Oyster Stout

[Lucille's Daddy]

Recently made an oyster stout. Figured I had to at least try, as I run an oyster farm.

Used 6 oysters, about 3 1/4" each.
3 with low salinity, and 3 at almost ocean salinity.

Dropped em at 15 minutes, and when I tasted the gravity sample, the oyster flavor was pretty dominant. Ok, it was more so overpowering than dominant.

I've tasted some amazing beers pre-ferment, and they've also tasted a bit odd.

Did I used to many oysters, or will this flavor settle down?

Also, has anyone ever tried putting a hint of old bay in a stout before? I'd imagine you'd want to leave it as just a small after taste, and not flavor the beer with the stuff, but old bay and seafood.. They just go together.

 

[mikeasu]

Never tried old bay myself, and never heard of a stout, but Flying Dog here in MD does an Old Bay Ale: http://flyingdogbrewery.com/?beers=dead-rise

 

[pigroaster]

Sober Island brewery in Nova Scotia Canada specializes in this type of beer. SEnd Rebecca an email and she might help you.

 

[cubalz]

16 Mile Brewing here in Georgetown,DE makes an amazing Delaware Oyster Stout. They are great people and I bet they would gladly give you some tips. Here is their email: [email protected]

Good luck!
John

 

[passedpawn]

This thread is making me hungry. Odd.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Recently made an oyster stout. Figured I had to at least try, as I run an oyster farm.

Of course! There seems to be two schools of thought on oyster stouts, the more tradional view that they're an "ordinary" beer to be drunk with oysters (which certainly is a good combo - you want something closer to an English stout, which is sweeter and not as bitter as Irish stout) and the literal view that it's a beer that contains oysters. Most of the British versions take the former view, in the US people tend to be more literal...

Personally, I like the non-oyster ones, but the oyster-containing ones I've had tend to be a bit of a disappointment, the oyster flavour struggles to survive the weeks of fermenting and conditioning that such a malt-rich beer needs. So I wouldn't worry about using too many oysters.

Alternatively, if you have lots of dark malts, you could use ground up oyster shell in the mash to increase the pH, and allegedly you can also use ground shells as a fining agent. I've not tried it, but I have fewer oyster shells to hand than you do!!!! In both cases you could say you've used oysters in the beer, but it won't taste much different to if you'd included meat?

This article suggests 8-12oz in 5 gallons. https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/oyster-stout-tricks-brewing-mollusks/

Thinking more laterally, the fashion for gose might lead to an oyster gose? <Googles> Ah, I see I'm a year behind the times!!!

 

[Lucille's Daddy]

Thanks for the help and suggestions, everyone.

mikeasu, I'm also in MD. Dead Rise has definitely been my inspiration to try making an old bay brew.

Northern Brewer, Good solid advice, definitely about the aging of it. I've heard that the shell helps with pH, and that the meat adds to the mouthfeel of the finished product. I guess I'll know in a few weeks, whether I need to come up with something to blend out the oyster taste with. lol.

passedpawn, come on out, i've got about 20,000 oysters in the walk-in, and plenty of beer!

 

[Lucille's Daddy]

Just an update..

So I had this cool lookin bottle that I'd saved to use for bottling, someday. Set it up on the fridge.. My fermenters were beside the fridge.. and, well.. This happened..

My poor dog thought I was cussin up a storm at him.

My fermenters have since been relocated.

I couldn't stand the thought of having to do another batch just to figure out what I may have done wrong the first time, so I syphoned off about 3 1/2 gallons from the top, and plan to wrap the suction end of my syphon in cheese cloth, and slowly rack it in a few weeks to avoid any glass in it. Best I can think of, at the moment.

 

[passedpawn]

^^ that's some bad luck there.

 

[malty1]

I love Oyster Stouts, so getting ready to brew one in April with local oysters from the Chesapeake. Any thoughts on IBUs or what the base stout should be? Dry Stout or Oatmeal, maybe, with relatively low IBUs to allow the subtle oyster flavor to come through. Can anyone share their experience?

 

[65C]

I'd forgotten about oyster stout - I need to give that a go

I'm sure you'll be fine on the glass thing if it's left to settle for days and you syphon - beers with stories are often best beers