[Fire Rooster]

The first thing that makes this yeast a bit different is it's very thick peanut butter like viscosity. I had to scrape it out of the fermenter bottom, as it would not drain through the yeast dump port. Never seen yeast this thick before.

Nottingham's temp range is 50-72, yeast cake is more tightly packed than S-04.

[Bel Air Brewing]

I like this yeast very much, and will do another brew with it, but replicating my Fest Bier recipe (https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=35649.0), but will simplify the grain bill and employ Cascade hops.

American Amber Ale is the goal. Yes, S-04 is a British yeast, but it is clean, i.e., not overly fruity, and should do a nice job. This will not be an IPA, as we don't do those in my brewery.

Stand by for a full report and analysis.

[dmtaylor]

I like this yeast, and will brew up a nice Ale with it. Not an IPA, just a nice ale using Pils malt and Cascade hops.

No dry hopping allowed. This will be similar to a Euro-Pils, but with S-04 yeast, and great hops. Will ferment a bit warmer, say around 60 degrees.

Sounds similar to what I've just done.  Yesterday I brewed a batch aiming for an Australian Sparkling Ale, actually I think it will be somewhere between that and a British Golden Ale (a.k.a. Summer Ale).  Simple recipe of half American Pale malt, half Maris Otter, with very small additions of wheat malt and honey malt.  It was a long 2-hour mash at an average 149 F.  Cascade and Calypso hops, 60-minute boil additions only, nothing late.  Pitched S-04 at 73 F, it since fell to 69 F and is hanging out there while I wait for activity.  I purposely intend to ferment this one in the low 70s just to see what happens.  The wort tasted very bitter and reminded me of breakfast cereal, like Lucky Charms but without the sweetness or marshmallows.  High hopes.  IF I remember I will try to keep ya'll posted.

Okay, here's a brief update.  Took 4 days at 69 F to go from 1.044 to 1.009, for 80% apparent attenuation.  I find S-04 is very neutral, and allows both the malt and the hops to shine through. I say this immediately after sampling this and one other homebrew with it.  My old Scottish ale is malty as expected. The Aussie/British golden ale described above is lightly fruity in a non-descript way, with crackery malt and an herbal hop punch.

S-04 is super neutral.  I would use S-04 essentially interchangeably with US-05, WLP001, 1056, or Nottingham -- I'd use whatever is cheapest or most easily available.  Not bready or objectionable in any way, shape, or form.  Indeed, kind of boring, really.

[Bel Air Brewing]

I like this yeast, and will brew up a nice Ale with it. Not an IPA, just a nice ale using Pils malt and Cascade hops.

No dry hopping allowed. This will be similar to a Euro-Pils, but with S-04 yeast, and great hops. Will ferment a bit warmer, say around 60 degrees.

Sounds similar to what I've just done.  Yesterday I brewed a batch aiming for an Australian Sparkling Ale, actually I think it will be somewhere between that and a British Golden Ale (a.k.a. Summer Ale).  Simple recipe of half American Pale malt, half Maris Otter, with very small additions of wheat malt and honey malt.  It was a long 2-hour mash at an average 149 F.  Cascade and Calypso hops, 60-minute boil additions only, nothing late.  Pitched S-04 at 73 F, it since fell to 69 F and is hanging out there while I wait for activity.  I purposely intend to ferment this one in the low 70s just to see what happens.  The wort tasted very bitter and reminded me of breakfast cereal, like Lucky Charms but without the sweetness or marshmallows.  High hopes.  IF I remember I will try to keep ya'll posted.

Okay, here's a brief update.  Took 4 days at 69 F to go from 1.044 to 1.009, for 80% apparent attenuation.  I find S-04 is very neutral, and allows both the malt and the hops to shine through. I say this immediately after sampling this and one other homebrew with it.  My old Scottish ale is malty as expected. The Aussie/British golden ale described above is lightly fruity in a non-descript way, with crackery malt and an herbal hop punch.

S-04 is super neutral.  I would use S-04 essentially interchangeably with US-05, WLP001, 1056, or Nottingham -- I'd use whatever is cheapest or most easily available.  Not bready or objectionable in any way, shape, or form.  Indeed, kind of boring, really.

Thanks for the input.
Brewed up a Fest Bier variant yesterday, with Cascade Hops and S-04.
The ferment activity took off quickly, much like a nuclear explosion. 2nd gen yeast.
The ambient temp is 64-68 degrees F.
It is in a spare bedroom upstairs, heat shut off. It’s the only place that has a constant temp in the range that works best.

