I don't mind S04, but you do need to ensure you don't get a temperature drop. Nottingham is def a reliable yeast, but is nothing like S04, Nottingham is a high attenuation yeast, whilst s04 is the other end of the scale being a low attenuation. They produce different beers. As michael said, I would try and raise the temp back up to what it acclimatized to. But really without knowing what the "flavor booster" is made up from we are only guessing an FG.
Kit and Kilo Real Ale low in alcohol. Any ideas?
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Did you Rehydrate the yeast some say that if yeast is added dry to fermenter can be ineffective
Rehydrate the yeast in 10 times its weight of water or wort. Gently stir. Allow a 30 minutes rest. Pitch the resultant cream in the fermenter
(ale) yeasts are rehydrated at a temperature between 25-29°C (77-84°F) and that bottom fermenting yeasts (lager) are rehydrated at a temperature range of 21-25°C (69-77°F)
Rehydrate the yeast in 10 times its weight of water or wort. Gently stir. Allow a 30 minutes rest. Pitch the resultant cream in the fermenter
(ale) yeasts are rehydrated at a temperature between 25-29°C (77-84°F) and that bottom fermenting yeasts (lager) are rehydrated at a temperature range of 21-25°C (69-77°F)
He-brew
Active Member
Thanks Goatchop. Good advice
He-brew
Active Member
Yeh the flavour booster is a mystery to me. It's a pack that my local brew shop made up.
I didn't rehydrate my yeast... Maybe I'll try that out next time
I didn't rehydrate my yeast... Maybe I'll try that out next time
shacked
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Hey mate, give this article a read: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/articles/article130.html it outlines a good sequence to help you work out if your brew is ready. I'd suggest you give the fast ferment test a go.
He-brew
Active Member
I just checked the temperature. I haven't touched the brew for almost 2 days. The fermenter temp is at 22°c... I think I'll test with hydrometer later tonight...
Thanks for all the help... Shacked, maybe I'll try the fast test a crack
Thanks for all the help... Shacked, maybe I'll try the fast test a crack
Lord Raja Goomba I
Prisoner of Sobriety
I used s04 for the first time in Tassie - after brewing for years. I rehydrated and with my consistently temped hot water system cupboard, it holds about 22 degrees and I actually found it brewed a really nice mild.
Having said that, I love Notto - at higher temps it does the British thing in a number of ways, at low temps it kills it as a faux-lager (and where it really shines in my brewery).
Mangrove Jacks M79, rehydrated (that took a while to type a couple of beers in) - very much my favourite character British Dry Yeast.
Having said that, I love Notto - at higher temps it does the British thing in a number of ways, at low temps it kills it as a faux-lager (and where it really shines in my brewery).
Mangrove Jacks M79, rehydrated (that took a while to type a couple of beers in) - very much my favourite character British Dry Yeast.
He-brew
Active Member
I keep that in mind for my next English! Thanks Lord Raja
Notto is my go to yeast when it simply has to work, because it simply does work.
Works well to 22, works down as low as 15-16 too!
Very neutral.
S04 is stubborn, i would pitch two packs of it if you use it again. Pretty f*cking lazy most of the time!
Cheers,
D80
Works well to 22, works down as low as 15-16 too!
Very neutral.
S04 is stubborn, i would pitch two packs of it if you use it again. Pretty f*cking lazy most of the time!
Cheers,
D80
Couple of things. Keep letting it ferment and rouse the yeast as suggested above. At 1.019 or whatever you said its at, it isnt finished. No need for a fast ferment test at this stage because it is just going to tell you that it is not finished fermenting yet. Also, dont rehydrate yeast in wort as suggested above. That is no different to sprinkling yeast on your wort in the fermenter. Rehydrating means in water.
He-brew
Active Member
Sounds like the majority prefers Nottingham. I'll check that out next time I think...burrster said:
I checked last night and it seems to still be around the 1.016 mark. I gave it another swirl.
I'll wait a few more days to see what happens. We have warmer weather here at the moment, so hopefully this will help resurrect the yeast?
I definitely won't touch S-04 again, not at least until I know what I'm doing...
I do feel more confident knowing that it was the yeast that screwed it up (that combined with the ridiculous weather), and not my incompetence...
I'll keep posting with my results. Thanks for everyone's input. I've learned a lot!
He-brew
Active Member
I took my phone for a swim in Port Jackson yesterday, so I'll still be posting my results/revelations, but less frequently, and during work hours most likely, unless my phone decides to grow a pair and come back to life...
He-brew
Active Member
I'm back. Please excuse my absence.
My brew has safely made it into bottles just this evening.
It's been fermenting for 24 days (or perhaps just sitting there doing nothing at all). The Sydney weather has been brutal. One day it's pouring rain, the next day it's crazy hot. So I'm guessing that probably hasn't really helped.
