Which yeast would you recommend? I don’t want it to be very dry and I want something reliable not one that works sometimes but works great when it does. I’m a wyeast fan and my Lhbs doesn’t even carry white labs so which would you guys recommend? It’s made with all British ingredients and a gu bu ratio of .43 of around 55-60 if memory serves me correctly
Ok, You are asking about a sweet stout, but you state that you want the beer to be “very dry.” This seems to be an oxymoron, considering most sweet stouts use oats or lactose to increase the perception of body and sweetness. However, I will recommend a yeast for each style of beer.
I prefer 1968 (London ESB) for most styles, including sweet stouts. I think that it is an easy yeast to work with, and gives some nice soft British flavor.
I would recommend 1084 (Irish Ale) for a dry Irish style stout. I have tasted quite a few stouts with this yeast, and I think it gives a nice dry finish.
EDIT: Ok, I can’t read ;D
Garc, he DOESN’T want it to be very dry. I would use 1084 or 1099. Mash high.
Are those reliable? I’m in the process of obtaining a fridge for temp control but I don’t have it yet. My boiler room(where it ferments) has a pretty steady temp but there are some small changes probably about 3 degrees tops and an average of 69. I just want to make sure it will work in these conditions.
Yeh 1099 is my favorite for sweet stouts. It leaves some sweetness behind as well as imparting a bit of fruitiness. I’ve done sweet stouts with 1968, 002, 005, and 1099 and the 1099 was by far the favorite.
I use 1084 for my sweet stout every time. It’s more of an imperial stout, since it tips in around 1.080 or so, but it’s sweet and I get darn near the same fermentation from this yeast every time. I’ve been brewing this stout for over 10 years with only minor modifications.
Is use WLP002 on my sweet stout and it’s in the 2012 NHC finals. It makes a great English stout in my opinion. I usually add 1/2lb of lactose and about 7.5% crystal malt per 6 gallon batch. The lower attenuation of WLP002 and that balance of lactose and crystal seem to merge well. I pitch at 65 and let rise to 68 over the course of 3 days.
WLP002 is the same as Wyeast 1968 since you can’t get White Labs.
I haven’t used the ESB in a stout, but it makes an awesome English ale.
Right now, I’ve got a London Pride clone and an Old Ale that I brewed with it. Both side-by-side with batches with Nottingham. No more Nottingham for this kid.
Hey guys I’m kind of reviving this thread I brewed the beer today with the 1099. Stupid me didn’t check the expiration date (DOH!) it expired may 1st. I said hey maybe it’ll still work but here I am 7 hours after pitching and nothing. Is this normal and if there is a problem with fermentation should I just pitch some more yeast? I’ve never had to wait this long for fermentation
Did you make a starter?
7 hrs. is a bit early to panic. Give it more time.
Also, s-04 makes a good sweet stout IMO. I know you were asking about Wyeast and you’ve already brewed but I’m just sayin’. 
If you didn’t make a starter I’d throw some more yeast in just to be safe.
IME, a long lag time leads to off tastes.
Well this morning it was bubbling and now it’s going crazy, so i think its fine. no I didn’t make a starter, I don’t have a container suitable to make them yet.
Good news. Those little buggers can be unpredictable at times. A starter is always a good idea when using liquid yeast. Before I had a flask I would just boil my water and DME, cool down and pour into a sanitized growler. Then just pitch the yeast with a sanitized funnel and cover with tin foil. This would get you by until you got the proper starter kit.
A mason jar would work. With foil on top.
Or a growler. I started with growlers before I had a flask.
the pot you cook the starter wort in would work with aluminum foil to cover. Im sure you have a vessel that would work 
Pretty sure even a juice jug would work. Post your address and we can send you all our empty juice jugs, mason jars, pickle jars etc etc etc.
Seriously, starters rock. You’ll never go back once you find a “suitable container”. I bought a gallon of very cheap wine as a joke for a party I was going to. Never had the wine but the jug has made several starters.
I use old 1 gal. glass jugs. I think they were apple juice jugs originally. They work great with a #6 rubber stopper and a bubble lock or just aluminum foil. I got mine out of Mom’s basement when we were moving her to Omaha so “free” is hard to beat.
Really, any old jug will do the job.
Paul