First by-myself recipe- Chocolate Coffee stout

This is my first recipe I've done without looking at others' recipes. I'm sure it needs a good bit of tweaking, but I'd love to have a great PM Chocolate Coffee Stout ready for early December. Any/all critiques are welcome! Thanks


2# dark lme
2# light Dme
.5# of- Honey malt, Chocolate malt, roasted barley, 80l crystal
.25# of smoked malt
1lb brown sugar
1lb molasses
1 oz williamette 60 min
1 oz goldings 30 min
1 oz fuggles 5 min
4 oz unsweetened ghiradelli cocoa powder 10 min

4 oz unsweetened ghiradelli cocoa powder in secondary 7 days
4 oz crushed coffee beans in secondary for 7 days (or should I could brew?)

Not too shabby. I'd lose the smoke malt, though. A quarter of a pound in a stout with chocolate and coffee will never come through.

The 5 minute addition of fuggles probably isn't necessary, either.

Not bad. May not need the C80. I would think between the choc malt, roasted malt, and Dark LME you would have enough color. I agree with losing the smoked malt.


There are MANY thoughts on how to add coffee. I would just search the threads and pick a technique and run with it. From what I have read brewing coffee and adding, sometimes causes oils. Same goes for chocolate (minus the oils).

Sidenote: I have the brewers best Stout Kit recipe from way back when if you want me to send it to you to use as a base.

Thanks for the tips. If you wouldn't mind sending that recipe, I'd love to compare. Is it a sweeter smoother stout? You're right about how many ways there are of adding coffee and chocolate. I'm still looking for one that jumps out as the best. I don't wanna overpower the stout but I definitely want the flavors out there.

I will look dig up the recipe when I get home. I know that the Zymurgy magazine did a whole write up on the different ways to add in coffee flavor. Also I think BYO magazine did something along those lines when it did its "breakfast beers" issue.

I didn't end up brewing it...so not sure. It was my first batch and ended up blowing the airlock and exploding all over the place. Not knowing any better thought that after blowing the lock and getting the beer exposed to oxygen the beer was shot. So I dumped and brewed another kit. Live and learn...NEVER dump. Ah well. makes a funny story now.

Haha, good one. My first batch blew out too so I always use a blow off tube in the beginning but haven't had the same crazy fermentation since.