Thoughts?

[maffewl]

I posted this in the Recipe section with no response, so I'm hoping maybe I can get some ideas in the beginner section (which is what I am...)

Hey everyone, I am starting my third batch tomorrow, have all the ingredients below with some to spare... just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this recipe list... I would like it to have the flavor of Young's Double Chocolate Stout, but finish with a hint more chocolate flavor... Any advice on adding or subtracting ingredients, or brewing process, would be greatly appreciated.

Og 1.053 Fg 1.013
Ibu 28

.5lb briess golden light DME
4lb 2oz northern brewer organic light LME
8oz 2-row rahr pale ale malt
11oz briess caramel crystal malt (60L)
13oz simpsons chocolate malt
12oz lactose
8oz table sugar
4oz raw cane sugar
6oz cocoa powder (added in secondary)
.33 oz liquid chocolate extract (added in secondary)
1tsp irish moss (15 min)
1/2 tsp yeast nutrients (15 min)
7 AAU fuggles hops (60 min)
1.25 AAU kent golding hops (15 min)
wyeast 1318
.75 C corn sugar (priming)

 

[ChshreCat]

1. I think cocoa powder late in the boil would give you more than it would in the secondary. Then you could taste at secondary and judge if and how much chocolate extract you might want to use.

2. Why the sugar? Are you wanting to cut back on the body and make this a thinner beer?

3. If you're measuring out other ingredients by weight, you must have a scale. Do the same with your priming sugar and you'll get more consistency and control from batch to batch.

 

[maffewl]

Thanks for the response! To be honest, I'm still new to all this and found this recipe online... so I don't really know why it has table sugar instead of corn sugar. Should I switch the two? I really don't want it to be a thin beer, I would like some weight to it. But I will take your advice on mixing the extract late in the boil and weighing the sugar... About how much should I expect to use when weighing?

 

[ChshreCat]

I'd dump the sugar entirely and replace it with a little more malt extract or 2-row instead. There's no reason to have sugar in the boil for that recipe.

The chocolate extract I would save for secondary and use the cocoa powder in the boil.

Here's a great online calculator for priming sugar: http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

If you're not emotionally invested in this recipe, you could also look in the recipe database here for a good chocolate stout. There's a few that say they're pretty close to Young's and you can up the chocolate a hair to make it to your taste. I have a great chocolate stout recipe, but it's nothing like Young's.

 

[maffewl]

I appreciate the help... if you don't think this is going to turn out to well based on this recipe... I would love to look at another. The only trick is that I have all of the ingredients for this particular recipe, however, if there is one you might feel is better suited that includes the same ingredients, I would love to take a look at it.

 

[ChshreCat]

Can't say if the recipe would be good or not, it just seems a touch odd.

 

[maffewl]

I took a look at the recipe section labeled "Stout" in the recipe forum here, but couldn't find a Double Chocolate Stout clone... I am a complete noob to this forum so I can guarantee it's me not knowing what I'm doing, but can you point me to some of the recipes that are similar to the Youngs version? Also, other than the sugar, what is drawing your attention to think that something may be off about this particular recipe?

 

[nilo]

From my limited experience:
-8oz 2row malt - This is an extrat recipe. I don't see why to use this little amount of 2 row. Doesn't make sense to me.
-Sugar - should not need any sugar
-1.25 AAU kent golding hops (15 min) - is this 1.25% AA? If so, that sounds too little for goldings, more like 4.5% would be the right alpha%.

 

[maffewl]

Hmmm... I'm starting to get uncomfortable with this recipe... What stinks is that I have everything purchased and waiting to be brewed. I keep looking for recipes but all I'm finding is the ones for the Austin Homebrew version. Any suggestions on modifications or new recipes with these ingredients would work for me.

 

[Newbeerguy]

From my limited experience:
-8oz 2row malt - This is an extrat recipe. I don't see why to use this little amount of 2 row. Doesn't make sense to me.
-Sugar - should not need any sugar
-1.25 AAU kent golding hops (15 min) - is this 1.25% AA? If so, that sounds too little for goldings, more like 4.5% would be the right alpha%.

AAU is just a way of measuring out hops.

Straight from John Palmer's How to Brew:

Calculating Alpha Acid Units
AAUs are a good way to state hop additions in your recipes. By specifying the amount of alpha acid for each addition, rather than e.g. 2 oz of Cascade, you don't have to worry about year to year variation in the hop. An AAU is equal to the % AA multiplied by the weight in ounces.

For Example:
1.5 oz of Cascade at 5% alpha acid is 7.5 AAUs. If next year the alpha acid percentage in Cascade is 7.5%, you would only need 1 oz rather than 1.5 oz to arrive at the same bitterness contribution.

I wouldn't abandon this recipe. I agree with others that you should sub out the sugar for some more LME. But I say give it a go. I really can't speak about how close of a clone it will be as I have never had Young's DCS but it doesn't look like a bad recipe.

 

[maffewl]

That makes me feel a little better. Would you add some more to the amount of 2 row malt as mentioned? Also, is there a conversion table or something for me to figure out how much more LME to add to cover the sugar I am removing?

 

[ChshreCat]

Looking around, this appears to be just a clumsy converstion of BYO's all grain Young's clone recipe. I can probably do a better conversion later tonight or this weekend if you want.

 

[maffewl]

Lol... that would be my luck that I find the clumsy version. I would love any input you can give me. I really do appreciate the time you and the others have taken so far to weather my noob questions and all. At this point, I'm not so much looking for a clone as I am just a good chocolate stout recipe with my ingredient list... lol.

 

[Broncoblue]

Just go for it. I tried to make a hazlenut brown ale and it tasted like butt for 2 months. Then my last bottle was damn good.