Safale US-05: Complete Guide To Using Safale US-05

Safale US-05 may be one of the most commonly used yeasts in the worlds, both in a commercial environment and a home brew one. 

Also known as “Chico” or California Ale the yeast is used extensively on the West coast of the US

In my experience as a professional brewer, we used US-05 extensively in our beers and it is one of the most neutral and easy to use yeast strains available.

Safale US-05 is produced by Fermentis who also make Safale S-04, both of which are some of the most popular and widely used dried yeasts on the market.

Safale US-05 Profile

Safale US-05 is billed as one of the most neutral fermenting yeasts producing low esters. This results in clean, crisp tasting beers.

This particular yeast strain is synonymous with hoppy American style beers which require a crisp finish and allow the hop profile to shine

Neutral Yeast

As mentioned before Safale US-05 is touted as a neutral yeast. This results in clean and crisp beers.

Esters are a product of fermentation, chemical compounds that make up a large part of the flavour contributed by the yeast. 

Safale US-05 produces fewer or less flavourful esters than other yeast strains resulting in a more neutral flavour. This allows malt and yeast to dominate the flavour of the finished beer.

US-05 Attenuation

The attenuation refers to the level of sugars fermented into alcohol. US-05 has a relatively high level of attenuation compared to Safale S-04 for example with upto 82% of the sugars in solution being metabolised by the yeast. 

A higher attenuation results in a drier and less sweet beer.

Flocculation

The flocculation or sedimentation of Safale US-05 is medium. This means it will take longer for the yeast to settle out if suspension. This is good for active fermentation when you want the yeast roused in the wort but means that clearing the beer will take more time.

Key Figures For Safale US-05

Fermentation Temperature: ideally 18-28°C (64-82°F) 

Flocculation: Medium

Attenuation: 78 – 82%

Alcohol Tolerance: 9 – 11% ABV

Yeast Cell Count: > 69,000,000,000 (69 billion) per 11.5g sachet

Safale US-05 Beer Styles

Safale US-05 is almost synonymous with American beers of all styles but particularly pale, hoppy beers.

The Chico yeast is the house strain for Sierra Nevada Brewery and the success of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale meant the yeast found favour in every American style pale ale produced worldwide.

US-05 is still useful for all kinds of beers, any beer style where the malt and hops need to be accentuated and take centre stage.

Pale Ale, IPA, porter, stout, wheat beer, brown ale, amber and beer styles that may promote malt or hop character over yeast character are all suitable for pitching with Safale US-05

Pitching US-05

When it comes to pitching a dry yeast such as Safale US-05 it cannot be simpler.

Fermentis are quite clear in their instructions that the yeast can either be pitched directly onto the wort or rehydrated first and the resulting slurry pitched.

There is no recommendation to build a yeast starter so this procedure can be omitted.

Pitching Yeast Directly Into Wort

This is as simple as opening the sachet and sprinkling the yeast over the surface. There is no need to stir the yeast into the wort.

There are enough viable yeast cells in a sachet of US-05 for direct pitching like this to cause no issues at all.

It is recommended to pitch US-05 a few degrees above your intended fermentation temperature and once pitched cool to the required fermentation temperature.

Rehydrating Dried Yeast

Rehydration instructions are printed directly on the packaging. I would recommend rehydrating if you want to decrease lag time and if you are brewing strong, high ABV beers.

Sprinkle the yeast into 10 times its weight (115ml for 1 sachet) of sterile water or boiled wort at a temperature of 25 to 29°C (77°F to 84°F). Leave the yeast for 15 – 30 minutes before swirling the vessel and pitching into the wort.

How Long Does Safale US-05 Last?

Fermentis state that sealed sachets of US-05 dried yeast is suitable for storage for at least 36 months from the date of production. 

It is worth bearing in mind that the viability of dried yeast is much more stable than liquid yeast but the viability of the yeast cells will deteriorate with time. That being said, a year old sachet will still ferment a typical beer without any issue from storage.

How to Store The Yeast

Dried yeast is best stored cool in the refrigerator or at a temperature below 10°C/50°F. Stored at this temperature they yeast will remain stable for 36 months. 

If you store US-05 at ambient temperatures then aim to use the yeast within 3 month as the viability will decrease quicker.

Open sachets need to be store in the fridge and used within 7 days.