Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Chocolate Oatmeal Porter

[thedevanzoshift]

Beersmith is giving me 4.8% abv. Any idea how to boost this up a bit? still new to brewing

 

[Serialk1llr]

Get a better efficiency if your efficiency is low, or, add some fermentable sugars to your wort such as sugar or honey - anything those yasties can eat to produce more alcohol.

 

[FATC1TY]

Beersmith is giving me 4.8% abv. Any idea how to boost this up a bit? still new to brewing

Are you doing AG or extract? Something isn't right in the input for the BS stuff.. Check it and make sure your efficiencies and whatnot are right.

Should be around 6 or so.

 

[Brewsef]

Yeah, my sample from the hyrdo was off the charts sweet/coffee/portery goodness. Can't wait to Get this in a bottle.

How many Vanilla beans in the 2ndary? and did you split them open to expose the vanilla? I was just going to split open 1 and try that for the 1st batch.

 

[Brewsef]

I Also subbed Simpsons Black for the Black Patent, since that was not available at my LHBS. Also used 6 oz of Chocolate rye in there. If it turns out well, I'll post the final recipe.
This is only my 4t5h batch of AG, but all have gone well except my 1st.

I did toast half of my oats in the toaster oven for 30 mins at 350. Seemed to bring a nice toasty aroma to the house and the MT.

 

[FATC1TY]

Yeah, my sample from the hyrdo was off the charts sweet/coffee/portery goodness. Can't wait to Get this in a bottle.

How many Vanilla beans in the 2ndary? and did you split them open to expose the vanilla? I was just going to split open 1 and try that for the 1st batch.

I used 2 beans.. not very large ones.. I split them down the middle, scrapped the insides a bit, cut them into smaller pieces and soaked them in vodka/bourbon.. whichever you like. An ounce, ounce and a half at most.

Dumped the whole thing into the secondary, or primary if you don't wish to secondary.

I'm brewing it again this weekend, and I will be using 3 beans, as I like vanilla, and only leave them in there for a week or week and a half at most.

 

[FATC1TY]

I Also subbed Simpsons Black for the Black Patent, since that was not available at my LHBS. Also used 6 oz of Chocolate rye in there. If it turns out well, I'll post the final recipe.
This is only my 4t5h batch of AG, but all have gone well except my 1st.

I did toast half of my oats in the toaster oven for 30 mins at 350. Seemed to bring a nice toasty aroma to the house and the MT.

No idea on the simpsons black, might be the same thing. It's mainly for color, and a bit of roughness to the roasty flavor.

The Rye might be nice, but that amount might be lost, but let us know!

I thought about toasting the oats myself, but said leave it be. I made a few small changes from last time and I will post them up if I feel it's a better recipe than what I posted last time!

 

[thedevanzoshift]

I'm doing all grain and I've checked and rechecked all the settings and its stuck at 4.9 abv. Recipe is identical in beer smith without cocoa powder but I don't think that'd be the difference?

 

[FATC1TY]

I'm doing all grain and I've checked and rechecked all the settings and its stuck at 4.9 abv. Recipe is identical in beer smith without cocoa powder but I don't think that'd be the difference?

The cocoa powder doesn't add any fermentables. This recipe should be on the low side, 5.5%, and up to 6.5% roughly, depending on efficiency, and how your fermentation went.

Whats the starting gravity that BS is spitting out? Which ABV calculator are you looking at? One will estimate it based on the FG you put in there as you follow it along. Check and make sure it's not high. Mine normally calls it higher than it finishes, so I have to put it to where I know, or expect it to finish at, to get an idea of the ABV.

Something is wrong with perhaps the way you put the ingredients in, or the way it's calculating something for you based on your setup.

 

[FATC1TY]

Got me thinking..

What are you volumes you have in for mash in, and sparge?

It's a 90 minute boil... Did you change that too? You'll boil off more, raising the gravity.. My suggestion, to get 7.5g at the start was just a rough estimate, that I've found from using 2 different pots, and outside on a burner. You'll want to sparge with whatever YOU need to end up with 5.5 gallons after you've cooled it.

So if you boil only .5 gallon an hour, you need .75 gallons in addition for the 90 minute boil. That would be 6.25 gallons you need to collect when you run off. You'll obviously have to account to loss in the tun, the kettle, and the fermenter, so that would change those numbers again. You might have those set differently.

 

[thedevanzoshift]

Thanks for all the info. I did this Saturday mashed at 154 for 60 min w 5 g of strike water... Sprayed until i got about 7.5 90 min boil ended up w 5.5 in the fermenter w an og of 1.053. Pretty furious fermentation so far and smelled real good! Ill let u know how it turned out

 

[FATC1TY]

I also brewed this on Saturday as well- Also, made some water changes to a London water profile as well.

Changed I made-

9# Maris Otter Pale Malt
1.5# Flaked Oats
.75# Crystal 80 Malt
12oz Belgian Chocolate Malt
6oz Pale Chocolate Malt
6oz Black Patent Malt

I added 2 oz of Dutch Cocoa Powder to the boil still, and tossed in an old vanilla bean I cut up at 10 minutes as well.

