Stout with vanilla and cocoa help

So, I was at the VT brewfest over the summer(everyone should go!) when I was stopped dead in my tracks by the most beautiful glass of beer in the world. It was by a Canadian brewery.. in Montreal i think. It was a nice, full bodied stout with a very forefront taste of Vanilla and cocoa. "twas very smooth, and I was devastated to have only a 4 oz glass. I have since tried to find this "Aphrodite" as it was called, but have had no luck. So, I venture to make my own! I ave acquired some of the finest cocoa and vanilla that I can muster up in my area, and thought that before I brew, I should have a better idea on how to use them. In the past, when I want a flavor to come out, I have made a tincture using the desired spice and vodka, and added it to my bottling bucket. I have also added some spices during the last 10 minutes of the boil and achieved a very subtle flavor. Should I make a tincture using my cocoa and vanilla beans? Two separate tinctures? Should I add the cocoa to the boil and make just one tincture? I am interested to hear your thoughts! And, thank you all in advance...you're the best!

You tasted Aphrodisaque from Dieu du Ciel:

I don't have any advice for you, but I sure hope you can get a recipe going. I had some at the VT brewfest a year ago and it was my favorite of the day- so smooth, as I remember, and really well balanced. If you are in the Burlington Area I think it shows up at Healthy Living and City Market on occasion.


It's the first one on this page:

http://micro.dieuduciel.com/en/beers.php

This is their description:

"Black ale with aromas and flavours of vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon and roasted malt. The vanilla and cocoa marry nicely, without out-competing each other, to produce a surprisingly well balanced beer. This beer is mildly hoppy, but the cocoa introduces a touch of bitterness. Its colour may be intimidating, but it is a very smooth beer within reach of most beer drinkers. This highly appreciated dessert beer is brewed with organic fair-trade cocoa and first rate vanilla beans."

That beer you had sounds like it was from Dieu du Ciel. Here's some info about it from their website: http://micro.dieuduciel.com/en/beers.php. Doesn't have too many details but it could help. The beer is called different names between Canada and the US but you might be able to find a clone recipe somewhere on the Internet.

Edit: damn, too slow

Yes! That is the beer! I am glad I was not the only one so affected by it! I have also tried to find it at the "Bevy" in winooski, I work in the same plaza so I venture thata way often.Im going to keep an eye open for it, the elusiveness of this beverage makes mus all want it more!

Being a fan of multidimension flavors, I would go end of boil, post fermentation and at bottling.

I've got an Imperial Stout fermenting for it's 16th straight day. I added 4 oz of cacao nibs and 2 vanilla beans into the fermenter. I'm still debating on whether to add some more cacao nibs and a vanilla bean to the secondary in a week or two. I want it to have a bold flavor, but not overpowering. (Whole Foods had the Cacao Nibs and the Vanilla Beans that I bought). As I recall, I added about half a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the fermenter as well.

Dave.

Yes... that sounds sort of like what I did. I put 2 vanilla beans (split open) into the mash, left them in for the boil and just transferred them to the fermenter, along with the half pound of awesome cacao powder.Some small oversights: 1. You cannot strain wort that has cacao in it (I abandon that as soon as I noticed it clogging up the strainer!) 2. Next time, I will use pellet instead of leaf hops. The bag got in the way.
I feel silly having not foreseen that, but I am making a cocoa and vanilla stout, which is pretty cool!

I'm currently using cocoa for the 2nd time. The first was a double chocolate milk stout. I was directed by my LHBS to use 4oz of unsweetened baking cocoa. We were drinking during the brewing session, so we thought it would be a good idea to add the whole 8oz box. Turned out fine. Coca is somewhat bitter and adds a dryness to beer, so we balanced that with some lactose.

This time we're doing a chocolate cherry russian imperial, and we're doing a full 8oz again, this time balanced with maltodextrin. It's actually boiling as I type this, the cocoa is going in in the last 5 minutes of the boil to try to keep the chocolate flavor fresh.

We used vanilla beans for a cinnamon vanilla porter. We took two fresh beans, split them, and microwaved them in a wet paper towel for 10 seconds before adding to secondary. They didn't impart as much vanilla as we were looking for with this technique. Maybe next time we'll try putting them in the mash.

I like cocoa powder near the end of the boil and vanilla beans, split and scraped, in secondary.

I fallowed the gidelines on this page for my chocolate orange stout, and it has turned out very very well:

http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/formulating-and-brewing-winning-chocolate-porter

I will add that adding lactose also helps to make it a very smooth beer with a lingering after taste that is very nice. I may add cocoa powder to the boil as well next time. Putting it in the 2ndary seems to leave a nice dark chocolate after taste, while putting it in the boil seems to add an up front chocolate bitterness/bite.

That link would have been more helpful to me this morning...

Also for vanilla, I have 2 beans split up sitting in vodka. I plan on adding the homemade extract at bottling. The only issue with this is, you have no real way pf knowing the potency of your solution(that is to say, if you added too much or too little vanilla to you vodka) until its time to drink it. Most defiantly a trial and error experience!
I added malto dextrine as well. I wanted to add lactose, but my father in law in intolerant of lactose. Im hoping it will come out ok!

Awesome brewery I go every couple months to pick up some of their finer stuff... If you call they can break down their recipe a bit... they hwoever won't talk about their yeast choice at all.... French secret ha!

So,Im pretty sure its stuck! I used the new Wyeast W. Yorkshire, and foolishly didn't check the temperature range (70-74). I can't keep my house at this temp on a consistent basis. I noticed it was very sluggish and gave it a few more days before I took a reading. My OG was 1062 (at 60 f). My reading is at 1031 (at 60 f). I thought I would add something neutral to help get things going in there, so I threw in some Windsor. That also is being sluggish. Im trying not to worry. Anyone have any ideas?

Cocoa powder at flameout, and allow the beer to sit on it in primary for at least 10 days. I used 8 oz (one package) of Hershey's, as per the recipe from Jamil.

JByer323 said:

Cocoa powder at flameout, and allow the beer to sit on it in primary for at least 10 days. I used 8 oz (one package) of Hershey's, as per the recipe from Jamil.

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Not sure how that's going to help a stuck ferment. Or did you not read beyond the first post?

If you wrap the carboy in a blanket, it'll help keep the heat in. Fermentation is an exothermic reaction which means it generates it's own heat so wrapping it will help warm it up.

ChshreCat said:

Not sure how that's going to help a stuck ferment. Or did you not read beyond the first post?

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perhaps you need to read up on your cocoa powder:cross: hahah. i'd try to warm that puppy up a bit. if the fermentation is stuck and there's no more activity then there won't be any more heat being generated from the process/fermentation to be held in by a blanket. aphrodite is a great beer and i'm curious as to what recipe you're using. the french yeast variable is indeed a mystery.

Well, I wasn't sure which grain bill to apply so my logic went something like this: Use pale extract to allow more roasty flavors of grain to come out. Instead of chocolate, I think I used dehusk carafa (a smoother version of chocolate), some 6 row for the enzymes, some wheat, some roasted barley and Im not sure but I think some 2 row... maybe.
I do have it next to the wood stove, and plan on putting in my storm windows this week, which will help with the temp. Is it bad that Im only putting them in now because it will help my beer?! Sheesh!