[Bel Air Brewing]

Here is a phenom, never before witnessed in 3 decades of brewing.

A blow off tube is installed, terminating in a quart jar of water.

The bubbles are not one every 2, 3, or even 4 seconds. The bubbles are non-stop, in a continuous stream. Like a Browning .50 Cal Machine Gun, 850 rounds per minute.

[denny]

Here is a phenom, never before witnessed in 3 decades of brewing.

A blow off tube is installed, terminating in a quart jar of water.

The bubbles are not one every 2, 3, or even 4 seconds. The bubbles are non-stop, in a continuous stream. Like a Browning .50 Cal Machine Gun, 850 rounds per minute.

Surprised you've never seen that before

[Iliff Ave]

Here is a phenom, never before witnessed in 3 decades of brewing.

A blow off tube is installed, terminating in a quart jar of water.

The bubbles are not one every 2, 3, or even 4 seconds. The bubbles are non-stop, in a continuous stream. Like a Browning .50 Cal Machine Gun, 850 rounds per minute.

Surprised you've never seen that before

Was going to say the same thing!

[Bel Air Brewing]

Here is a phenom, never before witnessed in 3 decades of brewing.

A blow off tube is installed, terminating in a quart jar of water.

The bubbles are not one every 2, 3, or even 4 seconds. The bubbles are non-stop, in a continuous stream. Like a Browning .50 Cal Machine Gun, 850 rounds per minute.

Surprised you've never seen that before

Was going to say the same thing!

Well...never used this yeast before, and never used this yeast as a 2nd gen at this temp (66 degrees).
It is not a bubbling effect in the quart jar, it's more like one long Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp. Non-stop. It will be interesting to see how long this lasts.
Yes, this is a first for me.
Recall that 99% of my brews are lagers, at temps from 40 to 55 degrees.

[denny]

Here is a phenom, never before witnessed in 3 decades of brewing.

A blow off tube is installed, terminating in a quart jar of water.

The bubbles are not one every 2, 3, or even 4 seconds. The bubbles are non-stop, in a continuous stream. Like a Browning .50 Cal Machine Gun, 850 rounds per minute.

Surprised you've never seen that before

Was going to say the same thing!

Well...never used this yeast before, and never used this yeast as a 2nd gen at this temp (66 degrees).
It is not a bubbling effect in the quart jar, it's more like one long Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp. Non-stop. It will be interesting to see how long this lasts.
Yes, this is a first for me.
Recall that 99% of my brews are lagers, at temps from 40 to 55 degrees.

I've seen it happen many times with many different yeasts.  It has nothing to do with S04 specifically.

[Cliffs]

you want to see crazy co2 production, try kveik, the stuff makes my blow off tube hiss

[Bel Air Brewing]

you want to see crazy co2 production, try kveik, the stuff makes my blow off tube hiss

Dang!

Well, the S-04 has now settled down a bit, going from a continuous stream of CO2, to big burps at 7 second intervals.

[Bel Air Brewing]

For those interested, this ale turned out spectacular. It will be entered in the upcoming Bluebonnet, in Dallas, Texas.

An APA and a BGA will be the two entries. This yeast was a 2nd gen, and fermented more quickly than I'm used to. I am surprised how clean this ferment is, without the bready, fruity off flavors that I try to avoid.

Being hop forward, it is slightly like a Sierra Nevada, but much more subtle in character. A beer that those of us who are not IPA drinkers will enjoy!

Can't wait to see what the judges have to say.

[dmtaylor]

My recent brew is so dang clean, I'm seriously inclined to call it a Classic American Pilsner (or however Gordon rephrased it in 2015).  Yes, it is truly very clean and lager-like, even fermented warm at average 69 F.

Cheers all.

[Bel Air Brewing]

My recent brew is so dang clean, I'm seriously inclined to call it a Classic American Pilsner (or however Gordon rephrased it in 2015).  Yes, it is truly very clean and lager-like, even fermented warm at average 69 F.

Cheers all.

That is what I was thinking...almost lager-like. The ferment was at 66-68 degrees, and I did not want to hit 70+.

Overall, very happy with S-04.

Brewed a London Porter, and now the APA with this yeast.

[BrewBama]

I’ve fermented quite a few batches with S-04 and though very clear, lager-like would not be the term I would use to describe the pint.

...but then again, is lager-like from an English strain desirable?


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