SenorWanderer

Recipes 

I'm working on a recipe for a Chocolate Stout. my question is, can i achieve a solid chocolate taste by using malts alone, or will i need to add actual chocolate or cocoa powder? I don't need or want the beer to be a candy bar, just a nice, less-than-subtle hint of chocolate. a medium to big chocolate nose, maybe, with a some light chocolate flavors. I've never brewed with chocolate malts before, so i dont know what to expect. here's a preliminary grain bill, tell me what you think i can expect.

7.5 gallons post boil, 1.055 OG

9 lbs maris otter
1.5 lbs chocolate malt
1 lbs chocolate wheat malt
8 oz carapils
6 oz roasted barley
1 lb lactose added at boil

what do you think about the chocolate wheat? i'm having trouble with whether or not this is a sweet stout or a dry stout. obviously it leans toward sweet with the lactose, but i'd like to mash low, 152ish, so i can have a little bit of both.

also, i could be persuaded to drop the carapils, or replace it with crystal 60 maybe.

Brewsmith

Recipes 

That's a bit much Chocolate malt with the choccolate and chocolate wheat. I would nix the carapils and definately add some crystal. You already have enought roasted barley in there. I'd go with maybe 8-10 oz of Chocolate malt and make up the difference with an extra lb of maris otter and a lb of crystal, maybe split in half crystal 60 and 120 or even 150 if you can find it. The dark crystal will add a dark toffee, caramel flavor that will go nice with the chocolate malt. Plus you will have a little sweetness from the lactose.

Edit - you could go up to maybe 12 oz of chocolate malt, but not much more. I'd still keep the crystals

__________________
Primary:#141 American Nut Brown
Up Next:5-Quarter Stout, Liquid Whole Wheat Lager and Belgian
My Recipes
Tuba Sonata
Smith & Co. Custom Tap Handles

Grimsawyer

Recipes 

I have heard of people just tossing in a few hershey's bars for a chocolate beer beyond what you can get from grains. I'm going to do one with a buttload of chocolate and lactose eventually! Sorry, no advise on just grains. Heard something and thought someone could benefit!

__________________
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. They wake up in the morning and that's as good as they're going to feel all day." -Dean Martin

SenorWanderer

Recipes 

thanks for the tips, brewsmith. grim, i wanted to avoid using actual chocolate. im brewing this for a competition and the pub that's hosting the comp has very well liked stout with a bunch of belgian chocolate in it, so i'm trying for something that will stand out to the brewers.

Revised grain bill:

9.5 lbs MO
1 lbs chocolate malt
.5 lbs crystal 60
.5 lbs crystal 120
.5 lbs chocolate wheat
4oz roasted barley

the chocolate is still pushing it given your recommendation. will i be disappointed with the flavors? can you describe what too much chocolate will taste like? let me know what you think!

kenb

Recipes 

You need to up the roasted barley. Despite it's name, chocolate malt imparts more of a nutty flavor and not much chocolate. You will get more chocolate out of roasted barley than you will from chocolate malt...i would up the roasted barley to 1 lb....

Ó Flannagáin

Recipes 

IMO .. up the roasted, the chocolate looks a little high, but should be ok, keep the carapils.. I use a pound in my stouts and love it. I'm not a fan of crystal in stouts, but that's just my opinion. If you want a REAL chocolate flavor/nose add 100% pure cocoa powder. It's good, don't us chocolate though, because the oils will kill your head on the beer.

RadicalEd

Recipes 

A little flaked barley is nice for flavor, too . My dry Irish has just some 2-row, flaked barley, and roasted barley, and it's got lots of yummy roasted chocolate flavor.

Ó Flannagáin

Recipes 

Mine has 1lb flaked, 1lb carapils in it for a THICK body and head. then a little roasted, chocolate and BAM... a helluva stout.

Brewsmith

Recipes 

Yeah, I'd reduce the Chocolate to a half pound if you want to keep the chocolate wheat and up the roast to half a pound

__________________
Primary:#141 American Nut Brown
Up Next:5-Quarter Stout, Liquid Whole Wheat Lager and Belgian
My Recipes
Tuba Sonata
Smith & Co. Custom Tap Handles

Ó Flannagáin

Recipes 

You could go .75 - 1lb for a 7.5 gallon batch...