I haven't used this yeast a lot as I normally use wlp001 for my apa's and ipas but this beer I had a packet sitting round so I decided why not. Simple ipa at 6.3% and 67 ibus using 2 row, Vienna', c10 and carapils, columbus, cascade and simcoe and I'll b darn if this ain't one of the best beers not to mention clearest beers I've made, fermented between 63-68deg and I dumped in the whole kettle since my siphon was broke. 04 just chewed through it in like 24 hrs and just dropped. Taste is candied orange peel, lemon, pine and dankness with some light residual sweetness on the lips and it finished at 1.012 so that's either the c10 but I only used 8 oz or it's the fruity sweetness from the 04. Either way I may be moving this to my go to yeast. I mean I like 001 because it's so clean but 04 offers an interesting option. What would the liquid wlp or wyeast equivalent be, seems to me it resembles the wy1968 description a little. Also can you wash this yeast then approach it as a liquid strain and make starters with it.
S-04 I think I love you
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Natdavis777
Well-Known Member
I believe its the same as 1968, which I use as my house yeast as well. Makes hella good pale beers. I find it does as a little sweetness, so I compensate and mash a bit lower. I used it for the first time in my Zombie Dust Clone, and I can easily say its pretty darn close.
olotti
Well-Known Member
That's the only other time I used this was the zd clone but never havin had zd at that time I didn't know a lot about what taste the yeast may have on the beer. My latest beer that I mentioned def has that lingering sweetness/ fruitiness I think must come from the yeast as the grain bill is rather plain and the hops are not real tropical fruit hops either. The beer def has a fuller mouthfeel than if I'd used 001 and I really dig it.
AndytheBeave
Well-Known Member
you can absolutely harvest/reuse this and any other dried yeast. After it has finished making beer, it is no longer dried yeast!
Weezy
Well-Known Member
Kudos to you for getting gf the hype wagon and experimenting and enjoying! Yeast is so critical to the end product and finding one that imparts an effect you like is golden.
ColoHox
Compulsive Hand Washer
I think I am moving from US-05 to S-04 as my go-to. It just performs so well with so many different styles.
olotti
Well-Known Member
Yeah I hear Ya I used to use 05 a lot but stopped since I've had my washed batches of 001 and now 04 may b the yeast when I want something diff now that I can actually tell the different taste it imparts.
olotti
Well-Known Member
I don't brew enough to try out all kinds of yeast very frequently but this is really one of hose times where I found out the actual impact a particular strain can have on the final product and since I've been using mostly my washed 001 for apa's and ipas I can def taste the difference of the 04 in this beer. I like what it actually added to the beer as opposed to like 001 just being so clean, and there's a place for that too just depends on what one wants.
Natdavis777
Well-Known Member
I split my 10 gal batch of my American wheat with 1056 and 1968 to taste the difference side by side. Both from the same batch, both fermented at the same temps (low 60s). The 1056 was good no doubt, but my wife, my brewing buddy, and myself all preferred the 1968. There was only 2 points difference in FG (1056 @ 1.010, and 1968 @ 1.012) but the end flavor profile was starkly different.
I found that washing this yeast (being highly flocculant) I had the best results from swirling the carboy, and after a few minutes, carefully decant the suspended liquid (trub, since the yeast floccs so fast). I discarded the trub, repeated the process, and harvested the remainder of the carboy (netted me 6 pint jars that ended up with 70-80mL of compacted yeast).
I found that washing this yeast (being highly flocculant) I had the best results from swirling the carboy, and after a few minutes, carefully decant the suspended liquid (trub, since the yeast floccs so fast). I discarded the trub, repeated the process, and harvested the remainder of the carboy (netted me 6 pint jars that ended up with 70-80mL of compacted yeast).
olotti
Well-Known Member
One thing ive noticed is what a nice body this beer has using s-04, even at a 1.012 fg the beer has a great mouthfeel and that has to be the yeast I think. Which is amazing for a yeast that floccs and ferments so fast that it leaves whatever behind to fill out the beer.
So u swirl the carboy decant the hop gunk and trub then add water to the carboy swirl repeat until u get mostly yeast then u decant into jars? I usually just swirl, dump x amount into my erlinmeyer flask and add sterilized water then let it separate, and decant into my sterilized jars. Maybe that's why I get at least a little hop layer in my washed yeast.
Natdavis777
Well-Known Member
Havent tried it on beers that I dry hop. Just cleaner, low ABV beers. I didnt wash the ZD. For that beer, yes I had to use boiled and cooled water since I swirled and decanted the liquid after the first 5 min. Once I got all the liquid out, I added more boiled and cooled water, and washed as normal.
For 1056, or other lower floccing yeast, I just save a small amount of beer in the carboy and use that now to swirl the yeast into solution (I used to use water, but have had great results with less steps using residual beer opposed to boiling/cooling water, etc).
For 1056, or other lower floccing yeast, I just save a small amount of beer in the carboy and use that now to swirl the yeast into solution (I used to use water, but have had great results with less steps using residual beer opposed to boiling/cooling water, etc).
olotti
Well-Known Member
Gotcha. its crazy that one little pack can yield so much washed yeast after decanting off the other stuff. Amazing little machine. Lol. I usually leave a little beer in the fermenter, swirl to re suspend the yeast then decant but now I see your way and doing that I'll prob come up with cleaner yeast in the jars so I'll try that next time.
Natdavis777
Well-Known Member
This sticky is what converted me from using the boiled water method. I swear there used to be a different sticky that was at the top. Either way, Im still getting great yeast that I am able to use for a few generations, and produces great beer.
olotti
Well-Known Member
I did this method and got more gunk than yeast so I rewashed that batch the traditional way to clean it up. Not saying it doesn't work but it just didn't get me as clean of yield as when I did it the traditional way. I'm sure I did something wrong as that method looks tried and true also.
When in doubt S04 is what I say. If I need a bit dryer and cleaner I go US05 and for saisons the workhorse choice is French Saison.
But as you say, S04 ferments beyond beastly quick, plowing through the sugars. Then just does a mafia shoe style drop. Perfect. Only gotta watch that the temps don´t go to high as it is more prone to esters than US05. Those ususally are not desired.
Super easy and reliable house strain. It just works.
I am now about to see how I like Notty as a comparison, as I heard good things too.
But as you say, S04 ferments beyond beastly quick, plowing through the sugars. Then just does a mafia shoe style drop. Perfect. Only gotta watch that the temps don´t go to high as it is more prone to esters than US05. Those ususally are not desired.
Super easy and reliable house strain. It just works.
I am now about to see how I like Notty as a comparison, as I heard good things too.