Kept the same hop additions as well. Mashed at 152* for 70 minutes roughly, and finished up my boil with 5.5g and had an OG of 1.067 I think it was..16.4 Brix sticks out, don't remember what that is off the top of my head. It tasted fantastic as all ways, maybe a bit sweeter, and a bit.. thicker perhaps.. very slick and oily.

Fermentation took off with my starter of London ESB, within 6 hours.. Had it in a tub of water in the garage, holding steady at 60*

 

[FATC1TY]

Thanks for all the info. I did this Saturday mashed at 154 for 60 min w 5 g of strike water... Sprayed until i got about 7.5 90 min boil ended up w 5.5 in the fermenter w an og of 1.053. Pretty furious fermentation so far and smelled real good! Ill let u know how it turned out

Thats really not that far off.. A tad low OG, but will still be good at that gravity, and with that mash temp.. Nice body to it for sure.

 

[nduetime]

Any recommendations on Cacao Nib quantity for a 2.5 gallon batch? Trying to get them with one vanilla bean into vodka tonight.

*** Nevermind...I just toasted up 2 oz. and proceeded. I think I'm going to let them and the vanilla bean soak for about a week to extract as much of the flavors as possible. I'll make corrections next time around ***

 

[FATC1TY]

Any recommendations on Cacao Nib quantity for a 2.5 gallon batch? Trying to get them with one vanilla bean into vodka tonight.

*** Nevermind...I just toasted up 2 oz. and proceeded. I think I'm going to let them and the vanilla bean soak for about a week to extract as much of the flavors as possible. I'll make corrections next time around ***

I would have said try 2 oz and see how you like it.. I've never toasted them though...

 

[nduetime]

I toasted because mine were raw. Just heated them up on a skillet (per another thread on this forum) until they were browned.

 

[nghtmre4u]

I had this in the primary for 21 days just racked to secondary on 3 vanilla beans the taste of my sample were amazing. I wish i would of had the ingredients on hand to brew this again and pitched right on this yeast cake. I do not think this will last long its very smooth lightly sweet with no rancid bitterness but the hops are present and balanced. Thank you again for the recipe this will be a regular here.

 

[FATC1TY]

I had this in the primary for 21 days just racked to secondary on 3 vanilla beans the taste of my sample were amazing. I wish i would of had the ingredients on hand to brew this again and pitched right on this yeast cake. I do not think this will last long its very smooth lightly sweet with no rancid bitterness but the hops are present and balanced. Thank you again for the recipe this will be a regular here.

Great!!

I have mine in primary now.. been around a week, will move it next week to secondary with vanilla beans and then to the keg.. Or maybe I'll keg it, and toss the beans in the bag in the keg even..

 

[nghtmre4u]

I ordered a 5 gallon used whiskey barrel i had thoughts of putting this in for a week or so but not sure yet i really want to try this as is maybe the next batch. They say the first batch you put in these barrels should be a quick week or two so the flavor of the spirits dont over power the beer

 

[FATC1TY]

MMmm..

Mines in primary still, added 3 vanilla beans that were soaking for a while in bourbon.

Smells fantastic, and taste really good.. Can't wait to carb it up soon.

 

[parkersells]

Nice looking head, how did you condition this?

 

[parkersells]

how did you condition this?

 

[FATC1TY]

Nice looking head, how did you condition this?

Primary for 1.5-2 weeks. Could probably do 2 weeks in Primary, and it's done, if you want to add something, could add to primary and skip secondary.

I added to secondary; 2 vanilla beans, I left it for a week I believe.

Then I kegged it, at 11psi for 1 week, and thats what I get. The head sticks around for almost the entire glass.

My current batch, I did 1.5 in the primary, added 3 vanilla beans, and I'll leave it a week. Will taste it, and keg it for a week before tapping it.

 

[arod1975]

Just brewed this tonight. Bumped up the 2-row to 9 lbs. but other than that used pretty much the same recipe. I got about 5.5 gal in the primary and going to start soaking the vanilla beans after about a week. OG came out to 1.053.

 

[FATC1TY]

Nice!

I'm going to keg mine tonight I think... In a week I'll have another picture of the finished product!

 

[nghtmre4u]

Kegged mine today and the taste was amazing lol cant wait till its carbed

 

[FATC1TY]

Kegged mine today and the taste was amazing lol cant wait till its carbed

Be sure to post a pic of your pour, lets see that big ol' head!

 

[PatDunkel]

New to all grain. I'm thinking about adding strawberries to this. Anybody do that? How much would you do and when?

Pat

 

[OCBrewin]

New to all grain. I'm thinking about adding strawberries to this. Anybody do that? How much would you do and when?

Pat

I think it would take too much fruit to get a flavor that you're after. If you're new to all grai stick with some simple recipes to fail.in the process first. Once you have 5 or so brews under your belt (try a simple IPA, wheat, red stout, etc.... Whatever you're into) then start messing with the recipes. Just my $0.02. I think you'll get more out of the hobby this way.

 

[arod1975]

This is what I'm soaking my vanilla beans in with some vodka. How long do you all soak the beans? I did this yesterday and it is getting pretty dark already.