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Fermentis S04 fast fermentation

Post #1 made 14 years ago
by jonesy
Hi All

My first ever post in this section and more of a feedback question so i hope im in the right spot. :peace:

I brewed an Irish Red Ale on Saturday using the Maxi BIAB guide with the following specs

Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter 3.1Kg
Bairds Dark Crystal 1.3Kg
Weyerman Cara Red 300gms
Weyerman Cara Aroma 250gms

Fuggles 31gm @45 minutes (5.6%)
Goldings East Kent 32gm @15 minutes (5.6%)

And used a fermentis S04 as the yeast. I pitched the yeast at about 4:00pm Saturday and the brew had a gravity of 1.052 I checked it that night at around 10:00pm and it already had some activity in the airlock and then checked it again Sunday morning and the airlock was going crazy and continued to do so all of Sunday the temperature through all of this was in the 22-24 celsius range.
I checked it again this morning (monday) and the airlock activity had stopped and I took a hydrometer reading this afternoon and its down to 1.014.
Is this way too fast or is it something to expect with this yeast (i've never used it before) or maybe it's the grain bill as in less than 48 hours it's gone from 1.052 to 1.014 :think:

I had a bit of a taste when i took the hydrometer reading (it would be criminal not to) and it tasted very nice so i think its on the right track just curious about the speed of ferment.

Any feedback appreciated

Cheers

Jonesy

Post #2 made 14 years ago
by wizard78
Hi jonesy, I used s04 a few years back in my Kit days, but I never had a fermentation that fast, with any yeast.
This is a quote from the fermentis website
A well-known, commercial English ale yeast, selected for its fast fermentation character and its ability to form a very compact sediment at the end of the fermentation, helping to improve beer clarity. This yeast is recommended for the production of a large range of ale beers and is specially well adapted to cask-conditioned ales and fermentation in cylindro-conical tanks. Sedimentation: high. Final gravity: medium.
Recommended fermentation temperature: 15C – 24C
Given that you are fermenting at the top end of the temperature range, it will definitely ferment quicker.
I would also check the FG again for the next couple of days and make sure you have a stable reading. I usaully leave my beers in the fermenter for at least 2 weeks anyway to be sure everything is finished.
What is your expected FG?

Cheers wiz
Last edited by wizard78 on 17 Jan 2011, 19:46, edited 5 times in total.
[center]"All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer."
[/center]
[center]Homer Simpson[/center]
[center]K.I.S.S., B.I.A.B.[/center]

Post #3 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
Hi there Jonesy. Your question is perfect for this section / forum.

I've got to tell you that I don't like SO4. A lot of people like it but I rarely have tasted a beer I really like from this yeast.

At 22C to 24C fermentaion, what you have experienced is very possible, maybe even normal. I certainly have had it ferment wildly and quickly at even lower temps. If you want to keep using this yeast, a blow-off tube will be your friend :lol:.

In saying all this, I am a brewer who doesn't like any sort of fruitiness or sweetness in beers :P. Heaps of brewers do so the beer should hopefully turn out :yum:

PP

P.S. I see wiz beat me to the post. As he said, let things settle for a few days before establishing a definitive FG.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 17 Jan 2011, 19:52, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #4 made 14 years ago
by jonesy
Hi All

Thanks for your responses I wasn't thinking of using this reading as my final FG i just couldn't believe how quickly it got there.

I saw that description of it Wiz i guess they have a different interpretation of fast than I do. I'd love to see what they call an express ferment :argh:

1014 was the FG that i was aiming for so it was there in under 48 hours which is a bit scary but as suggested it will be in the fermenter for at least another week (i usually go 2 weeks as well) and i'll let you all know how it turns out.

Cheers

Jonesy

Post #5 made 14 years ago
by wizard78
It will definately be interesting to hear how it turns with such a fast ferment.
Cheers wiz
[center]"All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer."
[/center]
[center]Homer Simpson[/center]
[center]K.I.S.S., B.I.A.B.[/center]

Post #6 made 14 years ago
by stux
I've had S04 go off like a rocket, but then it slows down, often finished conditioning in a week

At 16-18C its about a 10 day ferment, so 2 weeks is good.

At 24C I really would not be surprised if it was done in a week

BUT I don't like S04 that much, I find S05 a bit more pleasant, but prefer S23 (Lager yeast)

I'm not a fan of the fruity flavours, frankly, it reminds me of my early, pre-temperature controlled days :)
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #7 made 14 years ago
by jonesy
Hi All

Well it's been in the bottle for a couple of weeks and temptation got the better of me so i tried one last night and I have to say its tastes pretty good to me. Im not one for detecting subtle flavours as i've only got 2 tatste buds a good one and a bad one but this certainly isnt giving off any bad flavours so more than happy with how its turning out. Should be even better in a few weeks time.

Cheers

Jonesy

Post #8 made 14 years ago
by wizard78
Great to hear Jonesy!
[center]"All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer."
[/center]
[center]Homer Simpson[/center]
[center]K.I.S.S., B.I.A.B.[/center]

Post #9 made 14 years ago
by jonesy
Hi All

Bit of an update with this I tried the last bottle I had of this brew last night and it was pretty disappointing. Not sure if it was related to the yeast but when i opened the bottle i lost half of it as it gushed out of the bottle and then when i poured the beer the head on the beer lasted about 15 seconds (not even i can drink that fast) so all in all not that happy :sad: .

All of the other beers that I have kept have been fine so maybe the extra fast ferment caused this. The way the head disappeared reminded me of what some of my kit beers used to do.

Cheers

Jonesy

Post #10 made 14 years ago
by stux
If you didn't bottle the brew before it finished fermenting, then most likely you had an infection

If it was only a few bottles, then the infection probably was in the bottle, or in your bottling equipment

If it was the whole batch, then you probably had the infection in the brew, or bottled too early
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #11 made 14 years ago
by BobBrews
jonesy,

If your beer tastes funny? Look Here http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html This may help out. If your beer is OK to drink than you may have just bottled to early or the amount of (priming sugar / water) ratio could be off. I was famous for gushers at my brew club. I have splashed the ceiling a few times. I thought that I bottled too early but I was wrong. I always measured out 4.2 ounces of priming sugar. I never thought that the amount of beer had to match the sugar? I would have 4.5 gallons or just 4 gallons? I guess I was thinking "why water it down?" Anyway, now I am more accurate in brewing and if I am short a little I adjust with more water or less sugar?
Last edited by BobBrews on 11 Jul 2011, 19:35, edited 5 times in total.
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