Chocolate Espresso Stout

[BassBeer]

Just bought the ingredients to do the extract version of this brew on Saturday. Can't wait!

A couple questions... did those of you who ferment in a 6.5 gallon bucket need to use a blow-off tube?

Also, do I need to pitch 2 vials of yeast, or could I do 1 vial with a starter?

Thanks!

 

[miatawnt2b]

Just bought the ingredients to do the extract version of this brew on Saturday. Can't wait!

A couple questions... did those of you who ferment in a 6.5 gallon bucket need to use a blow-off tube?

Also, do I need to pitch 2 vials of yeast, or could I do 1 vial with a starter?

Thanks!

I would actually use dry yeast for this... S-05... pitch 1 or 2 packages dry. Also I would use a few drops of infant gas drops. This beer has been known to blow the airlock out of my fermenter. Thick black wort blown all over a laundry room will test a marriage.

-J

 

[BassBeer]

Thanks,

I'm curious, why is dry yeast preferable for this brew?

Do the infant gas drops simply cause it to release less CO2? Does that not affect fermentation?

Sorry for so many questions

 

[miatawnt2b]

Thanks,

I'm curious, why is dry yeast preferable for this brew?

Do the infant gas drops simply cause it to release less CO2? Does that not affect fermentation?

Sorry for so many questions

Not really preferred, just easier IMO. You don't need the flavor profile from a liquid yeast for this beer... you're probably using a generic ale yeast anyhow.
You also get more live cells from pitching a dry packet than a vial without a starter. So I'd go S-05 and be done with it.

As for the drops, they keep krausen from forming and blowing off the airlock or worse yet the lid if you're using a bucket. 3-5 drops should do... you can't taste the difference with/without either.

-J

 

[BassBeer]

I see, thanks. I would otherwise be using White Labs California Ale Yeast, but since they're essentially the same I'll consider the dry.

I like the gas drops idea too, but I'll probably go for a simple blow-off tube connected to my airlock for this one.

I appreciate the tips!

 

[TUCK]

Just bought the ingredients to do the extract version of this brew on Saturday. Can't wait!

A couple questions... did those of you who ferment in a 6.5 gallon bucket need to use a blow-off tube?

Also, do I need to pitch 2 vials of yeast, or could I do 1 vial with a starter?

Thanks!

I use 2 vials of WYeast 1056 American Ale, or make a starter from one.

Each to his/her own.......but it is a violent fermentation no matter what kind of yeast you use.

ENJOY!

 

[BassBeer]

Thanks Tuck. I brewed it up yesterday, pitched 2 rehydrated packs of Safale 05 into 69F wort, then cooled to 62F. Fermentation showed signs in 6 hours and is now bubbling steadily!

I went with the blow off tube after reading about fermenter lids exploding off, volcanoing wort everywhere. Not worth the risk when the solution is so simple.

One question: how much ground espresso, and how much water, would you use when cold brewing? I want the coffee to be fairly present but balanced.

Thanks for the recipe, it was a lot of fun to brew, and I'm sure will be a lot of fun to drink!

 

[TUCK]

Thanks Tuck. I brewed it up yesterday, pitched 2 rehydrated packs of Safale 05 into 69F wort, then cooled to 62F. Fermentation showed signs in 6 hours and is now bubbling steadily!

I went with the blow off tube after reading about fermenter lids exploding off, volcanoing wort everywhere. Not worth the risk when the solution is so simple.

One question: how much ground espresso, and how much water, would you use when cold brewing? I want the coffee to be fairly present but balanced.

Thanks for the recipe, it was a lot of fun to brew, and I'm sure will be a lot of fun to drink!

In regards to the cold brew question; I am not really sure.
I will explain what I did in detail and maybe that will help as far as quantity/ratio.

I used an espresso maker at home and kept going until I achieved 4 cups. It took forever and I was filling two little espresso cups at a time. Once the cups were full I would pour into a measuring cup, empty the coffee grounds and hit the button for another round. After I was done, I put the 4 cups of brewed espresso in the freezer and chilled it down quickly, then added accordingly.

Now if you are doing a cold brew, then I could only imagine you would need to use more grounds than I did since I used a machine that forced the hot water under pressure. I am curious to know how it turns out for you though so please share.

Pleasure to drink you say.......you bet man. I wish I could post this video of my brother after he "over indulged". Let's just say he fell asleep in the chair sitting up as he swayed left and right- LOL

Enjoy man, glad your brew went well and I hope the results are AWESOME

 

[1776]

Brewed this one up tonight. Added probably 12oz of chocolate during the last 5 minutes of the boil though. Will probably add in some lactose for the secondary and I throw in whatever espresso or coffee stuff in there. 2nd all grain brew for me, so I'm super excited. Thanks a lot for the recipe Tuck.

 

[hellcaminio]

I think that this sounds like the perfect batch to start the new year!! We are gonna start this brew tmr. I may be back to ask some questions, but will keep you posted. i am really excited about this one. Thanks for the recipe, Tuck!!

