Kentucky Christmas Morning Recipe Help

[MaCheFai]

We recently had this amazing stout from Hardywood: Kentucky Christmas Morning | Hardywood And wanted to take a stab at replicating this delicious gingerbread goodness.

I put together the following recipe and wanted to get everyone's input. I basically combined a Dragon's milk clone recipe by New Holland with a Kentucky Breakfast Stout by Founders. For anyone that's had it or tried to brew it before, I'd love your input!

Batch Size: 5.5 US Gal
OG: 1.105
FG: 1.029
IBU: 53
Color (SRM): 44
ABV: 10%
Mash 1: 145 °F 20 min
Mash 2: 155 °F 40 min
Mash Out: 167 °F 10 min
Boil Time: 60 mins
Yeast: WLP001 (+Starter)

Maris Otter: 13.5 lb (62%)
Flaked Oats: 1.50 lb (7%)
Roast Barley: 0.75 lb (4%)
Chocolate Malt: (Bairds) 0.50 lb (2%)
Caramel Malt - 120L: 0.50 lb (2%)
Carafa Special III: 0.25 lb (1%)
Maltodextrin: 1.50 lb (7%) Late Addition
Corn Sugar (Dextrose): 1 lb (2%) Late Addition
Lactose (Milk Sugar ): 1.50 lb (7%) Late Addition
Honey: 1.00 lb (5%) Late Addition

Nugget: 1oz 60 min
Willamette: 1oz 25 min
Willamette: 1oz 10 min

Cacao Nibs: 1.5 oz Boil 15 min
Chocolate: 0.25 oz Boil 15 min
Coffee: 2 oz FlameOut 0 min
Ginger Root (Fresh): 2 oz Secondary 10 days
Oak Chips (Soaked): 2 oz Secondary 10 days
Coffee Beans: .5 oz Secondary 10 days
Cinnamon sticks: 2 each Secondary 10 days
Vanilla Beans: 4 each Secondary 10 days

 

[cre8sleep]

I'd just use just lactose and keep it under 10%. Instead of corn sugar use honey as stated on the bottle. No real need for late addition hops either; just enough bittering at 60. I'd also suggest dropping the coffee until secondary, but the ginger added at 5 minutes and depending on it's potency maybe up to 4oz. I don't think the cacao nibs or chocolate are necessary for this beer....I'd use more carafa and less roasted barley to get the dark notes. Consider soaking the cinnamon, vanilla and oak all in bourbon for a few weeks then add to secondary. Good luck! It's a great beer!

 

[MaCheFai]

I'd just use just lactose and keep it under 10%. Instead of corn sugar use honey as stated on the bottle. No real need for late addition hops either; just enough bittering at 60. I'd also suggest dropping the coffee until secondary, but the ginger added at 5 minutes and depending on it's potency maybe up to 4oz. I don't think the cacao nibs or chocolate are necessary for this beer....I'd use more carafa and less roasted barley to get the dark notes. Consider soaking the cinnamon, vanilla and oak all in bourbon for a few weeks then add to secondary. Good luck! It's a great beer!

Thanks for the tips, I agree with pulling the chocolate, and I have honey in there too. Was just using the dextrose to boost the abv since theirs is 10.6%. And have you used ginger in the boil before? I read online it can get very bitter.

 

[cre8sleep]

I’d tossed it in at flameout once and it wasn’t too bitter. I did that to insure it was pasteurized.

 

[MaCheFai]

To come full circle on this, for anyone looking for in the future, I ended up swapping dextrose for DME, pulling out the cocoa nibs, and added extra dark chocolate. Added 8oz of baby ginger which was demolished in a blender and added at flame out, with a good amount making its way into the fermenter during transfer. Conditioned 2 months in secondary with 4oz of oak chips and some crushed coffee beans. It turned out really amazing! The baby ginger, chocolate and coffee all worked really well together, super smooth and delicious. It was a huge hit w/ the group!