Chocolate Espresso Stout

SSBrew - 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
hellcaminio said:
I think that this sounds like the perfect batch to start the new year!! We are gonna start this brew tmr. I may be back to ask some questions, but will keep you posted. i am really excited about this one. Thanks for the recipe, Tuck!!
Click to expand...

Sure thing man, hope all goes well!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
I brewed this beer on 11/4/12, and it's the best beer I have brewed yet (out of 12 batches). This will be the first beer I repeat brew. Here are my notes:

11/4: Brew day, 1.094OG (after topping up w/ some water, cold weather boiled off more than usual)
12/2: Rack to secondary, 1.022 Gravity. Added 32oz brewed Starbucks espresso.
12/21: Kegged, 1.022 FG (9.45%ABV)

I gave this a taste after about a week and a half, and it was VERY bitter, all coffee taste and nothing else. However, after the 3rd week, it was fantastic. I love big coffee beers, and this is it. Great chocolate aroma, and big coffee taste. Two fellow home brewers agree.

Also, the recipe must be idiot proof, because I mistakenly put cocoa MIX in my boil instead of cocoa POWDER. Plus I boiled off more than I expected. Still came out great, despite my best efforts to sabotage. Already dreading when this keg kicks. Thanks!
 
scottconnor said:
I brewed this beer on 11/4/12, and it's the best beer I have brewed yet (out of 12 batches). This will be the first beer I repeat brew. Here are my notes:

11/4: Brew day, 1.094OG (after topping up w/ some water, cold weather boiled off more than usual)
12/2: Rack to secondary, 1.022 Gravity. Added 32oz brewed Starbucks espresso.
12/21: Kegged, 1.022 FG (9.45%ABV)

I gave this a taste after about a week and a half, and it was VERY bitter, all coffee taste and nothing else. However, after the 3rd week, it was fantastic. I love big coffee beers, and this is it. Great chocolate aroma, and big coffee taste. Two fellow home brewers agree.

Also, the recipe must be idiot proof, because I mistakenly put cocoa MIX in my boil instead of cocoa POWDER. Plus I boiled off more than I expected. Still came out great, despite my best efforts to sabotage. Already dreading when this keg kicks. Thanks!
Click to expand...

VERY GOOD to hear!

Glad it came out great and I hope it last you through the winter :p
 
Due to my almost endless supply on one gallon fermentors (reagent water containters from work), I only brewed one gallon of this. I'm thinking I'll regret only doing one gallon :(. Its almost ready for the coffee, then another 3 weeks or so to carb up....I can't wait.
 
What category have you guys been entering this beer? I followed Tucks recipe except I didn't add the espresso. Turned out to be a VERY tasty Chocolate Stout. I recently entered it in category 23 specialty beer. I scored a 32 combined. Both judges seemed to think it should be in 13F. But, I figure since the IBUs on mine were around 25 (13F-RIS Calls for 50 IBUs) and with the additions of brown sugar, molasses, and the cocoa that it should be in the specialty category.

I have two more competitions coming up and was hoping you guys could help me figure this out THanks in advance.
 
Trev4956 said:
What category have you guys been entering this beer? I followed Tucks recipe except I didn't add the espresso. Turned out to be a VERY tasty Chocolate Stout. I recently entered it in category 23 specialty beer. I scored a 32 combined. Both judges seemed to think it should be in 13F. But, I figure since the IBUs on mine were around 25 (13F-RIS Calls for 50 IBUs) and with the additions of brown sugar, molasses, and the cocoa that it should be in the specialty category.

I have two more competitions coming up and was hoping you guys could help me figure this out THanks in advance.
Click to expand...


I entered my extract version in category 21A - Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer, so I said it was a "Russian Imperial Stout with coffee and cocoa added". I scored well for my 3rd brew, a 28, but both judges said they would've scored it higher if it had been entered as a regular stout instead of a RIS. Mine came in at a healthy 8.4% abv. It was delicious but not quite as chewy or extreme as a Russian Imperial. What was you OG? And your %abv?
 
