sirsloop

Recipes 

like a true home brewer... i'm going out on a limb here and trying something not normally done.

5 gallon batch - ale:
6lbs Dark DME
3lbs Wheat DME
1/2lbs roasted barley
1/8lbs expresso coffee grounds
1oz chinhook 15min
1oz saaz 60min

now... im up in the air at this point about what I should use for the "german chocolate". Its chocolate and coconut flavor. I really dont want a cady bar tasting beer, but rather a nice rich stout that has slight flavors of chocolate (bitter cacao) and smooth coconut.

I have read a few posts where people used 1lbs unsweetened coconut for a 3gallon batch. Some people roast the coconut at 350° for 20 minutes to extract some of the oil, and get a roasted flavor. Other people use a bit of coconut extract at the end of the boil, and add a bit more during priming. Head retention is a concern with the oily coconut... but there have been reports that its not a problem if you bake it. Im not sure about extract, or now much I would need for subtle flavor in a 5 gallon batch. Maybe 1oz total?

As far as the cocolate is concerened, i'm pretty much set on cacao powder... straight up non-sweeteneed non-fattened. It may not come through like chocolate, but will add nice bitter roasted flavor.

any thoughts? Anyone have some advice for this batch?

gruntingfrog

Recipes 

Have you thought about using chocolate malt steeped with the roasted barley? I'm not sure exactly how much you'd need, but it may taste better than the cacao powder.

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sirsloop

Recipes 

I wanted to actually use chocolate for this instead of using malt with somewhat silimar color and flavors. Cant really call it German Chocolate if its all malt... id probably use 1/2lbs of it though....

thanks for the input!

homebrewer_99

Recipes 

From reading your post I gather you are trying to imitate a German Chocolate Cake (as we know it)?

If that's the case I need to inform you and other readers that what we (in America) call German Chocolate Cake is actually called "German's Chocolate Cake". The bakers name was "German" who lived in England.

Think about it...chocolate and coconut...who brought them to Europe from the New World? Certainly not the Germans. It was the British.

My point is German Chocolate Cake is not German.

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sirsloop

Recipes 

HAHAH... I didnt think it was actually german seeing as though there is coconut in there. Just happened to be called that. It is my favorite type of cake frosting though

I'll rename the recipe German's Chocolate Beer... hopefully people will still expect to taste a little coconut in there when they try it

Walker

Recipes 

you'll want some caramel taste in there, too. the cake icing is toasted coconut and caramel.

-walker

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homebrewer_99

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...and it's ALL GOOD!

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Ivan Lendl

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Yup and 'baker's chocolate' is not generic for bitter/semi-sweet chocolate used for baking, its some dude named 'Baker' and his chocolate company.

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david_42

Recipes 

I've found a little vanilla in the secondary can help bring out the chocolate, about 1/2 oz.

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homebrewer_99

Recipes 

Yep. I knew that too. (from Good Eats!)

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