High FG; Could it be the chocolate?

[Evan!]

My Imperial Chocolate-Cafe Stout has been in secondary for awhile now. 45 days or so. I racked it to tertiary last night, and took an SG reading and taste test. It tastes AMAZING, but it says the SG is currently in the high 030's.

According to ProMash, the OG was 1.092. However, this was way back when I didn't have a hydrometer, so I am just going on what ProMash sayeth. Problem is, I added a whole pot of brewed coffee and 8 ounces of baker's chocolate to the wort. The coffee I added when racking to primary, the chocolate I added 20-25 mins before the end of the boil. As ProMash doesn't have an entry for Baker's Chocolate in their "grains" section, there's no way to know how much 8 ounces of chocolate affected the gravity of the wort. Given that it's unsweetened, there were no real fermentables, so it occurs to me that all that chocolate added a substantial amount of gravity to the beer that is carrying through to the finished product...and that my original gravity was probably quite a bit higher than ProMash says. Especially given how viscuous the wort got when I added the chocolate...

Of course, nowadays, I take grav readings all the time...but, I'm wondering if anyone knows if my suspicions about the chocolate are true? Given that the beer didn't taste extraordinarily sweet, and given that the alcohol didn't seem too low, I'm not terribly worried---especially since the stuff tastes awesome. Thoughts? FYI, here's my recipe:

Strongbadian Imperial Chocolate-Cafe Stout

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

13-F Stout, Russian Imperial Stout

Min OG: 1.075 Max OG: 1.114
Min IBU: 50 Max IBU: 100
Min Clr: 30 Max Clr: 48 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Extract (Lbs): 13.00
Anticipated OG: 1.092 Plato: 21.92
Anticipated SRM: 51.4
Anticipated IBU: 65.8
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 5.88 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.078 SG 18.85 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.8 0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
7.7 1.00 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.028 450
3.8 0.50 lbs. Crystal 10L America 1.035 10
61.5 8.00 lbs. Briess LME- Dark America 1.035 23
15.4 2.00 lbs. Generic DME - Light Generic 1.046 8
3.8 0.50 lbs. Brown Sugar Generic 1.046 4
3.8 0.50 lbs. Molasses Generic 1.036 80

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 oz. Pacific Gem Whole 13.60 25.2 60 min.
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 6.50 26.5 60 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Whole 5.75 10.7 60 min.
0.50 oz. Saazer Pellet 3.30 3.4 30 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.00 Tsp Gypsum Powder Other 60 Min.(boil)
8.00 Oz Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate Other 20 Min.(boil)
0.25 Tsp Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)
12.00 Cup(s) Brewed Drip Coffee Coffee 21 Days(fermenter)



Yeast
-----

DCL Yeast US-56 Safeale American Ale Yeast


Notes
-----

-Add 12 cups Brewed drip coffee to primary fermenter

 

[david_42]

The max. 8 oz. of chocolate would add is 0.004, but you have 2 pounds of grains that are mainly non-fermentables as well.

Still, I would expect this to get into 1.026-30 and Safale S-56 can handle 12%. Maybe you racked too early.

I'd say bottle it and enjoy.

 

[Evan!]

Can't imagine that I racked too soon---the bastard sat in primary for 13 days. As I said, this was in my pre-hydro days, but, still...I've never known the US-56 to take that long.

Yeah, definitely going to bottle and enjoy it.

OH, hell, I just remembered...I never added it to my promash recipe, but I threw like 6+ freakin' ounces of maltodextrin into this brew! And given that it can't be fermented, I bet you that it's responsible for at least some of the high gravity.

Funny thing is, even though the hydrometer says it's s'posed to be sweet, it doesn't taste sweet. Think I'll bottle soon.