Chocolate stout. Thoughts?

[JumpingComet]

HI folks. I am working on a chocolate stout recipe (my first) and was looking for some feedback as to how this one looks. It would be a five gallon batch.Appreciate the help!

Fermentables
6 lb Light LME
1 lb Light DME
Steeped
1 lb Chocolate malt
1 lb Roasted barley
.5 lb Crystal 120L
Hops
1 oz Kent Golding (60 min)
1 oz Fuggle (30 min)
Yeast
Safale US-05.

Cocoa powder, 8 ounces, 15 minutes left in boil.


Thanks!

 

[microbusbrewery]

It's been a long time since I've done extract with steeping grains. It might be a little heavy on the roasted grains, but I'd give it a try as you have it and see how it turns out, then go from there. One thing I'd consider changing, try Drew Beechum's The Bomb cacao nib and vanilla bean tincture instead of the cocoa powder, https://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/cacao-nib-extract-drew-way. It's a few extra steps but it's not difficult and it's well worth it in my opinion. Plus the cocoa powder can be a little messy.

 

[Oginme]

At SWMBO's request, I did a chocolate stout last December. I started by munching on some 90% cocoa bits for ideas. Beyond the sweetness, I got a distinct nuttiness with some dark fruit flavors.

What I came up with is pretty close to what you have (only all-grain). The differences are that I chose pale chocolate malt (at about half of the level you have the chocolate malt) to get the nuttiness, my late hop addition is at 10 minutes (fuggles, like your chose), and I added the cocoa powder at 5 minutes left in the boil. It came out great, but I think next time I'm going to add just a bit of vanilla extract in at bottling to round out the cocoa flavor.

 

[C-Rider]

I've used 1.5 oz cocoa powder in 2 gallons you might me a little heavy on the power.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

This is a good reminder for me to brew mine for Christmas gifts, I'll see if I can pull up the recipe and post it. It uses chocolate liquid extract, which is expensive, but worthwhile, in my experience.

 

[KeninMN]

I've done the Chocolate Milk Stout from Northern Brewer, both as and extract brew and as an all grain brew and found it to be excellent. I added 100 g of cocoa powder with 10 minutes left in the boil. I also soaked the cacao nibs in vodka for two weeks prior to adding them for two weeks of conditioning after primary fermentation ended. The recipe is here:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/ChocolateMilkStout.pdf

 

[JumpingComet]

Thanks for all the input.
I usually don't use a secondary. Can you add cacao nibs to the primary?

 

[schatzke]

Fermentables
6 lb Light LME
1 lb Light DME
Steeped
1 lb Chocolate malt
1 lb Roasted barley
.5 lb Crystal 120L
Hops
1 oz Kent Golding (60 min)
1 oz Fuggle (30 min)
Yeast
Safale US-05.

Cocoa powder, 8 ounces, 15 minutes left in boil.


I brewed a sweet chocolate stout recently and the recipe is pretty close to yours. I had crystal 60 instead of 120, magnum instead of KG, a little less chocolate malt, and I had 8 oz of flaked oats. Oh and a pound of lactose along with my 8 oz cocoa powder. I really enjoyed it. Keep it the same or tweak it some more and enjoy

 

[eadavis80]

I used some oats (1/2 pound), and a pound of lactose as well as about 1/2 cup of cocoa powder (dissolved in wort and then poured back into the boil) in the last 5 minutes when making the NB milk stout kit. I've made the kit several times, but these additions helped make it more robust/chocolatey. I also used 04 instead of 05. I've also had good luck with WYeast 1098 for stouts.

 

[KeninMN]

I used some oats (1/2 pound), and a pound of lactose as well as about 1/2 cup of cocoa powder (dissolved in wort and then poured back into the boil) in the last 5 minutes when making the NB milk stout kit. I've made the kit several times, but these additions helped make it more robust/chocolatey. I also used 04 instead of 05. I've also had good luck with WYeast 1098 for stouts.

I've also brewed a version of this recipe with oats and then diluted it down to 4% ABV, making into a true brunch stout that won't put you back into bed. My go-to yeast is Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale yeast. I absolutely hate S04. There's just something weird about it on my palate...