Boulder "Shake" Chocolate Porter

[seagondollar]

We'll see. I just keged this and added 2oz of the Nestle Syrup. Smells identical to the original as the keg was filling up. They probably dont use Nestle product, but there is a flavoring, there must be. Technically, I dont think they have to list anything they use do they? Otherwise, You'd have to go at least 8oz of nibs, and maybe toast them longer til you get that aroma. We'll see how this tastes in 4 days. I figure my gravity is probably around 1.014 or so with the sugar addition.

 

[iijakii]

I figured you'd have a helluva time dissolving the syrup.

 

[seagondollar]

I figured you'd have a helluva time dissolving the syrup.

I was worried about that at first, but it dissolves nicely actually.

 

[mrveeno]

I'll have to try this. The last time I used cacao nibs, the stout I made tasted very woody.

I did them in the secondary, and I will also add a habanero pepper to the secondary.

 

[joegbeer]

I'm brewing my 4th batch attempt. I'm going to be adding chocolate extract at kegging time in about 2 weeks.

 

[bondra76]

Be careful with the nesquick. The potassium sorbate could affect your fermentation.

It's odd but I just threw the nesquick out there as a joke really but I guess it could be in there.

Today I was thinking the "shake" in the name definitely seems to allude to some type of ingredient you'd normally put into a shake.

 

[seagondollar]

Be careful with the nesquick. The potassium sorbate could affect your fermentation.

It's odd but I just threw the nesquick out there as a joke really but I guess it could be in there.

Today I was thinking the "shake" in the name definitely seems to allude to some type of ingredient you'd normally put into a shake.

Yeah would definitely be an issue for someone trying to bottle with this syrup. I did it at kegging, so im not worried about any more fermentation. I'll be curious to see the results of those that will use the chocolate extracts. I will say, when I smelled the nesquick today in a beer sample, I thought I had nailed their flavoring. We'll see.

 

[Hanso]

I can't believe this thread has devolved into speculating about nesquik being in the beer. The brew masters would be rofling if they read this.
Has artificial flavor ever been used in beer? Yes. Is it in this beer and even more, is it prevalent and specifically a commercially available gross tasting prefab chocolate drink mix marketed to kids?

 

[seagondollar]

I can't believe this thread has devolved into speculating about nesquik being in the beer. The brew masters would be rofling if they read this.
Has artificial flavor ever been used in beer? Yes. Is it in this beer and even more, is it prevalent and specifically a commercially available gross tasting prefab chocolate drink mix marketed to kids?

Someone was using cereal in their mash. Cant remember the brewery, but its crazy times in the beer industry these days. Artificial flavoring is used in beer a lot of the time, or most of the time I feel. Whatever the flavoring is, its damn close to Nesquick, But probably not Nesquick. Be funny if the brew masters were reading this and saying "damn, they got it."

 

[seagondollar]

Tasting this now. It tastes and smells exactly like Boulder Shake. Without doing a side by side taste test, Im not sure of the exact differences, if any. However, the nesquick syrup clouded up my beer a bit, so it has a brown hue now, vs when it was in the carboy it was an obvious dark color (34 SRM). So my conclusion; They use a flavoring very similar to nesquick, and probably use very little cacao nibs (2-4 oz per 5 gallons). I think the base recipe is on the money though. I plan to just clear this up with gelatin, and hopefully the flavor remains. Hopefully someone can find a similiar flavoring to really nail down this clone.

 

[bondra76]

Tasting this now. It tastes and smells exactly like Boulder Shake. Without doing a side by side taste test, Im not sure of the exact differences, if any. However, the nesquick syrup clouded up my beer a bit, so it has a brown hue now, vs when it was in the carboy it was an obvious dark color (34 SRM). So my conclusion; They use a flavoring very similar to nesquick, and probably use very little cacao nibs (2-4 oz per 5 gallons). I think the base recipe is on the money though. I plan to just clear this up with gelatin, and hopefully the flavor remains. Hopefully someone can find a similiar flavoring to really nail down this clone.

that's really sad if this is their true ingredient

 

[blizz81]

that's really sad if this is their true ingredient

It's only sad if they get arrested by the Reinheitsgebot police - otherwise, if people enjoy the end product...

 

[iijakii]

Guess I might have to go and pick up some chocolate syrup for my RIS I dont much care for.

 

[seagondollar]

that's really sad if this is their true ingredient

Im with you. Like I said previously, their is a beer company that went to a grocery store and bought hundreds of boxes of a chocolate cereal to put in their mash. I cant remember who it was. That said, beer companies are doing crazy ish these days to get flavors that draw people in. Hopefully someone can find this Nesquick like flavoring. Otherwise, ill keep using it, its F'ing delicious in a porter.

