S-04 Yeast Cake Question

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I'd expect a little less attenuation, a more malty beer and a few more esters. I think S-04 would be a great yeast for an imperial stout. Throwing on the cake, I would also expect a pretty wild fermentation and I'd use a blowoff tube. Good luck.
 
I'd expect a little less attenuation, a more malty beer and a few more esters. I think S-04 would be a great yeast for an imperial stout. Throwing on the cake, I would also expect a pretty wild fermentation and I'd use a blowoff tube. Good luck.

should i try to compensate the maltiness with more hops?
 
Is there any particular reason you are choosing to pitch on the yeast cake of your previous batch? My advice would be to just go ahead and buy some S-05.
 
Yeah dry yeast is cheap, just buy a pack. If you use S-04, it's less attenuative than S-05, which is not something you really want on a beer that is going to have a high FG anyway.
 
I wouldn't adjust the hops much if at all. The profile will be a bit more malty but it won't make a malt bomb or anything. It will just not be a crisp. I don't think your final gravity will be all that far off using S-04 vs. US-05. Both list 75% or so for attenuation. I've gotten over 75% with both.
 
Don't know if 04 will handle that much alcohol. Why take a chance for a few bucks of yeast?

04 is an easy fast ferment but I have found I don't like the end product as much as 05 or a liquid English yeast.
 
Don't know if 04 will handle that much alcohol. Why take a chance for a few bucks of yeast?

04 is an easy fast ferment but I have found I don't like the end product as much as 05 or a liquid English yeast.

i wasn't worried about the cost... just trying to get something that will be able to survive...

do you suggest pitching 2 packets of S05?
 
Yeah dry yeast is cheap, just buy a pack. If you use S-04, it's less attenuative than S-05, which is not something you really want on a beer that is going to have a high FG anyway.

Wort production has more to do with attenuation that the yeast strain does

WAY more.

FWIW a cake of yeast from a previous batch is better than throwing extra packs at a big beer
 
Wort production has more to do with attenuation that the yeast strain does

WAY more.

FWIW a cake of yeast from a previous batch is better than throwing extra packs at a big beer

+1. Use the cake and watch your mash temps carefully. I suggest either mashing at 148 or doing a step or double infusion at 145 and 155. I also would not suggest adding O2 or even too much aeration to the wort (cake + big beer + too much 02 = giant blowoff).
 
I use S04 often- it's not much less attenuative than S05, and at cool temperatures it doesn't generate much in the way of esters. It clears the beer well, leaving a clearer beer than S05.

I just checked my records- I get an average of 73% attenuation with S04, and 70% with SO5, depending on the recipe. I'd just the S04.
 
I think the perceived lack of attenuation with S-04 (for that matter all British yeasts) is the heavy hand generally used with Crystal malt for Bitters, Pale Ales, IPA's and other "British" recipes.

I did a split batch of Porter recently, here are the results:

Brewed a 1.050 Porter on 7/17/2010

It was a 12 gallon batch that was split into two fermenters, aerated the same and fermented at the same temps (both in a large swamp cooler) only difference was the yeast.

Both got equal amounts 175ml of thick slurry and both were First Gen used just one time in similar gravity beers.

The US-05 batch
FG 1.014

Wyeast 1968 batch
FG 1.014

OK, so what?

Well, I hear that US-05 "dries stuff out too much" etc.
Wort production has more to do with the attenuation of a beer than anything else.

New World Porter (coined by El Presidente due to the hops AND yeasts, well done Brian)

70.5 15.50 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.038 3
5.7 1.25 lbs. Amber Malt France 1.032 35
2.3 0.50 lbs. Brown Malt Great Britain 1.032 70
6.8 1.50 lbs. Special Roast Malt Belgium 1.033 40
9.1 2.00 lbs. Crystal 45L Great Britain 1.034 45
4.5 1.00 lbs. Black Malt Great Britain 1.027 525
1.1 0.25 lbs. Carafa III Germany 1.030 600

1.00 oz. Columbus 60 min.
0.50 oz. Pilgrim 10 min.
 
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