I took advice from everyone, and a few little tips I actually tried out.
To the mighty brewer who told me to swirl it; that worked. Just a gentle swirl, enough to get the thing moving around, but trying not to really break the surface of the wort, or stir up too much sediment.
The next day I checked and it seemed to have dropped a point or so, then another point the day after that. then it stalled again (possibly due to the funky weather?) so I swirled it again and left it about 3 days. it dropped again, only 1 point or so.
To the mighty brewer who suggested pitching more yeast; that worked. I was desperate, and ready top throw it in the trash. I know this probably isn't advised, but I used about 2/3rds of a bag of the yeats that came with my Coopers kit.
Then left it probably almost a week. Then when I checked it was right down at 1.010.
Checked again today - 1.010.
And finally, I did that quick test that another master brewer recommended. Basically you take a sample, check gravity, then pour the sample into a sterilised jar or something air tight. Then shake the hell out of it every now and then and leave it doing it's thing for a few days. The idea is to see if you can wake up the yeast I'm guessing.
I can tell you with this particular batch, It woke up a sour demon inside my brew. I had a little taste of that particular sample, and it was quite possibly the second worst thing I've ever put in my mouth. The Worst thing I don't wanna talk about.
I read an article about some sort of bacteria forming in the air pockets, which is why they don;t suggest shaking to revive a stalled yeast.
Anyway. I feel like I've taken so much away from this. I thank you all.
My next adventure is an APA. Stay tuned for that one.
My final post on this thread will be in a while a suppose when I get to taste this filthy, convoluted, concoction.
My brew has safely made it into bottles just this evening.
It's been fermenting for 24 days (or perhaps just sitting there doing nothing at all). The Sydney weather has been brutal. One day it's pouring rain, the next day it's crazy hot. So I'm guessing that probably hasn't really helped.
I took advice from everyone, and a few little tips I actually tried out.
To the mighty brewer who told me to swirl it; that worked. Just a gentle swirl, enough to get the thing moving around, but trying not to really break the surface of the wort, or stir up too much sediment.
The next day I checked and it seemed to have dropped a point or so, then another point the day after that. then it stalled again (possibly due to the funky weather?) so I swirled it again and left it about 3 days. it dropped again, only 1 point or so.
To the mighty brewer who suggested pitching more yeast; that worked. I was desperate, and ready top throw it in the trash. I know this probably isn't advised, but I used about 2/3rds of a bag of the yeats that came with my Coopers kit.
Then left it probably almost a week. Then when I checked it was right down at 1.010.
Checked again today - 1.010.
And finally, I did that quick test that another master brewer recommended. Basically you take a sample, check gravity, then pour the sample into a sterilised jar or something air tight. Then shake the hell out of it every now and then and leave it doing it's thing for a few days. The idea is to see if you can wake up the yeast I'm guessing.
I can tell you with this particular batch, It woke up a sour demon inside my brew. I had a little taste of that particular sample, and it was quite possibly the second worst thing I've ever put in my mouth. The Worst thing I don't wanna talk about.
I read an article about some sort of bacteria forming in the air pockets, which is why they don;t suggest shaking to revive a stalled yeast.
Anyway. I feel like I've taken so much away from this. I thank you all.
My next adventure is an APA. Stay tuned for that one.
My final post on this thread will be in a while a suppose when I get to taste this filthy, convoluted, concoction.
Yeah, I posted a thread a couple of weeks ago about the same thing. It has always dogged me and that's why I've been in and out of homebrewing. It sucked when you've wasted $16 on a K+K, sucks even more with a $30 partial brew like I was doing in 2007-2008.
Stalling at SG 1020 is pretty common for the unlucky it seems, (amazing if you google that expression how many results you'll get, but ask on forums and most people say it's rare and hasn't happened to them!). It's a real thing I've seen many many times, and usually messing about with it brings in an infection and makes it taste sour. If you're slightly luckier, it will end up tasting sweet, but it's still a shit brew.
Yeast makes a lot of flavour, and temp control is a very important part depending on yeast strain. If you can't control temp below 20, or only within a wide band, the coopers kit yeast is still the best option.
I've had my battles with so4 in the past and repitched nottingham back then, but by then it's too late. You need to start with the absolute best conditions for so4, ie rehydrating and at 20C. Even for other preferred yeasts like it's better under 20c and rehydrated too. Same goes for many popular yeast strains people talk about - bad flavours if over 20c or has temp fluctuations.
I wouldn't bother keeping the bottles because I've been there, aged some for 3 months back in 2007, they don't get better.
Either wait until autumn, or get temp control and be able to use specialist yeasts, or just use the coopers kit yeast and put up with the sub optimal flavours. E: and even with kit yeast, my best result was after rehydrating it first.
