Porter yeast

[tinman1]

I need to brew a porter for an upcoming club brew. I was reading that traditionally porters were brewed w/ lager yeast. Anyone done one like that? What yeast did you use?

 

[Golddiggie]

Funny since I've read that most porters are made with ale yeast (and traditionally so)... You could use a lager yeast, IF you really wanted to.

Personally, I've used Wyeast 1882-PC with great results. Look in the Wyeast yeast style guide to help figure out which yeast you want to use for the style of porter.

 

[dansdigs]

BJCP guidelines do say that brown & baltic porters are occasionally brewed with lager yeast, which is news to me, I've never had a lager one. Looks like that is a wide open field for experimentation. Maybe try an octoberfest (malty) or California strain if your fermentation temps are higher?

 

[Golddiggie]

I'd use Wyeast 1728 if the temps are higher (it's good from 55-75F)...

I'm finding that the lower temperature numbers, at least during the start of fermentation, are not so critical. The batch I made on Saturday was chilled to 54F (got to love that ChllHog 4000 ) and I used Wyeast 1318 which lists 64-74F for it's range. As of Monday evening, it was at about 61F and started fermenting within 24 hours of pitching the starter slurry. :rockin: I wouldn't assume the higher temperature number has the same flexibility though.

IMO, one of the smartest things you can do for your batches is pick your yeast wisely. Becoming familiar with the strains is also a good idea. That way you'll know what they will do for the batch, and what to expect. I'm using the same handful of strains for pretty much all my batches.

 

[afr0byte]

BJCP guidelines do say that brown & baltic porters are occasionally brewed with lager yeast, which is news to me, I've never had a lager one. Looks like that is a wide open field for experimentation. Maybe try an octoberfest (malty) or California strain if your fermentation temps are higher?

I'd go far as to say that baltic porters are normally brewed with lager yeast. After all that's the same area where pilsners started.

 

[gavball6]

I have a porter on flame right now and will be using Wyeast 1728 as well.

 

[tinman1]

I was thinking the wyeast cali lager. Had real good luck doing a sour steam at warmer temps w/ it (60 deg).

 

[TrainSafe]

I've used the 1728 and 1056 with great success (in separate batches, of course).

 

[Malticulous]

1450 is really good, so is Nottingham and 1098.

 

[afr0byte]

I was thinking the wyeast cali lager. Had real good luck doing a sour steam at warmer temps w/ it (60 deg).

As a heads up: Cali lager isn't normally used in the 50s anyways. In Brewing Classic Styles they recommend a temperature of 62 for the California Common recipe.

 

[pernox]

Smuttynose Baltic Porter is a terrific example of a Baltic brewed with lager yeast, as they often are.

From BJCP style guidelines for Baltic Porter...

Ingredients: Generally lager yeast (cold fermented if using ale yeast). Debittered chocolate or black malt. Munich or Vienna base malt. Continental hops. May contain crystal malts and/or adjuncts. Brown or amber malt common in historical recipes.

That said, I brew a porter that's usually on tap or stashed in 22's and use US-05 in the low 60's to great success in it. If I were brewing for a meeting that's not 2+ months out, I'd go with an ale yeast (as most porters use) that's going to finish up and condition much quicker than a lager yeast. For me, the optimal time for consuming an average-gravity porter brewed with ale yeast is between 2-6 months. A few weeks of cold aging does it well, as the harsh flavors come together - however it does fall off after 6mos or so, and is noticeably... "Less good."