- Recipe Type
- All Grain
- Yeast
- US-05
- Yeast Starter
- n/a
- Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
- n/a
- Batch Size (Gallons)
- 5.5
- Original Gravity
- 1.061
- Final Gravity
- 1.019
- Boiling Time (Minutes)
- 60
- IBU
- 46.8
- Color
- 37.5
- Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
- 21 @ 72
- Tasting Notes
- n/a
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name %/IBU
8 lbs Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) 57.1 %
2 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) 14.3 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) 8.9 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) 7.1 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) 7.1%
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) 3.6 %
4.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) 1.8 %
1.00 oz Centennial [8.40 %] - First Wort 60.0 min 29.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Willamette [5.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min 16.3 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
.50 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins)
1.3 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)
6.00 oz Cacao Nibs (Secondary 4.0 days)
8.00 oz Coffee (Bottling 0.0 mins)
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 14 lbs
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 17.50 qt of water at 167 F 152.0 F 90 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (2gal, 2.25gal) of 168.0 F water
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This one is a tale of many missteps that still led to a great beer - most likely the best I've brewed yet in my short brewing career - I missed my mash temp by four degrees, originally shooting for a fuller body at 156; OG came up 13 points low, as I built the recipe on an expected 85% efficiency, but ended up at 70%; the Willamette addition was meant to go in at 30 minutes, but in a brain fart moment, I dropped them in as the boil started - I blame it on it being my first time doing a first wort hopping. I changed all of this in the recipe above to reflect the final outcome instead of how it was intended. Also, the FG came up shy of target, more than likely due to not having strict temperature control.
For the chocolate, I soaked 6 oz of cacao nibs in 8 oz of decent vodka for two days, then dumped it all straight into the primary for 4 days.
For the coffee, I picked up 8 oz of fresh roasted central american beans gave them a somewhat coarse grind, dumped into a half gallon of water and stuck it in the fridge for about 18 hours prior to bottling, and strained. The goal was to add as little liquid to the beer as possible, so a very potent cold brew was the answer, then add the concoction to the beer by taste.
I was actually sick at bottling time and my taste buds were way off, so I had SWMBO do the tasting for me. I started with two ounces of coffee, to which she didn't detect, so another two ounces went in, at which point she said there was a noticeable difference, so it was kegged and bottled (I split my batches evenly between keg and bottle).
Tasting Notes:
Keg: Another brain fart here, as I would normally let the keg chill for a minimum of 3 days before putting in on the gas, I hooked it up immediately - which I normally do to simply flush the headspace with C02, but I left it on for reasons which escape me. I never rush the carbing process - I always wait it out at serving pressure, which in the case of 2.5 gallon kegs, takes about 7 days. At that time, there was little to no chocolate aroma or even flavor, and minimal coffee. At 14 days, I immediately noticed a nice chocolate aroma, and mild chocolate flavor mid palate, followed by subtle coffee notes in the finish. From here, the flavor kept improving pint to pint over the next week until it leveled out. The chocolate and coffee flavors are still really subtle, but noticeable, giving a pretty nice balance between them and the rich malty flavors.
Lesson learned: Chill it for a week, and let it sit on the gas for a least 2 weeks.
Bottle: I let this one age a full month, then four days in the fridge before popping one. Normally, the kegged version of my beers absolutely annihilates the bottled version, but in this case, the bottles came out really close to the kegged version. Slightly sweeter, but the same balance of malt, coffee and chocolate was there, minus some of the chocolate aroma.
As my stock of this is nearly diminished 3 weeks after the bottle aging period finished, I'm already plotting tweaks for the next batch, to be brewed in the next month or so:
Maris Otter for the base malt (which I should have done to begin with, don't ask)
A neutral bittering hop, such as Magnum
A proper 30 minute hop addition (doh!)
Increase the nib/vodka soak time to 3 days, and time in the fermenter from 4 days to five
A tad bit more coffee, while retaining the same process for the cold brew.
------------
Amt Name %/IBU
8 lbs Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) 57.1 %
2 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) 14.3 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) 8.9 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) 7.1 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) 7.1%
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) 3.6 %
4.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) 1.8 %
1.00 oz Centennial [8.40 %] - First Wort 60.0 min 29.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Willamette [5.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min 16.3 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
.50 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins)
1.3 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)
6.00 oz Cacao Nibs (Secondary 4.0 days)
8.00 oz Coffee (Bottling 0.0 mins)
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 14 lbs
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 17.50 qt of water at 167 F 152.0 F 90 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (2gal, 2.25gal) of 168.0 F water
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This one is a tale of many missteps that still led to a great beer - most likely the best I've brewed yet in my short brewing career - I missed my mash temp by four degrees, originally shooting for a fuller body at 156; OG came up 13 points low, as I built the recipe on an expected 85% efficiency, but ended up at 70%; the Willamette addition was meant to go in at 30 minutes, but in a brain fart moment, I dropped them in as the boil started - I blame it on it being my first time doing a first wort hopping. I changed all of this in the recipe above to reflect the final outcome instead of how it was intended. Also, the FG came up shy of target, more than likely due to not having strict temperature control.
For the chocolate, I soaked 6 oz of cacao nibs in 8 oz of decent vodka for two days, then dumped it all straight into the primary for 4 days.
For the coffee, I picked up 8 oz of fresh roasted central american beans gave them a somewhat coarse grind, dumped into a half gallon of water and stuck it in the fridge for about 18 hours prior to bottling, and strained. The goal was to add as little liquid to the beer as possible, so a very potent cold brew was the answer, then add the concoction to the beer by taste.
I was actually sick at bottling time and my taste buds were way off, so I had SWMBO do the tasting for me. I started with two ounces of coffee, to which she didn't detect, so another two ounces went in, at which point she said there was a noticeable difference, so it was kegged and bottled (I split my batches evenly between keg and bottle).
Tasting Notes:
Keg: Another brain fart here, as I would normally let the keg chill for a minimum of 3 days before putting in on the gas, I hooked it up immediately - which I normally do to simply flush the headspace with C02, but I left it on for reasons which escape me. I never rush the carbing process - I always wait it out at serving pressure, which in the case of 2.5 gallon kegs, takes about 7 days. At that time, there was little to no chocolate aroma or even flavor, and minimal coffee. At 14 days, I immediately noticed a nice chocolate aroma, and mild chocolate flavor mid palate, followed by subtle coffee notes in the finish. From here, the flavor kept improving pint to pint over the next week until it leveled out. The chocolate and coffee flavors are still really subtle, but noticeable, giving a pretty nice balance between them and the rich malty flavors.
Lesson learned: Chill it for a week, and let it sit on the gas for a least 2 weeks.
Bottle: I let this one age a full month, then four days in the fridge before popping one. Normally, the kegged version of my beers absolutely annihilates the bottled version, but in this case, the bottles came out really close to the kegged version. Slightly sweeter, but the same balance of malt, coffee and chocolate was there, minus some of the chocolate aroma.
As my stock of this is nearly diminished 3 weeks after the bottle aging period finished, I'm already plotting tweaks for the next batch, to be brewed in the next month or so:
Maris Otter for the base malt (which I should have done to begin with, don't ask)
A neutral bittering hop, such as Magnum
A proper 30 minute hop addition (doh!)
Increase the nib/vodka soak time to 3 days, and time in the fermenter from 4 days to five
A tad bit more coffee, while retaining the same process for the cold brew.
