Thoughts/critiques Cocoa Stout Recipe

[8dannyB2]

I brewed a partial mash stout last year that turned out amazing. Great roastiness, nice chocolate and subtle oak flavors. By far my best brew. I want to brew it again, but make some changes. If like a bit more depth to the profile and I'm diving into all grain.
Original recipe (partial mash)
4# Golden light DME
1# Dark DME
4# 2 row
.5# Black Malt
.5# Crystal 80
.5# Roasted Barley
.75# Chocolate Malt
1# Oats flaked
.5# Carafoam
2oz Nugget 60min
1oz Willamette 25min
1oz Willamette 10min
8oz Cocoa powder 0min

Proposed/(All Grain)
16# Marris Otter
20oz Oats flaked
1# Chocolate Malt
9.6oz Crystal 40
9.6oz Roasted Barley
8oz Carafoam
8oz Crystal 80
6.4oz Black Malt

Hop schedule and cocoa powder would stay the same as well as all secondary additions.
Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.
Cheers


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[BigFloyd]

16lbs of M.O.? How many gallons is your batch? What's your expected efficiency? Target OG?

I like to balance out the bitterness of 8oz unsweetened cocoa powder with a pound of lactose. Combine them dry in a bowl, add enough warm water to create a pourable slurry and add to the boil at 10 min.

 

[8dannyB2]

I'm doing a 6 gallon batch. 5 for a keg and I'll bottle the rest. In this being my first all grain I'm not sure what my efficiency is, but I have it set at 70% on BeerSmith. The projected OG is 1.087.


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[8dannyB2]

The original version of this beer's OG was 1.07 and was about 7.5%ABV. I'm looking for this version to be a little bigger. Shooting for 8.5% range.


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[rocketsan]

I like to balance out the bitterness of 8oz unsweetened cocoa powder with a pound of lactose. Combine them dry in a bowl, add enough warm water to create a pourable slurry and add to the boil at 10 min.

This is your answer for everything today


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[CryoEng]

"roposed/(All Grain)
16# Marris Otter
20oz Oats flaked
1# Chocolate Malt
9.6oz Crystal 40
9.6oz Roasted Barley
8oz Carafoam
8oz Crystal 80
6.4# Black Malt

If you change the 9.6 oz of crystal 40 and roasted barley to 9 oz each you'll find you have 0.6 oz less of crystal 40 and roasted barley in your recipe.

Cheers!

 

[8dannyB2]

If you change the 9.6 oz of crystal 40 and roasted barley to 9 oz each you'll find you have 0.6 oz less of crystal 40 and roasted barley in your recipe.

Cheers!

Great insight. Good work by you.


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[BigFloyd]

This is your answer for everything today


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That's only because people keep asking the same question.

My answer for tomorrow will be "cold crash every batch" for a week.

 

[rocketsan]

That's only because people keep asking the same question.



My answer for tomorrow will be "cold crash every batch" for a week.

Lol...


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[8dannyB2]

That's only because people keep asking the same question.

The last time you suggested the lactose/cocoa powder mix the OP's question was about using a chocolate syrup. Not at all the same question.



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[BigFloyd]

The last time you suggested the lactose/cocoa powder mix the OP's question was about using a chocolate syrup. Not at all the same question.



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rocketsan got the joke. I guess you didn't.

Not the exact same question, but it is on the very same issue which is - how you get the chocolate flavor in a chocolate stout?

You (who is asking for thoughts/critiques on your recipe) are considering using unsweetened cocoa powder with nothing in the recipe to balance out the distinct (and unpleasant) bitterness that it brings to the mix. That won't taste very nice. Some folks use no cocoa/lactose in the boil, but instead do a post-fermentation addition of cocoa nibs. Some do both for lots of chocolate character. Take your pick.

 

[8dannyB2]

My original question wasn't how to get chocolate flavor in the stout. I have brewed a partial mash version of this beer w/ cocoa powder at flameout and the brew turned out great. I'd like to change it to an all grain recipe and also bump up the gravity and ABV a bit as well as make a few other tweaks. Just wanted to get some thoughts on the recipe itself.


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[rocketsan]

rocketsan got the joke. I guess you didn't.

LOL exactly...


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