I am wondering how others feel about using chocolate malt. It seems like each time I use this malt in a recipe, the outcomes always basically taste the same. the chocolate malt just takes over, and I get an unpleasant almost 'chocolate milk' type flavour. This, for me, is not desirable in a beer unless its a stout/porter. I tried that malt in american & english browns, porters, and even a small amount in a Pale and they all taste the same ! I went to a brewpub last night and tried the 'bitter'.... Chocolate malt, and it tasted exactly like all the other beers I have made with this malt.
Are my taste buds just 'off'? Lol... I will still use it in my stouts, though. However anything else I think I will skip it. Anyone out there enjoy this malt in other styles?
I agree with you- I use very little chocolate malt, and even less black patent. I tried using "pale chocolate" from austinhomebrew.com, and liked that much more. I get a bitter flavor from chocolate malt, so only one of my recipes (the Fat Squirrel clone) uses it. And that is in a 4 ounce amount!
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I like chocolate malt, but restrict its use to dark beers. Can't see any reason to use it in most styles, as it doesn't fit the flavor profile I'm shooting for.
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I'm rather partial to chocolate rye. Being a huskless grain it doesn't quite have that bite. Used it at 1% in my dopplebock for some color and 2% in my pecan smoked rauch also for color and spice. Also been playing around with pale and coffee chocolate malt. Used them in a couple browns at 7% of the grist and was rather pleased.
Well, good to see I am not alone. I must stress, this brewpub 'bitter' I had is at a fairly highly regarded place. The beers there have done very well, and I was surprised to find a bitter that tasted like "a porter with lots of chocolate malt, and the brewer forgot the black patent or roasted barley". I immediately regretted ordering the bitter, as I am used to a much different flavor profile from an English bitter.
Oh well, I guess its also nice to see that my bitter is better than theirs!!!
I like using chocolate malt, in the correct beer (porter, stout, etc). I've even used more roasted instead of chocolate and like that result. Haven't heard of using it in a pale, though.
I think you came to the same conclusion I did, That I don't enjoy the roasty, burnt coffee flavor in chocolate malt. My solution is to 1/2 the chocolate malt in any recipe I try, it work great even in stouts. I get the color I am looking for and lessen the roasty flavors.
Chocolate malt - Yech
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