[rodwha]

What would any of you say this strain is ideal for? Figured I may as well wash it and save it before I look for a liquid strain. I'm mostly wanting to make an Old Speckled Hen, Samuel Smith's IPA and oatmeal stout, and an old ale and barleywine. Maybe a northern brown as well. Would S-04 be about ideal for any of these so that it would be easier to find a liquid for the rest?

[charles1968]

Classic English bitters and milds. It should work well for Old Speckled Hen and Sam Smith's IPA. Haven't tried it in the other styles you mentioned so can't say.

Some people seem to hate it but I think it's one of the best yeasts for creating an authentic real ale character. Knocks the socks off the Fullers strain, which is bland and characterless.

It does strip out a lot of hop flavour though.

[Joe Sr.]

I don't know about knocking the socks off the fillers strain. I just used S04 on two batches recently and I do think there's a bready flavor to them. They also don't want to clear.


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[RPIScotty]

1968 is bland and characterless?

WY1968 is my English yeast of choice so I'm biased. In fact, it's the only English liquid strain I use. If using dry I do either Windsor/Notty combo or S04.


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[BrewBama]

I really like S-04 in English Style Ales.

[ynotbrusum]

I preferWLP-002, but S-04 is a solid choice as a back up to it.

[erockrph]

I get that bready note from S04 as well, so I reserve it for darker styles like porters and brown ales, where it blends in just fine. I don't like it in paler beers like bitters, because I find the bready note to be distracting.

I don't get the comment about Fullers being bland, though. It is my preferred English ale strain because I think it has loads of character. WLP013 is another nice one.

[charles1968]

I don't know about knocking the socks off the fillers strain. I just used S04 on two batches recently and I do think there's a bready flavor to them. They also don't want to clear.


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The bready/yeasty flavour is how draft real ale normally tastes. Definitely not a clean kind of flavour. You might love it or hate it - personal preference.

[charles1968]

1968 is bland and characterless?

WY1968 is my English yeast of choice so I'm biased. In fact, it's the only English liquid strain I use. If using dry I do either Windsor/Notty combo or S04.


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I've never got much real ale character from the Fullers yeast, though it does clear well. London beers really aren't the UK's best, but then I'm biased too, being from the north of England.

I haven't tried Nottingham and Windsor together. I use Nottingham a lot and like it for clean, hop forward beers. It clears better than US-05 but it's a bit lagery for English bitter. Windsor is a lot better for character.

[PORTERHAUS]

This isn't my answer, but use the search and read up on S-04 in the forum. There are lot of threads about it and you might get more info that this single thread.

With that said, I'm in the S-04 camp. I like that yeast. I use it mostly for English styles, but I have used it in other beers too and it does well even in a Pale Ale. I find it's flavor clean, but not neutral if that makes sense. It has a bready note to it and sometimes just a slight tartness. I like it in English Bitters. I have use it in a Porters with good results too. If you use it, I like to mash higher because it likes to clear well but it's also more attentuative than most English yeasts.

It's one of those things you won't really know until you try it out. It's not a first pick for an all around yeast, but keep it for an English Bitter, a Porter...in a Brown Ale or Stout I can't say I have used it for. I like to keep it around 66*. It seems quite balanced at that temp. It can go lower but think that might accentuate the bready character, you go higher towards 70* or so and it can get a tart/tangy/fruitier character.