S-33 yeast. Here is my story. Experienced users needed.

[Chadwick]

I understand that a bubbling airlock isn't any indication of what is happening, but I have to say, this is a radical sudden change in activity.

I re-hydrated my S-33 in a mason jar with some malt about the same time that I started gathering my ingredients to brew this beer. It not only re-hydrated very quickly, but I needed to periodically give it a swirl to get the krausen knocked down. It seemed like a good vigorous yeast and just wanted to take off NOW. Once the wort was cooled to 80 degrees in the fermentation vessel I pitched the whole jar into it.

This batch took off like a rocket. Within 4 hours (only 4 hours!!!), I was moving the fermentation bucket outside to put the blow-off in place. I got a little worried about the internal temperature of the wort, so I decided to leave it outside for the night. It was a low of 40 degrees that night and I figured it would be good for it to be cooler if it is fermenting that vigorously(Brew day/ Friday night).

The next morning it was still bubbling like a witches brew but was under control again so I moved it inside. I replaced the blow-off with the regular airlock and left it alone(Saturday).

The next day it is still bubbling very vigorously. I'm cooking out today for the family and the fermentation bucket is near the doorway. As a result I'm looking at it pretty often. It is bubbling like crazy, then it suddenly stops. (Sunday)

Sudden and complete change in behavior. Consequently, this is one of two brews batches I did Friday. The other is a barley wine using S-05 and it is still going strong.

The batch with the S-33 is also a pretty strong brew. OG was 1.090 and I really didn't expect this to stop like this. I haven't taken a second gravity reading yet, it just seems way to early for me to disturb it and risk contamination.

This is where I ask all of you folks with years of experience, or even any experience, what is the deal with this yeast? Am I good? What should I expect? Advise?

 

[highgravitybacon]

I understand that a bubbling airlock isn't any indication of what is happening, but I have to say, this is a radical sudden change in activity.

I re-hydrated my S-33 in a mason jar with some malt about the same time that I started gathering my ingredients to brew this beer. It not only re-hydrated very quickly, but I needed to periodically give it a swirl to get the krausen knocked down. It seemed like a good vigorous yeast and just wanted to take off NOW. Once the wort was cooled to 80 degrees in the fermentation vessel I pitched the whole jar into it.

This batch took off like a rocket. Within 4 hours (only 4 hours!!!), I was moving the fermentation bucket outside to put the blow-off in place. I got a little worried about the internal temperature of the wort, so I decided to leave it outside for the night. It was a low of 40 degrees that night and I figured it would be good for it to be cooler if it is fermenting that vigorously(Brew day/ Friday night).

The next morning it was still bubbling like a witches brew but was under control again so I moved it inside. I replaced the blow-off with the regular airlock and left it alone(Saturday).

The next day it is still bubbling very vigorously. I'm cooking out today for the family and the fermentation bucket is near the doorway. As a result I'm looking at it pretty often. It is bubbling like crazy, then it suddenly stops. (Sunday)

Sudden and complete change in behavior. Consequently, this is one of two brews batches I did Friday. The other is a barley wine using S-05 and it is still going strong.

The batch with the S-33 is also a pretty strong brew. OG was 1.090 and I really didn't expect this to stop like this. I haven't taken a second gravity reading yet, it just seems way to early for me to disturb it and risk contamination.

This is where I ask all of you folks with years of experience, or even any experience, what is the deal with this yeast? Am I good? What should I expect? Advise?

I have tried this yeast on a few occasions. Here's my experience. It sucks. It's not Belgian. It's a bad yeast barely fit for bread making. It flocculates poorly, attenuates worse. It just stops fermenting somewhere around 1.030 for no reason.

 

[GrogNerd]

what do you expect for $2?

you spend how much on grains & hops, you're gonna go cheap on yeast?

I bought some because I wanted to brew a cheap 1-gallon recipe to test my water straight from the tap. I usually use bottled or filtered, didn't trust tap water for a full batch

really... splurge a little, spend 2 extra bucks and get some -04 or -05

 

[Chadwick]

what do you expect for $2?

you spend how much on grains & hops, you're gonna go cheap on yeast?