 

[TUCK]

I think that this sounds like the perfect batch to start the new year!! We are gonna start this brew tmr. I may be back to ask some questions, but will keep you posted. i am really excited about this one. Thanks for the recipe, Tuck!!

Sure thing man, hope all goes well!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

[scottconnor]

I brewed this beer on 11/4/12, and it's the best beer I have brewed yet (out of 12 batches). This will be the first beer I repeat brew. Here are my notes:

11/4: Brew day, 1.094OG (after topping up w/ some water, cold weather boiled off more than usual)
12/2: Rack to secondary, 1.022 Gravity. Added 32oz brewed Starbucks espresso.
12/21: Kegged, 1.022 FG (9.45%ABV)

I gave this a taste after about a week and a half, and it was VERY bitter, all coffee taste and nothing else. However, after the 3rd week, it was fantastic. I love big coffee beers, and this is it. Great chocolate aroma, and big coffee taste. Two fellow home brewers agree.

Also, the recipe must be idiot proof, because I mistakenly put cocoa MIX in my boil instead of cocoa POWDER. Plus I boiled off more than I expected. Still came out great, despite my best efforts to sabotage. Already dreading when this keg kicks. Thanks!

 

[TUCK]

I brewed this beer on 11/4/12, and it's the best beer I have brewed yet (out of 12 batches). This will be the first beer I repeat brew. Here are my notes:

11/4: Brew day, 1.094OG (after topping up w/ some water, cold weather boiled off more than usual)
12/2: Rack to secondary, 1.022 Gravity. Added 32oz brewed Starbucks espresso.
12/21: Kegged, 1.022 FG (9.45%ABV)

I gave this a taste after about a week and a half, and it was VERY bitter, all coffee taste and nothing else. However, after the 3rd week, it was fantastic. I love big coffee beers, and this is it. Great chocolate aroma, and big coffee taste. Two fellow home brewers agree.

Also, the recipe must be idiot proof, because I mistakenly put cocoa MIX in my boil instead of cocoa POWDER. Plus I boiled off more than I expected. Still came out great, despite my best efforts to sabotage. Already dreading when this keg kicks. Thanks!

VERY GOOD to hear!

Glad it came out great and I hope it last you through the winter

 

[xeoxe]

Due to my almost endless supply on one gallon fermentors (reagent water containters from work), I only brewed one gallon of this. I'm thinking I'll regret only doing one gallon . Its almost ready for the coffee, then another 3 weeks or so to carb up....I can't wait.

 

[Trev4956]

What category have you guys been entering this beer? I followed Tucks recipe except I didn't add the espresso. Turned out to be a VERY tasty Chocolate Stout. I recently entered it in category 23 specialty beer. I scored a 32 combined. Both judges seemed to think it should be in 13F. But, I figure since the IBUs on mine were around 25 (13F-RIS Calls for 50 IBUs) and with the additions of brown sugar, molasses, and the cocoa that it should be in the specialty category.

I have two more competitions coming up and was hoping you guys could help me figure this out THanks in advance.

 

[BassBeer]

What category have you guys been entering this beer? I followed Tucks recipe except I didn't add the espresso. Turned out to be a VERY tasty Chocolate Stout. I recently entered it in category 23 specialty beer. I scored a 32 combined. Both judges seemed to think it should be in 13F. But, I figure since the IBUs on mine were around 25 (13F-RIS Calls for 50 IBUs) and with the additions of brown sugar, molasses, and the cocoa that it should be in the specialty category.

I have two more competitions coming up and was hoping you guys could help me figure this out THanks in advance.

I entered my extract version in category 21A - Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer, so I said it was a "Russian Imperial Stout with coffee and cocoa added". I scored well for my 3rd brew, a 28, but both judges said they would've scored it higher if it had been entered as a regular stout instead of a RIS. Mine came in at a healthy 8.4% abv. It was delicious but not quite as chewy or extreme as a Russian Imperial. What was you OG? And your %abv?

 

[Trev4956]

I entered my extract version in category 21A - Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer, so I said it was a "Russian Imperial Stout with coffee and cocoa added". I scored well for my 3rd brew, a 28, but both judges said they would've scored it higher if it had been entered as a regular stout instead of a RIS. Mine came in at a healthy 8.4% abv. It was delicious but not quite as chewy or extreme as a Russian Imperial. What was you OG? And your %abv?

I brewed 10 gallons all grain, O.G. was 1.100 F.G. 1.021 ~11 abv, efficiency was higher than expected, but both judges at the competition really suggested that I put this beer in the 13F RIS category. Although, they both commented about how the 1 lb of cocoa powder I added was too much and that it lingered on their pallette too long. I am dropping off entrys tomorrow for the Suwannee, GA beer fest HB comp and the owner happens to be a certified beer judge. I bottled two extra for his opinion and will post his suggestions tomorrow night.

 

[Trev4956]

I talked with my friend who is a certified beer judge and he recommended that I enter it in 13F RIS. He told me since I added the molasses and brown sugar to the beginning of the 60 min boil that not much flavor was left from them and that the cocoa powder really stood out as a result and thus it was really just a chocolate RIS.

