Safale S33

[JohnD]

Has anyone used S33 before? I bought some intending to make a Belgian beer (says on the package that it is for Belgian style beers). I later found out that it is Edme yeast which is British. Seems to be a general purpose English yeast. Yesterday I made an Old Ale (1.080 OG.) and used a package of S33. No starter, just hydrated it and poured it into a well shaken carboy of wort. The stuff went crazy!! CO2 through the airlock in 3 hrs. Within 6 hours I decided that I needed a blowoff tube and this morning it is about to crawl out of the fermenter! All of this within 16 hours from dry yeast. At this rate it could be done with most of the fermentation in 3 or 4 days and seriously impact the greenhouse gas situation and melt the polar ice cap. Is this something normal with this yeast?

[john mills]

I've only used it 1 time. From what I remember, I would agree, not Belgian. But I don't think it flocculates like an English yeast resulting in better attenuation like a Belgian. More like a hybrid without the phenolics.