Chocolate Espresso Stout

[james3v1]

I modified this recipe to make a mocha stout, with cocoa and coffee, and a little higher gravity and light on the hops.

We drank the first few and it is wonderful and thick and lovely. I lightened the hops because my wife doesn't like hoppy beer--and she liked it, making the brew a complete success.

3 gallons distilled water with gypsum
Mash:
1 pound Muntons Roasted non-malted Black Barley (spilled a little—maybe 1-2 oz?)
1 # Dingeman’s Belgian Chocolate Malt
1 # Crystal Malt
At boil add:
6.6 # coopers dark Malt Extract
8 oz. cocoa powder (about ½ Hershey’s Dark)
Boil 70 minutes
1 oz Amarillo Hop Alpha 7.0% at 35 minutes
Add two more gallons distilled water after chilling
OG 1.053
2 pkg Safbrew T-58
Priming after fermentation with molasses instead of corn sugar. Final gravity 1.013.

I haven't taken the time to do more than estimate the ABV. We're really enjoying this one--I'll certainly make it again soon. Sorry I don't have all the software to look at the recipe that some of you have.

 

[z987k]

looks good, only 1 suggestion. There's no reason to use 2 packages of dry yeast, save yourself $1.50 or so and use the 2nd on the next brew.
% is 5.2

 

[Joker]

http://www.mtbrewing.com/calculator-abv-abw/

 

[TUCK]

I modified this recipe to make a mocha stout, with cocoa and coffee, and a little higher gravity and light on the hops.

We drank the first few and it is wonderful and thick and lovely. I lightened the hops because my wife doesn't like hoppy beer--and she liked it, making the brew a complete success.

3 gallons distilled water with gypsum
Mash:
1 pound Muntons Roasted non-malted Black Barley (spilled a little—maybe 1-2 oz?)
1 # Dingeman’s Belgian Chocolate Malt
1 # Crystal Malt
At boil add:
6.6 # coopers dark Malt Extract
8 oz. cocoa powder (about ½ Hershey’s Dark)
Boil 70 minutes
1 oz Amarillo Hop Alpha 7.0% at 35 minutes
Add two more gallons distilled water after chilling
OG 1.053
2 pkg Safbrew T-58
Priming after fermentation with molasses instead of corn sugar. Final gravity 1.013.

I haven't taken the time to do more than estimate the ABV. We're really enjoying this one--I'll certainly make it again soon. Sorry I don't have all the software to look at the recipe that some of you have.

NICE

Looks good bro, wish I could get my wife to drink a stout, however she does like Lefthand's Milk stout (5.2 abv) which is very light.

 

[miatawnt2b]

tapped it tonight. WOW! Tasty! Nice and thick/creamy. Beautiful color head. Great flavor, but a bit bitter, even with my 4 cups of coldbrew espresso. My only complaint is the bitterness that I think can be compensated with by using a bit of lactose in the secondary.

Cudos to Tuck! Did you come up with this recipe on your own? Great Job, and thank you for sharing!

-J

 

[TUCK]

tapped it tonight. WOW! Tasty! Nice and thick/creamy. Beautiful color head. Great flavor, but a bit bitter, even with my 4 cups of coldbrew espresso. My only complaint is the bitterness that I think can be compensated with by using a bit of lactose in the secondary.

Cudos to Tuck! Did you come up with this recipe on your own? Great Job, and thank you for sharing!

-J

Thank you very much.

Yes, one cold night last year my brother and I decided on this recipe as our annual brew for the holidays.

I am glad you like it, I think maybe with age the bitterness should mellow out either way I say modify it and make it your own creation.

HappyBrewin

 

[El_Borracho]

Uhm.. I want this in my fridge, now!

 

[Vagrant]

I'm brewing this tomorrow and had a few questions.

1) When would I add the brown sugar/molasses? Sounds like a lot of stuff to add when bottling, if that's the case. 1lb of brown sugar and 1lb of molasses alone sounds like a lot to add, but this is a pretty high SG anyway.

2) What temperature should I rest at?

3) Do I mash all the grains in the MLT, or do I steep some of them? Is there any disadvantage to mashing with all grains in the MLT?

