Chocolate Stout

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quachy

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It's been a hell of a long time since I last posted! Anyway finished off my stock of beer and was too lazy to brew anymore now i'm dry. Dang it!

At the moment i have a Euro lager bottled and have also bottled an Amber Ale:
Coopers Pale Ale can
250g choc malts boiled for 10 mins
BE1 + 500g of DME
supplied yeast pitched at 21 deg.
OG 1048
FG 1017 (target was 1016 but it didn't move for three days so bottled)

A very sweet wort but has really mellowed duing ferment. the roasted choc malts have come through pretty well and happy at bottling. Lets see what it's like after 12 weeks!

Anyway, to the real topic. I am going to brew the following and was after some thoughts:
Coopers stout can
BE2
Supplied yeast.

That's it for the wort.

At bottling, I was thinking of 1 carb drop and 1 dark cooking chocolate button per long neck.

Alternatively:
Coopers Stout can
BE2
200g of quality cocoa
supplied yeast

At bottling 1 carb drop per long neck.

Thoughs anyone?

Quachy
 
I have no idea why this topic has posted twice! can the aministrators please delete one please.

Sorry and thanks
 
Anyway, to the real topic. I am going to brew the following and was after some thoughts:
Coopers stout can
BE2
Supplied yeast.

That's it for the wort.

At bottling, I was thinking of 1 carb drop and 1 dark cooking chocolate button per long neck.

Alternatively:
Coopers Stout can
BE2
200g of quality cocoa
supplied yeast

At bottling 1 carb drop per long neck.

Thoughs anyone?

Quachy

I'd go the second option. The fat in the choc button could play havoc with your head retention.

That said - you could prime a few individual bottles just to see.

I've used cocoa in stout before and it worked quite nicely.

Nowadays I tend towards choc malt and roast barley for my coffee and chocolate characteristics.
 
thanks for that, I think I will go the second option. Is 200g too much for 23 litres?
 
thanks for that, I think I will go the second option. Is 200g too much for 23 litres?

Just a quick question, how would you work the cocoa into your wort? Do you boil with just the BE2 or would you be boiling together with the kit? Thanks!
 
250g choc malts boiled for 10 mins
Sorry to rant you meant Steeped not boiled hey ? :huh:

I would probly try steeping some dark grains etc then boiling the cocoa in that liquor to sanitise - 15minutes maybe ?

You only need to boil the other ingredients to either sanitise, (most people don't boil kits...),
or some DME making mini wort up to ~1.030 - 40 if you want to boil some hops for more bitterness
 
Sorry to rant you meant Steeped not boiled hey ? :huh:

I did steep first for 10 then boiled for ten. Usually would just steep, but they had been sitting around for a while (12mths) so thought I would kill any bug that was left in there. Not orthodox I know, but at least there won't be any infection from it and it is a bit of an experiment! The wort tasted very sweet as mentioned before, a very smokey, roasty flavour which I thought was excellent. Prior to bottling it still had that smokey/roasty flavour but the sweetness had well mellowed which was what I expected. Should still be sweetish (as far as ales go) when finished ageing at 12 weeks. Will keep you posted.

I will be mixing kit and BE2 without boiling, but will boiling/simmering the cocoa just to be sure for a couple of minutes. So long as the temp hits 80+ deg and stays there for a minute of so, I can be pretty sure all nasty bugs are gone. That's what we do with our cheese and we are still alive and kicking so that's what i'll do with the cocoa. Fo that short amount of time, it should not noticeably reduce the cocoa flavour which is what I am after. Could be wrong, but we will see!
 
Grains will be full of bugs that will bring about an infection, even the freshest. Next time you might want to steep the grain then remove it before boiling the remaining liquid.
 
Grains will be full of bugs that will bring about an infection, even the freshest. Next time you might want to steep the grain then remove it before boiling the remaining liquid.

yeah what I did this time was steep and then boiled. my theory was that i would squeeze out all the flavour, considering how old it was, I was pretty happy with the result. will let you all know when i do a taste at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.
 
Steep grains, drain liquid, boil liquid, discard grains.

Every time, whether fresh or old.

@enuun- I'd dissolve it in the boiling water you use with your kit.
 
Lovely! Thank you manticle

Steep grains, drain liquid, boil liquid, discard grains.

Every time, whether fresh or old.

@enuun- I'd dissolve it in the boiling water you use with your kit.
 
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