Feedback on Chocolate Cherry Stout

[Wreck99]

Looking for feedback on this recipe. It's similar to something I did a few years ago (Double Chocolate Strawberry Cream Stout) which was ok. I'm always worried about too much crystal or roasted malts.

5 gallon batch
OG - 1.060
IBU - 28.5
Color - 33 SRM

Grain Bill:
7.5# - 2-row (~50% of bill)
1# - flaked oats (~6% of bill)
1# - wheat (~6% of bill)
3/4# - C60 (~5% of bill)
3/4# - Chocolate (~5% of bill)
3/4# - roasted barley (~5% of bill)
1/2# - lactose (~3% of bill)

Hops:
3/4oz - Green Bullet @ 60

Yeast:
Denny's Favorite 50 or WLP004 (maybe?)

Adjuncts:
3# can - Sweet cherry puree (secondary) (~20% of bill)
4oz - Cocoa nibs (secondary)
1 - vanilla bean (secondary)

Probably mash high for fuller and sweeter body

 

[Jag75]

Maybe the roasted barley . I use 1# of crystal 80 in my stout so I think your fine there . I use .5# of roasted barley think it's 3.7% of the gb. It really comes down to your taste though.

Have you ever made tinctures with the nibs? Works really well .

 

[Wreck99]

Never tried a tincture, no.

 

[Transamguy77]

I make a big chewy stout using almost the same ingredients, I would cut the roasted barley to half a pound and up the chocolate to 1lb. I have found the roasted barley while adds a nice burnt flavor also adds a bitterness I don’t care for.

 

[Wreck99]

Ahh good point on the bitterness. Thank you!

 

[Transamguy77]

One other thought, you might need to add more cherries than that, I did a split batch with half cherries and half vanilla beans and for 2.5 gallons 1 can was just about right so you may need to double it.

 

[Wreck99]

One other thought, you might need to add more cherries than that, I did a split batch with half cherries and half vanilla beans and for 2.5 gallons 1 can was just about right so you may need to double it.

Is that because the roasty malts will mask some of this? When I make my cherry wheat, 1 can is perfect in a 5 gallon batch. I do want to notice the cherry flavor, but I don't want it to take front stage. The goal with this beer was to try and make a cordial cherry taste. I'm open to adding more cherries.

 

[Leezer]

This sounds like an interesting beer. Can I ask what you use for the cherries?

 

[Wreck99]

This sounds like an interesting beer. Can I ask what you use for the cherries?

Sweet Cherry Puree - 3 lb can from the LHBS.

 

[Transamguy77]

Is that because the roasty malts will mask some of this? When I make my cherry wheat, 1 can is perfect in a 5 gallon batch. I do want to notice the cherry flavor, but I don't want it to take front stage. The goal with this beer was to try and make a cordial cherry taste. I'm open to adding more cherries.

I think there is a lot more going on here complexity wise, it has to cut through more stuff to come through. Are you kegging or bottling? If your kegging you could always add more to the keg in a paint strainer bag if bottling then I’d get the flavor where you want before packaging.

 

[Wreck99]

I'm kegging, then I bottle off the keg as needed for handouts. I guess I could also use Cherry Extract/Flavoring in the keg if I need to bump it up more too.

 

[Transamguy77]

I'm kegging, then I bottle off the keg as needed for handouts. I guess I could also use Cherry Extract/Flavoring in the keg if I need to bump it up more too.

You could do that, Just be careful sometimes the extract tastes fake.

 

[Wreck99]

You could do that, Just be careful sometimes the extract tastes fake.

Good point. I could also use my hops strainer and drop it in the keg with more cherries in it.

 

[AzOr]

I’ve made a few brown ales with cherry and really prefer the tart cherry purée over the sweet.
A couple of times I’ve gotten the cough syrup cherry flavor when using the sweet purée.
There’s much more flavor in the tart, imo.

 

[BongoYodeler]

You could do that, Just be careful sometimes the extract tastes fake.

Good point. I could also use my hops strainer and drop it in the keg with more cherries in it.

If you go the extract route I'd highly recommend Apex Flavor, INC. They're mentioned on this site in other threads. Iv'e used two of their extracts so far - their Toasted Coconut extract which I used in a Left Hand Milk Stout clone last year, and the Pecan extract, which I currently have in a kegged porter. Both delicious. I also have their grapefruit extract which will eventually find its way into an ipa, and their chocolate-cherry-custard extract that I'll add to a future stout some time.

Here's a link to their cherry extract...
https://www.apexflavors.com/Beverag...t-flavor-natural-beer-cider-wine-spirits~2963

 

[Wreck99]

If you go the extract route I'd highly recommend Apex Flavor, INC. They're mentioned on this site in other threads. Iv'e used two of their extracts so far - their Toasted Coconut extract which I used in a Left Hand Milk Stout clone last year, and the Pecan extract, which I currently have in a kegged porter. Both delicious. I also have their grapefruit extract which will eventually find its way into an ipa, and their chocolate-cherry-custard extract that I'll add to a future stout some time.

Here's a link to their cherry extract...
https://www.apexflavors.com/Beverag...t-flavor-natural-beer-cider-wine-spirits~2963

I'll definitely check that out. I've used some flavoring before sold in the LHBS, but this sounds more authentic.

 

[Transamguy77]

@BongoYodeler good to know, I’m always so scared to use extracts because some of them taste so fake I can’t even drink some of them.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Here's the thread where I first read about them.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...cookie-who-has-experience.654715/post-8377828

 

[brewman !]

This is a fantastic porter, esp as far as having low dark malt acidity. I'd use it as a guide.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/chinooklehead-porter.601441/#post-9041361
Please update this thread once you brew it as I would like to brew a similar beer.