Adding Chocolate Extract To Keg

[chrisvaf]

Hey everyone. I have a Rogue Chocolate Stout fermenting and I'll be transferring to a keg in a few days. The recipe I followed is below, and calls for chocolate extract to be added to the secondary/keg. I purchased this - https://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Natural_Chocolate_Flavouring_Extract_4oz_p/nat-flav-chocolate.htm

The question I have regarding sanitation of the extract (I have searched a ton but haven't been able to find an answer to this). Is there a need to boil or pasteurize the extract, or can I simply sanitize a measuring cup, add the extract then add that to the keg?

Recipe: https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/rogue-chocolate-stout-clone/

 

[LLBeanJ]

No need to sanitize the extract, just sanitize whatever you use to measure it out and add to the beer. Even that is likely not necessary since the extract itself probably contains alcohol and therefore would be self-sanitizing, but to keep within the spirit of reasonable precautions and such, it certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

To be extra cautious you could also sanitize the exterior of the extract container.

 

[chrisvaf]

Thanks for the quick replies! I’ll definitely be sanitizing the inside and outside of the measuring container.

Cheers.

 

[Shwagger]

Just dump it in and rack or swirl it around? I'm adding chocolate extract(with priming sugar) to my fermenter before racking so I can bottle a few.

 

[chrisvaf]

Just dump it in and rack or swirl it around? I'm adding chocolate extract(with priming sugar) to my fermenter before racking so I can bottle a few.

I thought about that as well so that I could then do a closed transfer to a fully purged keg. On what fermentation day and for how many days are you keeping it in the primary?

 

[Shwagger]

I thought about that as well so that I could then do a closed transfer to a fully purged keg. On what fermentation day and for how many days are you keeping it in the primary?

Plan was to add it with priming sugar, after cold crashing, , so it might be in there 30 minutes before racking. I also do a closed loop into a keg.

I honestly don't think extra time in the fermenter will be necessary as mine will naturally carb over two weeks. Gives the extract two weeks to mix or do whatever it is it does

 

[IslandLizard]

How does everyone feel about adding those flavor extracts to beer? I find most to taste very artificial regardless of their claim to be "all natural."

When I've added extracts, like BrewCraft's, which is likely similar the OP's, I used only very small, truly minimal amounts, just to get a hint, or to fortify a real fruit flavor that was present. But even small amounts seem to overwhelm after a while. The bottles call for 4 oz per 5 gallons. I only used about 1 tsp (5 ml) per gallon or less. I used mostly fruity extracts like Raspberry. Some extracts may fair better.

 

[day_trippr]

I've only tried Nielsen-Massey chocolate and coffee extracts and they're both quite good.
Haven't used any fruit extracts as the closest thing I do to a "fruit" beer is the orange zest I use for some of my wheats.

I did have a raspberry chocolate stout the other day, though, and was intrigued enough to consider dosing a pour or two of my own stout with an extract one of these days and see where that leads. Olive Nation sells an all-natural version that seems well regarded...

Cheers!

 

[chrisvaf]

I've only tried Nielsen-Massey chocolate and coffee extracts and they're both quite good.

@day_trippr, how many ounces do you use per 5 gallons? The recipe I’m following calls for 1.5.

 

[Shwagger]

4 ounces sounds like a ton! 2oz of chocolate extract, the Massey kind, will go into my stout.

 

[day_trippr]

@day_trippr, how many ounces do you use per 5 gallons? The recipe I’m following calls for 1.5.

For five gallons I have used 2 ounces of the chocolate, half that of the coffee...

Cheers!

 

[Morrey]

How does everyone feel about adding those flavor extracts to beer? I find most to taste very artificial regardless of their claim to be "all natural."

I am with you, brother. Those extracts that come in beer kits should be banned by law!! I am sure there are premium extracts out there, but I have yet to find those. A fellow HBT member suggests Apex as one to try. day_trippr offered yet another suggestion he had used with success.

There is an active thread going on now for chocolate infusions. A liquid cocoa called "cholaca" is being billed for great infusion flavors. In the current edition of BYO magazine, Oskar Blues published their recipe for Death by Coconut which uses Cholaca for chocolate flavor. It reported infuses the beer with flavors, then drops out of suspension into the yeast cake leaving a nice clarity.