I brewed 10 gallons all grain, O.G. was 1.100 F.G. 1.021 ~11 abv, efficiency was higher than expected, but both judges at the competition really suggested that I put this beer in the 13F RIS category. Although, they both commented about how the 1 lb of cocoa powder I added was too much and that it lingered on their pallette too long. I am dropping off entrys tomorrow for the Suwannee, GA beer fest HB comp and the owner happens to be a certified beer judge. I bottled two extra for his opinion and will post his suggestions tomorrow night.

 

[TUCK]

I talked with my friend who is a certified beer judge and he recommended that I enter it in 13F RIS. He told me since I added the molasses and brown sugar to the beginning of the 60 min boil that not much flavor was left from them and that the cocoa powder really stood out as a result and thus it was really just a chocolate RIS.

Hey Guys, I greatly appreciate your interest in this recipe. With in the thread there is a post indicating a correction to the recipe since it was initially posted incorrectly, in regards to the addition times for the cocoa, brown sugar and molasses. When I brew it I always add these at the end and should have updated this a long time ago. I greatly apologize that I didn't, especially since you guys are entering into competitions. I hope I am not flamed too bad, but now that I was finally able to renew my membership I am able to update/edit the initial recipe post.

Once again, my apologies.

 

[Trev4956]

Hey Guys, I greatly appreciate your interest in this recipe. With in the thread there is a post indicating a correction to the recipe since it was initially posted incorrectly, in regards to the addition times for the cocoa, brown sugar and molasses. When I brew it I always add these at the end and should have updated this a long time ago. I greatly apologize that I didn't, especially since you guys are entering into competitions. I hope I am not flamed too bad, but now that I was finally able to renew my membership I am able to update/edit the initial recipe post.

Once again, my apologies.

Tuck,
No worries in fact I am mainly replying again to THANK YOU for the awesome recipe. I got my score sheets back from Suwannee Beer Fest homebrew comp. and I won two medals with this batch. I got 3rd place in the RIS category with a 33.5 combined, and 2nd Place in the Speciality beer category with a 40 combined. Even with my modified sugar additions this beer is AWESOME.

 

[TUCK]

Tuck,
No worries in fact I am mainly replying again to THANK YOU for the awesome recipe. I got my score sheets back from Suwannee Beer Fest homebrew comp. and I won two medals with this batch. I got 3rd place in the RIS category with a 33.5 combined, and 2nd Place in the Speciality beer category with a 40 combined. Even with my modified sugar additions this beer is AWESOME.

Congrats man!

Glad you/judges enjoy it!

 

[JuGordon]

I brewed this up this past Sunday for a friend of mine. He is having a release party for his "comic" book that he's writing and wanted something dark and complex to serve. This is what we decided on and it is looking fantastic! It is five days in the fermenter and still chopping away at that 1.095 OG.

Can't wait to try it out.

 

[TUCK]

I brewed this up this past Sunday for a friend of mine. He is having a release party for his "comic" book that he's writing and wanted something dark and complex to serve. This is what we decided on and it is looking fantastic! It is five days in the fermenter and still chopping away at that 1.095 OG.

Can't wait to try it out.

Very good to hear man!

Hope everyone enjoys it.

 

[JuGordon]

Had a taste of this while transferring it to secondary. It was wonderfully smooth, slight bitterness, and nice warming sensation from the 9.1%. We added four cups of espresso brewed with a regular coffee brewer. Less than a week 'till bottling.

 

[TUCK]

Had a taste of this while transferring it to secondary. It was wonderfully smooth, slight bitterness, and nice warming sensation from the 9.1%. We added four cups of espresso brewed with a regular coffee brewer. Less than a week 'till bottling.

Be careful...the more you drink, the closer the floor approaches your face


Good to hear man! I cant wait to start another batch in September.

 

[JuGordon]

I'm actually planning on brewing some more of this (most of this batch is going to "charity") when my newborn twins decide to give me some time and money for it. My artist friend is also making a label for it. I'll post a picture of it when it is done.

Thanks for such an amazing recipe, Tuck.

 

[BassBeer]

Looking forward to brewing this again! Last years batch turned out amazingly, especially since it was an extract and my 3rd brew ever. This time ill be doing the AG version, and hoping to get closer to 9-10% ABV. Absolutely cannot wait to sit by the fireplace and savor a couple of these with friends and family this winter. This ones definitely going to be a yearly brew for me. Thanks again Tuck!

 

[BassBeer]

Forgot to ask... What temp is everyone mashing at? Are you adding the entire grain bill up front or adding the dark grains later to prevent tannin extraction?

Im thinking around 154, but not sure so any info is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[BassBeer]

noticed in the recipes section this recipe lists

2.0 lbs Crystal Malt 10°L
1.0 lbs Roasted Barley

and in this thread it's

1 lbs Crystal Malt 10°L
2.0 lbs Roasted Barley

which one is correct TUCK??

I'm curious too! Hoping to brew this today and want to get the right proportions. Thanks!

 

[BassBeer]

Bump. Did you guys use 2lb. C-10 or 2lb. Roasted barley?