I was inspired by Southern Tier Brewery's Chok-lat ( http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=81812 ) which I tried in their taproom while I was on vacation in PA. It is an amazing substance. Not a session beer by any means. I came across this recipe and it seems over the top enough for me to want to try =)

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[miatawnt2b]

I'm brewing this tomorrow and had a few questions.

1) When would I add the brown sugar/molasses? Sounds like a lot of stuff to add when bottling, if that's the case. 1lb of brown sugar and 1lb of molasses alone sounds like a lot to add, but this is a pretty high SG anyway.

2) What temperature should I rest at?

3) Do I mash all the grains in the MLT, or do I steep some of them? Is there any disadvantage to mashing with all grains in the MLT?

I was inspired by Southern Tier Brewery's Chok-lat ( http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=81812 ) which I tried in their taproom while I was on vacation in PA. It is an amazing substance. Not a session beer by any means. I came across this recipe and it seems over the top enough for me to want to try =)

Anyone have any thoughts?

Add the sugars at the very end of the boil along with the cocoa. Here's a tip for the cocoa... at the beginning of the boil pull out about 2 cups of wort and emulsify the cocoa powder in that before adding at the end of the boil. This will keep the cocoa from clumping since the cocoa won't dissolve anyhow. You will mash all the grain together. I think mine was 152* for 1 hour, and has plenty of body.

This is seriously probably one of the best stouts I've ever had.

-J

 

[TUCK]

Add the sugars at the very end of the boil along with the cocoa. Here's a tip for the cocoa... at the beginning of the boil pull out about 2 cups of wort and emulsify the cocoa powder in that before adding at the end of the boil. This will keep the cocoa from clumping since the cocoa won't dissolve anyhow. You will mash all the grain together. I think mine was 152* for 1 hour, and has plenty of body.

This is seriously probably one of the best stouts I've ever had.
-J

I think a tear just dropped, thanks a lot man I am so glad you liked it.


By the way Nobes I would prime with DME, but I say try a few with molasses and see what the difference is

 

[Skunkyhops]

... My only complaint is the bitterness that I think can be compensated with by using a bit of lactose in the secondary.

-J

Im gonna brew this up in about a week or so and i was curious if anybody has tried adding a little bit of lactose to the beer as mentioned above? I was thinking about adding some to it but Im not sure how much to add or when to add it?

 

[miatawnt2b]

Im gonna brew this up in about a week or so and i was curious if anybody has tried adding a little bit of lactose to the beer as mentioned above? I was thinking about adding some to it but Im not sure how much to add or when to add it?

I had no problems adding it after it was kegged and carbonated. boil lactose in a cup or so of water, and dump it right in. This way you can taste it first and see what you like.
-J

 

[Skunkyhops]

Thanks a lot for the quik reply I cant wait to get this one brewin!

 

[Vagrant]

I just moved this over to a secondary after two weeks. I added 4 cups of brewed espresso. I took a sample to check on the hydrometer (and to taste) and this sample was amazing. I cant wait until this thing has been properly aged. I may have to brew another batch of it as my next batch. Even the wort sample I took for my SG tasted great. Tuck and his bro did a great job on this recipe. I was a little skeptical at first with how all the added sugars were going to pan out. I still have to wait until I get my hands on the finished product, but I can already get a feel of what I may need to add or subtract for the next go around.

If you're a fan of stouts, do yourself a favor and brew this epic ale.

I'll post once I bottle and it's been conditioned on how it turned out. I have high hopes.

 

[Aclay]

I have come up with a similar recipe before I saw this. The difference being I'm using 8 oz of semi-sweet bakers and 6 cups of espresso from a brazilian brand. I thought about priming this with molasses, but I like the idea of adding it to the boil. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[TUCK]

I have come up with a similar recipe before I saw this. The difference being I'm using 8 oz of semi-sweet bakers and 6 cups of espresso from a brazilian brand. I thought about priming this with molasses, but I like the idea of adding it to the boil. Thanks for the suggestion.

Hope it turns out great for you. I never thought about priming with molasses, thanks for the input

 

[eschatz]

that sounds really tasty!

