Odd behavior for S-04...

AmeriToon

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I brewed a Scottish Ale (roughly 80/+) this weekend. I got good numbers with my original gravity sitting at 1.049. I cooled my wort down to a cool mid-70s F, transferred to carboy (sanitized) and pitched Safale-04.

I have used this yeast many times and every time it has been the most "violent" of yeasts! I usually end up with a krausen that fills the gap on my 6.5 gallon carboy. But not this time... I have a very deep trub layer, but little to no krausen... Just odd behavior for S-04.

BIAB method for "Kilty Pleasure"
9 # Pale Ale Malt
8oz 60L
4oz 80L
6oz Carapils
2oz Chocolate Malt
1oz Black Patent
1oz US Fuggles (60 min)
OG 1.049

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I'd bet it's fine. I've seen odd fermentations from time to time with no issue with the beer. I'd just check the gravity to make sure the yeast did its thing.
 
yes ive had the same thing happen recently, it should be fine, I always rouse that yeast on day 5 and it slowly creeps along
 
Cheers boys... I was wondering if any item in the grain bill would have caused the yeast to behave differently? Some of these I've not used in the past with S-04.
 
AmeriToon said:
Cheers boys... I was wondering if any item in the grain bill would have caused the yeast to behave differently? Some of these I've not used in the past with S-04.

I think that is exactly what is going on here. Cheers.
 
Looks like I'm going to have to change the name... Kilty Pleasure is already taken by Philadelphia Brewing Co. Bummer...
 
There's only so many names. We won't tell!!
 
I've mostly had pretty busy krausen with S-04. The stuff usually goes insane for the first 24 hours or even less and then starts to back off quite quickly.
I rouse it too, just in case. The stuff drops so hard that it can fail to hold in suspension even though there may be more work for it to do. I've tended to get better than average attenuation by rousing a time or two.
Your OG isn't very high so maybe it krausened up, ripped though the fermentables and dropped back down while you weren't looking. :)
 
J A said:
I've mostly had pretty busy krausen with S-04. The stuff usually goes insane for the first 24 hours or even less and then starts to back off quite quickly.
Exactly! EVERYTIME I have used S04 it goes nuts, even with lower OG beers. I'll kick it up later this week, thanks for the advice!
 
Curious what you SG is right now.
I did a 1.052 Blonde with S-04that dropped to expected FG after about 48 hours of hard fermentation. At 1.012, that was a little over average (75%) attenuation for S-04. I suspect that I could have roused it and gotten more out of it.
The hoppy Pale Ale that I pitched into the fermenter behind it was 1.057 and with a couple of rousings went to 1.010 for 82.5% attenuation. I almost wish it had kept a little more residual in that one because the alcohol is over 6%. I dry hopped it and there should be enough going on that the body and malt will hold up, but it's going to take a little while for that one to mellow. ;)
 
I'll take some readings tonight and do the necessary calculations...
 
Just before rousing the yeast. ..I put a few drops on the refractor and got a reading of about 9.9 BRIX. I used a Northern Brewer's refractor calculator. .. this put my gravity at about 1.039... this is no where near close to done.

I'll take another reading in a few days.
 
AmeriToon said:
... this put my gravity at about 1.039... this is no where near close to done.

I'll take another reading in a few days.

There's no way S-04 stalled out with that much sugar to consume. If you were seeing less than 1.020 but more than 1.012, I could see it, but not 1.039. Maybe a massive under-pitch could cause it to stall that early, but I think you're more likely to find a faulty reading somehow.
 
Any chance the yeast pack was old or had a leak so yeast was compromised? If seal of pack gets a pin hole in it the O2 would age it quickly. Just a thought.
 
Maybe if rousing doesn't work, re-pitching would help.
 

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