BassBeer said:
I entered my extract version in category 21A - Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer, so I said it was a "Russian Imperial Stout with coffee and cocoa added". I scored well for my 3rd brew, a 28, but both judges said they would've scored it higher if it had been entered as a regular stout instead of a RIS. Mine came in at a healthy 8.4% abv. It was delicious but not quite as chewy or extreme as a Russian Imperial. What was you OG? And your %abv?
Click to expand...

I brewed 10 gallons all grain, O.G. was 1.100 F.G. 1.021 ~11 abv, efficiency was higher than expected, but both judges at the competition really suggested that I put this beer in the 13F RIS category. Although, they both commented about how the 1 lb of cocoa powder I added was too much and that it lingered on their pallette too long. I am dropping off entrys tomorrow for the Suwannee, GA beer fest HB comp and the owner happens to be a certified beer judge. I bottled two extra for his opinion and will post his suggestions tomorrow night.
 
I talked with my friend who is a certified beer judge and he recommended that I enter it in 13F RIS. He told me since I added the molasses and brown sugar to the beginning of the 60 min boil that not much flavor was left from them and that the cocoa powder really stood out as a result and thus it was really just a chocolate RIS.


Trev4956 said:
I brewed 10 gallons all grain, O.G. was 1.100 F.G. 1.021 ~11 abv, efficiency was higher than expected, but both judges at the competition really suggested that I put this beer in the 13F RIS category. Although, they both commented about how the 1 lb of cocoa powder I added was too much and that it lingered on their pallette too long. I am dropping off entrys tomorrow for the Suwannee, GA beer fest HB comp and the owner happens to be a certified beer judge. I bottled two extra for his opinion and will post his suggestions tomorrow night.
Click to expand...
 
Trev4956 said:
I talked with my friend who is a certified beer judge and he recommended that I enter it in 13F RIS. He told me since I added the molasses and brown sugar to the beginning of the 60 min boil that not much flavor was left from them and that the cocoa powder really stood out as a result and thus it was really just a chocolate RIS.
Click to expand...

Hey Guys, I greatly appreciate your interest in this recipe. With in the thread there is a post indicating a correction to the recipe since it was initially posted incorrectly, in regards to the addition times for the cocoa, brown sugar and molasses. When I brew it I always add these at the end and should have updated this a long time ago. I greatly apologize that I didn't, especially since you guys are entering into competitions. I hope I am not flamed too bad, but now that I was finally able to renew my membership I am able to update/edit the initial recipe post.

Once again, my apologies.
 
TUCK said:
Hey Guys, I greatly appreciate your interest in this recipe. With in the thread there is a post indicating a correction to the recipe since it was initially posted incorrectly, in regards to the addition times for the cocoa, brown sugar and molasses. When I brew it I always add these at the end and should have updated this a long time ago. I greatly apologize that I didn't, especially since you guys are entering into competitions. I hope I am not flamed too bad, but now that I was finally able to renew my membership I am able to update/edit the initial recipe post.

Once again, my apologies.
Click to expand...

Tuck,
No worries in fact I am mainly replying again to THANK YOU for the awesome recipe. I got my score sheets back from Suwannee Beer Fest homebrew comp. and I won two medals with this batch. I got 3rd place in the RIS category with a 33.5 combined, and 2nd Place in the Speciality beer category with a 40 combined. Even with my modified sugar additions this beer is AWESOME.
 
Trev4956 said:
Tuck,
No worries in fact I am mainly replying again to THANK YOU for the awesome recipe. I got my score sheets back from Suwannee Beer Fest homebrew comp. and I won two medals with this batch. I got 3rd place in the RIS category with a 33.5 combined, and 2nd Place in the Speciality beer category with a 40 combined. Even with my modified sugar additions this beer is AWESOME.
Click to expand...

Congrats man!

Glad you/judges enjoy it!:D
 
I brewed this up this past Sunday for a friend of mine. He is having a release party for his "comic" book that he's writing and wanted something dark and complex to serve. This is what we decided on and it is looking fantastic! It is five days in the fermenter and still chopping away at that 1.095 OG.

