Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Well I cracked open a new brew. Inicially I called it an Ale... not sure if its a Stout.... someone here I'm sure could direct me there. Heres a pic



Ouside of absolutly no head, this is real good (so far only carbonated for 11 days as well). You take a sip and at first you dont taste any chocolate. None whatsover. Then you sit there for a moment, lick your lips and PRESTO! A real nice lingering chocolate taste!

As you know I'm playing with Promash and here is what it spits out for me.



02-06-2006 Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
A ProMash Brewing Session Report
--------------------------------
Brewing Date: Monday February 06, 2006
Head Brewer: Michael Schaap
Asst Brewer: Thunder
Recipe: Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------
13-B Stout, Sweet Stout
Min OG: 1.042 Max OG: 1.056
Min IBU: 25 Max IBU: 48
Min Clr: 30 Max Clr: 60 Color in SRM, Lovibond
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Extract (Lbs): 8.75
Anticipated OG: 1.069 Plato: 16.73
Anticipated SRM: 26.2
Anticipated IBU: 12.4
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.055 Plato: 13.57
Actual FG: 1.032 Plato: 8.05
Alc by Weight: 2.33 by Volume: 3.04 From Measured Gravities.
ADF: 40.7 RDF 34.6 Apparent & Real Degree of Fermentation.

Formulas Used
-------------
Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.
Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Garetz
Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.7 0.50 lbs. Black Patent Malt America 1.028 525
5.7 0.50 lbs. Crystal 30L America 1.035 30
11.4 1.00 lbs. Flaked Oats America 1.033 2
65.7 5.75 lbs. Generic DME - Light Generic 1.046 8
11.4 1.00 lbs. Milk Sugar Generic 1.030 0
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Cascade Pellet 3.00 9.0 60 min.
1.00 oz. Tettnanger Pellet 4.50 3.4 20 min.
1.00 oz. Saazer Pellet 3.00 0.0 5 min.

Extras
Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.00 Oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Other 15 Min.(boil)

Yeast
-----
White Labs WLP004 Irish Stout

Fermentation Specifics
----------------------
Pitched From: Starter
Amount Pitched: 100 mL
Lag Time: 2.00 hours
Primary Fermenter: Glass
Primary Type: Closed
Days In Primary: 11
Primary Temperature: 70 degrees F
Secondary Fermenter: Glass
Secondary Type: Closed
Days In Secondary: 86
Secondary Temperature: 70 degrees F
Original Gravity: 1.055 SG 13.57 Plato
Finishing Gravity: 1.032 SG 8.05 Plato

Bottling/Kegging Specifics
--------------------------
Bottling Date: Sunday May 07, 2006
Desired Carbonation Level: 1.80 Volumes CO2
Fermentation Temperature: 68 F
Amount In Bottles: 5.00 Gallons
Days Conditioned: 0
Carbonation Method: Natural
Priming Medium Used: Corn Sugar
Amount of Priming Used: 0.00 Oz
Amount of Liquid Added: 0.14 Gal

Notes
-----
Thought I had a stuck fermentation. Added a second pitch of yeast that did
nothing.... fermentation was over. The added amount of time did nothing to increase alcohol, but might have helped with other things.

The lack of head might be from the oils in the chocolate. I did a chocolate stout last winter where I boiled 3oz of bittersweet for the full 60 minutes to really isomerize the oils and it seemed to work. I kegged the beer and it had fantastic head despite all the horror stories I had heard about using real chocolate. I should note that you should definitely not use any kind of milk chocolate, only the dark varieties.

Or maybe it just needs more conditioning or there was some soap residue on your glass...

Baron von BeeGee said:

Or maybe it just needs more conditioning or there was some soap residue on your glass...

Click to expand...

I thought about the soap. Really washed the glass out. It's only been conditioning for 11 days though like you said. Carbonation lasted for roughly 25 minutes. I got a full two cases of this stuff, so it'll have it's time to age. I was shooting for about 4% Alc... got 2.33. The taste of the chocolate is real mellow and lingers a bit. I wonder if it would have even come out with too much more Alc....

Baron von BeeGee said:

I should note that you should definitely not use any kind of milk chocolate, only the dark varieties.

Click to expand...

What is the difference?... not the chocolate, but what is the difference between the two in a beer recipe?

seems really odd to me that with nearly 6lbs of extract in there, you only get 3% ABV...
out of curiosity, what brand of extract did you use?

Beer Snob said:

What is the difference?... not the chocolate, but what is the difference between the two in a beer recipe?

Click to expand...

Don't know if I'm following the question, but milk chocolate has milk solids in it which are more difficult to isomerize. I imagine it would work if you boil long enough, but it will also result in a sweeter final product. I would stick with the semi- and bittersweet chocolate which only has enough fat added to 'stick' it together. Apparently cocoa powder works well, also, and has no oils at all. I've also heard of people 'dryhopping' with the cocoa nibs which seems to work perhaps better than any other method, but the nibs are fairly expensive.

Yup that was it. Thanks

So If you went with cocoa powder instead, would you use the same 6ozs? Or go with more/less?

Lou said:

seems really odd to me that with nearly 6lbs of extract in there, you only get 3% ABV...
out of curiosity, what brand of extract did you use?

Click to expand...

I believe I used Multon's DME. I dont think I did the Flacked Oats right though. I just steeped them with the grain and I think some people here said that they needed to be mashed. That could have screwed up some numbers.

Lou said:

seems really odd to me that with nearly 6lbs of extract in there, you only get 3% ABV...
out of curiosity, what brand of extract did you use?

Click to expand...

Lou, you should also know that this fermentation was VERY FAST. It was very fast with the starter too. So fast that I thought I had a stuck fermentation and repitched the yeast. Nothing happened though.... temp was edging on the low side... around 68 (although I was trying to warm it up a bit to be on the safe side). From secondary to bottling the gravity did not change at all as well and I was VERY lazy with bottling this as you see.

Not sure.

It's the oils in the chocolate; I'd bet money on it. I've brewed a chocolate stout twice now (just did it last Saturday; posted the recipe here) and used cocoa powder both times. I had read about other types of chocolate containing oils, which kill head retention, so I avoided those. My first one never carbonated, but I'm 99% sure that was b/c it was in secondary for so long and I didn't collect enough residual yeast at bottling for carbonation.

The good news for me - and you, too, if yours' doesn't carbonate - was that my 'flat' ale still tasted really great! I usually drank it 'flat', but would occasionally combine it with Guinness (~ an 80/20, HB/Guinness mix). Or, just do what I did: call it a 'real ale', look smug and people may be impressed!

Nope. Not a problem. Carbonation held for a good 25 minutes and I'm sure it will improve (just been carbonating for 11 days).

I actually still have the box..... I used.... "Bakers Semi-Sweet, Baking Chocolate Squares" I just dumped it in one square at a time. I got it from the grocery store.