Advise on my stout recipe

I have brewed this oatmeal stout 3 times with great success but I want to try adding some chocolate and perhaps lactose to it and need some advise.

I have never used chocolate or lactose so I really don't know how much and when to add it. I have tried to read up on the topic but it seems that most of the information is all over the place.

So, what would you do? Cheers.

Here is the recipe:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.28 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.055 SG
Estimated Color: 35.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 34.6 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.5 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6 lbs 14.7 oz Malteurop American 2-Row Pale Malt (2.4 Grain 1 62.1 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (Briess) (1.4 SRM) Grain 2 9.0 %
13.1 oz Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.3 %
12.3 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.9 %
8.7 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.9 %
8.7 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.9 %
8.7 oz Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.9 %
1.80 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 34.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast 9 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 2.1 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 13.92 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 5.14 gal water at 168.0 F

I'd do a split batch - 2.5 gals in two fermenters. Then add a boiled solution of lactose to one fermenter, and some cocoa to the other.

Then when they're ready, bottle separately, and try your chocolate stout, the try your milk stout, then pour them together in different proportions.

JonM said:

I'd do a split batch - 2.5 gals in two fermenters. Then add a boiled solution of lactose to one fermenter, and some cocoa to the other.

Then when they're ready, bottle separately, and try your chocolate stout, the try your milk stout, then pour them together in different proportions.

Click to expand...

Interesting concept if I was bottling but I plan on kegging this brew. I can't stand dealing with bottles.

Cacao nibs lightly toasted in the oven just bring them up to 120 degrees for a few minutes it helps bring the oils to the surface and then put them in a hop type sack and add to the keg 2 weeks usually gets plenty of great chocolate flavor.I usually add just a touch of vanilla with cacao it really helps smooth out the cacao flavors.

hydromaddicted said:

Cacao nibs lightly toasted in the oven just bring them up to 120 degrees for a few minutes it helps bring the oils to the surface and then put them in a hop type sack and add to the keg 2 weeks usually gets plenty of great chocolate flavor.I usually add just a touch of vanilla with cacao it really helps smooth out the cacao flavors.

Click to expand...

How much cocoa nibs (in weight) are you using for a 5 gal batch? Also, are you adding vanilla extract right to the keg? If so how much? A few drops? Cheers!

You can add the lactose at any point. I did an imperial stout VERY similar to your recipe (just much stronger) and added the lactose to taste after fermentation because i felt it needed it. And I knew exactly what I'd get. I would recommend adding most of your expected lactose near the end of the boil, then adding the rest after fermentation if needed. Or skip it altogether and just mash higher. In my stout, it took months for that strange sweetness to dissipate.

I'd also suggest cocoa powder since nibs are 50% fat, but people have success either way.

SpeedYellow said:

You can add the lactose at any point. I did an imperial stout VERY similar to your recipe (just much stronger) and added the lactose to taste after fermentation because i felt it needed it. And I knew exactly what I'd get. I would recommend adding most of your expected lactose near the end of the boil, then adding the rest after fermentation if needed. Or skip it altogether and just mash higher. In my stout, it took months for that strange sweetness to dissipate.

I'd also suggest cocoa powder since nibs are 50% fat, but people have success either way.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips. I'm thinking I'm going to skip the lactose this time around and just add chocolate and perhaps some vanilla. If I decide to do the cocoa powder, based on my recipe how much would you add and when would you add it? I really don't want it to be too bitter.

Tarks said:

Thanks for the tips. I'm thinking I'm going to skip the lactose this time around and just add chocolate and perhaps some vanilla. If I decide to do the cocoa powder, based on my recipe how much would you add and when would you add it? I really don't want it to be too bitter.

Click to expand...

How chocolate-y do you want it? 5 oz of Dutch processed for a 5-gal Imp Stout will get you moderate levels, so you probably want to scale that back since your OG is low. Lots of opinions on this.

But keep in mind that chocolate will sink, so if you use a trub removal process, you probably want to add it afterwards since you'd lose so much of the cocoa. Boiling the cocoa isn't necessary, so there's nothing wrong with adding it straight to the primary if that works best for you (mixed up with some hot water to dissolve it).

Tarks said:

How much cocoa nibs (in weight) are you using for a 5 gal batch? Also, are you adding vanilla extract right to the keg? If so how much? A few drops? Cheers!

Click to expand...

2 to 4 oz of nibs depending on how much chocolate flavor you want 2 being just underneath detectability 4 being detectable and half an 1/8 teaspoon of good vanilla extract right in the keg.

I'm doing a coconut cream ale and am wondering about timing on adding lactose as well. Leaning towards adding it at the end of the boil but not sure.

I wanted to update this thread.

I brewed this on Apr 6, left in primary for 5 weeks then transferred to secondary and added 3.5 oz of cocoa nibs for 2 weeks. Kegged and poured my 1st pint last week. It turned out fantastic. The chocolate is subtle but definitely there. I wouldn't change a thing and will brew this again soon.