Belgian Chocolate Stout Grist Makeup?

[alphrz]

Hi fellas!

First time poster here, love the forum - hoping to get some advice.
I'm in the midst of making my first recipe for a Belgian Chocolate Stout (est grav. 1.065). I have a leftover packet of Belgian Ardennes and belgian amber candi sugar and I'm after some advice for the grist make-up.

Hoping to to use Maris Otter for the base malt, but it was the speciality malts that I was unsure of.
I've got the grist makeup from BeerSmith to hit my rough targets for gravity and IBU content - I know a bit of Roasted Barley and Crystal malt goes a long way but how much can you recommend for Chocolate Malt, Special B in the makeup?

The figures below are only indicative until I get some advice - I can see from other threads people seem to go upwards of 10-15% Chocolate malt in their grain bills and upwards of 5-10% for that slight raisin note from the Special B. For a rich smooth chocolate flavour, how much would you recommend? I may add chocolate nibs in the secondary but I'd prefer to get the flavour from the grain.
I'd like a bit of residual sweetness like a milk stout but not too much if possible (hence the lactose)


2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 63.5 %
0.10 kg Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 2 3.2 %
0.10 kg Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.2 %
0.10 kg Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.2 %
0.05 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.6 %
0.05 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 6 1.6 %
0.05 kg Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 7 1.6 %
0.35 kg Candi Sugar, Amber (75.0 SRM) Sugar 8 11.1 %
0.35 kg Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 9 11.1 %

15.00 g Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 10 17.5 IBUs
14.00 g Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 11 8.2 IBUs
14.00 g Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 12 5.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg Belgian Ardennes (Wyeast Labs #3522) [124.21 ml] Yeast 13

Really looking forward to hearing back on some suggestions!
Thanks a bunch guys

 

[alphrz]

Any ideas? The silence is deafening :cross::cross:

 

[bmaupin]

I made a Belgian Imperial Stout last winter - based on this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=238807 and added 12oz dark candi syrup, used Magnum, EKG and Styrian Goldings to 55 IBU, and WY1762 - actually spun up dregs from Rochefort 10. It was fantastic. I'd probably modify to this to get around 1.065 and 45 IBU:

OG 1.067 sg
Bitterness 47.1 IBU (Tinseth)

Maris Otter 10.0 lb
Roasted Barley 350L 1.25 lb
Chocolate Malt 0.75 lb
Special B 0.75 lb
Amber Candi Sugar 1.0 lb

Magnum 12.4% 1.0 oz 35.6 ibu
Kent Goldings 6.0% 0.5 oz 6.8 ibu
Styrian Goldings 4.5% 0.75 oz 4.8 ibu

I wouldn't bother with the Carapils and mash around 153. I bet that W1762 provides more dark fruit flavor than WY1388 and might bump up the special B to 1 lb, but I have no experience with WY1388. Bumping the chocolate to 1lb would provide a little more chocolate character. I'd save the lactose and possibly add after tasting if mouthfeel not thick enough.

 

[alphrz]

I made a Belgian Imperial Stout last winter - based on this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=238807 and added 12oz dark candi syrup, used Magnum, EKG and Styrian Goldings to 55 IBU, and WY1762 - actually spun up dregs from Rochefort 10. It was fantastic. I'd probably modify to this to get around 1.065 and 45 IBU:

OG 1.067 sg
Bitterness 47.1 IBU (Tinseth)

Maris Otter 10.0 lb
Roasted Barley 350L 1.25 lb
Chocolate Malt 0.75 lb
Special B 0.75 lb
Amber Candi Sugar 1.0 lb

Magnum 12.4% 1.0 oz 35.6 ibu
Kent Goldings 6.0% 0.5 oz 6.8 ibu
Styrian Goldings 4.5% 0.75 oz 4.8 ibu

I wouldn't bother with the Carapils and mash around 153. I bet that W1762 provides more dark fruit flavor than WY1388 and might bump up the special B to 1 lb, but I have no experience with WY1388. Bumping the chocolate to 1lb would provide a little more chocolate character. I'd save the lactose and possibly add after tasting if mouthfeel not thick enough.

Fantastic bmaupin! that's exactly what I was after.
Appreciate the response. Good idea on the 1762. I have a bit left over from a Roche 10 clone I recently did. Now with more an idea on the grist I can get brewing. Cheers!