I bought some because I wanted to brew a cheap 1-gallon recipe to test my water straight from the tap. I usually use bottled or filtered, didn't trust tap water for a full batch

really... splurge a little, spend 2 extra bucks and get some -04 or -05

I have both S-04 and and -05 as well as Nottingham and others on hand at all times. I wasn't trying to be cheap. It was my intention to explore a yeast I've never tried before.

 

[Chadwick]

I have tried this yeast on a few occasions. Here's my experience. It sucks. It's not Belgian. It's a bad yeast barely fit for bread making. It flocculates poorly, attenuates worse. It just stops fermenting somewhere around 1.030 for no reason.

Ok, so two votes that I made a mistake using this yeast.

Surely it isn't that bad. If it was, why would Fermentis be selling it?

 

[Ondori]

I won't use this yeast again. I used it for a milk stout and it stopped at 1.036. I had to pitch a starter of some ESB yeast I had in the fridge to finish it. :/

 

[mblanks2]

My first batch had this yeast. I was very intent on doing everything the way I was supposed to. The batch took off like a rocket and stopped 2.5 days later at 1.030 and never dropped again in the next ten days. Probably won't use it again.

 

[GrogNerd]

I have both S-04 and and -05 as well as Nottingham and others on hand at all times. I wasn't trying to be cheap. It was my intention to explore a yeast I've never tried before.

sorry, I didn't mean to be a dook about it.

I've never tried it before and probably wouldn't have if it wasn't so cheap. but that's what I was looking for.

I hope it does go further than 1.030, because that's where mine started

 

[highgravitybacon]

Ok, so two votes that I made a mistake using this yeast.

Surely it isn't that bad. If it was, why would Fermentis be selling it?

I suspect because its cheap, gets bundled with every extract "tripel" kit in the world. And people like me who foolishly used it in a few batches until I knew better. Also for people not able to procure liquid yeast who have no other options.

I have read it works well as a bottle conditioning yeast. I think Boulevard uses it in their beers.

 

[fbold1]

This batch took off like a rocket. Within 4 hours (only 4 hours!!!), I was moving the fermentation bucket outside to put the blow-off in place. I got a little worried about the internal temperature of the wort, so I decided to leave it outside for the night. It was a low of 40 degrees that night and I figured it would be good for it to be cooler if it is fermenting that vigorously(Brew day/ Friday night).

The next morning it was still bubbling like a witches brew but was under control again so I moved it inside. I replaced the blow-off with the regular airlock and left it alone(Saturday).

The next day it is still bubbling very vigorously. I'm cooking out today for the family and the fermentation bucket is near the doorway. As a result I'm looking at it pretty often. It is bubbling like crazy, then it suddenly stops. (Sunday)


This is where I ask all of you folks with years of experience, or even any experience, what is the deal with this yeast? Am I good? What should I expect? Advise?

I have used it before with good results, yeast doesn't like radical changes in temperature while they're working, so that night out in the cold didn't do them any good!

 

[Chadwick]

I've read numerous reports that this yeast will "rise from the dead" in 10 days and finish out fermentation. I'm going to wait a week and take a gravity reading. If it is above 1.020 I'll begin debate on what to do next.

 

[Ondori]

I didn't see any zombie yeast, and I waited 2 weeks. That's when plan B kicked in lol

 

[Chadwick]

I took a gravity reading today to get an idea on where I am with this. Gravity is at 1.021 and it is looking beautiful. Tasted the sample and I almost cried. This is delicious. I simply cannot get over how good it tastes. Not sweet in the slightest. The hop aroma and flavor is shining through and the yeast profile only lends to the flavor in a positive way.

I'm going to give this another week and then I'll check to see if the gravity falls any further. If it doesn't, I'm bottling. I have to say that I'm impressed with this yeast so far. If the final beer tastes anything like the sample I tasted today, this yeast will become a staple of my brewing from now on.

 

[badlee]

Bro, I'm glad it worked out for you.
I am glad for me too, as I have two packs of it in my fridge and don't have the luxury of a LHBS.
Cheers

 

[ericbw]

I took a gravity reading today to get an idea on where I am with this. Gravity is at 1.021 and it is looking beautiful. Tasted the sample and I almost cried. This is delicious. I simply cannot get over how good it tastes. Not sweet in the slightest. The hop aroma and flavor is shining through and the yeast profile only lends to the flavor in a positive way.

