Sweet Chocolate Stout?

Hello All,

I am attempting to make a Chocolate Stout. I would like it to be a smooth stout, think Murphy's with a bit of a chocolate favor. Im open to any suggestions/critiques/additions.

Sweet Chocolate Stout

3.7 lbs Coopers Hopped Stout--60 min
3 lbs Dark DME--60 min
½ oz Cascade—30 min
¼ lb roasted barley
½ lb chocolate malt
8 oz Lactose-15 min
4 oz Baker’s Chocolate--15 min
Wyeast 1084--Irish Ale

Vanilla Bean added to Secondary?


I figured going light on the hops would help the chocolate favor stand out. I hope the Lactose helps with the body and with achieving as creamy a head possible from a bottle. Im unsure about the vanilla bean I hear it helps with chocolate stouts but I don't want to go too nuts with the sweetness of this brew

that head from a can of murphy's comes from nitrogen. You cannot possibly reproduce that. I might suggest some oats and a bit of 2-row in the steeping grains to give it more protein.
I also use 1lb of lactose and 8oz of bakers chocolate in my sweet chocolate stout in my recipes.

I just made a dbl chocolate stout where I added 8oz of lactose at 15min. Tasting it I think I may have to add another 8oz at bottling. If you want it sweet def go with z987k recommendation of 1lb.

This is my Chocolate Stout. It is very close to Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

It's for a 10 gallon All grain batch so you'd need to cut the malt & hops in half and replace the Domestic 2 Row with malt extract.

The keys to getting chocolate flavor in the beer:

1) Use 100% Cocoa powder toward the end of the boil. Read the label and make sure it says "100% Cocoa powder".

2)Get some Chocolate essence and add a dash of it to your keg and/or bottling bucket. Your LHBS should have it.

3) Let the beer sit on the primary yeast cake for a while. The longer it sits the more chocolate flavor will be in the final product. I leave it in the primary for about 6 weeks. If you pitch the right amount of clean healthy yeast you shouldn't have to worry about the yeast dying on you and causing bad flavors.

I went to the store today and looked at the chocolate in the baking aisle. I thought that baker's chocolate and cocoa powder were the same thing, however I realized that baker's chocolate is a brand and cocoa powder is a type. The baker's chocolate (unsweetened) comes in a 8 oz bar and under ingredients says "Chocolate". The cocoa powder comes in an 8 oz can and under ingredients says "Cocoa". Does anyone know the difference? and which one is beer for brewing? I figure they are both the same but figured i would ask anyway

Also, how much flaked oats and 2-row would you suggest?

Seneca said:

I went to the store today and looked at the chocolate in the baking aisle. I thought that baker's chocolate and cocoa powder were the same thing, however I realized that baker's chocolate is a brand and cocoa powder is a type. The baker's chocolate (unsweetened) comes in a 8 oz bar and under ingredients says "Chocolate". The cocoa powder comes in an 8 oz can and under ingredients says "Cocoa". Does anyone know the difference? and which one is beer for brewing? I figure they are both the same but figured i would ask anyway

Also, how much flaked oats and 2-row would you suggest?

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I have wondered the same thing. Looking forward to an answer so I can make a chocolate stout next

I would steer clear of the bar chocolate, you will end up with oil in you beer. The cocoa powder is utilized quite a bit in the production of chocolate stouts. I would make sure that you use the Lactose (unfermentable sugar) to sweeten up the wort. You are going to want the chocolate essense if you are going for something like Young's Double Chocolate stout. Good luck with your brew.