Can't wait to try it out.
 
JuGordon said:
I brewed this up this past Sunday for a friend of mine. He is having a release party for his "comic" book that he's writing and wanted something dark and complex to serve. This is what we decided on and it is looking fantastic! It is five days in the fermenter and still chopping away at that 1.095 OG.

Can't wait to try it out.
Click to expand...

Very good to hear man!

Hope everyone enjoys it. :mug:
 
Had a taste of this while transferring it to secondary. It was wonderfully smooth, slight bitterness, and nice warming sensation from the 9.1%. We added four cups of espresso brewed with a regular coffee brewer. Less than a week 'till bottling.
 
JuGordon said:
Had a taste of this while transferring it to secondary. It was wonderfully smooth, slight bitterness, and nice warming sensation from the 9.1%. We added four cups of espresso brewed with a regular coffee brewer. Less than a week 'till bottling.
Click to expand...

Be careful...the more you drink, the closer the floor approaches your face :ban:


Good to hear man! I cant wait to start another batch in September.
 
I'm actually planning on brewing some more of this (most of this batch is going to "charity") when my newborn twins decide to give me some time and money for it. My artist friend is also making a label for it. I'll post a picture of it when it is done.

Thanks for such an amazing recipe, Tuck.
 
Looking forward to brewing this again! Last years batch turned out amazingly, especially since it was an extract and my 3rd brew ever. This time ill be doing the AG version, and hoping to get closer to 9-10% ABV. Absolutely cannot wait to sit by the fireplace and savor a couple of these with friends and family this winter. This ones definitely going to be a yearly brew for me. Thanks again Tuck!
 
Forgot to ask... What temp is everyone mashing at? Are you adding the entire grain bill up front or adding the dark grains later to prevent tannin extraction?

Im thinking around 154, but not sure so any info is appreciated. Thanks!
 
beesy said:
noticed in the recipes section this recipe lists

2.0 lbs Crystal Malt 10°L
1.0 lbs Roasted Barley

and in this thread it's

1 lbs Crystal Malt 10°L
2.0 lbs Roasted Barley

which one is correct TUCK??
Click to expand...

I'm curious too! Hoping to brew this today and want to get the right proportions. Thanks!
 
I used the recipe on this thread and I mashed in the middle/upper temperature range to get a nice full body. I also added the entire grain bill up front. I'm sure that there isn't any real risk of tannin extraction.

My batch came out wonderful! I bottled it on the 23rd and I add an early sample glass of it. It was already more wonderful than any stout I've ever had and it isn't even aged, carbonated, or conditioned properly yet!

It's smooth and bitter. You can taste the coffee from the malt and espresso. Goes down supper smooth with an amazing warm alcohol sensation. Then ends with a nice mellow bitterness. LOVE IT!
 
Here is the finished product. Everything that I wrote about the flavor is still the same. It is quite delicious! Cheers!:mug:

WP_20130913_002.jpg
 
This recipe says the size is 5.28 gallons, does that mean the amount in the boil kettle at the end of the boil, or the amount that goes into the carboy? If this is the amount that goes into the carboy then what is your post boil volume.
 
As a newb brewer as well, the questions quoted below and the post just above mine, all of these answers would be greatly appreciated!! And Tuck, if you ever wanted to make a step by step instruction method of how you made this, kinda like a box brew, that would be appreciated for us complete newbs :mug:


uniTTy said:
recipe looks great

i have a couple noob questions. for the extract recipe, the 0.75 lbs American Chocolate Malt, .75 lbs Roasted Barley, .75 lbs Crystal Malt 10°L are steeping grains correct? anyone add oats to this?

what temp is everyone fermenting at? ~68+?

is this a full boil (5 gal)?

thanks
Click to expand...
 
dustinstriplin said:
This recipe says the size is 5.28 gallons, does that mean the amount in the boil kettle at the end of the boil, or the amount that goes into the carboy? If this is the amount that goes into the carboy then what is your post boil volume.
Click to expand...

