Seeking help on a recipe

[howiehandles]

A new startup brewery in my area is making a Mexican Hot Chocolate style Porter. All I know is they're using cocao nibs (for a week in the secondary I believe), and vanilla beans..Any idea what I would need? they didn't give away how they were making it.

I've only done all extract to date, 3 beers, but would do all grain or partial.

 

[redde2brew]

Look at Denny Conn's bourbon vanilla bean porter and just swap the bourbon for chocolate.

 

[SC_Ryan]

Maybe chili powder?... I know there is chili powder in some recipes for Mexican style brownies

 

[Shinglejohn]

Cocoa Cayenne Porter

Here is a recipe of mine that is along the same lines.

I use unsweetend cocoa powder but you could use nibs also. Ive never used them, though i think i may try them next time i brew it.

 

[Golddiggie]

Besides chocolate (unsweetened or bittersweet) and chili powder (not a lot) I've also seen cinnamon and vanilla mentioned in Mexican hot chocolate recipe's... You could scale one of those (make it first to ensure you like it as hot chocolate) for the porter recipe.

I would probably use roasted barley to add coffee notes to the brew, since that often goes really well with chocolate flavors.

I might put a 1/2 vanilla bean at the end of the wort boil, with some of the chocolate added around the same time. Then plan on adding more at the end of things (before bottling it up)... Depending on what you add for flavor elements, you could be looking at racking, or not. If at all possible, avoid racking to other vessels. I would ONLY do that once the base porter was finished, and the yeast has done all it can for it.

Basically, make your base porter, make sure it's 100% complete, then start adding flavor elements. If possible, add the ones you won't need to rack off of first, so the more mild ones. Then add the stronger ones. You want to rack as little as possible.

 

[Shinglejohn]

Basically, make your base porter, make sure it's 100% complete, then start adding flavor elements. If possible, add the ones you won't need to rack off of first, so the more mild ones. Then add the stronger ones. You want to rack as little as possible.

+1

Hot pepper powder can vary in scoville units, so you want to add to taste in secondary.

I don not recomend adding vanilla in boil, secondary is the place for that as it takes time for the flavors to extract.

 

[Golddiggie]

+1

Hot pepper powder can vary in scoville units, so you want to add to taste in secondary.

I don not recomend adding vanilla in boil, secondary is the place for that as it takes time for the flavors to extract.

I've not added vanilla bean into the boil before, only post fermentation... Figured someone with more experience with it would chime up there. I would probably avoid soaking the bean in anything too hot, like vodka... Maybe some Kahlua... hmmmmm that could be something right there... Add the bean from the Kahlua, then later add the Kahlua in too...

 

[Homebrewtastic]

In Mexican hot chocolate there's often cinnamon and nutmeg. Sometimes there's bits of chili, but usually not much. So think of adding those flavors to your brew.

 

[KevinM]

If you use chili powder, try ancho or chipotle. I really like ancho hot chocolates, it's not spicy, but has an earthy, smokey flavor. Chipotle is a bit spicy but works well in chocolate. Not sure how well it'd work with a beer though.

 

[howiehandles]

the new brewery who is making this recipe, made a paste with ancho chilis and cinnamon, but I'm sure added nutmeg and other spices. From what I've read, people often make a paste using spices and some sort of liquor. Maybe it wasn't in the secondary, but they definitely used cocao nibs, and specifically stated for 1 week only, or they release some bitterness.

 

[howiehandles]

I've not added vanilla bean into the boil before, only post fermentation... Figured someone with more experience with it would chime up there. I would probably avoid soaking the bean in anything too hot, like vodka... Maybe some Kahlua... hmmmmm that could be something right there... Add the bean from the Kahlua, then later add the Kahlua in too...

I'm digging adding Kahlua, that could be real nice.

 

[unionrdr]

It sounds like you're making a beer version of the peppery choclatl drink that Montezuma supposedly drank by the potful. I remember reading a recipe that the Frugal Gourmet looked up (he went to the library of congress a lot),& set down in his 1st book. I still have it. It used un-processed cocoa (I've herd it pronounce "cacow") by south Americans.
Then water or chicken broth with a fistful of hot peppers & spices. I'd have to look it up for the specifics,but you guys are on the right track.
Anyway,that's the story behind it. Look up his 1st book,I think he did list sources somewhere in the book. You may find the original seasonings the Spaniards said he used in his "drink of the gods". That just might be interesting to reproduce.