help with chocolate beers

alright guys, I have recently had sam adams chocolate bock and it was awesome. I loved that chocolate finish, and how creamy and smooth it was. Anyhow, my question is, have any of you guys had experience with the following AHS kits, and how "chocolaty" are they?

AHS Chocolate Bock:

A dark chocolaty bock with a lot of body. It features Crystal 60, Munich, and chocolate grains, maltodextrin, and unsweetened Belgian cocoa. O.G. = 1.069 Approximately 6.8% ABV.
Extract - Liquid: 10 lb Liquid Malt Extract, .5 lb Malto Dextrin, .5 lb Base Grains, 1 lb Specialty Grains.

AHS Double Chocolate Stout:

This smooth, rich and creamy stout is similar in style to Young's Double Chocolate Stout. It features chocolate, Crystal 40L, black roasted barley, and black patent grains, unsweetened Belgian cocoa, and maltodextrin. O.G. = 1.056. Approximately 5.7% ABV
Extract - Liquid: 7 lb Liquid Malt Extract, .5 lb Base Grains, 1.25 lb Specialty Grains, .5 lb Malto Dextrin.

AHS Milk Chocolate Stout:

This is a robust, sweet, spicy, and chocolatey stout. With over 10 ingredients this beer is wonderfully complex but not overpowering. It features crystal 60L, de-bittered black, black patent, chocolate grains, flaked oats, lactose, Belgian cocoa, and an add pack with cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. O.G. = 1.071. Approximately 6.8% ABV
Extract - Liquid: 8.5 lb Liquid Malt Extract, 3.13 lb Specialty Grains, 1 lb Lactose

come on. someone here has to have an opinion

I also love the chocolate bock, but haven't brewed any dark beers in a while. Can't be much help, but I'd love to hear opinions as well.

I finished a Chocolate Stout in Sep. It is kegged now and is very smooth, has a good steady bitter at the end and is not too Chocolaty.

I used 1/2 lb of Lactose sugar and 6oz of Godiva semi-sweet baking chocolate.

sorry as far as kits go; I don't do them.

The bock is a Lager. Can you Lager yet?

Try a youngs and see if thats the profile you want. If you end up getting this one, consider adding a pound of oatmeal to help get the silkiness you say you want. Maltodextrin will help, but oatmeal is awesome in stouts.

I'm not a Milk stout fan personally. Too sweet for my taste and the Sam Adams isn't nearly milk stout sweet. If you want a slight sweetness just Mash high with your #2 option.

no, I can not lager yet, and was aware that the bock was a lager. I talked to AHS they said it would be fine at 65*. But I was leaning more towards the double chocolate stout myself.

I have done the AHS Holiday Chocolate Stout and their clone of the Left Hand Milk Stout. Both turned out very tasty, I prefer the Left Hand. I would add more chocolate to the Holiday Stout next time I brew it.

When I first started brewing. I used a Brewers Best Russian Imperial Stout extract kit and added milk sugar, cocoa powder and about 8 shots of espresso. I still think about that batch today. Chocolaty, sweet, heavy, delicious Mocha Stout. Now I want to recreate that in all grain.

+1 on chocolate beers. I too would like to find some decent Chocolate Stout recipes. Not that I'm trying to hijack, but would love to see some good recipes.

nothing like plopping a few scoops of vanilla ice cream into a big glass of chocolate stout
if you pay close enough attention you can literally feel your lifespan shortening

KeithMoonsLiver said:

nothing like plopping a few scoops of vanilla ice cream into a big glass of chocolate stout
if you pay close enough attention you can literally feel your lifespan shortening

Click to expand...

I did this over Thanksgiving with Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout. Everyone else had pie with ice cream for desert, I had a stout with ice cream. Pretty sure I gained 15lbs that day.

I brewed a chocolate stout recipe that the LHBS and I worked up.
3.3lbs of light LME
3lbs of Light DME
1lbs crystal55L
.75lbs Chocolate Malt
.25lbs Biscuit Malt
3 oz Fuggle 36.9 IBU
added half cup of Hersheys bitter cocoa at the beginning of boil.

It was in the primary for three weeks and bottle three weeks and it is very smooth. Not a strong hoppy note and a smooth, light chocolate taste on the tongue. I carbed it light, wish I would have added more. The body is less than I would have liked, was shooting for a guiness weight.
We like this beer a lot.

Double chocolate stout, but secondary on cocoa nibs for a few weeks to a month.

HexKrak said:

Double chocolate stout, but secondary on cocoa nibs for a few weeks to a month.

Click to expand...

What are cocoa nibs??? Sounds interesting

The double chocolate stout is a crowd pleaser in the colder months. I brewed a clone of Youngs Double Chocolate Stout last year, and it didn't last very long.

now we are talking! getting some good information now. I will probably do the double chocolate stout and age on cocoa nibs in the secondary.

Ziggybrew said:

What are cocoa nibs??? Sounds interesting

Click to expand...

dried and roasted kernel of the cocoa bean

ps. hi from hbg.

BYO has a good clone of Founder's Breakfast Stout, it has chocolate and coffee:
http://***********/component/resour...under-s-brewing-company-breakfast-stout-clone
I made one batch, and it's almost gone, so I have to make another.