Ideal Beers For S-04

[rodwha]

I've been trying to make an ESB that's similar to Old Speckled Hen (my favorite by far). But I quit using liquid strains as I was going to move, and so began using dry yeasts.

But my ESBs always have this peculiar unsweetened tea-like quality. Certainly not what I'm after.

So what beers is this well suited to making? I've washed some and saved it and would like to find a good yeast that will create the styles is like that S-04 won't do, though I think I'd prefer an ideal yeast to make my ESB.

The other styles I'd like to make are stout, mild, northern brown, barleywine, and IPA.

 

[brewbama]

IMHO: porters/stouts/browns

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

any English style, I use it a lot, mainly because its high flocculating and 05 isn't, you do need to rouse it sometimes gently around day 5

 

[Kiknjville]

I made a blonde ale with it. It tastes like hawaiian punch. Lesson learned.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I made a blonde ale with it. It tastes like hawaiian punch. Lesson learned.

yes that is, its not for blonde's

 

[rodwha]

A stout is precisely what I figured it would be good for. Roasty grains would probably meld well with it.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

Nottingham is a good alternative but keep the temp low, like a strict 60

 

[mongoose33]

I've been brewing ESBs with it, using this recipe:

8 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 65.4 %
3 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 26.9 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.7 %
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 27.6 IBUs
2.00 oz Goldings, B.C. [5.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 5 6.5 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) [23.66 ml] Yeast 6 -

It's a little heavy, and I'm tweaking it a bit--dropped a pound from the fermentables, mashed a little lower temp.

But it's delicious--and S-04 makes it pretty easy to ferment. Takes off fast, done in 3-5 days depending on temp.

 

[rodwha]

My latest, which isn't too dissimilar from previous brews other than the hop schedule, has been (5.25 gals):

6.5 lbs MO
1 lb British crystal 70
1 lb Lyle's Golden Syrup (FO)
1/2 lb carafoam
0.75 oz Challenger/0.5 oz EKG @ 70 mins
0.75 oz EKG/0.25 oz Challenger @ 21 mins
1 oz EKG @ 7 mins
S-04

1.052/1.013
5.1%
47 IBUs
11 SRM

I changed the setting on my chamber to 67* from 64*.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

S-04 is suited to a wide variety of broadly English beers.

Public service announcement: Do not, under any circumstances, ferment it above about 70 F.

 

[aprichman]

Nothing

 

[dwhite60]

S-04 has become my favorite yeast. I make a LOT of stouts and porters. Made a ESB with it a few months ago that turned out well. It flocculates like crazy. Leaves a fairly solid mass in the bottom of my bottles which is not easily disturbed.

It's good stuff.

All the best,
D. White

 

[Dixon9717]

I us US-04 in a Blue Moon clone that always turns out fantastic.

 

[rodwha]

I'm going to have to try it in a stout or porter. I don't care much for it in an ESB though.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

I predominantly use 04 in citrusy ipas. It's one of my favorites.

 

[blizz81]

I changed the setting on my chamber to 67* from 64*.

If I use it anymore, I set my chamber at 60*F. How do you have your probe oriented? I used to leave mine hanging in the freezer...S-04 was the yeast that led to me bungee'ing it against the side of my FV.

 

[rodwha]

I used a piece of packaging foam and cut out a small bit to accommodate the probe and wire and taped a sliver of foam over the wire so only the probe is open. I use a piece of elastic that I tied so as to make like a big rubber band to attach to the fermenter.

 

[mongoose33]

I'm going to have to try it in a stout or porter. I don't care much for it in an ESB though.

This is an example of how one almost has to try it to find out.

I use S-04 in my ESBs and I think it's great.

That doesn't make you wrong or me right, just that our tastes are such that specific things work for us while others do not.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

I used it in an ESB and its probably one of my favorite ESB's I've had. But, in my experience, which is very limited, I've found you definitely have to let 04 age out.

When I first made the ESB I feared it may have been a dumper because it was thick as all get out and sticky sweet. After a few weeks in the bottle it thinned out a bit and the flavor is primo (in my opinion of course). Think it fermented at around 67ish

 

[rodwha]

I'd actually like to see the recipes from you who have made ESBs and like them.

Mine tastes something like unsweetened tea. It's not bad really, but very far from what I've been after.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

I made very close variance to this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=29740 but used some different hops but basically same ibu's