Triple Chocolate Stout....Lego Build :)

Ok... I was trying to make it fun, but that didn't stoke anyones interest. so.....

Just looking for a wee bit of help composing a triple choc stout recipe. This is my first recipe build, I did oodles of calculations and i'm hoping all turns out well.

Here's what I have so far....

3.3# Dark LME
1# Crystal malt 60L
1# Cara-pils
8 oz light brown sugar
8 oz Chocolate Malt
8 oz Roasted Barley
8 oz cocoa powder at last 5min of boil

1.5 oz Willamette hops at 45min boil
1 oz Willamette hops at 5 min boil (with cocoa powder)
In primary until It feels right...

IN SECONDARY for 10 days with
8 oz Dark chocolate ((Not sure if I should use powder or melted and made into a syrup)
8 oz milk chocolate ((same problem))
1 Vanilla bean split

Estimated OG 1.055
Estimated FG 1.014

I've never used dark LME. Does it attenuate as well as lighter extracts? As for what chocolates to use, there was a thread in the Mead forum a while back where the OP made a bunch of different 1-gallon batches with different chocolates (cocoa powder, Nesquick, cocoa nibs, etc.) that might give you a little guidance there.

it was suggested to me for my first creation (also a stout), to use pale LME and let the steeping grains darken the color. This still made beersmith give me a black color for the estimate. Pappers said that you dont really know what's in dark LME...

just passing along a tip that was given to me!

Sorry I didn't provide it earlier, but here's the link to the aforementioned thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/our-chocolate-mead-experiment-94358/

If you can find it, I highly recommend this for the dark chocolate portion:

I use it in my recipe and it's fat free. Tastes fantastic too.

I've used wonder cocoa before for a bride who wanted a fat free chocolate weddingcake. It was yummy and I was very surprised! Thanks for the tip Chshre I'll be adding that to the recipe. With that said, I guess using powder to flavor it in secondary is the best bet? How do I go about mixing it in without contaminating? Any tips are appreciated!

Here's the modified recipe that went into primary over the weekend.

(I was going to use light LME and get all the color from my grains, but as it turns out the LHBS was out of light LME, they are actually a microbrewery that helps me out.

3# Dark DME
1# Crystal 60L
1# White Wheat Malt (Replaced the Cara pils as it was only for head retention)
8 oz Chocolate Malt
8 oz Roasted Barley
1# Light Brown Sugar
8 oz Unsweetened Cocoa Powder @ last 5 min

1.5 oz Mt. Hood @ 45 min (Because the they only had 1 oz of Willamette available
1 oz Mt. Hood @ last 5 min

OH! And I changed my yeast to White Labs Cream Ale, post discussion with the brewmaster at the mock LHBS.

When I get to secondary i'll be using the WonderCocoa, Light Bakers Cocoa, and a split vanilla bean.

I tasted the wort.... It was amazing! ... I am very pleased so far. It started on Saturday and fermentation seems to be chugging along.

Btw....my hubby and I are building a Mash and Lauter tun set up this next weekend with the orange coolers. I'm excited.

In secondary, a lot of folks like to use cocoa nibs. Just spray them with starsan, crack them up with a rolling pin and you're set.

With 8oz in the boil, you might not need anymore chocolate. I use 6-9 ounces of wondercocoa in mine and it's a chocolate BOMB.

ChshreCat said:

With 8oz in the boil, you might not need anymore chocolate. I use 6-9 ounces of wondercocoa in mine and it's a chocolate BOMB.

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Bah... lol... I'm a woman! There's never enough chocolate!!! lol. Well I might not add too much more, but I plan on making 3 additions of chocolate to keep the name Triple Choc stout I'll add a handful of cocoa nibs and maybe a sprinkle more powder and call it quits. **grumble grumble...too much chocolate**

The cocoa nibs will sink in the secondary right? No worries with them when it comes to bottling time eh? I don't move to a bottling bucket, I just go from secondary.

Thanks much!

Get yerself a bottling bucket! Much easier than trying to prime in the secondary! Unless you're kegging, then that's easier than bottling alltogether.

ChshreCat said:

Get yerself a bottling bucket! Much easier than trying to prime in the secondary! Unless you're kegging, then that's easier than bottling alltogether.

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I'll be kegging soon. I've been looking at cornelius kegs and checking the pocketbook

I've got a bottling bucket...If it's empty at the time then I use it, if not... I add the priming sugar to my bottles, no explosions yet.
Speaking of.... I haven't calculated the amount of priming sugar needed for this recipe? Anyone know a quick way of doing that?

Here's a calculator; just find the BJCP style that most closely matches yours, probably oatmeal or sweet stout, both of which have the same amount of CO2.
http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

Here's one if you know how much CO2 you want, regardless of style:
http://www.brewheads.com/priming.php

Or just Google "priming sugar calculator" and see what else pops up.

OK.... Moved the Stout to Secondary today, and after a taste, it's good, but even with 8 oz of chocolate powder, the scent is there, but the flavor is lacking. It just tastes like a chocolate scented stout. Any suggestions to adding chocolate without clouding up my beer with chocolate powder. Can't get cocoa nibs around here

pkincaid said:

Can't get cocoa nibs around here

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Remember the internet is your friend..........http://www.cocoasupply.com/index.php

Well duh! I know this But I don't have time to order them. I'm headed to check trader joes today for chocolatey things. I meant, does anyone have any suggestions for a right now chocolate fix.

