Wyeast 1469 West Yorkshire

I've decided I'm a big fan of this yeast. It ferments quickly and vigorously. It seems to impart some fruity flavors to beers, though esters are something that have always been hard for me to distinguish from hop flavor. In my opinion, it ferments pretty clean. I certainly don't detect any estery flavors in the stout I brewed, though I suppose the chocolate and roast malts might cover them up. Someone who tried my Northern English Brown Ale described it as fruity though.

It flocculates well if you give it time. I have a bitter on tap right now that I've not fined with gelatin and it's cleared up nicely, though not crystal clear. And the aforementioned brown ale was extremely clear going into the keg, probably owing to sitting in the fermenter for over five weeks (longer than usual for my process).

It also attenuates pretty well, beyond Wyeast's specs, so plan for that. However, if you mash high, it will attenuate low, like any other yeast.

Overall, this is a fantastic yeast for all sorts of ales, regardless of continent. Cheers!

Stout tasting

This is a really great beer. It was one of those where I just knew it was going to be great when I tasted it -- a gravity sample -- for the first time after fermentation. I kegged it the same day I brewed my mish-mash kitchen sink pale ale, so about three weeks ago. It's been on the gas and pretty well carbonated for awhile now. Interestingly, it finished at 1.016, well above what I anticipated. I don't think I mashed high, and I let the yeast ferment it fully (i.e. the krausen fell). It doesn't taste sweet though. In fact it's very dry.

Appearance: Black, but ruby on the edges and if you hold a light to it. Tan head.

Aroma: Milk chocolate. Sweetness. Coffee.

Flavor: Chocolate. Some roastiness. Pretty low bitterness. Maybe a touch of coffee. Very dry.

Overall: very enjoyable beer and I don't think I would change anything about the recipe. According to Brewer's Friend, that makes this a 3.94% abv beer. It's amazing that you can pack so much flavor into such a low alcohol beer.

Changes for next time? Although I mention above that I wouldn't change the recipe, I might try modifying the water slightly. I never do anything with water when I brew. But I wonder if a bit of distilled water (maybe half the total volume) might make this a little more crisp. I seem to remember the competition example being very crisp and the malt really popping. Mine has a sort of softness.