Chocolate Porter

[Duff]

I would like to make a chocolate porter but am a little unsure on if simply bumping up the choc malt will throw the other malts out of balance. Over the weekend I made a robust porter which went like this:

3.93kg JWM Ale
0.54kg Crystal 60L
0.36kg Choc Malt
0.28kg Roast Barley
0.28kg German Light Munich
0.12kg Torrified Wheat
0.12kg Flaked Oats
48gm Fuggle @ 60min
14gm EK Goldings @ 15min
WLP023 Burton Ale

OG: 1.067

It has the typical roast notes and should be a good beer. If I want to have the real chocolate flavours and aroma, what should I be looking at for chocolate malt increases? Should I just simply back off the roast? Any help will be appreciated, I might do it this weekend and dump on the existing cake.

Cheers - Brett.

 

[Ray_Mills]

Hi Brett
The recipe looks good, I would cut out the roast. You dont want any roasted flavours in a porter. It should be a smooth chocolate tasting beer. If you can get your hands on some Carafa its even better.
I noticed on the Big Beer recipe site that the Porter had Roasted Barley in it. My feelings are, Chocolate malt for Porters, Roasted Barley for Stouts.
Ray

Munich Dunkel Lagering
Munich Helles fermenting
Belgian Strong dark ale fermenting
Bohemin Pilsener bottled
Dry Irish Stout bottled
Scottish 80 shilling bottled

 

[GMK]

this is only my suggestion - back the roast off to around 100gms.
increase the choc to 500 gms.

Add 100gms of Dark compound cooking choc at the start of the boil.
Most books say that adding choc - the proteins can effect the head retention - but if u skim in the boil - i have never had this problem.

I have added upto a 250gm block before - I was playing around at trying to clone a Marstons double choc stout - it really gives it a nice choc aftertaste.

Alternatively, u can try some choc essence.

Hope this helps.

 

[Doc]

Maybe Gerard can also provide some pointers on a Chocolate Porter ?
He makes a fantastic one at Paddy's Brewery.

Beers,
Doc

 

[SJW]

I agree with RAY, I did a nice Porter with 350g of Choc Malt, 150g of Black Patent & Maris Otter was the base. It took about 6 months for the Black malt to settle down but after that it was as smooth as. I dont know about adding Munich?
And for GMK, I still have not used Chocolate Bars in my brews yet. Maybe one day.

 

[Duff]

Doc Posted Today, 08:12 AM

Maybe Gerard can also provide some pointers on a Chocolate Porter ?
He makes a fantastic one at Paddy's Brewery.

Beers,
Doc

Gerard's is the style in which I would like to emulate, a wonderful beer.

GMK Posted Today, 08:04 AM

Add 100gms of Dark compound cooking choc at the start of the boil.

Thanks GMK, I had often wondered about adding a block of chocolate to a beer and whether it would work.

Cheers

 

[Gerard_M]

Gday All
I have been given the job of stay at home Dad for 2 days. 1 1/2 hours in & no dramas so far.
Firstly, I believe that you should look at a fat free Cocoa powder for a Chocolate hit for your beers, as a Chocolate bar contains fats that will screw the head retention.
We are currently running 2 different Porters from Paddy's
The Chocolate Porter that is on tap at Paddy's is an all-Australian grain bill. This is not only our best selling beer, it is the owners fav drop. I have made a few adjustments to the grain bill gradually over the past 12 months & nobody noticed. Without giving all the secrets away we are looking at a grain bill that includes JW Pils, JW Wheat, JW Crystal, JW Choc, & JW Roast Barley.

The other Porter is the Gearins Dark which is on tap at Gearins Hotel in Katoomba.
For this beer we use some Thomas Fawcett Malts, so we have JW Pils, TF Crystal Wheat, TF Chocolate, & some JW Roast Barley.

The big difference between the 2 beers is the colour & flavour that the TF Choc brings. Lots of big, rich mocha flavours & a very black beer. Like all beers, try to keep it very simple, and don't go overboard on the darker grains. The Hoef, Farb Malt is a good alternative to Roast Barley.

Next week we will have both of these beers on tap at Paddy's so you can spot the difference yourself
Cheers
Gerard

 

[jayse]

Hi porter brewers,
I also agree with everyone who said swap the roast barley for another roasted malt.
You can up the munich malt aswell.
You shouldn't need the oats or wheat and as far as a chocolate bar leave them for the kids! :blink:

Black patent is my fav malt in porters and works a treat, i'd look at using around 200g of it. even 200g of black patent by itself is enough without any other roasted malts to give you what your after.
Another top idea is use 500g of TF amber malt, that will give it a whole new dimension adding toasted biscuit and coffee flavours which highlight and add to the overall rich choc/coffee flavours.


Happy brewing
Jayse

 

[Ross]

Gerard,

What percentage of Pils do you add or is it your base malt?

 

[Duff]

Ross,

I do know that Gerard use's the Pils as the base malt.

 

[bonk]

i'm with jayse, the amber malt gives a great choccie flavour to the beer ( i used the JW Amber Malt).

something along the follow; up the batch size to suit as its for 10L


1.70 kg. JWM Traditional Ale Malt
0.25 kg. JWM Amber Malt
0.15 kg. JWM Crystal 140
0.15 kg. TF Flaked Barley
0.10 kg. JWM Chocolate Malt
0.06 kg. TF Black Malt

 

[BJCP Education Director]

My best chocolate porter Ive made had no chocolate in it at all. My Robust porter has a ton of chocolate character in it anyway. I wanted to do some experimenting and added some Capt Morgan Rum to it. Damned if there was NO rum flavor...it was pure milk chocolate. Everyone Ive given this recipe LOVES it!!. Here it is:

Chocolate Robust Porter

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 10.00 Wort Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 29.01
Anticipated OG: 1.078 Plato: 18.95
Anticipated SRM: 47.4
Anticipated IBU: 31.9
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
55.2 16.00 lbs. Maris Otter Great Britain 1.038 3
13.8 4.00 lbs. Golden Promise Great Britain 1.038 3
8.6 2.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
6.9 2.00 lbs. Flaked Barley America 1.032 2
3.4 1.00 lbs. Crystal 90L America 1.033 90
5.2 1.50 lbs. Crystal 55L Great Britian 1.034 55
1.7 0.50 lbs. Aromatic Malt Belgium 1.036 25
1.7 0.50 lbs. Black Malt - Debittered America 1.028 525
0.9 0.26 lbs. Special Roast Malt America 1.033 40
0.9 0.25 lbs. Biscuit Malt Belgium 1.035 24
0.9 0.25 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.028 450
0.9 0.25 lbs. Special B Malt Belgian 1.030 120

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 4.75 18.6 60 min.
2.00 oz. Fuggle Whole 5.00 10.0 30 min.
2.00 oz. Fuggle Whole 5.00 3.3 5 min.


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1318 London Ale III


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Name: Single Infusion Mash

Total Grain Lbs: 29.01
Total Water Qts: 31.91 - Before Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 7.98 - Before Additional Infusions

Tun Thermal Mass: 0.00
Grain Temp: 70.00 F


Step Rest Start Stop Heat Infuse Infuse Infuse
Step Name Time Time Temp Temp Type Temp Amount Ratio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Single Infusion 5 90 154 152 Infuse 169 31.91 1.10


To secondary add:
.5L of Capt Morgan Special Reserve Rum. More or less to taste.

 

[Pumpy]

Gerard ,

I have tried that Porter at Paddys brewery it really is a high quality porter . I find it difficult to believe that people do not understand the difference beteween commercial and real ales in Australia ,I suppose it is only a matter of education .

Pumpy