I would also like to add that my head retention is excellent.

 

[mrtucker22]

So I brewed this and have now had it kegged and serving on nitro for 2 weeks - I don't have a side by side to compare it Boulder Shake but it is very close to what I remembered it - and after to serving it to a few friends, people are digging it! I only had a couple pints of the original Boulder Shake at a local bar and it was served on Nitro so this is exactly what I was looking for - don't think I'd change a thing when I brew it again. I know I at least got most of this from this thread - some things may of changed but this is what i brewed:

OG 1.073
FG 1.02
abv 7.0%
34 IBU's

batch 5.5gal

11lbs 2-row
1.5lbs marris otter (i did not have 12# of 2-row so i just added this maris for what i didn't have)
1.5lbs british crystal 50-60 (i did not have 1.5lbs of 50-60 so I added 14oz of 50/60 and then also added 13oz brit cry 120)
1lb chocolate wheat malt
8oz chocolate malt
4oz black patent
1lb lactose
.8oz nugget at 60min
.5oz tettnang at 20min
WLP001 with starter

after fermentation was complete (close to 2 weeks) -I added 8oz of cacao nibs to secondary and let sit for 2 weeks (the nibs were soaked in vodka overnight before adding)

carb to about just less 2 vols and then served on nitro

 

[seagondollar]

Final product. Very happy with this beer.

 

[mrveeno]

Thanks for the recipe, I'll give this one a shot.

 

[mcmillb1]

Final product. Very happy with this beer.

The legwork on this beer has been amazing! Well done to all!

Is the *final* version of your recipe what's on the prior pages? Or did you tweak it slightly with the nestle syrup (that is what you used, correct?).

Do you mind reposting the final version, please (assuming it changed)?

 

[Iceman2197]

I really like this beer. I have not tried this yet but the owner of my Lhbs said he is pretty sure they use a chocolate cream extract. He showed me a bottle of it. One of these days I will try it out.

 

[mcmillb1]

I really like this beer. I have not tried this yet but the owner of my Lhbs said he is pretty sure they use a chocolate cream extract. He showed me a bottle of it. One of these days I will try it out.

Like, THIS kind of extract?

 

[Iceman2197]

No, I believe this was it.
https://shop.brewcraftusa.com/en/di...ngs/top-shelf/top-shelf-chocolate-cream-35144

 

[seagondollar]

The legwork on this beer has been amazing! Well done to all!

Is the *final* version of your recipe what's on the prior pages? Or did you tweak it slightly with the nestle syrup (that is what you used, correct?).

Do you mind reposting the final version, please (assuming it changed)?

didn't change it from what I posted.

 

[mcmillb1]

didn't change it from what I posted.

Copy, but did you or did you not add a syrup of some sort (I think that's where my confusion lies...?)

 

[seagondollar]

I did, added 2 oz nesquick syrup. I did have to clear it with gelatin in the keg though.

 

[rocketsan]

No, I believe this was it.

https://shop.brewcraftusa.com/en/di...ngs/top-shelf/top-shelf-chocolate-cream-35144

That stuff has sugar in it...careful...

 

[mrveeno]

I am going to put 2oz of chocolate extract I got at Sur La Table in at the end of the boil.

 

[rocketsan]

I am going to put 2oz of chocolate extract I got at Sur La Table in at the end of the boil.

You're going to lose all the flavour in fermentation...add it to secondary or at bottling...

 

[mrveeno]

Thanks, I'll do it in the secondary.

 

[blizz81]

Let it be known this has inspired me to try the Nestle syrup in an Andes mint stout. Base stout was usually pretty chocolatey in the past but due to a brewer's assistant mishap, my starter got tossed at pitching, so we had to use S-04. Not sure if it was that, but even with Nielsen-Massey chocolate extract, not very chocolatey (sweet or otherwise). The Nestle is definitely helping (2.5oz syrup by weight). Still pretty green overall so we'll see how it fares.

 

[WhoDatDad78]

Let it be known this has inspired me to try the Nestle syrup in an Andes mint stout. Base stout was usually pretty chocolatey in the past but due to a brewer's assistant mishap, my starter got tossed at pitching, so we had to use S-04. Not sure if it was that, but even with Nielsen-Massey chocolate extract, not very chocolatey (sweet or otherwise). The Nestle is definitely helping (2.5oz syrup by weight). Still pretty green overall so we'll see how it fares.

How'd this one end up?