Safale S-33 Experience

[jmd1971]

Yeah, 2 packs seems excessive for a 2.5 gallon pale ale (1.040-1.050) range)? Best thin is to take a gravity reading in a few days. Only way to tell whether it just finished quick or crapped out early...

 

[wg_one]

Yeah, 2 packs seems excessive for a 2.5 gallon pale ale (1.040-1.050) range)? Best thin is to take a gravity reading in a few days. Only way to tell whether it just finished quick or crapped out early...

I've read much here and elsewhere about pitching "plenty of yeast". I've been brewing 2.5 gallon batches lately, and pitching typically 2 packets of dry yeast. I like pitching this much because I know I'll get enough active yeast to out-compete any infection, and I like to see ferm start quickly. I've got other kinks in my process I'm trying to work out right now too, over-priming for instance. I honestly don't know if I'm "beer geek" enough (yet) to say that I would be able to tell the difference between beer that was over pitched, under pitched, or pitched just right.

 

[sweetcell]

needs more s-33

quite the opposite, the OP way over-pitched. fermentation finished so quickly because there was no need for a growth phase.

 

[ubenumber2]

I just brewed my first batch in 4 years and used a pack and a half of this stuff in a 5 gallon batch , did a partial mash and made a belgiumish beer I would call it. Made a quick starter for the yeast , pitched and fermented at 65f for a two days, this stuff went nuts , most active fermentation I have ever had, then slowly worked it up to 72 by day 8 , it went from 1.069 to 1.016 which is what my calculations worked it out to be , I tasted today while checking the sg and will have to say I was pleased with the flavor , cant wait for this stuff to get in the bottle and sit for a few weeks , I will check again in a couple of days , then drop the temp down to 45 for 5 days , then bottle, hopefully

 

[Mike37]

I've used s33 a few times so far and I've been really happy with it. I made a 100% white wheat beer with low IBUs and stressed s33. I get a hint of green apple when I swirl up and pour the sediment. If I don't pour the sediment, the beer is seriously crystal clear and I get no green apple.

I stressed the yeast by pitching warm and I kept the fermenter warm (~75) for the first day or two. The beers where I didn't stress the s33 ended up impressively clean. I like it.

 

[sweetcell]

I stressed the yeast by pitching warm and I kept the fermenter warm (~75) for the first day or two. The beers where I didn't stress the s33 ended up impressively clean. I like it.

slightly OT, but you're using the wrong term here. pitching warm does not stress the yeast. you are correct in as much as it impacts flavor, by causing the yeast to throw off more esters and fusel alcohols. at lower temps the yeast produce less of these compounds, which have very noticeable tastes, hence the cleaner flavor. heat doesn't stress the yeast, in fact it makes life easier for them. all those flavors are due to the yeast partying too much!

stressing the yeast =
- under-pitching so the yeast has to work hard to reproduce sufficiently,
- pitching into a high alcohol environment,
- pitching into a low-nutrient environment,
- etc

 

[Mike37]

Sorry for the misuse of that and thanks for the clarification. Never thought they actually liked the high temps!

 

[NewBrewB]

Pitched a pack of this on a 5gal Holiday Ale (killed my planned yeast by assuming the beer was already cool enough....R.I.P. Yeasties). Should be interesting to see how this turns out. Active fermentation after about 8 hrs at 68 degrees. Had not planned on the belgian flavor profile on a Holiday beer but if it works, I plan to dub this Dark Contract Holiday Ale.

 

[ubenumber2]

Has anyone washed this yeast? I have 4 jars in the fridge and I am going to try and make an IPA after washing it off of a belgium dubbel , kind of wondering if anyone has had any luck with a second generation of this yeast or if Im wasting my time

 

[Obliviousbrew]

I really hate s-33

Edit: I just noticed that this is my post #666

 

[Denny]

i really hate s-33

+1.060

 

[Obliviousbrew]

That and s-23 made the worst two beers that I´ve ever made. I almost give up on fermentis because of those two but found out that US-05 works pretty good for me

 

[Denny]

That and s-23 made the worst two beers that I´ve ever made. I almost give up on fermentis because of those two but found out that US-05 works pretty good for me

S-23 is the only yeast I've ever found that I like less than S-33.

 

[Ogri]

I'm drinking a witbier with yuzu and Ginger concentrate additions that I fermented with s-33, at about 74-76f. Four weeks in primary and it's only been in the bottle for 10 days so far but really good carbonation, great head retention and I'm really enjoying the flavours and aromas

There's definitely a hint of banana, some spice from the Ginger plus a little citrus from the yuzu and the hopping is just right. Will definitely brew again with s-33 but am also keen to give t-58 a try, too.

 

[ao125]

I brewed a Belgian Pale Ale OG 1056 on saturday. pitched at 68f.
Sunday morning krauzen was up 71F. Today (monday) i come home from work to a fallen krauzen and i can detect some sulfur / rotten eggs going on. Anyone come across sulfur notes during fermentation on s-33 ?

