Chocolate malt - is 15% too much?

[Brew_Meister_General]

My next recipe - a milk stout - advocates for 1lb of roasted barley and 1lb of chocolate malt, but I would prefer to just have 2lb of chocolate malt. This would make up 15% of the grainbill when the recommended maximum is 10%.

Would this jeopardise my brew in any way?

Is there really a limit to how much of a speciality malt you can use?

 

[m00ps]

is it pale chocolate malt? I think you could get away with 15% as long as you dont have any other roasted malts and like only 5% crystal to keep things from getting too sweet

 

[Calder]

I regularly use 1.75 lbs Choc and .75 lbs of dark crystal in 6 gallons of Porter. No roast or black malts. Turns out fine.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

stout season. 365%.

 

[Brew_Meister_General]

I regularly use 1.75 lbs Choc and .75 lbs of dark crystal in 6 gallons of Porter. No roast or black malts. Turns out fine.

That's not a bad idea, I've taken the m00ps idea and lowered my crystal malt to 5% so it would also help to balance out the sweetness, but I imagine it'll result in a 'harsher' bitterness when compared to hop bitterness? Also having more of a toffee flavour?

 

[Queequeg]

With the pale chocolate malts I think your fine, the darker ones might be a bit much.

If I could make a beer entirely out of chocolate rye then I think I would

 

[numba1brew]

I'd even go with a little more than 15% - but then again I love chocolate!!!!!!

 

[Brew_Meister_General]

I'd even go with a little more than 15% - but then again I love chocolate!!!!!!

My thoughts exactly! I want it to be a chocolate stout, lend me your opinion:

Maris Otter......61.5%
Chocolate........15%
Munich............7.5%
Crystal 60........6%
Flaked barley...10%

Does this seem nicely balanced? What would you do?

Also, would it seem absurd or unnecessary to substitute a lb (8% of the grainbill) of maris otter for wheat malt?

 

[Brew_Meister_General]

With the pale chocolate malts I think your fine, the darker ones might be a bit much.

If I could make a beer entirely out of chocolate rye then I think I would

I've was considering that, when the yeast themselves breakdown the complex sugars into simple ones is it not feasible to brew with 100% speciality? Would the yeast be 'overwhelmed' by such high levels of sugars?

Also, rye chocolate!? Is it like a spicy chocolate?

 

[numba1brew]

My thoughts exactly! I want it to be a chocolate stout, lend me your opinion:

Maris Otter......61.5%
Chocolate........15%
Munich............7.5%
Crystal 60........6%
Flaked barley...10%

Does this seem nicely balanced? What would you do?

Also, would it seem absurd or unnecessary to substitute a lb (8% of the grainbill) of maris otter for wheat malt?

Seems like a awesome balance to me. Be sure to post pics and let us know how it tastes!

 

[Queequeg]

I've was considering that, when the yeast themselves breakdown the complex sugars into simple ones is it not feasible to brew with 100% speciality? Would the yeast be 'overwhelmed' by such high levels of sugars?

Also, rye chocolate!? Is it like a spicy chocolate?

Chocolate rye is extremely smooth and milk chocolatey malt, not particularly spicy. IMO is the best chocolate malt because it actually gives you a chocolate flavour as opposed to a burnt and chocolate flavour

 

[Queequeg]

I've was considering that, when the yeast themselves breakdown the complex sugars into simple ones is it not feasible to brew with 100% speciality? Would the yeast be 'overwhelmed' by such high levels of sugars?

Also, rye chocolate!? Is it like a spicy chocolate?

Chocolate rye is extremely smooth and milk chocolatey malt, not particularly spicy. IMO is the best chocolate malt because it actually gives you a chocolate flavour as opposed to a burnt and chocolate flavour

 

[Aristotelian]

My thoughts exactly! I want it to be a chocolate stout, lend me your opinion:

Maris Otter......61.5%
Chocolate........15%
Munich............7.5%
Crystal 60........6%
Flaked barley...10%

Does this seem nicely balanced? What would you do?

Also, would it seem absurd or unnecessary to substitute a lb (8% of the grainbill) of maris otter for wheat malt?

Wouldn't this be more of a big Brown Ale rather than a Stout? Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I was under the impression that a Stout has to have some amount of roasted barley or black malt.

 

[m00ps]

traditionally stouts would, but its all about body, color, and roast flavor. So its possible to make a stout that conforms to BJCP guidelines without roasted barley

 

[Brew_Meister_General]

Wouldn't this be more of a big Brown Ale rather than a Stout? Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I was under the impression that a Stout has to have some amount of roasted barley or black malt.

You are right but tomato potato, as long it tastes as planned I'm not too worried about colour or style, I'm adding some lactose so that should give it a big creamy head.

 

[Calder]

It looks like an excellent Robust Porter to me.

Brew it and report back.

 

[Evan_L]

FWIW it was one of the last 2 BN session podcasts, the brewer uses 45% chocolate in his stout and they all loved it.

 

[Evan_L]

Lol, of course I think it was the same brewer that shat on HBT as a source of info because of spurious advice....see above post