Chocolate Banana Stout

[hanuswalrus]

So the last 3 batches I've done have all been IPAs/pales. Wanna do something different this time. Planning on brewing up a nice stout and fermenting with hefe yeast. Spiteful Brewing in Chicago does a beer like this and it sounds interesting (I haven't actually tried it, but hear good things). Here's what I've got so far for the grain bill. 3 gallon batch. Suggestions are appreciated :

5 lbs Golden Promise
2 lbs White Wheat
.75 lb Chocolate Rye
.5 lb Flaked Oats
.25 lb Biscuit
.25 lb Midnight Wheat
.25 lb Roasted Barley

Single infusion right around 155 for an hour.

Got a few ounces of Chinook left over so I plan on using those to hit 30-40 IBU

WY3068. Ferment slightly warm, around 68-70, to get more banana character than clove.

I'm wondering if I should drop the Biscuit malt and replace it with more chocolate, maybe dark chocolate malt.. I'm thinking chocolate needs to be fairly prominent in this one.. Let me know what you think!

And of course, since this is a chocolate banana stout recipe...

 

[hanuswalrus]

Bump, going to LHBS in about an hour..

 

[NorthwestBrewman2013]

So the last 3 batches I've done have all been IPAs/pales. Wanna do something different this time. Planning on brewing up a nice stout and fermenting with hefe yeast. Spiteful Brewing in Chicago does a beer like this and it sounds interesting (I haven't actually tried it, but hear good things). Here's what I've got so far for the grain bill. 3 gallon batch. Suggestions are appreciated :

5 lbs Golden Promise
2 lbs White Wheat
.75 lb Chocolate Rye
.5 lb Flaked Oats
.25 lb Biscuit
.25 lb Midnight Wheat
.25 lb Roasted Barley

Single infusion right around 155 for an hour.

Got a few ounces of Chinook left over so I plan on using those to hit 30-40 IBU

WY3068. Ferment slightly warm, around 68-70, to get more banana character than clove.

I'm wondering if I should drop the Biscuit malt and replace it with more chocolate, maybe dark chocolate malt.. I'm thinking chocolate needs to be fairly prominent in this one.. Let me know what you think!

And of course, since this is a chocolate banana stout recipe...

I'd actually omit the biscuit malt and substitute it for crystal malt...maybe 80 or 120.

 

[Hockyplr]

You could also use cocoa nibs to really get a chocolate flavor....

 

[hanuswalrus]

Thanks for the input. I think I'll go with Crystal 80 instead of Biscuit.. I think I'll get enough bready character from the Golden Promise now that I think about it

 

[MindenMan]

Chocolate malt over time changes into a "coffee" flavor, and then with more time it goes back to chocolate IME.If you use nibs I strongly suggest you roast and crush them and then soak in vodka a few days to make an extract.
Just my $0.02

 

[hanuswalrus]

I've heard that about using nibs. Toasting them gives better results. The one time I used them in the past, I used a bourbon tincture, no toasting. That was my 3rd or 4th brew ever, and the beer turned out smelling and tasting very soapy, covering up any signs of chocolate. I've come a long way since then and am planning on giving nibs another shot with this brew. Roast them and then crush them? Or crush them and then roast them? Or does that matter?

 

[yeknom366]

I've also heard under-pitching hefeweizen yeast helps boost the banana character.

 

[hanuswalrus]

I've also heard under-pitching hefeweizen yeast helps boost the banana character.

Interesting, never heard that. Well it's too late now as I brewed this yesterday and pitched a very healthy starter. Woke up this morning to find it chugging HARD. Pitched slightly high at 70 degrees and left it right around there so I'm thinking it will form some nice banana esters at this temp for the first few days.