S-04

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GrapeKoolaid

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So i just brewed my First Chocolate Oatmeal Stout and pitched 1pkg of S-04 yeast. The brew started bubbling up at 12hrs and continued for 36hrs. Is this normal for a Stout The temperature has been stable around 72F and did not see much of a head. The OG was 1.070. I was going to wait about a little over a week to take another gravity reading, but was not sure if this is how this type of yeast works. Any help.
 
Sounds pretty typical for ALL yeasts. What has been your experience? There won't be much "head" for S04 either. It really only takes a few days to ferment....the rest is all about aging. I say wait 3 weeks then straight to bottle. No need to waste beer with gravity readings every few days.
 
I think at that gravity you probably under pitched a bit. 72F is pretty warm for that strain. You'll most likely get some esters from S-04 anywhere above 68F. It does ferment quickly, I use that strain pretty often and its not unusual for me to have krausen fall 48-72 hours after fermentation really gets rolling. Give it a week and take a gravity sample and then taste it after the reading. If it needs some cleanup time, let it bulk condition for a while.
 
I leave the specific gravity reader in the fermenter to I can open the lid and take readings at will. I will try cooling it a little to see I that helps. This is the first time I am using this yeast so I am in the dark.
 
Oh, I always ferment in primary for two weeks and then transfer to a secondary. I remix and then let sit and condition for another two weeks. Then bottle and let sit for at least 4 weeks. Plenty of time to condition and perfect tastes.
 
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