Chocolate cover orange stout advice

[McUbermensch]

I've brewed this stout recipe a few times before without any flavor additions and it's a very good base beer. I want to make something like Hill Farmstead's Daybreak but I'm not trying to clone it.

Batch size : 5 gallons
Target OG : 1.090
Target FG: 1.021
ABV : 9.26
IBU : 59.6
SRM : 41.8

Grain:
13.5lb 2 Row (78.3%)
1lb Chocolate malt (5.8%)
1lb Oats, Flaked (5.8%)
8oz Black (Patent) malt (2.9%)
4oz Roasted Barley (1.4%)
4oz Crystal 120 (1.4%)

Hops:

1oz Nugget @ 60 min (32.8 IBU)
1oz Mt. Hood @ 30 min (11.6 IBU)
1oz Centennial @ 20 min (15.3 IBU)

Misc:

1.5tsp yeast nutrient @ 10 min
1oz sweet orange peel @ 5 min
.50oz bitter orange peel @ 5 min

Yeast:

2 packs US05

Secondary additions:

2.5oz medium toast oak cubes soaked in 5oz orange brandy.
2oz cocoa nibs

So what do you think? Do I need the peel AND the orange brandy? Is 2oz of cocoa nibs going to come through?

I made the orange brandy by peeling 4 Valencia oranges and steeping them in 500ml of Brandy for a week then running the liquid through coffee filters to remove the oils. The orange brandy is probably going to make some really good cocktails by the way.

Any help is greatly appreciated!





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[m00ps]

I use 4oz cacao nibs usually to get a good chocolate flavor. I boil them in a bit of water, let cool, and toss them into the fermentor. I'll also add vanilla beans to help round out the chocolate flavor

I'd try a gravity sample, then decide on the brandy. I think you should forgo the oak cubes though. They will just get in the way of your primary flavors you are focusing the beer on: chocolate and orange. Just all some of the brandy straight into the fermentor per your taste. You could also try adding some fresh orange or tangerine peel right into the kettle. I made an orange creamsicle ale using fresh peel and it comes through more than when I use dried peels in my wits

 

[McUbermensch]

I use 4oz cacao nibs usually to get a good chocolate flavor. I boil them in a bit of water, let cool, and toss them into the fermentor. I'll also add vanilla beans to help round out the chocolate flavor

I'd try a gravity sample, then decide on the brandy. I think you should forgo the oak cubes though. They will just get in the way of your primary flavors you are focusing the beer on: chocolate and orange. Just all some of the brandy straight into the fermentor per your taste. You could also try adding some fresh orange or tangerine peel right into the kettle. I made an orange creamsicle ale using fresh peel and it comes through more than when I use dried peels in my wits

I do plan on using fresh peel in the last five minutes of the boil, 1.5oz is what I was planning.

It's interesting you say that about forgoing the oak cubes. The beer that inspired this, Daybreak, was aged in Grand Marnier barrels and the orange character was very subtle. I'm guess the barrel character overtook it. Thanks for that tip!

4oz of cocoa nibs sounds good to me.


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