 

[miatawnt2b]

I just brewed this for the third time Sunday. 5 gal goes so quickly. This will be my first time using chinook's though. I usually used nugget hops as chinooks are sometimes hard to find here.
-J

 

[oms1981]

this sounds fantastic, it is going to be my next brew for sure. I have a few questions about the recipe if anyone could help me out.

1. What type of molasses did you use? I have seen different grades (light, dark, blackstrap) and I read that lighter varieties are more fermentable while darker ones impart a stronger flavor.

2. How much DME for bottle conditioning? I usually use dextrose but I saw that DME is recommended for this. I think "joy of homebrewing" suggests 1 1/4 cups for 5 gallons. Would this give appropriate carbonation?

3. Any final say on cold brewed coffee vs actual espresso shots? I am a barista and I work on a $20,000 bar everyday so I have unlimited access to the best shots you can get basically. My main concern is the oil messing with head retention since I am not kegging yet. I know cold brew has much less oil.

Thanks for any help everyone

 

[miatawnt2b]

I use the cheapest molasses and brown sugar I can find at the grocery store. As for bottle conditioning, I have no idea. Kegging rules. I chose cold brew espresso beans myself because it was easier for me, and I had read it has the added benefit of less oil which is better for head retention, as well as less bitterness.

All I can say is that mine is AWESOME, and the head is thick and brown.

-J

 

[limprizol]

I am sorry for such a noobish question but i am really interested in making this for my next brew and i am wondering how this beer compares to Guinness as far as bitterness goes.

 

[Jewrican]

I am sorry for such a noobish question but i am really interested in making this for my next brew and i am wondering how this beer compares to Guinness as far as bitterness goes.

thanks for the bump on this thread! This is going to be my next brew!

I use the cheapest molasses and brown sugar I can find at the grocery store. As for bottle conditioning, I have no idea. Kegging rules. I chose cold brew espresso beans myself because it was easier for me, and I had read it has the added benefit of less oil which is better for head retention, as well as less bitterness.

All I can say is that mine is AWESOME, and the head is thick and brown.

I am am not a coffee person and am confused about this expresso addition.

When i see cold brew in previous posts are they referring to just brewing coffee with cold water???

Or are they brewing expresso with cold water? Or am i way off?

I want to use the same recipe as the OP but i dont have an expresso maker... what is a very similar substitute... i want to stay as true as possible based on the great reviews

 

[TUCK]

thanks for the bump on this thread! This is going to be my next brew!



I am am not a coffee person and am confused about this expresso addition.

When i see cold brew in previous posts are they referring to just brewing coffee with cold water???

Or are they brewing expresso with cold water? Or am i way off?

I want to use the same recipe as the OP but i dont have an expresso maker... what is a very similar substitute... i want to stay as true as possible based on the great reviews

Hello, for the record when I created it I used an espresso maker and let it cool and put it in the carboy.

However you can just add near boiling water to Espresso Beans (ginded) and let cool. The time it takes to sit and cool off should steep the beans enough to extract the goods.



As for the "Guinness Bitterness" question, this is more rich, heavy body, subtle roasty sweetness, with subtle bitterness on the finish yet a tad bit "more" bitter than Guinness. This is done to balance the bitter/sweetness.

Rock On Can't wait to make it again this year :rockin:

 

[Jewrican]

Sorry to keep digging this one up, but how much lactose would you recommend to add to this to balance the bitterness for those that found it a little bitter ( i love milk stouts so this sounds great on its own).

Also how do you go about cold brewing espresso? Do you just soak them with cold water??? I like the sound of the less oils for a better head.

I cant wait to drink this! It has only been 3 days and I am dying to try it! My only concern is that i think it looks quite light in color.. hope i didnt mess anything up (it is only my second brew- i bottled my first sunday morning and brewed this at night)

 

[miatawnt2b]

There is plenty of info on cold brewing coffee around. Essentially you soak the grounds overnight in cold water, then filter and dump to secondary. I use 4 cups boiled and chilled water, add 8 heaping tbsp of ground espresso.

For the lactose I am using 4 oz. per 5 gal.
-J

 

[Jewrican]

There is plenty of info on cold brewing coffee around. Essentially you soak the grounds overnight in cold water, then filter and dump to secondary. I use 4 cups boiled and chilled water, add 8 heaping tbsp of ground espresso.

