Baird's Chocolate Malt vs Briess

[Tomahawk47]

How do I treat Bairds Chocolate Malt in a recipe when I have always used Briess Chocolate Malt. Anybody have any experience? Not worried about color (500L vs 350L) - just flavor impact.
This will be a substitution in Lil Sparkies Brown Ale. I usually use about 4 ozs of Briess. Do I back off on the Bairds?

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

If you were to post this recipe, that'd be pretty helpful...

But that said, I bet that 4 oz of briess chocolate 350 vs 4 oz of bairds 500 chocolate in a 5 gallon batch would be indistinguishable for the average beer drinker.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Is it this recipe? If so I recently brewed it, still have some on tap, but I didn't go with either chocolate malt. Instead I went with Crisp Pale Chocolate malt (at 200-250L per https://bsghandcraft.com/william-crisp-pale-chocolate-25-kg-55-lb ). I prefer the flavor of pale chocolate malt. I made a couple other minor adjustments that I don't recall at the moment. The beer turned out pretty good, though if I brew it again I might go all EKG hops. The last two or three beers I've hopped with Fuggles later in the boil left a weird taste. I guess it's possible though that I might have gotten some bad Fuggles.

Mine version is in the smaller glass.

 

[Tomahawk47]

Is it this recipe? If so I recently brewed it, still have some on tap, but I didn't go with either chocolate malt. Instead I went with Crisp Pale Chocolate malt (at 200-250L per https://bsghandcraft.com/william-crisp-pale-chocolate-25-kg-55-lb ). I prefer the flavor of pale chocolate malt. I made a couple other minor adjustments that I don't recall at the moment. The beer turned out pretty good, though if I brew it again I might go all EKG hops. The last two or three beers I've hopped with Fuggles later in the boil left a weird taste. I guess it's possible though that I might have gotten some bad Fuggles.

Mine version is in the smaller glass.
View attachment 871345

Yes, that is the recipe. I tried pale chocolate in a porter and had to let it age quite awhile before I could drink it so I'm sticking to the higher Lovibond chocolate. British malts are usually more flavorful. I have made brown ales in the past with larger amounts of chocolate malt and don't particularly care for them. I've boosted this recipe to 1.065 and went with 5 oz. Chocolate. Dispite what the other poster thinks, just a 1 oz change is noticeable. I'll probably go with 4 oz here.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Yes, that is the recipe. I tried pale chocolate in a porter and had to let it age quite awhile before I could drink it so I'm sticking to the higher Lovibond chocolate. British malts are usually more flavorful. I have made brown ales in the past with larger amounts of chocolate malt and don't particularly care for them. I've boosted this recipe to 1.065 and went with 5 oz. Chocolate. Dispite what the other poster thinks, just a 1 oz change is noticeable. I'll probably go with 4 oz here.

I guess it all is palate dependant. To me pale chocolate malt tastes more like chocolate than does chocolate malt, which to me is far more roasty/bitter coffee flavor. And chocolate rye is becoming my new go to for even more chocolate flavor. I recently used around 6% chocolate rye in my chocolate coconut milk stout, which has a nice chocolate flavor with a hint of coconut.

 

[Tomahawk47]

I guess it all is palate dependant. To me pale chocolate malt tastes more like chocolate than does chocolate malt, which to me is far more roasty/bitter coffee flavor. And chocolate rye is becoming my new go to for even more chocolate flavor. I recently used around 6% chocolate rye in my chocolate coconut milk stout, which has a nice chocolate flavor with a hint of coconut.

Chocolate rye... interesting. I may try that in my next stout. TY!
BTW, nice pint.

 

[mashdar]

edit: This was actually chocolate wheat.

FWIW I got significant ashy/sooty notes from 1lb/5gal Weyermann chocolate rye. It may have aged out a bit, but was not my favorite.

 

[BongoYodeler]

FWIW I got significant ashy/sooty notes from 1lb/5gal Weyermann chocolate rye. It may have aged out a bit, but was not my favorite.

One pound, in and of itself, doesn't mean much. What percentage of the recipe is the one pound? For comparison, I currently have 2 beers on tap with a pound Weyermann chocolate rye in each, a 14 month old, 9% imperial stout, and a 2 month old, 6% chocolate milk stout. Both have a nice, smooth but rich chocolate flavor, and absolutely no harshness. Although my milk stout recipe has 5.7% chocolate rye, it also has a pound of lactose which helps make for a very smooth tasting beer. My imperial stout recipe has only 4.3% chocolate rye. Not a hint of ash/soot in either one.
What % of chocolate rye did you use? What's the recipe look like?

 

[mashdar]

What % of chocolate rye did you use? What's the recipe look like?

It was 1lb in a ~5% ABV 5 gallon beer with limited other dark malt. I think it had some crystal etc. I'd have to look at notes, but likely about 10%**. I generally do a test batch with new ingredients so I know what flavors I'm going to get. (Too hard on an imperial stout etc unless you've got something for side-by-side comparison.)

It's entirely possible the flavor can be masked, or that some are less sensitive to it (or I'm super sensitive to it). But it was unpleasant* enough that I'll stick with midnight wheat/carafa special etc.

*beer was drinkable, emphasis on notes.
**edit: Brewed high and diluted to taste testing.

 

[mashdar]

OK so I dug out the recipe and... I owe you an apology/correction. Evidently it was Weyermann Chocolate Wheat that had the ash character. I've been remembering that wrong for years... (There may have been drinking involved.)

Also in the notes: lagering the beer for several months mostly removed the flavor. So likely process dependent.

 

[BongoYodeler]

OK so I dug out the recipe and... I you you an apology/correction. Evidently it was Weyermann Chocolate Wheat that had the ash character. I've been remembering that wrong for years... (There may have been drinking involved.)

Also in the notes: lagering the beer for several months mostly removed the flavor. So likely process dependent.

No worries, I can relate.
I've never used chocolate wheat before, but I have on occasion used a small amount of midnight wheat for color adjustment.