What would you do - eh Stout advice

I brewed up a 10 gallon batch of Dry stout back in December. Same recipe I did last year and enjoyed - this year, not so much. Hit a higher gravity, 1.052 vs 1.046 projected - no big deal I thought, still not sure why I was so off, my guess is my boil was a bit strong, I was doing stuff around the house during the whole boil. I usually hit my gravity spot on and always have a bit more than two kegs can hold so I do not pay a ton of attention to volume at any point.

Anyway fermented with Irish Ale yeast and got a FG ~ 1.016-1.018, from research it seems sometimes you can get low attenuation with 004. Obviously this was way too high for a dry stout, I bumped the temp and no change at all. Toyed with the idea of pitching new yeast but the gravity samples were actually pretty good so Kegged and waited.

Well the wait is over, and it is not very good. There is an odd twang in the back of the mouth and the flavor a bit chalky roast. I am looking to take my time with one keg and see if time heals, but the other I wouldnt mind experimenting with. I don't care if I have to dump it, so willing to try almost anything.

Here is what I am leaning towards:

1) Pull Keg from keezer and pitch Saison yeast to Dry it out (note I am not a big belgian beer fan but figured with most of the work done I won't get too many esters)
2) Vodka soaked Vanilla Beans - dose into keg, keep in keezer and wait a month to try
3) Bourbon Soaked Vanilla Beans - same as above
4) Bourbon Soaked used Bourbon Barrel Staves - drill and tie to floss, keep in keezer - test weekly for flavor before pulling from keg.

Anybody have a leaning on my above options or any I did not think of?

3 or 4 would lend the strongest flavors, so it be most likely to cover up the off flavors.

If you don't mind a little heat in your beer, you could also cut up some chili peppers and add them.

I should clarify the beer actually isn't bad it is just not what I prefer. I do not like overly roasty stouts and this one is approaching too roasty for me, I am sure it would not be roasty enough for others. The back of the mouth twang I described is likely the high fg as I am pretty much a 1.012 or under beer person. So it is not off flavors I am trying to cover up as much as it is turn this beer into something much different and experiment with something new.

What's a keezer?

Friend of mine had a one-noteish stout they hated that they oaked and it improved vastly. They said they ran standard recommendation off the oak packet for 5g batch so might be worth a shot.

drainbamage said:

3 or 4 would lend the strongest flavors, so it be most likely to cover up the off flavors.

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^ this.....I have cured a couple 3 brews with similar methods.

TheBigLebrewsk1 said:

What's a keezer?

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A kegerator is a fridge turned into a beer dispensing appliance.
A keezer is the same thing, but starting with a freezer, typically a chest type unit...

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

A kegerator is a fridge turned into a beer dispensing appliance.
A keezer is the same thing, but starting with a freezer, typically a chest type unit...

Cheers!

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Thank you sir, I appreciate it, seems that I need an interpreter for the younger generation of home brewer.

lol!
Truth be told, I'm likely one of the Ancients here, but I try to keep up

Cheers!

well since it sounds kind of ash-y I'd mess about with 3 or 4 (well realistically I'd dump it and insult myself at length) but if I weren't a neurotic weirdo I'd try 3 or 4. if it were just sweet, I'd probably kreusen it with some wlp001.

tjmac5071 said:

fermented with Irish Ale yeast and got a FG ~ 1.016-1.018.....

Well the wait is over, and it is not very good. There is an odd twang in the back of the mouth and the flavor a bit chalky roast. I am looking to take my time with one keg and see if time heals, but the other I wouldnt mind experimenting with. I don't care if I have to dump it, so willing tory almost anything.

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Since you don't like it all that much, I'd use the 5 gallons as an experimental
batch. Get five 1 gallon glass jugs and put about 3 quarts in #1 and add some new yeast like WL 001, and see if it drys out, if you like the taste better you can add pitch the rest of it onto that yeast cake or try the other 4 ideas in your original post.
You can also try to bottle some and see how it changes over time.
I have some bottled stout I didn't like that much fresh but has gotten a lot better after 6 months. Recently, I've been taking a few ounces of leftover morning coffee, put it in a glass and add the stout, comes out pretty good, tastes better than the stout by itself.