S-04 Yeast is a BEAST

[JCB]

Just thought I'd post this in case anyone had the same question that I had a few days ago... Safale 04 took my 1.100 Barleywine down to 1.026 in two days. I couldn't find too much info on if it would be able to handle this big of a beer. It's still chugin along, just wanted to let everyone know

 

[nilo]

S04 is my favorite, a hungry beast indeed!
Also, it is amazing how fast it floculates and drops completely leaving a very clear beer.

 

[Revvy]

Wow, never would have thought it could handle that. Good to know in the future to do a true English style barleywine.

Did you just use one packet?

 

[fatguy-littlecoat]

i just used 2 packets of s-04 on an orange/coriander pale ale...1064 to 1012 in 2 days.. its started fermenting 4 hours after pitching (i didnt rehydrate)

 

[ErieShores]

I'm using it right now in a blondie I brewed last Wednesday. Aggressive airlock activity in about five hours but one of the worst sulfur smells I have ever experienced.

 

[JCB]

I used 2, which was overpitching by a little

 

[rod251]

I currently have a cream stout and a Scottish ale fermenting, both with S-04. This is my first time with this yeast, and I was wondering if the speed at which this strain reaches FG would also mean a faster time conditioning in primary. In other words, would two weeks in primary with S-04 be almost the same as 3-4 weeks in primary with other strains? I know patience is a virtue when it comes to brewing and that a month won't hurt, but I was wondering if anyone has experience with quick bottling/kegging using this yeast.

 

[WVbrewer]

What sort of fermentables were you using on this barley wine? I brewed an all malt english barley wine with an OG of 1.095, pitched 200ml slurry of s-04, and it chugged for 9 straight days, getting down to 1.028 @ 63f. 1.100-1.026 in 2 days?? At what temp were you fermenting?

 

[FatherJack]

I had an extract stout in the primary for 10 days with S-04 and I decided to bottle it.

I tasted it a week later and it had no green beer taste, just awesome fresh hop aroma and nice stout taste.

 

[rod251]

I had an extract stout in the primary for 10 days with S-04 and I decided to bottle it.

I tasted it a week later and it had no green beer taste, just awesome fresh hop aroma and nice stout taste.

Cool. I just checked my gravities, and after 12 days the stout is down from 1.063 to 1.026. After 11 days the scottish ale is down from 1.054 to 1.010. The stout has 14 ounces of lactose in it, and I expected the FG to be around 1.023. I'll give them both a few days, check again, then bottle. I'm going to give some out at Christmas and I wanted them to have 2-3 weeks to bottle condition. I'm going to suggest that they be aged for an additional 2-3 weeks before chilling and serving. BTW, both samples tasted great.

Sorry to thread hijack, but I thought this was kind of on topic with the S-04 being a fermenting beast.

 

[JCB]

What sort of fermentables were you using on this barley wine? I brewed an all malt english barley wine with an OG of 1.095, pitched 200ml slurry of s-04, and it chugged for 9 straight days, getting down to 1.028 @ 63f. 1.100-1.026 in 2 days?? At what temp were you fermenting?

20 lbs 2 row
2 lbs crystal 75

mashed at 149 fermented at 68

 

[JonK331]

I currently have a cream stout and a Scottish ale fermenting, both with S-04. This is my first time with this yeast, and I was wondering if the speed at which this strain reaches FG would also mean a faster time conditioning in primary. In other words, would two weeks in primary with S-04 be almost the same as 3-4 weeks in primary with other strains? I know patience is a virtue when it comes to brewing and that a month won't hurt, but I was wondering if anyone has experience with quick bottling/kegging using this yeast.

I tend to think so. SO-4 is the fastest working yeast I have ever used. I would not hesitate to keg after two weeks, I usually let it go 3 though.

 

[FatherJack]

Does anyone notice that the sentiment also compacts much more firmly with S-04? When I cleaned my bucket after my last batch, I literally had rocks in the bottom of my bucket and it took a good 5 minute blasting to rinse it all out of the tub.

 

[JCB]

Does anyone notice that the sentiment also compacts much more firmly with S-04? When I cleaned my bucket after my last batch, I literally had rocks in the bottom of my bucket and it took a good 5 minute blasting to rinse it all out of the tub.

haven't noticed it yet, but have heard all about it and am looking foward to it!

 

[chase]

I used it in my RIS (OG=1.103), and it took it down to 1.025 in 6 days. I didn't rehydrate either.

 

[FatherJack]

hm...

meant to type sediment.

Sentimental yeast would be interesting though.

 

[JonK331]

Does anyone notice that the sentiment also compacts much more firmly with S-04? When I cleaned my bucket after my last batch, I literally had rocks in the bottom of my bucket and it took a good 5 minute blasting to rinse it all out of the tub.

Yup.

 

[JCB]

hm...

meant to type sediment.

Sentimental yeast would be interesting though.

haha... i get a little sentimental about dumping my yeast sometimes

 

[RukusDM]

Does anyone notice that the sentiment also compacts much more firmly with S-04? When I cleaned my bucket after my last batch, I literally had rocks in the bottom of my bucket and it took a good 5 minute blasting to rinse it all out of the tub.

So far this is my favorite yeast. Every time I've used it, it will be boiling like mad, and then it seems to run out of fermentables and drops like a rock to the bottom.

So far of all the yeasts I've tried, this one produces the clearest beer or cider that I've done.

I've also tried the S-05, and that one just doesn't want to clean up as well as the S-04, even after cold crashing.

 

[JonK331]

I'm fermenting an imperial maple nut brown with it right now and it's 10 degrees above ambient at 72F. I guess I should've used the swamp cooler even with the cold weather. It'll be okay though.

 

[rayg]

I get such a kick out of these posts...maybe because they're cute
or something.

Why do you want your yeast to be a "beast" and finish a 1.100 gravity
beer in 2 days? Every 18F increase in temperature basically doubles the
reaction rate of most organic chemical reactions, including what's going
on in yeast. It also means more undesirable by-products are created.
I would expect a 1.050 gravity beer to finish primary fermentation in
3 days, perhaps 4, but at a controlled temp in the low 60's. If you started
that beer at 68, there is so much fuel the internal temp probably went
way over 75 (just a runaway reaction).

I see now why so many people need to age their beers for so long; you
need that time for the yeast to slowly digest all the crap they produced.

Ray

 

[JonK331]

I get such a kick out of these posts...maybe because they're cute
or something.

Why do you want your yeast to be a "beast" and finish a 1.100 gravity
beer in 2 days? Every 18F increase in temperature basically doubles the
reaction rate of most organic chemical reactions, including what's going
on in yeast. It also means more undesirable by-products are created.
I would expect a 1.050 gravity beer to finish primary fermentation in
3 days, perhaps 4, but at a controlled temp in the low 60's. If you started
that beer at 68, there is so much fuel the internal temp probably went
way over 75 (just a runaway reaction).

I see now why so many people need to age their beers for so long; you
need that time for the yeast to slowly digest all the crap they produced.

Ray

Yeah I was pretty suprised today that my fermenting wort was ten degrees higher than ambient, I suppose I'd prefer it to be a bit less of a beast and stay cooler. Oh well, I still love the stuff.