My LHBS sells nibs. If you have one near you they may too. Or maybe some chocolate extract on bottling day.

You don't know how where to find cocoa nibs? You're a freakin' pastry chef!

It's BAKERSFIELD!!!
Besides... It's not that I don't know where to find them.... I just have no patience to order them. I wanted to get them in he Secondary like... Today. But it looks as though I have no choice. My local supply store for Pastry Arts, has no nibs.... Even I weep at the thought of this!

liquor stores...get yourself some creme de cacao. The stuff is chocolaty goodness.

Did you add the cocoa powder to the boil? I think if you add it to secondary you have a better chance of it going into solution and not just sitting at the bottom with the trub.

Holy Crap.... I didn't even think of that! Creme de Cacao would be perfect. I was looking for something that would integrate well! I didn't want to fuss with powder in secondary. Thanks KyleWolf for the suggestion.

Anyone else used it in a brew before? What seems to be the average addition. I don't want to bump up my ABV too much, it's already pretty high, at least to me.

**dashes off to get Creme de Cacao**

the amount you add wont affect your ABV, it is only 25% and considering the small volume you will be adding, the change will be negligible. However, I found out you can not use Godiva Chocolate Liqueur. It has cream in it and will curdle when added. Glad I ran an experiment before adding.

So... Should I add like 1 cup? Whole bottle ? I mean... in your experience, how much CdC has attributed a decent chocolatey flavour? I told you I was on my way to go get it. lol

my oatmeal chocolate stout was a OG of 1.068 for 6gal. I took 150mL of CdC and added 1.5oz Hershey extra dark powder and heated to 160. This will cook off some of the alcohol and will cause the powder to easily go into solution and not just suspension it will be a nice syrupy goodness. I cooled it and added it straight to the fermenter. If you are kegging, I say start with 100mL...wait till it is carbed and taste, if more is needed keep adding till you hit the sweet spot. If you are bottling, go a little more heavy handed, especially if you are not adding powder. Maybe 200-250mL. If it is too chocolaty, just let it age out. I personally would be hesitant to add more than 300mL without knowing the outcome outcome beforehand.

I added about 300ml of it... and it's sooooo yummy! We shall see how it turns out after it's bottled and carbed. I am going to let it go for another week, then bottle, and bottle condition for a while. I want to keg, but we aren't completely set up for that yet. I think it's going to be amazing..... I don't run the risk of killing my yeast with the alcohol do I? Ack! I'd hate to bottle all of this, and not have it carbonate

If you hit the gravities you were looking for, that is 1.055 and 1.014, that is only about 5.3-5.5% ABV. which means you have approx. 1if you added 300mL of 25%ABV, meaning you are only added 120mL of pure ethanol. Divide 120mL by your total volume (looking like about 5 gal, or 18.9L, or 18900mL) so divide 120mL by 18900= .0063 or .63% ABV. It will probably bring the stout close to 6.0-6.1% ABV. the yeast I rated for atleast 10% ABV I am sure.

I can't wait to hear how this turns out. I did a Chocolate Stout recently by changing up a NB Irish Stout kit and it turned out pretty good but I'm very interested in hearing how the CdC ends up affecting the taste of the finished product.

I'm excited too! I'm bottle/kegging? Not sure yet, depends on if my keg gets here on time. I'll be sure to let you all know if it's amazing or not.

I'm stoked, the wort was soooooo delicious and I can only imagine what it's going to be like carbonated.

Adventures in Homebrewing usually does keg sales on corny kegs every couple of months for about 15-18 bucks. The CO2 tank is what can run you high.

When I bottle I use 1 Coopers tab and 1 Muntons tab in each Stout
I do. It gives it a little better head than just the Coopers tab alone.
Good luck with the recipe!

I will be kegging mine this weekend. I will let you know the results

So, any final judgements on either of these Stouts yet?

Mine was bottle conditioning....I've have 3 of them so far along the carbing process to see where it was at. #1 Not carbed at all, #2 Slightly fizzy about 3 days later, #3 Perfectly carbed.... but guess what! BOTTLE BOMBS.... about 24 hours later upon my decision to open the brew cabinet and put the bottles in the fridge I was greeted with an explosion. Cut my face up and only about 10 bottles survived.

Mine turned out to be much more of a robust porter. There is a good initial nose on it, lots of roast and sweet chocolate. I think the liquor had an effect on the head retention. Also, there isn't much of a mid palate and finishes too clean, as if it was watered down. It isn't a bad beer, but not my favorite.

pkincaid. I am sorry to hear about the misfortune. What was your gravity looking like before you bottled? Also, did you account for the dissolved sugar in the liquor?

My FG was 1.013 and I let it sit for a week after adding the liquor. Took another reading we were at 1.013. So I bottled. Check out my bottle bomb thread to see what people think about it... I'm sorry about it too.

Oh wow, I'm sorry to hear that. I've never had a bottle bomb before, but my paranoia of having them keeps me putting a garbage bag in each box and sealing the bottles inside until they're carbed. Hopefully the few survivors will make it for you to enjoy your creation.