For the lactose I am using 4 oz. per 5 gal.
-J

I really appreciate it. I found info about coffee but nothing about espresso so i was concerned if it would work with espresso also. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Do you add the lactose at bottling or at secondary with the espresso.

*EDIT* i re-read your post about adding it to SECONDARY.

 

[miatawnt2b]

Brewed for the 5th time yesterday. This is a staple fall/winter beer at my place. As I was finishing up the boil yesterday, I kept thinking that I was forgetting something. This morning it hit me. AHHHHHHH THE COCOA! Crap.

I guess I am just going to make a COCOA solution in a bit of water and add to the secondary with the espresso.

-J

 

[Jewrican]

I cannot WAIT to try this beer. I have it in primary and it is done fermenting. I need to get it over to secondary which will happen before the weekend. I am adding 4 OZ of lactose to this as was mentioned above.

 

[brewjunky]

Sorry fo the late response


Last year I used 8 cups of brewed starbucks espresso

However once it aged the coffee really bled through, almost intense

SO...this year I only used 4 cups.
It has been aging for around 2 weeks and seems to be nice, I think it needs more time to mellow but it should be good.

so did you use 4 cups of dry ground coffee or was it 4 cups of coffee that went through the coffee maker

 

[miatawnt2b]

so did you use 4 cups of dry ground coffee or was it 4 cups of coffee that went through the coffee maker

it's 4 cups after brewing, not 4 cups dry coffee. Coldbrew is not as efficient as hot brewed, so I think I used 4 heaping TBSP of finely ground espresso in 4 cups water.

-J

 

[Jewrican]

i just tried this for the first time, which is only about 5 weeks old. I just could not help myself.. i wanted to try it so bad.

So i assume that RIS need to age a for a bit more than most beers.... is that true. I think it is pretty good, but the aftertaste of the bold alcohol taste and espresso is a little tough. It tastes good until that point. Also, i must have had too much oil somewhere... i had almost no head at all

Any ideas how much longer i should age this? It tastes pretty good.. just need to settle the bite down

 

[Jewrican]

After letting this beer sit out (busy while drinking) it was MUCH more mild with some time. I guess it is not a good beer for 40 degree serving temp.

 

[Greenspey]

I really appreciate it. I found info about coffee but nothing about espresso so i was concerned if it would work with espresso also. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Do you add the lactose at bottling or at secondary with the espresso.

*EDIT* i re-read your post about adding it to SECONDARY.

I've actually dry-hopped with espresso beans and it worked very well. The coffee flavor comes through without adding any bitterness or ruining the head.

 

[Jewrican]

I've actually dry-hopped with espresso beans and it worked very well. The coffee flavor comes through without adding any bitterness or ruining the head.

yeah i was hoping the cold brewing would do the same but hey you live and you learn.. too bad this is such an expensive beer to make.. i spent like 70 plus bucks on this one

How much did you dry hop with and when? I'm open for suggenstions

 

[Greenspey]

I used a 1/2 cup, about a handful of beans to the secondary. No grinding and they're easy to keep out of the brew. This was for a 5 gallon batch. You could definitely taste the coffee, but it wasn't overpowering. I thought it blended quite well.

 

[simonbouts]

Is there a way to lower the alcohol content of this beer. If I avoid the 1 pound of light brown sugar will it drop significantly? And is it gonna affect the taste?
thanks

 

[miatawnt2b]

I doubt you'll notice much if you omit the brown sugar.
-J

 

[Jared311]

I picked up the molasses, light brown sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder today. I am brewing this beast on Monday. My pipeline is pretty stocked up, so I will probably sit on this one for months to let it age big time. I will keep you posted as it progresses.

 

[brokenanchor]

Brewing this right after work...niiice

 

[brokenanchor]

5 gallons of this sitting in a carboy bubbling away. Good thing I used a blow off tube because it is going crazy!. I sparged a little extra, and boiled that separate, so no Cocoa or sugars. I had that one at about 3/4 gallons boiled down to 1/2 gallon. Hop bursted to 180 IBU's. I can get two 750 ml bottles out of it and plan on aging them for 6 months to a year before popping them.