Mexican Chocolate Milk Stout

[TwistedGray]

My goal with this was to improve on my previous stout (Midnight Oil <thread here>) which turned out great but not what I was looking for. This time, I think I'll hit the mark. I want to turn my wife's hot chocolate into a beer...that's what I'm going for.

My base was Northern Brewer's Chocolate Milk Stout (https://www.northernbrewer.com/chocolate-milk-stout-extract-kit). You can pull their recipe from the site, but my changes are below.

1. While steeping the grains I added cinnamon sticks (muslin bag with grains).

2. They give you two one ounce bags of Cluster pellets, but the instructions only call for one and a half ounces. I used both packages, so instead of just 0.5oz at 30 minutes I did 1oz at 30 minutes.

3. At the 5 minute mark I tossed in just over an ounce of espresso beans (muslin bag). I am not sure it will added anything given the small amount.

4. I pulled off some of the wort, added 10 ounces of Mexican chocolate, brought that back to a boil and blended in the chocolate. That mixture was cooled down and then added directly to the carboy. The remaining wort was then added post cool down.

*I am not using the cocoa nibs they provide.

I am fermenting at about 60-65° with Nottingham ale yeast.

My OG was 1.066 and my estimated FG should be around 1.0165 depending on what this yeast does. I am shooting for something around 6.5% ABV.

IBU was calculated at 45
SRM was calculated at 39
Dark brown (obviously)

Post fermentation I'll rack into a secondary and let it rest for a few weeks before bottling. Then it'll get tucked away in the garage for a few months. I imagine it's going to take some time for the beer to melow and the chocolate to come through.

Picture: It's the one on the right, and while not as exciting (from a yeast perspective) it's chugging along. As of now it absolutely looks like hot cocoa!

 

[beer-me-now]

I'm new to brewing with only 5 extract kits under my belt so please read my questions as sincere and not condescending. I'm going through a phase of trying to modify existing extract kit recipes and learning what will work and why and how, etc.

Why did you decide to add the cinnamon sticks to the steeping grains instead of adding them to primary or secondary? Also, why add the espresso beans during the boil instead of primary or secondary?

Are you worried at all about the extra .5oz of hops overwhelming or working against the Mexican chocolate flavor you are going for?

Lastly, I like your method for adding the chocolate, have you done this before with good results?

I personally love big, bold, sweet stouts and would have done this differently because of my personal tastes. Look forward to hearing your thoughts or reasoning and learning more from everyone I can.

 

[madscientist451]

Also interested to hear how it comes out. I've always heard there are problems associated with adding actual chocolate to a beer, but never tried it myself.

 

[TwistedGray]

Traveling for the next week, BUT I have some that'll be bottle conditioned and ready when I get back at the end of the week. Will report back

 

[TwistedGray]

I'm new to brewing with only 5 extract kits under my belt so please read my questions as sincere and not condescending. I'm going through a phase of trying to modify existing extract kit recipes and learning what will work and why and how, etc.

Why did you decide to add the cinnamon sticks to the steeping grains instead of adding them to primary or secondary? Also, why add the espresso beans during the boil instead of primary or secondary?

Are you worried at all about the extra .5oz of hops overwhelming or working against the Mexican chocolate flavor you are going for?

Lastly, I like your method for adding the chocolate, have you done this before with good results?

I personally love big, bold, sweet stouts and would have done this differently because of my personal tastes. Look forward to hearing your thoughts or reasoning and learning more from everyone I can.

Pardon the much delayed response. Overall this is a creamy, sweet (I'd say somewhere in the middle of light to heavy), and chocolate bomb of a beer. You do not, however, get much cinnamon, coffee, or hops flavor/aroma as it aged, but the coffee came through heavily early on.

I added cinnamon and whole beans to the steeping grains because I didn't want either to be pronounced. Not only are they not pronounced but they were masked quite well by the chocolate. With that said, I would have at least liked the cinnamon to come through more.

The hops are more or less lost, but you can (if you try real hard, perhaps placebo) note a slight, low level of bitterness.

