Yeast choice for a Foreign Extra Stout

[blakelyc]

Hi folks:

I have just started the formulation of a new Foreign Extra Stout recipe. I intend to add more island flavors, including allspice and maybe some rum-soaked oak or barreled rum barrel staves if I can get them. I figure on starting with a standard formulation from Brewing Classic Styles and modifying as necessary. This will be my first time with oak and beer.

What yeast strains would you all recommend?

Wyeast indicates 1028, 1084, 1275, 1335, or 1728..... None of which I have ever used. Breaking some new ground in my brewing career . Thoughts or advice on this choice are very much appreciated.

Thanks!
-b

 

[Special Hops]

I have used Nottingham and S-04 with good success on Foreign Extra Stout

 

[jbsg02]

What about the Irish ale strain?

 

[blakelyc]

I am definitely interested in the Irish ale strain (1084), but I was concerned by the description of "subtle" fruitiness. The beer I am going for is on the tropical end of foreign extra stout, so I think it will be difficult to balance. I fear that subtle fruits may make the vanilla and oak too overwhelming.

Of course, I am totally uneducated about any of these strains, so these may be all just made-up concerns.

 

[Golddiggie]

I've used 1335 and 1728 with great results. I've also used 1882-PC (Thames Valley II) and enjoy what it brings to a brew. I believe Rebel Brewer still has some 1882 in stock.

Depending on what you're looking to get from the yeast, is which I would select. That being said, I don't think you could go wrong with 1335.

 

[blakelyc]

My first goal is to create a great stout, but with slightly loud whispers of the islands with rum, vanilla, sugar cane, and whatever tropical fruits I can coax out. D you think 1335 will get me there? I was leaning towards 1098 or s-04, but like I say, I know very little about any of these strains.

 

[Golddiggie]

If you're looking for fruity esters, than you'll probably want to use 1084 and ferment it in the warmer end of it's range. I prefer more clean, but nice malt, profile from most of my yeasts (and in the brews). The yeasts I've been using also help the hops come out in good ways. You can hop with a variety that will lend it some of the fruit flavors you want, just be careful with the balance.

For rum and vanilla, you could probably get those with some medium, or medium plus toast oak (cubes or spirals) with a couple shots or rum in the mix. You can get vanilla flavors from oak as well. If you use a vanilla bean, such as in the boil, it's easy to have it be too strong a flavor. For sugar cane, I would replicate the effect by mashing on the higher end to leave more residual sweetness in the brew (and more body).

IMO, this is a rather complex combination of flavors. If you're out of balance on any one of them you'll get a very different brew than you're thinking of. Maybe start with a solid FES, age it with some oak cubes (I favor medium toast Hungarian personally) and maybe a few shots of rum in the end. Brew a second batch, or split off half and add a couple of split (and scraped) vanilla beans to see what you get there.

Are you planning to bottle or keg this up??

 

[bierhaus15]

I brew my tropical stout with 1187 (Ringwood) and it does pretty well at comps. Though I don't add any spices/rum. 1335 would be a good choice too, though 1187 is nice since when fermented cool it adds some fruity character without being detracting from the malt. You don't want it to be very estery. Haven't had much success with 1084, though I know people do like using it for FES.

 

[blakelyc]

Quick update on this project.... I ended up going with 1084. OG was 1.099, fermented down to 1.022. Fermented at 74. It is a good beer, but it isn't terribly well integrated yet. Fruitiness is there, malty roastiness is there, but they feel a but disjoint. In the wine world we would call the profile good but "young".

Anyways, all the flavors that I wanted ARE there and this was brewed for ski season, so there is time to wait