Anyone use dark choclate bars in beer?

[powerpunk5000]

I know you can use caco nibs or bakers choclate powder, but has anyone used a actual dark choclate bar? Here the label:

 

[Lefou]

You CAN use this sort of chocolate for flavoring but the fat content may cause a bit of havoc with foam and head retention.
This is why I've decided to use the powder form instead when I get around to brewing a robust porter or stout sometime in the next several years or so ....

What you've shown seems to be low on sodium and has no preservatives listed, so it seems OK, save for the fat content.

 

[don_bran321]

I hear fat is no Bueno for beer. the butter in the chocolate will probably separate and coagulate at the top of the beer. I'm not sure if it will harm anything but you would have to siphon around it

 

[Jayjay1976]

Maybe get yor hands on some second-hand strawberry cupcakes and go for it!

 

[powerpunk5000]

Maybe get yor hands on some second-hand strawberry cupcakes and go for it!

Cool I'll try that next!

 

[Andy_C]

^ what they said about fats.

 

[Idrum6969]

I tried Baker's chocolate once in a stout when I first got into brewing. I didn't get good results using it in a bar form. Fast forward a bit and made the same stout recipe using cocoa nibs in the secondary along with a vanilla bean. The end result was fantastic and the chocolate definitely came through in the beer. I've seen other folks use it and had good results. I most likely made a rookie boo boo lol.

 

[Br3w4u]

I have some of this and was thinking of using it in a stout. Less fat than a chocolate bar and it’s very tasty.

 

[JimRausch]

I tried Baker's chocolate once in a stout when I first got into brewing. I didn't get good results using it in a bar form. Fast forward a bit and made the same stout recipe using cocoa nibs in the secondary along with a vanilla bean. The end result was fantastic and the chocolate definitely came through in the beer. I've seen other folks use it and had good results. I most likely made a rookie boo boo lol.

Idrum has a good point- often what we perceive as 'chocolate' comes from vanilla. So add a vanilla bean when you add the cocoa nibs = much more 'chocolate flavor'.

 

[r4dyce]

This is just a sidenote: There's an old bakers' trick when making chocolate cake you add coffee to the batter. Like vanilla, coffee naturally enhances the perception of chocolate-ness. I've never actually done this with beer, but might be something to consider if you're looking to enhance your chocolate flavors.

 

[JacksonMartinez50]

Fat content will cause a mess. You'll likely get a layer of fat congealed on the top. Kind of like when you put gravy in the fridge and you get that layer of fat on the top overnight.

 

[Idrum6969]

Fat content will cause a mess. You'll likely get a layer of fat congealed on the top. Kind of like when you put gravy in the fridge and you get that layer of fat on the top overnight.

Yeah.. that is what happened to mine. I had to rack below it and had some waste I could have avoided. Newbie mistake back in the beginning.

 

[Tett_paradise]

I threw 4oz of a chocolate bar in my last stout. It came out like others have said with very little head. I did pick up some chocolate flavor but it wasn't very much. I would say there are better ways to add that flavor to your brew.