Safale 04 Issues

[GraceManor]

First post from a very frequent visitor, thank you in advance for your help.

I seem to be having issues with safale 04, since I moved around 6 months ago, both beers I have fermented with this yeast have stopped too early. They ended up with plausible FGs in the high teens, but upon adding a relatively low amount of priming sugar (3.5oz) I have been left with overcarbed gushers. Beers have been mashed in the low 150s, around 1.050 OG, fermented at 66-68F for 4-5 weeks. I have used safale 05, BRY-97, several liquid wyeasts (with starters) and have never had a problem, (despite maybe the fact that my beers usually finish lower than hopville expects).

I currently have a porter that has been fermenting with s04 for 6 weeks in the primary that will not drop below 1.020. I tried stirring up the yeast and warming the fermenter but it will not drop further. OG was 1.051. I am worried I will bottle this and have undrinkable gushers again.

Would any of you suggest maybe adding another yeast and waiting another week or so? I am contemplating just bottling with 2oz or so of sugar.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

I've made gushers once due to poor mixing of priming sugar, but never seen that issue with S-04, and I have used it for a few beers. I wouldn't expect the yeast to be at fault here.

How did aerate, and possibly more importantly, hydrate the yeast? Dry yeast can be fairly finicky. Here are some cell counts showing the results of different hydration methods:
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2013/02/rehydrating-safbrew-yeast.html

 

[Grantman1]

As I looked through your post, you already covered nearly everything I could immediately think of in terms of possible causes, so I'm gonna chalk this up as being due to the fact that I hate S04.

Sorry - I know that doesn't help, but I had to!

 

[GraceManor]

Yea, my reason for finally making an account and posting is that after frequent searching I could not find a thread that answered my question. I like the yeast and my beers taste fine albeit flat and yeasty when I pour the foam into a pitcher and let it settle.

As for hydration, I re-hydrate my yeast in a small cup with pre boiled 70 degree water. I ruled out this and some other variables because I rehydrate all my dry yeasts the same way and have only had a problem with this one. I will just quit using it but I would like to salvage the batch of wheat porter that is tasting very good right now.

 

[Wynne-R]

I wonder if you could feed it a half cup of sugar, as if you were priming, then wait for it to calm down and bottle normally.

I have done this accidently, When I thought I was ready to bottle and for whatever reason, I wasn’t. It seems to dry it out.

Wait for it eat up the priming sugar, a week or so, and then prime again and bottle.

Just a guess. I use SO-4 all the time, but I make 1.060 beer and bottle after about two weeks. Big beers can be ornery.

Good luck, let us know.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

Perhaps the OP isn't waiting long enough between consecutive gravity readings? See here:
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/11/when-has-my-beer-finished-fermenting.html

 

[GraceManor]

Perhaps the OP isn't waiting long enough between consecutive gravity readings? See here:
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/11/when-has-my-beer-finished-fermenting.html

Unfortunately this is not the case. The beer has been in primary for 6 weeks and the gravity readings have been checked every weekend.

I may attempt to throw some corn sugar in the and see what happens, and bottle next week with a high chance of overcarbination or too low if I reduce the priming sugar. Oh well just a simple porter, I would be more frustrated if it was an ipa with 12oz of boutique hops.

 

[high5apparatus]

I just bottled an all Amarillo IPA that used Safale 04. OG 1.063. The estimated FG was 1.018 and I got 1.016. I've never had a problem with 04 finishing. For my Amarillo I pitched the dry yeast and; 1 week for active fermentation, 1 week "swirling" (that's where I gently spin the carboy in the dairy case that holds it to re-suspend yeast that has settled 2x a day), 2 weeks settling, then bottled. I didn't take any readings through the process.

I've seen several posts on here about "stuck" fermentation, and my best response is to give it a swirl.

 

[TriggerFingers]

Not a big fan of S-04 myself......for that reason.....it always just putters out when I use it (but others love it)......

If you want to repitch a yeast, you need to make a really big starter (maybe try WL 007 Dry English?)...If you want to make it a Belgian, try Wyeast 3711.....it always finishes sub 1.010 for me and I have heard it is a go to for stuck fermentations.

 

[Ostomo517]

I was begining to wonder I was the only one with this problem, with 5 gallon batches I always use White Labs but with 1 and 2 gallon experiments I use 04 & 05 last few have stopped short pretty bad, probably just stop using them altogether