Cocoa powder in keg...

Lando · 10-12-2009, 01:57 AM

I brewed up a stout recipe I found on BMW and it calls for 4 oz of cocoa powder and 4 oz lactose at bottling. I added these to the keg four days ago and when I poured a sample tonight it poured about a pint of the cocoa and lactose mixture that I boiled and added to the mix during kegging. The dip tube in the keg is cut so I assume it would have poured off a lot more if not for that. The sample has a lot of the powder in it as well.
How long until this stuff either settles out or fades away?
I am debating on changing out the dip tubes to see if I can suck out more of this junk if it doesn't settle out or mix in after a few weeks.

chefmike · 10-12-2009, 02:02 AM

I would link to the recipe and see if it is someone here we can ask what their experience was. I have none with this combo... but I am intrigued!

Lando · 10-12-2009, 10:57 AM

http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/9cfe915b/conpewter-tasty-oats-stout

Here is the recipe. It says to let age for four months. Any idea what kind of effect that will have on the powder clumps in the keg? Should I age in the fridge, or ambient of around 64f?

JesseRC · 10-12-2009, 11:26 AM

Well it doesnt say to put the cocoa in the keg it just says to add after Primary, that could mean that you're supposed to do a Secondary, which is very common when adding adjuncts like cocoa powder. The lactose can really be added at anytime. How long has it been carbing. You might do a keg to keg transfer to another keg to try to leave the trub behind.

Lando · 10-12-2009, 01:56 PM

Good idea.
I think I will stick the autosiphon into the keg to hopfully suck up some of the trub and what not after a few more days of cold crashing in the keg. Then transfer to another keg if needed.

What if I were to let the keg warm up, add gelatin to help clear it, cold crash again and then transfer. Any problems with that?