I need style suggestions for a fast turn around beer

[Brew2Be]

Hi HBT'ers! I am in a bit of a pinch.. I would like to have some brew ready for new years eve and I am unsure of which style/yeast I should go with.

I have two yeast strains, safale s-04 and safale US-05.

I read everywhere that 05 is a terrible flocculator, so I assume that yeast is out of the question. That leaves the 04 which I know is a beast.

I originally wanted to do an American amber ale, but I looked the style up in a yeast strain / beer style comparison chart and it seemed the 05 was the most fitting yeast for that style, so I will do that one for later.

Would a SMaSH brew with MO, centennial and S-04 be ready to drink on new years eve? Or is there another, better path to head down when looking for a fast-turn-around-brew?

Thanks

 

[MachineShopBrewing]

You can use the S-04 on an amber just fine. Most of the commercial ambers out there were probably fermented with an English strain.

Are you bottling or kegging?

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

How hoppy / bitter of a SMaSH? When I need something fast, I go with significant bitter/flavor/aroma. This covers up some of the other flavors you can't age out. A american IPA, something with a lot of citrus.

My experience with MO, it takes a few weeks of aging before it really starts tasting clean. Others can chime in, but I think domestic 2-row will get there faster.

I haven't had problems with S05 flocculating, but you can use irish moss and post-fermentation fining agents if you want (I also dont give 2 shats if my beer is cloudy, but some yeasts are pretty strong tasting)

Either way, 2 weeks in the fermenter, 2 weeks in a keg (if you are kegging) to slowly carbonate. Let it sit in a cold keg for 2 weeks without disturbing. The first pull might be pretty yeasty, but after that it should clean up.

If you are bottling, that makes is harder.

 

[NervousDad]

Wlp090 super yeast In a light pale ale would be perfect.

 

[Brew2Be]

You can use the S-04 on an amber just fine. Most of the commercial ambers out there were probably fermented with an English strain.

Are you bottling or kegging?

I'm bottling.. That seems to be the main problem.

 

[Brew2Be]

How hoppy / bitter of a SMaSH? When I need something fast, I go with significant bitter/flavor/aroma. This covers up some of the other flavors you can't age out. A american IPA, something with a lot of citrus.

My experience with MO, it takes a few weeks of aging before it really starts tasting clean. Others can chime in, but I think domestic 2-row will get there faster.

I haven't had problems with S05 flocculating, but you can use irish moss and post-fermentation fining agents if you want (I also dont give 2 shats if my beer is cloudy, but some yeasts are pretty strong tasting)

Either way, 2 weeks in the fermenter, 2 weeks in a keg (if you are kegging) to slowly carbonate. Let it sit in a cold keg for 2 weeks without disturbing. The first pull might be pretty yeasty, but after that it should clean up.

If you are bottling, that makes is harder.

As the SMaSH sits now, O.G: 1.051 with 53 IBU's. I'm bottling.. Seems like a challenge to do.

 

[MachineShopBrewing]

Don't worry about the bottle carb if you can get them into a warm location, preferably controlled. I bottle condition all of my big/vintage type beers like imperial stouts and Belgians. I never have trouble carbing them up in a week or so holding them at 75F.

I would make something like an English bitter around 1.040-45 OG MO, maybe a touch of crystal. Bitter it up to around 35-40 IBU with whatever hop you like. A beer like that will be done fermenting easily in 5-7 days and ready to bottle around day 10 using s-04. Just make sure you are driving the fermentation. I like to pitch cooler around 65F and let it ride for about two days and then ramp it up to 70 a degree per day or so. By day seven you are at 70F and hold for two more days. YMMV.

This covers up some of the other flavors you can't age out.

The trick is to not make those flavors in the first place and you don't have to age them out. Trying to cover up off flavors with something else is usually not the best course of action.

 

[pernox]

In four weeks you could have a very tasty mild fermented, bottle conditioned, crystal clear, and in its prime.

I would recommend the 04, personally. While 05 will drop clear, the 04 will do it faster and form a harder yeast cake in your bottles in your time frame. Also worth repeating from above is that you have no time to age out off flavors. You'll want to be very careful with fermentation temp.

 

[dlester]

You can do a quick two week beer. I've done this before and it was fine.

Keep the OG low, say 1.04 and low IBU, say 15-20 +/-. Make a starter or use a two to three smack packs, dry yeast etc and aerate for a quick fermentation. You will have to use a keg. Cold crash the beer at 28F for a few days prior to kegging. You can try bottling, but add an additional week. Keep the bottles warm. When it is done carbonating with added sugar and yeast, cold crash at 28F. It should only take two weeks and taste fine. If you make it at a higher OG or IBU, it will take longer to complete.