Stalling at SG 1020 is pretty common for the unlucky it seems, (amazing if you google that expression how many results you'll get, but ask on forums and most people say it's rare and hasn't happened to them!). It's a real thing I've seen many many times, and usually messing about with it brings in an infection and makes it taste sour. If you're slightly luckier, it will end up tasting sweet, but it's still a shit brew.
Yeast makes a lot of flavour, and temp control is a very important part depending on yeast strain. If you can't control temp below 20, or only within a wide band, the coopers kit yeast is still the best option.
I've had my battles with so4 in the past and repitched nottingham back then, but by then it's too late. You need to start with the absolute best conditions for so4, ie rehydrating and at 20C. Even for other preferred yeasts like it's better under 20c and rehydrated too. Same goes for many popular yeast strains people talk about - bad flavours if over 20c or has temp fluctuations.
I wouldn't bother keeping the bottles because I've been there, aged some for 3 months back in 2007, they don't get better.
Either wait until autumn, or get temp control and be able to use specialist yeasts, or just use the coopers kit yeast and put up with the sub optimal flavours. E: and even with kit yeast, my best result was after rehydrating it first.
He-brew
Active Member
Oh man. That sounds like bad news. I'm not holding any high hopes for this batch now. Thanks for the tip Pablo_h.
Maybe I should hold off til after the summer to get my APA happening then... Or I could just get a sucky batch going now for practice and then go for broke when it cools down.
Maybe I should hold off til after the summer to get my APA happening then... Or I could just get a sucky batch going now for practice and then go for broke when it cools down.
He-brew
Active Member
Here we go. The end result:
My brew has been sitting bottled for 10 days. I know that's not really enough, but I was too eager and impatient to wait any longer.
The colour is rich and looks quite red/deep amber, the smell slightly tart (I don't want to say it's wine-y but....) and the head when poured is more fizzy than foamy which is disappointing.
I'm not sure why the head is so fizzy. Could it be the Carbonation drops I used? Next time I'll try a bulk prime and see if that helps.
As for flavour, it's definitely lacking that delicious beer taste. It's almost cider-y without the apple. You can taste a slight fizz. I'm not sure if that will go away after a few more weeks in bottles?
All in all, this batch has been a nightmare, but the forum has made it more interesting and fun. I've learned a lot, and I'm ready to test out another batch. I've got my eyes set on an American Pale Ale, with a few added extras.
Thank you to everyone who has chipped in and helped me out. When I get a little more experience and knowledge I'll be sure to pay it forward.
My brew has been sitting bottled for 10 days. I know that's not really enough, but I was too eager and impatient to wait any longer.
The colour is rich and looks quite red/deep amber, the smell slightly tart (I don't want to say it's wine-y but....) and the head when poured is more fizzy than foamy which is disappointing.
I'm not sure why the head is so fizzy. Could it be the Carbonation drops I used? Next time I'll try a bulk prime and see if that helps.
As for flavour, it's definitely lacking that delicious beer taste. It's almost cider-y without the apple. You can taste a slight fizz. I'm not sure if that will go away after a few more weeks in bottles?
All in all, this batch has been a nightmare, but the forum has made it more interesting and fun. I've learned a lot, and I'm ready to test out another batch. I've got my eyes set on an American Pale Ale, with a few added extras.
Thank you to everyone who has chipped in and helped me out. When I get a little more experience and knowledge I'll be sure to pay it forward.
LAGERFRENZY
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The cidery tartness is probably a result of your yeast throwing off bad esters when your brew kicked off at 27 degrees. This may ease with more extended bottle conditioning. Temperature control is vital to get the yeast working happily within its optimal range. There are some great ideas on this site for cheap and easy fermentation chambers - Mattrox recently made one up using foam off-cuts and Bribie G also did one with a packing carton, bubble wrap and sticky tape. The idea is to house your fermentation vessel in an "esky" that can have sime frozen water bottles enclosed and swapped within to keep your fermenter within a reasonably controlled range. Swamp coolers will also work if there is no other option available. Believe me, the sooner you can get your temps controlled your brews will improve dramatically.
He-brew
Active Member
but Wynnum1, I couldn't wait!!! I had to see what it tasted like!!
I'll get some in my fridge tonight, and wait...
Lagerfrenzy, I guess that was my first mistake. Pitching at 27c. That won't happen again.
I'll have a look into some temperature control stuff. My patience won't suffer another crappy batch.
I'll get some in my fridge tonight, and wait...
Lagerfrenzy, I guess that was my first mistake. Pitching at 27c. That won't happen again.
I'll have a look into some temperature control stuff. My patience won't suffer another crappy batch.
