Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Choconut Porter

[namyarb3]

This recipe will be my next brew.
The vanilla bean idea sounds awesome with it. How would you do the beans? In the boil? In the primary? Soaked in bourbon?

 

[Welderbydaybrewerbynight]

I used 2 or 3 beans I can't remember now and cut them up soaked them in vodka for a few days to clean them and put them in secondary. If you don't use a secondary just add them to your pirmary about a week after your brew date. Mine turned out great only a few bottles left.

 

[adixon3]

how did you get the coconut flavor with no coconut

 

[Oscbert]

how did you get the coconut flavor with no coconut

It's a play on words. Chocolate+Hazelnut= Choconut

There is no coconut flavor. Might be good with a little toasted coconut added though.

 

[Larzean]

I brewed this yesterday ended up with an OG of approx 1.072, plan to add a few vanilla beans soaked in vodka in about 2 weeks and let it sit a bit, then when bottling add in a graham cracker flavor to try to get a s'mores taste to it.

 

[Welderbydaybrewerbynight]

I brewed this yesterday ended up with an OG of approx 1.072, plan to add a few vanilla beans soaked in vodka in about 2 weeks and let it sit a bit, then when bottling add in a graham cracker flavor to try to get a s'mores taste to it.

I like the Graham cracker idea hope it turns out good for you.

 

[wormraper]

this brew looks simple and AMAZING. I'm soooooo trying this out for one of my next brews after I get my equipment in (impatiently pacing)

one thing to clarify if you don't mind. you list 8.52 lb's of Pale Malt (2 Row)

the only 2 row at my LHBS is just called Domestic 2 row
http://www.beer-wine-brewing.com/store/product.php?productid=18022&cat=330&page=1

is that the right one??? the only other "pale" malt was listed as belgian pale only (no mention of 2 row)

 

[sparky701]

Oh yeah this looks awesome! Just getting strike water ready. Doing the ag version with 10 lbs of 2 row and knocking the chocolate and crystal down to 1 lbs. got some fancy cocoa SWMBO gave me from penzeys spice company. Have 2 vials of dry English wlp 007 that I bought by mistake that I'm going to try. Maybe going to try out almond extract since I can't find hazelnut.
Hey wormrap yeah that two row you linked is the base malt you want.

 

[sparky701]

Just kegged and bottled this yesterday wow great flavor. Big coffee notes with a chocolate finish that is just tell you to take another gulp. A few months in the keg should make this just incredible. I am not putting hazelnut in as I couldn't find it for one and the other think this one stands well on its own. Thanks for a great recipe.

 

[Guidry]

For those of you who DO use a secondary fermentation stage, have any of you tried adding the hazelnut during secondary? Likely kegging this one and I was thinking of adding it then. Any thoughts on adverse effects?

 

[BernieDawg]

Any difference in letting it condition just the two weeks as opposed to three? Anyone tried it both ways?

 

[mgonbrewlab]

I just started a batch of this- I decreased the chocolate malt slightly and added a bit of unmalted barley. I cannot believe the rich chocolate smells that were coming from the kettle, even before adding my cocoa. Three days later my kitchen still smells like rich dark chocolate- it is a good thing.

Thinking I may skip the hazelnut in favor of either orange zest or some cherry pulp.

My LBHS stopped milling grain, and I was unable to find my rolling pin, so I improvised and put the grain bag between two cutting boards and smashed it with a rubber mallet. Bit messy, but effective

 

[mgonbrewlab]

SWMBO voted down the orange for the first batch off this, which was recently bottled w 3/4 cup priming sugar. However, I chain brewed this and have another batch on the bucket. Thinking I will split it I'm half and make one half a choco orange porter and leave the other half as is.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

Have the day off, so I decided an early taste on this was in order. Clarity is awful (suspended cocoa?) but the taste is amazing. Nice cocoa and coffee start with a slight lingering sweetness. Just a little thin- my fault for cutting the malts short.

Can't wait to see how this is in another couple weeks

EDIT: did I say weeks? Apparently I meant days. I found a rock hard PET bottle and chilled it for a couple days. First pour had TONS of head with great retention (my wife compared it to a root beer float). The coffee and dark chocolate are very present in the scent. First taste was all cocoa and burnt caramel, with a little coffee.

Any complaints about thinness are gone. In less than a week this has transformed from a sweetish porter with not enough body to a rich, tasty, semi-complex, pleasantly dry and SILKY smooth brew, even without the hazelnut.

Clarity is still non existent. I don't expect to be able to see through a dark beer, but to get a sense that I can still see into it. I am guessing this is the cocoa in suspension? I skipped the cocoa on my second batch to use this as a stripped down "base" recipe to experiment on, so we will see.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

The last of batch 2 has been kicked. Leaving out the cocoa, surprisingly, did not do much to decrease the dark chocolate in the nose but it really brought out the coffee and woody/earthy undertones in the flavor profile. Really, really, really good ratio for a malt bill. Thank you!