Chocolate/Banana Milk Stout/Hefe

[FalconLovejoy]

The idea behind this beer is to make a hefe that is a little sweeter, creamier, with the banana esters magnified, and a big chocolate flavor. Almost a chocolate and banana milk shake but not quite.

The recipe I'm playing around with:
2 row pale- 4 lbs
White wheat- 7 lbs
Chocolate malt- 1 lbs
Flaked oats- 1 lbs
Lactose- 1 lbs
Cocoa powder- ?

Mash in at 104°F 30 min rest
Decoction w/30 min sacc rest 150°
Protein rest @ 122° for 30 mins
Decoction same as above
Sacc rest @ 150° for 30 mins
Batch sparge @ 170°


Czech Saaz hops-
.25 oz at 60min until flameout
.25 oz at 30 mins
. 5 oz at 15 mins

Wyeast 3068 under pitched
Ferment @ 80°



I've never used chocolate in my beer. I want to avoid bitterness so what is the best method of introducing the chocolate with cocoa powder, candy bars, syrup, or nibs?

What do you think of the recipe?

 

[TandemTails]

You can use dutch processed cocoa powder in the boil. Dutch processed cocoa powder is less bitter than natural cocoa powder. You can also use 'pale chocolate' malt instead of regular chocolate malt. The lovibonds are a little lower and results in less harsh roasty flavors which could be perceived as bitterness.

In my 5 gallon chocolate stout I use about 5% pale chocolate malt, 2oz dutch processed cocoa @ 10m in boil and then 4oz of lightly toasted cocoa nibs and 1 vanilla bean for a week in secondary.

I've also found that a full pound of lactose is a lot in a 5 gallon batch. I reduced mine to 8oz in the last batch I brewed (still fermenting right now).

 

[FalconLovejoy]

Thanks for the info. I just put in an order for pale chocolate malt and some Dutch processed cocoa. I like the vanilla bean too. Does that give any bitterness or do you think some extract would be safer in that regard?

 

[TandemTails]

The vanilla bean won't give any bitterness. It will help promote the chocolate flavors though. If it's too hard or expensive to buy whole vanilla beans, then you can certainly use extract. I'm not sure how much to add though. I'd probably start with 1 tsp and then add more at bottling time if you feel like it's needed.