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Matt Up North · 02-17-2009, 06:40 PM

I didn't think it would be as easy as it is. All I did was step away from the US-05 and Nottingham and hit up the S-04 (fullers yeast), which meant that I went from fermenting down to 1.010-1.012 to hitting a very respectable 1.016 squarely. What this did was:

Made my head last longer
Created a more viscous beer in my mouth
Enhanced the creamy sensation in my mouth
No more mashing at 161 to get a higher FG

It is beautiful I tell you. Now granted I changed my recipe too, but in the past I have used similar ingredients and not been able to achieve my goal. I just pulled my first pint off my stout and WOOHOO, I threw my hands in the air, jumped around and made crazy whooping sounds.

Sweet!

By the way, this is on a lesser OG beer.

**Pappers_** · 02-18-2009, 02:34 PM

Choice of yeast and the factors around using the yeast like fermentation temperature is, in my experience, one of the most important decisions I make in brewing beer - put another way, its often the difference in a so-so beer and a beer I really like.

I spend as much time researching and thinking about my choices of yeast and how I will use it as everything else when I'm making a recipe or thinking about an upcoming batch. I think its time well spent.

Jim

david_42 · 02-18-2009, 02:37 PM

Even Windsor has its place in brewing.

BeernuT100 · 02-18-2009, 03:12 PM

much <3 for the s04

Matt Up North · 02-18-2009, 03:42 PM

The real thing that was holding me back for so long using the S-04 was the fact that there are a million posts about "My fermentation has stopped at 1.023" or "Why is my beer not attenuating". I can't stand sweet beer, though what I have just found out is that 1.016 isn't sweet and really, neither is 1.020 in the grand scheme of things. If my IPA that I am doing this weekend gets to 1.020 I will be a happy camper.

Yeast is definitely really important to choose correctly. I was just talking with someone the other day though that has never used the same yeast twice in their 16 batches they have done. Experimentation is great, don't get me wrong, but it seems to me that you would want to make beer that tastes good first, experiment second and once it is to a place that you enjoy it, let it ride. I tried a beer made by a fellow using Weheinstephan(sp?) and I can't stand that banana and crazy spice flavor. I would have shot myself if I had 5 gallons of that!

My moral of the story is that for lower gravity beers it is almost easier to utilize a slightly lower attenuating yeast and keeping your process the same, than it is to change your process to fit the yeast. I always mash around 155* (as does everyone it seems) for an hour, sparge for a half hour to fourty-five and then boil for 60. Some beers warrant a varient, but for 90% of the beers I make, that is the process. US-05 was giving me a thin feeling beer, but S-04 made the same beer luscious. I think that I would have had to add in some lactose had I continued on the US-05 pathway and that is a whole other beast...

**BierMuncher** · 02-18-2009, 03:46 PM

I like -04 very much.

My Left Nut Brown Ale is awesomely smooth and slightly sweet...but not cloying.

-04 is definitely worth harvesting.

Matt Up North · 02-18-2009, 03:53 PM

Funny that you mention harvesting, I just did from my stout and plan to pitch it onto my next stout in two weeks. First time I harvested too! Most likely did it not quite correctly, but I figure the worst that happens is it doesn't ferment and I just toss a packet of 04 on top. First time for everything I guess...hehe

While

if I make one beer with the same yeast and harvest, I should *theoretically* be able to just toss the house ale back on top "indefinately" correct? I have a brewer friend with a conical and he goes through like 20 gen's before starting afresh.