This is the first time that I added as much chocolate (I've done a quarter of this, and it didn't come through as much as I hoped). If I did it again, which I am sure i will, I would opt for significantly more cinnamon and might as well omit the coffee and hops. You could dump more coffee beans and pull bitterness from them, if you want, but this was meant to replicate a hot cocoa ... those aren't bitter nor should this particular beer be.

So, in the end it's a win in my books.

 

[Bubbles2]

I am on my 4th or 5th batch of chocolate stout over here.. I too have added coffee as well. Jury is still out on the Lactose add for me.
My last two batches had Rolled Instant Oats added 12 oz to 150º then pulled to finish grain at 170º. I have a Chocolate that I made the 1st of the year doing a chocolate add like you did, I also have another with nibs pre boiled with some DME when adding to Primary 7 days out, and finally another with a Vodka soak of Nibs over night, then pitched on the lack of activity or 5 days out for 5 more days, have not tried that one yet.
I have found that the chocolate is not coming through like a Barney Flats or a Chocolate Bock Sam Adams, still working on it, I have even added a pinch of Himalayan salt at bottling to stave off bitter, raised ABV to dry the finish. I think the next one I do is going to see a complex sweetener as an adjunct at bottling to see if that will bring out the chocolate a bit more.

To date I started with a Northern Brewer Kit on the 1st one
The second was an Austin Brewers Kit
and the last two or three (note book is across the room) have been a made recipe of my own. I found the Oats (and toasted this last batch) to give it better body thus far and the next batch will be no Lactose late add. I even add Caramel extract 2tsp to 5gal with that chocolate. I'll get it in a few more batches.

P.S If you use 5oz Nibs, grab those outta there and toss them in a container save em and toss em in a late add Anchor Steam Porter with 1oz large 'cracked' coffee beans. Outstanding accident. 5gal.

I have good reviews from the local sushi bar I share with, but I do want more chocolate to come through and linger not like it is now, out front and aroma, but goes away on finish.

 

[Bubbles2]

Another Note about Chocolate coming thru... I mentioned the re use of Nibs in that 'Anchor Porter accident'. I had one of each last night (choc Stout and Anchor Porter w late add nibs in the fer mentor aforementioned) after this post and it seems that the used chocolate nibs flavor had come thru more than the 1st use of it....Almost like too much chocolate is overpowered by it's own bitters rather than compliment, or season as a chocolate flavoring.... I will see on the next batch about cutting back from 5-6oz to 3-4oz. I've even heard where someone said (not about the one's I've made, but about other's) that; "Chocolate has a beer flavor with a burnt coffee finish..." (those bitters in Chocolate)

 

[Bubbles2]

Update amigo,
The Chocolate soaked in Vodka overnight "the last batch" has the best chocolate come thru. FWIW. Hope you batch comes out as expected. I am going to cut the hops at boil start on the next one, the chocolate bitter comes through and does the job of an oz at boil start (like a N.Brewer gives) So Some Cascade or Earthy hop at the end using a vodka soak nibs will get me real close. Peace "use your blinker"

 

[TwistedGray]

I need to toss another in the fridge and see if my whole batch came out funky or if I just got unlucky.

 

[Bubbles2]

I need to toss another in the fridge and see if my whole batch came out funky or if I just got unlucky.

Bear in mind your chocolate is bitter by nature, so watch your hop add at boil start. You prob know that the earlier you hop the more bitter. For instance this last batch had an 1oz at start and another at 50 with .5 at 20 in my recipe. The next will be 1 oz at 50 and .5 at 20 skipping the 1 oz at start even though it is a N brewer hop for the start and 50 with an earthy hop at 20 ( your pref) Losing the bitter sweetened the choc and I now have a good choc out front with a good finish just a touch bitter aforementioned.
I am a stickler with recipes be it hot sauce(s), BBQ sauces, pickled peppers, relishes, red sauces, etc. IF you care to try my recipe just ask and I will send it out.