When do I use the Caramel?

[gallerygoo]

I want to make a Caramel Mocha Stout but I'm not sure if I should put the caramel in when I'm boiling everything, if I should put it in the primary fermentation, or the secondary fermentation can anybody help me with this please?

 

[Dcpcooks]

What type of caramel are you considering?

You could make some caramelized sugar and add that either at flameout or secondary. I'd probably go at flame out.

You could look at milk stout recipes add some caramel malt to the grain bill, add some cacao nibs, your caramel and a little lactose.

I'd stay away from actual caramel candies. They contain milk in some form and preservatives..

 

[Cyclman]

I like candi sugar, I add it in the secondary as a syrup

 

[day_trippr]

Actual caramel I'd think would be a very late/flame-out addition to keep it from scorching because you know it's going to dive straight to the bottom of the kettle.

Or a dark candi sugar, which I'd use a few days into fermentation.

Or you could use a specialty grain ala Caramel 120 in the mash, even.

Lots of options...

Cheers!

 

[redarmy990]

if using caramel it would be same as when adding malt extract i think, take off the heat and stir stir stir so you know all is dissolved before returning to the heat to avoid scorching issues.

 

[Mainer]

Same as what others say above. I'd consider caramelizing some sugar or using Belgian Candi sugar syrup rather than using actual caramel. Actual caramel contains cream and/or butter, and the fats in those could give you some rank off-tastes as fermentation goes along. Caramelized sugar (or even plain brown sugar) plus a little lactose in late-boil would give you the combination of toastiness and sweetness that I suspect you're looking for in a caramel mocha stout.

If you're looking to cultivate the buttery taste that's present in caramel, you could consider deliberately producing diacetyl, but that's a dangerous game, friend.