Safale S-04

[Twostage]

Used S-04 for the first time this week in a best bitter. Impressed so far. Pitched on Thursday, rolling fermentation with a 1 inch krausen 24 hours later and nearly finished today. I was worried it was going to volcano but it didn't. Well behaved yeast. I'm tempted to start cold crashing it tomorrow and keg it on Monday.

After 24 hours...

After 48hrs...

 

[peebee]

Oh-oh ... you've unknowingly started another "I hate S-04" thread. Have you got yourself prepared for the hate posts?

Hang-on ... what's this ... you're tempted to start cold crashing!

Argggg!

Nooo ... don't do it! That yeast will push the bung out, come and find you, and strangle you in your sleep 'cos you've given it a chill.

<Public protection announcement from the "I hate cold crash" Society.>

 

[Twostage]

Oh-oh ... you've unknowingly started another "I hate S-04" thread. Have you got yourself prepared for the hate posts?

Hang-on ... what's this ... you're tempted to start cold crashing!

Argggg!

Nooo ... don't do it! That yeast will push the bung out, come and find you, and strangle you in your sleep 'cos you've given it a chill.

<Public protection announcement from the "I hate cold crash" Society.>

LOL. Not actually going to do anything with it yet (although the temptation to do a 4 day beer is BIG).

 

[obscure]

Oh-oh ... you've unknowingly started another "I hate S-04" thread. Have you got yourself prepared for the hate posts?

Hang-on ... what's this ... you're tempted to start cold crashing!

Argggg!

Nooo ... don't do it! That yeast will push the bung out, come and find you, and strangle you in your sleep 'cos you've given it a chill.

<Public protection announcement from the "I hate cold crash" Society.>

It does seem to be a love it or hate it yeast and I’m in the first category, while I do find it produces some off flavours at high temperatures when used in the proper range I find it to be a nice reliable yeast that produces decent lowish ABV bitters that are typically grain to glass in about three weeks.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I am about to brew a bitter using S-04 for the first time, will post outcome soon

 

[MashBag]

<Public protection announcement from the "I hate cold crash" Society.>

Link to website? ... Can I sign up?

 

[Twostage]

It does seem to be a love it or hate it yeast and I’m in the first category, while I do find it produces some off flavours at high temperatures when used in the proper range I find it to be a nice reliable yeast that produces decent lowish ABV bitters that are typically grain to glass in about three weeks.

After bottling and fizzing up it will be around three weeks. If I kegged it then it would technically be done a lot quicker but 10 litres would leave a lot of head space in a 19 ltr corny. Would it be daft to do that ? Can't wait to try it, will obviously test it during packaging.

 

[obscure]

After bottling and fizzing up it will be around three weeks. If I kegged it then it would technically be done a lot quicker but 10 litres would leave a lot of head space in a 19 ltr corny. Would it be daft to do that ? Can't wait to try it, will obviously test it during packaging.

I should probably have specified my grain to glass in three weeks is based on kegging. As for putting ten litres in a 19L keg, not something I’ve tried myself but suspect if you purge the keg and pressurise it should work I think.

 

[peebee]

I've been let down . Not a peep out of the S-04 deniers.

Still, no-one looking? ... party-time then ... S-04 is the best!

 

[MashBag]

I've been let down . Not a peep out of the S-04 deniers.

Still, no-one looking? ... party-time then ... S-04 is the best!

At what?

 

[peebee]

Uh? A denier? ...

(One stout stake, and dozen dry brushwood faggots please ... Oh, an' a pot of that pitch stuff as there is a bit of rain in the forecast today).

 

[tutshiveandspile]

Can't get it to ferment past 1.016

 

[MrRook]

Can't get it to ferment past 1.016

What was your recipe?

 

[tutshiveandspile]

4.2 kg pale
.245 med crystal
Water treatment for dry pale ale
Mash 80 min @ 64
30g Goldings
25g Challenger
OG 1.043
Boil 70 min
Saf ale04 yeast
FG at 6 days 1.016
Stirred up
FG at 7days 1.016
Very quiet no further action.
This is not the first time with this yeast
Tried it again with a strong mild
1.040 OG and finished at 1.016

 

[Twostage]

It's down to 1.020 according to the refractometer. Hope it's not going to stick there.

 

[Galena]

It's down to 1.020 according to the refractometer. Hope it's not going to stick there.

I hope not, one of the reasons I stopped using it was because of stuck fermentations, that could have been due to my bad procedure at the time rather than the yeast but I did blame it on the yeast and never used it again.

 

[MashBag]

I am not against but it is very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very average.

 

[peebee]

I've been let down . Not a peep out of the S-04 deniers.

Ooo, they're surfacing now! (Let me wake up some more ...)

Don't know why there's always these attempts to discredit S-04 yeast ... It's the best yeast on the market (and that includes all that "liquid" yeast tosh).

 

[Sandimas]

I hope not, one of the reasons I stopped using it was because of stuck fermentations

Suck fermentation or unfermentable sugars?

Just looked through my records: yes, I've kept a spreashseet of all 248 brews so far.....

In my experience, S-04 is very reliable but struggles with the darker brews, I've had a few darker ones finish 1016-1018 but that could be down to unfermentable sugars not the yeast, all the simpler golden ales have gone down to 1008-1012. I always worry when I use it in a darker brew, and like others I've moved onto other yeasts now as it's just a bit bland.

 

[Clint]

I think I've only knowingly used it a couple of times and didn't absolutely dislike it. In fact it was at the very start of moving from kits so wasn't in a position to compare. I have since used a lot of Wilko Gervin for my British ale yeasts as its cheap and consistent.
Now..on to the 04...Peebee please give your experience and the way you use it. There seems to be a couple of "stuck" brews or some that finish higher than expected. Is this common? What's the best way to treat it?
Thanks!