Damson Stout

[Jolum]

I currently have 7.5Kg of strained damson pulp sitting in the freezer. I'm going to stick them in a Stout but haven't decided on how much fruit per gallon and what yeast to use. The recipe will be something like this (from BE), it's based on the Oatmeal Stout I've made a few times now.

Damson Stout
Pale Malt 3600 grams 53%
Roasted Barley 230 grams 3.4%
Chocolate Malt 230 grams 3.4%
Crystal Malt 230 grams 3.4%

Challenger 90 mins 40 grams 50%
Golding 90 mins 40 grams 50%


Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.046
Final Gravity: 1.014
Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Total Liquor: 32.6 Litres
Mash Liquor: 10.7 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 83 %
Bitterness: 44 EBU
Colour: 217 EBC

I reckon I'll have to use the top end of the scale, perhaps a kilo of fruit per gallon, if I'm going to taste any Damson it it at all. As for the yeast??? Any suggestions are welcome.

[CJBrew]

I don't think it matters much which yeast you use. You're not going to taste it. Use S-04

[dave-o]

You can definitely taste the damsons in Poacher's Choice.

I'd probably put the lot in a 23l brew.

Definitely use pectic enzyme though.

[Jolum]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

I

I don't think it matters much which yeast you use. You're not going to taste it. Use S-04

I'd have to disagree (but in a nice way ). I used to think the same thing about stouts but I've made Oatmeal stout a few times now using exactly the same ingredients\method (can't change as everybody loves it too much) but with different yeasts and I was surprised that they did actually taste different - not vastly I'll concede but different all the same. I've used S-04, S-33 and WLP004 and you could definitely taste the difference. Then again 2 of them used exactly the same ingredients (MO malt-wise) the third was MO from another supplier but that was the only difference.

Well, I'm going to go with Dave's suggestion and just whack the lot into the secondary, hopefully there's still enough live yeast in there to cope with that amount of sugar

Quick question about the pectic enzyme...why? When I used to make fruit wine the normal procedure was to chuck in the enzyme with a Campden tablet into the must 24 hours before introducing the yeast but that was for clarity reasons. I've never really bothered using it for a beer, when I've made beer with raspberries I've always based it on a wheat beer so clarity wasn't that important, then again I believe Raspberries have a low to medium pectin content. All the same, I didn't think it would be needed for making a stout but I'll check post fermentation - I can always add it then.

Cheers
J

[dave-o]

Well from my experience of fruit beers, you get a strange haze without PE. Like looking through oil or something. Shimmering.

It is a stout so it will be dark anyway so maybe you won't notice it. If you have some PE anyway though, why not?

[CJBrew]

I thought PE was more important if you dump the fruit into the kettle at the end of the boil (to pasteurise). The slight cooking effect increases the amount of pectin, just like making jam.

Someone correct me?

[deanrpwaacs]

I thought it helped the fruit to break down and let the juice and flavour out and also aid clarity.
Not that it maters in a stout.
Regards Dean.