I made a cider out of S-33, and it had almost undrinkable levels of sulfur that never went away.

 

[froghat]

I made a Belgian strong with s33 using maple sap as my strike water. Primaried for a month and force carbed over a couple of weeks. Then I poured a pint of cloudy sickly sweet bananay bs. Next I complained to my wife how bad a beer I made and how I felt like I wasted 10 gallons of maple sap. I brought a couple of growlers to a party to trick people into helping empty the keg and got quite a few complements that I wasn't expecting from beer drinking types. Now I wish I had those couple of gallons back to bottle age. The moral is s33 needs the secret ingredient of time to not taste like sweet rotten banana swill.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Little necro-threadopoly...

I was reading this thinking how many people had problems with this strain as a result of under pitching?

I just made a beer and double pitched rehydrated S-33.

I checked my pitching rate with Mr malty... I think I'm good. Said I need 1.3 packs at 1.075.

I pitched two so I'm good up to 1.123

I'm getting a lot of banana ester or smells from the air lock.... LOL



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=580212

http://mrmalty.com/yeast-tools.php

 

[z-bob]

I'm about to use S-33 in a malt gingerale, where a little under-attenuation will be a good thing.

I have used its cousin T-58 a few times; in a modest-gravity wheat beer it was awesome. In a high-gravity beer it was a disaster (the finished beer tasted sweeter than the wort that I started with, even tho' the gravity had dropped to 1.020) Maybe S-33 should be used in low gravity British beers for best effect, even if it does have a high alcohol tolerance.

 

[William656]

Brewed a 10 gallon batch of a Saison and pitched 5 gallons with T-58 and the other 5 gallons with S-33.

14lbs Castle Pilsner
1lb White Wheat
1lb Acid Malt
3lbs Munich
1lb Carafoam
3lbs Beet Sugar

Mashed at 148 degF for 3 hours (went shopping). 74% efficientcy. Boiled for 90 mins.

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AoNJ9IUbtwrbiC2XVS2ap5jEZKrv

OG 1.060

3oz Tradition for 60 mins (4.4%)
1oz Hallertauer for 20 mins (1.6%)
Irish moss, 11 grams bitter orange peel, and 10 grams coriander seed for 10 mins
1oz Hallertauer for 5 mins (1.6%)

Chilled to 70 degF with counterflow circulating ice water. Rehydrated both yeasts in boiled and chilled water. Used one sachet each. 11.5 grams. Pitched and aerate by shaking the plastic buckets I used. Set the fermentation chamber at 68 degF and let it ferment for one week until today. Fermentation was rocking like crazy when I first checked 12 hours later on both strains.

As of today:

T-58 was at 1.008

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AoNJ9IUbtwrbiGQrddg0KqzsgpSm

and S-33 was down to 1.010.

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AoNJ9IUbtwrbiGgeaRCinlfm3tRn

T-58 had a delicious, well balanced spicy, clove, fruity flavor with apricots and slight bubblegum that worked very well.

EDIT: Forgot to mention this really pleasant MILD tartness this yeast brought out. I didn't put much acid malt in the mash and it's subtle, but wonderful.

S-33 also tasted very delicious. More fruity with stone fruits and very light spicing. Both very pale and still super cloudy. Very effervescent. Ramped temp up to 72degF.

EDIT: No impression of tartness.

I think they are both going to turn out very well. These aren't over the top Belgian flavors, but I also kept the temp at 68. The T-58 had quite a bit more of that bubble gum/clove with very slight banana which I thought was very good, just the right amount. The S-33 was fruitier and had less Belgian character. Very subtle, but there. I really liked it too.

FWIW, I've been brewing for 16 years and mostly relied on liquid cultures. I live in a place that's really remote and gets wicked hot in the summer so shipping liquid cultures won't work. Really playing around with the dry yeast just to see if they are viable options. I'm surprised there are so many nay sayers regarding the S-33, but for me, I think this beer will be very good and so far, I would not hesitate to use it again. It would probably also work real well in a Golden Strong.

 

[brewbama]

I am also using dry yeasts. I look forward to seeing your finished beers and reading your tasting notes.

 

[Schlenkerla]

....

FWIW, I've been brewing for 16 years and mostly relied on liquid cultures. I live in a place that's really remote and gets wicked hot in the summer so shipping liquid cultures won't work. Really playing around with the dry yeast just to see if they are viable options. I'm surprised there are so many nay sayers regarding the S-33, but for me, I think this beer will be very good and so far, I would not hesitate to use it again. It would probably also work real well in a Golden Strong.

Yeah, I think the naysayers are probably under-pitching if they have problems. Just because a yeast mfgr says its good for high gravity doesn't mean you can under pitch (unless that's your plan). I say that because pretty much wherever I looked internet wise people who under pitch on big beers think their ferment is stuck (1.025) and that this yeast sucks. When it's not understood how to use this yeast.



I did a the 1.075 beer with two packs and it cranked down to 1.010. It tastes good and now its aging on oak wood chips. Time to rack it off the chips and keg/bottle.