Safale s-04

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SO-4 is the work of the devil. If I want to drink insipid beer I will go and buy John Smiths or Carling.
 
I´m using S04 in a Woodfordes Admirals and its been going for nearly 4 weeks , its stowed down now but still bubbles every 5 mins.
I had the same with the temp at the beginning as it was hitting 24 with a room temp of 18 .
But at least it didn't get stuck.
If it's been in the fermenter for 4 weeks take an SG reading over 2-3 days and if the same the bottle or keg the beer. It should be done after 4weeks.
 
Mangrove jack's M42 strong ale yeast is like cement in the bottom of a bottle!
Literally have to half full the empty with hot water and put your thumb over the end and shake it for 30sec to start to shift it
might give this yeast a go cheers
 
might give this yeast a go cheers
I've got a porter done with M42 awaiting bottling and the samples taste amazing so far. I've also never seen a krausen rise and fall so quickly as it did with this stuff, fully fermented out in 4 days.
 
Has the m42 got a more taste and flavour than the s-o4? Any yeast that sets solid in bottles will suit me sounds similar to how Belgian yeast sets in the bottle
 
SO-4 is the work of the devil. If I want to drink insipid beer I will go and buy John Smiths or Carling.

Cripes it's a very long time since I've used it but can't recall it being bad in any way. Well I've splashed out on 2 packs and by golly I'm going to bloody well use them, starting with this weekend's brew!
 
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y
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Ha, I see what you did there!

Seriously though, going off the specs S04 produces the same amount of esters as T58 and almost double that of BE256 Abbaye yeast. So it shouldn't produce a bland beer.
 
Yesterday I bottled some ale made with S-04. 2 weeks at 19C, and 6 days at 0C. It was crystal clear going into the bottles... and I do mean crystal. I was amazed but now a little concerned about whether or not it will carb up. Whaddya reckon?
 
Yesterday I bottled some ale made with S-04. 2 weeks at 19C, and 6 days at 0C. It was crystal clear going into the bottles... and I do mean crystal. I was amazed but now a little concerned about whether or not it will carb up. Whaddya reckon?

It'll be fine. I've read you need to be lagering for about 10 weeks before you need to add more yeast so it carbs up so 2 weeks should be no problem
 
Yesterday I bottled some ale made with S-04. 2 weeks at 19C, and 6 days at 0C. It was crystal clear going into the bottles... and I do mean crystal. I was amazed but now a little concerned about whether or not it will carb up. Whaddya reckon?
My last three brews have been s-04 cold crashed and fined for a week at about 0C and no issues carbing.
 
Oh one other thing, I spent a day at a brewery recently and they were using half so4 and half Nottingham dried yeasts so if it's I good enough for them.
One of the micros I know in Nottingham that have their own pub exclusively use S-04. They make very good beer. Pales, stouts and IPAs. All good.
 
S-04 and Nottingham are my choice of yeasts, I bottle most my beers and they're usually traditional ales and porters. 132 brews and I've never found S-04 insipid.

I did try moving across to the CML yeast but even after several months in the cold it's still very mobile in the bottles so won't be using that again.
 
One of the micros I know in Nottingham that have their own pub exclusively use S-04. They make very good beer. Pales, stouts and IPAs. All good.
I personally don't think that's a good advert for the brewery.
Decent breweries tend to cultivate or at least propagate their own yeast and not just sprinkle from a packet.
 
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I think lazy is a bit harsh. As many will attest on here, good results can be obtained with dry yeast. Maintaining yeast at commercial level requires considerably more care and attention than homebrewing, with investment in expensive lab equipment to properly manage the yeast, pitch rate, viability, contamination and maintain consistency. Dry yeast offers a cost effective, risk free alternative where pitch rate can be easily managed.

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