I'm going to give this another week and then I'll check to see if the gravity falls any further. If it doesn't, I'm bottling. I have to say that I'm impressed with this yeast so far. If the final beer tastes anything like the sample I tasted today, this yeast will become a staple of my brewing from now on.

Any further word on this? I have a 1 gallon dubbel going right now. I never saw it do much other than slow bubbles, but the neck of the jug is covered with hops, all the way up and inside the bottom of the airlock. So it must have been roaring at some point overnight. It's a Brooklyn Brew Shop recipe, so I will let it run the two weeks they say. If it stalls early, would raising the temp help? It's at about 63 now, and I intentionally kept it under 70 from the start.

 

[Chadwick]

It turned out great. Between myself and a few friends it didn't last long. My best advise for this yeast is to be patient and allow plenty of time for it to do its thing.

 

[Gjuro]

It turned out great. Between myself and a few friends it didn't last long. My best advise for this yeast is to be patient and allow plenty of time for it to do its thing.

hello,

i'm also having some doubts about the s33 after using it in belgian strong ale. How long did you keep your beer in the primary/secondary all together and at what temperatures?

 

[Chadwick]

hello,

i'm also having some doubts about the s33 after using it in belgian strong ale. How long did you keep your beer in the primary/secondary all together and at what temperatures?

5 weeks total primary time. I don't use secondarys. I was worried this one would not turn out well because it did ferment a bit warm in the end. As it turned out, that was a good thing. This yeast tastes best fermented at temperatures closer to the ale range than lager range. Don't be afraid to allow this yeast to warm up. According to most of what I've read about this yeast, it "plays nice" with warmer fermentation temps. I'm more of an ale guy usually and this batch was an experiment with the yeast more than anything.

 

[ericbw]

It turned out great. Between myself and a few friends it didn't last long. My best advise for this yeast is to be patient and allow plenty of time for it to do its thing.

That's how mine worked, too. It took 5 weeks total and it was/is fine. Nothing impressive though.

 

[badlee]

A bro of mine gave me a bottle of his IIPA brewed with this yeast and I must say that I was top bloody notch.
A cambo of Cascade and Chinook. For aroma and Chinook for bittering.
He is already planning to rebrew it with this yeast.

Sent from my GT-I8552B using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Gjuro]

5 weeks total primary time. I don't use secondarys. I was worried this one would not turn out well because it did ferment a bit warm in the end. As it turned out, that was a good thing. This yeast tastes best fermented at temperatures closer to the ale range than lager range. Don't be afraid to allow this yeast to warm up. According to most of what I've read about this yeast, it "plays nice" with warmer fermentation temps. I'm more of an ale guy usually and this batch was an experiment with the yeast more than anything.

Well mine's been in a primary for 3 weeks now. It started vigorously, as did everyone else's, probabily finishing the bigger part of it's fermentation in about 2 days, at around 19C. After that there was very little or no activity in the fermenter which is a little more, but much, indicative than the air-lock bubbling (I use a glass demijohn and always monitor the process inside, especially now that my hydrometer got broken so I have to manage till the new one comes). Didn't really know what to do so I swirled it a couple of times, but that didn't help. So I decided to raise the temperature to the high end of this yeast's temperature recomendation - 23C. Nothing happened for a while, but after letting it sit for a week at a more or less constant 23C, things started moving again. I guess it just took that long for the liquid and the yeast itself to get to 23C. The (secondary?)fermentation was by no means vigorous, but it was pretty decent and lasted about 4 days. The beer is pretty still now (after 3 weeks), although every now then a yeast ball or clump rises to the top, dissolves and falls back to the bottom. I plan to leave on the yeast for another week, maybe 2 to give it 5 weeks in total (my new hydrometer should arrive by then).

My beer is still pretty murky, and as I said the yeast ball things happen. Do you maybe remember when did your start to clear up?

 

[Chadwick]

I never judge the clarity of my beer until after it is bottle conditioned. I bottle all of my beers and do not have plans to upgrade to a kegging system. With that noted, many of my beers are a little murky on bottle day. I generally do not even open one until I can see that it has cleared in the bottle. This takes more time for some brews than others. In general, most of my brews are allowed at least 4 weeks time for bottle conditioning before I start offering them up.

I used to have a problem with chill haze in many of my beers. But after I started using whirlfloc, it hasn't been an issue.