This is the final volume (post boil):mug:
 
airplnmdls said:
As a newb brewer as well, the questions quoted below and the post just above mine, all of these answers would be greatly appreciated!! And Tuck, if you ever wanted to make a step by step instruction method of how you made this, kinda like a box brew, that would be appreciated for us complete newbs :mug:
Click to expand...

I agree and have thought about doing it with pics (in sequence of steps included)of my next Chocolate Espresso Stout Brew. Thanks for the encouragement :ban:
 
I did a 10 gal AG batch of this over the weekend. I messed with some settings in BeerSmith and overshot my boil volume a bit and ended up with a bit more than 10 gallons which brought down my OG a bit, but the wort tasted pretty darn good!

I'm going to let er sit for 3 weeks before adding espresso. After reading through all 19 pages of this thread I'm seeing a lot of people with different things to say about how they added their espresso and how much. I was going to brew up 8 cups (full measuring cups, not the little shots) and add them to the secondary. After chatting with a couple coffee enthusiast friends they thought that was a crazy amount to add. Would somebody please comment on how much they used and the end result?
Thanks,
 
Finally got to the end of this thread, very investing reading.

I was wondering if it would be okay to use a Nespresso Pixie coffee machine to make the coffee addition and then cool overnight.? Would there be any problem in using those capsules?

Sounds like a great recipe, can't wait for brew day.
 
I've got 20oz of espresso brewed up and wondering if I should split this between two 5 gallon carboys or put it all in one...

Edit: The correct answer was to split it up. (Whew) and glad I did because even with 10 oz in each 5 gallon carboy there is a LOT of espresso kick to it. I also added 8oz of lactose to split between both carboys which I'm hoping will reduce some of the bitterness from the espresso. Can't wait to check back on this in a month!
 
So I did 3 weeks in the primary and I'm just about at 3 weeks in the secondary. Would it make sense to only keg one of my 5 gallon carboys and let the other one keep sitting? I've read that some of you guys let it sit for months, but really it doesn't look to be doing anything at this point.

Update: I tasted the beer and it was super bitter and had a very strong alcohol taste. I'm actually a bit bummed out by this one as pf right now. I added another 4oz lactose to the keg bringing the total to 8oz for 5 gallons hoping that'll sweeten it up and reduce the bitterness a bit. Primary for 3 weeks, then secondary for another 3 weeks. I don't have any form of temp control, so this was fermenting between 62-67F. I think my SG and FG could potentially be off a bit based on the lactose added so take that into consideration. If I were to do this again, I would add only 10oz of espresso instead of 20oz to the 10 gallons.
OG 1.083
SG 1.02 (after 4 oz lactose added to each 5 gal keg)
FG 1.02
 
Last edited:
jjbanks said:
I View attachment 243024am brewing this one up this weekend.



Question:



I just got my grains and I'm a newbie brewer. My grains largely look light in color. Will my wort come out black as stouts are supposed to be or did my LHBS give me the wrong type of 2-row?
Click to expand...

Yes it's fine, the Chocolate malt and the coffee and chocolate will give it colour
 
Brewed this up today. OG: 1.090

5 hours after pitching the yeast my blowoff is already active blowing bubbles. Looking forward to this one towards the end of the winter months.

My only concern was the strong smell of molasses after the boil and cooled. Perhaps that will die down after a few weeks in the primary.

Will post update.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419223029.227317.jpg
 

Similar threads

T
mocha frappucino milk sout or imperial milk stout
Replies
6
Views
973
Kickass
K
Gadjobrinus
Riggwelter - hops & grist?
Replies
0
Views
508
Gadjobrinus
Gadjobrinus
C
Ugh. Some how I managed to add 0.75 lbs acid malt, not 0.75 oz. What is this going to do to my milk stout
2
Replies
46
Views
2K
Christoff
C
shrews824
Hop addition question
Replies
9
Views
715
shrews824
shrews824
Clint Yeastwood
Dry Hopping: Covering up Beer's Best Features?
Replies
5
Views
834
Clint Yeastwood
Clint Yeastwood
Brewer's Friend 300

Latest posts

Back
Top