Chocolate / Cherry robust smoked porter recipe question about cherry/cocoa nibs additions

[Garage12brewing]

Hi there!

Looking to brew a robust porter really soon to be able to enjoy it for the Holidays...

When do you guys prefer to add the cherry puree and the cocoa nibs... seems that 50% add them to the end of the boil and 50% into the secondary...

The cherry puree could be in the secondary and the cocoa nibs at the end of the boil to extract more flavor ? What are your opinions on that ?

My recipe isnt over yet but should look like this ( I dont have access at my Beersmith right now.... ) :

6.5%

6lbs 2 row
4lbs beech smoked malt
1lbs munich light
0,6lbs 80L caramel/crystal
0,75 chocolate malt
0,5lbs black malt

1oz Warrior 60min
1oz East kent golding 15min

Nottingham Lallemand dry yeast hydrated

Need to figure when to add the cherry puree 3lb and the cocoa nibs 4oz....

Thanks !!!

 

[Alan Reginato]

I advocate tinctures when someone talks about adding something to a beer. It extracts better, sanitizes and allows testing before the actual addition. So for cocoa nibs, everclear or vodka, maybe bourbon. The cherry puree. Secondary, maybe. But be aware of Nottingham's behavior. It REALLY drops like a stone. I used it for the first time and it took almost 4 months to finish the carbonation. Probably lack of suspended yeast. So you could do it at primary. And it's not a bad idea to mix it up again.

 

[GoodTruble]

I would definitely do cherries in secondary. Nibs could go either way, but probably secondary as well.

That seems like a LOT of smoked malt by the way.

 

[Garage12brewing]

I advocate tinctures when someone talks about adding something to a beer. It extracts better, sanitizes and allows testing before the actual addition. So for cocoa nibs, everclear or vodka, maybe bourbon. The cherry puree. Secondary, maybe. But be aware of Nottingham's behavior. It REALLY drops like a stone. I used it for the first time and it took almost 4 months to finish the carbonation. Probably lack of suspended yeast. So you could do it at primary. And it's not a bad idea to mix it up again.

Thanks for the heads up. Especially for the yeast. I had the Nottingham Lallemand yeast in stock and figured that it could do the job but I will keed it for another batch. I ordered an English yeast. For the tincture... you mean soaking the cocoa nibs into the alcool and then add to taste in the bottling bucket ?

 

[Garage12brewing]

I would definitely do cherries in secondary. Nibs could go either way, but probably secondary as well.

That seems like a LOT of smoked malt by the way.

I made a Russian imperial stout using 2 pounds of that beech smoked malt and it was barely noticable... thats why I double the quantity... I think some smoked malt are more intense than others. Yes it seems a lot but should be good for a smoked porter lol

 

[Alan Reginato]

Thanks for the heads up. Especially for the yeast. I had the Nottingham Lallemand yeast in stock and figured that it could do the job but I will keed it for another batch. I ordered an English yeast. For the tincture... you mean soaking the cocoa nibs into the alcool and then add to taste in the bottling bucket ?

Yes. But sample and test before. It isn't carbonated, but could give you some hints of the final taste.
I particularly prefer add with a syringe, straight to the bottle, so I can vary the quantity.

 

[Garage12brewing]

Yes. But sample and test before. It isn't carbonated, but could give you some hints of the final taste.
I particularly prefer add with a syringe, straight to the bottle, so I can vary the quantity.

thats a very good idea to use a syringe ! I will use this process thats for sure. I will post results when the beer is ready + the complete recipe.

 

[Heinz]

Just make sure the cocoa nibs are submerged in vodka all the time. They do soak it in the first day or so and the vodka level sinks. I don't know if the non submerged part can get infected or it's just a cocoa yield issue but that's what is usually being recommended.