chocolate coffee stout recipe critque

[bkov]

10 lbs light munich
8oz carafa iii
8oz crystal 120
8oz chocolate malt
8oz coffee malt
4oz carapils

1oz magnum 60mins

2oz unsweetened cocoa powder (10mins)
1vanilla bean (secondary)
20oz cold brewed coffee (secondary)

nottingham yeast

 

[Professor Frink]

It looks good, but I might consider backing off a bit on the darker malts, between the carafa, crystal, chocolate and coffee, you're looking at almost 20% of your grist.

 

[manticle]

When I made extract beer I did a few stouts using coffee and unsweeteneed cocoa. Came out really nice.

However then I worked out that using choc malt and roast barley (unmalted) would give me coffee and chocolate that was more integrated so now I make a delicious cream stout that has coffee and chocolate all over it but none in it. It is a sweet stout so it has lactose which accentuates those qualities.

Not sure 1 vanilla bean will make much difference dependng how long it's in secondary.

BTW - what is coffee malt?

 

[snailsongs]

I would drop the carafa and replace it with a lb of roasted barley, cut the c120 down to c60 or c90, and also up the coffee malt to a full lb. Your 10lbs of extract should get you into (or near) the 1.070 range which can handle all that dark malt. The roast barley, as Manticle noted, will aide you in getting a coffee flavor, and it's just not a stout to me unless it has some RB in it.

Also, you might consider adding a 15 minute addition of Northern Brewer or EKG hops (.5oz or so), just to keep a little balancing flavor and character in there (NB is almost minty and my hop of choice for stouts)- I promise it won't detract from the chocolate coffee thing.

 

[Professor Frink]

I would drop the carafa and replace it with a lb of roasted barley, cut the c120 down to c60 or c90, and also up the coffee malt to a full lb. Your 10lbs of extract should get you into (or near) the 1.070 range which can handle all that dark malt. The roast barley, as Manticle noted, will aide you in getting a coffee flavor, and it's just not a stout to me unless it has some RB in it.

Also, you might consider adding a 15 minute addition of Northern Brewer or EKG hops (.5oz or so), just to keep a little balancing flavor and character in there (NB is almost minty and my hop of choice for stouts)- I promise it won't detract from the chocolate coffee thing.

You don't want to put 1 lb. of roasted barley in a 5 gal. batch, you will regret it. I also think 1 lb. of coffee malt is too much. These darker grains go a long way. Here is my coffee chocolate stout recipe:

UK Maris Otter Malt 10.00 lb 81.6 % 7.5 In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 20L Malt 0.50 lb 4.1 % 1.7 In Mash/Steeped
US Chocolate Malt 0.50 lb 4.1 % 29.2 In Mash/Steeped
Belgian Kiln Coffee Malt 0.50 lb 4.1 % 13.7 In Mash/Steeped
UK Flaked Barley 0.25 lb 2.0 % 0.1 In Mash/Steeped
US Roasted Barley 0.25 lb 2.0 % 12.5 In Mash/Steeped
US Black Malt 0.25 lb 2.0 % 20.8 In Mash/Steeped

I have 1.5 lbs. of dark grains, and in my experience, that was more than enough.

 

[snailsongs]

You don't want to put 1 lb. of roasted barley in a 5 gal. batch, you will regret it. I also think 1 lb. of coffee malt is too much. These darker grains go a long way. Here is my coffee chocolate stout recipe:

UK Maris Otter Malt 10.00 lb 81.6 % 7.5 In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 20L Malt 0.50 lb 4.1 % 1.7 In Mash/Steeped
US Chocolate Malt 0.50 lb 4.1 % 29.2 In Mash/Steeped
Belgian Kiln Coffee Malt 0.50 lb 4.1 % 13.7 In Mash/Steeped
UK Flaked Barley 0.25 lb 2.0 % 0.1 In Mash/Steeped
US Roasted Barley 0.25 lb 2.0 % 12.5 In Mash/Steeped
US Black Malt 0.25 lb 2.0 % 20.8 In Mash/Steeped

I have 1.5 lbs. of dark grains, and in my experience, that was more than enough.

I believe that your recipe above turns out a great beer, but I have to respectfully disagree that 2 lbs of roasted grains is too much for what he's got going on above. His 10 lbs of extract will give him a moderately high gravity and without the roasted grains to balance all that malt, the roast character will not be "stout" enough in my opinion. I think both ways will produce good beer, but my personal opinion is that a stout should be roasty, especially when you're going to balance it with vanilla and chocolate, lest it turn out too sweet.

I think we're delving into personal preference territory here though....see the stout in my dropdown for a similar gravity stout that uses dark malts en mass......It's one of the best stouts I've ever had, and definitely the best I've ever brewed.

 

[bkov]

no extract, just all grain

 

[snailsongs]

no extract, just all grain

Ha. I swear I read that twice as munich extract for some weird reason. Well, carry on.....even at that gravity though I would personally not feel strange about adding lots of dark malts, especially if you're going for a richer, dessert-like beer. Mash higher for solid body, and then condition for a month or two and those flavors will be nicely rounded.