chocolate bock?

[NotaBrewMaster]

Hey all, new to the forum here and to brewing in general. I currently extract brew and have about 6 various batches under my belt, I do some kits some independent recipes and am also set up for lagering. I wanted to try my hand at a bock and bought the "True Brew" bock kit:

An American style bock, full bodied, deep in color, with a harvest-rich taste. This ingredient kit from True Brew makes approximately 5 gallons of beer which is equivalent to 2 cases of 12oz beers. This Ingredient Kit Includes: Unhopped Dark Malt Extract (2 cans), Chocolate Grain (6 oz), Crystal Grain (6 oz), Pale Grain (6 oz), Grain Steeping Bag, Hallertau Hop Pellets (1 oz), Tettnang Hop Pellets (1 oz), Ale Yeast (1 pack), Priming Sugar (5 oz), Bottle Caps, Easy to Read Instructions.

My questions are as follows:

1. Aren't bocks usually lagers? This would be considered a "steam bock" type?
2. How can I enhance this to make it more of a chocolate bock? Cocoa nibs? Cocoa powder etc?
3. Also recommendations on amounts I'd need to add and if those additives need to be sanitized.

Thanks for your help and I know it's a bit late to start now but if anyone has a good extract style octoberfest or "mocktoberfest" they'd like to suggest that would be great too!

 

[JimRausch]

1.You are correct that Bocks are lagers. Bock with an ale yeast? Hmmm, I don't know. With an altbier or kolsch ale yeast, maybe. With a Truebrew ale yeast, which is generally Muntons, I would say NOPE. Other than that, the recipe looks OK for an extract Bock, so I would substitute the yeast. Hold onto the Muntons packet for emergencies or the rare occasion that you need to reyeast before bottling.
2.If you look around you'll find plenty of references to using either chocolate nibs in the secondary, or cocoa powder in late boil. Results seem to be OK for both techniques, but as usual there are rabid fans of one vs. the other.
3. If you like the Truebrew kits, I've done their Oktoberfest twice in the past. Once with their yeast, and once I substituted dry lager yeast. Both really turned out well, the lager version better than the ale version. My 3rd attempt at an Oktoberfest, I used the kit from Northern Brewer and made a lager starter with the WY Oktoberfest blend. This one was absolutely awesome! And IMO, you're not too late. I do my lagers in the late Fall-Winter because I rely on swamp coolers and environmental temperatures to get to proper lagering temps. Oktoberfests in November that are drinkable by January and perfect by March. Works for me!
By the way- welcome to the forum. You're already addicted to the obsession.........

 

[NotaBrewMaster]

Haha thanks, you've changed my mind and I will brew an octoberfest after all. I actually want to ferment the "bock" at ale temp/room temp bc I am only set up to lager one batch at a time. ( extra fridge in the basement with a temp controller). Anyone else have any opinions on cocoa nibs vs cocoa powder? I have no idea where to buy cocoa nibs except online or what type to get, and I know cocoa powder is easier to find; but I don't want to make the decision based on accessibility. Also for a 5 gallon batch when would I add the flavoring and how much would I add?