Recipe Type: Partial Mash
Yeast: WLP080 Cream Ale
Yeast Starter: nope
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.046
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBU: 20.8
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 35-38 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 days at 68
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days at 70
Tasting Notes: 5.9% abv Dark, but not overly bitter. A well balanced stout.

*Wonderful rich coffee flavour is the first thing to hit your tongue. Followed by a slight hop bitterness and ends on a dark chocolate note. Has a yummy, fluffy light tan head.

This brew has 3 additions of "Chocolate" Hence the name. 1 of the additions being a mock chocolate in the form of chocolate malt.

I used WLP080 Cream ale, a blend of Lager and ale yeast that ferments well at lower (but not lager) temps. It has a medium flocculation and a slight sulfur smell during fermentation. Didn't use "Irish ale" Cause my basement was much cooler at the time I made this beer. Feel free to use the White Labs Irish Ale... it works well too!


I really enjoyed this beer, it's an evening sipper for me, and went well with a side of irish cream.

I also mashed with a little bit more water than suggested, but I was just trying to keep my water distribution even and easy peezy. Did not find that it was watery.

I have moved away from extract, and so I compiled an AG version, but I am currently waiting on the AG version to finish bottle conditioning so I can let you all know how it is.

Fermentables and extras...
3# Dark DME
1# Crystal Malt 60L
1# White Wheat Malt (For Head Retention)
1/2# Chocolate Malt
1/2# Roasted Barley
1# Brown Sugar (light or dark, it didn't impart much of a molasses flavor and i've made this beer with both dark and light)
8 oz. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder @ last 5 min

Hops
1.5 oz Mt. Hood @ 45 min
.5 oz Mt. Hood @ 10 min
.5 oz Mt. Hood @ 5 min

Boil size: 6 gallons

-Sterilize sterilize sterilize!
-Gave the grains a really fine crack, as I wasn't worried about clarity.
-Mashed at 155 F for 45 min. in 2 gallons of water, then Mashout
-Sparged with 2 gallons of water at 165 F for 10 min then drain into kettle
-Added 2 gallons of water to kettle that was preboiled and held at 170 F
-Brought the wort to a boil for 5 min and slowly added the DME while stirring like a madman! **Keep stirring it will lump up**
-Let it return to a boil *Don't forget to stir! you don't want it to scorch*
- At 45 min add 1.5 oz of Mt. Hood (I put all my hops in a hop bag and remove it at flame out)
-At 10 min add .5 oz of Mt. Hood
-At 5 min add .5 oz of Mt. Hood and the unsweetened cocoa powder. **Stir because this will lump too*

-At flameout I transfered it to the ice bath and let it sit with an occasional stir.
-Pitched yeast at 75 F
-Popped the airlock on and tucked it away in the basement for 2 weeks. My batch showed activity within 20 hours.
-When I transferred to secondary, I added one 750ml bottle of Cream de Cacao to the carboy and then siphoned over it.
-Airlock back on and let it go another week in secondary.

3.3 oz of corn sugar or 3.5 oz of table sugar for priming... Yes i've used both. There is no discernible difference in taste in this recipe if you use either one.
No... I haven't kegged it, so I can't help anyone there. Sorry

Hope whoever tries this enjoys it!