Safale S04

[Benniee]

I'm throwing this one out to more experienced palates than mine.

I've only done a couple of beers using the Safale S04 strain - and I get a distinct "taste" from it. I will hopefully describe it and get someone to help me with the correct terms etc.

Basically the smell of the beer is great, and clarity is excellent. Taste is spot on - very crisp and clean. I take a nice mouthful, and after swallowing I get a strange taste/smell - very much at the back of my palate and in my nose. Very distinct and I can usually pick an S04 beer by doing this.

So - what is it that I'm getting?

I also ask becuase I just put a stout in my fermenter and pitched Wyeast 1099, which I've now read is very similar to the S04 strain and I'm wondering if I'll get the same sort of thing in this beer.

Benniee

 

[Aussie Claret]

Just one question what temperature are you fermenting at?
If you ferment cool then you will get a clean finish, if fermenting at higher temperatures then this yeast can throw alot of unwanted esters.
I've been happy with the results when I've used this yeast but I ferment at the lower temp range.
AC

 

[~MikE]

i've fermented semi warm with s04 and i've never had anything but a clean dry boring beer. if could be that you're under pitching, especially if you're brewing at colder temps and just sprinkling it onto the wort... have you tried building up a starter?

 

[Benniee]

I'm fermenting the stout at 19-20 degrees. As for the others I couldn't say for sure. They are usually beers that friends bring over, a couple of fresh wort kits - kits and bits, etc. None of them have any temp control so I couldn't say for sure what temps their ferment ran at.

It just seems to be something I pick up in the first mouthful - and usually find out that the beer was fermented with S04.

As mentioned I'm using Wyeast 1099 on the stout so time will tell on that one - just curious if anyone else was picking up a similar thing.

Benniee

 

[geoffi]

I think like most yeasts this one has a recognisable 'signature'. I've brewed some nice bitters with it. It's not as good as liquid English ales, but it'll do a respectable job.