Is Irish yeast best for a guinness clone?

jzal8 · 02-08-2008, 12:34 PM

I am planning on brewing a guinness clone this weekend for St. Patty's day and have been doing a fair amount of research on recipes. I have both heard and read that really the WLP Irish Ale yeast is not the best yeast to use for this recipe. It has been suggested that something dryer and cleaner is better*.

I was considering using WLP California Ale or WLP London Ale. I am basing my recipe on BierMuncher's Guinness clone. My thinking is that the acid malt gives me the flavor I am looking for that the Irish Ale may have provided and that a cleaner yeast would bring this beer closer to the target. Any thoughts?

Also, I realize the recipe has been a great success, so for that reason I am hesitant to mess with a good thing.

*Basing these thoughts on Designing Great Beers' section on dry stouts and Jamil's Podcast/Book.

Soulive · 02-08-2008, 12:37 PM

I plan on using Notthingam for mine. I'm not sure what that equates to in liquid but I'd think its more attenuative than the Irish Ale...

brewt00l · 02-08-2008, 12:55 PM

http://whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp007.html

mmmm...lumpy gravy

Ølbart · 02-08-2008, 01:20 PM

If we are to believe Mr. Malty, the WLP004/Wyeast 1084 is the actual Guinness strain. From what I've heard/read, it needs to ferment at slightly lower temperatures, about 66F rising a bit toward the end of the fermentation. It's also not all too flocculent.

I'm going to use it for a slightly modified version of Jamil's recipe this weekend.

iamjonsharp · 02-08-2008, 01:41 PM

Irish ale yeast is not good for a Guinness clone. Too fruity of a strain.
EDIT: It may be a good yeast to use if you are going for a Guinness Extra Stout clone (which I find far tastier than Guinness Draught.)

**SenorWanderer** · 02-08-2008, 04:59 PM

I haven't like my stouts brewed with irish ale yeast as much as i've liked the ones i brewed with 1056. the more i brew the more i just prefer to use that yeast on almost everything i do.

**bradsul** · 02-08-2008, 05:01 PM

I don't like the Irish Ale yeast in dry stouts (it's pretty good in oatmeal stouts though). It doesn't attenuate enough for a dry stout in my experience.

jzal8 · 02-08-2008, 05:55 PM

Any thought on substituting with WLP001 California Ale yeast? Or Nottingham?

**bradsul** · 02-08-2008, 06:06 PM

I've never used 001, but Nottingham makes an excellent dry stout.

Evan · 02-08-2008, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradsul

I don't like the Irish Ale yeast in dry stouts (it's pretty good in oatmeal stouts though). It doesn't attenuate enough for a dry stout in my experience.

+1 to that. i have an irish stout now that i ued irish ale, and its decent, but next time i'm using something else