Banana Esters in Foreign Extra Stout

I'm one week in to fermenting a foreign extra stout with S-04. I just took a sample today. My gravity has gone from 1.073 to 1.025, so probably not quite done yet. No big deal, but there's a definite banana scent and flavor to the beer. I did have some trouble keeping the temperature down at the beginning, and it was probably around 76 at pitch time, 70 within a few hours, and down to a steady 66 or so within 24 hours. I actually think it tastes pretty good, but I know heavy esters aren't really on par for the style. I was planning on "barrel aging" this beer, and I've had 3 oz of medium toast french oak cubes soaking in rum for 8 days. I was going to add the cubes, sans rum, to the secondary. I'm hoping for advice on what to do, as I'm kind of inclined to just bottle this beer is after it's cleaned up. This is partly because I'm not sure about the idea of oak aging a stout that's a) so estery and b) pretty bitter, and I kind of had my heart set on the "rum barrel aged" foreign extra stout that I was going to call "ship in a bottle." However, I'm worried that if I don't use the oak soon all the good oakiness might get soaked up before they go in a beer. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Recipe (extract):
6 lb Dark LME (pale with caramel 60, munich, and black)
1 lb Dark DME (pale, munich, 60, black)
1 lb Light LME
12 oz Briess extra special malt
8 oz special B
8 oz molasses
6 oz roasted barley
4 oz chocolate malt
4 oz pale chocolate
4 oz black patent
7 g sea salt
1 oz Cluster (7.8AA, 60m)
1 oz Magnum (14.6AA, 60min)
s-04

49.3 IBU
1.073 OG

Yeah, it's a lot of ingredients. I was going for complexity and used up a couple of things too.

 

Interesting, I didn't realize they faded. How does one make a hefeweizen without losing that character when it's desired then? Edit: I guess the yeasts used must create different ester which lasts?

Huh, I've actually used the same LME before without any banana. Should have been fresh too. Hopefully this isn't the case

That's useful, thanks. You do think retoasting would be necessary though?


Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm thinking I might continue as planned and hope most of the banana fades.

 

I took a reading again today. It looked like 1.024 or 1.025 at first but a couple minutes later looking back was resting at 1.022. Clearly the sample was fermenting away strongly during that time. I'll check it again in a few days. With it as high as it is, I would have been a little concerned if it didn't attenuate further, but you think that's to be expected? Beersmith estimated the OG at 1.066 and FG at 1.016. I think the difference of .007 might be Beersmith underestimating the contribution of the steeped grain.

 

So you're saying the unfermentable sugars would be fermented out (or approx. 70% of them) in their calculations? I was actually referring to the OG in this case, but that's still relevant of course.

 

I just tested; you're right. 4 lbs of black patent in 5 gallons added .03 to OG and .01 to FG when steeped. Kind of silly. So My extra .06-.09 could be the unfermentable sugars. I guess I won't be surprised if it sticks where it is then.

And actually I'll tell you what they did get pretty much spot on was the ABV. It all makes sense. Just had lower gravities. Thank you.

 

That's right. That was probably kind of confusing.

 

I sorta feel like I've been challenged to brew a beer with four pounds of black patent now though...

Really, though, I fall somewhere in between perceiving it as more-chocolate-than-chocolate and ash trays. For this stout, I've found the samples of this beer very tasty, not really very much chocolate or coffee, just very dark, not quite burnt, roasty. Definitely some burnt caramel and a little dark dried fruit. I think I'll enjoy it whether or not much banana sticks around, and the main two people I share my homebrew aren't going to want it either way.