Bottle conditioning my chocolate stout

[Rae-ale]

I brewed a chocolate oatmeal stout a few weeks back, and bottled it this weekend. The target OG was 1.080 but I messed up a bit and ended up with an OG of 1.090. I was supposed to mash at 156F, but I'm pretty sure I ended up mashing too low (I blame it on my cheap thermometer and have since bought a better one). Anyway, I fermented in the primary for a week, racked to the secondary and waited another week. The FG ended up 1.010! The beer tasted great, but way more alcoholic than I intended. This is the biggest beer I've ever made, and was wondering how long I should bottle condition it for? I want the alcohol taste to mellow out a bit, but for the chocolate flavors to stay prevalent. Any suggestions, or did I goof?

 

[ThinBrewLine]

I made a Choco-java stout about two years ago, and had given my Dad a bomber. I long ago drank mine, but found his bottle when I went to visit my folks last month.
Whereas I drank mine about 4-6 months after having been bottled (it was pretty good), the two year old bottle was.... sublime. Rich yet mellow, and the alcohol was virtually undetectable.
Put it away in a box, and stick it in a corner of the basement or closet. Comeback to it in a year or two- it is worth the wait, and this allows you to keep making more and more beer!!:cross:

 

[flatlanderHQ]

I have left big beers in secondary for months. I had a Belgian quad, which finished at 11.2% sit in secondary for 6 months before I bottled it. Then I bottled it, along with some fresh neutral ale yeast and priming sugar, and let it sit for months longer. In short, Big beers get better with age.


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[scottballz]

I'm with the rest of the group. I think you should have left it in the secondary a bit longer but its all good. Throw it in a closet or basement and forget about it for a while. Try it at christmas as a present to yourself.

 

[Rae-ale]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I regret not leaving that bad boy in the secondary longer, but I will definitely put it in a safe place and try it at the end of the year or so. Meanwhile I'll whip up some brews that I can enjoy a little sooner. Cheers!

 

[paperairplane]

1090 to 1010 is a pretty solid fermentation. Your mash temp would not affect your OG though - either your efficiency was better than planned or you boiled off more water.

Anyway, give it some time in the bottle - also 1010 sounds really low for the style, to balance out the beer you may need to add some additional crystal malt next time around to give some more body / mouthfeel.