SafAle S-04 (English Ale)

Classic English Character • Fast Fermentation • Drops Brilliantly Clear

SafAle S-04 is a classic English ale strain prized for fast, vigorous fermentation, a gently fruity malt-forward profile, and an almost legendary ability to drop bright. It carries the character of a traditional British brewery yeast in a dry sachet, making proper English ales easy and quick.

With 75% attenuation and high flocculation, S-04 leaves a touch of malty body in the finished beer and then clears rapidly — often producing beer that looks filtered without any help.

Flavor & Aroma Profile

• Light, pleasant fruity esters
• Malt-forward balance with gentle sweetness
• Soft stone fruit and faint bready notes
• Clean finish for an English strain
• Quick-developing, fast-conditioning character

At cool fermentation temperatures S-04 is restrained and nearly neutral with a kiss of fruit; warmer fermentations bring out fuller English ester character, so the same sachet can produce anything from a tidy golden ale to a distinctly British bitter.

Brewing Applications

SafAle S-04 is a staple ingredient in many traditional English styles, including:

• English Bitter / ESB
• English Pale Ale
• English Porter
• Oatmeal Stout
• Brown Ale
• English Barleywine

It is also widely used in American styles when the brewer wants faster clearing and a rounder malt presence than US-05 provides.

Usage Recommendations

Pitch one 11.5 g sachet into 5 gallons of standard-gravity wort, fermenting at 59–68°F. Stay near 62–64°F for a clean, balanced profile, or ferment warmer for more pronounced English fruitiness. Expect a fast, vigorous start — fermentation is often visibly done in three to four days.

Its rapid settling makes S-04 ideal for quick-turnaround cask-style ales and any beer you want pouring clear within two weeks of brew day.

Specifications

• Attenuation: 75%
• Flocculation: High
• Fermentation Temperature: 59–68°F
• Format: 11.5 g dry sachet
• Beer Styles: Bitters, English pale ales, porters, stouts, brown ales

Whether you're crafting a proper ESB, a silky oatmeal stout, or any malt-led ale that needs to be clear and in the glass fast, SafAle S-04 delivers authentic English character with brewery-grade reliability.