they always work fine. Except one obscure German lager yeast I got from Braumarkt the first 2 sachets just wouldn't take and I had to pitch another yeast to save the beers. I then made up a starter from the 3rd sachet and it went fine. First and only time I've had that happen.