Safale S-04 Dry Yeast, For Emergencies and Just for Beer! Options

[cj in j]

Safale S-04 is another very good dry yeast (see review of Nottingham Dry Yeast for a good summary of the benefits of dry yeast). I keep this, along with Nottingham, in my fridge at all times for emergencies and for those sudden "I want to brew today" beers. Safale has been described as giving beer a "bubblegum flavor," and I did notice this in a couple of pale ales when transferring to secondary. However, I haven't picked up anything but a nice maltiness in any finished beer I've used this yeast with. It starts quickly, ferments strongly and quickly, and flocculates pretty well. All in all, this is a nice yeast and should be in every brewer's fridge.

[Brueno_X]

Yes, we keep a pack or two for emergencys. Have even had to lend a pack to another local brewer that didn't get his smack pack to work.

[Schneider_Artois]

I gave it an 8.
I think I'd only use it for pales, I guess most English styles and would perhaps bridge over to brown or stout if I had to.
Physical properties are excellent, very easy to use, but it's a touch fruity (bubblegum is spot on) for some styles.

[kbreuer]

Used this yeast in an APA with Simcoe and Cascade. Big mistake. I couldn't taste the hops because of the pronounced bubblegum flavor this yeast imparted on my beer. The bubblegum flavor was so apparent that I thought my beer was infected until I read other peoples opinions on this yeast. Will try this yeast in a English Pale ale and see how it impacts the taste.

[Chauvan]

I love this yeast. Fast fermentor. I've used it in a brown and an IPA without the bubblegum flavor.

[cj in j]

I walked into my apartment today and smelled . . . bubblegum! Yeah, this yeast throws off a nice sweet aroma while fermenting. I have two pale ales going side by side (had to move them by the front door where it's cooler -- those puppies are 12F warmer than ambient (ambient = 58F, fermentation - 70F). I'll give them a day or two extra in primary to help clean up the gum, and then it's dry hopping and cold conditioning time, baby!

[cj in j]

Just wanted to followup on this -- after two weeks of conditioning, bubblegum was nearly completely gone. Now after more than a month in the bottle, no bubblegum at all! Just keep temps down during fermentation and you should be fine.

[Beer Engineer]

I'm not gonna vote yet...b/c I haven't tasted the results yet. I made a Wee Heavy with this yeast. It fermented out hella fast and was in secondary by day 4. No noticeable bubblegum scent during primary...but I did have massive blowoff...

[Brew-boy]

I used this yeast in my first all grain batch a European Ale, I did not notice any bublegum smell or flavors. I have used Safale-56 as well with good results.

This post has been edited by Brew-boy: Dec 9 2006, 09:26 AM

[phalanxausage]

I've been using this yeast in my bitters lately & it does a very good job. I rated it a 7 just because I wouldn't use it in anything other than a pale. Fast starting, fast fermenting, very flocculent with a moderate ester profile & a slight tartness that accents the lemon peel undertone Challenger hops contrubute. I feel that tartness would clash with a brown or a mild & the malt character isn't quite right for either of those styles as well. I do love it in a pale. I'll be trying an american pale with it soon to see how that does.

[consumes]

i used this yeast on a rye amber .. and i wasn't able to pick out any hop character either .... i have another packet and im going to try again now that i have a oxygen system

[Tim]

This yeast works great for a dry stout. The slight tartness the yeast provides really works well with the roasted character of the roasted barley and bittering hops.

[CarlosM]

I used this to make my Make Shift Porter and well it is fantastic. Great malty finish, I think I may enter it into a competition.

[Smurfe]

I use the Safale yeasts for most all batches now. Closest LHBS is 240 miles away that has a decent selection of White Labs yeasts and living in the Deep South makes shipping in the summer a pain as I am rarely home when they are delivered and they sit outside all day in the sun when delivered. I use the S-04 and S-05 a lot. I have used the S-23 lager yeast with great results as well. I have never had the bubblegum smell that has been reported here. I do have a very cool fermentation area though. I always have Safale yeasts available in the fridge.

[bigben]

I used this yeast in most of my malty ales porter and stouts and really like it. but like has been previously stated it does throw off a fruity flavor young. given time it makes a nice malty clear beer.