Thoughts on this Terrapin "Moo-Hoo" Chocolate Milk Stout clone recipe?

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garyg363

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My wife recently tried the Terrapin Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout and she loved it. Now I'd like to make a partial mash version with her. I've looked at a bunch of recipes and came up with this adaptation, using a few leftover grains that I have on hand.

Mash the following in 2 Gallons 150 F water for 30 min:
1 lb Rahr 2-row Pale malt;
1 lb Fawcett pale Chocolate;
0.5 lb Briess Organic Chocolate;
0.4 lb Briess Organic C-60L;
0.5 lb Weyermann Carafa III;
0.25 lb Roasted Barley;
1 lb Flaked Oats.

Rinse with 1 Gallon 170 F water a few times, bring to boil, and then add:
6 lbs NB Golden LME (60 min);
1 oz Nugget hops (60 Min);
1 oz Willamette hops (10 min);
1 tsp Irish moss (10 min);
1 lb Lactose (10 min).

Cool to 70 F and pitch Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast.

Primary fermentation at 70 F for 2 weeks.
Secondary fermentation with 4 oz cocoa nibs for 7 days.
Bottle, using 4 oz corn sugar to prime.


Here is what Terrapin has on their website for this brew:
Our brand new seasonal selection! The Terrapin “Moo-Hoo” Chocolate Milk Stout proudly uses cocoa nibs and shells from Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company to give this beer its great taste!

HOPS: Nugget, Willamette MALT: 2 Row Pale, Flaked Oat, Chocolate, Crystal 85, Carafa III Special, Roasted Barley OTHER: Cocoa Nibs, Cocoa Shells & Lactose

ABV: 6% IBU: 30 O.G.: 16.7



What are your thoughts? Is this enough cocoa nibs? Should the nibs be soaked in something (maybe vodka) before adding to secondary? Should I add a scraped vanilla bean along with the nibs?

Any other comments on/additions to/subtractions from the recipe? I realize it's a new beer, but has anyone else tried to clone the Terrapin Moo-Hoo or similar beers with success?

Thanks!
Gary
 
Vanilla may add a distinct flavor that you might not taste with the original beer. You may also want to look into using cocoa shells as it looks like they could add a slight extra layer of complexity. Since you aren't doing any other chocolate additions you may want to consider upping the nibs by an ounce or two, and definitely go longer than one week- two at the very least. Don't be afraid to give it a taste test as time goes on either.

Some people will sanitize their nibs in vodka the day before adding them, but I (as well as many others) just throw them in. As long as they aren't handled improperly they should be relatively clean.
 
Vanilla may add a distinct flavor that you might not taste with the original beer. You may also want to look into using cocoa shells as it looks like they could add a slight extra layer of complexity. Since you aren't doing any other chocolate additions you may want to consider upping the nibs by an ounce or two, and definitely go longer than one week- two at the very least. Don't be afraid to give it a taste test as time goes on either.

Some people will sanitize their nibs in vodka the day before adding them, but I (as well as many others) just throw them in. As long as they aren't handled improperly they should be relatively clean.

Thanks, Arover. I ordered 4 oz of nibs and 4 oz of shells, and I plan to drop them all into secondary for about 2 weeks and skip the vanilla.

I just brewed this tonight and it tastes pretty good so far. OG was 1.068.

I'm excited to see what this comes out like after secondary!

Cheers,
Gary
 
So how did it come out? I love me a little Moo Hoo and am looking to brew some as we head into the fall. Would like to crack one open on a crisp night over Labor Day weekend if I can.

Thanks!
 
So how did it come out? I love me a little Moo Hoo and am looking to brew some as we head into the fall. Would like to crack one open on a crisp night over Labor Day weekend if I can.

Thanks!

I had some trouble with this beer fermenting all the way. It got stalled at around 1.028. I tried pitching another batch of yeast in which I slowly introduced some of the beer (similar to directions here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/blogs/arcanexor/328-fixing-stuck-fermentation-101.html), but it never moved beyond 1.028. I think it may have been too much lactose, too much temperature fluctuation, and potentially an issue with being under oxygenated. If you give this a shot, I'd recommend using slightly less lactose (maybe 3/4 of a pound) and shaking the heck out of the wort before pitching a big healthy load of yeast.

I did follow this recipe through to secondary with the cocoa nibs for 2 weeks and then bottled, priming with corn sugar. The resulting beer was low on carbonation after 2-3 weeks and the flavors seemed a bit off (could have been due to me introducing some bacteria by opening the fermentation bucket so many times), but after a few months, the carbonation picked up and the flavors mellowed into a nice, dark, roasty beer. However, the final product was not very close to the Moohoo chocolate stout made by the folks at Terrapin, but was tasty none the less.

If you decide to make, let me know how it goes!
 
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