BeerBorg

Yeast is my bugaboo. I’ve learned a lot in the past 4 years about grains/extracts and hops, but discovering the fine points of yeasts is a future project. In the meantime, I want to make an Edmund Fitzgerald Porter clone for my nephew for Christmas. What do you think, especially about the yeast?
From this:
http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/upload ... 202012.pdf

I came up with this:

EF 1
5 gallons
Partial Mash
1.059~OG → 1.013~FG → 6.0%ABV 36 IBU 36.9°L SRM
Yeast
Fermentis - Safale S-04
S-04 - Safale S-04
Fermentis (Ale) 0.17 ounces


Fermentables
9.5 pounds
Malt - Light
33ppg, 5°L 7.5 pounds
78.9%
Barley (Roasted)
27ppg, 500°L 8 ounces
5.3%
Chocolate
28ppg, 350°L 8 ounces
5.3%
Crystal 70L
33ppg, 70°L 8 ounces
5.3%
Crystal 80L
33ppg, 80°L 8 ounces
5.3%

Hops
4 ounces
Willamette
5%, Pellet 2 ounces

Cascade
6%, Pellet 1.5 ounces

Northern Brewer
9%, Pellet 0.5 ounces


Miscellaneous
None

Partial/Steep
30 minutes, 1.59 gallons
Partial Mash 1.59 gallons at 152°F

Boil
1 hour, 5.83 gallons
Northern Brewer hops
9%, Pellet 0.5 ounces
60 minutes (+0)
Cascade hops
6%, Pellet 1.5 ounces
10 minutes (+50)
Willamette hops
5%, Pellet 2 ounces
10 minutes (+50)

I'd love to help, really I would....but it's that whole dark beer thing.

My two cents for a porter maybe Notty or Windsor yeast.

I think S-04 will give good results from a dry yeast.

I think Wyeast London ESB could be an even better choice if you are into liquid yeast.

I actually would not use Notty or Windsor for this personally although I like both of those yeasts. Notty will potentially attenuate too much, and Windsor, although nice in an English stout or porter, might have more yeast character then you want for this particular clone. The London ESB I suggested is a nice balance between the S-04 and the Windsor.

If you want to use liquid yeasts, you can get by with any British/London Ale yeast. If dry yeast, Notty or S-04 will also work fine.
I've seen recipes with almost all the standard ale yeasts from 05/1056 to WLP002-007 and beyond. That beer is from GB so Wyeast has a few ESB yeasts that will work too.

I would check out White Labs website and see what they've got.

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew/listings

At a quick glance, I saw four strains that would work. There may be more. Then it would depend on how you wanted the yeast to perform (dry, sweet, etc.).

I'm a big fan of White Labs; I usually use them for my fivers, although I'm tending toward dry yeast for my smaller batches. I've found some strains from Mangrove Jack that I like, especially for Pale Ales.

a quick google came up with this yeast Wyeast 1968 being used the most

I agree with the others above 04 would be a good choice for a dry yeast and if I was doing this I might try Wyeast London Ale 1028 which I have used a couple times in Stouts and Porters with good results. Your recipy sounds good and I like Edmund Fitzgerald, Let us know how it turns out and I might try it the same way as you are brewing it.

WLP002!!! WLP002!!!! It is a nice clean fermenting yeast that will allow the charecteristics of the beer grains and hops take over. This yeast attenuation is perfect for porters. It will help it give you the rich full mouth feel that are associated with porters. GO WITH WLP002!!

Also, I have messed around with a specific porter by changing the crystal 60 i use and using 10/120 instead and just a slight mod like this drastically can change your flavor profile. I highly recommend just messing around with that on occasion too.

But in case you haven't noticed, I would go with WLP002.

PS, go to this link and download the PDF that has all the different yeasts and their characteristics. It can help you differentiate between the yeasts and what they can add. I usually use WLP002 for my porters but they didn't have it this last time and I used WLP007, similar yeast but less attentuation, and I can definitely tall the difference.

PSS, the London yeast mashini mentioned is also a nice yeast for porters. I've used it as well.

To me Notty comes out too clean for a British character in a beer. And it attenuates way too well for a malty beer or a beer with body. Both of which you want in a porter. My favorite yeast for a British ale is S 04. Windsor does not attenuate very well, which is what you want for a full bodied malty beer, but you have to take into consideration what you are trying to clone.

I was just reading the link you put up. I do think 04 is the way to go if you want to use dry yeast. This beer is listed at 5.8% ABV. You won't make that with Windsor. Getting your ABV right is actually part of getting the beer to taste close to what you are trying to clone.

As Roger said, getting the numbers right is important when trying to nail down a clone...

GL lists it as a 15°P beer, meaning the OG needs to be 1.061

It also lists it as 5.8% ABV which would put the FG at 1.0175...

That would make the Apparent Attenuation about 70.3%

So, you need a yeast that attenuates to around 71%

It should also floc out pretty clean and leave a malty finish...

I like Wyeast 1968 for that, fermented cool (64-68°F) so it doesn't throw off a lot of fruity esters.

Use the same Crystal/Caramel malts and the right hops over a good 2-Row or pale malt and you should do well...

'Specially with some good old Lake Erie in it!

I love this beer so good luck and please let us know what you end up doing and how it comes out!

D_Rabbit wrote:WLP002!!!

PSS, the London yeast mashini mentioned is also a nice yeast for porters. I've used it as well.

I think London ESB (which is Wyeast 1968 as people keep also mentioning) is actually the same yeast or at least of the same origin as WLP002. Both were cultured from a Fullers ESB strain I think. So we agree

Only 1/2 dozen different choices... I too have no yeast expertisemail, and only use dry yeast.

White House Honey Porter uses Notty. Oatmeal Stout I make uses S-04. The stout does have more body per Gymrat's comment and finishes higher.

I may make both again splitting yeast and see impact.